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Gr47

Vol. XTIT.

JANUARY 1, 1889.

No. 1.

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SOMETHING ABOUT BEE-HIVES.

FHIEND DOOI.ITTLE TAL.KS TO US ABOUT THEIK
PROPER SIZE, AND GIVES HIS REASONS.

T AM requested to give an article in Gleanings,
||[ on bee-hives. Tn doing this I will simply give
W the readers a little of my work in the past, and
how T was led along step by step till I adopted
the size of brood-chambers which I now use.
When I first commenced to keep bees, all of the
hives then in use contained from 2000 to 2600 cubic
inches of space for a brood-chamher. After using
such a hive for a year or two I came to the conclu
sion that this brood chamber was too large, so ]
went to studying on the matter to see if 1 had con
eluded right. By many carefully conducted exper-
iments I found that queens, as a rule, would not
occupy moi-e than 800 square inches of comb with
brood for any length of time; hence it was plain to
be seen, that, if I used a hive of the usual size
which gave 1450 square inches of comb surface, I
should have 650 square inches of comb to be occu-
pied with honey and pollen. In case I hived a new
gwarm in such a hive, I should have from 500 to 600
square inches of comb filled with the best of honey,
which would be from 25 to 30 pounds. We were
told that this extra room was needed in case of a
poor season, so as to insure honey enough for safe
wintering. So each year my bees were wintering
on from 25 to 30 pounds of the very best of honey,
which should go into boxes, and be turned into
cash; and in case of a poor season, the bees could
be looked after; and if they did not have honey
enough for winter, they could be fed sugar syrup,
or given frames of honey, if we had such on hand.

Another thing, I found that, in having this
amount of honey stored in the hive, the bees were
very loth to conimence work in boxes afterward;
for in doing this they grot to crowding the queen,
and also they had sealed honey next the sections,
instead of brood, which brood all know is a great
enticer into the sections. In order not to get any
pollen in the sections. 1 allowed 200 square inches of
comb (above the 800 the queen occupied) for that, so
I had 1000 square inches of comb space, or about 1500
cubic inches as the right size for the brood-chamber,
regardless of what style of frame is used. Of course,
the frames will not always give just the number of
square inches inside of them which is required, but
we can use the number which comes the nearest to
it. For instance: I use nine Gallup frames, which
give 1035 6quare inches of comb; while if I used but
eight it would give me but 920. To get the square
inches of comb in the frame, multiply the length
by the depth, then use the number of frames which
comes the nearest to 1000 inches. Mr. Gallup used
12 frames in his hive; and as he was my teacher, I,
of course, used the same number when I first began.
When I came tosee things as above. I reduced them
to nine by using three blank boards, or dummies, in
place of the frames. The number of frames can be
reduced at anytime in any hive, in this way, with
but little expense, and that, too, without disturb-
ing the hive at all, or altering the space given to
surplus above. These boards I made of inch lum-
ber, the size of the inside of the hive (fitting loose-
ly! helow the rabbets, with the top-bar of a frame
nailed thereto, ro that it hangs in the hive .just like
a frame. Later years I have used what Is termed
•■ the contraction method," and think that at times

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

there is an advantage in it; but, so far as I have
now explained, there is no contraction about it,
for this is as large as I would have a hive when
working for comb honey, us it gives the queen all
the room she yill occupy, and more room than this
is worse than useless. Hives should be made so
that all of" the bees can be kept profitably at work;
and^fyou have a three-frame nucleus well supplied
' "■' with bees and queen, you should be able to get just
as much comb honey from it in proportion to its
numbers, as from a full colony. Unless a hive is
calculated for this, it is lacking just one important
feature. Hives as above described require less
manipulation to secure good returns from them
than do either larger or smaller hives; yet, do and
say what we will, it is the management of hives
that gives the practical apiarist good returns of
snow-white comb honey— such as sells readily in
any market in the world, when a second quality
will go begging. Whatever hives we may use, they
must be diligently looked after from the time
6pring opens till the bees are ready for winter; and
unless a person can thus do. he had better not go
into apiculture expecting to make a success of it.

As hinted at above, one secret of success in get-
ting comb honey is to get the brood-combs all occu-
pied with brood before the honey harvest opens, so
that, when it does commence, the bees are obliged
to put the honey in the sections. If we use a small
brood-chamber it will be seen that the brood comes
clear to the tops of the frames or»hive, and conse-
quently very close to the sections; hence the bees
readily enter them, while with a large brood-cham-
ber, the bees store the comb the queen does not
occupy, with honey at the beginning of the harvest,
so that the sections are excluded from the brood by
several inches of sealed honey, which, not liking to
pass over, the bees often refuse to go in at all.
Gallup saw this point, even though he advocated a
large hive; for he said, more than 25 years ago,
" We should never allow the bees to get in advance
of the queen; for if we do, the prosperity of the
colony is checked at once; that is, if the bees are
allowed to fill the combs with honey in the spring
before the queen has filled them with brood, the
colony will be an unprofitable one." This point is
one well worthy of our closest attention; and it is
only as we look to all of these points, and bring
them into line with our work, that we can expect to
meet with the greatest success. I have given this
article thus early, so that all who are thinking of
making hives this present winter can try a few as
above, so as to see if I am rinht.
Borodino, N. Y., Dec. It!, 1888. G. M. Doolittle.

SWEET CLOVEK.

ITS VALUE AS A HONEY-PLANT IN THE REGION OK
8ALT LAKE C1TV.

C5J EING requested by the editor to write an ar-
pji tide on the above subject, I have written up
|91 the habits, etc., of the plant. Some of the
"*^ points which I shall give are probably known
to a great many of the fraternity, but I
think they will bear repeating.

Sweet clover grows here along the water-courses,
moist waste places, along the roadsides, and in
neglected fields. It grows from six inches to as
many feet in height, according to the location, and
it is covered with an abundance of bloom from top
to bottom, yielding in most seasons an abundance

of nectar, which, after being gathered und stored,
produces honey of the very best quality and color.
It does not generally bloom in the first year; but in
the second it commences about the first of July,
and keeps up a continual bloom until killed by
frost, furnishing bees with pasturage, generally
from the middle of July until the latter part of
August.

Sweet clover is sometimes used for pasturage,
and also for making hay, if cut when young,
though it is a long way behind alfalfa for that pur-
pose. Though it is sometimes relished by stock,
very few would sow it for feeding. If eaten while
green it is in a measure a cause of hoven, or bloat,
in cows. If you wish good milk or butter you had
better not feed it to milch cows, as it imparts a
very disagreeable taste to it. If eaten off by stock
it will soon recover, and produce an abundance of
bloom for the bees.

It is a very fair fertilizer; and it is also claimed
that, if planted on alkali land, it will feed on the
alkali and exhaust it, besides bringing to the sur-
face, with its long roots, elements necessary to
plant-life.

As sweet clover is a biennial it is not a very hard
weed to eradicate, and very seldom troubles culti-
vated fields, though it will sometimes seed a field;
and if such field is planted to grain the following
season, it will come up, and is cut off only with the
reaper. Next season, if the same field be neglect-
ed, it will quite likely be covered with sweet clo-
ver, and that, too, sometimes as high as your head.
If a field is cultivated as it should be for two sea-
sons, the clover will entirely disappear. The plant
requires a little moisture in the soil the first year;
but after that it will grow without. I consider it,
for my part, a great deal better to see a roadside
lined with it than the sunflowers, etc., that general-
ly grow in such places.

Now, to sum up, sweet clover is our main honey
crop in this locality. It is our best honey; and said
honey, I may say without boasting, compares fa-
vorably with the best grades known.

I do not think it will pay to sow it for honey
alone, unless on such land as is considered worth-
less; but I think it would be a benefit to such land.

As to the amount of nectar it will produce per
acre, I am unable to say; but I think it will com-
pare favorably with white clover; in fact, I think
that it produces fully two-thirds of our honey crop
in this locality, and I should consider this a poor
country for honey, if it were destroyed; but as it is,
we generally get a crop; that is, the bees generally
have some';honey to spare. J. C. Swaner.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec. 22, 1S8S.

I would say to our readers, that it seems
to me friend S. has been quite careful and
conscientious in giving the objectionable
features of sweet clover in the region of
Salt Lake City, as well as the good quali-
ties. In that locality there are a very few
plants that will stand the fierce drouth of
summer ; but sweet clover seems to be one
of them, and it might be easily grown on
thousands of acres that now bear nothing
but weeds of no value. Much of this desert
soil is so light that it is very easily prepared
for a seed-bed. After sweet clover has
once got a start, it furnishes about as per-
manent bee-pasturage as any thing I have
ever found. In fact, I could not find anv

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

of the bee-keepers around Salt Lake City or
Ogden who say they ever have seasons of
no honey at all, such as we have had here
several times during the past twenty years.
Not only does sweet clover yield honey,
but, after testing it in a good many places, I
pronounced it equal in appearance and fla-
vor to any honey we have in the world.
When my Notes of Travel get far enough
along to reach it. you will see what I wrote
down on the spot. The first time I tasted
it at friend Woodmanse's I uttered an ex-
clamation of surprise, and asked him what
was the source of the beautiful honey.
Even before he spoke, there seemed some-
thing familiar in the delicate flavor; and
when he said sweet clover, I recognized it
as plainly as if it were but a piece of stalk
in my mouth. It tastes very much as sweet
clover smells when its green leaves are
bruised slightly. The Havor is not rank
enough to be at all disagreeable. The extract-
ed honey is very thick, and has the same
beautiful flavor as the comb honey. It seems
to me that these facts give us a wonderful
opening for starting a honey-farm where
land is cheap, and nothing else will grow on
account of the long severe drouths. We
should be glad of more facts from those
who have had experience with it in desert
localities.

THAT ■WINTERING PROBLEM.

pertains to the honey-bee. I love light and truth,
and would follow it; but as it turns out, I am cha-
grined to think that, after all, I have been follow-
ing the blind gropings of a Cyclops around the
walls of his cave. I. Hamilton.

Beason. 111.

Friend H., Mr. Heddon can answer for
himself. Does the expression, " Can I sell
you any thing to-day ? " exactly fit Uncle
Amos V If you will prepare your bees in
chaff hives, as directed in the ABC book, I
feel sure they will winter just as well as our
bees do, year after year, here at the Home of
the Honey-Bees. ' My experience is, that
those who work on Sunday usually have
trouble.

CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER FOR '89.

H. A. MARCH ASKS ABOUT THE JERSEY WAKEFIELDS.

IS IT OR IS IT NOT SOLVED (

eN the Oth of December, and Sunday at that.
I had to set all my strong colonies out of the
cellar. It is just one month since they were
set in, during all of which time as a whole it
was too hot to control them. The result is,
most of them have symptoms of disease. They had
a good flight, which may help tliem some. I worry
more over the wintering problem than all other
features of bee-keeping put together. No wonder
that I devour every scrap of bee-lore on this topic
that falls within reach. Some time ago, Mr. Hed-
don came out in his prospectus. "The Wintering
Problem Solved." This was taking. ' Twas enough
to sell a thousand copies at one clip. If I remem-
ber, he stated that "bees could be wintered with
the certainty of our domestic cattle." Surely,
then, in the interest of our pursuit it i> only fair to
ask Mr. Heddon if he has been able to do so.
I wish he could gay yes.

I was gratified to observe in the November issue
of the Review the semblance of unity in one feature
of cellar wintering. 1 felt thankful for that num-
ber; for, as it turns up in practice, we have a great
deal that conflicts with the theorists. I hold,
that, so long as a batch of men continue to disa-
gree, and that, too, upon points where "location"
won't close up the breach, to put it honestly, I
refuse to believe that they know whereof they af-
firm. Have we been able to safely anchor any of
the speculative barques upon the sea of apicul-
ture? I have thought, so far as Gleanings is con-
cerned, that Uncle Amos ought to have been a sort
of supreme court from whom there was no appeal.
But instead he says, " Boys, let us shake hands
across this bloody chasm. Can I sell you any
thing to-day?" \ am deeply Interested Jn all that

fKIEND BOOT:— I asked you to give me some re-
ports (good or bad) on the cauliflower seed I
sent you for trial. I haven't received a bad re-
port yet. If yours is bad it may take a little
of the conceit out of me, fori begin to think
I can raise better seed than they raise in Germany
or Holland; and, what is better. I can raise it at
teas than half the price it costs there. I sent, as you
advised me to, some samples to W. .1. Green, Co-
lumbus, and this is what he says:

All of the varieties sent give satisfaction. One
thing is noteworthy about your seed; and that is,
its large size and great vitality, producing very
strong healthy plants. If you cau grow seed equal
to that sent us, you need not hesitate to make high
claims for it.

You see, this is a new industry. Cauliflower seed,
I believe, has never been grown in this country by
field culture before 1 made the trial here on Puget
Sound. All of the best seed has been imported
from Erfurt, Germany, at a cost of about $40,00 per
lb. Now, here in Washington Territory we can
raise just as good seed for $15.1)0 per lb. But preju-
dice is so strong in favor of imported seed that
dealers are afraid to come out and offer the seed
on its own merits. The question is, How shall I
push my seed forward so that people can get
cheaper seed? Can you advise me? What do you
think of this plan? (iet the address of all the ex-
periment stations in the country, and send them
samples for trial, and publish their reports in a
paper like the Rural New Yorker. How to get their
address, that is the next thing. Can you tell me
how that can be done? H. A. March.

Fidalgo, Skagit Co., Wash. Ter.

i Well, friend M., we raised so many cauli-
flowers we could hardly sell them or give
them away ; for, to tell the truth, for a long
while we offered cauliflower at the same
price per pound as we sold Jersey Wakefield
cabbages. But our Medina people are so
little accustomed to using cauliflower unless
it be for pickling, the cabbage rather took
the preference, even though the price was
alike— 3 cts. a pound. During the fall we
had rather better demand when they com-
menced using it for pickles, and we have
quite pretty heads of Snowball cauliflower
down in our greenhouse at this date, Dec
i27. Will the friends who tested the cabbage
and cauliflower seed last season please tell
us briefly how the seeds turned out? If I
understand it correctly, friend March does

10

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

not care to sell seeds at retail, so you may
send your orders to us, if you please.
Should you wish seed, however, to sell
again, perhaps the better way would be to
buy directly of friend M. The above letter
was probably not intended for publication ;
and while friend M. thinks he can, on alarge
scale, raise cauliflower seed at $15.00 a pound,
I presume none of our readers will under-
stand that he proposes to sell a single
pound at that price. In regard to the ad-
dress of the experimental colleges, I think
our readers in the different States can give
friend M. the addresses he desires.

SELLING EXTEACTED HONEY.

MRS. HARRISON GIVES US SOME OF HER EXPERI-
ENCE.

IT BEE-KEEPEB of this State wrote to me to

/l\ know it I could not sell extracted Spanish-
jf47 needle honey, put up in twenty-gallon kegs.
-^*- I made inquiries, and the result was some-
thing like this: Going into a drugstore, the
proprietor said, " Buy a twenty-gallon keg of hon-
ey! Oh, my! that would last us twenty years. I
would buy twenty pounds." After trying: the re-
tail drugstores I went into a large wholesale estab-
lishment. In answer to my inquiries the proprietor
said, " I had some difficulty in obtaining honey this
fall, but I have a supply now. I had honey in bar-
rels offered me at 7 cents per pound; but I did not
want it. What I bought is put up in tin cans, like
fruit, and will not granulate. I paid from 12 to 14
cents per pound for it."

I kept thinking about that honey that would not
granulate, so yesterday I took the street-cars and
went to buy a can. There was a placard stuck up,
saying, " No goods sold at retail." The clerks said
no. I went to the proprietor, and told him I want-
ed to buy a can of honey; that I had honey at
home, but that I wanted to learn how the trade pre-
ferred it put up. He put a speaking-tube to his
mouth, and soon had a can upon his desk. I paid
45 cents for a three-pound can.

I weighed this can just now, and it weighed 3%
pounds — honest weight, surely. The cover was
fastened down with something like plaster of Paris,
in lieu of sealing-wax. 1 dug a little place at one
side with the point of a knife, and easily pried it up,
with the sealing attached to the cover. I should
think the can would hold 4 pounds, as there is more
than an inch of space above the honey.

WHAT I FOUND IN THE CAN.

The children had a great deal of curiosity to see
what was in the can, as well as myself. The first
thing I saw was three legs, and a wing and a leg to-
gether, floating, which had once belonged to the
busy workers. Perhaps these were put in as an
evidence that it was bee honey, as the label declared
it to be— just as an Irish girl, seeking a situation,
showed her hands on being asked if she could make
bread. " Sure, here is the dough under me finger-
nails from my last baking." I took a saucer and
teaspoon, and dipped out some of the honey, and
then went out to the honey-house with another
saucer and spoon, and brought in what I knew to be
basswood honey, while the baby stood by saying,
" What are you goinsr to do, mamma? Compare it.
I can tell it. That one is brown, and this one is yel-
low." She was correct. Our basswood is alight

yellow, while that from the can was dark. The can
is labeled, " White clover and basswood," and below
it says, " It is not possible in all cases to have the
contents of each jar entirely from the blossoms
named, yet sufficiently so to give distinctly their
characteristic flavor."

1 saw that this honey was the product of this
county, and was puzzled to know how it could be
white clover, as it has failed here for two years,
the label should have been erased, and " fall flow-
ers" put in its place, as it is thick, well-ripened
honey, the product of Spanish needle and other fall
flowers. It will injure the trade in honey in cans,
if it is not what it purports to be. The honey is liq-
uid on top, but about as thick as hasty pudding
below. I will make a selection from a letter before
me, with reference to Spanish-needle honey granu-
lating.

"I have been in the bee-business for 15 or 30
years; I keep my honey in barrels and cans for a
year, and never had any granulate enough so but
that it would run out of a bung-hole whenever the
weather was not too cold. Nine-tenths of our hon-
ey is Spanish needle, which does not granulate
when well ripened; but if extracted too green (if
that is the word) it will granulate."

In purchasing this honey I thought I was going to
find out how to put up honey so that it would not
granulate, which would be a bonanza to bee-keep-
ers, but I failed. The proprietor of the drugstore
thought so, but was mistaken. Our basswood hon-
ey is liquid up to date, Dec. 7, but the weather has
been uncommonly mild. It is in a tin can which
has a cover that fits down closely, while a jar stand-
ing near containing mixed honey with a cloth tied
over it is solid. I infer that honey that is exposed
to the air granulates sooner than that which is not;
for a pitcher of basswood honey that I kept to pour
out of to customers is now solid.

Peoria, 111. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Mrs. H., there is something a little singu-
lar about that inscription on that can of
honey you bought. The first extracted hon-
ey we ever put up, nearly twenty years ago,
I began labeling "White Clover," " Bass-
wood, " etc.; but an old bee-keeper at once
commenced finding a good deal of fault.
He said that the bees never gather honey
entirely from one source, and that I could
not possibly furnish a jar of honey that was
all of white clover, or all basswood, etc. I
admitted the truthfulness of his criticism,
and at once added to the label the words
you quote — " It is not possible in all cases,"
etc. As you have given it word for word it
is a copy of my label, for it could not have
been otherwise. 1 believe that any honey
is much less liable to granulate when left in
the hive until it is thoroughly ripened by the
bees. I do not know what process they put
it through, but they seem to know better
than anybody else just what to do to honey
to prevent granulation. I believe that it is
at least generally true that well - ripened
honey from Spanish needle seldom if ever
granulates. We have had it a great many
times, and kept it where it was so cold you
could almost cut it with a knife, but there
was no granulation. Of course, every bee-
keeper or packer of honey should be very
careful to have the label state correctly the
contents of each can or jar.

18»9

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

11

CARRYING HIVES INTO A WINTER
REPOSITORY.

DOOLITTDE'S METHOD CRITICISED.

he describes. Perhaps friend Miller's meth-
od, described on page 962, Dec. 15, 1888,
would be more to your liking.

fRIEND ROOT:— I have read with considerable
surprise friend Doolittle's article in Glean-
ings, Nov. 1, on placing bees in the cellar.
My surprise is, that one person should at-
tempt to handle hives at all without assis-
tance. Friend Doolittle must be a modern Sam-
son. The most of us frail mortals certainly prefer
help on such occasions. Where I formerly lived,
the apiary was 75 or 100 yards from the cellar, and
down hill. We used to employ the two strongest
men the town afforded, to carry the bees into the
cellar, beginning after supper, and finishing about
10 o'clock. We have paid as much as $3.00 for the
job. We used a stretcher, carrying two hives at a
time, but it was so laborious that 1 finally insisted
on one hive at a time. It is surprising how much
lighter one hive is than two. I suppose figures will
not lie, but it certainly seems much more than as
light again. My apiary is now near the cellar, and
level walking, except the decline of two feet into
the cellar, which extencs a space of sixteen feet. I
have 68 hives. With the aid of a student I took one-
half into the cellar the evening of Nov. 21st, and
the next evening took in the rest. This comes un-
der the head of light work when managed in this
way. The cost was 50 cts.

I wish to say right here, that I can now manage
my bees alone, with one-third the expense, bother,
and work, that it took the entire family of seven,
eight or ten years ago. So much for experience.

Now to return to the subject. By carrying with a
stretcher there is no occasion whatever for any jar-
ring, unless it be when the upper hives are tiered in
the cellar. How, under the sun, Doolittle can pile
up his fourth hive, and no bottom at that, is more
than I know. 1 should very much discourage both
methods of carrying in bees, of which he speaks. I
like the plan of generous ventilation from below, ex-
cept that I fear my bees would all come out on me,
especially when taken down to carry out in the
.spring. They are always very uneasy at that time.

I have tried an experiment in the way of winter-
ing this time. I have often thought that the bees
were too warm in the cellar, with the heavy air-
tight mats over them, so this time I took off every
thing except the piece of burlap, folded it, and cov-
ered only the front half of the frames above. This
leaves half the hive exposed to the air, and free ac-
cess into the cover. It may prove a great mistake,
but I do not see why. The cluster can doubtless re-
tain sufficient heat to keep the brood if they have
any. I suppose, friend Root, you are well aware
that the bee does not believe in ventilation at all
(ought to be a railroad conductor), as it will seal
every crack in the hive except the one small en-
trance. I have often thought that, if Nature ever
made a mistake, it was in this case with the bee.
However, perhaps in the natural wild state of the
bee this sealing is quite right.

John F. Whitmore.

Grinnell, Iowa, Nov. 29, 1888.

Friend Doolittle is a big man in two
senses of the word. We have not a particle
of doubt but that he can lift easily the hives,
and carry them into the cellar in the manner

ANOTHER METHOD OF PERFORAT-
ING ZINC.

SOME OF ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.

fRIEND ROOT:— Inclosed you will find a sam-
ple of zinc, such as I have been using in the
queen excluding wood-zinc honey-boards. I
believe this plan of perforating is preferable
to the two parallel rows of holes as usually
made.

\\\\\

shepherd's perforated zinc.

It certainly gives more openings than any other
plan, and at the same time leaves it sufficiently rig-
id for all purposes. I will also say, that the work
was done on a home-made machine that does the
work as per sample, as regards quality; and the
cost was hut small. M. W. Shepherd.

Rochester, Ohio.

At first sight, friend Shepherd, we thought
your plan of perforation had some very de-
cided advantages ; but the more we consid-
er it, the more we are convinced that noth-
ing is gained; but, on the contrary, there is
an attendant loss. You have longer perfor-
ations, it is true. Those in our zinc are
very nearly -ft. of an inch long. Yours are
}■&, making them about an eighth of an inch
longer. There may be some advantage in
lengthening the openings ; but when ordi-
nary perforations are long enough to admit
worker bees, why make them any longer V
The short perforations might go a great
way toward keeping a good long queen from
going above, whereas the longer ones might
admit her, if she were a slender one. You
say your zinc certainly gives more openings
to the same amount of space. By laying a
strip of your zinc upon a strip of ours, we
find that there are more perforations in
the same space in ours. If your perfora-
tions were the same length, it would make
about an equal number of holes.— Another
disadvantage, as it seems to us, in your
plan, is, that the openings take too much
space between the break-joint slats. This
would reduce the latter, on If spacing of
the frames, down to I ; then if you allow
for necessary depth of saw-kerf there will be
little solid wood (!) left.— The perforations
can be made about as easily on one plan as
on the other. Those having hand-made ma-
chines, or machines which make a single per-
foration at a time, can very easily perforate
the zinc in the manner shown, by simply
changing the feed.

We should be glad to know what Dr. Tin-
ker would have to say upon this method of
perforating.

12

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

OUR TIN-SHOP.
PERFORATING MACHINE, ETC.

T= ET'S sec. We have given our readers a
K view of our factory, a glimpse into our
\J. saw-room, ami one of our .office. We
AJ now take pleasure in giving you a
photographic view of our tinning
apartment. The picture is an exact repro-
duction by the Ives process, and, of course,
every thing appears just as it did when
photographed, which was ( ne afternoon
immediately after shutting down. The
view shows perhaps a little over one-half
the room. Our tin-shop, including paint-
shop, is one spacious apartment 4t x 96

regular intervals. A foot-treadle, shown
in the foreground, can be so operated as to
throw on or off the power at will. If a
punch should happen to drop out, as it did
on one occasion, or something else should
get out of order, the machine can be in-
stanth stopped, and thus avoid an expen-
sive breakdown. A man stations himself
in the rear, picks up a sheet of zinc. 28 \ 96
inches, from the tloor, and places it on the
table. He then slides the two ratchet-bars
back far enough to fasten the ends of the
zinc to tlu m. A pressure of his foot upon
the treadle sets the machine to perforating.
At every chank of the great jaw, 70 little
oblong pieces of metal drop down into a

OUll TIN-SHOP, WITH Till. ZINC-PERFORATING MACHINE IN THE FOREGROUND

feet, and in it are something Over 40 tin-
ning-machines.

•• What do you call this machine just be-
fore us ?" you ask.

•• Why. that is our new zinc-perforating
machine."' Unfortunately, the engine has
just shut down : but a sheet of zinc lias been
passed half way through. The balance-
wheel is connected by a belt to a pulley be-
low. The two sets of cog-wheels, in con-
nection with the connecting-rods, as you
will readil} perceive, give immense power
to the punches. 70 in number, inserted in
the sliding carriage. Lying on the front
platform, and on either side, are two rat diet -
bars. A couple of dogs, operating upon
these, cause the zinc to which the bars are
attached to be fed through the machine at

keg. When several kegs are full they are
sold with their contents to junk dealers,
who gladly pay us enough for such scrap
zinc to fully pay for the time of a man and
the machine for perforating the sheets. We
are thus enabled to put the price of per-
forated zinc down to nearly the cost of the
raw imperforated metal.

The capacity of the machine is something
over a thousand feet of metal per day ; and
so great has been the call for it that we
have sold during the past year about o0
casks of zinc, and our past trade has been
such that we feel wan anted in believing
that we shall sell very nearly double that
amount in the near future.

We have given you these facts in order
that yon may get some idea of the demands

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

13

of bee-keepers for perforated metal. Where,
a few years ago, we sold our tens of square
feet, we now sell our thousands. The
question is often asked, " Is the zinc prac-
ticable, and is it going to be of value to
bee-keepers in working for comb or extract-
ed honey?" If its large sales mean any
thing, it would seem that there are some
bee-keepers at least who regard it as of
great practical utility.

But, what are these other implements
which we see ? Those are tinners' tools
and machines, such as you will find in a
first-class well-equipped tinning establish-
ment. Indeed, in order to turn out and
supply the demands of bee-keepers for the
various articles made of tin, it is necessary
to have such an equipment. We find in
looking over our books that we sell from 800
to 900 extractors, from 12,000 to 18,000 smok-
ers, from 1200 to 1500 square (30-lb. cans, and
every thing else in proportion, such as tin
receptacles for holding honey, besides a
great variety of other implements of use in
apiculture, which can not here be described.
Without tinners and tin-shops, bee-keepers
would have to dispense with a great many
useful appliances connected with the pur-
suit.

THE COMMON HOUSE-FLY.

PROF. COOK TELLS US OF THI8 FAMILIAR AC-
QUAINTANCE OF OURS.

R. CHARLES SITTS, Brosie Corners, New
York, requests that I write up the history
of the common house-tiy, for Gleanings.
I do not wonder that any one should feel
an interest in an insect that forms such an
important factor in our domestic affairs as does
this insect. It eats our pudding with us, and even
out of the same dish. It daintily sips not only of
our tea, but of the cream and the sugar that sea-
son it. No wonder the great Swede, Linnaeus,
named it Musca domestica. It rooms with us, eats
with us, drinks with us, and any one accustomed
to take afternoon naps would be glad if it would
only sleep with us.

This fly is too well known to need description. It
belongs to the order Diptera, as it has two wings,
suctorial mouth-parts— flies and mosquitoes stab
and suck but do not bite— and passes through com-
plete transformations. By this last we mean that
the first stage— maggot— is not at all like the suc-
ceeding stages of the insect. It belongs to the
family Muscidw. Such insects have short antennae,
with a full plume on the last joint, and heavy
short bodies. This fly hibernates in winter as a fly.
Fortunately, most of them never wake to life in
the spring; but enough of them survive to make
things lively about August and September. The
house-fly lays more than 100 whitish elongated
eggs. These are laid in horse manure, on which
the maggots feed. The eggs hatch in about twenty-
four hours. The larva, or maggot, looks very much
and is very much like that of the meat-fly, or blow-
fly, with which all are doubtless familiar. When
fully grown it is from one-fourth to four-tenths of
an inch long, and is about one week in getting its
full growth.

This fly, like many others, pupates in its last lar-
val skin. It is rounded and seed-like, as a pupa.

Such pupae, are called puporiums. The pupa state
lasts about a week. We now see why these flies
become pretty numerous along in dog-days. Bach
female lays more than one hundred eggs; and the
time from egg-laying to maturity is only about two
weeks. Most of us have studied geometrical pro-
gression. Here we see it illustrated. Suppose one
fly commenced " to multiply and replenish the
earth" about June 1st. June 15th, if all lived,
would give 150. Suppose 75 of these are misses.
July 1st would give us, supposing no cruel wasp or
other untoward circumstance to interfere, 11,250
flies. Suppose 5625 of these are females. We might
have, July 15, 843,750 flies. For fear of bad dreams,
I will not calculate what might be by September
15th. Some of us who have some time stopped at
third-rate hotels quite understand it. From what 1
have said, it is easy to see how that a horse-stable
near the house is favorable to the fly nuisance.
Slops about the wood-shed, of course, attract flies.
So the neat tidy housewife is less tormented than
one not so blessed with this kinship to godliness.

We provide in three ways against these pestifer-
ous house-flies. First, we have screens to all our
windows, and to such doors as are much used, es-
pecially the outside doors to kitchen and dining-
room. The screens to the kitchen windows are full
length, so the windows can be opened either from
above or below. We believe in fresh air; and with
this arrangement we get it. Secondly, the screen
to the pantry window, to each of the dining-room
windows, and to one window of each of the other
rooms, is hinged at the top to the upper sash.
Thus by darkening all the other windows, the flies
alight on this hinged screen. We now push the
screen quickly out at the bottom, brush rapidly
with a palm-leaf fan, and, lo! the flies are all out-
side the window.

Thirdly, in case the flies get too thick we use
pyrethrum, or, better, California pyrethrum, or
buhacu. Toward night we try to attract all the
flies into the kitchen by darkening the other
rooms, and placing odorous sweets, exposed in
that room. At ten o'clock— bed time— we scatter,
by means of a ten-cent bellows, a little of the pow-
der into the room. The next morning the flies are
dead, or partially paralyzed, on the kitchen floor,
and are swept up and cremated in the kitchen
stove before any revive. Mrs. Cook prefers the
hinged screens, in the main, as too free use of the
pyrethrum does spread a fine dust on the furni-
ture, which is not desirable. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Friend Cook, I am exceedingly obliged to
Mr. Sitts and yourself. One needs, howev-
er, to go to California to find house-flies in
perfection. There is not any winter there
to kill them, and so they just keep on in
that geometrical rate of progression of
which you have been speaking— that is, un-
less the careful housewife makes too vehe-
ment a protest, or unless somebody decides
that prevention is better than cure, and
stops the progression. Now, I want per-
mission to introduce a very disagreeable
subject, and I do not know any way to tell
it without having some of the friends feel
like holding their noses, even if they decide
not to do it. I am sure you are right in say-
ing that flies are bred around stables, for at
one time our printers used to set type close

14

GLEANINGS IN HER ClTLTlMiK.

Jan.

to livery-stables, and the Hies were not only
numerous, but they were mean and low-
lived. I think, however, the stables could
be managed so as to breed fewer Hies. When
I was a small boy I sometimes used to neg-
lect cleaning the stables, when father was
gone, until the manure became full of mag-
gots. These were probably, as you state it.
the larvae and pupae of ih'e house-fly. The
chickens, however, used to follow me so that
there were not so many Hies raised after all,
if I cleaned the stables in season. I had
learned in my childhood, also, that llies
came out of manure by some process, for I
have seen them crawl out by the hundreds;
but I made up my mind at the time that
there were different kinds of flies that lived
in the manure. Now, then, comes in the
place for you to hold your noses. In many
out-buildings, where the excavation is very
shallow, and the contents of the vault are
exposed to sunlight, these same larva' and
pupae can be seen by the — millions, I was
going to say; and the flies go straight from
these revolting and disagreeable places di-
rectly to the kitchen and dining-room; and
J have wondered whether they did not carry
typhoid fever along with them. Dry dust,
peat, or properly arranged out-buildings,
will, if I am correct, entirely stop the hatch-
ing of llies around these places; and I feel
sure that you agree with me, that much
might be done to abate the fly nuisance by
prevention in the way I have suggested.
Now. friend Cook, please tell me if I am
not right about it. Our shorthand writer
asks if lime, copperas, or some other chem-
ical, will not carry death and destruction to
them as well as sweeten the premises. It is
a matter of such vital importance, that we
can well afford to take a little space for it.
Is not prevention better and cheaper than
py ret h l'u m V

THOMAS G. NEWMAN.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH BY DR. C. C. MILLER.

fOK fifteen years the American Bee Journal has
remained under the management of one
man; and, aside from being ably edited, its
general make-up and clean typographica
appearance impress one strongly, that, some-
where connected with it, is a man who is well up in
the art preservative of all arts. The secret of it is.
that Thomas Gabriel Newman, its proprietor, is
himself a thorough practical printer. Born near
Bridgewater, in Southwestern England, Sept. 36,
1833, he was left fatherless at ten years of nge. with
three older brothers and a sister, the mother being
a penniless widow by reason of I hi' father's en-
dorsing for a large sum.

The boys were all put out to work to help sup-
port the family. Thomas <!. chose the trade of
printer and book-binder, serving an apprentice-
ship of seven years, and learning thoroughly e\ er>
inch of the business from top to bottom, in both
branches.

Early in 1864 lie came to Uochester, N. V., where
he had relatives; and before noon of the day of his
arrival he secured a permanent situation in the
job-room of the American. Within two months he
took the position of assistant foreman on the

Rochester Democrat, then the leading Republican
paper of Western New York. Later on he spent
seven years editing and publishing a religious pa-
per, called the " Bible Expositor and Millennial Har-
binger," in New York, and published a score or
more of theological works, some written by him-
self. In lstif he moved it to Illinois, sold out the
business, and, for a " rest," took his family to Eng-
land. Returning in lstiii he located at Cedar Rap-
ids, Iowa, where he published and edited its first
daily paper. In 187:2 he sold this and removed to
Chicago, where he embarked in the business of
publishing The Illustrated Journal, a literary 6erial
printed in the highest style of the art, and mag-
nitieently embellished. The panic of 1873 ruined
this luxury, bringing upon him a loss of over $20,000.
In 1873 a friend introduced him to the Rev. W. P.
Clarke, who wanted to dispose of his interest in the
American Bee Journal, which interest was one-half.

THOMAS (i. NEWMAN.

subject to an unpaid contract. This he bought,
and afterward the interests of F. Grahbe and Geo.
Wagner, thus becoming sole proprietor. For a
man not altlicted with the bee-fever, in cold blood
to pay more than $2000 for the simple " good will "
of a paper with no printing-office or supplies of any-
kind, shows an unbounded confidence in the future
of bee-journalism. Few men under the same cir-
cumstances would have achieved his success. For
three years he employed successively as editors,
Kev. W. F. Clarke, Mrs. E. S. Tupper, and Dr. C. C.
Miller, meanwhile applying himself to the study
and practice of bee culture, increasing his apiary
from three colonies, purchased for experimental
manipulation, to more than 100 colonies in 1879,
when he disposed of them because troublesome to
surrounding stores. For the past 12 years he has
been sole editor, having called to his assistance the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

15

most successful honey-producers of the continent.
With a positive dislike for financial transactions,
he is fortunate in his son, Alfred H., who has abili-
ty in that direction. Hesides this son he has two
daughters, all married, :tnd five grandchildren.

In 1879 he went to Europe, at his own expense, as
American representative to the various bee-keep-
ers' societies, and attended conventions in Eng-
land, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, etc., and
was awarded several g-old medals for exhibitions of
American apiarian implements. He has been
elected an honorary member of 14 bee-keepers' as-
sociations, and is also life member of the North
American Bee-Keepers' Society (of which he was
twice elected president), and treasurer of the North-
western Bee-Keepers' Association.

He has been twice elected Grand Commander of
Illinois of the "American Legion of Honor," and is
an officer of some ten different societies in Chicago,
social, fraternal, insurance, etc., and spends much
time in visiting- the sick and relieving- the distress
of those in fraternal and social relations with him,
thus fulfilling the injunctions of the Book of all
books, of which he is a diligent student.

In 1885 he was elected the first manager of the
National Bee-Keepers' Union, which, under his
management, has successfully defended a number
of bee-keepers in suits at law brought against
them. His successive re-election each year gives
evidence of the satisfactory manner in which he
has performed the duties of his office.

In no one thing has friend Newman shown the
persistence with which he follows up any matter he
undertakes, more than in his tight against adultera-
tion, and in connection with it what he so con-
stantly calls the " Wiley lie." Prof. Wiley, with all
the weight of his official position under govern-
ment, perpetrated the "scientific pleasantry" that
comb honey was manufactured without the aid of
bees. Far and near it vas copied by the papers,
the professor looking on complacently at the mis-
chief he had wrought, without offering a word to
stop its course. Mr. Newman demanded a retrac-
tion, with no success, for a long time, but he kept
up the warfare, denouncing the falsehood with
ever-increasing vigor, using such strong language,
and such bitter denunciations that one could hard-
ly withhold sympathy for the poor professor, so
mercilessly belabored. But it is probable that
nothing short of such vigorous language would
have wrung from Prof. W. a tardy denial of the
truth of his statement, and a mingled attempt at
apology and self-justification.

Notwithstanding the use of vigorous language on
the printed page, in his attacks upon that which he
deems unjust or false, in personal intercourse
friend Newman is always the courteous gentleman.
Hardly up to medium height, he is of strong build,
and of active temperament. In convention he is a
good presiding officer, and an easy speaker, some-
times rising to flights of eloquence on themes
which, treated by others, would be but common-
place.

Let us all heartily join in the wish that Thomas
G. Newman may long be continued at the helm of
the good old American Bee Journal.
Marengo, 111., Oct. 20, 1888. C. C. Miller.

In addition to the above I will say that
my acquaintance with the subject of this
sketch began when friend Newman first as-
sumed the editorship of the American Bee

Journal. A good many things were in rath-
er bad shape when he took hold of it, if I am
correct, and I was forced to admire the cor-
teou.s and gentlemanly way in which he
commenced to put things into shape. Any
one who can not get along with friend New-
man in business matters, is certainly very
hard to please, unless, indeed, it is one of
those queer individuals who prefer to have
no sort of understanding or settlement eith-
er. During our long business acquaintance,
very seldom if ever has any thing occurred
to prevent a regular settlement of accounts
at the end of every thirty days ; and in this
respect friend Newman is a good model for
bee-keepers at large ; for my experience
seems to indicate that the whole bee-keep-
ing world, as a rule, has a dislike for regu-
lar, systematic ways in finances ; that is, for
having a regular settling-up and perfect
understanding the first of every month.
Things are received that are not satisfacto-
ry, perhaps not as ordered ; but some of the
brethren will wait a year and then com-
plain. It is an old adage, that " two of a
trade can never agree ; " and I am sorry to
say that at one time it seemed to bid fair to
be the rule among bee-journals. May God
forbid that it should ever be so any more.
Friend Newman has always stood ready to
go more than half way toward amicable re-
lations toward all the bee-journals publish-
ed, so far as I know.

CONVENTIONS ET BEE-JOURNALS.

SHOULD THEY AMOUNT TO ONE AND THE SAME
THING? IF NOT. WHY NOT?

|EI| N page 9&5 is an item headed " Conventions
Tm versus Bee-Journals." Allow me to change
fc<j| versus to et, because there is no conflict.
^* "Bee-journals fill a place that conventions
can not fill, and it is equally true that con-
ventions fill a place that bee-journals can not fill."
Quite correct. "The information then furnished
by the bee-journals will have an added interest "
(after you've attended a convention), "and you
can read very much more understandingly." True
also; but with threefold emphasis is it true that
you can hear the discussions at a convention un-
derstandingly after you have thoroughly read up
all that is said in the bee-journals and in the bee-
books. I have heard men ask questions in a con-
vention that showed they had a poor understand-
ing of what was going on, which questions would
have been readily answered by any one who had
done even a small amount of reading beforehand.

Although bee-journals and conventions are dif-
ferent in their uses, and both needed, I do not be-
lieve there is any great harm in trying to have a
bee-journal approach somewhat in character to a
convention. The familiar talk and friendly dis-
cussion, getting the views of a number on the
same point— such things make the printed page
quite a little like meeting our fellows face to face.
So. as far as possible. I like to have every bee-
journal that arrives seem like a convention; and if
v c rmrid have one that should have all the advan-
tages of a convention, with only the ordinary cost
of the paper, it would be a great gain. But to have
a convention modeled after a bee-journal is another

16

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

•Jan.

affair altogether; and it a convention cmdd be
made jvsl like a bee-journal, that would be the end
of it. for the expense of attendance would rule it
out of existence. I am afraid too many conven-
tions try to take the place of the bee-journals, and
to just so great an extent lessen their value.

It might be a good thing to find out what are the
distinctive characteristics of a convention that give
to it its peculiar value, and then try to make the
most of them. The warm grasp of the hand as we
meet our brethren, and the multiplied opportuni-
ties for friendly intercourse in pairs or little
groups at various times outside of the regular ses-
sions—these no one will undervalue who has ever
had the privilege of enjoying them. No printed
page ran give us these. If nothing more were to
he had at a convention it would pay to go some
little distance to attend one; but I suspect the at-
tendance would be rather slim. The attendance at
the regular sessions is, after all, that for which we
go to a convention. And what is it that gives spe-
cial value to these regular sessions? The time is
chiefly taken up with essays and discussions.
Which of these should have the preponderance?
Which is more valuable, or do they stand on an
equality? Could the time be wholly taken up with
one to the exclusion of the other? Undoubtedly a
session might be entirely taken up with essays, or
entirely with discussions. I have known both
kinds. How about having all essays? My good
friend Prof. Cook will say that well-matured
thoughts are given in an essay— hence more valua-
ble—and he rejoices in the thought that some of
his friends are coming over to bis views. I wonder
if he didn't misunderstand them. Well, I admit
that a well-prepared essay from one who is accus-
tomed to putting his thoughts on paper may be
more carefully planned, possibly more condensed,
than would be an impromptu talk. Even if every
member present were capable of this, would it be
advisable to have the time all taken up with es-
says? Where is the difference between essays at a
convention and the same essays in a bee-journal?
Simply that, in the latter case, you read the essay
for yourself, and in the former you listen to some
one else reading it aloud. If every essay-writer
were a fine reader, it is possible that one might do
better to listen to the reading than to read for
himself. Even then there are some advantages in
the latter case, for often one wants to stop and
think over a certain point, or perhaps refer again
to something passed over. But it is lamentably
true that not one writer in ten can read aloud an
essay in an acceptable manner, in which case there
is nothing gained by having the convention usurp
the place of the bee-journal. In case all were the
best of readers, would the advantage of hearing
the essays read by good readers balance the extra
expense? For, be it remembered, the average cost
of attending a convention exceeds many time6 the
cost of all the valuable essays published in one of
our best bee-papers in a whole year. So it seems
to me we shall do better to keep each one at its
best work the paper publishing essays, and the
convention having live discussions.

I know there is more to he said on both sides, and
1 know that all do not agree with me. I think it
possible, too, that some may think it hardly worth
while to All the columns of our journals by discuss-
ing such matters. But thousands of dollars are
spent every year on conventions, and it surely is

important for us to discuss how we may get the
most good out of them. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M., I think I agree with you ex-
actly ; that is, I shall decide that I agree
until somebody suggests something that I
have not thought or, and convinces me that
I don't ; and when we attend conventions,
let us keep the matter in mind.

THE COMMON HORN-TAIL.

WHY WE SHOULD SET OUT LINDENS INSTEAD OF
MAPLES.

R. W. FULMEN sends me two specimens of
our common horn-tail, Tremex Columba,
of which he writes: " I found them yester-
day busily employed stinging a Norway
maple. I suppose they were laying their
The one had his (her, of course) instrument
inserted at least half an inch in the hard wood.
Please be so kind as to give name and habits, in
Gleanings."

This common horn-tail is nearly cylindrical, about
the size of a lead-pencil, and IV* inches long.

eggs.

TREMEX, OR THE COMMON HORN-TAIL.

The figure shows the form nicely. The colors are
black, dark brown, and yellowish brown, each shown
in the figure by shading. The yellowish brown is
lightest; the black, darkest. The name, horn-tail, is
significant, as will be seen by the figure. This horn-
tail is really an auger, by use of which the insect
can bore into hardest wood. This auger reaches on
the under side of the abdomen more than half way
to the thorax, so it is more than twice as long as it
appears when viewed from the back. Thus the in-
sect, when boring, can bear its weight on this auger.
It is interesting to see them engaged in this work.
As Mr. Fulmen suggests, they bore to lay their eggs.
The auger, like the sting of a bee, consists of three
pieces— the awl, or central piece, the auger proper,
and two side pieces, which are doubtless guides or
supports to the awl. The male, of course, has not
this auger, and is more yellowish.

This horn-tail lays its eggs in all maples, in oak,
birch, hickory, and beech. Harris says it also works
on elm and buttonwood. Frequently the insect
drives its auger in so deeply that it can not draw it
out. I have thus caught them hanging to both
beech and maple.

The larva which hatches from the eggs laid by
these horn-tails is yellowish white. It is nearly two
inches long, when full grown. These grubs often
do much harm to our maples, as I mention in the
work," Maple Sugar and the Sugar-Bush." This is an"

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

17

other reason for planting' lindens for shade, instead
of maples. We should suppose that such insects,
living and feeding- in sound hard wood, would be
safe from all foes, but this is not so. We have at
least two ichneumon flies that bore into trees harbor-
ing- these horn-tail larvie, and deposit their eggs in
the tissues of the borers. Thus even these borers
are not safe, but often become victims to ichneu-
mon parasites. How does the ichneumon fly know
where to bore ? How can she know that, deep in
the hard wood, the borer is working? 1 surmise
that, by walking up the tree, she feels a tremor
caused by the gnawing of the larva within. It hard-
ly seems possible that scent can guide her. Odors
could hardly penetrate solid wood. A. J. Cook.
Agricultural College, Mich.

But, friend Cook, there is just one thing
I want to know about these augers: To make
an auger bore, it must rotate; but the ma-
chinery in question, however, can not well
rotate. How, then, does this auger work?
Can't you give us a drawing of it? In our
description of bee-stings the matter was
lightly touched ; and inasmucli as it comes
in the line of the way in which bees bore
holes with their sting," we think it might be
profitable to have it fully described, with il-
lustrations, in a bee-journal.

CAGING QUEENS JUST BEFORE THE
HONEY-FLOW.

E. FRANCE SUGGESTS A VERY IMPORTANT .MATTER.

fHE bee-keeper's summer is past, the harvest is
gathered, and what is the result of the sea-
son's labor? All who read the bee-papers
know that the honey crop was small this
year, and smaller last year. I for one don't
expect a full crop next year, owing to the dry
weather during August and September of this sea-
son in our locality. But after all, I individually am
thankful for the small crop that we did get, and my
faith in the bee-business is still good. I think there
are better times coming, when we shall get our re-
ward if we stick to the bees. Perhaps it is a good
thing for us to have short crops for one or two
years. The old surplus will all be worked off,
prices will be kept up, and bee-keepers will be
made to understand that they are dependent upon
some higher power than ourselves to secure a
bountiful harvest. No matter how much skill the
apiarist may possess, the bees can not gather hon-
ey unless it is supplied for them to gather. The
supply is beyond our control. But after all, the
skilled apiarist can manage and manipulate his
bees so there will be a great difference in results,
providing there is a now of honey at any time dur-
ing the season, of some sort. With us we have had
good honey seasons for a long term of years, and so
we were able to take a little over 100 lbs. per colo-
ny of surplus until the year ISST, when we got only
12 lbs. per colony. Owing to the dry weather of
1886, the clover was nearly all killed. The year
1KK7 was a dry year also, but we had some rain in
the fall. A great deal of clover came up from
seed, but this was not advanced far enough to give
us a crop of honey this year, I8SS; accordingly all
the honey we got last year, 1887, and this year, 1888,
came from basswood. Last year we obtained 12
lbs., but not half as much as' we should have se-

cured had we managed our bees as we could have
done. We had fill colonies, and obtained 4920 lbs.,
all from basswood, which was the only thing dur-
ing the season from which it was possible to ob-
tain any surplus. The same is likewise true of this
year.

How could we have done better? I will try to
explain the situation a little, and then tell how we
could have obtained more honey. First, remember
we worked for extracted honey. The year 1886 was
a good honey season, and we secured a large crop
of clover honey before the dry weather set in.
Then the dry weather did not affect the basswood.
so we got a big crop of basswood. We let the bees
All up their hives with basswood honey to winter
on, as we usually do. After that there was honey-
dew on which the bees lived until winter, so their
combs were loaded with honey. When winter set
in they had enough honey to eat for their own use,
and to feed their brood until the basswood came
the next season. When the basswood opened they
had the most of the honey used up, and all the
combs were full of brood from top to bottom, and
n 3 place to put any honey. All they could do was
to fill the cells as fast as the brood hatched. The
basswood lasted 12 days, and it took 21 days to hatch
out all of the brood. It was positively necessary to
leave honey in those combs to winter the bees.
Could we safely take out any? Yfes, we could ex-
tract for a week, and give them time to fill the
combs that we emptied; and if we whirled the
combs pretty hard, perhaps we could throw out
some of the younger brood and give the bees a
chance to fill their places with honey. We conclud-
ed to do that, and did do it; but as it took a week to
go over the bees we got but very little honey the
first three or four days. We got out a great deal of
young brood, and that gave more room to store
honey. Then as the older brood hatched, that gave
room to store honey. By the time the basswood
flow came to an end, the bees had enough honey
stored to winter on. besides the little we took out.

Now, I am aware that I have introduced a strange
idea in throwing out brood on purpose to benefit
the bees; but under the circumstances it was the
best thing we could do. as the hives were crowded
full of bees. The combs were full of brood, and no
place to store honey. If we had had on hand a large
quantity of empty combs, then we could have
made good use of them; but we did not have them,
and so we had to do the very best we could. How
could we have done better, and got more honey?
By simply caging- the queens ten days before the
basswood flow commenced; then the brood would
have been about half hatched out by the time the
flow commenced, and (til would have been hatched
by the time the basswood ceased. The queens
could then have been liberated. The bees would
not have tried to swarm when the queens were
caged. All queen-cells should be destroyed, ami
ten days from that time they should be destroyed
again. There would then not be any attempt to
swarm until the queens were liberated and some
brood started, and not then if the honey-flow were
over. Why did we" not do it, and secure more hon^
ey? We did not think of it in time, as we had nev-
i i- been in the same flx before. But we have been
partially in the same boat this year again. We
started in this season with 431 colonies, and had to
feed about 500 lbs. in the spring to get the bees
through to clover, from which they gathered just

18

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

about enough to keep them in good breeding: con-
dition. We saw that there would be a fair yield of
honey from basswood, so, as nearly as we could
guess, about ten days before the basswood opened
we caged L60 queens, to test our last year's theory.
The result was, we got 11,830 lbs. of honey— about
274 lbs. average, and I should think that % of that
honey came from the 1">0 colonies where the queens
were caged. Remember, our average last year was
12 lbs. We came to the conclusion that we should
cage queens again to increase our honey crop. We
think it is a good thing if it is rightly managed, any
year.

The cages we used were made of wire cloth, about
;i inches long, % inch wide, and % thick. One end
was plugged with a wooden stopper, V% inch long;
the other end was just pinched together after the
queen was in the cage. The cage containing the
queen was hung by a fine wire between two combs
in the hive from which she was taken. The bees in
the hives feed the queens in the cages. Out of the
150 queens so caged, three died; 147 were alive, and
in good laying condition. Some of the cages had
eggs in the lower end, \ inch deep in the bulk —
more than the size of the queen. I don't know
whether the bees made any use of the eggs or not,
as we kept one or two combs of young brood in the
hives, from other colonies; but I know that bees
will sometimes take eggs from a caged queen, and
raise queens from them. I don't think they will
use them to raise workers to any extent. How
long did we keep the queens caged? About 20
days— 10 days before the basswood opened, and 10
days after. We destroyed all queen-cells when we
caged the queens, and again in 10 days we destroy-
ed all queen-cells. After the queens had been lib-
erated about a week we examined all the bees we
had, to see if all had laying queens, and found all
the queens that had been caged were laying nicely.
Now, 1 don't want it understood that I advocate the
caging of queens, except under certain conditions.
When one has all the bees he wishes to keep, and
wishes to prevent swarming, then he should cage
the queen— after the colony is very strong and
about ready to swarm. Of course, the queen-cells
must all be destroyed. We have often caged a few
queens, but never as many in one season as we did
this last one. E. Fkance.

Platteville, Wis., Dec. 15, 1888.

The idea of caging queens at a certain
time in order to increase the honey-yield,
comb as well as extracted, has been recom-
mended and practiced to some extent for a
good many years. Some have claimed that
caging queens would put a stop to honey-
gathering, or, at least, to a certain extent;
but my experience has been that, where the
queen is removed entirely, the bees ceased
work. Leaving them caged in the hive as
you have done, however, would probably
make little if any difference with their ac-
tivity as honey-gatherers. Now, in case
there had been an unexpected tlow of late
fall honey, might not your experiment have
resulted in a big loss ? As our business
has been for years selling bees by the pound,
it lias been a hard matter for us to accept
the idea of repressing brood-rearing in any
way ; but as you state it, it seems to me
very likely there might be a positive gain in
the amouiit of honey secured, and a positive

saving in regard to the amount of sugar
that must be bought for winter. We should
be glad to hear of the experiments of oth-
ers in this matter.

RAMBLE NO. 10 CONTINUED.

A NOVEL METHOD OF PEDDLING HONEY.

HNCLE JOHN runs his colonies for the produc-
tion of comb honey. His son Cyrus, not
having much love for the busy bees, at-
tends to the farm, and makes gardening
a specialty. The products of the garden and
the apiary And ready sale at hotels and to the
boarders themselves; for about 20 miles from the
head of the lake, nearly every point and island has
a hotel or several cottages upon it. For instance.
Ripley's Point has a hotel— Horicon Lodge— and a
dozen cottages. During the camping season these
must be supplied with vegetables, etc. Mr. Cyrus
A. supplied a few of these resorts, at first with a
row-boat; but seeing an opening for a little expan-
sion in the business he fitted up a boat with a kero-
sene-engine. This pretty little craft will carry 17
persons, or over a ton of supplies. Every Wednes-
day and Saturday the boat is loaded with a miscel-
laneous cargo of potatoes, onions, celery, and
every thing from the garden; and last, but not
least, a few crates of honey. The voyage is then
made from point to point, and the entire day is
spent in disposing of the cargo.

PEDDLING HONEY WITH A STEAMEH.

Comb honey finds ready sale at 1(5 cts. per lb. Mr.
A. was selling his honey off nicely at 15 and 16 cts.,
when, upon his next trip, he found the market de-
moralized, and the bottom knocked clean out by an
outsider running in a load of honey and selling it
for 10 or 12 cents per lb. In consequence he is
strongly in favor of co-operation, or the buying of
all of these stray cheap lots, or, what would be bet-
ter, the purchase of their entire stock of bees.

Extracted honey can not be sold at any price,
owing to suspicion of adulteration. Even comb
honey in regularly filled sections is looked upon
with suspicion; and city people, before purchasing,
want to prod a jack-knife into the center of it to
test it. /

While extracted honey can not be sold, there is a
call for maple syrup, and it will be purchased and
greedily eaten, and hardly a word be said about its
purity; and we all know that maple syrup is adul-
terated as much if not more than honey. Is honey
held more in suspicion because the busy bee and
the production of honey calls forth sensational
lies, and syrup free from it, because the noble
maple can not be so much lied about? Another
question that is beyond my solving is this: Why
will people use some articles of diet that are gross-
ly adulterated, and know it, and refuse articles like
honey, against which they have only a remote sus-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

I!)

picion? The little steamer is, however, on its mis-
sion every summer, and we hope it will exert an
educating- influence on all city people who pur-
chase what it pleases them to term wild honey?

On Tuesday our visit drew to a close. We cast
lingering glances at old Buck Mountain, with its
huckleberry paradise; at Shelving Rock, with its
rattlesnake dens; at Tongue Mountain, noted for
deer and the deer-slayers; at the placid waters
into whose pure depths the eye can penetrate 20 or
30 feet; the islands, fairylike in their beauty; the
boats, with their suggestions of pleasure and exer-
cise; we could scarcely tear ourselves away from so
many attractions, and the Rambler would willingly
rest from his wanderings, and build a log hut
under the sheltering trees, and, Crusoe like, spend
his days in hunting and Ashing:.

Our last repast in ("amp Andrews was a picked-
up dinner. The most prominent object on the
table was the doctor's medicine-hox. with 500 bot-
tles, more or less. It was a terrible-looking in-
strument of destruction.

The only accident of note was a thrilling adven-
ture of Mr. Lockliart, who rushed in one dark night,
averring that he had been knocked down by a bur-
glar. We prospected with lanterns, and found he
had tumbled over a big boulder. It is a mystery
how people's imagination will run away with them.
Another was a skillful star scene, indulged in by
the Rambler. He tried, and succeeded in sitting
down in the lake.

The pleasures of the visit will be long remember-
ed; and the many kind favors bestowed on the
Rambler by his fellow-campers and members of the
family, I trust can some time be returned; and that
other bee-keepers can some time enjoy a week at
Lake George is the earnest wish of the Rambler.

LOT'S WIFE.

DEACON SMITH DISCOURSES ON THE ELEMENTS
NECESSARY TO SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.

aEACON SMITH was on the winning side in
politics this year. He is therefore more lo-
quacious than ever, and more genial, if that
were possible. He lias spent several even-
ings at our house since election. He brings
" Mirandy," and Mirandy brings her knitting-work.
Our apple-barrel holds out yet, and the bee-journals
have not lost their interest, although truth compels
me to state that they were only secondary during-
the heated campaign.

The deacon's teeth are a little poor; but our
Wealthies are in their prime now, and he is
obliged to acknowledge that they are " most as good
as the Greenings of York State."

The last evening he spent here, the deacon got to
talking about the elements necessary to success in
business.

" Now, there was Lot's wife," said he; "what a
shining example she was of how not to do it!— not
that I blame the poor tired woman for looking back
upon the scenes of her childhood. Anybody could
have forgiven her for that. Rut Moses was too
busy looking after the way ward children of Israel
to give us her full history, and you see she wasn't
worthy of a page or two in the Riblical record. He
only mentions her, as the preacher does the text, to
give point to her instability of character. Did you

ever think of it? She hadn't even a name in the
book. There's Sarah and Rebekah and Esther and
Ruth, and a host of other noble women who have
blessed the earth ever since they lived. But she
was Lot's wile— that's all. If she had been a wo-
man of character, do you think she would have been
consigned to everlasting nothingness in that kind
of style? Even Jezebel got more distinction than
that.

"Just imagine what a rattling there would be
among the dry bones if Mirandy should die, and I
should put up a respectable monument to her mem-
ory with this inscription: ' The late Mrs. Smith,' in-
stead of saying, ' Hicjacet (here lie) the mortal re-
mains of Amelia Mirandy Sunnyweather, the late
consort and worthy helpmeet of Uriah Smith, a wo-
man who never turned her back on a duty unper-
formed.'

" If you will read between the lines you will dis-
cover that Lot's wife was one of those weak-mind-
ed, changeable persons who never have an object
in life, and are blown about by every wind of doc-
trine. When Lot started from Sodom she thought
she loved him above every thing else, and she'd
share her fortunes with him. But when she got
tired, and had blistered her feet on the sand, she
thought, ' What a fool Lot was to believe what those
men told him: I guess I'll go back.' So she turned
back to the luxurious city she had left, thinking
perhaps that her husband would soon follow suit.
You know the rest.

" Now, that's the trouble with a great many men
in this world. They don't know what they are here
for. They haven't any purpose. Like a lost dog
they will follow the first emigrant wagon that
comes along, if the driver only whistles.

"Perhaps they are farming. Things haven't gone
first rate. The price ot hogs has gone down, and
cholera specific has gone up. Along comes a white
sail with the magic word ' protected wool ' on. The
hogs are sold, given away, or run into the sea. They
are only swine, any way. But sheep are high. By
the^time he gets fairly started— has learned how to
keep the wolves off by day and the dogs by night,
how to save the lambs in spring and the old ones
from foot-rot in the summer, he discovers that
Texas and Australia can raise wool cheaper than
he can, and that sheep-raising is not so profitable as
he thought. So he sells his sheep at a sacrifice, and
invests in booming cattle. It's the same old story-
buying at the top and selling at bottom prices. Old
age creeps on apace. By the time he has run the
gamut of the industries he is ready to vote with
Solomon that variety and vexation of spirit is the
common experience of the farmer; whereas, if he
had stuck to some one thing he might have com-
pel/ success.

"There's neighbor Jones. He bought a lot of
bees a few years ago when bees were high and
honey ditto. He thought that was the highway to
wealth and happiness. He put a good deal of mon-
ey into the business— a good deal more than there
was any use of. He didn't know any more about
bees than a sand-hill crane does about astronomy.
He only soared among the clouds. The first winter
he lost heavily. The next summer his profits were
so fine he couldn't see them. Last year wasn't
much better, but he got a good deal of experience.
But he got disgusted with them, and put them all
up at auction. I boughtthe whole outfit for a song.
Now, I know there isn't money in bees every year.

20

(iLEANINGS IN HEE CULTURE.

Jan.

Thej don'l make boney. It's got to be in the flow-
ers, or the bees can't get it out, but I'm bound to
stick till the Lord Bends the early and latter rain,

according to promise. It's the only thing to do.
Vmi know what Poor Richard used tosny: A roll-
ing stone gathers no moss.' After a man has got
every thing fixed to keep bees, it's the foolisbest
kind of folly for him to surrender and admit he is
licked because there happens to be one or two bad
seasons. There's nothing in Ihis world that I know
of that is always on the high road to prosperity
without work, and sometimes there's a deal of wait-
ing too." Reported by Eugene Secok.

Friend Secor, you are lucky in having
Deacon Smith for a neighbor. Don't mind
the apples. When he gets a going, ji st give
him plenty of rope, especially if he exhibits
as much wisdom as he has in the above.
While in California I was greatly impressed
with the very idea the Deacon has brought
out. When 200 lbs. or more of nice honey
was obtained per colony, a few years ago, a
great many started in the business. Some of
them have held on to the bees for a couple
of years: but at the present time a great
many are deserting their bees, or are offer-
ing to sell them for a mere " song,1" as you
express it. Xow, 1 do not mean that one
should keep on devoting his whole time,
and making outlays, while the seasons are
so unpropitious that there is little or no in-
come. I believe it is prudent to stop out-
lays, and let the bees stand still while there
is" nothing in particular to be done with
them, keeping a careful watch, of course,
that they do not get out of stores and so
starve to death. It would be very strange
indeed if no more crops of honey wrere to be
secured, such as we had five or ten years
ago. If we talk with men in most kinds of
business, especially those who raise crops,
you will find a good deal of the same state
of affairs. It is terribly expensive to learn
a trade, and rig up for the profitable work-
ing of any kind of business; aud he who
abandons, as soon as or shortly after he has
got ready for business, must expect to do it
at a great sacrifice. Work at something else
Lf you choose, while your regular business
can not be followed ; hut do not let things
go to ruin, or swap them off hastily.

A GOOD QUESTION.

tin IJEES BUILD HEAVIER COMBS AT ONE II MI.

THAN AT ANOTHEliV

If-* S ('. C. Miller had made some observa-
^fl'. lions on the subject as above, we sent
jf* llic following to him:

Friend Root:— On page so:;, you and .). A.
Golden tail to understand why bees build
hea\ icr comb at some times than at others. I have
noticed for several years, that, during a rushing
flow of honey :it any season, and from whatever
source, whether clover, buckwheat, or aster, the
comb is invariably thin and light; but when honey
(Mimes slow ly, the combs are heavier. White clover
was almost a total failure here, but buckwheat and
asters yielded fairly well. Rukdktt Hassett.
Howard Center, Howard Co., Iowa.
Mr. Miller replies as follows:

I do not know that it i6 of practical importance to
know why and when bees build heavier or lighter
comb; still.it is a matter of interest, and a practi-
cal bearing may attach to a subject, although such
practical bearing may not appear on the surface. I
have some doubts as to the cooler weather of fall
making bees slower about drawing out wax, thus
making the comb heavier. Bees keep up the heat
in the cluster, summer or fall; and if the wax is
soft enough to be worked, I suspect they will work
it thin one time as well as another. But it is not
unreasonable to suppose that, like the human fami-
ly, bees will be more lavish in the use of any article
which is plentiful. It is not likely that the secre-
tion of wax is in exact proportion to the amount of
nectar gathered daily. Suppose a heavy flood of
honey is being gathered. The bees will secrete wax
enough to take care of it, and this secretion is a mat-
ter of time. It can not be started or stopped in a
minute. When they stop gathering honey at night,
the manufacture of wax keeps right on through
the night; and it a heavy rain should occupy all the
afternoon it is likely the same amount of wax will
be secreted as if the bees worked in the field all
day. And 1 see no reason, if the bees work all
day in the fields, why there should not be just as
much wax secreted, whether the field allows a bee
to gather a load in 2.i or -ti > minutes In other words,
there should be no difference in the wax production,
whether the bees store two pounds a day or twice
as much. But if the wax is secreted, it will be used
in some way, and I suspect that bees are likely to
build thicker combs if they have a double supply of
wax. If this be the case they might be expected to
make thicker cell-walls when the harvest begins to
wane.

Thinking this matter over last evening I said to
myself, " If your theory is true, facts ought to sus-
tain it. Last summer the yield « as very slow, and
you ought to find very heavy comb." 80 1 got a
section of honey out of the cupboard to examine.
Sure enough, it appeared tome the cell-walls looked
thick; but then. I had no other comb to compare it
with. I cut out a cubic inch, as nearly as I could
estimate it, and chewed it. The resulting wax I
rolled into a round ball, and it measured just about
half an inch in diameter. That seemed to me like
a good bit of wax; but, as before, 1 had nothing to
compare with. Friend Boot, try a cubic inch of
honey, perhaps of two or more different samples,
and tell us how much wax you get from it. Here is
another fact that is confirmatory, so far as it goes:

Last summer the bees made more trouble than I
remember ever before, in making bits of white comb
where not wanted. In a good many instances they
made little sheets of wax arise perpendicularly from
the separators, as if trying to increase the width of
the separator. They also plugged up crevices as if
with propolis, only they used pure white wax. So far
as I could judge by looking on, the bees were busy
every day; but a total crop of less than a ton from 135
colonies shows that the daily yield must have been
small, requiring little wax, and allowing plenty for
thick cell-« alls and an overplus to be used as bee-
glue. By the way, in every lot of bee-glue I think
more or less wax will be found on melting.

SIZE OK APIARIEB.

The item on page 933, with its comments, "Advan-
tages of Small Apiaries," reminds me that it is not
safe to base general conclusions on one or two data.
\ sijim H apiary "of 12 colonies gave almost enough

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

21

surplus to supply the deficiency of" a larger apiary
of 60 or 70 colonies. Now, friend Weckesser, the
small apiary may have given the surplus just be-
cause of the few colonies; but the facts you state
by no means prove it. The past summer my Wil-
son apiary had about three times as many colonies
as the Belden apiary; but the larger apiary "gave
almost enough surplus to supply the deficiency of"
the smaller. But that doesn't prove that the larger
number made the yield per colony greater. The
Wilson apiary probably had a better field to work
on, and probably your 12 colonies had a better field
than the home apiary. I do think, however,
that in general a small apiary will do better than a
large one, just because there will be times during
the season when the harvest is so light that even a
few colonies overstock the locality. But the differ-
ence may be so little that 1 think in general I would
not start an out-apiary till my number exceeded
100. So I agree with the comments.
Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

Friend Miller, your explanation seems to
be the more reasonable one. It is a fact, is
it not, that bees do at times secrete more
wax than they can profitably use, and that
these scales are sometimes found on the
bottom-board? Friend Hutchinson avers
that, in consequence, too much foundation
is used, and that this surplus of wax scales
goes to waste. According to your request,
we tried two or three samples of honey. As
the flow of nectar in California is considered
to be very rapid, it is reasonable to suppose
that California combs would be lighter than
combs to hold an equal capacity made
here in the East. We accordingly selected
a section of California honey well filled out,
and of snowy whiteness. From this we
took two cubes of honey. From each the
resultant wax made a sphere only a quarter of
an inch in diameter. ( )f course, this wax was
pressed together into a solid ball. We next
selected a section of honey which had been
filled out during the last season in our own
locality, when the yield of nectar daily was
very smal 1 . This section was travel-stained,
and there was a number of cells not capped
over. From this we took a cube of honey,
chewed it, and obtained a wax ball half an
inch in diameter. As will be seen, the diame-
ter of the latter was twice that of one of those
from the California honey. Therefore the
volume of wax would be just about eight times
as much. From this it might be argued
that bees will use eight times as much wax
in comb building during a slow yield as
they will in a rapid yield. These proportions
may not and probably will not hold true in
all cases ; but as the experiment can be so
easily tested, we hope our readers who are
interested in the matter will do so and report
the result, noting carefully whether the nec-
tar was coming in rapidly or slowly. Now,
friend M., you start out by saying that you
do not know that there is any practical im-
portance in this matter ; but you intimate
that a practical bearing may attach to it.
Well, it may be this : When honey is com-
ing in very rapidly, the bees need full sheets
of foundation ; when it is coming in slowly,
narrow starters will answer just as well
and perhaps better. If this be true, may it
pot be possible to save foundation, and, con-

sequently, money ? Again, if bees do at
times build heavier combs than at others,
may it not explain why there is sometimes
present the objectionable " fishbone," and
that at other times it can not be detected?

FROM DIFFERENT FIELD

CARRYING BEES INTO THE CELLAR; DOOLITTLE'S
AND ROOT'S INSTRUCTIONS OBEYED.

T WISH to thank you and G. M. Doolittle for that
||P article in Nov. 1st Gleanings, in reply to my
W questions on placing bees in the cellar.
■*■ Gleanings arrived here about four o'clock,
Nov. 7; and after reading the article referred
to I decided to set the bees in at once, as it was
looking like rain, the weather previous having been
remarkably fine. There were 82 in all, and we car-
ried them in, some before dark and some after, and
found no difference. In your remarks you seem to
think the bees would be more apt to get out of the
hives when the bottoms are removed. Now, if you
mean while carrying them, you are wroug; as the
bees seem to get confused when they run down and
can't find their floor, and very few will fly out of
their hives. If you mean that more bees will get
out of the hives in the cellar, you are right; but I
think we want them to, as, when a bee becomes so
weak as to fall from the cluster, it is better out of
the hive, as they will sometimes pile up in the bot-
tom and make a very bad smell. I did not place
my bees as Doolittle does, as I had not room. 1 sim-
ply placed two scantling about a foot from the
ground, and set a row of hives on them, then two
more, and so on. I think it would be a good idea to
have the scantling supported independently of the
hives, so any hive could be removed if necessary.
Alvinston, Ont., Can. W. E. Morrison.

SOD HOUSES FOR WINTERING BEES. AND FOR
RAISING PLANTS AND CARP.

Please send me some Grand Rapids lettuce. I
have a greenhouse, and am raising plants. 1 have
built a water-tank 5 feet deep, 8 feet wide, :>:i feet
long, in which I have about 400 carp. I have three-
fourths of the tank covered with floor, with a good
sod house built over it I have a pipe running in-
to it, with a pipe for the water to escape into a
hatching-pond about four rods square. My carp
are doing well, and so are my bees. You remem-
ber I wrote to you last winter about keeping my
bees in a sod house. Well, last spring I thought
I would experiment a little, so I built a sod wall,
and made spaces in the wall, facing the south, to
set the hives in; then I took two boards, a little
longer than the spaces, and took old barrel-staves
and nailed to the boards for cages. I am well sat-
isfied with i lie arrangement so far. When I wish
to work with a hive I can just remove the cover, as
each has a separate one. I have 30 colonies in
hives, and one I took from the woods, from a hol-
low tree. R. F. Loom is.

Indianola. Neb., Nov. :.'!, L888.

•rill'. COTTON-TREE OF THE SOUTH A PRODUCEH Hi'
HONEY.

Iii <i i,K. \nin<;s, June 15, a man in Texas asked you
some questions. Among others was this one: " Is
tbecottoii I n-c •mhh! for honey? Yoii did not know,

22

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

but you stated that the eottonwood-tree of the North
and West was not a honey-producing tree. The
name cotton-tree is a local, or common name only.
The proper, or scientific name, is Paulownia. It
grows as large, or larger, than a big apple-tree, with
much the same form. It blooms early in the spring,
before any leaves appear, and is remarkably fra-
grant. One large tree will scent or perfume half a
dozen town lots. It is raised principally on account
of its strong perfume and dense shade. Its flower
resembles a purple Jimson (Jamestown) weed, ex-
cept it is only half as long. In regard to its being a
good honey-producing tree, I can't say any thing
further than this: Bees work on it just as last as
they do on an apple-tree in Ohio when in full bloom.
But few people here know its right name. I asked
a Rieat many before 1 found out, and Dr. Brantley,
one of your subscribers, gave me the true name.
The doctor is well posted on nearly every thing, and
is one of the best conversationalists I ever met.
Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 17, 1*88. John Barford.

WATER IN A BEE-CELLAR, AND HOW IT MAY BE
SUPPLIED.

I winter most of my bees in the cellar, and gen-
erally with very good success. I have just built a
cellar especially for the purpose, in which 151 colo-
nies are wintering. They are exceedingly quiet,
which I consider the best proof of perfect winter-
ing in a cellar. Having had positive proof of the
heneflts of water in the cellar several years since,
1 wanted a living spriug in my new cellar; and as
we found none while digging it I managed to get a
cheap artificial one by digging out at
one corner, thus. The small room, or
projection to the cellar, takes in my
pump-pipe (it is a drive-well iron
pump). The supply of water for the
cellar is simply the waste which spurts out of the
vent-hole in the pipe; and as this well furnishes all
the water used by two families, besides several
head of stock, there is a large quantity of water
which passes out of the pipe into the cellar. The
cellar is under a part of the dwelling-house, and the
pump is at one end of a porch. It has a stone wall
full depth, and is lathed and plastered overhead.
The surplus water passes off through a drain. 1
expect to utilize the little room for milk and but-
ter in warm weather, letting the water pass around
the milk-dishes, etc. 0. H. Townsend.

Alamo. Mich., Dec. 11, 1*88.

SMALL SECTIONS, AND HOW TO MAKE THEM OUT
OF WOOD SEPARATORS.

Having read of the Rambler's troubles with the
Harmer 2-oz. section, I will tell him, and others who
may be interested, how 1 made 201) or ISIK) last spring.

Having bought of you a lot of wood separators I
look some of them, cut them into lengths of 7J-4
inches, and then cut the lengths into strips ?» inch
wide, and marked them oft like this.

Now take a sharp-pointed knife and cut the cross-
lines partly through and you can fold them very
easily, and they will tit into the frames all right it
out accurately. In folding I put a drop of glue
where the ends meet; but perhaps a bit of well-
gummed paper would be better; it certainly would
not be so sticky to handle as glue is. 1 was not very
successful in getting them filled, but I think the

trouble mostly was due to there being no honey to
gather, as 1 got but 3MI lbs. of comb, and no extract-
ed honey this year. I will try the little sections
again this eoming summer. 0. G. Josenhans.

Owosso, Mich., Dec. 7, 1888.

HONEY GRANULATING.

I read in Gleanings somewhere of the spraying
of honey in extracting causing, or at least hasten-
ing, granulation, in something the way that stirring
sugar syrup when making taffy will cause it to
granulate. When the stirring is slight, the granu-
lations may not commence until the taffy is sold,
and sometimes several hours afterward. 1 had
practical proof of this fact this fall. When taking
off my honey I cut out the unsalable sections and
filled a jar with them, to sell in bulk to home cus-
tomers. After emptying the jar a few days ago, 1
found the droppings not granulated inline least,
while honey of the same kind, extracted at the
same time that this was cut out, and though in
tight cans, and capped up, was granulated so much
it could not be poured out without warming; and
some in an open lard-jar was solid, while the drip-
pings from the uncappings in another jar were
granulated but little; this was all late honey, main-
ly from Spanish needle, which does not granulate
so readily as clover honey. 15. A. Rapp.

Chillicothe, Mo., Dec. 8, 1***.

FOUL BROOD IN NEW ZEALAND.

The Langstroth hive is the one in use in New
Zealand by all advanced bee-keepers, and is found
quite sufficient protection without chaff packing,
to winter on summer stands, owing to the mildness
of our climate. I noticed a report in a late issue of
Gleanings (July, I think), that foul brood is very
troublesome in the North Island. This I believe is
correct, but it is not so prevalent in the South; in-
deed, we much doubt if the true foul brood exists
here at all. It is a very mild form of the disease
with which we are acquainted, and readily yields to
proper treatment. R. E. D'Oylv.

Dunedin, N. Z., Nov. I, 18**.

ARE QUEENS INJURED BY SHIPPING?

I read with no little interest friend Doolittle's ar-
ticle on page 749. It is just so near my own experi-
ence in handling and shipping queens, that I am
fully persuaded, from practical trial and applica-
tion of many of the circumstances mentioned there-
in, that friend Doolittle is nearly correct, while our
friend ('has. Dadant, on page *4t>, is very much in
error, I am sorry to say. It would be furthering my
interest very much if I were able to sustain his as-
sertion: "The shipment, by mail or express, does not
deteriorate the laying of a queen, * * * even when
she is taken from a full colony during the height of
the laying season." Nearly every prolific queen
that I have ever sent out from a full colony in the
height of the laying season has been more or less a
failure, ever afterward, as a layer. Why this was
so, I am not able to say, though it may be caused in
a variety of ways. A queen, when once partly
starved, chilled, or overheated, is never worth any-
thing as a laying queen, though she may lay a few-
eggs, and live a year or two. A queen taken from
a full colony in the laying season, and full of eggs,
may be damaged by the difference in the tempera-
ture while in that state, as much as by the stoppage
of laying in the regular order. No one, 1 hope,
will say that it does not damage inan to eat at ir-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

23

regular intervals. Which of the two is the more
delicately constituted, and liable to injury by a
slight diversion from regular order of life— the lay-
ing queen or the human stomach? I want to em-
phasize the fact that a queen that is but a spare
layer is just as good to lireeil from, and better than
one that is an excessive layer. And, again, that
queens taken from a nucleus hive are more profita-
ble to the purchaser than those taken from a full
colony in the height of her laying season.

Abbott L. Swinson.
Goldsboro, N. 0., Dec. 4,1888.

With the large number of queens we an-
nually send out by mail, it is strange that
we have not noticed, or, rather, received,
many complaints of such deterioration in
said queens. There may be an occasional in-
stance that seems to point that way ; but that
such cases may be frequent is not a matter
of our observation. If you and friend Doo-
little are correct (and you may be to a certain
extent), why is it that we have never heard
more frequently of such failure of egg-lay-
ing before V Now, it is just possible that
your last sentence explains the difference
in our experiences. Although our cells are
raised in full colonies, the queens, as a rule,
are reared in nuclei.

BALLING QUEENS; KEFITSING TO ACCEPT CELLS.

Last spring, a year ago, I bought a queen from
Dr. Brown, Augusta, Ga. She proved to be a tine
layer, and purely mated. Last month I noticed
the bees balling her. 1 smoked them well and
closed the hive Now they have a black queen.
How did they get her, and why did they destroy
their queen? In Italianizing I had colonies which
would not receive queen-cells nor build one when
given eggs, although they had been queenless for
in and 12 days. Is not this unusual? In one of my
colonies I often hear a noise resembling the growl-
ing of an opossum. You can hear it some 12 or 15
paces off, yet I can find nothing wrong. What do
you suppose causes it? D. C. McCampbell.

Harinontown, Miss., Nov. 27, 1888.

Friend M., it is hard to assign a reason
why bees will at times ball a good fertile
queen. Sometimes they will attack one as
soon as the hive is opened — indeed, the dis-
turbance is what causes them to behave so
unseemly. As a usual thing, under such
circumstances, if the hive be closed immedi-
ately the bees will let the queen alone,
though it is our practice to blow a little
smoke in at the entrance. In the instance
you give, the balling resulted in the death
of the queen; and her successor, it seems, it
was a black one. At certain seasons of the
year it is difficult to get colonies to accept
cells given them ; but if the bees are actu-
ally queenless, beyond any question, we feel
pretty sure they will accept eggs and raise
cells. We should incline to the opinion
that the colony you mention had some sort
of a queen, probably a fertile worker. The
only thing to do is to scatter the brood and
frames throughout the apiary. When a col-
ony apparently queenless refuses to raise
cells we generally come to the conclusion
that they have fertile workers, and a care-
ful scrutiny of the combs generally confirms
this conclusion. —Unfortunately, we don't
know what an t; opossum's growr' sounds

like ; we therefore can form no conception
of what that peculiar noise is which you no-
tice among your bees. During the honey-
How there is a low hum that can he dis-
tinctly heard several feet away.

jMOTEJS JftND QaEI^IEJS.

STATISTICS.

"Ma LLOW me lo Bay that I am highly pleased with
^llk the Honey Statistics in Gleanings. I think

j$m that that alone should be worth a dollar per
■***• annum to many bee-keepers. 1 see by the
latest statistics that friends Nebel & Son, of
High Hill, Mo., are away ahead of us other fellows
here in Missouri on the average crop of honey se-
cured this season, and that with a large number of
colonies, if I am not mistaken. How is it, friends,
have you a better location, or do you know better
how to manage the bees? S. E. Miller.

Bluffton, Mo.

bees and fruit.

I notice a complaint in a recent number of
Gleanings, regarding bees working on raspber-
ries. I have had the same trouble, the bees being
so troublesome as to almost drive away pickers.

Nichols. Conn., Dec. 13, 1888. H. P. Nichols.

A QUESTION COB OUR " SALT-WATER " READEKS.

What is the best paint for bee-hives in a salt-wa-
ter locality— pure lead, zinc, lead and zinc, or some
other kind of paint? A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, O.

[Will some of our readers located near salt water
please answer? But why should proximity to salt
water make any difference ?]

APPLE-TREE SILK-MOTH.

Prof. Couk:—J send you by mail for identification,
the pupa of some large insect found adhering to
the limb of a plum-tree. Please report through
Gleaninos. W. 1). Ali.en.

Kosse, Tex., Dec. 17, 1888.

Prof. Cook replies :

This fine large cocoon contains the apparently
healthy chrysalis of our apple-tree silk-moth, Platy-
samia Cecropia. Next June there will come from
this a large beautiful brown moth. A. J. Cook.

FEEDING EXTRACTED HONEY.

I wish to feed my bees honey for winter stores.
How shall T do so, so as to have it not granulate in
the combs? K. H. Shipman.

Cannington, Ont.

(Feeding back extracted honey is rather unsatis-
factory. It is difficult to prevent granulation in all
cases. At the price honey is now, we would not
think of feeding bees with it. By all means, feed
sugar syrup well cooked. It makes a much better
food, and if you make the syrup rightly you will
have no trouble about its crystallization.]

HUTCHINSON'S PLAN ON EMPTY FRAMES; HED-
DON'S NON-SWARMING PLAN.

I have tried Hutchinson's plan of hiving on empty
frames, and failed. I have tried Doolittle's plan of
hiving in contracted brood-chambers, filled with
empty combs, combined with Heddon's plan to pre-
vent after-swarms, by hiving on the old stand and
removing old hive the 7th or 8th day, and I believe
it superior to any non-swarming plan I have ever
heard of for surplus honey. Benj. A. Kapp.

Chillicothe, Mo., Nov. 9, 1888.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

SOMETHING PROM THE B. AFRICA MISSION.

Gleanings has come to i his mission regularly
lor two years. Native honey abounds in all locali-
ties; in nearly every Iree you see large bark boxes
put there by the oativ< s. mid many of them are full
of honey. From 35 to im tons of wax is shipped
from this port every year to Europe.

R. H. Richards.

Mongwe, Inbamibame, E. Africa, Oct. 80, 1888.

JAPANESE III i'KWHEAT A SUCCESS.

I got :.' lbs. from yon last spring-; sowed it on 20
rode of good ground. I harvested 7'4 bushels of
nice bueku heat. Bees worked on it the same as on
other. They worked sparingly on goldenrod; they
worked very industriously on prideweed. You
could see from 4 to 12 on one bead. They seemed to
be crazy for it when in bloom. I suppose it is one
of the goldenrod family. Bees got honey enough
to winter on. and some swarms gave considerable
surplus, mostly from basswood.

Chardon, O., Dec. in, 1888. W. McBkide.

Repbiws ENcetfRflGip.

FKOM 36 TO till, AM) -*250 WORTH OK HONEY, SOLD
PEDDLING.

f^HE first of May found me with 36 colonies,
Sji" some very good and some very poor, 8 of
which number were so weak that it took
them all the season before they sot built up
to good swarms. From the 28, good and
fair, 1 sold honey, both comb and extracted, to the
amount of $2.r>ii. I have a little over a barrel left
on hand now. I increased them to 60 good swarms.
They are in good shape, with plenty of honey to
last them till fruit blossoms.

PEDDLING HONEY A SUCCESS.

I sold most of my honey in my home market. I
had some friends in a little town 8 miles from my
place, and my wife and 1 were going to see them.
I told her 1 would take some honey along, and
may be we could dispose of some. We took about
100 lbs., both of comb and extracted. It went like
hot cakes; and the consequence was, I made 6 trips
and sold $140 worth in that town. M. M. Rice.

lioscobel. Wis.

FROM 8 TO 16, AND PLENTY OF HONEY.

Last spring- I had 8 colonies, and increased, by di-
viding, to 16. 1 bad plenty of nice section honey to
supply my table. 1 have raised and introduced
Italian queens into each colony.

D. C. McCampbell.

Harmontown, Miss., Nov. 27, 1888.

PROM 511 TO 811, AND 8011 LltS. OF HONEY.

I commenced in the spring with 50 colonies of
bees, and they increased to 80. I got 800 lbs. of
honey. 1 know the most of them had each nearly
LOO lbs. left in the hives to winter on, because for
the one that made comb honey I left all in the low-
er box, from 8 to 1:2 frames, almost solid full of
honey. I clip all of my queens, and then let them
swarm. I think this is much better.

Senecii. Kan., Dei- 5, 1888. M. A. Wilkins.

pound. I sold at from 14 to 18 cts. per lb., in De-
troit. I sell all my unfinished sections that weigh
not less than 6 oz., and so on up to 12 oz., some be-
ing wholly unsealed, and I find ready sale at from
8 to 12 cts. per lb. 1 think it better than keeping
them over. Benj. Passage.

Stark, Mich.. Dec. 14, 1888.

FROM 30 TO 70, AND 1000 IBS. OF HONEY ; ARTI-
FICIAL PASTURAGE ; ALSIKE CLOVER FOR
BEES AND STOCK.

The honey-flow in this locality has been bounti-
ful the past summer, and those who had their dish
right side up caught the golden harvest. My bees
did as well as could be expected, considering the
amount of care given them. From 30 colonies,
spring count, I received about 1000 lbs. of honey in
1-lb. sections, and increased to 70 colonies; and I
think if I had hived every swarm that issued I
should have had 100 colonies at the close of the
honey-How. One colony of Italians first swarmed
out. This was on June 1st, and it made 49 lbs.
of clover and 24 of buckwheat honey in 1-lb. sec-
tions, and they had their brood-combs well filled for
winter besides. In providing pasture for my bees I
had 10 acres of alsike, 10 of Mammoth, and the
pastures were white with white clover; and %, of a
mile from my apiary were basswood-trees and 40
acres of buckwheat, where the bees could go if
they wished to, and they did gather so much buck-
wheat honey that it is hard to get 10 cts. per lb.
for nice 1-lb. sections. White-clover honey sells
readily at 15 cts. per lb. in 2-lb. sections.

I cut my alsike clover, and had it thrashed, and
got 8 bushels of very clean seed. I shall depend
upon the alsike clover hereafter, not only for bee-
pasture, but also sheep-pasture and for seed. On
one side of my sheep-pasture there are three acres
of alsike clover. It was sown 4 years ago, in the
first part of the season. The sheep feed on the
other portion of the pasture; but when the other
portion gets short and dry, the sheep run and put
their noses into the clover, and it shields them
from the gad fly. and gives them good feed also.

I have 35 swarms in the cellar and 10 in A. I.
Root's chaff hives, on their summer stand.

L. N. Chapman.

River Falls, Wis.. Dec. 12, 1888.

I^ep@i^ Di£<30ai^/iviiN<j.

A POOR YIELD.

T MADE preparations last spring for a good crop
|If of honey, and received only about 140 lbs. of
W fall honey (in comb, no extracted), as surplus,
-*■ which sold for 12& cts. per lb. to apply on a
grocery bill. You see the bee-business has not
been very profitable for me the past season, con-
sidering that I ran over 200 colonies for honey. I
had only 15 new swarms during the season. I am
not one of the class who can get a crop whether it
is in the blossoms or not. O. H. Townsend.

Alamo, Mich., Dee. 11, 1888.

FROM 30 ll> 40, AM) 1300 I. US. OK HONEY.

I began the season with :in swarms -25 fair and 5
weak. I increased to 40, and took a little over 1200
lbs. of comb honey; 4 colonies did not give a

ALL LOSS.

There has been a failure in the honey crop in this
locality for two seasons. When we figure the prof-
it and loss, it's all loss. As I read in Gleanings
recently, 1 hope for a "whopper " next year.

Damascus, O., Dec. 8, 1888. Evan Shreve.

l,S8!t

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

25

WINTERING NICEliY.

Bees are wintering nicely so far here. It was a
very poor season; they did not gather enough to
winter on. Charles Sitts.

Hrasie Corners, N. Y., Dec. 13, I8S.S.

@0R Q[IKS¥I6N'B^X.

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free I loin any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

QUESTION 97.— a. In cellar wintering, do you think
top ventilation necessary? b. If not, how much and in
what way do you provide for bottom ventilation?

1 do.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

a. I do. b. I also leave open the whole width of
the entrance. Geo. Grimm.

Some ventilation is necessary, and the difference
in temperature is hound to cause a current.

Dadant & Son.

a. No. b. I leave the entrance of the hive open its
entire width, l/2 inch in height. 1 should like bet-
ter to have three times the space, however.

C. C. Miller.

It does not make much difference about ventila-
tion, and there is a wide difference in opinions re-
garding temperature; aud all this comes about be-
cause the whole matter of safe wintering hinges on
the food. James Hbddon.

A little top ventilation I think to be all right. A
good deal might do no harm if a steady high tem-
perature is kept in the cellar. As to its being ex-
actly necessary in any case, I hardly think it is. b.
Set the hive on blocks. E. E. Hasty.

I think not, unless it be required to keep the tem-
perature uniform, and at the proper point. If top
ventilation of colony in hive is meant, I say no em-
phatically. I close at top entirely, but have en-
trance wide open. I would raise each colony 2 inch-
es from bottom-board if I could easily.

A. J. Cook.

a. No. b. Ventilate at the bottom, only by plac-
ing the hives in rows with a space between each
hive, then tier up. placing each hive over the space
below. Set the first row of hives on covers arrang-
ed in the same way, or on stringers. This plan is
fully described and illustrated in Gleanings, Feb.

1. 1888, p. !h I. H. R. BOARDMAN.

Upward ventilation is undesirable. I prefer a
bottom-board with an opening in the center. I use
an opening 5 x 10 inches. My methods all the year
round require this. In winter quarters the bees clus-
ter well down, and may usually be found in a cluster
below the bottom of the frames. They are thus as-
sured of their freedom; dead bees also drop out of
the hive. L. C. Root.

I don't know that 1 understand the question. If
the ventilation of the cellar is meant, then I should
say that it needs no special ventilation; if the ques-
tioner is speaking of the hives, then my plan would
be to raise them off the bottom board from two to
I welve Inches, leaving the top the same as in spring
or fall when the sections are not on.

G. M. DoOLITTLE.

No. not usually; but with a warm cellar, with air
near the point of saturation, a slow top ventilation
ma3- be necessary. We ventilate our hives by draw-
ing a slide in ihe bottom-board. The slide is ten
inches long, and is drawn open two or three inches,
or even more, with the stronger swarms and warm
cellars. P. H. Elwood.

Not if the temperature is right. If the cellar is
moist, the temperature should be higher than if the
cellar is dry. I provide for bottom ventilation by
removing the bottom-board and raising the hive
one or two inches above what it sits on. To econo-
mize room 1 place a square stick an inch or more
thick on top of each side of the hive, when in place,
and set the next hive on these sticks, and so on as
high as I can reach. Dr. A. B. Mason.

b. Dr. Jessie Oren, of Laporte City, Iowa, is as
successful as any one I know of in cellar wintering,
and his method of bottom ventilation of hives with
tight bottom-boards is the best I know of. He sets
his hives on ends, or, rather, on lower front cor-
ners, at an angle of about 45°, leaving entrances
wide open. Succeeding hives are leaned against
the first and others, and when the first tier is in
place, wide boards are laid on top. then another tier
of hives, etc. I inclose a rough diagram of the ar-
rangement. This not only secures bottom ventila-
tion, but allows dead bees and rubbish to drop from
the hives during the winter. O. O. Poppleton.

oren's arrangement of iiivks *

The general opinion seems to be that top
ventilation for the hive is not necessary, and
that a full-width entrance, or else an open
bottom, or nearly so, is siifticient. Dr.
Oren's plan would doubtless work very nice-
ly, and the bottom-board at all times would
be clean of dead bees. Friends El wood and
Root accomplish the same result by leaving
an opening through the bottom of the hive.

question US. —7s your cellar provided with a sub-
earili ventilator? b. If so, has your experience taught
you, that they are an advantage, either for quieting
bees or otherwsie.'

a. No; h. No. Dadant &Son.

a. It is; b. Yes. Mrs. L. Harrison.

No. b. 1 have had no experience in line with this
question. B. E. Hasty.

a. Yes. h. I think so, but it is hard to be very pos-
itive. ('. c. Miller.

No. I am quite certain that it is worse than use-
less. H. R. Boa RDM AN.

'The diagram above is not strictly correct. The
adjacent corners should come in contact.

26

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

No. My ventilators consist of a chimney and sev-
eral tin pipes. Geo. Grimm.

II other conditions be right, I think a ventilator
at the bottom of the cellar not only unnecessary,
but objectionable. L. C. Root.

No. We tise no aub-earth ventilators. We do
not believe any good can come from them which
will compensate for their cost. James Heddon.

No. A chimney extends down into the cellar;
and a stove set up for use, in case it is needed, will
gh e all the upper and lower ventilation needed. I
have never been annoyed with bees becoming un-
easy in winter, unless they were short of stores or
eating too much bee-bread. Dr. A. B. Mason.

Ves. For years I kept bees in such a cellar, with
almost perfect success. Properly arranged it sure-
ly aids to keep the temperature uniform. Were I
sure that 1 could accomplish this easily and cheap-
ly, without such ventilation, then I would not ar-
range for it. A. .1 . Cook.

Yes; but when I say it has been kept closed en-
tirely for the past three years, it will be seen that I
regard it of no value whatever. Were 1 to build
another bee-cellar, I would make no provision for
ventilation, as I believe enough air passes through
the walls and ground to meet all of the requirements
of the bees while in winter repose.

G. M. DOOtitTTIiE.

Ves. If properly put down they are beneficial.
They keep a more uniform temperature. At one
time, when the temperature outside was 17° below
zero, the air as it entered the cellar was :i7° above.
< Mir sub-earth ventilator is made of glazed sewer
pipe, one foot in diameter for the first hundred
feet; for the second hundred feet, eight inches in
diameter. At the end of the twelve-inch pipe is an
opening, to be used in moderate weather; but in
cold weather the whole length of the pipe is used.
The joints of the pipe should be securely cemented
to keep out the ground air, which is usually loaded
with moisture, and heavily charged with carbonic-
acid gas. The last is very variable, however. Were
I to put down another ventilator 1 would use six-
inch pipe, as being easier to make tight, and multi-
ply them for capacity; also, if possible, I would
have them extend in different directions, as the
direction of the wind makes a difference in the
draft of the pipe. 1 would also have one or more
of them so laid as to act as drains in case of freshet.
Ours is so put down, and last spring it was used to
nearly its full capacity. P. H. Er.woOD.

The answers to Question 98 seem to be a
little bit perplexing; but Dr. Miller, Prof.
<'ook, and P. II. Elwood, all of whom have
had large experience with sub-earth venti-
latois, declare quite emphatically in favor of
them— especially friend Elwood. We hard-
ly know how to account for the difference in
testimony in regard to the value of these
ventilators, unless it be because of the rela-
tive warmth and dryness of the various cel-
lars, or because of the length or size of the
ventilators. Dr. Miller has assured us that,
several times when his bees seemed to grow
uneasy, he could quiet them by opening the
ventilator. We are quite loth to give up
the idea just yet, that the sub-earth ventila-
tors are not necessary or useful.

Question 99. — a. How many colonies, according to
your best judgment, can he wintered with reasonable
asswance of success in a dry cellar, 10x10x6, frost-
proof, with no special means of ventilation other than
is afforded hy the usual cellar windows? b. How many
cubic feet of space in a cellar do you regard as best
suited for wintering 100 colonies, average strength?

Forty. H. B. Boabdman.

a. .lust as many as you can put in.

Daoant & Son.

You could safely winter 100 colonies in such a cel-
lar. James Heddon.

I should say about 40. b. I should like at least
1:200 cubic feet. A. J. Cook.

a. 75 or HO. b. Not less than 1000; and in my judg-
ment, 1200 or 1500 would be better.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

All other conditions being as they should be, KKI
colonics can be wintered in a cellar of the size
above mentioned. L. C. Root.

I am a Yankee, and guess with native freedom;
but it would be carrying matters too far to guess
t he answer to this. E. E. Hasty.

a. I do not like the proportion of the dimensions
you give; six feet high does not suit me. I would
sooner have it 10x6x10. b. This question is hard to
answer. I have wintered successfully 350 colonies
in a cellar about 30x85x8. Geo. Grimm.

All you can get in, providing you leave at least
six inches of open space under each hive. Still, I
prefer an alleyway through the center of the cel-
lar, so I can pass from one end to the other occa-
sionally to see that all is right.

G. M. Doolittle.

That will depend upon the temperature at which
the cellar is kept, and the size of the hive they are
kept in. Over 2.MI in Langstroth hivesmight be kept
in such a cellar. I should not care for any special
arrangements for ventilation in such a cellar, but
should prefer to have not over 100 in a cellar of that
size. Dr. A. B. Mason.

a. Two cellars may both answer the above de-
scription, and yet be very unlike as to temperature
and openness of wall and soil. Perhaps 40. b. The
more the better. Perhaps 1500 cubic feet; but best
arrangements for admitting plenty of pure air at
right temperature might make a good deal less an-
swer. (Mind you, 1 don't warrant my answers to 99.
They are taken at " purchaser's risk.")

C. C. Miller.

a. This depends upon so many conditions that it
is hard to answer. If there is a Are overhead, the
air of the cellar will be changed quite rapidly, per-
haps more rapidly than with some of the "special
means " of ventilation. I should say, with the aver-
age conditions, from thirty to fifty, b. The answer
to this also depends upon the cellar. Some cellars
require pretty heavy stocking to keep the proper
temperature Properly arranged, a cellar of twice
the above size would do. P. H. ELWOOD.

A cellar 10x10x6 will hold from 40 to 100
colonies ; and 1500 cubic feet seems to be
about the capacity that is necessary in order
to winter 100 colonies. This would make a
cellar about 15x15x7. The answers to all
these questions necessarily can not be ex-
act ; but surely our veterans can get very
much nearer the truth than the average be-
ginner, who proposes to winter bees in the
cellar, can guess at it.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

27

dm P0PE&

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life.— John 4: 14.

fHE Ojai hot-springs (pronounced Ohi)
are 15 miles from Ventura, in the Ma-
tilija canyon ; the mountain scenery
is some of the grandest I have seen.
Right opposite the hotel the mountain
rises 1000 feet, almost perpendicular. Sev-
eral objects of interest are found in the
canyon, besides the springs. One of them,

THE DEVIL'S SLIDE, NEAR OJAI DOT SPRINGS, CAL

called the Devil's Slide, we have reproduced
from a photograph. It looks as if the boys,
by riding down with their sleds, cut a path,
or track, clear from the top of the moun-
tain down the whole 1000 feet, to the river
below. This appearance is caused by a
stratum of rocks of regular and even thick-
ness being turned up edgewise, with rock
projecting a little higher on either side.

The picture was taken when the trees
were in full leaf ; but now the slide is visi-
ble clear down to the water.

To Huber.— Papa is in a strange country
now. The sun has just gone down, and
it is only 2 o'clock, just 2 hours after dinner
time. The man who lives here says in a
few days it won't get up above the awful
big mountain at all for more than six weeks.
Behind us is a fountain where the water
spurts right straight up, higher than the
house ; and right down before us, around
the great big clean white stones, is a spring
where water just pours out that is smoking
hot. Off up the creek a little way is another
where the water is so hot vou can hardly
bear your hand in it. The men have
made a long wooden box to carry the
water to a little house where there
are a lot of bath-tubs. I just took a
bath, and it was real fun, I tell you,
to have a big lot of real warm water
pour right on to you. It is a funny
kind of water, that doesn't need any
soap— no, not even for papa's head,
and I think even mamma herself
would say my head is very clean now.
I don't think I ever looked quite so
white before in my life. Up in this
canyon is a great place to keep bees,
and the honey the bees get is the
nicest in the world. 1 saw the man
who first found out it was a good
place for honey. One year he got
more than a hundred wagon-loads of
honey from his own apiary. The
road he made to draw the bees up
and get the honey out, you would
think an awful road. It just shakes
a body's breath out to ride over it.
Sometimes he would stay up there in
the mountain gorge, all alone, for
two weeks, and not see anybody at
all. One of the bee-men hired a boy
to work for him. His name was El-
mer. Well, he used to leave Elmer
all alone there to work, and he didn't
see anybody at all for days. One day
when they came up, Elmer asked
them if they couldn't bring him a cat
or a dog, or something that had " the
breath of life in it," to keep him com-
pany. They said one time he took
the ax and chopped a great pile of
wood, because he wanted something
to do, and because he used to chop
wood away back in his home, yet no-
body wanted wood around here.
Well, out here they have a great deal
of trouble with bears. They come to
the bee-hives and turn them over,
and take their great paws and scoop
out the bees and honey to eat. One
time a bear spoiled so many hives
that Mr. Shaw, the man who first
went up here, stayed all night up in a tree,
with his gun, to shoot him. He made a lit-
tle house or cage up in the tree, so it the
bear climbed up he could not get at him,
and then they waited. About 11 o'clock,
along came a great big grizzly bear, and com-
menced to paw the hives to pieces. The
two men in the tree shot him until he was.
dead.

28

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

They have a great many California rats
here ; and where do you suppose they build
their nests? Why, up in the tree- tops ; and
the way they do it is, that each rat takes a
stick in his mouth and walks up the tree.
I saw lots of their nests. These rats are
very busy folks ; they are always carrying
something. A lady said the rats once got a
habit of leaving a pile of sticks on her door-
step every morning ; and to get rid of them,
she used* them to kindle the fire to get
breakfast ; and for a long time the rats
gathered her kindlings every morning. Mr.
Wilkin once lost his clock-key, and found
the rats had carried it up garret and put it
in an old stovepipe. They make their
nests usually in walnut-trees, where it is
handy to gather walnuts. Mr. Shaw says
there is a place up near his apiary where the
ground is so hot, winter and summer, that
you can hardly stand on it.

GENERAL NOTES.

1 supposed, of course, the heat from these
hot-springs was caused by volcanic agency ;
but the proprietor says it is supposed to be
caused by chemical action. These moun-
tains are full of minerals ; and when the
water from the rains passes over a certain
chemical it becomes impregnated, and then
dissolves another of just the right kind.
Thus great heat is given out. Sulphuric-
acid and water, when mixed in the right
proportions, will become boiling hot. I
think one of the prominent chemicals in this
water is a salt of iron. I can not see, how-
ever, how this should produce that hot spot
in the ground, which Mr. Shaw spoke of.

( 'astor beans here form trees ; and even
the beautiful fuschia is a hard-wood tree.
Imagine a tree covered with fuschia blos-
soms, more beautiful, larger, and more per-
fect, than those in greenhouses at home.
The century - plant also blooms here. In
passing a garden I asked what kind of a tree
it was that loomed above all the rest.

" Why, that is the flower-stalk of the cen-
tury-plant,** was the reply, r^

" But it isn't possible,1' said I, "that this
great tree all grew in one season?'*

" Mr. Root, that great tree all grew in just a
few weeks,^ was the answer. After it
blooms, the plant dies. The one I saw was
said to be about 30 years old. The plant had
been all these years accumulating material
for this grand finale— the sending-up of the
blossom and seed-stalk. I am impressed
with the thought that we are something like
the century-plant. We are, during this
life, accumulating knowledge, and strength
of character, for some grand finale in the
great future; but while the century-plant
dies down after it, we are tohave," life eter-
nal."

Dec. 1. Through the kindness of friend
Wilkin and Mr. and Mrs. Mercer, I have
again had a most pleasant drive through
the country to Santa Paula. While there
we had a sort of bee-keeper's picnic. I was
greatly pleased to meet no less a personage
than J.G.Cory, the inventor of the Cory
cold blast smoker, who was a resident of
the place. Our older readers will remember
the story of friend Cory's kind present.
Bufus Toucbton, who has written some for

Gleanings, is also a resident of Santa
Paula. The great center of the oil regions
of Ventura (Jo. is here. A single one of
the storing-tanks is 100 feet in diameter,
and 25 feet high. From the pipes coming
in from different wells, 2000 barrels of oil
daily is emptied into this immense tank.
While we were there, by an accident to one
of the pipes the oil flowed over the ground
so that the men had to turn out with shov-
els and clam it up until it could be secured.
There is quite an extensive oil refinery here.
The boilers for working their immense
pumps are run with oil as fuel. Between
Ventura and Santa Paula are immense farms
for corn and barley, and excellent corn was
seen all along the way, piled up in im-
mense heaps in the field. ( "orn-shellers, run
by steam, shell and bag it. Plowing is
mostly done by a gang of three or four plows
drawn by four or six horses. The valley is
one of the finest for fruit and grain, that
will succeed without irrigation, of any that
I have seen. Apricot and English- walnut
orchards occupy mile after mile of the land.
Great evaporating- houses for the fruit are
seen at intervals all along. Immense corn-
cribs, without any roofs, are also found, but
I believe the best farmers cover their corn
in the winter time. Cattle and horses sel-
dom have any roofs over them on the farms.
They say, when they have sheds, the ani-
mals never go under them, even in winter,
when it rains. It usually rains in the night
time, and sunshine is the rule every day in
the year. It has rained nearly all of one
day since I have been here, but I am told
the like has not happened before, since three
years ago. Winter and STimmer are very
much alike, only the days are shorter iii
winter. It seems odd to have this beautiful
spring weather, and yet see the clays so
short. The sun rises now about 7 and sets
about 4.

Dec. ^.—Another glorious Sabbath day. I
got acquainted with the pastor of the Ven-
tura Congregational church on Saturday;
but as he was prevented by sudden illness
from preaching, it was suggested, as it was
late to go to other churches, that we have a
prayer and devotional meeting, instead of
the regular services, and very soon it was
suggested a stranger from Ohio was present,
who was quite a Christian worker, and the
leader called upon uBro. Hoot'* to tell us
something of Christian work in Ohio. At
the close a number gathered around me as
before, and I tell you it made me feel happy
to hear different ones say they knew me be-
cause they had read my writings. I felt
happy to remember that almost every thing
T have ever written, told, sooner or later, for
Christ Jesus. At the opening of the Sun-
day-school I was assigned the Bible-class ;
and learning there was a mission school two
miles away that the pastor usually took
charge of, by the kindness of friend Mercer
we were on hand at half-past two. The key
to the schoolhonse was lost, however, and
the crowd gathered there had to postpone
the school and go home. We got back to
town just in time to atteud'a meeting of the
Y. M. C. A., and a most able talk was given
us by one of the merchants. The attend

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

29

ance was good, and almost all took part.
After this we attended the Endeavor Socie-
ty, and the leader very soon called on " Bro.
Root." The attendance here was nearly all
young ladies. The lender told me they were
sorry that they had so far been unable to
get many of the young men interested. They
sent very kiud messages to the Society in
Medina. They take the Golden Bute, and
think much of it. The leader mentioned in
my talk with her that she had but little time
to spare, as three of them had in charge a
Chinese Sunday-school, and the pupils were
probably waiting for them then. I begged
to go along, and, on account of a vacancy, 1
was called upon to explain the lesson to a
lot of Chinese brothers. Yes, brothers they
are, no matter how they came here, or what
the purpose. They answered questions quite
freely ; and when the teacher told them to
let the stranger see how well they could
write on the blackboard, they expressed
their gratitude to me by well-worded and
neatly written sentences in our language.
Then they wrote for me in Chinese. At the
close of the school they repeated the Lord's
prayer, first in English and then in Chinese ;
and after the school was over, one of them
gave me some of their tea from a beautiful
China teapot, kept warm in a padded flannel
cushioned basket. The Chinese here are
very neatly and cleanly dressed, and the
boys in the school were, most of them, in-
telligent, fine-looking fellows. I questioned
them pretty closely in my talk with them in
the class, and the teacher tells me they told
the truth when they said they did not drink,
swear, nor steal. She also says Chinamen
always pay their debts, and seldom waste
time in idleness As I talked with them I
thought of Bro. Ament* and his labors ; and
when I walked home, pretty well tired with
the labors of the day, you need not be sur-
prised when I tell you I had one of those
bright experiences that seem to give a
glimpse of the heaven that awaits those who
delight in being servants of the Lord. Why,
the delight in meeting with such beautiful
and grand Christian characters as I have
met to-day, both among the men and women,
is enough to make one break forth in praises
to God ; and it is not to-day only, but every
Sunday since I have left home •. and the
probability is, that 1 should be able to rind
more like them in every town and city, were
1 to travel months and yearn, for I have had
the peace of God in my own heart, and this
has helped me to find Christian people, and
to appreciate their good qualities when
found. Does some one suggest that, if I
were to live by these people day after day, I
would think differently of them? God for-
bid ! The person who lias in himself the
" living water,1' "springing up into everlast-
ing life," will always find good neighbors,
no matter where he is. Dear reader, what
kind of neighbors are round about you f
Dec. 3. — To Huber. Where papa is now.

* The pastor of our church. He has been with us
tor about four years. The most of his life previous
to that time was spent in China. His people, how-
ever, kept sending so continually lor him to come
back that he left us a few months ago to resume
his labors at his old home

the men who ride on horses carry long leath-
er ropes, called lassoes, that they can throw
so true as to catch a cow or a horse that is
running away, or even catch a man if they
want to. These horses with lassoes attach-
ed to their saddles are almost always stand-
ing hitched in the town ; and whenever a
team runs away, one of the Spaniards is
sure to lasso the horses and stop them be-
fore they have gone very far. They have a
slip noose in the end of the long leather
rope, that they throw over the head or catch
the heels of the cow or horse. Some time
ago a couple of Spaniards were riding along,
and a great grizzly bear came at them. As
quick as a wink one horseman threw his
lasso over the bear's head, and tried to choke
him ; but the bear chased the man and
horse until the other man lassoed one of his
hind legs. Then they had Mr. Bear in a fix.
When he tried to get one man, the other
held him off; and if he tried to get the oth-
er, he held him off. In this wTay they tired
him out, and really brought him into town,
to the great delight of all the town people,
especially the small boys. The horses the
Spaniards ride are trained so that, when
their rider throws a lasso, they brace them-
selves and pull with all their might to hold
a cow or horse ; in fact, they say they rather
like the fun. They tell you here that, if a
bear chases you, you must not try to get
away by running down hill or up hill, but
just run along the side-hill ; and as the
bear's legs are not made for side-hill run-
ning, he will tumble down and roll over
every once in a while ; and this takes so
much time that the man can get away from
him.

Dec. 3, just before going to bed. Here I
am, away up in a little notch amid the
mountains. Of all the winding, tortuous
roads, I never before traversed one like this.
I am staying with Mr. Thomas Arundel, or
better known by the bee-men as " Tommy
Irondale." Bee-keepers have been pushed
back by the fruit-men until many of them
have gone way back, where the bees can't
intrude or hinder, and in this way friend A.
has found his pleasant home. When he
found his bees here in .this wild glen gave
more and better honey than any of the rest,
he persuaded a charming girl, with energy
and determination like his own, to share his
lot ; and here, three miles or more from any
neighbors, they have reared their children,
four in number. The oldest is now about 7.
It seemed odd indeed to find so pleasant a
home after three miles of crooks and turns,
without seeing a house ; and when my neat
little room was assigued me, with its many
little evidences of feminine taste, so cosy
and snug and pretty, I could hardly feel as
if 1 deserved it. 1 felt like saying, "A. I.
Root, what have you done to entitle you to
the best of every thing everywhere you go ?
Why should these good people labor and
toil to fix up nice pleasant homes, and then
place them at your disposal ? " To tell the
truth, I do feel every day as if I deserved
no such kindness ; but every little while I
get a hint of why I am thus honored. As
we turned the last curve, and came out
through the leafy trees in sight of the cot-

80

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

tage, friend A. spoke of what I had written
in regard to finding that spring of water, of
mv talk about hydraulic rams, and the wind-
mill, and of a pet project of his own to
bring that babbling brook to his house, just
above us ; and then I saw that Gleanings
had been read*, and my investigations had
been eagerly followed by many I did not
then know, and in homes I at the time had
mi knowledge of. Later, when I heard
how the good mother had taken these little
ones to Sunday-school at the schoolhouse,
three miles away, even when a California
lion glared at them through the bushes on
their way home, I remembered too of the
times when I, in my poor way, had tried to
tell of the " living water," " springing up
into everlasting life," and that, in all prob-
ability, the dear ones in this home too had
been interested, and may be had been
helped in that way. Prominently on the
neat little stand on which I write is a little
Bible, evidently placed there by the same
hand that fixed the rest of the room so trim
and neat, feeling sure that Mr. Root would
want it. May God be praised for this act.
I do want it ; I want it while I live, and I
want it when I die. I want it always near
me. Dear reader, I haven't room to tell
you of all these homes ; but this one is a
sample of most of them, and I hope I may
never forget to pray for the dear brothers
and sisters T have found here in California.
During the day I visited the Sespe Apiary,
illustrated in tlie A B C book. Friend Wil-
kin now no longer owns it, but it has been
turned over to a bright muscular young Ca-
nadian, who not only gives it excellent care,
but cares for friend W.'s youngest daughter
also, and the two handsome children God
has given them. Young Mclntyre has the
best kept apiary and honey-house I have so
far found in California. He brings in the
combs to extract on a two-wheeled cart.
The cart contains two boxes for holding the
combs with cloth covers to keep out robbers.
The cloth is fastened to the box at one
edge, and a stick i-; fastened to the other
edge, heavy enough to keep the wind from
blowing it away. I will describe his can for
holding the cappings*at some future time,
with suitable engravings. As I passed
through Santa Paula, Rufus Touchton
handed me a box of beautiful large straw-
berries. All the bee-friends seem to know
of my interest in strawberries, and I was a
good deal "touched'' by the compliment
and courtesy.

AN OPTICAL ILLUSION.

When you are driving on a level road that
runs straight toward a range of mountains,
when about a mile away from the moun-
tains you will feel sure you are going down
hill. Even when going up hill toward the
mountains I was so sure it was down that I
became almost tried with my friends when
they declared it was not down. In fact, I
could not believe it until we came to a
stream of water, and I was then startled to

* The most prominent thing in friend Arundel's
library is volumes of Glean incs. neat ly bound,
and lettered on the back in home-made binding: and
lettering.

find it running up hill ! If you turn about,
however, and look behind you, every thing
looks right. Old residents learn to allowr
for this deception; but new comers are very
much astonished.

December 4-— To Huber. O Huber ! I
wish you could be with papa just a few min-
utes. All around me are the great moun-
tains, with the sun shining on their peaks.
Befoie me is a beautiful green tree, just
splendid with loads of red berries. Beside
me are Frankie and his sister, and Norman is
drawing his wagon up the hill, and Louisa
is the baby. The boys are bareheaded and
barefooted right here in the winter. They
are asking me why I did not bring Huber
along. I have just been up the canyon a mile
or more to see a beautiful waterfall. The
water comes down from about as high as
the chimney to our house ; and the funny
part of it is, that the water itself has made
a trough on the back side of the falls, so it
just slides down. The water is of a kind
that covers every thing with stone. I had
to climb like every thing to get up to the
fall ; but as the buggy was waiting for me,
I skipped back down the rocks pretty lively.
I feel real strong and wrell and happy. The
buggy is waiting now, so I must stop writ-
ing and bid the little prattlers and their
mamma good-by. Off wre go among the
great mountains again, and tind another
bee-man. There are. lots of bears around
here, and they trouble the bee-keepers. I
have just been looking at a big oak-tree that
has great scars on its bark, made by abear's
claws. Mr. Reasoner had bad luck with his
bees one year, so that only 11 colonies were
left. Well, an old bear came every night
and clawed the honey out until only one of
the 11 was left, and Mr. R. wanted so bad to
keep that one that he hung it up in the tree
by a rope, so high the old bear could not
reach it. lie could not carry it away, for the
bees that were gathering honey would be
lost ; but if it were hung up they could find
it. Well, that night the bear came after
more honey ; and as he could not reach that
last hive, he clawed up the tree and com-
menced to slide down on the rope, to get
the bees. Now, the rope held the hive very
well, but it wouldn't hold a big bear too,
and so it broke, and down came bear, bees,
and all. I guess he must have been some-
what astonished ; but he gathered himself
up and ate all the honey, and then went off.
As he had now got the last one, Mr. R.
thought he wouldn't come any more ; but
back he came the next night. Well, the
bees that had no hives wanted to work some-
where, and so they went into the bee-house
near by, and built some combs under the
clock-shelf, and, don't you believe that that
old bear smelled the honey under the clock-
shelf and wanted that too? but as the hon-
ey-house was shut up and locked, he could
not get in ; but he made a hole in one cor-
ner with his teeth and clawrs until he could
get one paw through, and then he reached
in as far as he could and tried to claw down
that last bit of honey the poor bees had
made. 1 saw the place where he made the
hole in the bee-house.

And now it is night again, and papa is

L889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

31

away off alone in the wilderness waiting for
a train. The train never stops here unless
some one burns a newspaper and waves it
across the track to let them see that some-
body wants to get on. As it is awful dark,
and papa has got to wait over an hour, he
has built a fire of sticks, and the kiotes have
come up as near the fire as they dare, and
are making an awful barking and growling.
Papa is almost afraid some bad men might
see the fire, and come to rob him. Pretty
soon he hears somebody. It is a man who
has been up in the mountains digging gold,
and he shows papa by the light of the fire
the gold he dug to-day. Pretty soon an-
other awful big man comes up, swearing
fearfully, because he says nobody will give
him work, and he hasn't any money. Papa
is awful glad the other man is there, and he
gives the bad man a real good talking-to,
because he swears so bad. Then the bad
man pulls out a bottle of whisky and wants
us to drink ; but when he finds we are both
temperance men he goes off in the dark,
swearing harder, and saying he never saw
two such men before in his life, that won't
drink when somebody offers to give it to
them ! Just here the old locomotive came
in sight; the gold miner waved the burning
paper, and we were soon in the cars among
nice people. In just a few minutes more
we stopped at a nice town where supper
was all ready, and a man was pounding a
gong to get us to come in and eat it. Now
just think how funny ! This gold miner
knows Uncle Hen's cousin, and he is going
to help me to find him. He also asked me
to go with him out in the mountains and see
him dig gold, but I don't think I shall have
time.

Dec. 5.— There are now but few small bee-
keepers in California— at least I have not
found them. I have visited nearly a dozen
apiaries, and few of them are less than 300.
Most of them admit that a smaller number
would do better in one locality, but the con-
venience of having all in one place overbal-
ances. Most of them live in the towns, and
have their bees located in the mountains,
and look after them only occasionally, ex-
cept during the honey-flow. Mclntyre,
Arundel, the Reasoner Bros., our old friend
Lechler (who gave us that wonderful report
some years ago), Marple, and Sniflin, all live
near their bees. I am greatly indebted to the
first three for leaving their work and pass-
ing me from one to the other, over and
through the mountains, and up the can-
yons. A good many, I find, are discard-
ing the hexagonal apiary, or, rather, modi-
fying it so as to have the hives stand in dou-
ble rows, radiating from a common center
like the spokes of a wheel. The alley form-
ed between the double rows is for running a
cart or wheelbarrow through, for carrying
the honey to the honey-house, the entrances
to the hives being all turned outward, so
that the operator and cart never stand in the
way of the flight of the bees. Friend Reas-
oner has grapevines also, planted near the
hives for shade, with this form of apiary.
His hives are all neatly painted. Friend
Lechler has his in long rows under live-oak
trees, and says he always gets most honey

from hives in densest shade. This is an im-
portant item. Another thing in favor of
shade-trees is, that they take the strength
(or moisture) from the ground so thorough-
ly that no weeds grow, aud the ground un-
der the trees is as clean as a floor. Almost
all agree that, where many hives are all
alike, the bees are constantly going into the
hives on the outside of the apiary. I think
this should be corrected by having the
hives made more unlike in some way.

Friend Reasoner helped me to ascend the
first big mountain. I say helped, for I could
not well have done it alone. I wanted to see
the end, or termination, of a canyon, so we
took a light cart, or sulky, and a big strong
horse. When the horse began to get tired
he walked while 1 drove along on the wind-
ing slope, all the time on the edge of a
frightful abyss. When the horse got tired
with me alone, I too went afoot until we
came to the dividing ridge. Here the can-
yon ends ; but right over the edge of the
sharp ridge another canyon begins, taking
the water in an opposite direction, and thus
it is there are no mountains without their
accompanying water-courses.

Well, my friend said he would stay with
the horse on the ridge, while I walked along
it until I came to a higher elevation, a real
mountain peak. Strange to tell, the ground
on these mountain peaks is soft and yield-
ing, and mellow enough for a beautiful gar-
den. As I went up, up, the sides became
steeper ; and as I gazed into the frightful
abyss all around I became dizzy ; then my
throat began to be dry and to smart, and
finally my ears began to feel strangely on
account of the rarity of the air. Once I be-
gan to think of going back, as my breath
got so short ; then I discovered a faint path
across the side-hill at an angle, and this I
found much easier. Spanish bayonets were
all around me, and their leaves were so
sharp they went right through my clothing,
so I had to pick my way. The summit is
finally reached, and from the dizzy height I
see only other summits like my own, in ev-
ery direction except toward the ocean. I
could not see its waters, but there seemed a
sort of vacancy in that direction. All
around was one vast solitary ruin of nature.
My friend and his horse looked like rats,
and yet they were up miles from the valley
below. I was surprised to find these moun-
tain peaks quite well frequented by different
kinds of wild animals, as was evident by their
excrement, which was so plentiful and some
of it of such large size I guessed it must
have been from bears and mountain lions,
as well as wildcats and smaller animals. I
do not know what should call them to these
extreme peaks. I judged they were mostly
flesh-eating animals. .Mountains are won-
derfully deceptive to the uninitiated. Mr.
Mclntyre told me a peak before the house
was two miles away, when it was apparently
right close by. I could not lvalize it until
he pointed out some animals near its sum-
mit, and asked me what they were. They
were little specks that I thought might be
small pigs until he told me they were cows.
Again, we often came to the " end of the
road," apparently. The mountain was sure-

S2

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

Iy entire, and without any crevice or open-
ing; vet as we went on, before you knew
how it came about, a canyon opened, where,
a few minutes before, was the clear smooth
mountain-side.

Givntinm ii Jan. to.

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi- Monthly.

-&.. I. HOOT,

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

IwIEnDiaT-A., OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

Is/SIEIOIlSr^, T-^IfcT- 1, 1889.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou
hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting
to ever lasting, thou art God Psalm 90: •>.

Renewals are coming in rapidly and promptly,
for which we tender thauks. We have 8442 names.

Many kind expressions come in in regard to the
biographical sketches. See Kind Words elsewhere.

MY VISIT TO CALIFORNIA.

These notes of travel will occupy considerable
space in several issues yet— probably until March 1.

A WEDDING-CARD.

The following announcement, gotten up in the
latest style of the art, comes to hand:

Married, Thursday, December twenty-seventh, 1XX8, Husted,
N. Y., Julia ('. Collin. Geo. H. Knickerbocker.

We extend our hearty congratulations.

LOSS BY FIRE.

We are advised that the first installment of the
Langstroth Revised was destroyed by fire while in
the book-bindery. As a consequence, the work
will not appear as soon as it was anticipated. The
loss was covered by insurance, and the delay will
be of comparatively short duration.

DEVICES FOR CARRYING HIVES.

We have received a host of letters on the sub-
ject as above— more than we expected. We extend
our thanks to one and all. The most of the de-
vices for the purpose are quite similar in principle.
We hope to illustrate one or two of the best soon;
but for the present it will hardly be worth your
while to send in more suggestions.

AT HOME AGAIN.

1 am once more (Dec. 20) at home again. The
past few weeks seem so much like a dream that
every little while I have to shake myself and look
around tc make sure that I am in wintry Medina
instead of away off in California, the land of per-
petual flowers and sunshine. I am glad T am here,
though, after all.

THE IONOTUM TOMATO.

Ever so many have been asking whether the
seed of this tomato is all gone yet. To be sure, it is
not. We had about 510) packages prepared to give
away to our readers, and I do not think we have
given away 1000 so far. Every subscriber of Glean-
ings who raises tomatoes may have a sample

package, simply by asking for it when they re-
new, or telling us on a postal card at any other
time.

GARDEN-SEEDS FOR 1889.

Not only in Florida, but in California and other
points in the West and Southwest, we are having
quite a little call for garden-seeds, and we accord-
ingly submit a list with prices in this issue. I am
experimenting with and testing pretty much all of
the novelties, but I have not found any of them
sufficiently satisfactory to warrant me in giving
them a place in our list, exceept those already men-
tioned. I would say, however, that some of the
new things will be recommended if they behave
as well another season as they have during the
past.

ACCEPTABLE MATTER FOR GLEANINGS.

There is a big pile of copy on our desk, awaiting
insertion. It can't all find a place, and, according to
the rule of the survival of the fittest, nome of it we
fear will have to go unprinted. At times we have
so much copy that even good and valuable matter
shares a similar fate. Remember, our space for
articles, especially long ones, is limited; but we
will make room for short pithy items. Questions
are always acceptable when briefly stated, and
when written upon a separate slip of paper. Don't
expect an answer— at least, not immediately, if
you mix your questions up with other matter.

PROFESSIONAL MEN IN OUR RANKS.

Concerning the biographical sketches and the
portraits in the ABC form in last issue, one of our
correspondents, G. C. Hughes, Pipestem, W. Va.,
well says: " After a glance at the intelligent faces,
one would suppose that the members of the bee-
fraternity are second to none — not even those of
the legal profession." Very true, and yet it is not
surprising; for there are lawyers, doctors (lots of
'em), professors, ministers, and, and— even editors
(beg pardon) in our ranks. Of the non-professional
men with us, we need not be ashamed. We have
great reason to be proud of our representative bee-
keepers. They would and do adorn and honor al-
most any calling.

ERRATUM.

On page 961, Deo. 15, just below the diagram, in-
stead of the expression, " Now, the mountains in
the table lands," it should read, " Now, the moun-
tains composing our great mountain ranges," etc.
The idea is, where we find mountains composed of
regular level strata, it indicates that the surround-
ing land and rocks have been washed or worn
away; whereas the real mountains proper have
their strata tipped obliquely, and sometimes clear
up to the perpendicular, indicating that they have
been thrown up by earthquakes or volcanic action.
In Arizona and New Mexico the mouniains like the
diagram are quite common; but in California,
along the Rooky Mountains, and through Utah and
Colorado, they are of the other sort— see p. 27. Of
course, the action of the wind and water is con-
stantly wearing down and modifying both kinds.

POTATOES— DOES THE VARIETY HAVE ANY INFLU-
ENCE ON THEIR ROTTING ?

I have always been a little skeptical in regard to
this matter until the past season. On our creek-
bottom ground we raised tremendous crops of
Early Ohio, Early Pearl, Lee's Favorite, and Em-
pire State, with scarcely a rotten potato in several

1«8»

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURK.

38

hundred bushels. Well, right on the same ground
we planted one row of a choice variety of potatoes
sent us to be tested. When the hands were dig-
ging the others I thought 1 would dig this new
variety. Now, although there was a very good
show of tops when they were green, imagine my
surprise to find not a potato of any kind or size in
the first hill. When the second hill turned out the
same way. I called the boys to know what the mat-
ter was. The reply was, 'They all rotted quite
a spell ago ; " and on looking closely I found the
remains of what had been potatoes. I did nottind
a potato fit to cook, for a sample, in the whole row.
It seems to me that this settles the matter, that
some varieties of potatoes are much more disposed
to rot than others: and 1 shall have to tell my
friend that his new seedling is not a success in our
locality. As our potatoes were on rather low
ground, and we have had an unusual amount of
rain this season, during a dry season the result
may not be the same.

CALIFORNIA CLIMATE FOB HEALTH.

I never in my life weighed more than about 130
pounds, without my overcoat; but on my return
from California I pulled down 142 strong. I occa-
sionally take my before-dinner nap; but I am feel-
ing so well most of the time that it is hard for me
to sleep. And those spells of nervous prostration,
which I have mentioned, have disappeared almost
entirely, even if I work steadily in the office all the
forenoon. Very likely, however, rambling over
the mountains in the open air, and being outdoors
almost all the time, would have almost as beneficial
an effect in our climate as it would have in Cali-
fornia. There is this about Southern California,
however: Their climate is such, even in the winter
time, that most people prefer to be outdoors the
greater part of the time; and even while indoors,
the doors and windows are open so much there is
but little danger from suffering from stagnated at-
mosphere. Another thing: The greater part of the
buildings have more or less openings that admit
pure air, even if one should forget to open the
doors and windows. I heard a good many object to
having houses lathed and plastered, because the
lath and plaster cut off the circulation of the air,
more or less. Our stenographer adds, by way of a
joke, "'Climate is good, but 'climbit ' is better."

{SPECIE ]^ICEg.

A BIG BARGAIN IN LETTER, NOTE, AND STATE-
MENT HEADS ; ALSO LABELS OF GLAZED
PAPERS.

A paper firm near us has recently become insol-
vent, in consequence of which we have secured
some very fine label stock, also letter and note
paper, statements and bill-heads. Any of our
readers who are in need of any thing in this line
will do well to write for samples and prices.

CHEESE-CLOTH AND COTTON SHEETING AT A BAR-
GAIN, n
We use both the above fabrics in making strain-
ers and covers for our honey-extractors. In mak-
ing an order recently, we, by a misuse of terms,
got more than we intended. We accordingly offer
it to our readers as follows: Cheese-cloth, 5 cts. per
yard; 10 yards, 45 cts. By the piece of 60 yards, 3!_
cts. per yard. This is 36 inches wide. Cotton
sheeting, 36 inches wide, weighing 11 lbs. to the
piece of 40 yards, 8 cts. per yard; 10 yards, 75 cts.

By the piece of 40 yards, 7 cts. per yard. 11 you
would like to see what you are getting before you
order, we can mail you a small sample on applica-
tion. _____

THE CHICAGO SINGER SEWING-MACHINE.

Our readers will remember that, in our premium
list issued with the Nov. 15th number of G lean-
ings, we devoted a full page to the above ma-
chine, offering them as premiums, also for cash.
Several of our readers somehow got the impression
that it was an advertisement inserted by us for the
manufacturers of the machine, and have been
writing them direct, only to have their letters for-
warded to us for reply. We wish to say that the
company do not sell the machines retail, but only
through newspapers and journals. If you wish to
know any thing further than we have said in re-
gard to them in premium list, please write to us,
not to the company in Chicago.

REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF BOXWOOD POCKET-
RULES.

We have just laid in a new supply of pocket-rules,
and can offer you better value for the money than
ever before. The following is our complete list,
with prices :

Post. Name and description. Price. 10 100

,— _ 2 | RULE, 1-FOOT, FOUR FOLD,
round joint, No. 69

5 | 45 | 4 40
This is the verv same rule we have
been selling: for years at 10 ets. each. We have now trot them
flown to the live-cent counter.

3 I RULE, 1-FOOT, FOUR FOLD, SaUARE JOINT, EDGE

PLATES, No. 64 10 1 84 | 8 00

This has much stronger joints than the five-cent one ; other-
wise it is no different.

3 | RULE, 2-FOOT, FOUR FOLD, SQUARE JOINT,

No. 61 10 | 84 | s 00

An excellent rule tor the money, has better joints than our
old 10-cent one.

4 I RULE, 2-FOOT, FOUR FOLD, HALF BOUND,

No. 84 25 | 2 10| 20 oo

This is the very rule we have sold tor years at 35c. It is brass
bound on the outside edges.

•"> | RULE, 2-FOOT, FOUR FOLD, No 60, double-arch joint,
lull brass bound 35 | 3 10 | 30 00

This is our new35-cent rule; is much better than the old, and
I don't believe you will find it sold anywhere else for less than
60 cents.

6 | RULE. 2-FOOT, i FOLD, 1% in.. No. 78J4 50 ] 4 20 | 40 00

This is the best rule of its size made. It is just like the 35-
cent one, except it is \% wide, closed, while the 35-cent one is 1
inch.

3 | RULE, 2-FOOT, 6 FOLD, No. 58. Arch joint and edge

plates 35 | 3 00 | 28 00

Closes to 4 inches in length, which is sometimes convenient.

3 | RULE, 1-FOOT, CALIPER, No.
32, arch joint, four

fold 25 | 2 10 | 20 00

We formerly sold this rule for
^50 cts. j but for a year or two at 35;
v we have it down to 35.

4 | RULE, 1-F00T.CALIPER, No. 32&, arch joint, brass

bound, fourfold 35 | 3 10 | 30 00

This is the same as the 25-cent one, but is brass bound, and
the best rule of its size made.

4 | RULE, 1-FOOT, CALIPER, TWOFOLD,

No. 365-. 25 | 2 10 | 20 00

This is a very convenient rule sometimes, as it will caliper .'■
inches.

2 | RULE, 6-INCH, CALIPER, TWO FOLD,

No. 36 15 | 1 40 | 13 50

We sold this for years at 25 cents; afterward at 80; now it is
down to 15 cents.

All the above rules are made of boxwood, by the .Stanley
Rule and Level Co., who have the highest reputation for this
class of goods of any manufacturers we know of.

, Om- sales in 1888
'rfmWf those of 1887.
,Why? Because we
"sell only the Best,a,\

S Reasonable Prices.

EED POT AT OES. large stock, great variety.
Small Fruit Plants and Trees. Catalogue Free.
FRANK FOltM A SONS, Ravenna, Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, watrons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
fine, or any thing useful on a plantation,
ltfd Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

::i

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

-Ian.

J. FORNCROOK & CO.,

MANI'KACTI'HKKS UK THE

BOSS ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

W

ILL furnish you. the coining- season, ONE-
PIBCE SECTIONS as cheap as the cheapest.
WRITE FOR PRICES.
U'atertown. Wis , .Ian. I. 18S9. Id

,..ll.i ;ulV(-l1istf!llunt mention fi LEANING!

HEflDQUHRTERS IK THE WEST

FOB THE MAOTFACTUBE AND SALE OF

Bee-Keepers' Supplies.

CHAFF AND SIMPLICITY HIVES FURNISHED
AT A GREAT REDUCTION IN PRICE.
A full line of supplies always on hand. Also Ital-
ian queens and bees at a very low price. Send for
large illustrated price list. l-23d

A. F. Stauffer, Sterling, III.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR THE SEASON OF I889.

Headquarters in the South.

ELEVENTH ANNUAL CATALOGUE NOW READY.

The only steam-factory erected in the South, ex-
clusively for the manufacture of Bee-Keepers'
Supplies.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, ready in March. Untested, by April 1st.
Contracts taken with dealers for the delivery of a
certain number of queens per week, at special
figures.

FOUR -FRAME NUCLEUS,

with pure Italian queen, containing 3 pounds of
bees when secured— in April and May, $4.00; after,
25 cts. less. Safe arrival and satisfaction guaran-
teed on all queens and nuclei.

For more particulars, send for Eleventh Annual
Catalogue.

P. L. VIALLON,

Bayou Coula, Iberville Parish, La.

I "In responding to tnis advertisement mention Gleanings.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTORY, WHOLESALE AND
RETATL. See advertisement in another column

WE ARE READY

To fill orders for Apiarian Supplies cheaper than
the cheapest. Those in want will please write for
price list and sample sections. Address
Id J. B. MURRAY, Ada, Ohio.

01 TFITS for making 2-Ounce Shaving Sec-
tions, consisting of one Form and a sample
Frame of 20 Sections made up, ready to lift off the
Form; also enough Veneer to make 1.000 Sections.
All packed, and delivered at the Express Office, for
82.60. Ad.lress W. II \IC Ml IC.

411 Eighth St., Manistee, Mich.

^^NDTNOWiT

for my 1889 price list of supplies. 4-piece poplar and
basswood sections at $:i.5i> to $3.00 per M. Poplar
sections for the new Heddon hive a specialty. Price
lists out Feb. 1st. H. P. LANG DON,

3-6db East Constable, Frank. Co., N. Y.

I r I ii responding t.. Mils advertisement mention Gleanings.

*<IMew Orleans Apiary.X

Three hundred colonies of Italian and Carniolan
Bees for sale at a low price, all in Langstroth hives.
No rent to purchasers for the location, or will sell
in small lots, to be shipped in the spring.

Address J. \V. WINDER,

l-2d New' Orleans, La.

j3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings!

if

THE REVIEW.

??

THE BEE KEEPERS' REVIEW for Dec. has four
extra pages— twenty in all. Upon the first page is
a brief history of the " Review," also an excellent

PORTRAIT OF ITS EDITOR

—one of those beautiful Ives reproductions. The
special topic of this issue is: "Sections and their
Adjustment on the Hives," and it is handled by
such men as Jas. Heddon, Dr. C. C. Miller, R. L.
Taylor, Oliver Foster, and Dr. G. L. Tinker. A copy
of this issue will be cheerfully sent free to all who
apply. Price of the " Review " 50 cts. a year.

The Production of Comb Honey.

Although this neat little book contains only 45
pages, it furnishes as much practical, valuable in-
formation as is often found in a book of twice its
size. It is " boiled down."

It begins with taking the bees from the cellar and
goes over the ground briefly, clearly and concisely,
until the honey is off the hives ; touching upon the
most important points; and especially does it teach
when, where and how foundation can be used to
the best advantage; when combs are preferable,
and when it is more profitable to allow the bees to
build their own combs. Price of the book, 25 cts.

SPECIAL OFFERS.

For 65 cts. we will send the Review one year and
"The Production of Comb Honey." For $1.00 we
will send all the numbers of the Review for the
past year (1888), the Review for this year (1889) and
the " Production of Comb Honey;" or, for the same
amount ($1.00), we will send the Review for two
years from Jan. 1st, 1889, and "The Production of
Comb Honey." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Can-
adian. Address ltfdb

W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange for extracted honey, a
10 h. p. horizontal engine, worth $200. I will
give somebody a rare bargain. Speak quick.
15tfdb C. H. Smith, Pittsfleld, Mass.

WANTED.— To exchange one section machine (of
A. I. Root's make), which has been in use but
little, for bees, honey, or bee supplies. 24tfdb

E. Y. Perkins, Jefferson. Greene Co., Iowa.

WANTED.— One trio Brown Leghorn Rose-comb
chickens, and one trio White Leghorn Rose-
comb chickens. Peter Metz, Poplar Grove, Ark.

ANTED.— To exchange apiarian supplies for
printing to the amount of about $25.00. ltfdb
Wm. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

ANTED.— Japanese buckwheat. Send sample,
price, and state quantity to sell. 1-d

S. M. Isbell & Co., Jackson, Mich.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Contents of this Number,

Apiarian Exhibits 43, 47

Apple Honey 58

Bark-lice, Apple-tree 43

Bees under Clapboards (12

Bees and Neighbors 54

Bee, Dot Goming— Poem 47

Bee-sting Remedies 51

Bee, The Coming, in Sight. . 69

Beetles, Tiger 49

Buckwheat, Jap., for Hon'y. 68
Canning factories v. Bees... 55

Caves vs. Cellars 41

Cellars vs. Caves for Bees.. 41
Colonies, 600 per Sq. Mile.. . . 50

Commission Men 52

Corrugated Covers 56

Editorial 68

Exhibits at Fairs 47

Frames. Dimensions of 69

Garden Story 44

Glass Sections, Round 42

Harrison, Mrs., at Home f)3

Heads of Grain 57

Hives, Painting 51

Hives, Win'gin Bottomless. 57
Hive-cart 62

Hive-covers. Corrugated... 56

Honey from Apple 58

Honey, Securing Comb 55

Honey, To Sell 62

Honey exhibits 47

Jaffa, Letter from 50

Lice on Apple-trees 43

Notes and Queries 63

Notes of Travel 64

Orange Honey 50

Pig Story 62

Plans for Fair-buildings 48

Queens, Caging Surplus 68

Question No. 39 51

Reports Encouraging 63

Sections of Glass 42

Sections, Size of 57

Shelves for Exhibits *. 48

Skunks and Bees 65

Syria, Letter from 60

Temperature, Low..(Q. B.). 69

Tiger Beetles 49

Ventilation, Sub-earth 45

Vinegar, Cider v. Honey 57

Whitewood for Hives 58

Wintering, Mode... (.Q. B.). 60

w

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please ; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange for extracted honey, a
10 h. p. horizontal engine, worth $200. I will
give somebody a rare bargain. Speak quick.
15tfdb C. H. Smith, Pittsfleld, Mass.

ANTED.— To exchange apiarian supplies for
printing to the amount of about $25.00. ltfdb
Wm. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— To exchange one muzzle-loading rifle,
354 ft. barrel : half stock, 200 bore, as good as
new, $10.00; for extractor, fdn. mill, comb fdn.,
bees or nuclei in spring. G. W. McGuire,

2d Dark Ridge, Watauga Co., N. C.

WANTED.— To exchange one of Livingston's farm
feed, or grist mills, for hand or power, as good
as new, for Barnes foot-power saw. 2-3-4d

H. L. Fisher, Milford, Kos. Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange a Barnes foot-power
saw, combined circular and scroll, for a foun-
dation-mill, l(i-inch, A. I. Root's preferred. 2d
Mathew Dodds, Sauk Center, Stearns Co., Minn.

WANTED.— To exchange buzz-saw, foot-power, 4
saws, 8 to 16 inch ; all good as new. Also a few
P. R. Chicks, fine, warranted. C. E. Hatch,
2d Kentland, Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange red - cedar trees, for
hives or bees. Write. M. Spring,

2d 607 Louisiana St., Richmond, Va.

BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS,

Order your supplies from a railroad center, and
save freight. Goods sold as cheap as elsewhere.
Send for price list free.
2tfdb W. D. SOPER, Jackson, Mich. Box 1473.

DAD ANT'S FOUNDATION FACTORY, WHOLESALE and RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column. 3tfbd

to all, A WHITE-GRAPE VINE.

Send 10 cents for postage, etc.
Point Breeze Grapery, Reading, Pa..

FREE

Our sales in 1888
\,l,,„l,h those of 1887.
^Why? Because we
sell only the Best,&t
Reasonable Prices.
i E ED POTAT OES, large stock great variety.
Small Fruit Plants and Trees. Catalogue Free.
FRANK FORD eV SONS, Ravenna, Ohio.
t^fln responding to this advertisement mention glk.iaim;

kk

THE REVIEW.

39
99

THE BEE-KEEPKKS' REV 1KW fur Dec. has four
extra pages— twenty in all. Upon the first page is
a brief history of the " Review," also an excellent

PORTRAIT OF ITS EDITOR

—one of those beautiful Ives reproductions. The
special topic of this issue is: "Sections and their
Adjustment on the Hives," and it is handled by
such men as Jas. Heddon, Dr. C. C. Miller, R. L.
Taylor, Oliver Foster, and Dr. G. L. Tinker. A copy
of this issue will be cheerfully sent free to all who
apply. Price of the " Review " 50 cts. a year.

The Production of Comb Honey.

Although this neat little book contains only 45
pages, it furnishes as much practical, valuable in-
formation as is often found in a book of twice its
size. It is " boiled down."

It begins with taking the bees from the cellar and
goes over the ground briefly, clearly and concisely,
until the honey is off the hives ; touching upon the
most important points; and especially does it teach
when, where and how foundation can be used to
the best advantage; when combs are preferable,
and when it is more profitable to allow the bees to
build their own combs. Price of the book, 25 cts.

SPECIAL OFFERS.

For 65 cts. we will send the Review one year and
"The Production of Comb Honey." For $1.00 we
will send all the numbers of the Review for the
past year (1888), the Review for this year (1889) and
the " Production of Comb Honey;" or, for the same
amount ($1.00), we will send the Review for two
years from Jan. 1st, 1889, and "The Production of
Comb Honey." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Can-
adian. Address ltfdb

W. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

tS*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DADANT'3 FOUNDATION FACTORY, WHOLESALE and RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column.

NUMBER ONE OF THE

QUEEN ■ BREEDER'S JOURNAL

Is now ready. Send your name on a postal, and re-
ceive a free sample copy of this bright new journal.
Only 50 cts. per year. Address the

Q. B. JOURNAL, Marlboro, Mass.
E. L. Pratt, publisher. 24d

We want to put an adv't in every bee-book and
circular printed this coming season. Don't fail to
write us, giving your price.

C^"In responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE, BEFORE MARCH,

30 COLONIES ITALIAN AND HYBRID BEES.

Good condition— Simplicity hives— bargain given.
Id P. H. HARRIS, Greenville, Illinois.

t3Tln responding to tliis advertisement mention Gleanings.

Gash for Beeswax!

Will pay 20c per lb. cash, or 23c in trade for any
quantity of good, fair, average beeswax, delivered
at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those
who wish to purchase, at 27c per lb., or 30c for best
selected wax.

Unless you put your name on the box, and notify
us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself
responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen-
eral thing to send wax by express.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

40

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

.Jan.

flWJSIEY (30MMN.

CITY MARKETS.

Chicago.— Honey.— The new year opens up with a
quiet trade generally. Honey sells in a single-case
way. Prices are lower than in November on all
grades, excepting, perhaps, choice white comb in
small sections and cartons. This is not plentiful,
and brings L7@18c. But there is so much graded
"white" by the producer that doe6 not meet the
views of purchasers as to cause more or less dissat-
isfaction ; and such prices as can be obtained are
accepted for the " off " grades. Extracted remains
about the same: demand light. Beeswax, 22.

Jan. 7. R. A. Burnett,

161 South Water St., Chicago, 111.

New York.— Honey. —We are forced to report a
dull market. Stocks are light, but demand very
limited, which we presume is due to the mild and
unseasonable weather. We quote: Fancy white, 1-
1b. sections. 14@15c; 2-lb., 12c; fair white, Mb., L2@
13; 2-lb., Italic; buckwheat, Mb., 10®11; 2-lb.. 9@
10c: extracted, white, 7l/S@8; buckwheat, do., 6@6y2.
The latter is in fair demand, and we would advise
bee-keepers who have any on hand to ship here.

Jan. 10. Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

28 & 30 West Broadway, New York.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Choice Mb. sections, 15®
16; dark 1-lbs.. 12; 2-lbs., 14; dark, 11. White ex-
tracted in 60-lb. cans, 8; amber, 7; in barrels and
kegs. 5@8. Demand good, prices steady, and stock
large. Beeswax.— None in market.

Jan. 4. Hamblin & Bearss,

514 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey. There is no change in the
market. Demand slow, with a smaller supply than
ever before at this season for the last 10 years. Ex-
tracted honey brings 5@8 on arrival. Comb honey.
12 Mi, in the jobbing way.

Beeswax.— Demand is good; it brings 20@22 for
good to choice yellow on arrival.

Jan. '». Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Honey is moving more
freely. We quote white Mb. comb, 16@17; fall, Mb.
comb. 14@1">. California, Mb. comb, 16@17; same,
2-lb.. 12ft 15. Extracted. 7@s. Beeswax, 30.

Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Jan. 7. Kansas City, Mo.

Albany.— Honey.— Market very slow, as usual
after holidays. May do better a month later, but
will depend on how much stock is left over.

Jan. 8. H. R. Wright.

Albany, N. Y.

St. Louis.— Honey.— Our market is well supplied
with California in cans. Local shipments scarce;
demand fair. We quote, barrels, 5'/4@6!4. Cans,
7@7'/2. Comb, 14ft 16. Beeswax, 20.

Jan. 7. D. G. Tutt Grocer Co.,

St. Louis, Mo.

Columbus.— Honey.— No change in our market.
Sales very slow. No. 1 white clover, in 1-lb. sec-
tions, 11 << 18. Dark, 15ft 16.

Jan. 9. Earle Clickenger,

Columbus, Ohio.

Detroit.— Honey.— White comb, in one-pound
sections, quoted at 16ft 18c; sales slow, but the sup-
ply is gradually decreasing. Extracted dull at 7@8.
li> eswax, M;.''" '.':;. M. H. Hunt,

Jan. 7. Bell Branch, Mich.

No change in honey.
Jan. 7.

Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

For Sale.— A few cases of choice white comb
honey in sections at 16c per lb., delivered at ex-
press or freight office here. Cases weigh 22 to 27
lbs. A. Fiddes, Centralia. Marion Co., 111.

For Sale.— 800 lbs. or more of a good quality of
white honey, in crates holding 12 sections, weighing
about 11 lbs. to the crate. I will take 14 cts. per lb.,
f. o. b. here. John Handel,

Savanna, Carroll Co., 111.

DADANT'G FOUNDATION FACTORY, WHOLESALE AND
RETAIL. See advertisement in another column

gPECI7ID ^OTICEfS.

price ok clover seed advanced.
Both alsike and peavine clovers have advanced in
price recently, so that we can not furnish seed at
the prices named in our catalogue. Prices for the
present will be as follows: Alsike, 20 cts. per lb.;
82.25 per peck; $4. 40 per ^bushel; #8.50 per bushel.
Peavine, or mammoth clover. 15 cts. per lb.; #1.80
per peck: #3.50 per i-bushel; #6.50 per bushel.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

Any one who is not satisfied by this time of the
gre^; superiority of this new grain over the com-
mon, or, in fact, all other kinds, has only to read
the reports in our agricultural journals. We have
at present on hand, ready for the season's trade,
between 300 and 400 bushels; and, judging from the
prices at which it is offered in the various seed
catalogues, compared with the prices we give, it
would be nothing strange if every pound should be
gone before time for sowing, and very likely we
shall be compelled to advance prices as we have
done for each season since it came out; therefore it
behooves you to get your orders in early. Get
your seed by freight, so as to save express charges,
and then when you get your ground ready you will
not have to telegraph for seed hy express, and per-
haps then be told that it is sold, and no more can
be had. Compare the prices you And in the vari-
ous seed catalogues with our own, which are:
Bushel, #2.00; half bushel, #1.25; peck, 75 cts.;
pound. 10 cts. By mail, add 9 cts. extra for each
pound. Remember, our prices also include bags.

A WATERBURY WATCH ESPECIALLY KOR LADIES
AND MISSES.

We are just in receipt of the first lot of small-
sized watches designed especially for school-teach-
ers or little girls. 1 have often thought that, when
the hoys were getting so much enjoj ment and real
profit by having a watch that would keep time for
a very small amount of money, it was a pity that
their sisters could not have one just a little small-
er, to help them to be prompt and energetic. Well,
friends, we have got it. It is a perfect little daisy-
only 1% inches in diameter, stem-winding and
stem-setting. In this latter respect the girls will
have a big advantage over boys. It is also short-
wind, and won't take all the time a girl or boy can
spare before breakfast time to get his watch
wound up. Then if our little friend should forget
to wind it every morning, and let it run down, she
can set it with the family clock by simply pushing
in the winder which turns the hands, instead of
winding the watch. When I was in the jewelry
business, if I could hnve offered such a watch to
school-teachers for #10.00 T should have called it
wonderfully reasonable. The price of this little
watch is only #4.00. Sent by mail, registered, post-
paid, for 15 cts. extra. Now, then, my friend, if
you have got a good little girl at your house to
whom you wish to make a good and useful present,
I do not know of any thing in the whole wide world
that will hit the nail right squarely on the head like
the misses' Water-bury. When you order it.be sure
to say " Letter L." Letter J is exactly like the one
I have just described, only it has a second-hand,
and is the size of the ordinary Waterbury — 2%
inches across, and is the same price, #4.00.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The Northeastern Ohio, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and
Western New York lice keepers' Association will hold its tenth
annual convention in City Hall. Franklin, Pa., "Wednesday and
Thursday, January 30th and 31st, 1889 Good hotel accommoda-
tions have been secured at SI no per day. C. H. Coon, Sec'y.

New Lyme, O.

PftlCE LISTS RECEIVED.

Price lists I'm- ISS'.i have been received as follows:

P Kauffman. Needy, Oregon. Bees and queens.

W. P. Soper, Jackson. Mich., an 18-page list of bee-supplies.

E B.Cook, Indover.Ct. Club list to bee-keepers. .

M. II. Hunt, Bell Branch, Mich. Bee-keepers' supplies.

We have just printed for S. H. Colwick, Norse, Texas, a four-
paee price list of bees and queens.

We have also just printed Paul L. Viallon's eleventh annual
price list of bees, hives, etc. Bayou Cloula, La.

We have now in press a catalogue of articles pertaining to
the bee ■business, for (i. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.

Vol. XV11.

JANUARY 15, 1889.

No. 2.

^3^fi?SKWfs»fiS!l Established in 1873. \^:^^^n\l^t^^}^l

- -am- 1 m...wnEn<c.fi.nn«TinTiv J U d. and Canadas. To all other coun-

TERMS : 81.00 PEB ANNUM, IN ADVANCE ;

10 or more,75cts. each. 8ingle num- \
ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be
made at club rates. Above are all to
be sent to one postoffice.

PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

\A. I. ROOT. MEDINA, OHIOA

| tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

BEE-CAVES VS. HOUSE-CELLARS
WINTERING BEES.

FOR

SOME THOUGHTS ON QUERIES NO. 94, 95, AND 9b\

^ ELLAK wintering of bees has come to be quite
|£ an absorbing thought in the minds of all api-
RJJ arists living north of latitude 40°, and, in my
^^ opinion, whoever lives in the year 2000 will
see nearly if not all colonies of bees then ex-
isting north of this degree of latitude, wintered in
an underground repository. If this is to be so, it is
of some moment that the ideas which are now as-
suming form on this subject be turned into the
right channel. Why I make the prophesy as above
is, that, with each succeeding year, the timber land
of our country is growing less and less; so that,
when the year 2000 comes, very few if any of the
forests which now exist here at the North will be
allowed to stand. In these forests have been our
protection from the extreme cold which now is be-
ginning to be experienced in many localities where
the timber is already becoming scarce. This timber
is of a twofold protection against cold: Fir-t, it
holds the water in the ground so that many springs
exist which otherwise would not; and these
springs, where they abound, modify the air to a
much larger extent than many suppose; and, sec-
ond, the force of the wind is broken, so that, when
a warm day appears, the bees in a sunny nook out
of the wind jan get a nice flight, while those in an
exposed situation can do no such thing. Thirty-
five years ago there was scarcely a winter when
bees could not fly as often as once in six weeks;
and our mill on the stream which runs, or used to
run, about 50 rods from where I live, was run by

water nearly every day in the year. Now we often
have from four to five months in which the bees
can not fly. and the mill is run nearly if not quite
half of the time with steam, on account of lack of
water. I used to leave two-thirds of my bees on
their summer stands, putting the other third in the
cellar; now I put two-thirds of them in the cellar,
leaving the other third out, packing them for win-
ter in the best possible manner; yet, with all of my
care, the cellar seems to be winning favor with
each succeeding year.

Now, aside from the causes given above, there is
another reason why the cellar is gaining in favor.
When I first began to winter bees in the cellar I
used one under the house, while now I use one en-
tirely away from any building; and this latter is
so much superior to the former that it is winning
my affections altogether. In what is it superior to
the former? Chiefly in the temperature being en-
tirely controlled without any interference of mine
during the whole time that the bees are in their
winter quarters. In answering query 94, Dr. Miller
and Mrs. Harrison are favorable to a warm room
overhead, presumably to keep the cellar warm;
while in Query 95, both are compelled to lower the
temperature by carrying in ice or otherwise. Now,
this is just where a cellar under a superstructure
fails. Just in so far as a warm room is of advan-
tage in extreme cold weather.it is of positive disad-
vantage in a warm spell in winter. Who wants to
be obliged to keep a tire in or over a cellar all win-
ter, every time the mercury sinks to zero, or open
all doors and windows which the cellar contains,
carry in ice and what not, every time the mercury
rises to 50° or 60° above zero? And even after we

42

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

have had all of this trouble, our pets are not nearly
as well oil as they would have been had the temper-
ature kept evenly at 45°. Of course, where one has
no other place in which to winter bees, he must do
the best he can with what he has got; but the point
which 1 object to is, the recommending of any
thing which requires so much fussing and anxiety
of thought, above something which requires noth-
ing of the kind, and over one, which, after a
thorough trial by even the most prejudiced, would
be recommended as much superior to the old way.

At Query 94, T)adant & Son "hit the nail on the
head " when they say there is no difference, if the
temperature can be kept the same; and George
Grimm certainly misses it where he says, "The
matter of living-rooms above cuts no figure." For
many years before I moved to where I now live, I
wintered my bees in the cellar under the house we
lived in; and during nearly every one of these win-
ters there would come times when I had to build a
tire in this cellar to keep it warm enough, or else
open the doors at night, or carry in snow or ice, or
both to keep it cool enough. Several times it kept
so warm that there was no snow or ice to be had,
and the outside air during the night was warmer
than the air in the cellar; then I had such a state
of affairs as friend A. I. Root has often feared he
might have were he to try cellar wintering— a time
which "tried men's souls;" or, in other words, a
time when there was a general " roaring," such as
Query No. 95 wants to know about. At such times
Query 96 is very pertinent; for in a perfectly dark
cellar is our only salvation. L. C. Hoot says, in an-
swer to No. 95, " The room should be so arranged
and managed as to avoid these causes of uneasi-
ness." If I were back to where I should be obliged
to winter bees in that cellar again, I would willing-
ly give him $500 to tell me how to so arrange and
manage, in such times as spoken of above; for can-
didly I do not know how to do it. Since I built the
special repository which I now have, which was
fully described and illustrated in Gleanings of
last year, the temperature inside, while the bees
were in it, has never been lower than 40° nor higher
than 48, with the exception of the winter when I
kept the temperature up with, the oil-stove, which
resulted in almost a total loss, as most of the read-
ers of Gleanings will remember; and since I shut
off all ventilation, which Prof. Cook and others
think necessary, as their reply to these queries
would denote, the temperature has not been lower
than 43° or above 46°. A properly constructed un-
derground cellar, with no building above it, is self-
regulating, and of itself sufficient to carry bees
safely through the winter, no matter how much
the temperature may change outside; and, if I am
correct in my opinion, it will be the chief way of
wintering bees in the near future.
Borodino, N. Y., Jan. 1, 4889. G. M. Doolittle.

Friend Doolittle, I am very much obliged
to you for having contrasted these two
forms of wintering-repositories. As Cap-
tain Hetherington, P. H. Elwood, and oth-
ers in their neighborhood, have made some
careful and extensive outdoor arrangements
for wintering bees, I should be glad to know
if their decision corroborates this. If I had
a sandy or gravelly side hill, I would start
forthwith— yes. right in the month of Jan-
uary, to make such a cave as you speak of,
for various purposes. I am a little surpris-

ed, however, that you maintain a tempera-
ture as low as from 43 to 46. The tempera-
ture of the Manitou cavern, away up on the
top of the mountain, in the neighborhood of
Pike's Peak, is 52 , winter and summer. I
am going to have a lot to say about it before
I get through with my Notes of Travel.
Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, is 56 . Per-
haps you have told us the temperature of
your cave in the summer time. If so, I
have forgotten it. But I do not see how it
can be below 50 , unless the outside temper-
ature of the winters keeps it down. Can we
have some reports from others who have
caves and similar places? Would it do to
shut up a cellar tight, in a damp clay soil?

GLASS SECTIONS.

SOMETHING EROM ONE OF THE FRIENDS ACROSS
THE WATER.

a EAR MR. ROOT:— Will you kindly say if you
noticed in an article in the British Bee Jour-
nal of the issue of Oct. 4, 1888, my remarks
on glass sections. I shall be glad to hear
what you and the Americans think of these.
I might also say 1 have had some glass sections
made from round honey-bottles. 1 took my glass-
cutter and cut slices off the bottles, as shown in
the accompanying sketch. It was difficult to cut
the bottles, but I suc-
ceeded in making suf-
ficient to try what I
wanted. The black
lines will show where
the cutter was applied.
1 took two slices for
each section, placed a
small sheet of wax
foundation between
these slices, and, behold,
the foundation was
firmly fixed in a mo-
ment! Next each sec-
tion was placed in a
frame very similar to
what was illustrated in
Gleanings about six
or eight weeks ago, and
shown again herewith.
I use Heddon's wide
frames, and I had a
frame made to hold four glass sections. These sec-
tions looked lovely. I had them beautifully sealed
over— not a single " pop-hole " in any of them. The
above block was made so that it could be pushed
into one of Heddon's frames. Was it not curious,
that a similar idea should occur about the same
time to your correspondent Rambler and myself?
He used strips of wood, or shavings, instead of glass
rings. I think glass cells might be cheaply cast or
manufactured, and they would look very attractive.
I hope you will not say there is nothing like leather;
wood sections are best because, etc. To clean the
glass cells or rims, simply boil them— they may be
used over and over again.

LANGSTROTH'S PICTURE.

Please do not tell Rev. Mr. Langstroth that I say
the portrait on page 843 is one of afine-lookingman.
I am sure America should be proud of the looks

HOW TO MAKE GL \SS

SECTIONS.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

43

only. I have seen very few finer-looking Englishmen.
There is only one likeness that dwells in my mind,
and that is Dr. Livingstone. Doubtless you will say
Mr. Langstroth is too wise to be made vain.

T. Bonnek Chambers, F. L. S.

Tref Eglwys, Caersws,

Montgomeryshire, England, Nov. 30, 1888.

Friend B., we have noticed what you say
about the glass sections; but unless it is
for something fancy, or for a curiosity, we
should pronounce them altogether too frail ;
and glass cut out of bottles, as you men-
tion, is terribly dangerous stuff for almost
anybody to handle. The objection to circu-
lar sections is the amount of waste space
between the circles. If they are to be used,
I think I should much prefer stiff paper or
wood shavings.

THE APPLE-TREE BARK-LOUSE.

IT HAS MADE ITS WAY CLEAR TO TASMANIA.

T LIKE Gleanings very much, especially the ar-
ijjf tides written by Prof. Cook. They are really
W instructive and interesting. I have his book,
■*■ "Injurious Insects." We are sorely troubled
in this part by the apple-tree bark-louse, Myti-
laspis conchiformis. I have sprayed some of my
trees three times with strong soapsuds, also with
soft soap, and still I see some alive. It may be I
am too early, and they still keep hatching out.
Like yourself, I should like to know more than
Prof. Cook tells us about this insect. It seems to
be the female that becomes fixed to the bark.
Can he tell us any thing about the male, and what
is the latest and best method of destroying this
pest? W. P. Clennett.

Port Esperance, Tasmania, Nov. 19, 1888.

Prof. Cook replies to this as follows :

As Mr. Clennett writes from Tasmania, it seems
that even scale insects which are poorly prepared
by nature to make journeys have circumnavigated
the earth. In this case, man has doubtless carried
this pest to the other side of the globe. How for-
tunate if we could kno;v of such terrible enemies,
and not, through our ignorance, scatter them to
blight the prospects of our antipodes! This louse
is now known to science as Mytilaspis pomorum.
When the female is fully mature— August in Michi-
gan—she looks any thing but animate. She is then
but a mere scale, somewhat the shape of an oyster-
shell, but slim, usually curved, and a little darker
than the bark of the tree or twig on which she
rests, and to which she is attached. This scale is
only about one-fifth of an inch long. Late in Au-
gust, if we carefully raise this scale with the point
of a knife-blade we shall see what appears to be a
white dust. When this is magnified we note scores
of white oblong eggs. These eggs hatch early the
following J une. The young newly hatched lice are
oblong, yellow, very small, and active. Soon these
insert their long slim beak, or sucking-tube, and
settle down on the tender bark, not on the leaves,
as does the young tulip and maple bark-louse.
These minute active lice may be blown from one
tree to another, or may crawl on to the feet of
some bird, and be carried to another tree. This is
the only time in the life of the insect when it can
be scattered from tree to tree. The louse, when
once fixed, grows rapidly, becomes scale-like by a
secretion, and by August is mature, and lays its

eggs. When numerous they are very destructive.
I have seen many fine apple-trees ruined by them.
There are very few if any males. The males of
bark or scale lice that have been discovered are
two-winged. It seems likely that there are often
no males in this species, and reproduction is
agamic, as in case of drone-bees. We see now
how these pests may be carried frqm one country
to another. If we carry the trees containing the
lice at any season, we also must carry the lice.

The best remedy is to rub the trunk and limbs
of affected trees with soft soap, or, better, a mix-
ture made as follows: Heat one quart of soft soap
or one-fourth pound hard soap, with two gallons of
water. When hot, thoroughly stir in one pint of
crude carbolic acid. By use of a cloth, with sleeves
rolled up, throughly rub the twigs and trunk. Do
not wet the foliage any more than is absolutely
necessary. This is to be done just as the lice hatch,
which, in Michigan, is early in June. In Tasmania
it would be at a very different season. By care-
fully raising the scales we may easily discover the
exact time. It is just when the white eggs begin
to go, and the minute yellow lice to come.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

APIARIAN EXHIBITS AT PAIRS.

HOW THEY MAY BE MADE TO PAY.

T WISH to add a few words to what has already
|jf been said in regard to making honey-exhibits
^l at county fairs. In looking over the answers
■*• to Question No. 79 as to whether it pays or not,
I find the greater part of them are in the nega-
tive. Now, I have been taking some stock in coun-
ty fairs this fall, more for the purpose of advertis-
ing than for securing premiums, as only one out of
four which I attended offered premiums in the apia-
rian line, except for the best 5. lbs. of honey in the
comb, which was not much of an inducement for
premiums. I am confident that it has ijaid well
for the time and money spent. While on the fair-
grounds I took orders enough for honey, at remu-
nerative prices, to amply pay me for my time and
expense, besides building up a home market for all
that I shall have to sell this season, and perhaps an-
other. I am confident that the demand will in-
crease. My display of honey was not large, but it
was very fine, and attracted more attention than
any exhibit in the halls, consequently the officers of
the association insisted that I should come back
again, and promised to add an apiarian department
to their premium lists if I would send them a form
of what was needed. This reminds me of friend
Poppleton's suggestion; i. e., that you publish in
Gleanings some of the best lists in the apiarian de-
partment, suitable for county fairs, for the benefit
of those interested.

We did not get any surplus honey in this locality
until Spanish needle and heart's-ease, or, better
known here as smartweed (and perhaps both), began
to bloom, which was about the 20th of August.
Then as soon as the honey began to come in pretty
freely our bees took the swarming fever, and then
swarm they would, queen-cells or not, in spite of all
we could do, till about the 10th of September. The
consequence, as you may surmise, was a light crop
of honey, which was quite a disappointment, as it
was the first and only good honey-flow we have had
for two years, J had two swarms on the 8th of Sep-

w

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Jan.

tember, which I put on empty combs, and they very
nearly tilled their brood-chambers with honey, and
have an abundance to keep them through the win-
ter. I also had plenty of drones flying- the 1st of No-
vember, and I think they would fly yet if it were
warm enough, as I am confident that a part of my
colonies have not killed their drones yet. Is not
this very unccftnmon as late in the season as this?
William Hutchison.
Benton, Ills., Nov. '„'9, 1888.

Friend H., we are glad of your report in
regard to exhibits at fairs, as well as of your
late comb honey. If the winter is as mild
with you as it is with us now (Jan. 12), it will
be nothing strange if the bees should keep
the drones until spring.

MAKING GARDEN IN JANUARY.

HOW MUCH OF IT CAN WE DO PROFITABLY?

ELL, friends, the field of operations
for winter gardening is broadening
and enlarging year by year— not only
in Florida and California and other
favored localities, but right here in
the North. The list of seeds and plants, so
far as my knowledge extends, may be sum-
med up as follows : Asparagus, early beets,
early carrots, celery, cress, cucumbers to
some extent, lettuce, onions (especially the
Egyptian, or winter onion), parsley, rad-
ishes, rhubarb, and last, but by no "means
least, spinach. Asparagus requires consid-
erable preparation beforehand. We must
get good strong roots by growing them in
the open ground, and then by the first of
January, or earlier, put our sash over them
right where they stand. Beets, spinach,
onions, kale, and other like hardy plants,
that will grow at a very low temperature,
can be started from the seed in cold-frames
or cold greenhouses. If your locality is
sheltered, and you have straw mats and
shutters to cover the sash, quite a growth
may be made in January, without the use
of fire heat at all. As handling sash, mats,
and shutters is laborious work, I would by all
means, as soon as I could afford it, have a
cold greenhouse. With the usual appara-
tus for raising the sash, one man can raise
and lower one whole side of a greenhouse
11x30 in three minutes, and without work-
ing hard either. During this present win-
ter we have been using three machines,
.made by Hitchings & Co. These machines
cost about S10.00 each, and I never enjoyed
any work more than I do raising and lower-
ing the sash to control the temperature. I
do not have to call in any boys to help me,
and I can leave the sash at any angle I
choose, and there is no danger from being
blown down by the wind, even if we have a
very high one, for each one of the sash is
held rigidly by means of iron rods, just
where I leave it until I come around and
choose to move it.

Under these sashes, without auy fire heat
at all, spinach, beets, and radishes have
come up and made a very fair growth, and
that, too, during the very shortest days in
the year. I am especially pleased with the
behavior of spinach under glass. It is
about as hardy as winter rye, and seems to

grow all the time, when the ground is not
freezing, even outdoors. Our main crop of
spinach was planted out in the open fields,
in September ; and although it has had, up
to the present date, Jan. 10, no mulching at
all, the great bushy clumps of foliage are al-
most perfect. Some of the larger leaves
have been frosted a little. Whenever the
ground is not frozen we just go out and cut
the roots off below the surface of the
ground, throwing the heads into a large
basket. It is then washed, and the poorest
outside leaves pulled off, and then it is
ready to cook. Cook it about as you would
green peas, and I think it is almost if not
quite equal to asparagus. We are retailing
it in our town at 10 cts. a pound, and it is
now selling at a very satisfactory rate.
You may ask why I take the trouble to put
it under glass, if it flourishes so well out-
doors. Well, we are usually able to have it
in nice order outdoors from Jan. 1 to the
middle of February. After that, the fre-
quent freezing and thawing often spoils it.
By having a fine crop under glass, you can
get it at any time when you can"t get the
other, and we are sure of it clear along in-
to March.

Kale is raised and cooked very much like
spinach. You can use your plants right
from the cold-frame where they are grown,
or you can have large heads started in the
summer time, to be out during winter, from
the open ground.

The Early French forcing carrots will
stand about as much cold as lettuce, there-
fore in our locality it must be raised under
glass. It is sold in little bunches, and is
used for flavoring soups.

Now is the time to plant seeds of celery
for your first crop. We prefer the White
Plume ; but we are this year making a test
of the Golden Self-blanching. A good
many ask why we commence so very early.
My reply is, because we want to have the
first in the market. Celery in Juue will
generally command a good price, and I have
never found the plants too large to put out
in the field. Last year we had one bed of
transplanted plants that were not called for
when the plants got to be a foot high, and
perhaps as large as your wrist. I feared
they were too large to stand transplanting,
but concluded to try them. When the cele-
ry was dug and put away in November,
these plants had produced the finest stalks
we had in the field. They bore the trans-
planting, and started right out to grow,
quicker than any of the small on^s ; audit
has been the case so invariably that we ex-
pect this season to do quite a trade in ex-
tra-early and extra-large plants It is true,
there has been some trouble with White
Plume celery running to seed, when started
very early.' Here is a letter right to the
point :

Mr. Root:— In a seed and plant circular received
from you, you speak of offering for sale celery-
plants from seed sown in January. Now, suppose
a person were to purchase a quantity of these
plants, and they were all to run to seed. A friend
had his early planting (consisting of about 7500
plants) go to seed for two years in succession,
while that from seed sown in the middle of March

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

45

made a tine crop^ The point is, Has a customer

any security at ail, that celery plants grown from

seed sown as early as January, will not go to seed?

Kingston, Pa. Dec. 12, 1888. M.Garrahan.

Friend G., there is something about this
business of going to seed that I do not quite
understand. We have had some trouble in
our own grounds, but not very much ; but
as extra-early plants are much more likely
to run up to seed, we go over the held as
soon as the plants begin to grow, and pull
out every one that has started to send up a
seed-staik, as if it were a weed. The whole
number of such in our early celery has nev
er amounted to more than ten per cent. A
few who have purchased plants of us have
complained that the greater part of them ran
up to seed. Last season we had one lot of
Golden Dwarf celery of which a great part
sent up seed-stalks in the plant-bed before
it had been planted out at all. We burned
up all the seed we had on hand, and pulled
out all the plants that showed seed-stalks,
and threw them away. As no more started
to shoot up, we put the rest out in the held,
and they gave us splendid celery. I wrote
to the seed-grower who furnished us the
seed, and he said the same lot of seed had
given excellent results in the hands of oth-
ers. From this and other similar reports I
am inclined to think it is something in the
treatment of the plants rather than the
fault of the seed ; but just what treatment
makes celery send up seed-stalks, I can not
tell.

If one were to save his seed from these
plants that shoot up so prematurely, the
seed would, without question, be worthless;
but any seedsman who has auy regard at all
for his reputation would be careful that
none of his seed come from this source.
When I was visiting at Peter Henderson's
two years ago. one of his neighbors told me
they found the White Plume celery entirely
worthless, because so much of it shot up to
seed instead of making celery. He said his
seed came from Peter Henderson. I think
few if any of Henderson's other customers
have experienced a like trouble.

Cress, or pepper-grass, can be sold in lim-
ited quantities along with lettuce and rad-
ishes, so as to pay a good price. It is also
quite hardy.

Cucumbers and tomatoes can be raised in
greenhouses, but it is something like straw-
berries, I opine. Few of us have a green-
house that will give just the temperature
and other conditions to make a success of it.
Lettuce will do nicely in cold-frames, with-
out heat, especially if you start in the last
part of January or later. I suppose most of
you will start your Grand Rapids lettuce
during this month. The Grand Rapids and
Boston Market lettuce are the only two
kinds we have succeeded well with when
grown under glass. One special quality of
the Grand Hapids lettuce is its silvery white-
ness ; but this is better secured by the as-
sistance of heat of some kind; for to have it
white it must be grown rapidly, If you
make a greenhouse llxoO feet on the plan I
have suggested, I would have a shed, with a
permanent roof at one end. You will re-
member that our friend Eugene Davis, the

originator of the Grand Rapids lettuce, di-
rects that the house be placed so as to run
from the northwest to the southeast ; then
put your shed on the northwest end, and it
will never shade the other part. Well, if
you do not propose using fire heat, you can
have some heaps of manure in this shed, for
making hot- beds, and the fermenting ma-
nure will help keep up the temperature. By
making your shed a little longer you can
keep celery beautifully on the extreme north
end. During warm weather, when there is
no danger of frost, you can remove the straw
that covers it; and by allowing it to grow
slowly it will be fit for use clear into March.
Opening and closing the ventilators of your
cold greenhouses will give the celery the
proper amount of air, and you are not likely
to let the celery freeze if you watch your
plants in the greenhouses. I presume a hot-
bed would give finer Grand Rapids lettuce
than you would get by any other means.

If you have any onions that trouble you by
sprouting, plant them out close together in
your cold greenhouse, and they will sell
nicely for bunch onions in January and Feb-
ruary. At this season of the year we get
five cents for one-third of a pound of bunch
onions ; that is, we divide a pound into three
bunches. A few clumps of parsley put into
your greenhouse will give you small bunches
for flavoring soups all winter long.

SUB-EARTH VENTILATOES.

DR. C. C. MILLER RECONSIDERS THE QUESTION
AS DISCUSSED ON PAGE 26.

ip T the close of the Question Box for Jan. 1,
S, the editor remarks, " Surely our veterans
¥ can get very much nearer the truth than
*" the average beginner, who proposes to win-
ter bees in the cellar, can guess at it." I
think that applies to Questions 97 and 99. The be-
ginner would be a little bewildered over the ans-
wers to 98. Of the twelve whi reply, only five say
they have tried sub-ventilators, and four of these
five think them advantageous, while the fifth
thinks them useless. Two of the 12 have never
tried them, and give no opinion as to their merits;
indeed, I suppose three may be counted in this list,
if Dadant & Son be counted there. Of the remain-
ing four who do not claim any experience with
them, one thinks them not worth their cost; one
thinks all the ventilation needed can be had other-
wise; one thinks them objectionable if other con-
ditions be right ; and one is quite certain they are
worse than useless. The editors say, "We hardly
know how to account for the difference in testimo-
ny in regard to the value of these ventilators, un-
less," etc. Good friends, there is more difference
in opinions than in testimony; for, if I mistake not,
Doolittle is the only one who gives any testimony
against them. It is only fair, however, to say that
Prof. Cook, if I mistake not, places no value on
sub-ventilators as a means of ventilation, only as a
cheap means of regulating temperature.

The beginner, however, who reads over the re-
plies will be likely to get the impression that it is of
no great importance to pay any attention to the
matter of ventilation; and friend Hutchinson, in a
late number of the Review, specially devoted to

46

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUIIE.

Jan.

ventilation, concluded that his contributors agreed
in that view, although I did not suppose my own
contribution could be counted on that side. Tf a
beginner, however, were to ask me about it, I
should say that, although many were successful
who paid no attention to ventilation whatever, yet
the fact remained that ventilation must be consid-
ered a matter of vital importance. Very few
would dispute this in practice, even if they should
in theory; for many of those who pay no attention
to the ventilation of cellars are very particular as
to the ventilation of hives in the cellar. It re-
quires very little reasoning to show that it is use-
less to ventilate a hive if the cellar be not ventilat-
ed. The only question is, Does your cellar take
care of its own ventilation without any effort on
your part? I suspect there is great difference in
this respect. A cellar whose walls are full of
cracks, or which are made of porous material, may
receive through such walls enough fresh air to
need no care from its owner. Even in that case it
is possible that a sub-ventilator might pay well by
way of keeping up temperature. If, with no special
care, the temperature keeps up to 40 or 45° in the
cellar, and the air is at all times fresh and sweet—
and there may be many such cellars— then I should
hardly consider a sub-ventilator advisable. But
suppose the thermometer outdoors has the sportive
habit of coquetting around among the twenties
and thirties below zero, making the air in the cel-
lar go down to freezing, then, although the air may
be pure enough it is not warm enough, and it may
cost a good deal less to warm the air by having it
come through a sub-ventilator than to warm it in
any other way.

Cellaring bees is practiced only where it is cold,
and probably there is no reason for it, other than
the greater warmth in the cellar. Where the win-
ters never send the mercury below the freezing-
point, no one thinks of cellaring. Even where the
thermometer sometimes goes 20 to 40° below what
is considered the best temperature for the cellar,
outdoor wintering is preferred. Now, why? The
answer probably will be, that the bees in such a
climate will have a chance to fly at times, if out-
doors, and in the cellar the confinement will be
longer; and, besides, the bees will get too warm,
and be uneasy in the cellar if the temperature gets
above 50°. Yes, but it doesn't do the bees any
hurt, nor make them uneasy, to have the ther-
mometer go up to 55 or 60° outdoors, even if it is in
the night, and they can't fly, and we can even up
the other part by carrying out the bees for a fly
every time the bees outdoors have a fly. No, the
warmest advocates of cellaring, and those who in-
sist that no ventilation is needed, would, I think,
insist that, in a mild climate, even if you give the
bees the same fly, and never allow the cellar to be-
come too warm, they will winter better out. Now,
if there is any other reason than because the air is
better outdoors, will some one please tell me what
it is? The fact is, there is a density of ignorance
regarding the value of fresh air for man, beast,
and insect; and I advise each one to experiment a
little for himself and see if his cellar is one of the
kind that lets in enough air when every thing is
tight shut. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111., Jan., 1889.

Friend M., in G. M. Doolittle's article in
this present issue you will notice that he
discusses cellars versus bee-caves. Well, his

bee-cave has an advantage over most cellars
in having from three to four feet of dry dirt
over the most exposed portion. This dry
dirt is covered with a roof, so it is al-
ways dry ; and there is enough of it so that
no frost ever gets through to the bee-cellar.
Now, I am inclined to think that this dry
dirt overhead affords all the ventilation
needed, and it may be the very best ventila-
tion, therefore no sub-earth ventilator is
used. In ordinary cellars, however, and
perhaps in many bee-caves, the frost would
get through enough so that a sub-earth
ventilator might be of very great use in
keeping down the temperature, as you ex-
press it.

In regard to your last point, as to why
bees are better off outdoors than they are
in the cellar, I should answer, For the
simple reason that anybody or any thing
having life is better off outdoors than in a
cellar; yes, better off outdoors than in a
house. Remember what I said about the
health of the negroes in the South. Out-
doors we have the kind of ventilation that
God made ; but in a cellar or in a bee-house,
we have such as man provides. For a few
weeks back, I have been having a great
deal of enjoyment in manipulating the im-
mense ventilators of our new greenhouse.
Whenever the thermometer is above 40
outdoors, the large ventilators are swung
wide open by the aid of the proper machine-
ry. The consequence is, that my plants
have had almost as good ventilation as if
they were entirely outdoors all the while,
and at the same time they have been pro-
tected entirely from the frost, clear up to
the present time, Jan. 10. The plants have
now an excellent color, and they are hardy
and robust, but they do not grow nearly as
rapidly as if I kept them warmer. The quali-
ty of my plants in the spring will certainly
be superior ; but our lettuce grows so slowly
that we shall not have any fit to cut before
February. I presume that, if the ventila-
tion of the cellar were just as good as it is
outdoors, the bees would stay in their hives,
and behave themselves just as well as they
do outdoors ; and I think I have wintered a
hive or two in the cellar when they were
just as quiet, and stayed in their hives just
as well as those out of doors did; but
when I had a large number in the cellar,
especially when some of them were rousing
strong colonies, they crawled out of their
hives and smelled bad, and acted fearfully ;
in fact, the only way I could keep them in
their hives was to make the cellar so cold as
to freeze them back when they came out at
the entrance ; and a good many times they
would come out, even with the temperature
below 40°. They acted just as if they came
out and died, solely to be contrary. 1 don't
believe that I ever want any more bees in
the cellar, here in our locality. By the way,
Ernest has one colony of bees in a Heddon
hive ins his cellar, during this unusually
warm winter. The Heddon hive is so shal-
low he did not like to risk it outdoors with
the^rest. l Well,M;hey are wintering nicely
so far, and they behave themselves nicely,
and as well as the bees do outdoors. Of
cotirse, he keeps the cellar dark.

1889

GLEANINGS IN LEE CULTURE

47

DOT GOMING BEE.

BY EUGENE SECOB.

I schpect you haf read of dot ztaust goming bee

Vhat dose Yankees hat' got poorty kvick,—
Dose bees vhat run ofer my schlow Zherman blacks,

Und nefer kvits vork gause dier sick?
I dinks, when I hears of dose schmart Yankee bees

Dot zhust vone \ ill be all vat I need,
Begause dem haf dongues like dot schmall honey-
bird,

Und suck up vone kvart mit a feed !

But Yankees, dern brag of dier goundree so pig,

Und dier bolidics so awful much,—
Of dier horses vhat run mit der lightning away,

Und dier peautif ul vimins, und such,—
Dot I more dan tvice believe ven dot bee does been
gome

He'll schpeak so ve Deitchers gau read;
Und if him don't got to be all ofer plack,

I dinks him vill show der plack seed.

But I laffs ven 1 reads of dot schmart goming bee,

Ven I dinks of Hans Brinkerhoff's mule—
(Hans vas mine neighpor zhust ofer der vay,

Vere him lives mit der golden-like rule).
Veil, Hans him leadt oudt dot donkey vone day,

An der pump to gif him some dhrink,
Ven up zhump vone pig in der mua mit der trough,

Und oudt skibbed dot mule in a vink.

Ven tree or four hundert glimbed into dose ears.

Dot donkey, him right apout face,
Und lifted vone foot, und den lifted two.

Like one horses vat vanted some race;
But he don't gone pack to dot dear old home

Vere Hans vas been calling so sveet.
But he lifted dose boxes so handy und kvick,

Und gave dem a good schtart— mit his feet.

But dot goming bee vas arrived all der dime,

Und gloser dan vone broder schtiks
Aroundt dot donkey vot hadn't got learned

To nefer kick against der pricks.
Dot donkey, him laff on dot Oder mout side,

Ven him gets all him vants of dot fun;
Him gry like vone baby, und rolls mit der grass,

Und den him zhump up und home run.

Dot donkey, him svelt oudt like Zhumbo vas vide,

Und I dinks Hans don't go to feed
Him any more oats so long as him lifs

To make him so fat as he need.
Und I peleef dot Hans vill gome ofer und buy

Dose bees vot is petter dan gorn
To fat up dose mules, und make dem home sehtay

Gondended und tame mit der barn.

FIXING FOR HONEY-EXHIBITS AT
FAIRS.

Und schtraight mit der bee-line, und halter to boot,

Dot donkey, be schtart for mine lot
Vere a hundert bee-boxes schtoodt all in some rows :

" Mebbe dems oats"— und mebbe so not—
Ven all at vone dime him schtopped at vone box,

Und schmelled a loudt schmell in dot hole
Vere dose bees make dier honig und likewise wax—

You den should hear dot schmile him schmole.

But dot olt king-bee vas daking vone schleep.

Und vas mad ven dot racket him hear;
He tought er prass pant had zhust broke out loose,

Or some oder loudt noises vats kveer:
So oudt him send scouds to see vat vas up,

Und den der grant zircus vas gome —
Der more of dose bees vot go for dot mule,

Der kvioker dot mule don't go home.

DR. MASON GIVES US SOME IMPORTANT SUGGES-
TIONS AND DIRECTIONS IN THE MATTER.

fRIEND ROOT:— 1 have received several inqui-
ries, within the past few days, for sugges-
tions in regard to exhibits of bees, honey,
etc., at fairs, and plans for buildings for such
exhibits; and as each one seems to be a reader
of Gleanings, I thought it would be a good plan,
for me at least, to reply through Gleanings, if
"Barkis is willin'."

Only one, Mr. J. C. Graham, of Missouri, has in-
closed a stamp for reply. I should very much dis-
like to be obliged to feel that bee-keepers are
" stingy," but it has become quite a nuisance in my
case. I am a busy, poor man, and don't eare to
give my time, furnish paper and envelopes, and
pay postage, for the privilege (?) of answering cor-
respondence that is of interest only to those who
ask. " So, there now."

At some of the large fairs a separate building for
the use of bee-keepers seems to be a necessity. At
others, plenty of room can be had in buildings with
other exhibits. In some localities where there are
large fairs, there are not enough bee-keepers inter-
ested in a honey-exhibit to make a respectable dis-
play.

The size of a building will depend upon how large
an exhibit is to be made. The bee-keepers' build-
ing at the Ohio Centennial last fall was 36 x 60, and
was just right; but had the past season been a good
one for honey, it would not have been one-fourth
as large as needed. At our Tri-State Fair here at
Toledo, the space usually occupied is equivalent to
about 6xW feet.

For a building, I should prefer one from 30 to :>ii
feet, wide and as long as would probably be needed.
An exhibit of from 500 to 600 pounds of extracted
honey in glass, with Muth's honey-jars and oth-
er small glass receptacles holding from half a
pound to three pounds, can be made to occupy a
space of 6 or t by 20 feet, if put on shelves, and

18

GLEANINGS in BEE cm/ruuK.

Jan.

from 4i mi to 500 lbs. ol couib honey in one-pound
sections in crates would occupy the same space.
More could be used to good advantage, and less
could be made to do nicely, very much depending
upon the taste of the one arranging the display. A
building tin feet long would accommodate only six
such exhibits.

A building modeled after either of the following
diagrams will be found quite convenient and satis-
factory.

r~

Zl U

13/V

32 X 60

■ 12 X 60

DIAGRAMS OP GROUND PLANS FOR AN EXHIBIT
BUILDING.

In each diagram, A represents platforms 3 feet
high and 7 feet wide, boarded up from the plat-
forms to the ground or floor; B, platforms 6 feet
wide and 1 foot high on which to exhibit extractors,
hives, etc; (', passageways 6 ft. wide; D, doors, 3LA to
4 ft. wide: E, doubledoors. each door :* feet wide. All
the doors are to he hungon the sides of the building,
and open out. The doors at D are to be fastened to
the posts, by hooks on the inside. One door is to be
furnished with a lock, so as to be fastened from the
outside if desired. Under the platforms A, should
be several doors, so that boxes, etc., in which honey
has been taken to the fair may be safely stored
away oui of sight.

ARRANGEMENT UK SHELVING FOB II ONEV-EXH1 HITS

in <;i \s-
The sides of the building should be 8 or 9 feet
high above the platforms. Eight feet will do nice-
ly, but 9 feet will give room for a display of honey-
plants, flags, etc., on the walls back of and above

the honey. Light should be admitted through
large windows in the roof. For this size of building,
4 windows, about •'> feet wide and 6 feet long,
would be about right. The windows should be so
arranged that bees can escape at each end; for if
there are any bees in the vicinity, many of them
will be sure to get into the building. The platforms
should be made very Hrm and solid, for honey is
quite heavy, as every one knows.

At the Ohio centennial it was loll lor each exhib-
itor to arrange his exhibit to suit his own fancy,
and every one put up shelving; but a portion of my
exhibit was on a pyramid. If shelving is used for
extracted honey, a very good way is to make some
"risers," as shown in the engraving below.

Place the foot of the riser about 2 feet from the
front edge of the platform, and have the first, or
lower shelf, 18 inches* from the platform, and so on
as shown. Board up under the lower shelf, but not
under the others, unless preferred. When com-
plete, cover all with strong white paper, or muslin.
The top of the risers will be a foot (more or less*
from the side of the building, and can be supported
there by a piece of board.

If any of the exhibitors live so far from the exhi-
bition grounds that it is inconvenient or impossible
to go home each night, and they wish to curtail ex-
penses, and have a good time, just take along a
straw tick and some blankets; fill the "tick " with
straw on the grounds, and make a good bed behind
the shelving. If still more independence is desired,
take along a good-sized box, filled with such things
as will " minister to the wants of the inner man;"
and if you are not happy it won't be my fault, for
"I've been there,' and know how it goes; for al-
though I live but a mile from our Tri-State Fair-
grounds 1 sometimes stay in the building over
night with the exhibitors for the sake of the visit.
As the time is near at hand when the premium lists
are made up by the officers, or others in connection
with the management of fairs, it is important that
some bee-keeper in each locality see to it that the
bee-keeping industry be not overlooked. Look well
also to the matter of a .iudge, or judges. At every
exhibition of bees, honey, etc., that I have attend-
ed, I should have heen willing to have the exhibit-
ors act as judges, and 1 believe there are not many
competent judges who have not been good exhibit-
ors; or perhaps it might better be put this way—
not many good exhibitors who are not good judges.

Auburndale, Ohio. A.H.Mason.

Now, look here, doctor. I don't want you
to abuse our friends because they don't put
in a stamp. Make your answers to all such
queries and forward them to us, and we
will credit you enough for your trouble to
cover postage, and may be a little some-
thing more. We want the friends all to un-
derstand, however, that they are not to ex-
pect a reply— they must look for it through
the bee-journals. Where a direct reply is
wished tor on some pressing matter, they
should by all means inclose a stamp — or,
better still, a stamped envelope. If the
question is a brief one, inclose a postal card
directed to yourself, and then say in your
letter, " Please reply on the inclosed postal
card.'" And I think it is an excellent idea.

* The engraving at this point is not strictly cor-
rect. The first step should rise 18 instead of 9, as
shown, and should retreat more from the edge of
the platform.— [Ed.

1889

GLEAKINGS IK BEE CULTURE.

49

for people who ask many questions, to have
some postal cards printed, with their ad-
dresses on them. Even a busy man will sel-
dom refuse to take a pencil and scratch
some kind of an answer on a postal. — Your
suggestions in regard to fixing for honey-
exhibits at fairs are excellent, and I do not
know of anybody in my whole circle of
friends who is better prepared to make sug-
gestions than yourself. — Your concluding
remark is tiptop. It gives us a glimpse of
the good time coming, when there will be
no more quarreling about who ought to
have the premiums, and calling hard names.
—We should be very glad of some more sug-
gestions in regard to arranging for honey-
exhibits at fairs, with simple sketches to il-
lustrate the plans.

THE TIGER BEETLES.

lng for their prey, are drab, slate-colored, or purple,
and thus by their color alone are concealed from
their victims; as the weasel in his winter robes of
white, or the arctic fox, is hid by the snow on which
it treads. Others of these tiger beetles rest in the
grass, and are brilliant green, so no eye can detect
them till they dart away. This adaptation through
color is exceedingly interesting, and far too com-
mon to be mere accident. The walking - sticks
which I described recently are green when young,
and rest on leaves. As they become mature they
are gray or brown, and rest on twigs, and so in
both cases are protected by their color. Nor does
this law cease with the lower animals. The modest
retiring girl is as surely protected by her neat and
unpretentious apparel.

A CURIOUS LAW IN MIMICRY.

T AM receiving so many kind words regarding
ijP my articles in Gleanings on general entomol-
t|1 ogy, that I feel very much .pleased, and en-
■*■ couraged to go on. As we often say, the time
seems ripe for just such articles. If I can do a
little to incite people to observe and study nature
in its wondrous insect forms, and especially to in-
terest children in such study, I shall feel that I
have done a good work. In this article T propose
to kill three birds with one stone: I shall describe
one of our most common and interesting families
of predaceous insects, the tiger beetles. I shall, by
means of excellent figures, make it plain just what
a beetle is; so that no reader need ever again con-
fuse them with bugs, which 1 have recently describ-
ed in Gleanings, with admirable illustrations. I
shall also present a picture of insect structure
which must awaken the inierest of all, and prove
that the bee, wonderful as it is, does not monopo-
lize structurally all the marvels of the insect-world.
The tiger beetles are
those sprightly wide-
awake forms resplen-
dent with hues of drab,
white, and green, that
shine with a metallic lus-
ter, which are so often
seen in the bright sun-
shine of midday, spring-
ing up before us as we
walk in the path or
meadow, pushing on to
alight again a few feet
in advance of us. The
one here shown (Fig. 1)
is our most common
one, Cecindela vulgaris.
It is a beautiful dark
beetle, almost slate col-
or, with a purple reflec-
tion, marked as shown,
by graceful curves of
tkjer beetle, magnified twice, rich cream. Below it
shines with green and purple. Indeed, in grace of
form, agility of movement, and beauty of colora-
tion, it is hard to find any thing in nature more in-
teresting than some of these tiger beetles. These
beetles illustrate very strikingly the curious law of
mimicry. Those that rest on the sand, eagerly wait-

MOUTH PARTS OF TIGER BEETLE, MUCH MAGNI-
FIED (FIG. 2).

The grub of the tiger beetle lives in a hole in the
ground. It has terrible jaws, and rests just at the
surface, ready to dodge down at the beck of dan-
ger, or to seize its prey as some unwary insect
strolls across its burrow. By very carefully ap-
proaching one of these holes we can get a good
view of these terrors among insects. The least
noise, and they drop down quite out of sight. If
we then put a straw in the hole they soon push it
out as they again crowd up to the mouth of their
dens.

The beetles (Fig. 1) are also fierce and savage, and
so the name " tiger beetles." They are well fitted
to capture and tear in pieces even the largest in-
sects. Let us take a peep into their mouths and
see how well they are armed for their work.

We count that man the biggest who does the
most and acts the best; hence to measure a man we
place our mental tape-line on his brain and heart.
These predaceous beetles are to conquer, kill, and
eat. Their mouth parts are their weapons; their
legs their armor. Like the ground-beetles, we see
they have an armor— their long legs (Fig. 1), which
deserves admiration. Their legs are also aided by
powerful wings. Let us now examine their weap-
ons. Though we may not look a gift horse in the
mouth, it is all right to gratify any such curiosity
in case of a dead tiger beetle.

I do not know that tiger beetles ever kiss, or
speak guile; but I am sure that they have lips that
might do both were " they made that way." W«

50

G L K A XI N ( ! S I X BEE CULTURE.

J \ V.

admire lips of cherry red. The tiger beetle has one
of finest white. The upper lip i Fig. 2, Li is called the
labrum. Notice its white color, and the three
points in front. Those points would hardly be the
thing if kissing were in vogue among tiger beetles.
I Buppose this upper lip serves as does our own. to
keep the food in the mouth.

We next note the terrible jaws (Fig. 2, 3>. There
are two. sharp, and armed with cruel teeth, and mov-
ed with tremendous muscles. Observe that these,
like the jaws of all insects, move sidewise. We call
these the mandibles. These are to catch and crush
their victims; and the tiger itself is not better arm-
ed for such work. Alack the day for the poor cat-
erpillar, when it and these jaws attempt to occupy
the same space at the same time! But this is not
all: Our tiger beetle, like other insects, has a sec-
ond pair of jaws— the maxillae. These are more
slender, but far more complex and nimble than are
the mandibles. Just note how they are armed with
points as sharp as needles. I imagine that, while
the jaws hold the insect-victim, these second jaws
play back and forth like a trip-hammer, piercing
the body as by scores of sharp needles, and literally
making hash of it. The base, or hinge joint, of this,
C, is the cardo; next comes the stipes, S. and then
the three lobes from within the locinia. L; the galia,
G, and the maxillary palpus, M P. The piece at the
base of the palpus, P, is the palpifer. But, why so
many parts? May they not be the hands that do
the stirring and turning in this wondrous hash-mill
or sausage-cutter? But, why does not the food fall
out while it is thus twisted and turned? Below is
the under lip— the labium. This is just opposite the
upper lip. but is thrown forward in the drawing so
as to show. This labium has a base, sub-mentum,
SM,and two jointed pieces, L P, the labial palpi.
Note the three spines which, like sled-stakes, would
tend to retain an overload. The labial palpi, like
two fingers, may aid to retain the food or to move
it about. Thus we see what a marvelous structure
this mouth is. How different from that of a bug,
which is only a sucking-tubel The beetle, then, is
higher than the bug, as shown by its more compli-
cated structure, just as the bee, the wasp, and the
ant, are higher than both. We see that the form of
the beetle is also peculiar, and not easy to mistake.

These exquisite drawings were made under my
direction by one of my students, Mr. A. B. Cordly.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

NOTES FROM THE SHARON APIARY,
SYRIA.

FRIEND BALDENSPERGER TELLS US MORE ABOUT

THE ORANGE-BLOSSOM HONEY. AND SEVERAL

OTHER THINGS.

R. ROOT:— 1 always read Gleanings with
interest — of course, what is good and appli-
cable for ourselves. 1 never followed the
section question very closely, because in
our place it is of no great avail. We never
tried exporting sections, fearing the great danger
of having every thing arrive in a muss after 10 days
tossing about by the sailors, who are not good
hands to handle such goods. No heed is taken of
" This Side l"p, with Care," etc., on tops of boxes.
We therefore hold fast to the extractor, and extract
as often and as much as possible. This year was
nothing in the line of extracting. After a dry win-

ter, the orange- blossoms failed, almost; we then
had a still drier summer, full of east winds, which
dried up every suggestion of dampness, both in the
ground and in the flowers. In Europe they all com-
plained of rain, ruin, rain, while we here must call
it sun. sun, sun.

COLONIES TO THE SQUARE MILE.

Much has been said in Gleanings as to the num-
ber of hives per square mile. When I read the arti-
cle of Mr. E. France, in Jan. 1st Gleanings, I was
rather discouraged, for we had t>,^ i hives on one
spot, and our range is only the Jaffa gardens, con-
taining very nearly 500,000 orange-trees, it is true;
but then, such a number of hives located all on the
same spot! 1 thought the bees might all visit the
next gardens, and thus lose time. Now, this is a
problem which some more experienced bee-keeper
might answer: " Do bees of the same hive visit the
same tree or the same row of trees? Do they fly in
one direction?" I am inclined to think so. In ISX'2
I had a hive of bees which propolized the combs all
over with a brown gummy propolis which they
gathered from a peach-tree, not very far off; the
other hives had none at all. But as to gathering
honey, I can't tell of any experience, as it is always a
difficult task to follow bees of one hive, unless you
use the " strewing meal " system, which I never
tried, except in a few cases of robbing. Do you
think that bees of a hive, finding a party busily at
work on a group of trees, will continue to hunt for
some unexplored ones, and then keep goingto that
place, owning it by the right of having been the
first to take possession?

Now, very likely we have not the best locality for
bees, neither could we put our hives anywhere else,
as only here orange-groves are to be found, and
thus we could not distribute them as you would to
different basswood ranges, but must keep them all
here. We could divide the number of hives, and
set each apiary in an opposite direction. The bees
would not interfere: but, unfortunately, this year
failed, so 1 can not find out, and must try again an-
other year.

Going through the gardens informer years, we
very seldom saw a bee here and there lost among
the millions of white flowers, and we always take
it as a good "omen " where we find very few bees,
for then we conclude the secretion is abundant, and
no reason for bees to overcrowd.

In the mountains, again, it is different. Agricul-
tural progress restrains our fields of operation, as
we depend on wild thyme, growing on uncultivated
land; and as the nomadic Arabs living in the Ju-
dean wilderness advance, thyme goes back, and
then the question arises, How many hives to a
square mile in such a locality? for a place crowded
with orange-trees certainly is far superior, and can
support a greater number of colonies of bees than
the same extent covered with thyme. When going
over the fields I noticed great numbers of bees on
the same shrub, and at once concluded that it was
either a failure altogether, or too many hives were
on the same spot. When I say " going over the
fields," I ought to say scrambling up and down the
rocks of the steep and barren-looking mountains of
Judea. It is only lack of earth that has not turned
all into cultivated terraces. Centuries have passed
over these uncultivated slopes, and the heavy rains
have carried all loose earth down the valleys. The
increase of inhabitants at Jerusalem and Bethlehem
has demanded a great deal of lime and wood. The

1889

CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

51

Hme-kilns are a great destruction to the forests, if ■
such they may be called. Although strict ordersjj
from Constantinople have forbidden the cutting-up |
of trees and roots, still the work of destruction is
going- on, and before long it will be difficult to find
the traces of where once stood oaks, pines, carobs,
or terebinth-trees. The shrubs also are disappear-
ing; and if no stricter measures are taken by the
actual government, it will be the task of the future
conqueror of Palestine to restore it to what it might
have looked like in the times of the kings of Israel,
and then under the Romans; later, under the Cru-
saders; thus bee-keeping will suffer by the care-
lessness of the authorities as well as the communi-
ties that help the authorities in the line of complet-
ing the destruction.

PAINTING HIVES.

The subject of painting hives interested me. Our
hives were painted, some red, others white, others
blue; and placing the same colors in a row it had a
good effect, and young queens easily found their
way by marking the one they left. Surely bees see
the color; for, taking away a hive, the bees coming
home fly to the next hive having the same color as
the one taken away, no matter if another hive of a
different color be nearer the place where the re-
moved hive stood. By migrating, the hives being
placed beside and upon each other, and rubbed all
the night through by the tossing movements of the
camels, a good deal of paint is rubbed off, so that
two seasons, or hardly three, is all our hives can
bear. They must be repainted for outside comfort;
and, besides, we are of the opinion the sun warps
up unpainted hives. The light colors are the best,
and bees feel more comfortable in them. The 10,-
000 hives on page 141, and 10,000 dogs, 142, that ended
with the tracks of a dog only, I compared with our
difficulties with the Turkish government— a land
of " baksheesh" (gratification), where every thing
can be done provided you "smear the hands," as we
put it. A few years ago the tax-gatherer, finding
our "improved hives" got more honey than the clay
pipes, pretended to tax our hives ten times the val-
ue of the native hive, and would hear no explana-
tion whatever till the question was solved by the
usual method, and only the tracks of his enormous
demands were left. This year new difficulties
arise. It seems as if the Turks were taking advan-
tage of the continual war preparations in Europe to
take us to task. Of course, when matters get too
serious we are backed by our consul.

QUESTION NO. 39, MARCH 1.

Honey gets a better taste after some weeks. The
orange and thyme flavors are more pronounced;
but I am astonished that none of those eminent
bee-keepers can tell us anything about the wax-
moth, in trying to keep comb honey from one year
to another. Does sulphuring the combs not injure
the flavor? With us, no combs could be kept with-
out occasionally sulphuring; or are you not trou-
bled with this pest? I should want P. Benson's
worm annihilator to keep them off (page 258), Egyp-
tian bees have heen known and handled by very few.
Although they have a bad name, we can not strictly
rely on such experiences, as no modern apiarist
ever tried to raise good-natured ones, or, so to say,
weed out the furious ones. Cyprians, claimed by
Mr. F. Benton to be the best-natured bees, have re-
ceived the greatest attention, notably by himself;
still they have led Mr. Abbott, in the British Bee
Journal, to say, " I had time only to put the quilt

.on." Now, all Eastern bees are very irritable and
difficult to handle, at times; but are we not living
in a time when people are trying to overcome all
difficulties, and especially using our senses as to
what method we had better resort to, to obtain the
result we are aiming at? for since we don't keep a
certain race of bees as a hobby, but as profit, why
not wear gloves, if such be necessary, to provide
against the unpleasant infliction of too many
wounds, if the Oriental races be acknowledged as
superior, both as honey-gatherers and as being
more prolific? The man who was cornered, page
294, April 15, about having seen comb manufactur-
ed, reminded me of a German here who would call
our nice granulated white orange honey " sugar
syrup," because he heard we fed the bees sugar at
times, and concluded the grains of sugar were still
visible in the syrup. We are glad at times to sell
off our honey at a reasonable price, and have hard-
ly any time and would have no sale for adulterated
honey; besides, we have to explain over and over
again to such unbelievers, and often to no appar-
ent avail.

I am of the opinion that bees know the place ex-
actly where the hive stands; for on a flat plat of
ground, with no trees, and very often no grass or
flowers, bees still take exactly the direction of their
entrance-holes, and do just exactly as the bee in
Dr. C. C. Miller's apiary does— "goes back and tries
again, if its bearings were not right." Our hive6
are placed differently, according to the plain or
mountain. In the plain, the hexagonal system is
adopted, the hives being about seven feec apart
from each other (2 meters); if space enough, they
are set at three meters, about 10 feet, apart; and,
as already remarked above, bees fly to the hive of
the same color standing next to the hive taken
away. I will not stand up to say bees can count,
but they very likely put into their memory before
leaving the apiary, especially when it is the first
time, " Well, I dwell in second, third, or fourth hive,
in the first diagonal white row." Now, I hardly
ever think a bee misses its house and street for its
neighbor's. Moving the hives in June, I went to an
olive-grovelO miles from here, and there placed the
hives round about the trees, working west before
noon and east after noon, thus having shade almost
all the time; and to work in the sun with the ther-
mometer marking 95 and 122° P. is fearful, yet it
must be done. I like to see a well-ordered apiary,
rather than letting them stand about in every di-
rection; but I think we can easily correct both, as
two trees planted in the same line, and in the same
soil, under the same care, will still grow up to look
somewhat different; and to the bees' small eyes, no
matter how tiny the difference may appear, they'll
be sure to make it out and find their sure way.

BEE-STING REMEDIES.

Page 499 tells us about a bee-sting remedy. Oil
always did good to wounds, as we read in the para-
ble of the good Samaritan, who put oil on the
wounds. It was very surely olive oil that was
meant. Now, the greater part of bee-keepers find
need of it ; and, being stung, occasionally the poison
get* inoculated Into the whole system, making
the body at least swell. Saliva is the surest remedy
with me, and it is always carried "about by every-
body; but very likely it depends on whether the part
stung is very fleshy or not; for then the swells
ing dissipates, whilst in a bony region the swelling
is better seen, The pain differs according to time

32

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

of day, whether stormy, place where stung, and,
particularly, the temper of the bee. Having had
many hornets to kill this year, I was slightly stung
by one on the arm near the pulse. Tt was very
painful, and swollen. I thought I was swell-proof ;
but I had to apply some spirits of camphor to the
wound. Will Professor Cook kindly tell us in what
proportion the different formic-acid-possessing in-
sects are to each other, and whether scorpions and
myriapods have the same principle of poison. We
often find them here under hives. The sting of a
scorpion is very severe. By a sting I got in the
thumb, the pain traveled all along the arm, and
seemed to settle all round the shoulder and side of
the breast where 1 got the sting; and on one occa-
sion. I was bitten by a myriapod (forty feet) on the
shoulder, through the woolen shirt. I suffered
from both about three days.

Ph. S. Baldensperger.
Sharon Apiary, Jaffa, Syria, Nov. 1, 1888.

Friend B., we are much obliged for your
very full report. It seems a little singular
that you should get honey from orange-blos-
soms in Jaffa, while in California they fur-
nish little honey or none at all. Very likely
the peculiar circumstances of the country
have much to do with it. I am inclined to
agree with you, that the bees from one hive
do. as a rule, work on some particular tree,
or in some particular locality ; but I am not
satisfied as to just how they manage to fol-
low or keep track of the inmates of their
own hive. Under such circumstances as
you mention, it probably is well to keep 500
or more hives in one location. I have
changed my mind considerably since I saw
the large apiaries of California, and heard
of the large yields; but I still think there
are few localities outside of California where
apiaries of more than 100 hives can be kept
profitably in one place. The mountain
thyme that you mention is probably a good
deal like the mountain sage of California. —
As you state it, there seems to be a positive
advantage in painting hives different colors.
Any kind of dark color, however, is objec-
tionable in our locality, because it absorbs
the rays of the sun, and becomes so much
hotter than a hive painted white.— Surely
you can get relief from the unreasonable
taxation you mention, can you not? Our
proof-reader suggests that it is only the
same thing over that happened in the time
recorded in the Scriptures. When Christ
came on earth he found just such extortion
in the collection of taxes as you mention ;
and, dear friend, is it not true now as it was
then, that there is no permanent complete
remedy except the spreading of the gospel
in the hearts of men?— The oriental races of
bees are not acknowledged with us to be
superior as honey -gatherers. They are,
however, acknowledged to be more prolific.
Are we to understand that you get honey
from olives also? In California I saw vast
orchards of olives.— It seems, friend B., you
still have faith that spirits of camphor help-
ed the hornet-stings. It is so natural to go
for the camphor-bottle, that a great many
of us, perhaps through the force of habit,
feel better when we see the bottle in some
friendly hand, accompanied by friendly
words of sympathy, and the refreshing and

perhaps reviving aromatic smell of the cam-
phor.—So you were actually bitten by a
thousand-legged worm, were you? It is
true, you mention that it had only forty legs
instead of a thousand ; but the fact that
you suffered from its bite several days
rather, upsets some of Prof. Cook's state-
ments. Will the professor please explain?

THE SEASON OF 1888.

8EI.MNG HONEV; SOMETHING ABOUT COMMISSION
MEN.

TTp S I'll have to tell it any way, I may just as
^fjk well say right now that the failure of our
j5» honey crops in the two last seasons has tak-
■*^*- en about the last bit of enthusiasm out of
me. The season of 1887 was poor, but 188S
was a total failure, so far as getting surplus honey
goes. I have 100 colonies, all in good shape to date.

They have been having good flights for the last
three days. Their winter stores consist almost en-
tirely of honey that is as black as ink. I am satis-
fied that, should they be confined to their hives for
a period of six weeks or two months by cold weath-
er, there will not be a bee left to tell the story.

After two weeks of bad weather during this
month, there came a warm day when the bees flew
out, and the hives were "spotted with dark excre-
ment, worse than I have ever seen after a long
winter's confinement. It might be urged that this
poor honey should have been taken away, and, in-
stead, sugar syrup given. As an excuse for this
palpable negligence, I will say that here our main
reliance for honey is clover, and this has been al-
most annihilated by the summer drouths of this
and last season, which made the prospects for a
year or more ahead unfavorable. In our judg-
ment, we should not be justified in going to much
trouble and expense to save the bees. If a few
days occur through the winter, offering opportuni-
ties for cleansing flights, our bees will come out all
right; but if they all die I shall not feel so badly
after all, as I console myself with the fact that I
can purchase honey from the" commission dealers
for about the same money that it costs to produce it
in our locality.

Why can we buy honey from commission houses
for less money than it ean be had of.the producer?
This question I put for the sole purpose of opening
the eyes of bee-keepers of a certain class. For the
first time, this fall' I have handled a good deal of
honey on commission. You see, I am getting some-
what into the commission harness; and this being
the case you will bear with me if I say some plain
things about dealers. Although I had not a pound
of honey this year, I have been selling more this
season than ever before, a greater part of it being
purchased from dealers, and some I have handled
on commission. At the beginning of the season for
selling honey I wrote to perhaps one hundred bee-
keepers for prices of honey; but as their prices
seemed too high, I began to look to dealers in hon-
ey to supply me, which was done at very satisfac-
tory prices.

" How can this be?" you ask. I will tell you just
how this is done. It is one thing to produce honey;
but to sell to the advantage of the producer is an-
other and quite a different thing. Now.it is sur-
prising how many successful honey-producers wr

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

58

have; but how few who can dispose of their crop to
the best advantage! Those who produce good crops,
and fail to sell in their own markets, or have no
home demand, ship to city markets, and employ
dealers to handle their honey. Once out of their
hands, they are at the mercy (?) of their commis-
sion dealer, and this explains why I can buy honey
from dealers for less money than I am asked by the
producer. Do you hear?

I have bought tons of honey this season from
commission men, at low prices, and have made
more money handling it than I would have made
had my own bees produced a good crop. Hence
you will see that it is not in my own interest that J
write as [ do about this matter.

I nearly double my money on the honey which
some of you bee-keepers produce, and that, too.
after commissions, cost of packages, freights, and
numerous other expenses have been taken out —
out of your pockets. How do I succeed in selling
such quantities of honey at such good prices, you
ask?

Looking at the mauuscript for the above, I am re-
minded that I have even now exceeded the limit of
space the editor will feel like according me; but I
will say, if it is the desire of Gleanings that I shall
write another article in the near future, on the sub-
ject, '" How to sell honey." 1 Hatter myself that my
successful career " along this line," as Doolittle
would say, would lie beneficial to many who sell
honey at a price incommensurable with the cost of
production. .J. A. Buchanan.

Holliday's Cove, VV. Va.. Dec. :'.',, 1888.

Friend B., you have struck on a very im-
portant point, and we shall be very glad in-
deed to have you continue the subject. If I
understand you. however, the reason why
you are enabled to get honey at these low
prices is because of the shiftless way in
which many send their honey to commis-
sion men. Now, we are not in the commis-
sion business ; but a good many bee-keepers
do send us honey, and beeswax also, with-
out telling us how much they sent ; and, in
fact, a good many times I do not believe they
knew themselves. Sometimes they send it
in, and do not say any thing at all. 'Most of
the time we have stray boxes of wax wait-
ing until somebody writes about them.
Well, my advice would be this: Don't any
of you send any honey at all to a commis-
sion man, nor to'anybody else, without first
writing to him, and asking him to tell you,
as soon as he can, about what he thinks it
would bring, giving a description of it.
Better still, send him a fair sample of the
lot, and let him tell you about what it will
probably realize. Then when the honey is
sent, teil him exactly how low he can go,
and give positive directions not to sell cheap-
er. If he rinds that he can not sell it at the
price you put on it, he will advise you and
you can decide to come down a little if you
choose. If he writes back to you that the
honey was received in bad condition — brok-
en and leaking — if the quantity is consid-
erable, and you are not too far away, it will
pay you to go and take care of it. Fix it up,
and peddle out the smashed honey yourself.
You will probably make better wages at it
than you can at any thing else. By so doing
you will have a better opinion of commis-

sion men generally, and I am inclined to
think they will have a better opinion of us
as bee-keepers.

THIRD LETTER ABOUT MRS. LUCINDA
HARRISON.

HER HOME l.IEE, ETC.

T STARTED out to write these letters about Mrs.
M L. Harrison, because every bee-keeper knows
W her and would like to hear about her; but in

■*■ reading them over.it seems that I have been
writing all the time about Mrs. Chaddock, and
that Mrs. Harrison comes in onlj incidentally.
There are too many big I's in them.

T think all the bee-keepers' wives who read Mrs.
Harrison's letters wonder if. she is a good house-
keeper, and sews on buttons and things, just like
other folks. Well, she is, and she does. She has a
small house, and it is as clean as a new pin, and is
always just .so. She hires a woman to come once a
week and sweep her house all over. She gets
rusk (a kind of light biscuit with a faint trace of
sugar in them) at the bakery; she hires her wash-
ing done; and, of course, she has no milk to care
for, nor churning to do. as farmers' wives have.
She hires most of her sewing done, and her house-
cleaning— in the spring aud fall. She puts in her
time cooking, washing dishes, writing for the press,
working with the bees, running the lawn-mower,
going to Sunday-school conventions, old-settlers'
meetings and bee-conventions, and she is the most
jolly woman that I ever met. Some people have
qualms of conscience. Mrs. Harrison has none; and
her cheerfulness and light-heartedness are conta-
gious. I want to hold her upas a beautiful exam
pie for all wives to follow.

MRS. HAKKISON AT A SUN DA V-S( HOOI, CONVEN-
TION.

When her husband came home the first night I
was there, she ran to meet him. She had not seen
him for a week: then she introduced me. Mrs.
Harrison does not scold— not a bit— but just laughs.
Tf the stove smokes, she laughs; if her husband
yets in a hurry for the breakfast, she laughs. All
the things that most women are put out about, she
only laughs at; and if there is any one thing that
impressed me mote than another in Mrs. Harrison's
daily walk and conversation, it was her great cheer

54

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

fulness, it is easy enough for well people to bejgfor one like it, such as Ernest and Maud
cheerful; but when a woman i6 not well, it mustwhave across the street. Fathers-in-law and
require some effort to be cheerful. After this,! mothers-in-law are excellent things to have,
whenever i get the blues so badly that I think I am just a little way off — say across the street,
going to die, i shall leave, and go and stay two A house large enough to have several fam-
weeka with Mrs. Harrison. She has a motherly ilies under one roof is good in theory, like

sort of way of talking to me that does me good.
She is a splendid cook, and all her knicknacks taste
good. She broils her beefsteak, and it is juicy and
Bweet. She cooks apple sauce to perfection; and
her tea and coffee are unexcelled. She uses a
bright-red table-cloth and fringed napkins.

Her hees are in the dooryard— some of them close
up against the house (when I was there; I suppose
they are in the cellar now), and the hives are close
together— not more than four inches apart, I think,
and are painted some indifferent color.

"SHE PLANS HER WORK BEFOREHAND."

Mrs. H. has a large dooryard, filled partly with
fruit-trees and grapevines; the grass is kept short
all the time, with the lawn-mower, and they have
walks to go everywhere. Mrs. H. is a great manag-
er. She plans all her work beforehand, and thus
saves time and strength. Her home is plainly fur-
nished—about like the well-to-do farmers who live
about here, and they have no fancy dishes on their
table. They have several farms out of town, and
the money comes rolling in; but what are they go-
ing to do with it? I can not imagine. I know what
I'd do with a part of it, if I were in Mrs. Harrison's
place. I'd have a good big house built, and have it
warmed with steam, with a bath-room where folks
could swim, etc.

Well, well! Mrs. Harrison is a beautiful charac-
ter; and the very next novel I write I shall put her
in. I think I shall have her figure in the "Cheer-
ful Mother-in-law," because mothers-in-law have
been slandered, and called cross and hateful, from
time immemorial. Mahala B. Chaddock.

Vermont, 111.

My good friend, we are exceedingly oblig-
ed to you for this home glimpse of Mrs.
Harrison. Some of us might be afraid to
have you pay us a visit, if you are going to
write us up in that fashion. 1 am afraid
we should not enable you to make so good a
record. Tn regard to building a good big
house, take Mrs. Root's advice, and — don't !
We manage a good deal as Mrs. Harrison
does, about sweeping and washing ; but we
have decided that a larger house than one

tenement bee-hives ; but I believe that
most of those who were so enthusiastic
about tenement hives have come back in fa-
vor of each colony in a hive by itself. " Eve-
ry tub on its own bottom," you know.

BEES AND NEIGHBORS.

NOT BEE-LEGISLATION, BUT EXCLUSIVE RIGHT OF
TERRITORY BY PURCHASE.

needs, is a misfortune. Mrs. Root even now

longs occasionally for our old little home, or honey is scarce and comes in slowly

f HE only fair and just way for a man to get
the monopoly of the bee-business in any lo-
cality is for him to pay each farmer or lot-
holder within the flight of his bees a certain
sum yearly, not to keep any bees on his
property. If a law could be had, selling rights to
any one person to keep bees in a given locality,
then only the rich or well-established apiarist
could secure the rights. The poor widow or crip-
ple or broken-down professional man would not
dare to keep bees within a certain limit, because
the Honorable Mr. Moneybags had bought the lo-
cal right for a few paltry dollars. Lazarus could
not keep bees within three or four miles of Dives'
residence. The poor widow could not earn a mite
for the Lord's treasury by keeping bees, because
some Pharisee had bought the township-right.

Any law giving one person advantage over
another is wrong. According to the plan at the be-
ginning of this article, the widow wishing to keep
bees need not sell her right, and the law would not
take away her right. Any person should have the
right to keep a few bees, or as many bees as he
chooses, provided his bees do not harm his neigh-
bors or passers-by, and are not a nuisance.

Just here I should like to say, no man has a right
to keep bees in a town if his bees really annoy his
neighbors. By annoy, I do not mean make nerv-
ous people fidgety. No one has a right to keep
chickens to scratch his neighbor's garden; neither
has he a right to keep bees where they will sting
his neighbor's children. Bees are bees, and bees
will sting. Whenever my bees become a nuisance
I will move them out of town. Our neighbors
have rights as well as ourselves.

The same principle applies to foul brood. That
disease should not be] treated with anything ex-
cept the furnace. It should be burned, destroyed,
root and branch, upon its first appearance. We
owe this to our neighbors as well as to ourselves.
" Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you." You would not like to have a neighbor tol-
erating and treating foul brood within the flight of
your bees.

Last spring I selected two colonies, about equal
in queens, strength, and in good condition. Over
one I used a slatted honey-board and a T super.
Over the other 1 used half-depth wide frames, with
no honey-board. The one under the T super
swarmed out without touching the sections. The
one under the half-depth wide frames stored me
fifty or sixty sections of surplus comb honey. The
honey-boards seem to remove the surplus boxes
too far from the brood-nest in a poor season, when

I think the

1889

GLEANINGS IN 1 5 ME CULTURE.

55

bee-space between half-depth wide frames should
be f, the same as the sections, thus leaving- no lit-
tle line along- the edge, to be propolized.

Once this summer my bees started booming- on
something. I could smell the honey ten feet or
more from the hive. I supposed it was red clover.
Upon investigation I found no bees on the red
clover, but found the common burdock in bloom,
crowded, roaring- with bees.

I fixed my bees for winter November 3, and wore
my overcoat while doing so. I believe they have
had only one day's good fly since then.

Philo S. Dilworth.

Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 10, 1S88.

Friend D.,your point is a good one. Go
to your neighbors all round about you, if
you are located in the country, and get them
to sign a paper, agreeing not to keep bees
under a certain number of years. If they
have no notion of keeping bees any way,
the greater part of them will be glad to as-
sist you by signing the paper, without pay.
Those who keep bees already, and especial-
ly if they are not doing much with them,
will perhaps sell out reasonably, and, for a
small sum per year, give you the sole privi-
lege. You could easily make a canvass of
your vicinity — say covering the land within
two miles of yoii in each direction, to see
what it will cost you. If too expensive,
don't go into it ; but I think that many of
the friends could easily in this way secure
the right to keep bees, without any unpleas-
antness or unfriendliness. Where real es-
tate is transferred to a party, I suppose a
paper could be drawn up, making the same
regulation hold, even after the transfer. If
your bees boomed on burdock, it seems to
me it is something of a reflection on the
farmers in your locality.

^ i ^

BEES AND CANNING-FACTORIES.

A BEE-KEEPER OBLIGED TO GO OUT OF THE
BUSINESS.

T RECEIVED the last number of Gleanincs a
jfflf few days ago, and I am sorry to say that this
W must be really the last number I shall get of
A my rno^t favorite journal, as I shall be out of
the bee-keeping business by next spring, and,
of course, shall have no further use for a bee-pa-
per. The business of keeping bees, at least around
here, is (to use a common expression) about played
out. The last two seasons were very poor indeed.
Last summer I got absolutely nothing from my 80
swarms; and when there is a good season (as we had
two years ago) I have to sell the very best of white
comb honey in pound boxes for 10 cts. a pound.
That is for less than I can afford to raise it. But
in spite of these discouraging prospects T should
have kept on, hoping for better times in future, if I
had been left undisturbed by outsiders, and if a
certain institution that lias sprung up in my
neighborhood had been built somewhere else.
The institution I have reference to is a factory for
canning fruit, that was built last spring, a few
rods from my home, and that turned out to be the
ruin of my bees. As soon as business was started
up (canning pine-apples in June), my bees went
there in perfect swarms, to be drowned in sugar
syrups, or to be killed in some way; and in a little
while my best colonies were so depopulated as to

be perfectly useless. To prevent my bees from
getting into th>- building- by putting wire cloth be-
fore doors and windows was not possible, as part of
the rear of the main building, where they unload
fruit, is all open, and I had to try the next best
thing I knew of; viz., to shut them up in their
hives. I hurriedly made frames, covered them
with wire cloth, put those on top of the brood-
frames, shut the entrance-holes with wire cloth,
allowed the bees to rly about an hour before sun-
set, and shut them up again late in the evening;
but in spite of all this trouble 1 could not save
them, for great quantities of them worried them-
selves to death in the hives, and it proved .iust
about as disastrous to them as to allow them to go
and meet their fate in the factory. Although the
proprietors of the factory behaved to me like gen-
tlemen, at least this last season, there is no way of
telling how they might act if this nuisance should
keep on; and it was indeed a great nuisance to
them, as I saw myself.

Aside from having my bees ruined every sum-
mer, I run the risk of being involved in a lawsuit
by and by; and as the canning-factory, to judge
from the large and substantial buildings erected
for the purpose, seems to be a permanent affair,
there is only one way left to me —give up keeping
bees in the future. I know I shall feel dreadfully
lonely without the dear little creatures; but I have
to submit to it. Chas. Kltmitz.

Batavia, Genesee Co., N. Y., Dec. 31, 1888.

Why, good friend K., why should you
abandon bees, because your locality seems
to be j ust now a bad place for them V Doz-
ens of the friends in California, have been
in the same predicament ; but instead of
abandoning the bees they simply moved
them to a locality where they did not annoy
anybody else, and usually they have suc-
ceeded in getting a place where enough
more honey can be secured to cover all the
expense of having an apiary away from
home. During the honey season, where the
yield is good you can arrange to have a sort
of summer residence with your bees. Then
you will be right in fashion. You can shut
up the house during the hot weather ; and
instead of going to the seaside, or to some
popular resort, jou can go and live with
your bees and get gocd pay. I would much
rather move the bees to some other locality
than to try fastening them up in their hives.
I am inclined to think the latter course will
always turn out about as it has with you.

SECURING COMB HONEY.
miller versus doolittle on the matter.

«S I am very much interested in the discussion
now going on between friends Doolittle and
Miller, 1 thought I would put in a word in
favor of them both. The subject they are
discussing is not exhausted, by any means.
but is, in fact, one of the most interesting that has
occupied the pages of Gleanings for a long time.
As to the real point at issue between two old and
experienced bee-keepers like Miller and Doolittle,
there will not be much left to quarrel about, I
think, when they fully understand each other's
positions. There is so much to be taken into con-
sideration, thai neither the tierjng-up plan nor Mr,

56

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

TVs side and top storing plan will succeed under all
conditions. Now, whatever works satisfactorily in
!i country where the honey-How comes at an un-
uatural time of the year, as it does in Cuba, when
the bee-keeper has got to work every way he can
think 'd to tret his bees in condition to take advan-
tage of the early flow, thai way is the hest. Then
comes in Mr. Doolittle's plan; i. c, have your bees
when the honey-flow comes. Bui will the tiering-
up plan work in the case of a long honey-flow? No,
for you will not get the best results in that way.
I'or too much time is waBtecl in capping the honey;
too much heat is wasted by adding mure room.
Now, there is where friend Doolittle is right, ac-
cording to my experience -keep the bees compact
and warm; for never, in my experience of live
years in Cuba, did 1 lind that 1 had my bees ton
warm. We always had them snugly tucked up
under enamel cloths, and in tight hives. How far
you can carry the expansive plan of managing

i s for surplus, is a point that can be decided by

circumstances only. .lust what those circum-
stances are at all times, I would rather someone
else would tell than I. My experience with colo-
nies in managing them for extracted honey is to
keep them warm; give no more room than they
can occupy, and have nothing between the brood
and store conibs; nothing' to hinder the free pass-
age of heat from the brood-chamber to the surplus
department, right directly over the brood. Hut in
ease a colony is not strong enough to occupy two
stories, very good results can be secured by con-
lining them to the brood-chamber, and working
them on the side-storing plan.

What Mr. Doolittle says about the dry-goods box,
I can hardly agree with; that is, if we take a dollar-
aud-eents view of it. Let friend Doolittle, next
spring, take 1 lb. of bees and put them in a dry-
goods box; then put the same amount of bees in a
hive with a division- board all tucked up warm, and
report results in the fall. 1 contend that more
honey can be secured by keeping the bees crowded
and warm than by giving them lots of room and
compelling them to store what they can in old di-
lapidated hives Now. how many bee-keepers do
you think judge correctly of the proper condition
of their bees when they open a hive? 1 fear too
many thiuk their bees need more room when they
are in just the right condition to do the best work.
A friend said to me last summer, "Aren't you
afraid your bees will swarm?" I said, " No. Tf
they want to swarm, I let them do as they like, but
seldom more than once, and that does very little if
any harm." As 1 said at the beginning, I want to
see this subject properly discussed: " The giving of
more room when the bees do not need it."

San Diego, Cal., bee i:;, 1888. A. W. Osbcrn.

THE CORRUGATED HIVE-COVERS.

PHI END REESE REVIEWS THE MATTEK.

T WAS so thoroughly imbued with the idea that I
Ay had hit on the best water-proof hive-cover, and
I* only positive relief from swelling from bee-
* stings, thai your comments on page 766 were
more than a surprise to me— especially when
you object to the weight of the eorrugated iron.
Let us review the matter a little, and see if there is
not more merit than you have discovered. One

'• ' -land. oil corrugated iron, painted

weighs [7,,-„ of a pound, or a little less than '.t of one
pound. A piece 18 inches wide and 24 inches long,
which would cover a Simplicity hive nicely, project-
ing over each side about one inch, and far enough
over the front to protect the entrance from much
rain, snow, or hot sun, would weigh just 2,',;;,
pounds, and cost just 12 cents, all painted and ready
for use. Now, when you take into consideration
the fact that no other cover, is really needed, it is
nol so expensive or heavy after all. I put the sheet
of corrugated iron right down on the enamel cloth
that covers the sections or frames, and lay any old\
boards on top as a protection from the hot sun, and
to keep the iron in place. When winter comes (we
will take it for granted we use Simplicity hivesi,
just set an empty brood-chamber over each colony,
i tver the frames put a piece of old carpet or a felt
or straw mat; on this, in turn, put four to six inch-
es of planer shavings or sawdust, or a chaff cushion,
and over the whole the corrugated iron cover. This
will admit sufficient circulation, and we may rest
easy so far as protection is concerned. For a chaff
hive which must be kept dry, well, you can see how-
it is yourself . If you will turn to page 15 of Dr.
Miller's " A Year Among the Bees." you will see
his "tolerably light cover" weighs 5M pounds, and
costs from 20 to 25 cents. How does the comparison
strike you?

1 now prefer the '—inch corrugations, and send
you herewith a sample with the maker's name. It
would be quite a job for the majority of people who
keep bees, to tit tin to their old leaky covers, tack it
on and paint it.

The bee-sting remedy, you will please understand.
is simply to make a slight cut, merely passing
through the skin, just where the bee-sting entered,
and allowing the alkali to come in direct contact
with the poison, causing neutralization at once, and
the swelling does not take place. The incision
made with the knife cau scarcely be noticed
a few hours after, and is not painful, as the flesh is
not " dug into " as you term it. In a recent num-
ber of one of our bee-journals some one suggests
the use of the hypodermic syringe to inject an al-
kali into the venomed parts, which is certainly a
capital idea if we could have at hand, as convenient
as our pocket-knife, the little expensive syringe.
My two little boys, four and five years of age, inva-
riably come to me when they get stung, to get the
soda water put into the stung place on their bare
feet, etc. ; and when I am not at home when they
ai-e stung, they always swell, and regret my ab-
sence. J. S. Reese.

Winchester, Ky., Nov. 0, 1888.

Many thanks, friend K., for the sample of
your corrugated iron. It Mall no doubt an-
swer splendidly ; but in our locality it would
be blown off by the winds, and they would
get smashed and battered up, so we should
be obliged absolutely to hitch them fast to
something. Another thing: If anybody
should sit down on a hive, or even if one
hive were rested on top of another, they
would be pressed out of all shape. I do not
believe I should like them nailed fast to a
wooden cover. In that case the tin we al-
ready use would be cheaper, and I think
rather preferable, because it is smooth on
top.— Cutting into the flesh with a knife, in
order to get the alkali in contact with the
poison, ma\ be a positive remedy. I am

1889

GLEANINGS IN 1JEE CULTURE.

67

afraid, however, that I should conclude, if I
tried it, that I could not see any very great
difference.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

WINTERING A HIVE ON A SUMMER STAND WITH-
OUT A BOTTOM.

'HILE I was at the convention at Albany
last winter, a gentleman, I do not remem-
ber his name (he was on the platform at
the left of the president), said that his
hired man had a hive of bees in a box hive,
standing on four posts three feet high, with no
bottom in the hive, and it stood outdoors all winter,
and the thermometer had been below zero several
times during the winter, and that the hive of bees
came out better in the spring than his own bees
that he had put in his cellar, as he supposed, in the
best possible shape. He was asked by some one in
the convention if the hive was high enough so it
did not get snowed under, to protect it from the
wind. He said it was about three feet from the
ground, and did not get covered with snow, but
that the whole bottom of the hive was open all win-
ter. Now, my theory is that there was no conden-
sation, as the temperature outside and inside of the
hive was nearly alike, except, perhaps, in the
cluster of the bees a little warmer. I also think
that there was no circulation or current of air, but
instead there was a penetration of fresh air. or, in
other words, the air formed an equilibrium of tem-
perature by penetration of the free and open bot-
tom of the hive; and when there was a change in
the temperature outside, there was a correspond-
ing change inside also. As I am only a novice in
bee-keeping, I will not make any suggestions.
West Troy, N. Y. A. E. Clute.

Friend C., I can not recall to mind now
the name of the gentleman you mention,
but perhaps some of the other members
present can do so. Through the back vol-
umes of our bee-journals we have had a.
good many reports such as you give ; but
instead of having the whole bottom of the
hive open, I think the effect would be still
better if they had an opening from four to
six inches square. To prevent mice from
getting in at this opening, it had better be
covered with wire cloth ; and when we get
down to it, a good-sized entrance properly
protected with the cloth, in such a position
that it is not likely to be closed up with
snow or ice, pretty nearly fills the bill. In
fact, I have always favored the idea of hav-
ing the bees enter the hives from under the
bottom. A Simplicity hive, pushed for-
ward on its bottom, gives us just exactly
this kind of entrance. Now, after having
fastened the hive so it can not slip forward
on the bottom-board, tip it up as illustrated
on page 25 of our last issue, and you have
an opening that lets all the dead bees fall
out. and gives every advantage of a hive
without a bottom. If you put wire cloth
over this large entrance, however, to keep
out the mice, the dead bees can not fall out
as they would otherwise. Some years ago
the matter was.pretty strongly talked up, of

having hives as tight above as they could
possibly be made, and no bottom-board at
all, during the winter tim*.

SIZE Ol' SECTIONS, AGAIN ; M. A. KELLHY RENEWS
THE MATTER WITH DR. MILLER.

Please allow me to thank Dr. Miller for his able
reply concerning the "size of sections;" also to
answer his question, "Why does the 434x4& section
seem to you too small?" Simply, sir, because, in
ordinary seasons, it will not hold one pound. I tried
to make this plain, as a careful reading of my letter
will show. To call it a 1-lb. section is a misnomer,
and to sell it as such is something worse. True, as
you remark, no size will give uniform weight; but
the variation should embrace 1 lb. between its ex-
tremes. But how is it with the so-called 1-lb. sec-
tions? With me they average from 13 to 15 oz. only.
Taking 2 oz., then, as an average variation, it
should be from 15 to IT oz., thus giving some
chance to strike a general average of one pound.
In giving your experience with various widths,
you stop short with 8 to the foot. Tell us how
much your 7 to the foot and ti to the foot or I],;
sections weigh. Did you ever have a single super
of the sections in question in which they would
average 17 ounces each? Have you nol had
hundreds of supers of the same size of sections in
which they would average not more than 1"> oz.
each? Doubtless your own experience will indi-
cate the truth of my assertion, that the 4?ix4J4 is
too small. This may seem to be. but it is not, a
small matter, (iiving good weight maintains a
good reputation, which is no small matter.

Milton, W. Va., Dec. 31, 1888. M. A. Kellky.

Friend K., you seem to overlook the fact
that the Simplicity sections are made now
of a good many different widths. I believe
1 put the first Simplicity sections <>n the
market that were ever heard of. They
were arranged so that eight would fill a
Langs troth frame, and, as originally made,
they were plump two inches. Now, with-
out separators, and as I first used them,
they average more than a pound. The
same sections with separators average a
trifle less than a pound ; but as it is entire-
ly out of the question— at least, so far as I
know— to produce sections weighing even
very nearly a pound, we always sell them by
weight ; and if we sell them by weight we
are just about as badly off to have them run
over as to have them run under. To be
very exact, perhaps we should not call them
" one-pound sections.'' Giving good weight
maintains a good reputation, no doubt ;
but I do not believe it advisable to give
very much more than a pound. Honey is
sold by weight the world over, so far as 1
know. In California they sell apples and
potatoes and coal, and almost every thing
else, by weight ; and I think it would be
well if we should follow their example in
many things.

IS HONEY VINEGAR AS GOOD FOR PICKLING As
CIDER VINEGAR ?

Reading the articles in regard to honey vinegar in
November and December Gleanings moves me to
make some inquiry of the feminine portion of
Gleanings' readers concerning it. 1 will first
state that wt- have for a number of year mud.

58

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

-J A N .

considerable vinegar from waste honey, to which
we added some fruit juices, as currants, grapes,
etc. In making jelly I put cold water upon the
pulp left after squeezing out what juice I want for
the jelly; and after straining it, put it into the
vinegar-barrel, together with the skimmings from
the jelly. This gives a beautiful color and flavor
to the vinegar, which can not be surpassed for
table use; but I And that, while I can make very
nice sweet fruit-pickles by using the usual amount
of sugar, I can uot make good vegetable pickles,
even by the use of sugar. The pickles are delicious
when first made, but soon the vinegar turns white,
and, if neglected, a heavy coat of mold will be
found on the top. 1 have never experienced this
difficulty when cider vinegar was used, and I de-
sire to know whether others have found the same
difference between vinegar made from honey and
that made from cider. Emily E. West.

^lint, Mich., Dec. 14, 1888.

My good friend, we have had considerable
experience in the use of different kinds of
vinegar for pickles. Yes, sad experience.
Now, while cider vinegar will perhaps keep
pickles longer than vinegar made of honey,
or water sweetened with the residue from
making maple sugar, etc., our experience is,
that no kind of vinegar, except a high qual-
ity of white-wine vinegar, is suitable for
keeping pickles any length of time. Cider
vinegar does very well where the pickles are
used up before warm weather comes in the
spring; and very strong cider vinegar may
keep them through the summer ; but with
white-wine vinegar, that costs something
like 80 cts. a gallon, we can keep pickles
year after year. Perhaps cider vinegar may
be so treated and so concentrated as to keep
pickles safely through several months of
summer weather. It may be, also, that
honey vinegar that is very strong and sharp
might answer.

.JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT NOT AS GOOD A YIELDER
OF HONEY.

Japanese buckwheat yields three times as much
as the silverhull, and it is two weeks earlier; but
the bees do not work on it so well as they might if
they had nothing else. I do not want to raise it for
the bees.

WH1TEWOOD FOR HIVES.

I think that whitewood makes the best hive and
the best frames. The bees like whitewood the best
of any kind.

My bees have done well this summer. They have
made 1700 lbs. of honey. Thomas Oberhitner.

Deshler. O.. Dec. 3. 1888.

i Ai. IM. SURPLUS QUEENS DURING WINTER, OVER
STRONG COLONIES.

Can 1 get a book on bee culture, from which I can
learn how to save queens sure, during the winter
months? I mean queens for which I have no use
in the fall. II so, have the kindness to give the
name "I the book and the price. .1. Glanzmann.

Utus, Ark.

We might refer you to our A I! •' of
Bee ( iulture ; but neither that nor any other
book that we know of would yive you any
sure method by which you could preserve
queens alive when separated from the clus-
ter, either by caging or otherwise. We have
caged queens over a strong colony of bees

where there was already a reigning queen,
perhaps one or two months during the win-
ter. We never had any yet that survived
until they could be made use of in the
spring. A month or six weeks is as long as
we could keep them after confining them in
the manner explained.

HONEY FROM APPLE-TREES ; 54 LBS. IN SEVEN
DAYS, BY ONE COLONY.

Mr. Doolittle, in his review of your A B C book,
says that apple is a great yielder of honey, and my
experience during the past season has convinced
me that he is right. I joined your ABC class of
bee-keepers in May, 1887. 1 then bought three
colonies of bees for $18.50. I increased them to 6,
and got 330 lbs. of comb honey. 1 wintered them
without loss, by packing in chaff, 10 to 12 inches on
each side of the hive, and about 18 on top. I open-
ed them April 1st, and found that brood-rearing
was well under way, but I thought they had too
much honey (about 30 lbs. per colony), so 1 extract-
ed the outside frames and placed them in the cen-
ter of the brood-uest. I then covered them very
warm, and fed the honey back to them slowly.
They increased very rapidly, and I think those
hives contained as many bees May loth as they
have at any time since. I had one colony which
stored 54 lbs. of apple honey in seven days; anoth-
er one filled 24 sections in four days, and then
swarmed and made a good start in their new hive
before apple - bloom was gone. I did not have a
colony which stored less than 10 lbs. of apple honey
in the sections. Sections of empty comb, when
filled with apple honey, were sealed almost as soon
as filled; and I doubt if even you could distinguish
them from newly built combs. There was but lit-
tle clover, and they worked only three days on
basswood. I got 300 lbs. of comb honey, and in-
creased my 6 colonies to 17. When September
came my colonies were light, and the brood-nests
were nearly empty. I fed them 300 lbs. of sugar,
so I did not make very much; but I am not at all
discouraged. I have gone into the business to stay,
and I shall stay whether I succeed or not.

If you can read this, you will do well. I wrote
it while lying in bed with a broken leg.

Gilead, Mich. D. E. Weage.

Friend W.. I have long been aware that
apple-trees often produce enormous quanti-
ties of honey. There are several obstacles
in the way, however, of getting such a yield
as you mention. One is, the bees are sel-
dom strong enough to take advantage of it.
Quite a few times, when we happened to
have powerful colonies during apple-bloom,
we have had quite good yields. I feel sure,
however, we can, if we choose, have at
least a few rousing colonies during apple-
bloom. The other trouble is, and perhaps
the worst of all, that the weather is often-
times very unfavorable for gathering honey
from apple. In fact, 1 have known bad
weather almost through the entire apple-
bloom period. Then there are seasons
when apple-trees do not blossom very much.
and also when a profuse bloom gives little
or no honey. I think it is well, however, to
prepare ourselves as well as we can, espe-
cially when we are in a locality where apple-
trees are plentiful. If we could find a spot
protected by taH forest-trees, or, better

1880

GLEANINGS IN V,EE CULTURE.

59

still, ranges of hills, something like the
mountains of California, we should stand
a much better chance of securing apple-
bloom honey ; and in locating an apiary I
think I would consider well the matter of
apple-bloom.

0a^ Que£TON-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

(Question 100.— a. What is the lowest temperature,
Fahrenheit, that you usually experience in winter in
your locality? h. How many days is the mercury he-
low zero, FahrJ

a. From 18 to 30°. b. From 20 to 40.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

a. 20 to 30 below zero. b. I do not know.

Geo. Grimm.
a. 20 to 25; b. probably 40 days. Dadant & Son.

a. 20° below zero. b. Not over 25 on an average, I
think. James A. Green.

Usually about 15° below, occasionally 20° below.
b. From eight to ten; some winters more, somi
less. P. H. Elwood.

a. Usually about lti below zero. b. 10 to 20. Occa
sionally a winter when the mercury does not go be
low zero. H. R. Boardman.

15 to 18 below zero, ordinarily, but the past fou
winters have been severe, the mercury going a
low as 28 and 30 below, b. I have kept no record.
Mrs. L. Harrison.

We have had the mercury 24° below zero during
several winters, and five or six years ago the mer-
cury was in the twenties below zero for almost two
weeks. Chas. F.Muth.

a. In 1872 and 1885, the coldest was 15° below zero;
1873 and 1884, 14° below; 1875, '79, '86. 12° below; 1880,
'83, and '87, 10°; in 1874. '77, '78, '80, and '81, 2° below,
b. Usually but one day, very seldom more than two
or three. Dr. A. B. Mason.

In this locality, 42 north latitude, we consider 15
below zero as extremely cold, although we have
had 30 once or twice. We frequently get through
the winter with nothing more than zero, or 5 and ii
below. James Heddon.

The lowest is about 18° above 0. As a general
rule we don't have more than 20 freezing days in a
winter, although I find that our winters are more
sensitive than in the North, on account of the con-
tinual changes from warm to cold. I have seen the
four seasons in 24 hours, and that nearly every win-
ter. P. L. VlALLON.

Seldom more than \u° below zero, and seldom
more than two or three days at a time. My an-
swers to the general questions are in the main from
experiences gained in Central New York, where
the mercury often falls to 30 below zero for a week
or more at a time, at intervals during four months
or more. L. C. Root.

a. In my old locality in Northern Iowa, the ther-
mometer usually goes as low as 33° to 37° some-
times during each winter, b. I can not answer this

question accurately; but one winter the thermome-
ter was as low and lower than zero every day dur-
ing the entire month of January. I think that my
locality was as cold as that of any other contribu-
tor to your Query Department, and we made chaff-
hive wintering as much a success as did others with
their cellars. O. O. Popim.eton.

My location is Ohio, near the Michigan line. My
own weather- records cover eight winters, and show
as follows:
Winter of 18k<i, i lowest, —10°; below zero 14 days.
" 1881, '2 " J- 5°; '• " None.
" 1882, '3 " —14 ; ■' "11 days.
" i883, '4 " 29 ; " " 11 •«

" 1884, '5 " -26°; " " 31 "
" 1885, '6 " —10°; " " !l "
" 1886, '7 '• —17°; " " 8 "
" 1887, 's " —10"; " " 7 "
E. E. Hasty.

Dr. Miller gives us below some figures
from the Illinois State Weather Service, the
observer, Mr. J. W. James, being a neigh-
bor of his.

The average of the lowest temperatures of the
past 27 winters is 21° below zero. The lowest 1 have
recorded here is 31° below zero, Jan. 5, 1884. The
average number of days below zero, in 28 winters
past, is 17. Greatest number, 38, winter of '84, '85;
least number, 3, winter of '77, '78.

I have been meteorological observer here since
Oct., 1860; meteorological observer to Smithsonian
Institution, May, 1869, to Dec, 1873; voluntary ob-
server of Signal Service, U. S. A., Jan., 1874, on;
observer Illinois State Weather Service, 1877, on.

The above includes the three winter months,
December, January, and February, only.

John W. James.

.Dr. Miller adds :

From the above, I suppose the answer is— a. 21°,
b. 17. This certainly is warmer than ordinary ther-
mometers make (I've seen it down to 37°), but it
ought to be correct. ('. C. Miller.

My impression is, that Question b was
not understood by all who answer. For in-
stance, friend Hasty says there were seven
days last winter when the thermometer was
below zero. Now, I think he means there
were seven days when the thermometer was
below zero for perhaps half an hour or more.
Others have evidently counted the number
of days when the thermometer remained be-
low zero for fully 24 hours ; and in our local-
ity that seldom occurs during any winter.
A self -registering thermometer hangs on
our porch, and the register stands now
where the mercury left it last winter — just a
trifle below zero. For a short time, mostly
during the night, the mercury was down
about zero, but I think not more than about
seven times during the winter. During this
present winter we have yet had no tempera-
ture lower than eight above, and that only
once. Now, where these lower tempera-
tures are of only transient duration— say an
hour or two — bees or any thing else seldom
suffers very much ; but where we have a
continuous week of weather below zero, es-
pecially if accompanied by high winds, then
look out for your bees, cellars, greenhouses,
cold-frames, etc. We are very much oblig-
ed indeed to friend Hasty for his accurate
record. We notice that, in the winter of
1881 and '82, the lowest temperature was

«n

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

J Ac-

tive above. Friend Hasty's record would, I
think, answer very well for Medina. At
the present time both radishes and celery
are growing in the open ground that have
;is yet received DO injury. They are. how-
ever, protected by buildings. Now, this
latter point is a very important one. In
California, people have hunted up localities
protected by mountains, and in some cases
they are nothing more than moderate hills,
and these hills furnish sufficient protection
lor raising all kinds of tropical plants and
vegetables. In Salt Lake City we had very
pleasant weather— no frost ; but when the
train brought us to a notch in the moun-
tains where the northeast wind swept
through, the ground was frozen wherever
the wind struck ; and on the northeast side
of the mountains we found the ground froz-
en hard, and covered with snow. Are we
making sufficient use of the hills we have,
for protection in a similar way, for our bees
and gardens?

Question 101.— What method of wintering prevails
in your locality— thai is, outdoor or cellar wintering?

Both.

Cellar.

Collar.

Cellar.

Cellar.

Outdoor.

« Outdoor, generally.

( lutdoor, generally.

< 'ellar wintering- exclusively.

Madant & Son.

P. H. Elwood.

A. J. Cook.

C. C. MlELER.

Dk. A. B. Mason.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

Chas. f. Muth.

L. C. Root.

Geo. Grimm.

< uitdoor wintering is almost universal here.

Jamks A. Green.
The prevailing method is indoor, especially
among- the most advanced bee-keepers.

H. R. BOARDMAN.

Outdoor, as it is seldom that the bees are three
consecutive days without flying. P. L. Viai.lon.

About half in cellar and halt' on summer stands,
most apiarists using both methods during the
same winter. G. M. DooiiiTTMB.

Both are commonly practiced here. During out-
severest winter those did best who wintered indoor;
and during mild winters it was just the other way.

James Heddon.
The few old-style bee-keepers still winter out-
doors mostly. Those who are up to the times,
most of them, winter in cellars, I believe. As for
myself, I winter mostly out of doors.

B. E. Hasty.

In my immediate locality in Iowa, chaff-hive win-
tering was mostly practiced, and was most success-
ful; but a short distance away, in localities where
I he soil was of a different nature from 'what it was
where 1 lived, cellar wintering was in most use.

O. O.POPPLETON.

1 hope you will excuse me, friends, for say-
ing, as I read over the above answers, I can
not help thinking that those who answer
are perhaps unconsciously prejudiced a little
in favor either of cellar' or outdoor, as the
case may be. Friend Hasty says that, in
his locality, which is about the same as ours,
a few ola-styU bee-keepers winter out of

doors mostly; then he adds, with charac-
teristic frankness, l> Of whom I am which.1'
Now. it is not at all unlikely that 1 too am
prejudiced. I do not believe that, in our
locality, nor in friend Hasty's either, it is
profitable for the average bee-keeper to un-
dertake to winter in the cellar. Friend
Heddon gives a wise suggestion in regard
to his locality. Then to get at the truth of
the matter, the question arises, Which oc-
curs oftener— mild winters or severe ones?
Friend Poppleton succeeded with chaff
hives, just as we do ; and his report of the
severity of the winters in Iowa is perhaps
as bad as any who have answered. His re-
marks in regard to the soil refer, I presume,
to its adaptability for constructing whole-
some cellars. A cellar in a sandy or gravel-
ly soil, especially if it is in a side-hill, is cer-
tainly much better than a cellar in level,
wet clav soil.

Question 102.— What is your average consumption
of stores per colony, as nearly as you can estimate of
you can not give exact figures), from October to May?
State whether this average is for cellar or outdoor.

'.'> to 30 11)8. for indoor wintering.

H. R. BOARDMAN.

For outdoor wintering, about l* lbs.

James A. Green.
15 to 25 lbs. I winter outdoors always.

Chas. F. Muth.
About 1") lbs., indoors; 25 lbs. outdoors.

L. C. Root.
-10 pounds for out of doors; 30 pounds for cellar.

Dadant &Son.
1 think about In to 20 pounds; cellar wintering.

Geo. Grimm.
Between Band 11 pounds. I winter in the cellar.

Dk. A. B. Mason.
About 10 pounds for the cellar, and 14 for those
wintered outdoors. G. M. Doolittle.

is to 20 lbs out of doors; cellar, 9 to 10 lbs. This
is estimated. I can not give exact figures.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

I judg-e from 12 to 14 pounds. I have never weigh-
ed. This is for cellar, and about two months out-
doors. P. H. Elwood.

From October 1st to April 10th, not more than
7 pounds in cellar; about twice that amount out-
doors, packed or in chaff hives. A. J. Cook.

Outdoor wintering. I think I will put it at 12
pounds, with the remark that it would take a good
deal more pains in weighing, etc., that I have given
to the matter, to give the figures very much scien-
tific value. E. E. Hasty.

For cellar, perhaps 20 lbs. The only actual figures
1 have are of four colonies, weighed October 21,
1881, and April 17, 1882; the losses in weight being
respectively 13%, 19%, 2V/2, and 25l/4, or an average
of 20 lbs. This, of course, included dead bees as
well as stores. C. C. Mileer.

In this State (Louisiana) we have to give the aver-
age from November to March. It takes fully 25
pounds to bring a colony to the lsith of March. The
consumption doesn't seem to be much until about
February 1; but after that it is very rapid, which
is no doubt due to the rapid breeding.

P. L. Viallon.

1889

GLKANINGS IN BEE (CULTURE.

.,i

lean not say exactly; but I should judge aboul
20 pounds. Of course, much of this was used out-
side of wintering proper. I wintered in chaff
hives, out of doors. O. 0. Popfleton.

I can not give you an average of the stores con-
sumed from Oct. 31 to May!. It requires about
twice the honey to carry bees through from Oct. 31
tu April 1 outdoors that it would in the cellar. Dur-
ing the months of April they will be outdoors in
either case, usually. T think perhaps the average
is 10 pounds indoors and 30 outdoors, between Octo-
ber 33 and April I. James Heddon.

There, friends, I am very glad this ques-
tion has come up in the shape it has, that
you may see how much we differ, or, I am
tempted to say, how loose some of us are in
our estimates. II. R. Boardman says from
20 to 25 pounds, and he is one of the best
bee-men there are in the lot. T wish he
had told us whether he just guessed at it or
whether he had been in the habit of weigh-
ing. Dadant & Son are worse yet — 30
pounds to the cellar, and 40 outdoors. With
that great big Quinby frame of theirs, there
must be such rousing colonies that it takes
double, or even more, than some of the rest
of us report. Now, in contrast with the
above, Dr. Mason says from <> to 11 pounds.
Doctor, stand up and tell us what you mean
by such a statement as that. You remind
us of the man who brought home two stoves.
When his wife asked what he meant, he
said the agent warranted that kind of a
stove to save half of the fuel ; therefore
with commendable good sense and fore-
thought he bought two stoves, that he might
be enabled to save the whole of it. If you
can winter good colonies of bees on from 6
to 11 pounds of stores, we had better ship
our bees to you, and get you to winter them
for us : that is. where it takes from 30 to 40
pounds. My experience would agree pretty
nearly with Doolittle's, only I should add,
some rousing big colonies "might need 20
pounds, and I do not know but we have had
a very few in our experience that used up
25 pounds ; and I also want to add, they
used it profitably, for the 25 pounds of
stores enabled them to send out tremendous
swarms very early ; or when we practiced
extracting they gave enormous crops of
honey, while moderate ones did nothing to
speak of. Prof. Cook has also wintered bees
on only 7 pounds of stores. Come to think
of it, I have done even better than that. I
have seen a weak colony consume only a
very small amount of stores during winter ;
then when spring came, as they just managed
to pull through, they got down to a mere
handful, and did not consume any stores to
speak of until honey commenced coming.
Under the circumstances it cost little or
nothing to winter them ; but the profit dur-
ing the summer from them was also little or
nothing, for it took the whole season for
them to build up in decent shape for winter.
There, friends, you have my explanation of
these reports, so widely different. Is it not
a pretty good one? Another question arises
—Which is the more profitable, colonies that
require from 20 to 25 pounds to carry them
through, or those that will get along on
from 5 to 10 pounds?

Every boy or girt, under 15 years of age, who writes a let
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive
one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find In
Sunday-school hooks costing from $1.00 to $1.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill
er; or, The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

f( >W many of our young folks can draw
pictures? Hold up your hands. Why,
almost all of you can. But, how
many can draw real nice ones ? Let's
see the hands again. Is that all ?
There are only just a few hands. Well, that
will be enough. We want some of you who
■' know how'1 to draw, to illustrate your let-
ters. If your papa has gotten up some new
" fixin' " for the apiary that he thinks is real
nice, suppose you make as good a picture as
you can, and then describe it in your own
words. If the tool or device shall be of val-
ue to bee-keepers at large, then we will en-
grave it ; and how nice it will be to see your
little letter with a picture beside it, that
you made yourself ! Remember, your draw-
ing must represent something useful, if you
expect to see it reproduced in these col-
umns During the last few days the juve-
nile letters have been coming in at a good
rate, for which we extend our thanks. They
are exceptionally good ones too. Some of
them we give herewith ; the rest will have
to wait over till next time, for want of
space.

bees; foot-power buzz-saws.

Pa has bees, and I help take care of them. In
the spring of 1887 we started in with 33, and in-
creased to 48, eight of which we sold at fii.oo each.
Forty are now on their summer stands. We use
the American hive, and like it the best. We use
foundation for starters in the sections. We live by
a big cranberry patch, and it is a good place for
bees. We have a foot-power saw, so we can
supply our customers as they come in.

C/jAUdM. Burnett, age li.

New Vernon, Pa., Dec. 24, 1888.

UNCLE JOSEPH'S BEES.

My uncle has taken a good many pounds of hon-
ey. He winters his bees in chaff hives packed
with autumn leaves, outdoors. I got a large story-
book, and lots of candy and nuts, for Christmas. I
have but one brother, named Bertie. He is 12
years old. 1 am 10. My aunt Mary does not like
the bees, because they get in her hair and sting her.
and they get after Uncle Joseph too. My grand-

62

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jan.

fattier sits on the stoop and kills all that come near
him. They all like honey, but I don't.
Cornwall-on-Hudson, N Y. Mabel Briggs.

PAPA'S PACKING-BOX FOR W1NTEBING COLONIES.

My papa tins Dine colonies of bees. He packed
them November 5th. He made a rough box of lum-
ber, the front of which looked like this:

It was notched out at the lower board, opposite
each colony, the full width of entrance of the Jones
hive, which he uses. He puts a little board over
the entrance so as to keep the packing from falling-
down so as not to interfere with the bees coming
out. He weighed each hive, and put the weight on
a little board inside on each colony. He says it is
to know how much honey they eat during the win-
ter. He put a super box on each, filled it full of
chaff, and then he filled up the rest with sawdust.

Papa likes Gleanings very much. He may omit
reading other things, but he never misses Glean-
ings. He lends it all around to every one, I think.
I am just 11 years old, and this is my first attempt
to write for the public to see. Minnie Coulter.

Oil City, Ont., Dec. -'4.

PAPA'S HIVE-CART, AND FOR WHAT IT IS USED.

My papa has a device for hiving swarms, and for
other work about the apiary. It is shown in the
photograph which I
send you. You see
that it is a table up-
on a wheel, with
legs like a wheel-
barrow. The wheel
is large and strong.
When he wishes to
hive a swarm of
bees, or do any oth-
er work about the A hive-cart.
apiary he puts his hive or other fixtures upon it,
and wheels it wherever he wishes to work. There
is a drawer beneath the table, where he keeps his
necessary tools. In the photograph you can see a
hive on the table. Papa has 200 colonies in that
kind of hive. You can also see my father and my
younger brother. I was at my uncle's helping him
with his bees when the photograph, was taken.

Jesse A. Aldrich, age 12.

Morristown, Minn., Dec. 6, 1888.

Your papa"s hive-cart, we are sure, will
work real nicely. The large wheel will cause
the cart itself to run very smoothly. You
know a large wheel will lt walk " right over
uneven places on the ground, just like a
—a man, while a small wheel will go "bump-
ity-bump." Hut is not the platform of the
cart pretty high up from the ground to be
handy?

A COLONY WHICH HAS FOR 20 YEARS MADE ITS

ABODE BETWEEN THE CLAPBOARDS AND

PLASTERING OF A HOUSE.

I will tell you of a swarm of bees that went into a
house near here 20 years ago. and is there still. It
is a large farmhouse, old-fashioned. The posts, or
studding' are 10 inches wide and 4 feet apart. The
plastering and clapboards are 10 inches apart.
There is a knot hole on the south side of the house,
as large as a silver dollar. Twenty years ago a
strong swarm of bees came and took possession of

the space between the clapboards and plastering.
They did not swarm for four years, and at the end
of that time they cast a large swarm very early;
and ever since then, every spring, they swarm from
three to four times. In the summer they cover
nearly hi feet square, and in winter they huddle to-
gether opposite the parlor stove; and by striking
on the wall they answer every time. This year they
east four swarms. The man lost all his bees every
year but this one. Two years ago they saw honey
dripping out of the lower row of clapboards, and
fixed a trough and caught over 100 lbs. It was so
hot it broke loose, the man says. Father has offered
to take them out for him, but he says he would not
disturb them for any thing, as he has prospered in
the last 20 3 ears. Frank W. Reed, age 8.

Milford, Wis., Dec. 10, 1888.

"Why, friend Frank, you have told us a
very interesting fact indeed. Usually such
large swarms in a dwelling will not swarm
—at least, not very of Leu. Ten feet square
and ten inches thick is a large colony in-
deed. No wonder they would respond in
winter, even though they were less than
half this size.

A PIG STORY, AND A GOOD ONE TOO.

Mr. Boot:— I saw your notice in Gleanings, Dec.
15, and thought, as there was little or nothing to be
said about bees, as they are all in the cellar, 1
would write a letter about something else. Last
July, father and Edgar, my big brother, gave us a
little pig to raise. He was the runt (you know there
is always a runt), and he could not get enough to
eat with the others. We started to feed him milk
with a spoon, five times a day. He soon learned to
come when we went to the barnyard and called,
" Come, Johnny, Johnny." We weighed him every
week for a while on the honey-scales, afterward
whenever we had time. He learned to drink with-
out the spoon in a few weeks, and then we began
to give him ground rye, wet with warm milk; and
as he grew bigger, we wet it with water. After a
while he was able to fight his way among the rest,
without any help, and get his share. Then when
the rest got big enough to eat from the trough he
could not reach, so we had him stand on a stool and
then eat. He is now able to eat with the others,
and can reach into the trough as well as the next
one. When we first took him to raise he weighed
4 pounds. Now he weighs over 80.

We have a thoroughbred Durham calf, about
two or three weeks olcL and father agreed to give
us that for the pig. Father is to have the calves
and butter and milk, if our calf lives to be a cow.
He is not one of those men who would claim the
money after the calf is sold. It is our calf, and
will be our cow. Albert Hallett.

Galena, 111., Dec. 28, 1888.

Yes, Albert, we are glad you told us
about the pig. Perhaps it will induce oth-
er papas to give their children something
which is all their own. It is worth some-
thing to a boy to learn to take care of prop-
erty ; not only to take care of it, but to in-
crease its value. The early habits thus ac-
quired will be worth something. But it is
cruel, after the boy has worked hard, for the
father to sell his pig, calf, or whatever it
be, and then pocket the proceeds. There
are a few papas who do this, but your fa-
ther evidently is not one.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

63

We solicit for this department short items and questions "1
a practical nature; but all QUESTIONS, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

MILD WEATHER, AND BROOD-REARING.

8 WING to the very mild weather for the past
four weeks, queens have begun laying. The
mild weather has caused a hundred per cent
more stores to be consumed the past month
than usual, and I therefore predict loss of
bees from starvation this winter to be far in excess
of the average. S. W. Morrison, M. D.

Oxford, Pa., Jan. 8, 1889.

40 QUARTS OF .JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT, FROM 10
OUNCES.

On the :21st day of July I sowed 10 oz. of Japanese
buckwheat on a piece of ground one rod wide and
six rods long. I harvested forty quarts of fine well-
fllled wheat. How is that for a yield?

LaGrange, O., Dec. 27, 1888. V. E. Freeman.

25 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM
22 POUNDS.

The 23 pounds of Japanese buckwheat I bought
of you last spring, yielded me 25 bushels of nice
clean wheat, after losing some on the ground.
Bees did well on it. They are now in good condi-
tion for winter. G. A. Willis.

Enfield, 111., Dec. 23, 1888.

500 COLONIES IN WINTER.

I only wish you could have been at Syracuse ai
the convention, or that I could have been in Cali-
fornia with you. I go into winter with over 500
colonies. We are having a severe winter.

W. L. COGGSHALL.

West Groton, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1888.

[Friend C, I should have been glad to be with
you; but I should have been still gladder to have
you and all the other friends of the East with me
during my visit in California. As the latter could
not be. I am doing the best I can to tell you what I
saw there.]

COMBS OF POLLEN ; ARE THEY GOOD FOR ANY
THING ?

My neighbor's bees robbed one of my hives; and
when I found it out, the honey was all gone, and
the bees also. The frames seem to be nearly full of
the pollen. Are they good for any thing to use
next season, or had I better melt them up?

Westboro, Mass., Dec. 20, 1888. Frank Sibley.

[They will be good to give to another colony in
the spring during brood-rearing.]

THE WOOD AND ZINC COMBINED QUEEN-EXCLUD-
ING HONEY-BOARDS.

1. In using the above, is it necessary that the
wood strip be just over the top-bar of the brood-
frames?

2. Should there be a bee-space between the top-
bars and the queen-excluding honey-board?

3. Should there be a bee-space between the queen-
excluder and the super, or should the super sit
right on the excluder, without any bee-space?

TO MAKE DUMMIES.

Will it do to make a frame, wide enough to fill the
space of two brood-frames, out of some light tim-
ber, and All the inside of the dummy or frame with
fine chaff, or would thinner ones be better?

Muncie, Ind. Elias W. Hitchins.

[1. The slats should cover the spaces between the
frames. 2. There should be a bee-space between
the frames and honey-board, and there should also
be a bee-space between the super and the honey-
board. You can make a dummy in the manner you
describe. A less thickness will not be desirable!]

Rep0to ENcea^eijsie.

STARTING IN BEE CULTURE.

TTp BOUT one year ago I accidentally got one of
9fl^ your journals, and became somewhat in-
|R» terested. I bought a colony in March, in
-*^*- the American hive. This cast two strong
swarms, both of which I still have, though
the first swarm absconded after I had it nicely in
the hive for three hours. I followed the vagrant
for a fourth of a mile, when it again clustered in the
very top of a huge white-oak tree, 100 feet from the
ground. After several hours of perilous work I
again hived it. This was my "first born," and al-
most "damped" my ardor in bee culture. Later
on, however, I purchased one of your ABC books
and a smoker, through Mr. P. C. Clinger of this
place; and in my own estimation I am improving.

Milton, Pa., Dec. 24J P. F. Ranglek.

700 LBS. FROM 11 SWARMS.

My bees did very well this year. I took 700 lbs.,
comb, from 11 swarms, spring count, and increased
to 18 swarms. Wm. C. Herr.

Pike's Peak, Mich., Dec. 27, 1888.

A RUNAWAY SWARM, AND 80 LBS. OF HONEY.

I had a swarm of bees come to me on the 10th
day of September. I hived them on foundation,
and they made 80 pounds of honey. They told me
they would do no good. A. McDowell.

Gaynor City, Mo.

FROM ti TO 22, AND 325 LBS. OF HONEY.

From 6 stands of bees, spring count, we increas-
ed to 22 and obtained about 325 pounds of honey in
1-lb. sections, worth 13 cts. per pound.

Enfield, 111., Dec. 23, 1888. G. A. Willis.

300 LBS. OF HONEY FROM 5 COLONIES.

I had six colonies but no swarms, and secured
about 300 lbs. of honey from five colonies, the sixth
making no surplus. All are in good condition for
winter. E. F. Baker.

Swanton, Neb.

PROSPECTS GOOD.

Spring count was 20 stands, all in good trim ex-
cept 4. Pounds of extracted honey, 150; sold at 12J4
cts. Pounds of comb honey, 450; sold at 20 cts.
Total 600 lbs. I had no increase, and united to 18 in
the fall, all in good condition for winter, on sum-
mer stands. We had a very poor season, as the
white clover secreted no honey. Prospects are
good for another year. Wm. O. Heivly.

Raymore, Mo., Dec. 31, 1888.

FROM 3 TO 20, AND 50 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 3 strong swarms,
2 of which were Italians, and the rest hybrids. I
had 13 natural swarms, and took up 4 swarms from
the woods, and transferred them to hives, with
good success. I now have 20 swarms in prime con-
dition. I did not expect to get much honey, for I
worked for increase; however, I got about 50 lbs.,
and am satisfied with results thus far.

Brimrield, Mass., Dec. 25, 1888. F. E. Brown.

(54

GLEANINGS IN liEE CULTURE.

.Ian.

JxlYgEItF WD MY ]\[EIGKBOIvg.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

Hebccometb poor that dealeth with a slack hand:
bat the hand of the diligent maketh rich.— Pu. 10: 4.

EPOB E going further I want to digress
a little to tell you a short story.
Twenty-five or thirty years ago a
young man started iii Chicago, sell-
ing illustrated cards with texts, and,
it I am correctly informed, a few other
notions and novelties. I am told that he
first started out with a half-bushel niarket-
basket. The basket was his own property,
and paid for; but the things it contained
were mostly sold on commission. This boy
was David C. Cook. Printed . matter for
Sunday-school work seems to have been his
hobby. I believe he was also quite an en-
thusiastic worker in the Sunday-schools.
In a little time he had amassed capital
enough not only to buy his stock outright,
but he got a little printing press, which he
used in a room of his own. Before anybody
knew it, almost, he was printing his own
cards, and some little Sunday-school papers
besides. If any of our readers can furnish
me a copy of some of those earlier publica-
tions. 1 should consider it a favor. By and
by he began to furnish lesson-helps for the
Sunday-schools all over the land : and then
came out the rive-cent edition of books that
had previously been sold for SI. 25 or more.
(.leanings has always been instrumental
in pushing the sale of these books. Many
thousands of T. S. Arthur's Ten Nights in a
Bar-room have been sold at only three cents
each. David C. Cook published them so we
bought them for about 2| cents each. When
his business became so large that he employ-
ed half a dozen great printing-presses, the
whole business world began to pick and find
fault with his cheap editions. Stories were
started that he was financially embarrassed,
and that he was about to make a failure.
The first I knew of it was in seeing friend
Cook's vigorous clips at his persecutors,
through the Sunday-school helps. It seem-
ed as though he had forgotten the little text
that had appeared so prominently on the
Sunday-school cards he used to peddle —
•Blessed are ye when men shall persecute
you and revile you for my sake."' I wrote
him a kindly letter in regard to the matter,
and remonstrated against placing before the
children of our Sunday-schools the state-
ment of how he had been wronged. He
wrote me a very kind letter by way of reply.
thanking me, and he gave me his promise
that nothing of the kind should again get
into his publications. I had forgotten all
about the matter until the day I was riding
with my friend •Tommy Irondale" up the
Piru Valley, on the way to friend Beason-
er's. My companion, however, had so much
to say in regard to a certain Mr. Cook, who
owned the valley for ten miles or more, that
I asked him what Cook he meant.

•• Why, Mr. Boot, you have certainly heard
of David C. Cook, who published the Sun-
day-school literature ? '"

" Why. to be sure I know David C. Cook,
the Sunday-school man. But he lives in

Chicago, and has a tremendous big business.
Is this Cook any relation of his?'"

■■ Why, bless your heart, this is David C
Cook himself, who owns this ranch. He
paid $60,000 for 12,000 acres of land, and this
is his town and store and meeting-house,
and there is where he lives. He has been
here all summer. If you would like to see
him. we will stop long enough to have a lit-
tle chat with him, if he is not too busy."

We found on inquiry that Mr. Cook had
gone back to Chicago to see to business, but
that he was expected on the evening train.
But the foreman at the office kindly gave us
all the information he could. Forty-three
teams were plowing, harrowing, and culti-
vating, the day we wTere there, in his differ-
ent fruit-orchards Four hundred acres
were being planted to oranges ; six hundred
more to tigs, olives, raisin-grapes, gnavas,
lemons, peaches, pears, apples, etc. Boads
were being made. Humes and aqueducts and
irrigating canals were being constructed
along the mountain-sides and through the
valleys, and a great enterprise was under
way." Mrs. Reasoner, where we stopped for
dinner, informed us that Mr. Cook himself
personally superintended their Sunday-
school every Sabbath, at the pretty little
church, when he was on the ranch. She
said she had been told he now pays taxes on
six millions of dollar*. When I suggested
that the Piru ranch would be entirely tem-
perance, the foreman smiled as he told me
that no inducement could persuade Mr.
Cook to even plant such grapes as are used
for making wine. When he sells lots to his
people, as of course he intended to do. a
deed is made out like the following, which
was, in fact, taken from a blank deed fur-
nished me by the foreman :

It is provided and covenanted, as a covenant run-
ning- with the land, that if at any time said second
party, his heirs, assigns, or successor in interest,
shall, with the knowledge and consent of the owner
of said premises, use. or cause to be used, or shall
allow or authorize in any manner, directly or indi-
rectly, said premises, or any part thereof, to be
used for the purpose of vending; intoxicating liquors
for drinking purposes, whether said vending shall
be directly or under some evasive guise, thereupon
the title ' hereby granted shall revert to and be
vested in

The best lejral talent has decided that the
provision in the deed is valid ; and that, up-
on its violation, the land reverts to the
original owner.

I picked up one of his letterheads from
the desk. On it was a map of the ranch,
and the following :

The Pird Rancho.— The "Piru" Kancho, or
Rancho "Temeseal." with adjacent purchases, em-
braces 13,743 acres of land in a body, situated partly
in Ventura and partly in Los Angeles counties. Cal-
ifornia. The lower end of the ranch is crossed by
the Southern Pacific R. R . being two and one-half
miles from Camulos station and postoffice, and mid-
way between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It is
a mountain-valley ranch, containing about 1800
acres of valley hind, the rest plowaMe hill laud,
with a rich soil one hundred to one ihousand feet
deep, and steep grazing mountain land. The Piru
River runs through four and one-half miles of the
ranch, furnishing- ample water for irrigating valley-
lands. It was formerly a part of the " Camulos
Mission" Rancho, the home of "Ramona," cele-
brated for its fine olives and oranges, and has, ow-
ing to location, a climate suited to the most delicate
trees and plants, making- it especially adapted for
fine fruit-growing, to which the present owner in-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Bo

tends to devote it. The air is extremely dry, clear,
and free from fog, frosts, or extremes of heat and
cold. Its medicinal springs, similar to those of
Newgate, England, are already attracting some at-
tention. The ranch is situated in the oil-belt, seven
miles from the largest, oil-well in the State, and
one-half mile from where wells are now being sunk,
and has oil and "brear" on the surface in various
places. Owing to mountain ranges, all travel from
the north for a large section passes through the
ranch, and the town site of Piru City is located on a
pretty piece of ground at the railroad crossing.

I inquired of Mrs. Reasoner about bis
looks and actions. She says be is never
happy unless he is directing some new en-
terprise ; that it seems impossible for him
to sit still a minute. In the Sunday-school
he is a most vehement and energetic work-
er, although she said that some Sundays he
looked as if he were ready to drop, evident-
ly from overwork. If these words should
ever meet the eye of friend Cook I would
remind him that even the most enduring
frame may be taxed beyond its limit.
While he may thank God for the wonderful
endurance and business energy and capaci-
ty with which he has been endowed, he
should remember, ut What shall it profit a
man if he shall gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?1' It rejoiced my heart to
see how the promise has been verified in his
case :

Godliness is profitable for all things: having the
promise of the life that now is. and of that which is
to come.— I. Tim. 4:8.

SKUNKS AND UEES.

There is quite a little difficulty here from
these pests. At Mr. Marple's apiary we hap-
pened to pass a hive where the bees came out
so furiously it attracted attention, when Mr.
Reasoner examined the entrance, and at
once declared skunks had been troubling
them. The ground was dug up around the
entrance, and marks of their claws were
plainly visible. Friend R. directed the own-
er to put some strychnine in some comb
honey and place it at night near the en-
trance, to be removed next morning if not
taken. He said he had in this way killed
more than a dozen. Friend J. J. Cole, at
Tropico, where I am at present, says he has
been also annoyed, and he poisons them in
much the same way. At friend Marple's
apiary we found perhaps a dozen hives
where skunks had dug around the entrance.
Friend Cole thinks they scratch the hive so
as to cause the bees to come out, and then
kill them by mashing them in the dirt before
they eat them.

On account of the late poor seasons, bees
are offered at comparatively low prices. An
apiary near San Diego was offered us at
$1.25 per colony. There were something
over 100 colonies, but they were in a poor
sort of hive. Here at Tropico over 100 colo-
nies, in very good two-story hives, are of-
fered at $2.00 per colony. In both cases the
owner wanted to give up the business.

Dec. 6. — The sun rises upon me this morn-
ing at the home of W. W. Uliss, Duarte.
Friend Bliss is not at home, but 1 found that
his mother knows me well through Glean-
ings ; and as she is deeply interested in
poultry, incubators, etc., we passed a very
agreeable evening. I am glad I love all
rural industries and interests that take the

attention of the inmates of Our Homes, and
Our Neighbors. All about me here are ex-
tensive orange-groves. Right near where I
sit writing is a great wagon full of crotched
poles, long and short, to prop the limbs of
the orange-trees, to keep them from break-
ing off. The soil here is almost clear pul-
verized granite, washed down from the
mountains. It is so soft, even before plow-
ing, that the foot sinks into it when you
walk. It cultivates most beautifully, and,
when worked and watered several years, it
seems like soft sand. Every thing grows in
it most wonderfully. Corn that has been
dropped grows right up, even in December ;
but I am told the nights are too cold for
corn to do well now ; but many plant it for
fodder, even in winter. Squashes, or Cali-
fornia pumpkins, grow all over the country,
in the greatest abundance, without any irri-
gation at all. and often without any cultiva-
tion. Day before yesterday I saw, on a
protected southern slope, great strong plants
just out of the ground. They are always
seen in waste places the year round, for the
very best place to keep them is right where
they grow, so that the new crop and those a
year old are often found in the same field.
I am now right in the narrow fruit-belt I
have before spoken of, that runs along at
the foot of the mountain. An orange-or-
chard, with the trees loaded so the limbs are
touching the ground, is one of the most
beautiful sights, and right here there are
miles of such. An irrigating stream, with
its pure clear mountain water, running over
a bed of gravel, composed of fragments of
gray granite, is also to me a most exhilarat-
ing sight. The roads here at Duarte are
broad, well traveled, and made beautifully
smooth with these same granite pebbles.

.' o'clock.— To Hube®;— Papa has just visit-
ed what is called in California a '• chicken
ranch." Two young men have got some
land and put up little coops, or chicken-
houses, all over it. They have three incu-
bators, or machines to hatch chickens, at
work ; and day before yesterday one of the
machines hatched out 200. When the sun
goes behind a cloud they just peep, peep,
peep, for they haven't any mamma to keep
them warm; but when it comes out again,
and shines through the little windows, then
the chickens all crowd into the sunshine,
and are just as happy as can be. At night
they all go into a brooder that is warmed by
a big lamp. Just beyond these very small
ones are some chicks two weeks old ; and
further on some older still, and so on. The
largest ones, that have got their tails grown
out, run out in the field where they please.
Then they have ducks and turkeys too. and
the ducks have nice clear ponds to swim in :
and a lot of pretty springs in the hillside
furnish clear water for the ducks, turkeys,
and chickens. The real little ones are fed
about every hour on bread and milk. At
noon the boys had prepared a very nice din-
ner for us; and just before we sat down to
dinner, one of the boys bowed his head and
asked a blessing. I tell you, papa felt real
glad to see them do that, for he knew then
they were Christian boys who loved God
and were trying hard to do right- Their

66

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

J AX.

Hock of grown-up Pekin ducks, with their
yellow bills and snow-white feathers, are,
as they swim about in their beautiful pond,
about the prettiest I ever saw in my life.

Dec. :.— Once more I am seated out in the
morning sun, writing. I am on the edge of
a granite rock, almost on the summit of a
great mountain. After I got off the train
over a week ago, where the lady asked me if
I had visited Riverside, the following letter
was handed me:

Mr, Root: If you can make it convenient to visit
Kiverside (and you will miss a great deal if you
don't— of course you must see Riverside), if you will
drop me a line I will meet you with a team and
show you around. I am not proud of my apiary,
but I can show you some things that you will be
pleased to see. I can take you up on one of those
" real live mountains.-' As I live nearly on the top
of one, you can have a chance to climb to your
heart's content, or you can go horseback after we
get as far as we can go by wagon. 1 will esteem it
a special favor to have you call upon me, and I
think we should both be benefited. I can show you
the home of the orange, etc. I can show you bees
in hives, in houses, in barns, and in the rocks, where
you can go and get out honey, and bees without let
or hindrance, and I will go and help you. I can
show you orange-orchards that net the owners one
thousand dollars a year profit, per acre. I have
some land that brought me in at the rate of ten
thousand dollars a year per acre. It was in orange-
plants. Come and see me. J. W. Keeney.

Riverside, Cal., Nov. 26, 1888.

Well, here I am. Right in plain sight in
the valley below are seven different towns,
or villages: Riverside, East Riverside, Col-
ton, San Bernardino, Ontario, South River-
side, and Pomona. We have been out
havingaramble over the mountains. Friend
Keeney's hobby is finding springs of water
among the mountains. He always thanks
(iod for whatever he finds, and of course he
finds a great many of " God's gifts.'1 He
has found nearly a dozen different springs
already, and therefore pure spring water
Hows in pipes almost all over the 160 acres
of mountain-top he has taken up. It is up
in the mountain-top where nobody else
would go, that he made $1000 raising orange-
trees on one-tenth of an acre. His six-year-
old prattler, Vernon, when asked if he liked
to live up on the mountain, replied, " Yes, I
like to live anywhere.'1'' Dear friend, can you
say as much as this little child of the moun-
tains V The other little prattler, that is
watching me while 1 write, is named Mig-
non, and she is only four years old, and
these two have a little nursery of orange-
trees, all their own. to water and care for.

I not only climbed the mountain, but I sat
on the peak, even though said peak was
granite, and so sharp I feared it would
punch a hole in my trousers. If it did, I
proposed to present the rent to my wife as a
souvenir of the occasion. Two things con-
tributed to make my seat comfortable in
spite of its angular point. First, I was very
tired, and panting for breath; second, the
view was wonderful. Friend Keeney's
house, where I am now writing, seemed but
very little higher than the valley ; but as I
now turn and look back at the peak where I

sat, it seems only a very little higher, as the
height of mountains is so deceptive to the
eye. The buggy is now waiting for me, and
we must go. By the way, perhaps you think
it funny the good people out here have noth-
ing to do but to hitch up and drive me
around, and wait on me. Well, I have
thought so too, a great many times, and I
am going to try to pay them back if I can.

A CALIFORNIA BEE-CAVE.

Half way down the mountain, friend K.
handed the lines to his wife, hopped out of
the buggy, told me to come on, and, oh my !
didn't he dodge about among the rocks and
bushes, along the mountain-side V If some
old bear should take a notion to catch him,
he would roll over sure, for that is what I al-
most did, several times. Pretty soon he
came to a bee-cave in the rocks, and showed
me where they had been getting pieces of
honey out as they wanted it, for years. Yes,
and the neighbors did the same ; but the
beesalwajs fixed it up very patiently, and
put in more. Well, he smoked them a little,
and we too took out a great slice to eat with
our lunch when dinner time came. A week
ago he took SO lbs. of honey from one of
these clefts in the recks, and he is going to
save the bees besides. There are great
quantities of bees and honey in the rocks,
much of it inaccessible without expensive
blasting. One man, near Los Angeles, lost
his life by falling while trying to get the
honey from a bee-cave. It was in a bad
place to get at, and the bees stung him so
badly that he lost his footing.

('. O. PERRINE.

Dec. 7, evening.— Friend Keeney was right
about Riverside, and I am very glad he in-
vited me here. It is a town of about 5000
inhabitants, three weekly papers, two dai-
lies, and no saloons. They first raised the
tax to $500 for three months, and for a while
no saloon-keeper dared undertake it with
such odds against him. Finally one opened,
and charged 15 cts. a drink. At the end of
the quarter he announced his determination
of trying it another three months. At this
crisis the Riverside people arose in their
might and decided no saloon should ever
more disgrace their beautiful corporation
limits at any price ; and to show that they
were in earnest they enlarged their limits,
in one direction at least, as far as ten miles.
We drove out this ten miles on what is call-
ed Magnolia Avenue. There are miles and
miles of beautifully laden orange-trees, with
the limbs propped to keep them from break-
ing ; along the roadsides are the most beau-
tiful palm-trees, and almost every other
kind of ornamental shade-tree that this
world produces. I doubt if there are on the
whole face of the earth any more beautiful
residences than these. We drove into one
of the prettiest orange-groves to eat our
lunch ; and when friend Keeney introduced
the proprietor, he too "knew A. I. Root.''
Dear reader, who do you suppose it was ?
Why, Mr. C. O. Perrine, the man who wast-
ed his money on the steamboat apiary, as
mentioned in the A B C book. Friend P.
bought land here about six years ago, and
has, as he says, taken advantage of the
boom, and got back the money that went

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

67

away when that steamboat proved a failure.
As we returned we passed the oldest
orange-orchard in Riverside. The owners
hauled water in barrels from the river to
irrigate them, before the canals were con-
structed. Some of the trees have borne 20
boxes of oranges in one season; and at $2.00
per box it is not strange that, with 75 trees
to the acre, he should make them average
$1000. Now, dear reader, don't get excited.
Riverside is perhaps the best orange district
in the world, and this man is an expert. I
have passed thousands of acres of oranges
that are not paying the interest on the mon-
ey, and many are abandoned in disgust by
their discouraged owners. One of the most
beautiful features of Riverside is the bright
sparkling water, as it hurries over its grav-
elly bed through the immense irrigating
ditches that traverse the land. Some of
them are big enough totake quite a pleasure-
boat. At one point, where there is a fall of
about 30 feet, they are talking of a water-
motor to run an electric motor, to carry a
train of motor cars through their beautiful
valley. What do you think of such an in-
dustry as that, ye scientific mechanical
geniuses who read ({leanings ? I tell you,
friends, no one knows what a people may do
who can say to the saloon-keepers, " Get
thee behind me, Satan." " No good thing
will he withhold from them who walk up-
rightly."

Mrs. Keeney informs me that the temper-
ature is about 10 degrees cooler in summer
on their mountain, and nearly 10 degrees
warmer in winter. This specially fits it for
friend K.'s business of raising orange-trees.
He uses cheap cotton cloth to protect them
from the sun or from the frost, as the case
may be. Frames made of lath are also used,
and these answer perhaps better than the
cloth, for they give the plants sun half the
time. In California, all the greenhouses are
made with spaced lath instead of glass.
Our friend ('. O. Rerrine made the only
greenhouse, covered with glass, 1 have seen ;
and he says it was money thrown away, for
they make no use of it.

Now a word about being out of work.
My two friends Keeney and Woodberry are
both carpenters, and both get $3.50 per day,
and I believe both now have more work than
they can do; but when they were out of
work they wrere never idle. Each one look-
ed sharp for the chances. One took hold
of strawberries and the other seedling
oranges. Before leaving Riverside I went
into the fruit-packing establishment. After
the raisins are dried in the sun, as I have
explained, on wooden trays, they are sorted,
and the poor ones are put through a machine
that breaks them from the stems. Then an
ordinary fanning-mill is used to clean the
fruit from the stems, when it is ready to be
pressed into boxes. Before putting on the
cover, however, a lot of the very largest are
used to cover the top. I didn't like this ;
but when I saw every one of the thousands
of boxes marked, in large plain letters,
" London," I felt like saying, "0 Riverside,
Riverside ! ye who have banished the sa-
loons, have you yet to learn that truth is
always better than untruth?"

Friend Keeney has invented, and got into
practical use, a machine that sorts the
oranges into H different sizes, putting each
size into a box by itself. I saw the machine
at work, and it does it rapidly and surely.
A stencil on the outside of the box then tells
how many and what size each box contains.

I can not drop Riverside without a word
more in regard to her wonderful irrigating
canals. One of them is right beside the
railroad track, just in front of the depot.
The water moves so fast one can hardly run
as fast as the bubbles on the surface. One
evening I walked out to find the rooms of
the Y. M. C. A. Along every street, even
in the darkness, I heard the ripples of the
happy brooks as they hustled by on their
happy errand.

Continued Jan. IS.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

THE PROFIT MADE IN RAISING IT, ON PAPER.

J' BOUGHT one bushel of Japanese buckwheat
; of you last spring, and I was in hopes of send-
i ing a good report; but the frost came too soon.
• I sold half a bushel to my neighbor, who sowed
it about the first of July. The frost came and
killed it before one-fourth of it (so my neighbor
thought) was ripe; but he secured 25 bushels. My
own was sown about one week later, and the frost
spoiled it. The bees worked on the Japanese about
the same as on the common that was planted beside
it, so far as I could ascertain. My neighbor had
both kinds in one Held, and the common was not
worth harvesting, while the yield of the Japanese
would have been, but for the frost, 40 bushels at
least. I have been thinking of renting land within
a mile or two of my place, and sowing it with buck-
wheat, for the profit I should derive out of it from
the grain alone; then the honey I would get from it
would he clear gain. 1 could get the land to plant
on shares, or hire it cheap (waste land for $2.00 per
acre). I would figure it in some such way as this:

Dr.

10 acres of land at $2.00 per acre $20

For plowing, at $1.50 per acre 15

Getting in the seed, at $1.00 per acre 10

Seed (I think I can get Japanese seed at $1.50

or $1.00, with freight) 1V2 bushels 12

Cutting grain and setting up, at $1.00 per acre 10
Thrashing, 4 cts. per bushel, 25 bushels at

$1.00 Id

$77

Cr.

250 bushels of buckwheat at 60 $150

77

$73
That makes 73 dollars out of the operation. 1
figured buckwheat at 60 cts. per bushel. It sells
here at the mill in Danielsonville, 5 miles from my
place, at 65 cts., but it would cost about 5 cts. to
market it. I think I could raise 25 bushels per acre
without any fertilizer; but if I should put $50.00
worth of fertilizers on the 10 acres, I should get
enough extra buckwheat to more than get my mon-
ey back; but even if I get but 25 bushels per acre,
then it would more than pay me. i know I might
fail, and not get one-half the above amount, or per-
haps not even 5 bushels; but there is risk in all busi-
ness. J. L. Hvde.
Pomfret Landing, Conn., Dec. 13, 1888.

68

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JAN.

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi-Monthly.

*o+~4o«

^. I. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

*JL£ZDT.2XJ±, OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, P08""PAID.

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

irvEiEnDiisr^, j^L-isr. is, nees.

And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and
east ■■lit man; devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, be-
cause they knew him.— Hark l 34.

EARLY QUEENS KHOM THE SOUTH.

Already inquiries are coming in. "To whom can
I send and get a queen now?" Our friend Nellie
Adams, of Florida, comes forward with an adver-
tisement in this issue, but 1 believe she is the only
one. I talked with the folks about it in California,
but they are all too well off. or too lazy, or too busy
with something else. Now, if there is anybody else
in Florida or Texas or (California who has young
queens on hand ready to mail right off now, let us
know, and we will give you an advertisement free
of charge.

PRICE LISTS AND CIRCULARS OF APIARIAN SUP-
PLIES AND PRODUCTS FOR 1889.

We are now ready to make mention of all such
circulars and price lists, but we must insist that
they have a printed date on them. How else are
we to tell whether it is something we noticed last
year, or a brand-new one? Sometimes, perhaps,
the date is left off by omission; but please remem-
ber that nowadays every thing that gives prices or
information of any kind in regard to merchandise
gives a date.. We do not want to waste our time in
reading over something that is old and out of date.

THE "WHITE PLUME" LETTUCE.

The most promising head — the head I wrote
about Nov. l">th. died on our hands after it had par-
tially sent ii|> a seed-stalk, so we have got to go
back to first principles and start a lot more plants
with the seed we raised last summer. The plants
are up in the greenhouse, and we can, without
question, succeed in getting as nice a head as the
one we lost. I presume that none of the friends
who received seed from u^ have done more than to
get some nice white heads, without securing seed,
unless some friend far enough south secured the
Heed in the winter. If any such there be, we shall
be glad to hear from them.

"GROWING JAPANESi: BUCKWHEAT, ON PAPER."

I omitted to make any comment or reply to the
article on page 67, under the above heading, lor the
simple reason that I do not know how anybody can
advise or suggest in such matters. Many people in
many localities would do all and perhaps more than
is there figured out; but there are others who
would make a failure of the crop, even in the best
locality. Then, again, there are experts in farming
who would make as good a crop as our friend has
figured, on almost any soil, and during almost any
season, no matter how unfavorable. The most we
can do is to print reports of what others have done;

but it should be borne in mind, when reading these
reports, that those who report at all are, for the
most part, the ones who have achieved at least a
moderate success.

A HINT IN FAVOR OF HOUSE-APIARIES.

On page 62 Frank W. Reed tells us of a colony of
bees under the clapboards of a house, that had win-
tered safely for twenty years; and the record shows
a better condition than we usually get where hives
have good care. This colony has had no care what-
ever, for the very good reason that it was impossi-
ble to give them any. Now, why can't our friend, or
anybody else, in fact, locate bees under the siding,
all over the house? The swarms that come out
every year will be so much clear gain, even if you
sold them for a dollar apiece to whoever would take
them ; and it certainly would not be a very difficult
matter to give each colony a crate of sections. Does
some one urge that the bees would annoy the in-
mates? Well, then, let some stubborn brother, who
loves bees and never expects to get married, con-
duct the enterprise.

I). A. JONES'S PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING — A COR-
RECTION.

OUR friend D. A. Jones is now writing a series of
papers on " Practical Bee-keeping," in the Canadian
Bee Journal. The author is full of bee-lore, and
that of a practical kind. These papers will be read
with interest, because the matter bespeaks experi-
ence. But somehow or another, in speaking of the
Parker machines he has got us quoted wrong. He
says, " Ernest Root tells of a girl in their employ
who can average 3000 i putting in foundation sec-
tions! a day with the Parker, and on occasion can
put foundation in 1200 sections in an hour." We
have not used the Parker machine in our establish-
ment for several years — at least not to any great
extent— our girls preferring the foot-power instead.
Besides, if we could on occasion put foundation in
1200 sections in an hour, we ought certainly to aver-
age more than 3000 per day. The average would be
nearer W,00O, would it not? Aren't you thinking of
what he said on page 795, of the Oct. 15th issue,
friend Jones? We there said that our girls could
fold mot put foundation in) sections at the rate of
1000 per hour, and could, on occasions, fold at the
rate of 1200 per hour. With regard to the relative
merit of the Parker and the foot-power machines,
our experience says that the latter work more rap-
idly and easily, but the Parker does rather better
work; that is, the foundation is made to hang
straighter after it leaves the machine.

NEST-EGGS FOR COLD WEATHER.

I notice that one of the poultry-journals makes
objections to glass and porcelain, that they are too
cold for winter use. They give the poor biddies the
toothache, probably, when they are obliged to sit
on them at a zero temperature. They also object
to the heavy porcelain, or china eggs, that, because
of their weight, they knock against the good eggs
and break them. Both objections, however, 1 think
will not hold good to the eggs we have been selling,
made of white glass. These are no heavier than
ordinary eggs— perhaps not so heavy; and the ma-
terial of which they are made is so thin they would
not be likely to chill the poor biddy. The basswood
nest-eggs are free from both the above objections—
they can not be broken, and are less expensive.
Ernest says, however, their extreme lightness

1889

GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE.

69

causes tbem to be pushed out of the nest; and my
objection to them is, that when they get soiled you
can not wash them up as you can the glass ones.

BAROMETERS, AND WHAT THEY ARE GOOD FOR.

When 1 first got up, on the morning of January
9th, I happened to pass the aneroid barometer
hanging in the greenhouse. As the indicator was
clear down below the markings of the scale. I con-
cluded the machine had broken; but to be sure, I
ran at once over to the house, where hangs a mer-
curial barometer, only to discover that the column
of mercury was also clear below the marks on the
scale, and below any thing that I had ever known in
perhaps twenty' years of observation. I at once an-
nounced to the family and neighbors that we were
going to have a fearful flood, hurricane, cyclone, or
something of the sort. As the morning was per-
fectly still and warm, nobody paid much attention
to my warnings, unless it was Huber. He was
greatly exercised for fear the house would sail off
into the flood which papa was talking about; but
when mamma informed him that brick houses never
float away, he admitted the correctness of her rea-
soning, and put away his dismal forebodings. To-
ward noon, however, it began to rain, and by noon
it rained in torrents. Pretty soon, with the rain
came one of the most fearful winds ever witnessed
in this locality. By night it was blowing so that
people had difficulty in keeping on the sidewalks,
and still the barometers stuck to their positions.
The wind blew and shook the buildings all night;
and in many places we read accounts of fearful
losses of life as well as destruction of property.
Now, I think it pays to have a barometer. At the
noon service I cautioned the hands about leaving
things about that would be blown down and de-
stroyed by the wind. I told them to look well to the
glass doors about the premises. At the close of my
remarks I was informed that one glass door had
been smashed already. Such a warning may easily
save many times the cost of a barometer, to say
nothing of loss of property and loss of life.

THE COMING BEE IN SIGHT.

I inclose a note from the Youth' 8 Companion, on
the coming bee. H. P. Langdon.

East Constable, N. Y., Jan. 8, 1889.

TRAVELING BEES.

Tlic distances traversed by bees in pursuit of honey are sur-
prising to a person unfamiliar with the habits of these bus}
workers.

A bee-keeper one morning dredged the backs of his bees
with flour, as they were leaving the hives. He did this by a
preconcerted arrangement with a friend who had a fine clover-
field in bloom forty miles away.

The day following the experiment, he received a letter from
this friend, stating, " There arc plenty of your white-jacket
bees here in my clover." It was truly- a wonderful instinct
t hat Fent the bees so tar from home in truest of honey.

Well done, friend L. But is not the Youth's Com-
panion getting out of its beat just a little? Their
item would do nicely for ;i joke; but the trouble is,
the general press will go to work and copy it, and
spread it broadcast, taking it for fact. True, it is
not so bad as the stories about artificial honey and
artificial eggs; but still it should be corrected at
once, and we hereby beg the publishers of the
Youth' 8 Companion to at once inform their readers
that their statement is a blunder. It should have
been four miles instead of forty. The extreme limit
of reports like this— that is, tests made by sprink-
ling the bees with flour— has shown that they may
fly in quest of stores as far as perhaps eight miles.
In all of the reports that have come in, not one has
ever gone beyond this; and the general testimony

seems to be to the effect that bees seldom go be-
yond two or three miles. When the Italians were
first introduced in Medina County I took pains to
go out with the horse and buggy in different direc-
tions, and at different seasons of the year, and it
was only in extreme cases that I found them as
much as three miles away from home. In view of
the fearful blunders that journalists have been
making in matters out of their beat, would it uot
be a wise precaution to submit questions pertain-
ing to some particular branch or industry to ex-
perts or editors of journals pertaining to that par-
ticular industry? It is an easy matter to start a
misleading statement; but it is a tremendous task
to chase it out and head it off when it once gets
into print.

DIMENSIONS OP EHAMES IN COMMON USE, ETC.

The Bet-Keeper's Guide stirs things up lively in
its issue for Jan 1. on the matter of frames. A.I.
Root and Prof. Cook are the parties who need cor-
recting. For myself, 1 can only repeat that, when I
commenced making Langstroth hives, I sent to
father Langstroth and had him express to me a
frame of exactly the dimensions he would have it.
He sent me the frame, and I think I have it yet up
in the attic. From this frame I took my figures,
not noticing that it did not agree exactly with the
dimensions given in his book. This frame, as I
started it, is also exactly right for eight Simplicity
sections, 4Vix4,4. Now, if we go back to the old di-
mensions of the old frame, it will not hold eight
sections; and, as a matter of course, we want the
wide frames to have exactly the same dimensions
as the brood-frames. In regard to the American
frame and American hive, which was originated by
H. A. King more than thirty years ago, I also got
the dimensions of my American frame from friend
King himself. This, however, was after he had de-
cided to change the dimensions of his frame from
what it had been originally. If I am correct, the
first American hives made were changed so many
times there was for a time no particular dimensions
to either the frames or hives. Perhaps H. A. King
or his brother can tell us something about the cor-
rect dimensions of the American frame. At the
same time, I think we can show that there are
• more frames of both Langstroth and American, of
the dimensions we give, than of all the rest in the
world, by a very great odds. This being true, it
would be folly to attempt, at this late date, to make
any change. It now remains for Prof. Cook to
stand up and tell us why he doesn't say whether
the dimensions he gives in his Manual are inside or
outside dimensions. Inasmuch as the outside di-
mensions must be exact, while the inside may be
just as it happens taccoi'ding to the thickness of
the material), I do not see why anybody should ever
think of taking dimensions of frames to refer to
the inside. Permit us to thank friend Hill for his
very kind mention of our latest edition of the ABC
book. He says: " It is the largest and most extrav-
agant publication of the kind, and one must see it
to appreciate or comprehend its excellence. It is
the accumulation of years." We don't exactly
know what he means by the word " extravagant;"
but from the general bearing of the notice we feel
sure it can not mean any thing bad.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTORS', WHOLE-
SALE AND RETAIL. See advertisement in
another column. 3btfd

70

(.LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JAN.

The value of
a one-piece sec-
tion depends
on its folding1
without break-
ing'. Our pro-
cess of manu-
fac ure se-
cures that end.
Our catalogue
explains how it
is done. Our
No. I sections
are perfect in all respects, and No. 2 are not
imperfect enough to impair their utility. We
also make the nicest of WOOD SEPARATORS
— keep DA DA NT'S FOUNDATION, and furnish
three kinds of BKKRY PACKAGES.

Address, as in cut, for catalogue and special
prices. Mention Gleanings. l-12db

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
414x4^4, sections, in lots of 500, at .$3 50 per 1000.

EP"~Parties wanting 3000 or more, write for spe-
cial prices. No. ~ sections, $2. 00 per 1000. Cata-
logues free, but sent only when ordered. ltf db
C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

£P"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NEARLY THIRTY TONS

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

S<=>XjX> IN X007.

It is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind. ; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va.; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Nlattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co.. Rock Falls, 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater, Columbus, Neb., and numer-
ous other dealers.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee sup-
plies. We guarantee every inch of our foundation
equal tn sample in every respect. Every one who
buys it is pleased with it.

(HAS, DAD AM & SON,
3btfd Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889.

1889. Italian Queens.

For s ].(»() From Jan. till June.

2-4 tid N. Adams, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

Costs It-.s.s ilia 11 i? cents per week.

THE CANADIAN BEE JOURNAL.

THE FIRST DOLLAR WEEKLY IN THE WORLD.

TEE D. A. JOKES CO., PUBLISHEBS, BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

D. A. Jones is its editor, and this fact is a guaran-
tee of its worth. It is thoroughly practical and con-
tains weekly excellent articles from leading bee-
keepers in the United States and Canada. Fifty-two
numbers make a volume of 1040 pages. American
currency and stamps at par. Samples free.

WTANDOTTES.

I will sell choice pure-bred cockerels now at $2.00
each. W. K. LEWIS, Dry Ridge, Ky. 34tfdb

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP7

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

lyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

MUTH'S

HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, Ax.
PERFECTION COLD-BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Ree-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) Itfdb

ON 30 DAYS' TRIAL.

THIS NEW

ELASTIC TRUSS

'Has a Pad different from all
others, is cup shape, with Self-
adjusting Ball in center, adapts
itsel f to all positions of the body, while
the baPinthe cup. presses back

son does

the Hernia is

the Hernia is neiu securely u« m.u .i.s.^, — ~rs " r,VJi
curecertain. Itiseasy. durabloand cheap. Sentby man .
Circulars free. EGGLESTOH TBCSS CO. , Chicago, Ilk ^

fS~ln responding t" this advertisement mention Gleanings

o<IMew Orleans Apiary.*

Three hundred colonies of Italian and Carniolan
Bees for sale at a low price, all in Langstroth hives.
No rent to purchasers for the location, or will sell
in small lots, to be shipped in the spring.

Address J. W. WINDER,

l-2d New Orleans, La.

£&"In responding to this advertisement mention Glean

B. J. BXXUiEll <k CO.,

NAPPANEE, - ELKHART CO., - IND.,

MANUFACTURERS OF

BEE-HIVES and SUPPLIES.

Sections, T-tin cases, shipping-crates, metal cor-
ners, etc. Five per cent discount on supplies in
Jan. and Feb. Price list free. Send for one. ltfdb

tSTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

75

Contents of this Number.

Apiaries. Floating

Basswood, Discolored

Beans, Lima

Bears and Honey

Bee-escape, Miller's

Bee-keeping for Women

Buckwheat for Honey

Bugs. Predaceous

California, it' Features

Catalogues. Seed

Covering for Frames t Q.B. ).

Cut-worms

Diarrhea, Bee . .

Dysentery IQ. B. i

Editorial 1

Eclipse in California

False Statements

Foot Power

Foul Brood in Ontario

Freeborn's Report

Heads of Grain

Hive. L. vs. American

Honey, Peddling

Honey, To Pack

Increase of Swarms

Japanese Buckwheat 79

Keystone Bee- farm 87

Leisure Hours (Q. B.). 97

Light in Cellar 93

Lima Bush Beans 82

Napoleon's Character 91

New Zealand 93

Notes and Queries 99

Notes of Travel 101

Out-apiaries 77

Pails for Sap 103

Propolis, To Remove 95

Queen Mati ng 92

Queen. Returning 94

Reports Encouraging 95

Sections Bulging 91

Sections, Unfinished 91

Simpson Plant S8

Soldier-bog 85

Temperature in Cellar.. 93

Tobacco Column 100

Turkey Buzzards 93

Veils for Bee-keepers 93

Water in Cellar 94

Wintering 90

:'

J. F0RNCR00K & CO.,

MANUFACTURERS OF THE

"BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

NUMBER TWO OF THE NEW

WILL furnish you, the coming season, ONE-
PIECE SECTIONS as cheap as the cheapest.
WRITE FOR PRICES.
Watertown, Wis., Jan. 1, 1889. 1-lld

... ,.-i. oinling to this advertisement mention Gleaning?.

THE • BEST • HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

If you need any hives don't fail to send for my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and think
I have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
3tdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

QUEEN - BREEDER'S JOURNAL LOOK OUT !

JUST OUT,

c

CONTAINS matter of great importance to all
bee-keepers. It is neat, witty, brief, and to
the point. Articles from the best writers. Send
for a free sample. 50 cts. per year. Address

3d E. L. PRATT, Marlboro, Mass.

E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

-GOOSE
RA.SP

:d:e"W

BERRIES

One of the best bee locations in the Fruit Belt of
Miohigan. Small fruit-farm (H acres) to sell— Bees
and " fixings " cheap. For particulars address

J. O. SHEARMAN,

New Richmond, - 3tfdb - Michigan.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

jTcTsayles,

HARTFORD, WIS.,

manufactures Apiarian Supplies of Every
Description. Catalogue Free to All.

3tfd Stud Your Address.

FOR SALE.

Second-hand SIMPLICITY HIVES covered with
from three to six coats of white lead; BROOD
FRAMES filled with combs almost totally devoid of
drone-cells; BROOD FRAMES with tin separators
filled with sections and comb. Write for prices.

DR. S. W. MORRISON,
3d Oxford, Chester Co., Pa.

C^"In responding to this advertise

Gleanings.

CURRANTS ■■■' CRAPES.

ADA

Large, Late, Hardy, Prolific,
Black RASPBERRY, Latest of
all In Ripening'.

FIRST- GLASS * PLANTS ♦AT* LOW * RATES.
THEO. F. LONCENECKER,

Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdb Dayton, Ohio.

fc^ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUT l'OUP SUPPLIES NEAR HOME ASI>

sa vi: pkehtHt.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only S3. 25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card .

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3tfdb Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

SEEDS GIVEN AWAY. ®
P'k'g Mixed Fl»wer Seeds (600 ki.xl-
GriPE, and lOct. Certificate for Seeds, your
choice, all for 2 stamps (ic). Flower lovers
delighted. Tell all your friends.

C. W. PARK, Fannettsburg, Pa.

Come, Fellow Farmers !

It is the good things and the new things you want.
Here is a Catalogue full of them! Do you want tested
seed, raised from stock selected with extra rare.
grown from the best strains, got from tin- origi-
nators? I aim to have mine just such. Do you
want new varieties thai an- really good, and "not
merely novelties ? I aim to have mine such. Do
you want seed that the dealer himself lias faith enough
in to warrant? I warrant mine, as see Catalogue. Do
you want an exceptionally large collection to select from?
Mine is such. Do you want them directly from thegrower?
grow a largo portion of mine— few seedsmen grow any! My
Vegetable and i'lower Seed ( )atalogue for 1889 FREE to every-
body. JAMES J. H. GREGORY, Marblehead, P Cass,
g to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

76

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

JI6NEY PeiiCTO-

CITY MARKETS.

Milwaukee.— Honey.— This market for honey is
dull; very best sells slowly. Inferior qualities neg-
lected. Choice white lib. sections, 17@18; same,
2-lbs., 15@16; good dark, 1-lbs., 15(0*16; same 2-lbs ,
14®15; fair, 1-lbs., 12(g)14. Damaged and broken,
not wanted. Extracted, white, kegs and '/i-bbls.,
8(4©9; ditto, amber, 71^®S; white, in pails and tins,
9H(« Id; dark, bbls. and half-bbls., '<lA@6lA.
Beeswax, 22@23. A. V. Bishop,
Jan. 10. Milwaukee, Wis.

St. Louis.— Honey.— The movement in honey is
very slow. Hard to realize satisfactory prices for
the shipper or ourselves. Choice white clover,
comb, sells freely at 11(5-15. But extracted in cans
about TH@8. In bbls., nfiS'i as to quality.
Beeswax, 30. W. B. Westcott & Co.,
Jan. 26. St. Louis, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— Demand is slow for all
kinds of honey, with a comparatively small supply
on the market. Extracted honey brings 5(3)8 on ar-
rival; comb honey, 12@16, in the jobbing way.

Beeswax.— There is a good demand, which brings
20@22 on arrival for good to choice yellow.

Jan. 21. Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

New York.— Honey.— The extremely warm weath-
er has brought business in honey to a standstill,
and we quote nominally fancy white, 1-lb. comb,
14@15; 2-lbs, 12@12l2. Fair white, 1-lb., 12@13; 2-lbs.,
10@11. Buckwheat, 1-lb., 10'/2(5>11; 2-lbs., 10.

Extracted, basswood and clover, S@8*4. Buck-
wheat, 6@6!4. We expect a good trade in buck-
wheat extracted, during next month.

Jan. 19. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co.,

New York City.

Detroit.— Honey.— Best white in one-pound sec-
tions coutinucs to be quoted at 16(a;18, with a little
less in sight; market will be bare of comb honey
before the new crop will find its way in.

Jan. 21. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich.

Kansas City.— Honey.— We quote: 1-lb. comb,
white, 16; fall. 14; California white, 16; 2-lb. Cali-
fornia white, 11; 2-lb. extra Cal'a, 13. Extracted,
Cal'a white, 8; Cal'a amber, 7. Beeswax. 20@22.
Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Jan. 22. Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis. — Honey. — Market quiet, but firm.
Comb, choice clover, 13@15; dark, 8@10; strained
and extracted, in barrels, choice, 6©6*4 ; cans 7@7V£ ;
dark, 5(o)5^. Cans, 6661:,. Beeswax, prime, 20.
Jan. 22. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

St. Louis, Mo.

New York.— Honey.— Market quiet; fine goods
very scarce; but as there is no demand for it, there
will be no goods left over this year.

Jan. 19. Thurber, Whyland & Co.,

New York City.

Columbus.— Honey.— Our market remains the
same. White comb in 1-lb. sections, 16@18; no de-
mand for larger sections. Earle Clickenger.

Jan. 19. Columbus, Ohio.

Albany. — Honey. Market slow and prices weak-
ening some. H. R, Wright,
Jan. 26. Albany, New York.

Boston.— Honey.— No change in market prices.
Jan. 21. Blake & Ripley.

Boston, Mass.

For Sale.— One ton of white extracted honey,
in kegs and barrels; also amber, or fall honey, of
excellent quality, in same packages. Write for
prices, stating amount desired. Frank McNay,
Mansion, Juneau Co., Wis.

For Sale.— First-class extracted honey in 60-lb.
tin cans. Having just been liquefied it will pour
from cans easily. Will take 9 cts. per pound. Sam-
ples sent for 2-ct. stamp. K. 1. Barber.

818 E. Washington St., Bloomington, 111.

For Sale.— I have about 1500 lbs. of nice light
honey, fresh from sealed combs, mostly clover and
basswood, that 1 will sell in 175-lb. cans at 8 cts. per
lb., or in lots to suit. Sample by mail free.

Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

Fob Sale.— I have a quantity of extracted honey
in 50-lb. kegs, which I will sell at the following
prices: 8c for the white and 7c for the amber, f. o. b.
The honey is first eluss. C. H. Stordock,

3 6db Durand, 111.

Beautiful Laced Wyandottes.

Eggs lor llai. hiiiir. sl.oo lor 13; $2.0O
for 30. Orders Booked Now.

3tfdb J. W. GEISWOLD KOSE. WAYNE CO., N. 7.

t3?"Iii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

g> S- ID. McLEAN £

00 Will sell bees by the pound, Colonies, Nu- p^.
CO clei, and Queens, Cheap. Write for terms to ~r
,rH3 9d COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE. CD

DADAMT'S FOUNDATION PAOTOBY, WHOLESALE AND
RETAIL. See advertisement in another column

POULTRY SUPPLIES. SSrtKSsa

timed {*!!-■ Ground Oyster Shells, Cracked Poultry
Bone. Bone Meal, and everything else in th.s line, o I the
best quality and at lowest prices. We have large facilities lor
the manufacture of Poultry Supplies. Send for trade price-list.
John Uardiner A: Co., 81 N. 18th St., PhUad'a, Pa.
CJfTIn responding to this advertisement mention < u.kamm. ••

HONEY, bees^uejns, supplies.

OLIVER FOSTER, MT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

CARNI0LAN QUEENS

A SPECIALTY.

Largest and Purest Carniolan Apiary in
America. Send for descriptive circular and price
list. Address ANDREWS & LOCKHART,

3tfd Pattens Mills, Washington Co., N. Y.

CS^Iii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

PER CENT DISCOUNTS IN FEB.

AND MARCH! On Queens, Bees,
AprARiAN Supplies, Japanese Buck-
wheat, and Seed Potatoes (20 varieties). Send
for catalogue giving full particulars.

CHAS. D. DUVALL,
3-6db Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

t?"Iii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DEALKKS in Apiarian Supplies, Small
Fruit, and Poultry, Send me your circu-
lars and price lists. J. S. LA RUE,
3d Lewistown, Logan Co., Ohio.

4^5

LOOK HERE!

A complete hive for comb honey, $1.30. No. 1
planer-sawed V-groove sections, $2.75 per M., this
month. Price list free. J. M. KINXIE,

3tfd Rochester, Oakland Co., Tlith.

C^ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings,

CORNS.

3d

A SURE CURE.

By mail, Postpaid, lor 15c.

(An agent wanted in every town)
r.» T. G. ASH MEAD,

Williamson, Wayne Co., New York.

EARLY QUEENS !

Now ready at $1.25 each; after April 1st, $1.00.
J. P. CALDWELL,
3d San Marcos, Texas.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTOR 5T, WHOLE-
SALE AND RETAIL. See advertisement In
anothjr column. 3btfd

Vol. XT1T.

FEBRUARY 1, 1889.

No. 3.

^sVo^^^t?:^} Established in 18^3.

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single mira- \ published semi-monthly by

ber, 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be

^nft^V^xo^cE6^ Jlt0U /. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

JC-bs to different postofflees, not less
th^ 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the
U S. and Canadas. To all other eoun-
I tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
L not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES.

SHALL I START ONE?

fHlS question is likely to come up in the minds
of not a few; and although each one must
answer for himself, there are a good many
side questions that may present themselves
for reply before the main question is reach-
ed. On some of these I will try to throw some light,
without going through the formality of stating the
questions. If you decide that you will keep three
or four hundred colonies of bees, it is a pretty clear
case that you can not profitably keep them all in
the home apiary. Just how many you can profita-
bly keep there, is an exceedingly difficult thing to
determine. Supposing that, by a series of careful
experiments extending over fifty years, it has been
pretty satisfactorily determined that 93 colonies is
the largest number that can, on the average, be
profitably kept in Mr. Smith's apiary, 20 miles dis-
tant, it by no means follows that the same series of
experiments would reach the same conclusion on
your ground. The same kind of flowers may not
be on your ground; the soil may be different, or, if
these be alike, the rainfall may differ; and sup-
posing no difference can be detected in any of
these, how are you going to measure the number
of flowers to be found on the one, two, or three
thousand acres that constitute the range of the
bees in each apiary? Suppose you have a crop of
6000 lbs. from 80 colonies one year, and the next
year from 100 colonies you get 5000 lbs., it does not
certainly follow that 100 colonies overstock the
ground; for in the last case there may be a bad
year, and it is possible that the very next year may

be so much better that 100 colonies shall store 10,000
lbs. surplus. So you see it is a very difficult thing
to decide what is the largest number you ought to
keep, in order to the greatest profit. 1 wish I could
give you some rule by which you might determine
the matter, but I can not; and I am obliged to con-
fess that, after a good many years of experience,
all of it on the same ground, I am not able to say
with any degree of confidence whether 75, 100, or 125
colonies will bring me the greatest profit. The
best I can do is to say that, if your location is an
average one, it is not likely you would better keep
more than 75 or 100 colonies in one apiary. If any
one should accuse me of presumption in attempt-
ing to speak so definitely, I am ready to bear the
reproof very meekly, and confess that I know little
about it. Close observation for a series of years
may help you to a more reliable guess as to your
own locality.

If you find that 50 or 75 colonies occupy the most
of the time that you can spare from other business,
it is hardly advisable for you to attempt a second
apiary, for you will find that it will make a draft
on your time in a different way from the home
apiary. Often there is some little thing to be done
which needs only a few minutes to do; but if you
must go three or four miles to do it the case is
quite different.

Suppose you find, or think you have found, that,
after you have reached 75 colonies, the next 25 will
do a good deal better in an out-apiary, you must
still keep in mind that this 25 will entail more ex-
pense (I include time and labor, of course, in ex-
pense) in proportion than the first 75, and the prob-
ability is that you would better keep the 100 at

78

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

home if your total crop is greater than from the 75,
even if the average yield per colony from the 100 be
less than from the 7-">. In other words, it is well lo
crowd the bees at home a little, rather than to start
a second apiary. Whether you need to keep some
one watching- for swarms, cuts some figure in the
account. There may be cases, however, where the
extra ~"> would turn the balance in favor of an out-
apiary. If it is your intention to continue to in-
crease, and you have reached, or nearly reached
the limit of the home apiary, and you expect to
start an out-apiary next year, it may be better to
start it this year. The practice this year on a small-
er number will be of advantage to you. In the
matter of hauling alone, you need experience— at
least I did. Mishaps were quite too common with
me at first; :ind if I had had a large number to haul,
the matter might have been serious. Another rea-
son for commencing this year, rather than next, is,
that you have no certain tenure of territory; but if
you commence an out-apiary this year you may be
less likely to see some one else occupy the same
ground next year. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Another thing that you can determine by
starting out-apiaries is the value of locali-
ties. Some find the out - apiary better
than the home apiary, and others not near-
ly so good ; and I remember that, in some
cases, there seemed to be a marked differ-
ence, without any explanation as to why it
was so. This marked difference showed it-
self year after year. By trying 2o colonies
at a time, or even a less number, you can
decide what a locality is worth. If it is not
as good as your home apiary, you can make
a test in another direction. Sometimes an
out-apiary will give stores when the bees at
home are getting none at all. This is often
the case where you can go in the direction
of a swamp, river bottom, or something of
that sort.

INCREASE, OTHERWISE THAN BY
NATURAL SWARMING.

FRIEND DOOLITTLE TELLS US HOW TO MANAGE IT.

"Mb SUBSCRIBER for Gleanings says he can
9flk not stay at home and care for the swarms
^Jk which may issue from the 30 colonies of bees
-^*- which he has, and wishes me to tell him how
he can manage next season so as to increase
his bees and still have them do good work in mak-
ing comb honey. After trying nearly every plan of
artificial increase which has ever been given, I am
satisfied that none of them will give as good results
as will natural swarming; but where one is situat-
ed as is the writer of the above, of course a sub-
stitute for the good old way will have to be resort-
ed to. Knowing that there were times when in-
crease other than natural swarming would be very
desirable, I kept a record of all of my experiments
while trying the various plans of making swarms,
as given at different times to the public, and, ac-
cording to my views, the two following come the
nearest to nature's way of any now before the
world. The first is a plan which was adopted by
Rlisha Gallup, and given to the world some twenty
or more years ago, while the latter plan is one 1
made up out of different hints I picked up here and
there. The Gallup plan I have practiced quite ex-

tensively for years, while the other I use almost al-
together at the present time. All the particular
difference there is in the two plans is that, with the
latter, a new queen is given to the swarm, leaving
the old one to continue to do duty in the old hive;
while with the former the old queen goes with the
swarm, the same as she does in natural swarming,
thus leaving the bees to rear a queen of their own.
By giving each part a laying queen, great gain is
made; still the Gallup plan is a good one where one
can not rear the queens before he makes the
swarms, or feels too poor to buy them. None of
the plans of artificial increase should be used till
the hive is quite well filled with bees, and the bees
themselves are preparing for swarming. When
the proper time has arrived, go to any colony from
which you wish to take a swarm, and, after having
removed the cover and quilt or honey-board, drive
the bees out of the way with a little smoke so that
you can shave the capping off from some of the
sealed honey at the tops of the frames, unless you
think they have plenty of unsealed honey in the
hive. Just previous to doing this, you should find
the queen, and cage her on one of the combs with
one of the wire-cloth cages which will push into the
comb, as has been so often described. Having both
of the above doue, close the hive and beat on it with
the fist, at the same time blowing smoke in at the
entrance, just enough to frighten back the guards
as they come out to drive off the intruder. Having
the guards all turned back, give the hive several
sharp blows, enough to cause the bees to thorough-
ly fill themselves with honey; and if more than one
swarm is to be made, go to the next hive and pre-
pare them in the same way, while the first are fill-
ing themselves; otherwise you will have to wait
til! the bees have their sacs full. When this is ac-
complished, set the cap of any hive on a wide
board a little way off from the old hive (any box
will doi, and proceed to shake the bees off the
frames till you think you have about three-fourths
of them, shakiug them in front of the cap or box
on the wide hoard, into which they will run as fast
as they arc shaken off, if the same is raised up a
bee-space on the side next where they are shaken.
Lastly, take the frame having the queen on it, and,
after uncaging her, shake her and the bees off this
frame, letting them run in with the others. Now
close the hive, when the returning bees from the
field and what were left on the combs and about
the hive will make the colony in about the same
condition it would have been in had it cast a swarm.
Next take the cover having the bees in it; carry it
to the shade of some tree, and, after setting it
down, lean it up against the tree with the open
side out, exposed to the light. Leave them thus
while you are making other swarms, or for about
an hour, when they will conclude they are a sepa-
rate colony, and will behave just like a natural
swarm, having clustered in the box the same as a
swarm does on a limb. Now hive them as you
would a natural swarm, and they will work the
same, or as nearly so as is possible to have bees do
outside of natural swarming.

The next way, and the one which I prefer when
I have laying queens to spare, is to proceed the
same as above till you get ready to shake off the
bees, when they are to be shaken into a box in-
stead of in front of a cap. This box is to be made
of a size to hold about half a bushel, the two sides
of which are to be of wire cloth, one permanently

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

97

nailed on, and the other is to have the wire cloth
nailed to four small strips, so that four small nails,
one through the center of each strip, will hold it
fast to the box, yet make it readily removable when
we wish to get the bees out. In the top of the box
is to be bored a hole of the right size to admit the
small end of a large funnel, such as is used in
putting up bees by the pound, and over this hole
is to be fixed a slide so that it can be closed as soon
as the bees are in. Having the box and funnel,
proceed to shake the same amount of bees down
through it into the box as you did in the former
case; but instead of putting the queen with the
bees in the box, uncage her and set the frame hav-
ing her on back in the hive. In this case you leave
the old colony in the same conditions in which they
would have been had they cast a swarm, with the
exception that they have the old queen with them,
so as to keep up egg-laying all the while. Now car-
ry your box of bees to your bee-cellar, or some
other cool dark place, and leave them undisturbed
for four hours, when you are to go and get a queen
in a round wire-cloth cage, from one of your nuclei,
or one which you ha%*e bought; and after getting
where the box of bees is. jar the bees to the bottom
of the box, by setting it on the floor suddenly, so
that they will not be runnmg out while you are
putting in the queen, and immediately let your
queen run through the hole into the box. Now
close the hole and leave the bees till sunset or the
next morning, when you will find them clustered
and ready for hiving, the same as a natural
swarm would be, having accepted the queen which
you gave them, as their own mother. Hive as be-
fore, and the work is done.

In using this latter plan it is best to take the bees
between the hours of 10 and 12 \. m. In writing
this out it seems like a good deal of work; but
where making many swarms, the work goes on
rapidly, as the bees are filling themselves while
you are working, so that there is no waiting. In
this way swarms can be made about as fast as nat-
ural swarms could be cared for, while they work
nearly as well after they are made.

Borodino, N. Y., Jan. 17, 1889. G. M. Dooi-ittle.

Friend D., if I may be permitted to make
a suggestion I would tell a novice not to
risk shaking the queen with the bees in
front of the hive-cover. I have seen the
queen a good many times, instead of drop-
ping down to the bees, take wing; and
when they are on the wing they do not al-
ways go in with the bees. Several times I
have had them go back to the old hive,
where I would find them on one of the
combs. I would take the queen off and set
her down among the moving bees, and be
sure she crawled into the box, then there
will be no danger of getting two queens to-
gether. I have also found bees from some
colonies that would, a large part of them,
return to the parent hive after they went
out for pollen or honey. Your manner of
manipulation, however, may prevent this
largely ; and perhaps if you have three-
fourths of the bees with the old queen also,
the ones that went back would not make
any material difference. Lastly, 1 would by
all means put a comb with unsealed brood,
with an artificial colony of any sort. 1 have
tried over and over again this comb of
brood, and so have our boys, and we are so

fully satisfied that it helps to make the bees
stay in a new hive, that I never omit it.
Sometimes, where we find the bees have ab-
sconded, I ask the question, " Did you give
them some unsealed brood ? "

Almost invariably the reply is, " Why, I
was too busy just then ; " or, " I declare, I
forgot it,'1 or something of that sort.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

COMPARATIVE TESTS WITH THE COMMON BUCK-
WHEAT.

T SEE several reports of the Japanese buckwheat,
Sk but you have never yet, 1 believe, treated the
W readers of Gleanings with cakes made of Jap-
"*■ anese buckwheat, so, now, let's [have some of
them. But before we can have the cakes we
must produce the buckwheat, so I will report that
first.

Last season I sowed it at three different times, as
much for my bees as for the grain. The ground
was an old worn-out piece of farm land that had
been farmed to corn and wheat for many years, un-
til it would not produce a crop of either, worth the
cost of raising. I do not know the amount of land
or the amount of seed I used, but probably about
two acres of ground. The seed was not good, as
some portion of it had been sprouted when harvest-
ed, and so did not grow when sown. It stood much
too thin. It might easily have been as thick again
on the ground. As for bee-pasture, it was a fair
success. They worked on it pretty thickly. I did
not, however, get any direct surplus honey, yet I
could distinctly tell the buckwheat flavor in some
of it. Well, I got about i0 bushels of nice grain,
which I have refused one dollar per bushel for. I
also had a fair chance to test it with the common
kind.

A neighbor sowed 3 acres, on about the same
grade of land, with the common seed. I wanted
him to sow the Japanese but he thought he could
not stand the pressure of four dollars a bushel for
the seed. He harvested 36 bushels from the 3 acres.
He has since said if he had sown my kind he would
have got at least 75 bushels.

Now, here come the cakes. I took 3 bushels to
the mill, and charged the miller to be particular to
have the mill well cleaned, so there should be no
mixture of any other flour or corn meal with my
flour, that could possibly add to or detract from its
bulk or quality, as I wanted to have a fair test of it.
His report is, first, that it gave about five pounds
more flour to the bushel than any other he had ever
ground; and, second, that it made the whitest flour
he ever saw, from buckwheat. And now I am hav-
ing the very best cakes every morning that I ever
had in my life. My cook says that I eat from 12 to
16 every morning. Be that as it may, my breakfast
is a good one; and by the way~she puts away the
Japanese buckwheat cakes, she had better keep
still or I shall tell how many she eats.

I had a small plot of ground that I raked over and
sowed the Japanese buckwheat on, as late a6 the
9th of September, thinking it might furnish a few
blossoms for the bees; and when the frost killed it
it was 18 inches high, and perfectly loaded with set
grain, some of which began to ripen. If it could
have had two weeks more time it would have given
a pretty good crop of grain. A. A. Fradenburg.

Port Washington, O., Jan. 21, 1889.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

^W5Eg

37 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM V2
BUSHEL OF SEED.

I got one bushel of Japanese buckwheat of you
last summer. I let a neighbor have half of it. I
sowed the other half on one acre of land, and har-
vested 37 bushels of nice buckwheat. I am sure
there would have been over 40 bushels if it had
been well saved. Other buckwheat didn't yield
half as much. I could not tell any difference in
bees working on the two Mnds. I sowed on the 26th
of June. C J. Evans.

Jonesboro, Ind.

43 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT IN TWO
YEARS.

I started with M lb. of Japanese buckwheat,
which I got of you two years ago. From the % lb.
I harvested 47 lbs. I sowed the 47 lbs. on % of an
acre, and it yielded 43 bushels, or about 50 bushels
per acre. Perley Langworthy.

Riceville, Pa., Jan. 9, 1889.

In addition to the above, and what is said
about this buckwheat in the last issue (pp.
58 and 63), we would refer you to pages 95
and 99 of this issue.

BEARS AND HONEY.

setting out fruit-trees ; MOVING bees short

DISTANCES.

r HAVE just been reading with much interest
|lf A. I. Root's travels in California, and his visits
W with the bee-keepers. Oh how I should like
just such a trip! But 1 should have to stay
long enough to kill some of those bears and
other wild animals. The idea of a man letting a
bear come to an apiary of 11 colonies and eat them
all up, and then letting the old fellow go away in
peace is amusing. If it had been my case, I would
have made him pay for the bees, if there was mon-
ey value enough in his hide and meat and tallow to
do it. But if there was no value in the old fellow,
why, then I would have killed him to get even with
him, and get him out of the way.

HOW TO SET OUT STRAIGHT ROWS.

On page 979, Dec. 15, Mr. Root speaks of seeing
orange-trees that were set in such perfectly
straight rows, and wants to know if some of the
readers of Gleanings can tell how to do it. If the
ground is not too hilly, or surface too rolling, get
out as many small stakes as you propose to set
trees. Make the stakes about one inch in size, pref-
erably round, and in length about two feet. The
next thing to do is to get those stakes stuck in
straight rows. You can accomplish it very nearly
by markine off the ground with a corn-marker,
marking the ground both ways. Stick the stakes in
the crossing at every third or fourth crossing, ac-
cording to how close you want the trees. With a
man to sight through the rows, and another man
to move the stakes a trifle one way or the other, if
they are not quite right, straighten the rows. It is
a great deal easier to move a stake a little than to
move a tree a little after it is set. Having straight-
ened the rows, set the trees. First we want a set-
ting-board, which can be made out of a piece of
fencing, 6 inches wide and 8 feet long for small
trees. Bore a l'/a-inch hole exactly in the center of
the board, both endwise and sidewise; then, say 3
inches from each end of the board, bore a l^-inch
hole. Saw out a strip crosswise, Wi inches wide,
the center of the board, on one side, until it meets
the auger-hole. Our board will now have a notch
in the center and a hole in each end, like this:

o

r\

O

We want two stakes, about a foot long, and small
enough to go through the end holes of the board.

Lay the board on the ground and crowd it up till
the stake is in the center notch, snug into the notch
in the board. Let the stake be in the notch as far
as it will go, then stick your two short stakes into
the holes in the end of the board, and down into
the ground firmly. Pull up the center stake and
take away the board. Dig out the place for the
tree to stand in, then put the board back again,
so that the two small stakes are in the end holes of
the boards as before. Place your tree in the cen-
ter notch of the boa^d, and fill in with dirt. Be sure
that the tree stands straight When the place is
about filled up, the board can be taken away so
that a nice job can be made. The tree will, of
course, stand in exactly the same place that the
stake did. We can now pull up our two small
stakes, and go to another stake and set another
tree in the same way.

MOVING BEES SHORT DISTANCES.

We often read in the bee-papers directions for
moving a hive of bees in the apiary, something
like this: Move the hive a foot or two a day, until
it is in the exact place where it is wanted. Now,
friends, I would not do any such thing. Some
time when the bees are all in the hive I would just
pick it up and put it where I wanted it, and done
with it. We move bees more or less every spring,
to equalize our yards; in that case we move them
four or five miles or so. But last spring we wanted
to move about half of one of our out-apiaries, to
get them further from the public highway. There
were, in quadruple hives, 69 colonies in 4 rows, run-
ning east and west. We wanted to move the east

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

81

half, and put them west of the west half, a distance
of eight or ten rods. This apiary was 5 miles from
home. To go out there and move those hives a
foot or two a day, mixing them up among the oth-
er hives as we worked them along, would have
made a big job, and no doubt would have resulted
in nearly all of the young bees being left behind
in the hives that we passed in moving. Well, we
made all of the new stands at the west end of the
apiary ready to 6et the hives on, and got every
thing ready to move, and then went home. The
next morning, May 18, it was very cloudy, and rain-
ing a little, and it promised to be a wet day. We
put the wheelbarrow into the wagon, and started.
As bees were not flying when we got there, we just
set one of those big hives on to the wheelbarrow,
and wheeled it to the stand where we wanted it,
and there located it. We then went back and got
another, and kept on until we had moved all we
wanted to, about 35 colonies. Shortly after all were
moved, the weather cleared up and the bees went
to work; and before noon the moved bees were
bringing in pollen. There were a few bees flying
about the old stands, looking for home, for about
two hours; after that, every thing was running as
usual. As far as I could see, the moved bees did
just as well as those not moved. Then what is the
use of all this fussing, hitching along a little to-
day and a little to-morrow? E. France.
Platteville, Grant Co., Wis.

Friend F., your remarks in regard to set-
ting trees, in connection with what is said
on page 87, will doubtless enable any one to
work rapidly and accurately. I think I
should prefer to stretch a line, however,
rather than to have so much sighting. — I
am a little surprised at what you say about
moving bees short distances. I am very
well aware that some colonies stick to their
old home, without any trouble ; and at oth-
er times the loss of bees in spring time will
so reduce the colony as to prove fatal to it.
At one time I attempted to move a strong
colony of Italians during the working sea-
son, from one part of our town to the other.
Enough bees went back to their old stand
to make a small-sized swarm. These were
brought home on a comb, placed in a box,
and shaken in front of the hive. They ran
in like a natural swarm ; but the next morn-
ing, nearly if not quite all of them returned
to their old stand, laden with pollen and
honey. This they kept doing until I got
tired of carrying them home every night.
Now, it is possible, but not very probaole,
that, had I left no comb or box for them to
cluster in, they might have returned to
their new location. At another time I pur-
chased a box hive of a neighbor, moving it
perhaps an eighth of a mile. This moving
was done in the winter time. Within ten
days or two weeks, however, we had a very
warm day, and the bees flew profusely.
Well, so many bees went back to their old
stand that the owner told me there was a
pretty fair swarm circling around where
their hive used to stand. That night they
scattered about on the trees and bushes,
and were chilled to death. The next day,
more of them went back; and the result
was, the colony that cost me $5.00 died for
lack of bees to keep the brood warm. I

have seen this same thing happen so often,
that I think novices should be very careful
indeed about moving bees short distances.
When they are moved so far that they do
not meet familiar objects on their first
flight, of course they will all go back to the
hive. An old veteran like yourself, who
keeps an eye on the movements of the bees,
would probably not lose very many.

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As aprotection to our bee-keeping population, we propose in
this department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

fRIEND ROOT:— The inclosed clipping was tak-
en from the Lutheran Observer of a recent
date. If you find room in Gleanings, please
insert it and give a reply to such damaging
nonsense as that. H. W. Walker.

Somerset, Pa., Jan. 15, 1889.

Below is the clipping referred to :

SCIENTIFIC LEGERDEMAIN.

In these days of adulteration,

When all things are not what they seem,
And every thing is something else,

it is no more miraculous that olive oil should be
squeezed out of a peanut than that Java coffee
should be ground out of the chicory root, or
that black pepper be only another name for
pulverized cocoanut shells. Science is now making
such rapid strides toward helping us in our gas-
tronomic needs, that Nature herself must get out
of the way or she will be run over. Even the poor
honey-bee was accused, not of laziness, for that
would have been too palpable an injustice, but of
being tco slow, and spending too much time over
the clover-heads.

"I will remedy that," said Sciencei

And she did. Shutting up the bees, she knocked
the head out of a barrel of glucose and told them to
go to work and help themselves, which they did
faithfully. Their long journeys to and from the
flowering fields being done away with, they had
nothing to interfere with their getting down to act-
ual business. The scheme was a success, for the
honey was piled into the combs in treble abundance
and in one-third the usual time.

And yet Science wasn't satisfied.

Greedily she put her wits to work.

" What's the use of going to the expense of buy-
ing bees? I can make the comb quicker and as well
as they; and as for the honey— well, glucose is hon-
ey!"

And so the occupation of the honey-bee being
gone, so far as it has any hand in what is known as
the " honey of commerce," it now confines itself in
a small way to home manufacture, samples of
which, if the reader particularly wants, he must
particularly search for.

The above has just commenced going the
rounds of the press, and it really seems as
if the religious press were worse than any
other in taking up and scattering broadcast
these false and slanderous statements.
Friend W., as you will notice, says he took
the clipping from the Lutheran Observer,
and we notice that they give credit to Table
Tall-. Now, friends of the Observer and Ta-
ble Talk, will you not correct the misstate-
ments which I presume you have unwitting-
ly made? For three years past we have
been fighting down tliis falsehood. Many
papers have recalled the statement, but it
seems to be cropping out again. Surely you
would not knowingly injure an' honest class
of people, if you knew it. More than two
years ago I published a standing offer of

82

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

one thousand dollars to any one who would
tell us where this spurious comb honey was
manufactured. Every one has been obliged
to give up— there is no such thing, and
there never was. Will you not at least
briefly correct the wrong you have done?
Bee-keepers are as anxious to put down
fraud and adulteration as are the cheese
and butter makers ; but they do not like to
have their industry damaged by having the
people prejudiced by false statements like
the above.

THE GREAT NOVELTY OP 1889.

A LIMA BEAN THAT GROWS ON BUSHES, AND DOES
NOT REQUIRE POLES.

ip LTHOUGH I have never seen this new
k lima bean except in a dry state, yet I
| am so well satisfied of its excellence
^ that I purchased 1000 25-cent pack-
ages. In regard to the origin, we ex-
tract the following from the February issue
of the American Agriculturist :

The history of the new bush lima bean is rather
interesting. As far as can be traced it originated
in the mountains of Bedford County, Va., in a lo-
cality known as the " Peaks of Otter," in the gar-
den of a humble colored man, who was bright
enough to notice a single plant that formed a bush

delicious lima beans, and is at least two
weeks earlier than any of the climbing
limas, being fit for market about the middle
of July, in York State, and from that on un-
til frost. The only thing against it that I
know of is its small size compared with the
limas that grow on poles, the dry beans in
the packets being about the size of those
shown in the cut, only after being soaked in
water over night. Perhaps, in a green
state they are considerably larger. We are
not permitted to sell them for less than 25
cents each packet ; 5 tor 81.00, or 12 for
$2.00. A packet contains about 25 beans.
We are permitted, however, to offer it as a
premium as follows : We will send a packet
to every present subscriber who will send us
$1.00 and the name of a new subscriber to
Gleanings. If you are too busy to hunt
up a subscriber, send us $1.00 to extend
your subscription for 1890. We append the
following testimonials from Henderson's
catalogue :

The Dwarf Lima bean was a surprise indeed. Who would
ever have thought it possible to transform the climbing, ram-
pant-growing Lima bean into a bush ! But here it is before
my eyes, a bush Lima, loaded with pods, and that so early in
the season as to remove one of the principal objections — their
late ripening— to growing Lima beans. This, combined with
its independence from the troublesome and unsightly poles,
must make this new vegetable wonder a welcome acquisition
t'> cv. rv garden.— DR. F. M. Hexamer, Office 'American Agri-
culturist." New York, Sept., 1888.

Copyright, 1888, By Peter Henderson & Co.

among a patch of tall limas. He saved the seed
from it, knowing nothing of its value except that
he saw that for his own convenience it could be
grown without poles. The second season he had
quite a patch of it, atid gave some to his neighbors,
until it ultimately found its way into the hands of
a seedsman, who purchased the entire stock. Had
the colored citizen only known the prize he had
struck, and increased the stock, one acre of this
new lima bean would have given him money
enough to purchase a good-sized Virginia farm.

You see, friends, it was a sport, just like
my white Boston .Market lettuce.

Henderson states in his new catalogue
that it does not run at all, grows about 18
inches high, produces' enormous , icrops* of

Tlif new Bush Lima bean is the greatest acquisition to the
vegetable garden attained in this century- Growing exactly
like the common String or Bush bean, its simple culture is
identical. It will lind a place in thousands of gardens where
the old climbing bean is unknown, as not one cultivatorin one
hundred can go to the trouble and expense of the poles for the
old Lima. In the Bush Lima we have not only a vegetable of
the easiest culture, with a flavor equaling, if not surpassing,
the pole Lima, but above all a bean giving as heavy a crop,
and beginning two weeks earlier.— Peter B. Mead, Mamaro-
neek, Westchester Co., N. Y.

FROM THE LARGEST GROWERS OF BEANS IN THE WORLD.

Your Bush Lima bean, which we have tested very thorough-
ly this season, is a most valuable variety. It is strictly a bush
bean, growing from 15 to 18 inches high, with no tendency to
climb; makes a wonderful profusion of pods, some single

plants containing 100 g 1 pods, and the majority averaging

from 60 to 76 pods per plant, with ordinary field culture. The
cooking qualities are unexcelled, if indeed they are equaled
by the Pole Limas. We think this bean is destined to become
the most popular variety in the entire list.— N.B. Keeney &
Son, LeRoy, N. Y.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

83

FLOATING APIARIES IN EGYPT.

HOW THE BUSINESS WAS PROSECUTED OVER
YEARS AGO ON THE NILE.

100

fpIHE following sketch we copy from the
T Deutsche Illustrierte Bienen Zeitung for
f November, page 44. The engraving
also from the same source we repro-
duce. The article was written by Mr.
T. Kellen, of Luxemburg. W. P. Root, our
proof-reader, translates as follows :

Not long- ago 1 discovered in the city library of
this place, Luxemburg:, a French work on bees,
which for a century had been unremoved, leaves
uncut, and was covered with venerable dust and
finger-marks. In this work I found a very interest-
ing notice in reference to portable apiaries of that
period. The author of the above work, B. E. Manu-
el, procured some notes of a description of Egypt,
and added a few concluding: observations of Reau-
mer thereto. From this and other histories of
travels, as well as from Maillet's Description of
Egypt, published in 1740, it appears that, in the last
century, there were a great many colonies of bees
kept in the land of the Pharaohs, and
that a very lively business was main-
tained therein, quite unlike what we
have in our own country. Dr. West-
hau reports, in a description of a trav-
el through Egypt, in 1702, the follow-
ing: "In many places I found apicul-
ture greatly hindered, notwithstand-
ing the inhabitants manifest much
interest in it. In the season of bloom
they move with their bees, now here
and now there, in order to All their
hives with honey."

In the last century there was found,
with all of the ignorance and wildness
of the inhabitants, an occasional trace
to remind one of the previous luxury
of a keen and diligent generation,
long past. One of the most noticeable
evidences of their activity was the an-
nual sending of their bees to remote
districts, that they might secure pas-
turage, which occasionally failed them
at their own stands.

As Upper Egypt is hotter than Lower Egypt, and
the land there is freer from the inundations of the
Nile, the honey-plants there develop at least six
weeks earlier. The inhabitants were fully aware of
this fact, and availed themselves of it for the bene-
fit of their bees. In Lower and Middle Egypt they
placed a certain number of colonies of bees, which
were often kept in jugs and bowls, and often in
cylinders or baskets made of burnt clay, or made
out of withes braided, and besmeared with Nile
slime, made expressly for this purpose— forerun-
ners of the portable bee-hives of Swabia. If the
hives were required at the upper end of Egypt,
they were transported thither, so the bees could
visit the neighboring honey-plants and shrubs.
When the crop in Upper Egypt was exhausted,
they floated the skiffs a few miles down stream,
and waited there as long as honey could be found
in paying quantities.

At the beginning of the month of February they
arrived at Lower Egypt, where they delivered the
hives back to their owners. The latter then sold
the entire product at wholesale in Cairo. The bee-

keepers from Upper Egypt, after they had dispos-
ed of their products in the region of the delta of
the Nile, and had secured what honey they could
there, returned again up stream to their homes.
Unfortunately, hitherto history has furnished us
no details in regard to portable apiaries in this
land of early antiquity, which are authentic; nev-
ertheless, it is easy to conjecture that that inven-
tive people, as the valley of the Nile bears them
witness, will convert it, as they did a century ago,
into the business of portable apiculture. One may
easily believe that Egypt first suggested the same
business to Greece and other lands. The Roman
agricultural writer, Columella, writes (De Re Rusti-
ca), Book IX., chapter 14, in replying to Celsus,
that in Achaia the bees from Attica and Eubcea, on
all the Cycladian islands to the island of Skiros,
and from the various Sicilian coasts to Hybla, were
cultivated for honey. This custom was, in all
probability, introduced from Egypt at the time of
Solon, for the civilization of Egypt is unquestiona-
bly much older than that of Greece. Before Solon
arose as reformer in Athens he traveled through
Egypt, and learnec there how to make manyim-

FLOATING APIARY, AS THEY USED TO DO IT ON THE NILE.

provements which he afterward made useful to his
native land.

But how stands bee culture now in Egypt?
When even the fellahin and Copts conspire to drive
out apiculture, no more will be read in modern his-
tories of travels in Egypt in regard to movable
apiaries; and no traveler will see any more the
skiffs on the Nile, laden with hives. This is easy to
be seen, when one reflects how downtrodden Egypt
is under the foot of the Mohammedan.

I am sorry that the original manuscript
did not give us more particulars. For in-
stance, did that chap in the back of the boat
have nothing to do but smoke his pipe?
Were the bees fastened in the hives during
the trip, or did they work along the shores
and " catch up " V Will eight hives of bees,
as shown in the cut, pay the expenses of the
whole establishment, with two men to run
it, letting one man smoke most of the time
" to boot '' ? If the bees are of the Egyptian
" denomination," I should think the "house
in the stern might come quite handy.

84

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

S. I. FREEBORN'S REPORT FOR 1888.

ALMOST 120 LBS. PEK COLONY, AND AN INCREASE
OF FROM 265 TO 349.

ijb S requested, I band you my report, also some
jL items of our work and success for 1888.
P' I put in winter quarters, in the fall of 1887,
^ 300 colonies— 11") at the home yard, and 185 at
Sextonville. They were wintered in two un-
derground caves, or bee-cellars, 12x24, made with
double doors, and covered with three feet of earth,
with sub-earth ventilators at the bottom, and a
boxed pipe running out at the top for upward ven-
tilation. The one at home has a brick chimney,
with a stove ready to fire up should circumstances
require; but no Are was built when the bees were
in, as it never went lower than 42°, and frequently
reached 46° above. The hives were ventilated,
mostly at the bottom, by raising them one inch in
front of the bottom-board, except the lower tier,
which was raised one inch all around.

They wintered fairly well. Most loss was from
the death of queens or from starvation. I lost
some by being deceived in the weight of the hives,
there being a great amount of pollen capped over
with the honey. There was so much that the hives
were quite heavy after the bees and honey were
all out. I commenced taking out bees Apr. 11th;
finished Apr. 14th. The spring was very unfavora-
ble, and we did more feeding than ever before, in
one season. We fed inside of the hives while the
weather was cool, to prevent starvation. After-
ward we fed in the open air when warm enough to
be safe to do so, to promote brood-rearing, and we
kept it up far into June, until clover bloomed. So
unfavorable was the spring that there were few if
any more bees when clover bloomed than when
first taken out of the cellar. From all causes, we
lost, up to June 1st, 35 colonies, leaving us at home
100; at Sextonville, 165 colonies. Our outfit for the
season was 265 colonies; 200 supers, or hives, of
empty comb; 75 empty hives; 200 pounds of wax; 2
extractors; 10 200-pound barrels left over, and 50
more engaged, with two young men to help— one
from Canada, with some experience, the other only
one year from Norway, 18 years old, without experi-
ence, but very anxious to get some, and he got it,
too, he thinks. These were my outfit to run for ex-
tracted honey for 1888. From the outlook I thought
the above sufficient, especially as white clover was
badly killed with us, and it was the off year for
basswood. White clover amounted to but little in
the way of surplus; but with the aid of sumac,
lion's-heart, and other sources, bees were in fair
condition for basswood harvest, which commenced
about July 12th and lasted 16 days.

Our 165 colonies at Sextonville are near the tim-
ber, and were not moved during the season. The
home lot had to fly about four miles to get to much
basswood. We moved 35 into the timber, and in
tended to move the rest; but the roads were so ex-
ceedingly rough at the time, that we gave it up.
Those that we moved did finely, gathering much
faster than those at home, thus showing that,
though bees will carry honey from four to six miles,
they can gather it much faster nearer home.

During the 16 days of basswood harvest we real-
ized how fully employed 265 colonies could keep
three or four men when they fairly got on a ram-
page. They worked and swarmed with a ven-
geance; and had we used all of our surplus hives

and combs we could soon have had them filled with
young swarms. I think about 1000 would have been
their capacity if we had let them have their will in
the matter; but by fooling them every way we
could, we had only &53 at the end of the season.

Our surplus of basswood honey was 18,000 pounds.
After basswood we moved the 35 that we moved to
timber and 76 left at home, 18 miles, to work on
mint or any thing else they pleased to get.

The moving of these bees proved to be the most
disastrous of any of my experiences. The night
the first lot was ready to go was the hottest night
of the season; and for the first time in my experi-
ence, being unable to attend to it personally, I was
obliged to see the boys start with 3 load? (35
swarms), without me. The result showed that 1 had
good reason for apprehension, for they had the
luck to kill 16 colonies. We moved the rest, and
had 90 left out of the 106. They made about 7000
pounds of mint honey in the three weeks that it
lasted. The mint proves to be a fine honey-pro-
ducing plant; it stands drought like a salamander,
and rain affects it but little. It seems to me that it
might be the most promising plant to raise for
honey of any thing in my knowledge, especially
where the ground is sandy.

The Sextonville lot were about 5 miles from the
Wisconsin River, but they carried considerable mint
honey that distance. It was somewhat mixed with
fall honey. We took from them 6000 pounds more,
which makes our crop 31,000 pounds of extracted
honey, and 600 lbs. of comb honey. With better
preparation I could have done better, as I could
have used with profit more foundation. I had
about 60 hives of full drawn-out comb, but I could
riot stop extracting to prepare more. I am glad
and thankful to get the crop that I did.

My profit comes from the sale of honey, as I sell
no queens or supplies. To get this 31,600 pounds of
honey cost a great amount of work with teams,
men, and brains. I don't see how cripples or lazy
folks could handle them if they did it the way we
did. Our 349 colonies are in the cellars before men-
tioned; 130 at home, 219 at Sextonville; one queen-
less, and I sold 3 swarms. S. I. Freeborn.

Ithaca, Wis., Dec. 20, 1888.

Friend F., the above is indeed refreshing.
Ernest remarks that it sounds like old times
instead of like a report for the season of
1888. Now, besides your yield of honey, you
have given us some very important facts
which need a little emphasis. One is, that it
does pay to have bees as well as every thing
else close to their work. The bees that had
to fly about four miles did something, but
not very much. The 35 colonies that were
moved, at once gathered honey much faster
than those left at home. I suppose the
great secret of your success is the immense
basswood forests you have written us about
before. If you have a good season next
year, if you will send me a telegram at its
highest I will try to go up and report for
the readers of Gleanings In regard to
the mint mentioned in the above letter, I
will explain to our readers that friend F.
has sent us a sample of the honey, and a
package of the plants, with the accompany-
ing letter :

We send you a sample of mint honey, or, as some
call it, " bergamot," which to our taste is prefera-
ble to the famous white-sage honey of California,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

85

One peculiarity of it is, that it will scarcely granu-
late. Having had it all winter in unsealed combs,
without any visible granulation, we also consider it
an excellent honey for winter stores. We also in-
close a sample of the plant itself from which the
honey was obtained. S. I. ]*reeborn.

Ithaca, Wis.. Dec. 19, 1888.

The honey sent us is so thick that it will
hardly run when the dish containing it is
turned over. As mentioned above, it shows
no sign of granulation whatever, although
it has been left out in the cold for a week or
two. The quality is excellent, with the ex-
ception of a little flavor of fall flowers. In
1878, Mr. II. Stewart, of Orion, Wis., from
the same county that Mr. Freeborn lives in,
sent us a sample of the mint. Prof. Beal
pronounced it Monarda Bradburiana. It is
nearly related to the horsemint of Texas.
The plant also grows in our own locality,
and it is called around here balm, or wild
bergamot. Perhaps it is better known un-
der the name of wild bergamot than any
other. Without question, it will pay bee-
keepers to look up patches of this wild ber-
gamot, and locate hives near them during
the proper season. I believe it is found
along the low grounds of the Mississippi
River, in many different places.

PACKING COMB HONEY FOB SHIP-
MENT.

SUGGESTIONS FROM WM. MUTH-RASMUSSEN.

'HERE wood is employed, I suppose that
great accuracy can never be attained, on
account of the unavoidable shrinking and
swelling. Yet, the nearer we come to ac-
curacy in getting out material, the less
will the subsequent work be. This is particularly
noticeable in packing comb honey. A slight varia-
tion from a fixed measure may seem a trifling mat-
ter in the width of a single section; but when 6
sections are placed side by side il makes quite a
difference. 1 use packing-cases holding 48 sections,
and without glass. This style suits my trade. I
have had sections whijh were so wide that they
would not go down into their place in the packing-
case, and had to be whittled on the edge; yet their
extra width was not sufficient to attract my atten-
tion when they were folded, but was only too ap-
parent when it came to packing them for shipment.
As a rule, however, there is a little room to spare
in' the packing-case, varying all the way from a
hair's breadth to a quarter of an inch. To prevent
the sections from moving, I crowd them all up
against one side of the case, and then stuff a wad
down between the opposite side and the section .
This wad, a little shorter than the inside length of
the case, is made by loosely folding a newspaper
until it is thick enough to require considerable
crowding to get it down into its place, and, being
loosely folded, it will have elasticity sufficient to
keep the sections steady. The projecting end
folds over on top of the sections, and serves to
withdraw the wad before the sections are lifted
out of the case. I do not know of any other way of
keying up the sections; but if other comb-honey
producers have something different or superior for
this purpose, I should be pleased to have them de-
scribe and illustrate their methods in Gleanings.

To get at something better, if possible, is my prin-
cipal ob. ect in writing this.

Wm. Muth-Rasmussen.
Independence, Inyo Co., Cal., Jan. 7, 1889.

Friend M., it is true that a slight varia-
tion in measurement sometimes makes a
great deal of trouble, and it behooves us all
to have our sections and every thing else
accurately made. Your wad made of folded
newspaper is a tiptop idea ; and until some-
body else suggests something better or neat-
er, I think we should do well to adopt it.

PBEDACEOUS BUGS.

PROF. COOK DESCRIBES THE BUGS THAT MUST NOT
BE STEPPED ON.

TN Gleanings of Nov. 15th, I described the wheel-
ml DUg' Pt'ionidus cristatus. I now send an excel-
W lent figure of this interesting insect, which is a
"*■ common one in our Southern States. The fe-
male of this wheel-bug (Fig. 1) lays in a group
about seventy eggs. These are bottle-shaped, and

FIG. 1. PRION IDUS CRISTATUS.

appear as would many bottles standing side by
side. The young only, resemble the mature insect
in form and habit. They are blood-red, and, like
the adult, pierce and suck the life from scores of
injurious species.

I wish now to call attention to another bug, the
soldier-bug, Podisus (Arma) Spinosus, Fig. 2. This
has a short sunken head, and so reminds us of our
injurious species like the black squash-bug, the
terrible chinch bug, and the
destructive tarnished plant-
bug which is sometimes so1
fatal to the strawberry and
almost every year to many
of our garden vegetables.
Thus this soldier-bug, one of
our valued friends, closely re-
sembles in form several of
our most dreaded pests. Yet
the beak is stronger, while in
the plant-destroyers the beak
is slim, as will be seen by the FIG- 3- soldier-bug.
figure, where the beak of the squash-bug is shown
with that of the soldier-bug.

The spined soldier-bug is a gray lavender or
brownish yellow in color. The specific name comes
from the sharp spines on the side of the thorax.
The figure is magnified twice, as is also the wheel-
bug in Fig. 1.

In pinning all insects, except beetles and bugs,
the pin is passed centrally through the thorax. In
pinning bugs we always pin through the little tri-
angle (Fig. 2), technically known as the scutellum,
of the meso-thorax. In another article I will show
how to pin beetles.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

The spined soldier-bug- is one of our most impor-
tant predaceous insects. I have seen it dining on
the grubs of our common potato-beetles, and its
appetite is not easily satisfied; on the large fine
tent caterpillars, and on several others of our most
dreaded insect-pests. Thus in the future, when we
elevate our noses in contemptuous derision of all
bugs, let us bear in mind that some of them, nota-
bly the wheel-bug and spined soldier-bug, are our
good friends, even fighting to rid us of our foes.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

CALIFORNIA.

ITS WONDERFUL CAPABILITIES, AND ESPECIALLY

THE DIFFERENT RESULTS OBTAINED IN LO-

CALITIES BUT A SHORT DISTANCE FROM

EACH OTHER.

fRIEND ROOT:— Your travels in California are
quite pleasant reading; but, like all those
who have not spent years here in various
parts of the State, you generalize from par-
ticular instances much too freely. For in
stance, you say (p. 975), "A little neglect in irriga
tion, and your strawberries, corn, aye, and even
orange-trees, are 'gone dead,' " and several other
remarks of a like kind; yet at my place (near Santa
Paula) I could have shown you tons of fine corn
which never had one drop of water, from planting
to husking— either rain or irrigation. My ranch is
without water except what I catch in tanks and
cisterns. I can show you dozens of thrifty oranges,
lemons, pomelos, and other citrus trees that had
half a pail of water each when set out, and no
more, except the natural rainfall. We have toma-
toes every day in the year, without irrigation. Fig-
cuttings planted two years ago are now large bear-
ing trees, a foot in circumference. 1 have now
growing, since 1884, when I homesteaded my place,
the following fruits: Apples, pears, olives, quinces,
apricots, almonds, walnuts.flgs, nectarines, prunes,
plums, cherries, guavas, persimmons, and other
Japanese fruits, oranges, lemons, loquates, pome-
granates, pomelos, besides small fruits, grapes,
and some rare kinds like hovenia dulcis, zapote
blanca, etc., and all these are grown without irriga-
tion, almost at the top of a mountain. The secret
lies in thorough cultivation. Yet, as a paying crop,
I should never think of planting strawberries, for
example, though I could make them grow and
bear some, almost any time of the year.

The truth is, one never knows what will do well
on a piece of ground until he tries it. Nor can you
be sure of varieties paying iu untried localities.
For example, take my nectarines. In 1884 I plant-
ed Hardwick, New White, and Boston nectarines.
In 188V, the Hardwick bore 150 lbs. to the tree. The
others bore not one. In 1888, the Hardwick bore
175 lbs. to the tree. The others bore a dozen
pounds. My peach-trees varied from 425 lbs. to 20.
My apricot-trees showed me that the Royal and
Hemskirk here bore almost ten times as much to
the tree (about 200 lbs.) as the Moorpark and Peach
apricot; yet 6 miles away the latter kinds are the
choice varieties. One mile east of me apricots do
little or nothing, while pears are a success. My
pears are a failure. I planted 150 trees in 1884, and
have got a dozen pears so far. So I might go on
through the lists of fruits, but one more example

will suffice. In one part of my canon, near the
house, I have three English walnuts, not two
years old, from the nut, all over 9 feet high, and
one over 11 feet, an almost unparalleled growth.
Not far away I have three others in like gocd soil,
having had like care, and they are not three feet
high. Why this difference? The former had more
rain three or four times during the two winters.
In fact, they had what was equal to double the
rain of the others, owing to their situation at the
foot of a hill. I have 12 acres in English walnuts,
all growing very well indeed, yet I shall not know
whether walnuts pay in my cahon for eight or ten
years. I simply guess they will pay. Soil, rainfall,
shelter, location, all have a wonderful influence.

Now about the chicken business, which looks so
profitable here to you. True, we can raise lots of
chickens every month in the year, and vermin too.
My next neighbor, last year, with 19 hens, raised
over 200 chicks with little care. But next month
she may have 19 left. One friendly cat (lynx) re-
duced my stock by dozens in a few days. I wake
at night and hear the chickens crying "badger! "
and see three or four dead in the hen-house. A
sportive cayote gobbles up a willful hen and her
chicks from their nest— hid from my eyes. A fat
squirrel runs for the egg when he hears a hen
cackle, and finds the egg half way down a gopher-
snake's neck. We have nearly as many hawks here
as chickens, and— we generally have enough eggs
to use, and we eat at least half as many chickens
as the " varmints " get, so it pays us to keep chick-
ens, though 1 believe bees pay better.

Now a few words about our California names,
which are often very suggestive. The " Chollas "
(pronounced Ch6-y&) Valley was named from a kind
of cactus. Spanish double I is pronounced like "y "
by our Mexicans.* "Tia Juana," meaning " Aunt
Jane," is really a corruption of an Indian name
meaning "by the sea." Omitting the saints, more
than half those odd names are really Indian, and
more than half the Indian names have " water " as
a part of the word. Now. why so many saints in
California? The early Spaniards were very relig-
ious. They have one or more saints for every day
in the year. They discovered San Diego on St.
James' day, and San Dieguffo on the day of the
Lesser St. James. Tf they camped at San Luis
Obispo on the day of St. Louis the Bishop, that was
the name to give the place. Another day it was
St. Luis Rey (the King); another, the day of the
Queen of the Angels (Los Angeles); another, San
Jose (St. Joseph). Both Indians and Spanish were
extremely unimaginative in most of their nam-
ings. Valle de las Viejas (ve-a-has) sounds very
poetical, but it is simply "the valley of the old
woman;" that is, where an old woman lived. Arr-
oyo Burro is the creek where some one lost his
donkey. They get imaginative only when they get
scared. Thus, friend Wilkin's bees are at the
mouth of Sespe Creek, and the Sespe are devils
which they thought lived in those oil-springs and
spoiled the water. Further up is a " Devil's Po-
trero, " or pasture-ground. I made California
names a special study for some time, so if those
who are reading up the State want to inquire
about meanings or pronunciations I am " loaded
up." ________

*The Spanish It should be followed byy; hence
"Chollas" should be pronounced "Choal-yas." In
Spanish, ch is like ch in the English word chair.

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

,S7

Now about how to plant your orchard (query on
page 980). Make an equilateral triangle of straight
slats, whose sides equal the distance you want your
trees. Suppose A B, AC,
and B C, to be each 20 feet.
Drive your pegs at each in-
tersection, holding the tri-
angle level. Then by mov-
ing it Vi around you get
one new stake, and so on
throughout the orchard
_ — ground. That divides th<3
a/ \c whole field into exact equi-

lateral triangles staked out. Now you dig a hole
and put your frame against two stakes, and put the
tree in the third corner. It will thus come just
where the stake was. In that way your trees are
in line in every direction, as you can see by match-
ing your equilateral triangles together on a stake,
marking the corners with a dot. This is called the
quincunx method, though erroneously, since they
are not squares with a center tree, but rhombs.
That does well where you have all one kind of
trees, but walnuts should be 50 feet apart; oranges
30; almonds 25; prunes 20, while some plums, per-
simmons, etc., are as good 12 or 15 feet. With the
variety I have, I am quite satisfied if they range
two ways, so I can cross-cultivate. The other does
look nice, but it hardly pays with mixed fruits. I
was sorry the weather prevented my meeting you
in Santa Paula. C. M. Drake.

Springville, Ventura Co., Cal., Jan. 2, 1889.

Friend D., I am exceedingly obliged to
you, and your letter makes me feel sorry
that I didn't take time to make you a visit.
When I take that next trip, you may be
sure I shall take in your ranch. I am aware
that there are a few localities in California
where things do not die, even if irrigation
is neglected. I believe I spoke of the corn-
fields near Santa Paula ; but I supposed the
corn was planted before the spring rains
were entirely over. In riding along, I was
continually asking questions about what
kind of trees would live without irrigation,
and what would not. Perhaps I have for-
gotten by this time ; but I believe that apri-
cots and walnut-trees in most localities
require no irrigation at all, after they are
well started. 1 believe I mentioned that
the eucalyptus grows almost anywhere,
no matter whether it is wet or dry, if it once
gets a little start. The point you make,
that " no one knows what will do well on a
piece of ground until he tries it," is true
with us here in Ohio ; but it is more espe-
cially true in California. The difference in
the changes from mountain to valley, from
sand to 'dobe, from one exposure to anoth-
er, near the seacoast or remote from it, and
ever so many other things taken all togeth-
er, makes the matter of gardening and
fruit-raising quite complicated. I believe
if I were you 1 would try one tree of a kind,
then gradually increase the number of those
that do well ; and the same sort of reason-
ing here will apply to good advantage. The
objection with fruit and nut bearing trees
is, that it takes so much time ; but while
the years are passing, we can do it often-
times as well as not to do it ; and if we nev-
er live to see the result worked out, our
children probably will, and be benefited by

it.— Friend D., with all the advantages you
have for the chicken-business, I would
make a vermin-proof fence for the fowls,
and then I would fight the vermin with
traps, poison, clubs, dogs, and cats ; and, in
fact, our successful men here have to do a
good deal of this kind of work. — The mat-
ter of California names is one of great in-
terest to me, but it may not be profitable to
devote too much space to it.— Great num-
bers of devices have been sent in to us for
planting trees in regular order ; but I think
your triangle about fills the bill. It is the
very thing we used in shaping our hexago-
nal apiary here at the Home of the Honey-
Bees ; but for locating the different apiaries,
we had an immense triangle. Instead of
planting the grapevines in corners, as you
have it, we bored a hole through both pieces
of board that formed the triangle, and then
put in an iron stake. If your iron stake
has a ring in it at the top, large enough to
slip your hand in, the opening in the ring
being made about like the bow in a com-
mon door-key, you can force stakes into the
ground, and pull them out much more easi-
ly. I think 1 would stretch a line to one
side of the orchard, in commencing ; then
with the aid of the triangle and the iron
stakes we can, providing it is on level
ground, make the trees come straight, to a
dot. The device illustrated in "another
column will help to get the trees planted ex-
actly where they should stand. I noticed
in California many orange-orchards laid out
on this plan. Then the harrow was passed
through in three different directions, leav-
ing only a little triangular spot around each
tree to be fined up with a steel garden-rake.
I think 1 never saw ground worked so hand-
somely as were many of the California
orange-orchards. I fairly ached to get out
of the buggy and get hold of a rake, and
help do the finishing-up around the trees.
Most of the ground was of a kind that does
not easily pack, as our ground packs when
the horses walk over it. We, however, are
often troubled by being obliged to work the
ground when it is a little too wet. Where
irrigation is practiced, of course this never
happens.

NOTES FROM THE KEYSTONE BEE-
FARM.

PEDDLING HONEY, ETC.

"T MUST tell a little of my experience in peddling
@K honey. I took a load to Wilkes Barre, just be-
W fore Christmas. I first offered it to the com-

-*• mission merchants. I found they were well
supplied, and were selling basswood honey in
one-pound sections at 1354 cents by the case. I
next called on the leading grocer, Wm. M. Miller.
He wanted honey, and I had a first-class article, but
he thought it was too cold a day for me to get 16
cents, which was my price. I then concluded to
peddle out my load. I supplied nearly all the ho-
tels and some private families. I am acquainted
with nearly all the courthouse officials and law-
yers, and made many good sales among them. I
called on my old comrade, Major G. R. Lennard,
with whom I served four years during the war. I
sold him some fine clover honey at 18 cts., but he

88

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

was inquisitive to know whether it was not the
new process honey, as it was so nice. He said that
undoubtedly much of the comb honey on the mar-
kets was machine-made. I grave him the address of
A. I. Root, and told him that he had a standing
offer of $1000 for a sample of artificial comb honey.

THE LANGSTROTH VERSUS THE AMERICAN FOR
WINTERING.

O. O. Poppleton, in the Dec. Review, says that it
was never claimed that bees would winter better
on a shallow than a deep frame. Our
bees are on American and Langstroth
frames, in chaff hives. We winter on
seven frames, and last spring it was
a noticeable fact that those on Amer-
ican frames (28 in number) were near-
ly out of stores, and some had to be
fed, while those on the L. frames
had clustered in the fall on the ends
of the frames next to the entrance,
and on May 1st had reached only the
middle of the frames, and had nearly
half of their stores still on hand.

THE SIMPSON HONEY-PLANT.

The Simpson honey-plant (flgwort) is
quite plentiful in this section. Last
season I cultivated some plants for
our bees; but during the whole sea-
son not a bee touched it, showing conclusively that
location has much to do with the honey-producing
qualities of plants.

Our winter thus far has been a favorable one for
the bees. Our coldest weather, 10° F., was on Dec.
22, and since that time it has been beautiful Indian
summer, the bees flying almost daily.

S. w. Taylor.

Harveyville, Luzerne Co., Pa., Jan. T, 1889.

the product of Maine's strain of Wonderful
Red ; these great white ones are Burpee's
Silver King, and so on. I have no particu-
lar use for them, growing strawberries
mainly, as I do ; but it gives me a feeling of
pleasure, just as it does you, in this: That
these new tilings are really what they are
represented to be, and that they are certain-
ly superior to the common kind we have
been selling."

THE SEED CATALOGUES OF THE
PRESENT AGE, ETC.

ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT ECONOMIZING EXPRESS
CHARGES.

IT is indeed a treat to any one who loves
d gardening, to look over the beautiful
l|[ catalogues that are now sent out yearly
A in the months of January and Febru-
ary. It gives one a glimpse of the prog-
ress that is being made, and also of the im-
mense business done in just this little matter
of requisites for the garden. When visiting
Matthew Crawford last fall, while he was
busy with a customer I began to look curi-
ously at some little plats of various kinds
of vegetables. They were well cared for;
and the wonderful crops in these little
patches excited my curiosity. When 1 ask-
ed for an explanation, friend C. spoke some-
thing like this :

k" Mr. Root, when I get a bright new cata-
logue that evidently cost the seed-grower
quite a little sum of money apiece, I have al-
ways had a sort of feeling' that he deserved
at least a little encouragement from every
one who received it ; therefore I mail a lit-
tle order for onion seeds to our friend
Maule ; buy some new wax beans of Bur-
pee ; a few packets of Henderson, and so on ;
and if I get the seeds, of course I must give
them a little plat of ground. These great
red onions that you are admiring here were

THE NEW SYSTEM OF PACKING.

Now, the above may not have been exact-
ly friend C.'s words, but they are the sum
and substance of them, and I do think that
every one of you who receives one of these
beautiful illustrated catalogues, with their
colored plates, ought to send the proprietor
at least a small order for seeds, by way of
encouragement. If you pay 10 or 25 cts. for
the catalogue, you need not make an order
unless you choose ; but where it is sent you
free, I think you can pick out at least a few
simple things that will be worth all they
cost you, and at the same time prove an en-
couragement to the one who expends so
much money in getting up the catalogue.

But I started out to talk about a new
cheap packing for sending seeds, plants,
etc., by express. We found it figured in
Henderson's new catalogue of the present
year. The cut explains it.

You will notice, friends, that it is simply
a common market basket, without a handle.
Over the top is a piece of oil cloth, hemmed
around the edge so as to permit running in
a sort of puckering-string, to draw it up
securely under the topmost hoop of the bas-
ket ; and for additional safety, two stout
cords are put around the whole, to which is
hooked a handle to carry it by. The whole
apparatus weighs only a pound, and it will
carry a lot of seeds, plants, bulbs, or any
thing else, just as safely as a great heavy
box that weighs 10 or 15 pounds; and who
has not paid a big lot of express charges on
a heavy box when the box was not needed
at all ? Why, hundreds of our patrons send
us beeswax in great heavy boxes, when a
light cloth bag would answer every purpose
in the world. Now. I do not think beeswax
should ever be sent by express at all. It
may be, however, where you are short of
money, and have the wax, and want some
foundation by express, you decide to do it ;
but if so, do hot, I beg of you, put it in a box.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

89

Tie it in a stout bag, and we do not care
how much it gets pounded up before it
reaches us. It is not an uncommon thing
for us to receive wax by express when all of
the wax would hardly pay the express
charges. For some years back we have been
much in the habit of using baskets similar
to the above, for shipping things by express ;
and this present season we are going to do
it still more. Half-peck baskets we fre-
quently use for sending things by mail. A
basket will really stand more banging
around than a box ; and a great many times
it will preserve the contents from injury
just as well as or better than a box. The
moral to all this is, that, when you have any
thing to send by express, be careful not to
have the package weigh a single pound
more than is absolutely necessary for the
safety of the goods.

was hot and tired, then I thought, " What is the use
to be a married woman, if I have to work just like
a widow?" and so I went to where Mr. Chaddock

BEE-KEEPING TOR WOMEN.

BEVELED-EDGE HIVES; TAKING OFF HONEY, ETC.

T HAVE about come to the conclusion that all
fflf this moaning and groaning- about bee-hives
ill being heavy to lift, and about bee-keeping
■*■ being too hard work for women, is unnecessary
and uncalled for. If all the women who keep
bees will manage as Mrs. L. Harrison has always
managed, and as I intend to manage from this time
forth, they will not find bee-keeping such very hard
work.

The next day after I came home from Peoria I
went to work to prepare the bees for winter. Last
spring I had nine colonies. Now 1 have twelve. I
had seven swarms to come out. Four of them went
to the woods, leaving the queen under a goblet on
a plate. Two of the four swarmed, and, before I
could do any thing, they went back into the hive.
The next time, they came out and went off without
settling at all. The other two hovered around the
barberry bushes awhile, began to cluster, then flew
away. I did not want any swarms. I thought there
would be no honey, and that they would have to
starve. I had a good many old combs and I put
them all on the hives, three deep in some places.
It was the easiest way to keep the moth out, and I
thought now was the time to prove whether giving
plenty of room would prevent swarming. I am
now convinced that nothing will prevent swarming.
If bees want to swarm, they will swarm. It does
not depend on a honey-flow. Some of those colo-
nies had not three days' rations ahead. It does not
depend on any thing— they just swarm.

Well, they went on in a hand-to-mouth way till
toward the last of July; then the rains came, and
the oats rotted in the field— three hundred dollars'
worth. We never thrashed a straw. (This is the
price that I am obliged to pay for my 300 lbs. of
honey. Let me see: that makes my honey worth
about a dollar a pound, does it not?) The smart-
weed began to bloom, and the bees began to roar.
They tilled all those old combs, and the honey-box-
es; and when I went out there to take that hon-
ey off, I found I could not budge it. I had a chisel
and a hatchet, and I pounded and pried here and
there, but could not move it an inch. You see, all
that time while there was no honey to gather, the
bees had put in their spare moments plastering
those hives together with propolis. I worked till I

"I POUNDED AND PRIED."

was unloading apples and carrying them into the
cellar, and told him that I must have help. He

" MUST HAVE HELP."

donned a bee-hat, and worked the chisel and hatch-
et while I stood by and worked the smoker and

1

" HE WORKED THE HATCHET AND I GAVE ADVICE."

gave advice. After he had worked awhile at one,
and torn off a side, he began giving bis opinion of a
man that would invent such a bee-hive as that.

90

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

But I stopped him, by telling him that that was
the bee-hive that Mr. Root invented on purpose for
ladies, invalids, and preachers to keep bees in, be-
cause it was so light and handy.

WINTERING BEES.

BEE DIARRHEA THE ONE GREAT CAUSE OF OUR
WINTER LOSSES ; FRIEND HEDDON EX-
PLAINS.

GIVING HIS OPINION.

Well, he pried all that honey loose; took it off and
carried it into the house. After he had finished I
asked him how much honey he thought he had car-
ried in. He answered instantly. "A thousand
pounds."

"Oh, no!" I said; "tell in earnest, so I can write
it down."

"Well," said he, " put it four hundred. I know
there is that much."

As most of the combs were old ones, I shall say
three hundred pounds of honey.

This letter is long enough; but I want to tell how
to get bees out of honey-boxes— how to keep moths
out of old combs, and something about division-
boards, etc. I will end this as I began, by saying
that bee-keeping is not very hard work, and every
woman might as well keep bees as not.

Vermont, 111. Mahala B. Chaddock.

Mrs. ('haddock, you are very graphic, but
your illustrations bear rather hard on the
Simplicity hive. Please say to your good
husband, Mr. C, that the Simplicity nive
was never intended to be used in the way
you describe ; that is, we do not intend to
have the propolis get into that beveled joint,
as it must have done in your case, to make
it stick together. When I decided to tier
up the hives in order to get the whole prod-
uct of the season, in stories three or four
high, so as to extract all at once, I took
particular pains not to let the propolis run
down across the bevel, where the hives
come together, when placing them one on
top of the other ; but when the bees put so
much along the crack that it was likely to
get in the joint, I scraped it out with a put-
ty-knife. In some cases I rubbed tallow
along the upper edge. This entirely obvi-
ates all the difficulty you experienced.
When I find hives where the propolis has
been allowed to get down the joints so as to
glue them fast, I always choose a day to
separate them when the hives or the weath-
er is so warm that the propolis will be in a
soft state. If this propolis is allowed to ac-
cumulate, and get into the joints, it will
make every operation with a bee-hive dauby
and disagreeable.

XjJT ES, friend Root, I can answer for myself, and
Mp shall be pleased to do so. I rather like the
^H(F 8ty'e °f our cri8P friend Hamilton (see page

■*■ 9, Jan. 1st). I will say, for the benefit of Mr.
Hamilton and your readers (if what I have
to say will benefit them), that, by a belief in the
pollen theory, and manipulation accordingly, I
mean I can winter any colony of bees with greater
certainty of success, and keep that identical colo-
ny (not the identical bees, however) in existence
longer than any one can keep a horse or a cow.
At our late State convention at Jackson, an over-
whelming majority of the members present, and,
in fact, I think every one of the older and larger
bee-keepers, believed the pollen theory to be cor-
rect. I am aware that bees will winter very well
in a hive containing much bee-bread, provided
they do not eat it, and I know some of the condi-
tions which cause them to eat it or let it alone, but
I do not know all of them, but am learning more
each year. A low temperature is the greatest of
all causes of consumption of bee-bread in confine-
ment. Of course, if it is not in the hive they can
not eat it ; but, at the same time, the bees can
be damaged by too low a temperature, and killed
outright by it if it is allowed to go low enough
and long enough. Any one who will take a colony
of bees, and see to it that they have no pollen in
their bodies at the time, and can not get any after
the time, and who will take away all their combs
and feed them properly prepared sugar syrup in
dry, clean combs, and who likewise will place them
in a repository, keep the temperature between 45
and 50 degrees, can leave them so six months or
more— I do not know how much more; and when
he takes them out the bees will be as bright,
slim, and healthy, apparently, as when they went
in. They will not void a speck of any thing on
their first flight.

But now I imagine I hear friend Hamilton ask
how my bees have wintered in the past few win-
ters, and why some of them died with bee diarrhea.
I will tell him. If honey were worth a cent a
pound, and bees about forty cents a colony, would
it not be better to take lots of chances and let them
die if they will, rather than to go to the trouble of
feeding them a cash article, taking from them an
article in place of it which has a very slow and un-
certain sale indeed? I trust you see the point.
Even at the present price of bees and honey, if the
best methods of wintering are used I prefer to
take my chances rather than extracting honey
from the combs and feeding back sugar syrup, or,
rather, exchanging combs so as to get rid of all pol-
len. You know it is a job demanding much labor,
and endangering robbing. It is a disagreeable
time to work among bees; but with my new hive,
however, I can do the work without being annoyed
with robbers, and in less than one-fourth the time
and one-eighth the labor; and the consequence is,
we have almost perfect success with the new hive.
We take a little risk; but we could quite readily,
and with little increased labor and no increased
expense, fix things perfectly safe and sure for
wintering. Without occupying valuable space, you
will see just how this can be readily accomplished,

1889

GLEANINGS IN 13EE CULTURE.

!)]

providing the pollen theory is correct, as myself
and others well know it to be. Hoping I have shed
some light which will be received by Bro. Hamil-
ton, I will leave further notes for future articles.

James Heddon.
Dowagiac, Mich., Jan. 10, 1889.

Friend II., I am not so sure about the pol-
len, but I am sure that there is a great deal
of sound sense in your concluding para-
graph. Even if we could save a colony of
bees by removing the pollen, or, if you
choose, by taking them into the greenhouse
and giving them a fly in the middle of the
winter, so long as bees can be purchased in
the spring as cheaply as they are now offer-
ed it would be cheaper to take the chances,
as you say. Of course, every prudent bee-
keeper will see that his bees have enough
to keep them from starving. But while it
is by no means certain that the honey they
have is going to prove disastrous, I would
not throw it out and give them sugar syrup
instead. Neither would I fuss to get all the
pollen out of their hive, when it is by no
means certain that they will not winter
very well just as they are.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

SECTIONS BULGING ; HIVES BY FOOT POWER VER-
SUS FACTORY-MADE HIVES.

ILL putting on a whole crate, or from seven
to eight wide frames, prevent bulging? or
is the only expedient separators?

Which is cheaper— to buy my hives, pay-
ing $1.20 for chaff in flat, 75 cts. for Sim
plicity, or to buy a Barnes foot-power?
Penrose, 111., Jan. 3, 1889. B. F. Hoover.

Putting on a whole crate of empty sections
without separators will discourage, although
it will not prevent the bees from bulging the
combs. When separators are not used,
bulging is caused principally by taking out
the completed sections and putting empty
ones in their places. The bees are then
inclined to bulge those partially tilled into
the spaces occupied by the empty sections.
Separators are the only sure expedient ; and
while you can dispense with them, most
bee-keepers prefer to use them.

It is a little hard to answer your second
question, as so much depends upon freight
rates, the price you would have to pay for
lumber in your locality, and the requisite
skill you may have. Generally speaking it
is cheaper to buy the hives, if your freight
rates are reasonable. The principal ex-
pense in a hive is the lumber. The cost of
making has been reduced to such a low
point it would be a very difficult matter in-
deed for an inexperienced person with a
foot-power buzz-saw, even if his time were
not worth much, to make any thing.
Where one persists in using odd-sized hives,
a Barnes saw, without doubt, would save
money. In regard to a foot-power buzz-
saw, let us say that it takes lots of hard
work ; and if one is not used to manual
labor he will find himself considerably the
worse for wear after running one of these

machines. If you are a good mechanic, and
can buy surfaced lumber for less than 3 cts.
per square foot if your freight rates are
high, and if, too, you are used to manual
labor, it would pay you, probably, to buy a
Barnes saw and make your hives, providing
you have odd spells which you can not de-
vote profitably otherwise. Where hive-
making is made a specialty, certain fixed
gauges are employed ; hence, accuracy and
nicety of work is almost the inevitable re-
sult.

NAPOLEON, AND HIS MORAL CHARACTER.

I can not allow your remarks, p. 854, regarding
Napoleon, to pass unnoticed. The sentiments at-
tributed to him did not influence his life; and if we
look at his actions, where can a greater monster be
found? I was born, and lived in the earlier part of
my life, in the part of England where it was sup-
posed, if he paid us a hostile visit, he would land,
and opposite to which he had actually prepared a
flat-bottomed flotilla for the purpose of crossing.
As to his cruelty, I will give but three instances.
First, his directions on the birth of his child, that,
if it was necessary to sacrifice either, it was to be
the mother. Second, when his sick had become so
numerous in Egypt as to become troublesome, his
direction to the doctors to poison them. Third, in
his retreat from Moscow, after crossing a bridge
himself, directing it to be destroyed, regardless of
the consequences to his followers. For the sake of
my country, I have always regretted that he did not
fall into the hands of the Russians. I can not doubt
that they would have made short work with him.
It was no doubt wrong; but on standing on his
grave in the island of St. Helena I feltsome satisfac-
tion in knowing the enemy of Europe was under
my feet. W. P. Taylor.

Fitzroy Harbor, Ont., Can., Dec. 21, 1888.

Friend T., I am much obliged to you for
the facts you give us. I did not intend to
convey the idea that Napoleon was himself
any thing remotely approaching a follower
of Christ ; but I am pleased to know that he
recognized the true character and mission
of Christ Jesus. The Bible tells us that
even "the devils believe, and tremble;"
but I fear that Napoleon believed without
trembling, from the report you give of him.

REPORT OF THE SEASON; THE VALUE OF UNFIN-
ISHED SECTIONS.

The past season was here a poor one. My winter
losses were heavy, saving only 34 out of 85 colonies
in the fall, and 8 of the 34 were very weak. I in-
creased to 53, and took only 65(1 pounds of honey—
550 of extracted, and 100 comb. The latter was se-
cured in trying an experiment to know whether

IT PAYS TO SAVE UNFINISHED SECTIONS OF
COMBS.

I selected three colonies of as equal strength and
condition as my judgment dictated, and placed on
one hive sections of empty combs in crates left
over from the previous year. On another hive I
placed sections filled with foundation in crates.
On the last hive I placed sections with foundation
starters only, also in crates, adopting the tiering-
up plan. Now for the result: From the hive with
the unfinished sections, I took 56 sections weighing
63 pounds, and took the first premium at our coun-
ty fair, on case of 12 best-filled sections of honey

92

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

FEB.

(with three competitors). From the hive with sec-
tions filled with foundation I took 24 pounds, a part
of which were poorly tilled. From the hive with
starters only, I took 13 lbs. I used the 414x4Mxl,,f;
section. A season with a good flow of nectar, the
result might have been different.

Thanks for the biographies of our leading bee-
keepers. ELIASCOLE.

Ashley, 0.. Jan. 10, 1889.

Friend C, your report is very valuable,
but 1 am sorry to say that you omitted in
your experiments one of the most valuable,
or, perhaps I might say. vital points. No
one claims, I believe, that the bees will
fill a case sooner when entirely supplied
with new sections containing foundation.
Every crate of this kind should have one or
two sections, with comb partly built out, to
induce the bees to make a starting. Now,
had you prepared the case in this way, my
opinion is that it would have given more
honey than the one where the crate was
made up entirely of partly finished sections
from the previous year. Will somebody
else please give us reports in regard to this
matter, especially tests made as I have stat-
ed it V

MATING OP THE QUEEN AND DRONE ON THE WING,
AS SEEN BY AN EYE-WITAESS.

I have your ADC book before me, open at page
72— "Mating of the Queens and Drones." On
June 21,1888, I saw this mating take place. The
queen issued from the hive, took two circles, and
came within five feet of my face, and was there
met by a drone. They seemed to face each other,
clinging by their fore legs, their bodies being per-
pendicular, and in this shape flew from my sight.
It happened so unexpectedly that I hardly knew
what was going on before it was too late to follow'
them. I could have easily kept up with them. I
have described this because your book says they
have not been seen, only as they were whirling
about each other. I saw these fasten; and as they
did so they turned and came together, square up
and down ; and as they flew away their bodies
inclined about like this /, and each bee was
using its wings. I now would ask you bee-men of
experience if you would call this a mating. Have
any had the opportunity of seeing the same?

Myrtle, Pa., Jan. 2, 1889. E. A. Pratt.

Friend P., we have had accounts already,
similar to yours, but I believe that, in most
cases, they speak of insects whirling one
about another, which you do not mention.
The point yet undecided, if I am correct, is,
to witness the whole operation until the
1 1 ueen releases herself and leaves the drone
to drop to the ground dead, or, if both fall
to the ground, the separation of the queen
and going back to t lie hive. The meeting
lias been described at least several times,
much as you describe it ; and by standing at
the hive, the queen lias been seen to come
borne with the usual appendage attached to
her, so that we know pretty nearly all about
it. It is quite likely that they do not be-
have, at all times and under all circum-
stances, exactly in the same way. At the
time when so many were experimenting,
with the view of being able to bring about
this meeting by artificial means, the subject
assumed the shape of a good deal of practi-

cal interest ; but since the matter of artifi-
cial fertilization has been mostly dropped as
impracticable, by universal consent, there
is also less inquiry in regard to it.

DR. MILLER'S BEE-ESCAPE; TAKING OFF FALL

HONEY.

As soon as we read of Dr. Miller's miniature tents
we made three; but we did not find their use nec-
essary for fall. One morning when we found the
bees all out of the supers and down on the brood-
combs we took off the supers. Altogether there
were four of us— two to open and take off supers,
one to carry in the supers, and one to put on a quilt
and the hive-cover. We ran through them so
quickly that we needed no smoke, and we had the
hive covered before they woke up. In that way we
went through the whole apiary very quickly.
Roseville, III. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. ,

Mrs. A., you do not explain enough. Do
you mean that the cool frosty weather
drove the bees down out of the supers, and
that you took advantage of this state of af-
fairs, and got the honey off without any
need of driving the bees out of the sections ?
I have sometimes succeeded in doing this ;
but the snapping of the supers when they
come off will ordinarily start the bees out
unless wre work very rapidly. As the en-
graving came in the issue for Sept. 15, it
was probably October before you got to
taking the honey off.

out for a fly ; SOME statements reviewed.

I am out for a fly, and intend alighting wherever
I can get any thing to pick at. I think Dr. Mason
deserves the first "dab." About a year ago he
promised he would keep a paternal eye on the
bee-.iournals and bring up sharply all and sundry
who deviated from the true line. Either bee-litera-
ture has been exceedingly straight from then till
now, or he has gone woefully back on his promise.
I have not noticed a single instance in which he
has brought, the erring to task in the meantime.
He can hardly plead that every thing which has ap-
peared since can be brought to the plummet and
prove truly laid. Surely the doctor's promises are
not like pie-crusts— made to be broken?

I should like to gently tickle the ear of Mr. Doo-
little with a feather from my wing, if it would cor-
rect his mistaken notion of the honey-producing
qualities of the hard maple. He says: "We are
told nearly every year of bees getting honey from
hard maple.*** I have come to the conclusion
there was a mistake somewhere." Without doubt
the mistake lies with Mr. Doolittle and those who
think with him: for a very considerable quantity
of honey was gotten from this source in this sec-
tion during the early part of this season. A neigh-
bor of mine took several hundred pounds of hard-
maple honey. Of the source from which it was
gathered, there can be no doubt. I suppose noth-
ing short of proof will convince the gentleman of
this fact. Fortunately, I am in a position to sup-
ply the proof by sending you a sample of the hon-
ey, which you may, if you please, transmit to your
doubting correspondent. If the soft maple flourish-
ed to any extent here, it might be said it was from it
the honey was gathered; but it does not.

T think I had better now alight on the shoulder of
Dr. C. C. Miller, as I see him and his companion
bearing toward the cellar-door a well-stored hive,

1880

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

93

suspended in his new hive-sling-. The doctor is a
public-spirited man. He does not hide his light
under a bushel, but freely bestows upon his breth-
ren the products of an ingenious mind. " Virtue is
its own rewarder," so is generosity. If the doctor
were less generous in imparting to others the
fruits of his own researches he would not have the
gratification of seeing himself in a wood-cut simply
because he has discovered that a rope is a good
thing to carry hives to the cellar. I refrain from
picking at the rope, out of consideration for the
safety of the doctor's toes. R. McKnight.

Owen Sound, Ont., Can.

NEW ZEALAND, AND THE EARLY SEASON; THE
SWARMING-NOTE.

The swarming season commenced in this locality
at least three weeks earlier than usual, and the
bees were doing well; but for the last two weeks
the weather has been terrible— raining, hailing, and
blowing a gale every day, and as cold as we have
had it through the winter. There is plenty of
white clover now, and if the weather holds good I
think honey will be plentiful. I grew a good piece
of flgwort in my orchard, also mignonette, and the
bees do well on them every year. On account of
late frosts, and the difficulty in getting the seed to
grow, the spider plant does not do well every sea-
son. I am starting an apiary about five miles from
home. It is in a splendid locality, and I hope to get
a good yield from them this season.

Masterton, N. Z., Nov. r.»5, 1888. Thomas Dixon.

RAISING THE TEMPERATURE IN CELLARS.

In reading your questions and answers in
Gleanings of Jan. 1st, in regard to ventilation of
cellars, a thought struck me that probably would
benefit some of the many readers of Gleanings.
The use of a lamp or a lantern would dispense with
the use of stoves in bee-cellars. If you place a
lantern in a comparatively closed cellar, free
from drafts, you will be surprised to see how rapid-
ly you will gain one or two degrees of temperature;
and if you have a room in your house which is sub-
ject to dampness, try placing a burning lamp in it
in the morning. By bedtime you will have a room
fit for any one to sleep in. If any of these sug-
gestions are of any value to the readers, it is re-
turning a kindness, for I am very thankful for the
many I have received. The biographical sketches
of prominent bee-men was quite a Christmas pres-
ent. I am reading the editor's Notes by the Way,
with delight. Perry Focht.

Uniopolis, O., Jan. 4, 1889.

KEEPING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE IN A WINTER
REPOSITORY; IS LIGHT DELETERIOUS OR NOT?

I constructed a small house last fall to winter
my bees in. The house is 8% by 13 inside; the walls
contain one foot of sawdust. I placed 42 colonies
in it. It proves to be too warm, and the only way I
can keep the temperature down is by leaving the
door open a little. By so doing I can keep it at 40°
about all the time. Now, I wish your opinion as to
how much harm will result from the light while
the temperature is kept at that point.

Browntown, Wis., Jan. 14, 1889. H. Lathrop.

Friend L., light is generally considered to
be deleterious to the best welfare of colonies
in winter repositories, though a very little
may do no harm. In your case the question
hinges on how much light is admitted into
the repository by opening the door a " lit-

tle." You are better able to answer that
question for yourself. If. after examination
of the colonies, they appear to be doing
nicely, and are clean and sweet, then the
admission of a little light by opening a door
a trifle would do no harm. We would refer
you to the Dec. 15th issue of Gleanings,
in the Question-Box department, for partic-
ulars in regard to light in cellars or other re-
positories.

In addition to what Ernest has written
above, permit me to say I do not think it
will do any harm in a bee-house or cellar,
so long as you keep the temperature down
to 40 ; but in our locality it would be impos-
sible to do this. This 23d day of January,
the thermometer is up nearly to 60, al-
though the day is cloudy. When this tem-
perature continues for a couple of days or
more, we have found it very difficult and
even impossible to keep bees quiet in
a winter repository, even when kept in
darkness.

TURKEY BUZZARDS, CUT-WORMS, AND BEE-VEILS.

I do so-appreciate the photographs of Professor
Cook and father Langstroth, that the price of
Gleanings would in no way be sufficient to pur-
chase them. By the way, we have a professor
A. J. Cook, of Alabama, and one of the best men I
ever knew; and I am bound to think lie must be a
relative of your A. J. Cook.

You don't know how much I enjoy your de-
scription of your journey to California. I was real-
ly amused at your scare-crows. What queer no-
tions a Yankee has of things at the South'

In the 15th of June Gleanings, page 481, D. W.
C. Mathews asks for a preventive of cut-worms.
Tell him that, in the spring of the year, when he
first commences to break up his ground to sow for
a small garden, say H of an acre, a peck of com-
mon salt spread evenly over the surface of the
ground, and plowed in, is good. For an acre, one
bushel of salt is the proportion. If this is done
soon enough it will prevent the cut-worms from
breeding, and consequently you will not be bother-
ed that year. If you keep it up every spring you
will finally' forget there ever was any such pest,
and you will also get rid of the little ground-ilea.
I know these things from experience.

Can I not change metal-cornered frames to rever-
sible by getting some of your wire attachments?

Can you make me a bee-hat with rim of galvan-
ized wire? My bee-hat is so pleasant to the head I
will wear it all the time; and when it gets wet
from a shower it rusts through the cloth. I also
want a longer veil, with one-half silk brussels net
and the other grenadine at least six inches longer.
1 am a very tall man, with a long neck. I am six
feet five inches. My neighbors say I am just such
a looking man as E. France. J. T. McCrackkn.

Rowell, Ala.

Friend M., it may not be profitable to use
salt in the quantity you mention, on our
corn ground, unless, indeed, the salt would
have some other beneficial effect in keep-
ing away the cut-worms ; but in market-gar-
dening it would no doubt be worth all it
costs, and more too, where cut-worms are
as troublesome ;is they are at times. Some
recent reports in the agricultural papers
seem to indicate that strong doses of com-
mon salt on some soils have a very marked

u

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

and decided benefit ; but on other soils the
salt seems to do no good whatever. We
should be glad to have Prof. Cook tell us if
he has heard of salt as a remedy.— To be
sure, you can cut off the arms of your met-
al corners, and put on reversing wires. In
fact, they were devised specially for this
very purpose ; or they are to be used on any
hanging frame after cutting off the projec-
tion on which the frame hangs.— We can
easily make a bee-hat with a rim of galvan-
ized wire, but we hardly think the advantage
of sufficient importance to warrant the extra
expense. As the cloth will become sweat-
soiled in a season's use there would in real-
ity be no advantage.

A GOOD QUESTION ; PUMPING WATER IN THE
CELLAR TO KEEP THE BEES QUIET.

Does pumping fresh water occasionally in cel-
lars keep bees quiet? Last winter I had some
small carp in a barrel. T pumped a barrel of fresh
water every week in the cellar, and the bees kept
quiet. When I took the fish out I stopped pump-
ing-, and then the bees got restless. I then com-
menced pumping water in again, and they kept
more quiet. Now, who can answer? Did the wa-
ter purify the air, or did I only think so? My cellar
is cemented on the bottom, and has tile to let the
water out, and gas-pipe laid from the pump, so
there is no carrying of water.

My bees did tolerably well through the fall. It
was quite late when I got time to extract my hon-
ey, so that I had to put a stove in my honey-house
to warm the combs before I commenced working
with the bees. I shut the entrance just so one or
two bees could pass out at a time at all the hives.
Then I took all the honey away from the bees and
set it in hives in the honey-house. I extracted it,
and hung the combs in empty hives in the apiary,
for the bees to clean up. There was only one hive
that they commenced to rob at which I had neg-
lected to close the entrance. The combs were all
cleaned up nicely.

1 got 1300 lbs. of honey from my bees this fall, all
extracted. White clover yielded just enough to
keep the bees going till the fall flow.

George J. Klein.

Conrad Grove, la., Dec. 14, 1888.

Friend K., if your cellar is remarkably
dry, it may be that the moisture supplied to
the atmosphere by pumping the water had
the effect of keeping the bees quiet. A
spring or running stream through the cellar
has been many times considered a decided
advantage.

BASS wood plank; discoloration of, and why.

Have you had any experience in drying basswood
plank for sections, in a dry-kiln? If so, does the
drying process color the basswood? How many
thousand sections does one Of your section-saw-
yers saw per day, and what wages do you pay them?
I am paying 40 cents per thousand for sawing them,
and think it is too much. J. M. Kenzie.

Rochester, Mich., Jan. 7, 1889.

Friend K., we have dried a great many
thousand feet of basswood lumber in a dry-
kiln heated by steam, and we have never
experienced any trouble from discoloration
as a result of such drying. Stained bass-
wood lumber is generally caused by the tim-
ber being cut in the summer time ; or even

if cut in the winter it will color if piled
carelessly. Basswood timber should be cut
in the winter, and, when piled up properly,
will cut nice white basswood plank. Our
sawyers cut about 500 sections per hour —
that is, they rip the bolts into strips. We
pay from $1.25 to $1.50 per day ; and if you
can get them cut for 40 cts. per thousand,
and not have a good many spoiled by hurry-
ing, you are getting the work done pretty
reasonable.

A RETURNING queen.

In hiving a swarm the past summer, the bees
kept clustering on the hive, but would not stay in.
After considerable search I found the queen under
the projecting cover. I caught her as carefully as
I could with my hand, removed the cover, put her
on the frames, but in shutting the cover carefully
she escaped. It looked as if a small hummingbird
darted away, apparently back to the old hive. I
hastened there, but could not see her enter, so I
concluded to put the bees back. In doing so I de-
tected the queen again on the top of the cover,
surrounded by bees. I succeeded in putting her
in the new hive, when the bees soon followed. It
was something new to me, a queen leaving her
bees and returning to the new hive, rods away
from the old one. F. J. M. Otto.

Sandusky, O.

Friend O., it is true that a queen on the
wing looks something like a small hum-
mingbird, and especially to an enthusiastic
novice whose eyes are apt to magnify every
thing pertaining to a queen. But for all
that, I am inclined to think that your queen
did not go back to the parent hive at all.
Never try putting a queen into the top of a
hive, especially where you have to put the
cover on the hive afterward. Put her down
at the entrance, as she will be much more
likely to go in. If you can start some of
the bees to traveling in before you set her
down, she will be almost sure to run in
with them.

THE LAST ECLIPSE, AND WHAT EFFECT IT HAD
ON BEES IN SAN JACINTO, CAL.

I suppose you all know that there was an eclipse
of the sun the first of January; but I don't think
you know what effect it had on bees in its path— at
least not all of you. The day was a pleasant one
here, it being clear and warm until the eclipse
came over the sun, when the mercury went down
from about 75 to 45 degrees ; and the " manzanita "
being in full bloom, my bees were bringing in hon-
ey and pollen by the wholesale; but the sudden
change chilled thousands of the poor little laborers
so that they were not able to get to their homes.
Many dropped within a few inches of their hives
and perished there, loaded with honey and pollen.
I believe it would be a good plan for every bee-
man to be ready for the next eclipse of the sun,
and close all his hives early in the morning of such
day, and, by so doing, save thousands of very
valuable creatures from so sudden and unexpected
an end of existence when life to them is so sweet.

San Jacinto, Cal., Jan. 7, 1889. D. W. Rowse.

: Friend R., I think you exaggerate the
damage done by the eclipse. From what I
remember of the way the sun goes down in
California, I can readily imagine how dark
and chilly it became in a short time ; but, if

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

95

I am not very much mistaken, the bees
scattered around on the ground and trees
would, a great part of them, revive the next
day under the influence of the sunshine,
and go back home to their hives. I have
often seen pollen-laden bees go out so late
as to be obliged to roost on fences or side-
walks over night ; but these same bees,
when the sun strikes them in the morning,
rub their eyes and stretch their legs and
wings, and Anally go home, none the worse
for camping out, unless it be the tooth-
ache, rheumatism, or something of that sort,
later on.

TREATING FOUL BROOD ; REASONS FOR FAILURE.

Some time last winter I wrote to you about tbe
trouble I bad with foul brood in my bees. I fol-
lowed your kind advice as regards treatment, and
not only put them in clean new hives, foundation,
etc., but moved them three miles in the country to
my present place. I found the treatment cured the
Italian stocks, but not the hybrids. Some of these
were brushed off their combs of brood on to
foundation, and given clean hives three times. I had
no cellar to starve them in, and found it a trouble
to get them to take medicated syrup, the season
being well advanced, and some honey being gath-
ered. So I expect to see the enemy again next
season. I requeened the hybrid stocks the last
time they were brushed off, and, having no brood
to feed, they filled up for winter on buckwheat
honey. I think it's the nervous nature of the
hybrids when they are disturbed, causing them
to gorge themselves to the utmost with the in-
fected honey, that makes it difficult to cure them;
however, T hope to see the last of the trouble next
season, and hope to have a better crop.

E. Robinson.

Glendale, Westminster, Ont., Jan. 3, 1889.

Eriend R., we can assign no cause for
failure in our method of curing foul brood
in your case, unless it be that you did not
compel the bees to convert the honey they
might have in their sacs into comb. Every
drop of affected honey must be gotten out
of their honey-sacs, either by starvation or
by building comb, otherwise the treatment
will be a failure. If there had been consid-
erable natural stores, it would have been
well to close the hive at night, after putting
the bees in a clean hive, and kept closed for
a couple of days. We had no trouble at all
in curing when we starved the bees or caus-
ed them to build comb. If you had starved
your hybrids, or made them build considera-
ble comb, all would have been well.

TO TAKE PROPOLIS OFF A PAINTED FLOOR.

Take an old whisk or brush broom and a cup of
boiling water, and hold the cup of water in one
hand and pour on spots, and with the whisk broom
scrub the spots. If only a little is on the floor, I
use an old teaspoon to scrape it up, as a knife (un-
less very dull) is apt to scrape off the paint, and
sometimes roughen up the wood, if pine. In our
honey-house, which has a hard-wood floor, unpaint-
ed, I use the scraper that 1 scrape the bottoms of
hives, first wetting the floor with cold water, if it is
not convenient to have boiling water.

Roseville, 111., Jan. 1, 1889. Mrs. L. C. Axtell.

FROM 90 TO 140, AND 6000 LBS. OF HONEY.

Y report for last year is as follows: From 90
to 140, and about 6000 lbs. of honey— 4000
lbs. comb, and 2000 lbs. of extracted. I
moved my bees in April over 200 miles, and
got them through all safe. It was a very
hard spring on bees. I had about 80 fair colonies,
and 10 of them were nuclei. These were used for
rearing queens. White clover was fair, and the
bees built up in good condition for the basswood-
honey flow, which was good for about two weeks.
My bees are all in the cellar, except two which are
packed on their summer stands. I have 138 full col-
onies in the cellar, and 7 nuclei. The cellar is 11x13,
and about 7 feet high. The bees all have a good
woolen blanket on top of the frames, and a 6-inch
entrance to the hive. The temperature has been
from 45 to 50° all winter. The bees seem to be doing
well. We are having a big snowstorm to-day, and I
expect it will be cold now. White clover looks very
well now. I am looking for a good honey crop this
year. N. Staininger.

Tipton, Iowa, Jan. 9, 1889.

OVER 700 LBS. FROM ONE COLONY AND ITS IN-
CREASE.

I extracted over 700 lbs. of well-ripened honey
from one colony and its increase, and they had
abundant to winter on. Who can come up to it?

Orion, Wis., Jan. 10, 1889. F. L. Snyder.

1100 POUNDS FROM 13 COLONIES.

I commenced the season with 15 hives of bees. I
used two swarms for raising queens. With the oth-
er 13 I got 1100 well-filled one-pound sections, and
increased to 52. They are in the cellar, and winter-
ing well so far. My honey is all sold by peddling.
I liked selling it, first rate. John Ragan.

Waukon, Iowa, Jan. 10, 1889.

FROM 19 TO 40, AND 2000 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 19 colonies of bees
(very weak), and increased to 40; took off about 2000
lbs. of honey. About all was sold at 10 cts. per lb.
for extracted, and 15 for comb. I have no trouble
to sell my honey. Where I sell one year I can al-
ways sell the next. My bees are all in good shape
to winter. So far we have had a very open winter.

Bucklin, Mo., Jan. 9, 1889. J. W. Switzer.

FROM 80 TO 100, AND 4200 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 80 colonies, mostly
strong. I had 20 natural swarms, making a total of
100. They were all very strong when I put them
into winter quarters, with plenty of honey for win-
ter stores. Surplus honey taken from them this
season in 1-lb. sections, 600 pounds; extracted, 3600
pounds. How will that do for such a poor season as
we have passed through?

HONEY FROM BUCKWHEAT.

I had a fair yield from buckwheat. 1 got 1300
pounds of surplus. I had one colony standing on
scales, and it gained 25 lbs. in four days, and 11 lbs.
in one day.

I had 34 of an acre of Japanese buckwheat. It
yielded well, both grain and honey. There was
other buckwheat in the neighborhood. So you see
if the weather is favorable it will yield honey with

96

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

US. Even if it is not very good, it is honey this
year. It is worth ten dollars a hundred more than
we can get for clover or basswood other years.
From one peck of Japanese buckwheat I thrashed
18 bushels of good clean seed. D. Anguish.

Brautford, Ont., Jan. 11, L889.

FROM 30 FAIB TO 12 STRONG, AND TJr,( lO LBS. OF
HONEY.

I produced 2500 pounds of honey this season from
2 i hives in the spring, mostly weak. 1 closed the
season with 42 strong colonies. I had single stands
that made me 225 pounds of comb honey in pound
sections. Considering the season, I thought my
yield was worthy of a report. H. Lathrop.

Browntown, Wis., Jan. 0, 1889.

0a^ QuEg>Fi0N-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question KJ3.— What do j/ou consider to be the best
covering for frames in ivinter, regardless of a few
cents' difference in expense— woolen ingrain carpet,
muslin, linen, <luck. enamel cloth, or burlap'/

Woolen or straw, most assuredly.

Chas. F. Muth.
The cover of the hive— nothing more.

H. R. liOARDMAN.

I do not think it makes much difference, if the
bees are properly prepared for winter.

A. J. Cook.

We use a straw mat; but of all you mention, we
would use woolen carpet. Dadant & Son.

The enamel cloth is what I use, because I find the
bees eat it less than any other material.

P. L. Viallon.

I use burlap, the same as is on in summer. I
leave it as the bees fix it in summer. I would use
enamel cloth if I had it. Dr. A. B. Mason.

Light woolen first; burlap second; muslin third.
I have no use for linen, duck, or enamel cloth, for a
winter covering. Mrs. L. Harrison.

First I use a sheet of duck or common factory
cloth over the frames, then over this I use a
cushion from 3 to 4 inches thick, made of factory
cloth filled with dry basswood sawdust.

G. M. Doolittle.

I use neither, but leave on the honey-board. This
gives the bees about % inch space over the frames;
and the honey-board, being slid forward about xi
inch, gives all the upward ventilation I want them
to have. Geo. Grimm.

I suppose this question refers to covering for
open-top frames; and if so, I can not answer it. I
consider a good chaff cushion the best covering I
know of for any kind of frames, not only during
winter but su mmer as well. O. O. Poppleton.

For indoor wintering I prefer enamel cloth with
any kind of a mat over it. For outdoors I would
use enamel cloth with a heavy cloth or mat over;
and over and around all. four to six inches of loose
packing of leaves, chaff, cut hay, or straw.

L. C. Boot,

I use enamel all the year round, whenever supers
are not on. lam not positive it is the best thing;
but it seems to me that a contracted chamber, tight
on the top aud all sides, gives them power to
ventilate by the entrance, when they wish to do so,
better than when their covering is porous.

E. E. Hasty.

That depends upon the hive somewhat. It doesn't
make so much difference if you have a board over
it. If you depend upon these alone for upward
ventilation, then neither is warm enough. I think
1 would as soon have a board well glued down as
any thing. Our hives are so constructed that we
have to use something else, so use a burlap quilt
filled with cotton. P. H. Elwood.

Enamel cloth with woolen carpet over it. But I
don't use that, and I like mine well— a single thick-
ness of muslin (sheeting) well glued by the bees,
and over it a quilt made of sheeting with several
thicknesses of newspaper in it. Perhaps it would
be just as well to have a single thickness of sheet-
ing and another hive fitting closely over it.

C. C. Miller.

It makes no difference. A board cover I have
found just as good as any thing. You were strain-
ing at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Bee
diarrhea is what sweeps away our stock, and you
can not prevent it in the least by the use of woolen
ingrain carpets, muslin, linen, duck, enamel cloth,
or burlap. If there is no nitrogen in the food they
are to consume during confinement, then you will
be all right with any of these covers or none of
them. James Heddon.

I prefer enameled cloth. 1 want the top of my
hives as closely sealed and as nearly air-tight as
possible. Many of my hives have board covers,
and I like to have the bees seal them down tight as
long as possible before winter.

I am more firmly persuaded than ever, that, with
proper protection, no upward ventilation whatever
should be permitted. I have wintered bees in tin
cans (as near as I could conveniently get to the
glass bottles we talked of a couple of years ago),
with good results and no loss. James A. Green.

I am glad to see, friends, a disposition to
decide that it does not matter so very much
what the covering is, providing all the cir-
cumstances are as they should be. Now, an
enamel cloth waxed down tight will do very
well, providing you have a chaff cushion, or
its equivalent, on the top of the enamel
cloth. If you have simply an upper story
over it, so the frost can get in aud reduce
the temperature of the upper side of the en-
amel cloth, it will act exactly like a pane of
glass on your windows in the winter time ;
namely, the under side will be covered with
dampness, or may be a thick coating of
frost ; whereas, were the frost kept away
by means of a good chaff cushion on the
upper side there would not even be any
dampness on the side toward the bees.
Put a chaff cushion or pillow tight against
one of the panes on your window, on a cold
frosty night, and you can see it for yourself.
There will be no frost on the outer side,
while all the rest of the panes will have a
thick coating of ice. The other condition is,
as has been mentioned , that there be venti-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

97

lation enough below, either through a hole
made in the bottom of the hive, or by hav-
ing a good-sized entrance. If the entrance
gets clogged, or is small, a sheet of burlap
over the bees might save them, when they
would die with the enamel cloth.

Question 104.— How and in what way can a bee-
keeper best employ his leisure hours in the winter
montlis, to advantage:'

Prepare for next season's work. Geo. Grimm.

Making hives, selling honey, and reading.

Dadant & Son.
Making preparations for the next season, and
writing for the bee-journals. H. R. Boardman.

Feeding his chickens, tending the baby, and mak-
ing himself generally useful. Mns. L. Harrison.

There are many ways to do good during the win-
ter months, too numerous to mention.

Chas. F. Muth.

This can hardly be answered. He can arrange for
the coming season; can market his honey at retail,
often at a good paying remuneration. It depends
much on his tastes and adaptability. A. J. Cook.

Reading and studying the theory of his business,
and doing such apiary work as can be done at that
time of year. He can read other good literature,
get acquainted with his family, and have a good
time generally, besides. James Heddon.

In doing all such work as can be done at this
season, to be in readiness for the busy season with
the bees. Don't wait till you need hives, boxes,
frames, etc., before preparing them. Some time
should also be given to reading and study.

L. C. Root.

Work at the trade he had before he was a bee-
keeper; teach school; chop cord wood— no, I guess
you mean as a bee-keeper. Read, read, think, plan,
subscribe for more bee-journals, get more bee-
books, attend conventions, visit other bee-keepers
(if he thinks it won't bore them), get ready his
hives, sections, and other things he'll need for the
coming season. C. C. Miller.

If he has not made bee-keeping pay during the
last five years, he had better spend his time in look-
ing up some other business to take its place or add
to it. 1 say this because 1 think we can not for the
next five years look for any thing better. Supplies
can begot ready for another season. If these are
all ready, and he can not think of any thing that
needs doing, he can— hibernate! P. H. Elwood.

In getting every thing he may need ready for the
busy season— that is, taking for granted that they
are in other business, which the majority are. For
my part 1 give part of these leisure hours to field
sport, as I find that I enjoy better appetite and
health when 1 take a hunt every week during the
winter. A few hours in the field, with good bird-
dogs and a good gun is not only a pleasure but a
fine tonic. P. L. Viallon.

Circumstances surrounding each individual bee-
keeper vary so much that each one will have to an-
swer this question for himself. Of course, he will
have no leisure time until all work in preparation
for next season's operations in the apiary, that can
be done in the winter, is done. Some occupy their

time in study, some in teaching school, some in
chopping wood, and other work for wages. This
is an important question to all persons whose trades
can not be followed during the winter, and each
one will have to do that work which is the nearest
him that he is fitted to do. O. O. Poppleton.

I can recommend my own way, without much
fear that any one will name a better way. Spend
the spare hours, both winter and summer, in
spreading the knowledge of the truth as it is in
Jesus Christ. Still, many brethren would vote my
way one of the worst that could be invented, and
pronounce all who hold the faith as I hold it, to be
mere vermin, beneath notice. E. E. Hastv.

If employment outside of bee-keeping is meant,
each must decide for himself according to circum-
stances, and his own opportunities and capabilities.
There are two ways in which a bee-keeper may
very profitably employ his winter months. The
first is in preparing every thing needed in the
apiary, ready for immediate use the next summer.
The second is in putting his product in the best
possible condition for market, and then disposing
of it to the best possible advantage. A little etfort
in this direction will bring very large returns.
Many bee-keepers do not get nearly as much for
their honey as they might. James A. Green.

First, in serving God and doing our part in pre-
paring for that future state of existence upon
which we must all soon enter. Need I say that a
large part of this work is in making yourself lova-
ble by being always cheerful, and doing good to
those about you for Christ's sake, thus allowing the
light that is in you to shine out before the world
for the Master's honor and glory? Get away from
self, and enter heartily into that which shall make
the world better, and advance the cause of our God
and his kingdom. Second, post yourself intellec-
tually regarding our beloved pursuit, bee-keeping,
by reading what you can on the subject. Third, get
every thing ready for the busy season of the next
year, so as to be prepared for the large yield of
honey which is coming. G. M. Doolittle.

A bee-keeper should have no leisure hours; that
is, hours in which he has nothing to do. Hours in
which we do nothing but rest, both mentally and
physically, are sometimes the most profitably spent.
If the welfare of the spiritual part has not been
provided for, I know of nothing in which the bee-
keeper could better employ his leisure or any other
hours than in making such provision for it as is de-
sirable for present and eternal enjoyment.

'Tis religion that can give

Sweetest pleasure while we live;

'Tis religion must supply

Solid comfort wrhen we die.
Another profitable way is to become better ac-
quainted with one's neighbors. Oh, dear! I give it
up; I can't answer that question. It is too "big"
for the Question- Box. I never saw the time in
which 1 didn't have or couldn't fiud something to
do. I wish the hours were twice as long, then per-
haps 1 could come nearer doing all that 1 should
like to do. Now, don't let any one pitch into mo
for a discussion on the subject of religion, unless
he incloses stamps for reply, and to pay for time,
paper, and envelopes. There, Ernest, that looks
pretty long for the Question-Box. Cut it to suit
you, or leave it out entirely, Pr. A. B. Mason.

98

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

I think, friends, that very much depends
upon one's circumstances. A bee-keeper
who is in debt, and who is constantly
pressed by his debtors, ought to work
hard at something all winter long, and I
think he will find as much enjoyment in
this way as in almost any of the things that
have been mentioned. If he is comfortably
off, he certainly ought to devote a good
share of his time toward helping and en-
couraging those who always need help aud
encouragement round about bim. I am
very much pleased to see how many there
are among our number who urge the impor-
tance of following Christ's last commission
which he laid upon us—" Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every crea-
ture."' This does not necessarily mean that
we should go to foreign lands' as mission-
aries, nor that we should feel that we are
called upon to climb up into a pulpit.
" Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, do it
all to the glory of God." When it comes to
having real fun, I think every bee-keeper
should have a greenhouse, so he can be hap-
py in watching for sunshine, and in seeing
things grow.

Question 105.— What do you do when you find a
colony affected with dysentery in the cellar, and it
is too early or too cold to give them a cleansing flight
by removing them temporarily from the cellar?

I do nothing.
We let them go.

Geo. Grimm.
P. H. Elwood.

I generally let them alone, except to make the
cellar warmer. C. C. Miller.

Nothing can be done, and we would not even look,
for it does them harm to be disturbed.

Dadant & Son.
I place a wet cloth over the brood-franies, or
Hi row a handful of salt into the entrance, or both.

Chas. F. Muth.
I do not winter in cellar much. I should do what-
ever I could to make them more quiet; and, beyond
that, let them alone as much as possible.

E. E. Hasty.
I just let them alone and lose them. In nine
cases out of ten, the more you tinker and fuss with
them, the quicker they will die and the more you
will lose. James Heddon.

I mean to prevent this. I have cured them by
giving them a flight in a warm room. This is best
done by putting them in a large box and covering
with netting. A. J. Cook.

I have not had a colony affected with diarrhea in
the cellar in years; and if I were to have, I would
simply let them alone; for, as far as my experience
goes, fussing with this never does any good.

G. M. Doolittle.

I would let such colonies alone. The disturbance
will Injure others more than it will help those
affected. If such a stock were at the bottom of the
room it might be a benefit to raise it to the top,
where it would be warmer. L. C. Root.

I let them alone. If the bees are all right, and
have suitable stores when put into the cellar, and
the cellar is properly ventilated, and kept at the
right temperature, say :>8 or 10°, there will be no
dysentery. Mrs. L. Harrison.

I put them in a room of the bee-house in which is
a stove, and warm them up to nearly 100° for sever-
al hours at a time, keeping the room perfectly dark,
giving the hive free ventilation at top and bottom,
and repeat the dose at intervals of several days if
necessary. H. R. Boardman.

I let it alone, for none of my colonies are so badly
affected as to need attention. I aim to have each
colony provided with proper food in the fall, and
then kept at the right temperature in the winter,
and I have no trouble in wintering. Pollen, or bee-
bread, is not a proper winter food for bees; and be-
cause " Rambler" saw the "pollen theory " " go up
in a balloon " is no evidence that the theory is not
correct. Dr. A. B. Mason.

This is a subject that was discussed largely in the
bee-papers jus-t before Gleanings was born; and
while I never experimented in giving cellar-winter-
ed bees a cleansing flight, I have done so largely
with bees that were being wintered out of doors. I
did this by letting them fly on top of the hives in a
shallow hox covered with glass, the rays of the sun
through the glass giving heat enough for the pur-
pose when the outside air would be freezing. These
experiments led to my learning the value of chaff
as a winter protector for bees, and the use of the
solar wax extractor; but I am not satisfied that it
was of material benefit to diseased bees. This ex-
periment can be easily tried with cellar-wintered
bees by removing them temporarily to a light warm
room and putting on them a box some 5 or 6 inch-
es deep, covered with glass, after opening the top
of the hive so the bees can come up freely on top of
the frames. While I have little faith in the practi-
cal value of such an experiment, it will cost but
very little to try it, and may be of greater value
than I Ihink for. O. O. Poppleton.

Our older readers will remember that,
about the time Gleanings was " born," as
friend Poppleton expresses it. I had a green-
house, or, rather, a large cold-frame, built
on purpose to cure bees that had the dysen-
tery. Well, it worked tiptop, providing we
had warm sunny days, so the bees could be
put outdoors not very long after they were
cured (V) by the treatment in the green-
house. If we didn't have days when they
could be set out, and given a good fly under
the blue vault of heaven, they had a kind of
fashion of relapsing, and ultimately " going
dead " in spite of the cure. They were not
exactly like the Irishman's bird, that he
shot as plainly as could be, but wouldn't die
because it was so contrary ; for after they
had been doctored and cured, as plainly as
could be, they died, just to be contrary.
May be, if 1 had pushed my investigations
further I might have triumphed over the
difficulties ; but, if I remember correctly,
just about the time of these experiments,
our good friend P. H. Elwood wrote to me,
that even if they could be cured by the
greenhouse treatment, it cost more than to
buy some good healthy bees of somebody
who had them, in the spring. At the low
prices at which bees have been offered for
some time back, it does not pay to fuss very
much with weak and sickly colonies, pro-
viding one has some other occupation that
pays him fair wages.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

99

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

A GOOD REPORT FROM ONE OP THE FRIENDS IN
CALIFORNIA.

TT would do you good to see my bees tumbling in
||P with pollen to-day. The tomato-vines that you
W saw on my fence are maturing' fruit every day,
**• and the hills of corn you saw are now in silk.
We have had more rain, and the prospect for
a honey crop is good. 1 have not been able to de-
cide whether I will go to the mountains this spring
or not. W. J. Morrison.

Long Beach, Cal., Jan. 7, 1889.

I raised 32 bushels of Japanese buckwheat from
Vi bushel I got of you. J. V. Hcrless.

Archer, O., Jan. 14, 1889.

PAINT FOR HIVES.

I have used lead oil, but I find a paint made by
Lonoman & Martinez, of New York, wears best.
Some of my hives have been painted five years
with that paint, and are still in good condition.

Sara Sota, Fla., Jan. 8, 1889. S. C. Corwin.

DRONES IN WINTER.

Can you tell me how it is that I have drones in
one of my hives at this time of year, Jan. 8 ? I
never saw it before. Seth Tompkins.

Tarrytown, N. Y.

[Friend T., the presence of the drones you men-
tion is probably due to the mild weather. If such
weather should continue they may be found in the
hive throughout the winter. You will probably
find considerable worker brood in the hives.]

AN EIGHT OR TEN FRAME HIVE FOR COMB HONEY.

Were you working for comb honey, and did not
care to practice contracting the brood-chamber,
would you prefer an eight or ten frame hive, of S.
Size? A. B. Baird.

Belle Vernon, Pa., Jan. 7, 1889.

[Friend B., as your question states it I should
prefer an 8-frame hive. Usually they would not re-
quire contraction with dummies.]

HIVES WITH DEAD-AIR CHAMBERS.

In having a dead-air chamber in a hive, would
you have it between the packing and the outside
wall, or would you have it between the packing
and the bees? H. F. Gressman.

[You don't need a dead-air chamber if you have
packing around the bees. It is used only when no
packing of any kind is made use of. A chaff hive
without chaff between the walls would be a dead-
air-chamber hive; but if you insist that you want,
in your locality, the dead air and packing both, it
seems to us it would be immaterial whether the air-
space were between the outside wall and the chaff,
or the chaff and the inside wall.]

REPORT FROM OUR FRIEND DR. LAY.

We have had a very prosperous year in every
thing except honey, and that a fair crop. Bees are
in good condition, and all honey-plants are up and
well advanced. We have had a wet season. We
are yet enjoying garden vegetables. You were
within 18 miles of our home when you were at
Schulenburg, on your trip to California. I am sor-
ry you could not stop with us. We are happy to
note that Gleanings is improving all the while.
It is read by us with much pleasure. J. E. Lay.

Halletsville, Tex., Dec. 28, 1888.

TEXAS AND THE HORSEMINT.

Our main honey-plant here is horsemint, and I
am fearful it will be scarce this year. It has been
a warm wet winter so far, and there is a great deal
of horsemint up and green, which will be killed if
there comes a freeze, and I am afraid it will leave
but little seed for spring. There is now blowing
the coldest "norther " that has been felt this win-
ter. W. A. Cartmell.

Crowley, Tex., Jan. 8, 1889.

PROSPECT FOR THE HONEY CROP IN TEXAS FOR
1889 NEVER BETTER.

The prospect for a big honey crop was never bet-
ter in this part than at present. We have had a
warm wet winter, and the horsemint is making its
appearance in all of the waste places, and in many
places even the wheat and oats on the cultivated
lands. Yes, and the buds on the elm are swelled
and bursted, and will be in bloom in a few days,
and then our little Italian pets will be in their glory.

Cross Timbers, Texas, Jan. 14, 1889. L. B. Smith.

SWARMING OUT IN JANUARY.

On Christmas day one colony of my bees rushed
out and clustered on a tree. They stayed three or
four minutes, separated, and went into three dif-
ferent hives. They were all right, but had to fight
their way into the third hive. They swarmed out,
probably because they had a sickly-looking queen,
damp hive, and very little stores left behind.
About 12 bees remained with the queen.

Wetheredville, Md., Jan. 9, 1889. J. A. Heidler.

[Friend H., I believe you are correct in your rea-
soning. Where bees get damp, they often swarm
out in the way you mention. The dampness is usu-
ally caused because the cluster of bees is too small
to produce sufficient heat to dry out the combs and
bees.]

HONEY FROM HARD MAPLES.

Having noticed in Gleanings that there is a dif-
ference of opinion as to whether or not bees store
honey from hard maple, I wish to state that last
spring, before there was any other source of hon-
ey, I could have extracted more than 1000 lbs. of
maple, or sugar-tree honey, but did not take much
on account of its oily flavor. I have a3-lb. can of
pure honey from that source yet, and can send it
to you if you would like to have it.

Clarksburg, Ind., Jan. 8, 1889. H. F.Shannon.

[Friend S., I do not quite understand what you
mean by the term "oily flavor." If you mean
something like what we call " buddy," applied to
the last sugar or molasses of the season, then I
think I understand you. You may send us a sam-
ple of the honey by mail, in the little wooden block
we mail you for the purpose.]

in straight rows.

Mr. Axtell says if trees are planted in perfect
squares, or in straight rows two ways— that is, per-
fect rows east and west, and perfect rows north
and south, then the diagonal rows will be perfectly
straight and there will also be an infinity of them,
provided the orchard be large enough. For proof
of the above, you would only need to see one of our
large cornfields when six inches high, that was
planted perfectly with a check-rower.

Roseville, 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell,.

[I know a check-rower will do it, my friend, if the
operator is very careful to start on a line when he
commences at each end; but the orange-trees in
California were set so very exact that it made me
think they had some new process for doing it rapid-
ly and quickly. You will notice that the subject
has been taken up by two other writers in this is-

BUl'.]

100

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

JF0B7ICC0 C@MIMN.

CONDITIONS UNDEB WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO
stop rsiNi; TOBACCO.
First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
GLEANINGS. Any subscriber may. however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
baccoagain. he ithe subscriber) will pay forthe smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would he strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this" matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

E extract the following from the In-
dependent of Jan. 10, hoping it may
carry conviction to the heart of
some tobacco-using brother :

"A great majority of men go far be-
yond what maybe called the temperate use of to-
bacco, and evidences of injury are easily found.
It is only necessary to have some record of what
the general health was previous to the taking-up of
the habit, and to have observation cover a long
enough time. The history of tobacco in the island
of Xew Zealand furnishes a quite suggestive illus-
tration for our purpose, and one on a large scale.
When Europeans first visited New Zealand they
found in the native Maoris the most finely devel-
oped and powerful men of any of the tribes in-
habiting the islands of the Paciflo. Since the in-
troduction of tobacco, for which the Maoris devel-
oped a passionate liking, they have from this cause
alone, it is said, become decimated in numbers,
and at the same time reduced in stature and in
physical well-being so as to be an altogether inferi-
or type of men."

Mrs. Leeka has quit smoking, and she helps me
with the bees. Please send her a smoker. If she
takes to the weed again, I will pay for it.

Thos. W. Leeka.
Losantville, Ind., June 15, 1888.

My husband has quit the use of tobacco in every
form, after using it since he was a boy. He says if
you send me a smoker, and he ever uses tobacco
again he will pay you your price for the smoker.

lantha. Mo., Aug. 3, 1888. E. C. Harper.

I thank you most heartily for the smoker for my
son, and freely promise to pay for the same, if
there should be any falling back into evil habits.
But I think that will never be, for my son has ex-
perienced religion. Mrs. J. E. Bcttolph.

Frasa, Tex.. Nov. 2, 1888.

GOING BAIL FOR A NEIGHBOR.

A neighbor of mine has quit the use of tobacco
through reading Gleanings, and my influence, and
wished me to write for a smoker. He will pay for
it if he ever uses tobacco again, and I am ready to
pay for it if he don't. He has just commenced bee-
keeping and has the ABC book.

Berlin, Wis. E. C. Eaglesfield.

TKN CENTS A DAY FOR TOBACCO, FOB TEN YEARS.

I quit using tobacco in every form, Nov. 5, 1880,
after chewing an average of 10 cents' worth (?) a
day for ten years. I shall stay quit, and I don't
ask anybody to give me any thing for quitting or
staying quit. The pleasure of doing without to-
bacoo is far greater than the doing with it was to
.me- J. A. Geetinq.

Washington, Ind., 1888.

A minister agrees to quit the USE OF TOBACCO.

Rev. Giles M. Johnston, a young minister of the
gospel, agrees to quit the use of tobacco; and if
you will send him a smoker, I agree to pay for the
same should he ever commence the use of it
again. G. C. Hughes.

Pipestem, W. Va.

A BROKEN PLEDGE, BUT PAYS FOR THE SMOKER.

Please find 70 cts. to pay for a smoker that I sent
for in 1887, for J. D. Stringer, who had quit using
tobacco. He finally let the disease take hold of
him again. He says the thirst is too great for him
to resist. Please accept our thanks for your liber-
al effort to put down such a filthy, sinful habit.

J. H. Morran.

Dripping Springs, Tex., Sept. 28, 1888.

A GOOD REASON FOR STOPPING THE USE OF TO-
BACCO.

I have been in the filthy habit of using tobacco
for two years; but by reading your Tobacco Col-
umn, and by taking advices from friends, I oavecon-
cluded never to use such vile stuff again. Recent-
ly a young lady friend told me if I would not quit
using tobacco she would not speak to me any more.
How is that for tobacco? I am now 20 years old,
and have been using it since I was 18. I never
used it in any other way than smoking. I think
your Tobacco Column is good. I should think it
would turn a good many hearts from using tobac-
co. If you think I deserve a smoker, please send
it; and if I ever in my life use tobacco again I will
pay for two smokers. A. A. Rieff.

Mankato, Minn., Nov. 7, 1888.

WHY I STOPPED THE USE OF TOBACCO.

I did not quit tobacco by what I read in Glean-
ings, but I was a subscriber for Gleanings in
1885, and it might have had its influence. I quit to-
bacco in order to get a clean heart. 1 could not puff
tobacco smoke in God's face, and ask him to bless
me. I could not use tobacco to the glory of God,
nor come to him with a clean mouth, and I could
not enter into the holy of holies with my clothes
saturated with the fumes of hell. I could Dot shoot
God with the devil's best gun (tobacco), and claim
to be on the Lord's side. I could not say, " God has
taken me out of the depths of sin, but can't save
me from tobacco." Jesus came to save his people
from their sins. If I knew it would kill me to give
up tobacco I would give it up, and go sweeping
through the gates into the city of God. There will
be no tobacco there. Emsley L. Faulkner.

Pentwater, Mich.

TWO YEARS AFTER HAVING QUIT THE USE OF TO-
BACCO.

Just two years ago to-day I quit the use of tobac-
co, after using it nearly thirty years. You may
place the credit to friend Terry. His letter in
Gleanings caused me to burn my stock of "Navy,"
and promise my dear wife never to use tobacco in
any form again. I've do doubt you have a great
many new subscribers that have never read his
letter. Why not publish it again? Don't send me a
smoker. You have never made enough of them to
hire me to quit tobacco. Any married man who
will "chaw" after reading friend Terry's article,
and then promise to quit for a smoker, would, of
course, swap his wife for one.

C, S. Doubleday,

Hamilton, Tex., Dec 28, J88S

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

101

0iir pejiEg.

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts !
My soul longetb, yea, even fainteth for the courts
of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for
the living God.— Ps. 84:1, 2.

TTp NOTHER joyous and peaceful Sabbath
9|1| (Dec. 9) is past. One of the happiest

0tf memories of my visit to California
'^t will be the pleasant meetings with
Christian people. Saturday afternoon
I found I had accepted all invitations ex-
cept one, and my friends informed me thead-
dress was left by a young man who came on
a bicycle, and who was quite deaf. He lived
at Long Beach. I wanted to get off on my
homeward trip, and I found two trains left
at about the same time— one for Long Beach
and the other for San Francisco. Which
should it be V As I stood before the ticket-
office I prayed for guidance. In a moment
I decided. I found my friend building a
new house, and not very well fixed to keep
company over Sunday, and so I decided to
go to the hotel ; but he soon told me, with
some hesitation, that, if I could put up with
his quarters, it would save expense, and
that I should be quite welcome. His
" quarters " were a barn close by his new
house, his wife being with friends until the
new house should be finished. Now, it is a
very common thing here to live in barns,
and some of them very scanty ones at that ;
and I quite enjoyed the idea, especially as it
seemed to promise an opportunity for me to
discover what message it was the Master's
wish I should deliver to this afflicted broth-
er. After our supper at a restaurant, we
sought our lodging-place. As it is remote
from any house, I could talk as loud as I
pleased, without being overheard. Deaf
people often get very lonesome— did you
know it ? I was soon rejoiced to find my
companion a sincere and devoted Christian,
but he had met some perplexities, or, per-
haps, conflicting advice, that he longed to
submit to the author of " Our Homes," for
he has taken and read Gleanings since it
was a 25-cent quarterly. One of his troubles
was that he had never been baptized, except
in infancy, and somebody had told him
such baptism was "no good." They had
even loaned him a book to read, and he had
compared the texts with the Bible, and they
all " squared " exactly. 1 assured him there
were multitudes of books that proved their
teachings in this very way, and advised him
to let the baptism rest right where it was,
but to bestow his care and pains toward
"doing justly, loving mercy, and walking
humbly before God."

" But, Mr. Root, there isn't a word in the
Bible about infant baptism."

" Neither is there a word about Sunday-
schools, yet you and I are going to the very
first one in the morning we can find."

He had actually been thinking of uniting
with another church, just because his de-
voted and faithful parents had baptized him
when he was too small to know any thing
about it His pastor did, it is true, consent
to another baptism, but rather advised as I
did, to let it remain as it was, and turn his

attention to things that were doing real
harm.

" But, Mr. Root, one minister advises one
way and another different. How can both
be right ? "

I told him it would be perfectly right for
each one to follow the advice of his own pas-
tor, in such matters.

"But, Mr. Root, I believe in taking the
Bible exactly as it reads, without regard to
any minister's advice ; " but as he had his
well-read Bible open on the top of his tool-
chest, he pretty soon found a passage where
it described an army " as the sands of the
seashore," in numbers, and he was com-
pelled to admit it was not to be taken liter-
ally, as it read.

"Well, Mr. Root, I think one ought to
even black his shoes on Saturday night, to
avoid working on Sunday."

"All right; that is a good and safe prac-
tical religion ; bring your brush, and we will
put it into practice at once."

" But, you don't need to black yours, ac-
cording to your teaching, for you may not
feel about it as I do."

"But I do think as you do to-night,
any way ; but if we get the blacking off in
chasing after the horse in the morning, I
should brush them up again, rather than to
go to church with untidy shoes."

After we got to bed he questioned me as
an eager child would ; and when I got too
sleepy to answer loud enough, he jokingly
suggested I needn't be afraid of waking up
the " people up stairs." At this 1 talked so
loud a lot of geese the other side of the
boards to the barn set up a cackle, and then
we had a big laugh.

The joke about the upstairs was because
the principal occupants were the stars of
heaven.

" Mr. Root," said he, " were you ever
tempted, when all alone by yourself?"

I told him that some of the hardest bat-
tles I had ever fought were in this very line,
and his question took hold of me instantly.

" Well," he resumed, " did you ever try,
at such times, singing a hymn?"

I told him I had never thought of it ; but
when he asked me if I would not sing one
verse of some familiar hymn of my own, I
felt it a privilege. Of course, I should have
to sing quite loud to make him hear. It
could not disturb any thing but the geese,
and I had just had such a hearty laugh at
the cackling that I was in very good trim to
sing with energy. I sang, as well as I could,

" Guide me, O thou great Jehovah!"

At the close I asked him to sing some-
thing that had helped him when tempted ;
whereupon my poor deaf brother sang one
of the most touching hymns I ever heard in
my life. He commenced with a somewhat
timid voice, but finally the beautiful senti-
ments seemed to give him inspiration ; and
I did not wonder at its close that such a
hymn had power to banish evil spirits and
evil suggestions. If he will write out the
words I will at some future time give it to
the readers of Gleanings.

When I was half asleep again, he pulled
me by the shoulder, and suggested, " Yo\\
forgot to wind your Waterbury,"

L02

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

•■ No, I didn't ; I wind it mornings."

He replied with great gravity, " Do you
feel sure it is right to do so much work (?) on
Sunday? "

He gives a tenth of all his earnings to the
Lord : but a while ago he was tempted to
use some of ,- the Lord's money " to specu-
late in real estate, at the time of the " boom,"
but the real estate went down and the money
was lost, and a good deal more with it :
so he mortgaged some property to get the
monev to pay up i that is. the Lord's tenth)
by giving the money thus obtained to
benevolent and missionary work. Dare any
of us say he went to too great extremes in
this ?

In the afternoon my friend suggested that
we sit on the seats on the bluff, and read the
Sundav-sehool papers we had received at
school! As I looked a little demur, he
suggested that it was no worse than to sit
in the parlor of our boarding-place. 1 as-
sented. On the way it occurred to me I
should like to write a word or two to my
wife, as we sat viewing the ocean ; and as I
looked up I saw paper and envelopes in a
little booth on the sidewalk. Without a
thought 1 extended a dime for the tablet in
which I am now writing. Almost before
the transaction was done, however, he step-
ped up and promptly and faithfully rebuked
both of us. " Mr. Root, you are encouraging
these people in Sunday traffic, and at the
same time patronizing a tobacco-stand."

A pretty predicament for the editor of
Gleanings, especiallv after all he has
written about doing business on Sunday,
and the use of tobacco— yes. and a spiritual
adviser besides, whom God had sent.

I thanked him. and told him he was right.
We sat on the bench on the cliff, but we did
not look at the ocean much, and 1 didn't
write my letter. We both began to feel we
were not exactly where Christians ought to
be, for many others were along the cliff and
down on the roads. I had suggested visit-
ing the jail, but they don't have any, for
they never have had a saloon, and never ex-
pect to have one. May the good Lord di-
rect two of his children this Sabbath after-
noon. The prayer was answered very soon.
A man came up rather out of breath, and
inquired for A. I. Root. I at once jumped
to the conclusion that he was the operator,
and had a telegram for me, because some-
thing had happened at home. I started up.

•• I am A. I. Root ; what is wrong ? "

■■ Nothing, only I have had a long hunt
for you. I think I have been after you since
about the time you saw those turkey buz-
zards w nailed ' up on the trees to dry."'

At this there was a big laugh all around,
and then he explained that their little girl
came home from Sunday-school, declaring
" A. I. Boot " had been there. He assured
her she must be mistaken ; but she stoutly
declared that the minister said, "Brother
A.I. Root, of Medina. O.," would make the
opening prayer, whereupon he set out to
hunt him. He traced him to dinner, then to
the Congregational Sunday-school, then off
toward the ocean, and he thought probably
he had gone off " hunting greenhouses " or
something of the sort. How did he know

any thing about me ? Why, he had taken
Gleanings, even away back in Louisiana,
and A. I. Root was a household word, even
among the children. Would I not make his
house my home while I stayed V How about
visiting on Sunday V This new friend was
a Baptist, the other brother a Methodist,
and myself a Congregationalist. Surely we
three ought to be able to decide how best to
keep the Sabbath day holy under the cir-
cumstances. We accepted the Baptist broth-
er's invitation, and. what do you think ?
It was close by the barn where we had stay-
ed the night before. These two brothers
were side by side in a far-off land, and yet
both took and prized Gleanings, but might
not have known it for weeks had I not made
them acquainted. And it seems that almost
every Sunday since I have been in Califor-
nia some child has spread the news of my
whereabouts. I tell you. friends, it pays, in
more ways than one. to be promptly onhand
at both p'rayer-meeting and Sunday-school,
no matter how old you are. Sabbath even-
ing they had a wonderful temperance meet-
ing, with all the pastois of Long Beach on
the platform, and all the people (as a matter
of course) filling the seats of a pretty good-
sized tabernacle. I did not suppose so
large an audience could be found, if every
man. woman, and child attended ; and I did
not suppose the three pastors (although 1
had formed a very high opinion of them)
could give us three such mighty temperance
sermons.

I have praised California so much, perhaps
I should touch lightly on its evils. Well,
the Methodist pastor, in speaking on social
purity, said that in Los Angeles alone there
were four hundred — not men. but blots on
creation— who made a business of enticing
boys, and girls too, into houses of ill-fame.
I hope this may be a mistake. 1 have been
a good deal in the city of Los Angeles, and
they seem to be a busy, God-fearing people.

Friend Morrison's good wife welcomed us
to their home as warmly as did her kind
husband ; and even if we did visit some on
Sunday, I believe the Savior looked down
on us lovingly.

" O Mr. Root '. " commenced our hostess,
with her charming Southern accent ; "there
is one woman in this town I do wish you
could know. She is rich, but she has so
much of the grace of God that riches can
not harm her. She has not only builded the
Congregational church, but pays the minis-
ter almost herself." The speaker is a Meth-
odist, and her husband a Baptist ; but I be-
lieve this spirit is characteristic of Long
Beach.

•• Who is the beautiful lady that superin-
tends the Congregational Sunday-school V "
said I.

" Why. Mr. Root, you have seen her al-
ready.""

I wondered, when I sawr her giving direc-
tions, toward the close of the school, to see
one with such a sweet, pure, childlike face,
in a place of so much responsibility. She is
the child of a Congregational minister ; but
her husband has been prospered, and has
now immense wealth ; but he evidently has
as much faith in her as the rest of the peo-

1883

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

103

pie there, for they too give very largely to
all praiseworthy purposes.

Thus ended my fourth Sabbath in Cali-
fornia, and also my 49th birthday, for it was
the 9th of December.

MAPLE SUGAR AND SYRUP MAKING.

when the run is small, the little orifice be-
ing closed air-tight by a minute globule of
sap. Price 90c per 100, $8.00 per 1000.

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IMPLEMENTS.

§F course, bee-keepers can not all en-
gage in the maple sugar and syrup in-
dustry, for they do uot all have the
maple-trees ; and some that do. do not
have the winters frost ; but almost all
of them have a tooth for the products, there-
fore most of us are interested, either di-
rectly or indirectly, in the matter. The cut
below shows a new cover, just brought out
by the Record Manufacturing Co. Much
sap is lost during windy days, by the wind :
besides this, dirt, sticks, leaves, and insects,
are blown into the sap, and certainly this
does not improve the quality of the* pro-
duct. When the weather is warm and sun-
ny, during a flow of sap, bees are also
drowned b> the thousands in open buckets.
This cover obviates all these troubles.

NEW TIN BUCKET. WITH TIN COVER ATTACHED
FOR MAPLE-SUGAR MAKING.

These covers also, to a large extent, pre-
vent freezing ; for if the chilling wind is
kept from striking the surface of the sap,
it will be le?s liable to freeze, so as to injure
the buckets, or so as to interfere with the
handling of the sap. Last, but not least,
rain and snow are kept out. It seems a lit-
tle singular, but it has been abundantly
proven, that the addition of rain water al-
ways makes the product darker colored. It
is the gilt-edged syrup that commands the
big price, like gilt-edged butter and honey.
The latest improvement in the way of
spouts or spiles, is the one shown next. *

This differs from the one we illustrated
some years ago, only by having the small
end closed entirely by a cap. Through this
cap a small orifice is* made. This prevents
the air from getting up into the bore in the
tree, and oxidizing, or souring, the sap

THE RECORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY'S SAP-
SPILE.

The present price of the covers shown
above is 7 cts. each, for less than 100. In
complete packages of 100, just as they come
from the factory, 86.00. A sample can be
sent by mail, at an additional expense of 10
cts. Prices of pails, IX tin. per 100. 10 qt.,
$17.00; 12 qt.. S18.00; I C tin, $15 and S16,
respectively.

This cover has a cap, or hood, that covers
the spout entirely ; and at the same time
the whole arrangement is. by an ingenious
device, attached to any pail in an instant.
The attachment is such that the cover is
hinged so that it will open as shown in the
cut.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi-Monthly .

-&.. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

KEDI1TA, OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

Fcr Clc'c'cizg Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

ZfcvSIEIOIIN"^, Z^EB- 1, 1869.

I will delight myself in thv statutes: I will not forget thy
word.— Ps. 119 : IB.

THE QUINBY SMOKER IMPROVED.

W. E. Clark, of Oriskany, N. Y., has sent lis one
of the latest Quinby, or L. C. Root smokers. The
improvement consists in having the nozzle hinged
by a suitable light malleable casting so that the
operation of replenishing can be greatly facilitated.
One of our objections to the hot-blast smokers has
been the loose nozzles, and the bother of removing
and putting them on when they are " all-fired hot."
A hinged nozzle can be removed and replaced by a
light tap of the fingers. For further information,
write the address as above.

OUT-APIARIES.

With this number we publish the first one of a
series of articles on the subject as above, from the
pen of one who has had a large experience— Dr.
C. C. Miller. They will be continued through a
number of issues. While they are designed prima-
rily to instruct those who have little or no practical
knowledge of the subject, and who, perhaps, seek
such information, they doubtless will contain con-
siderable value for those who have already had
some practical experience along this line. If you
are not a subscriber, enroll your name at once.
This is an important theme, and you can not afford
to lose the benefit of these articles.

104

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

We have at this date, 8390 subcribers.

NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

An unexpected crowd of new advertisements has
obliged us to go to press, omitting much valuable
matter that should have appeared in this issue. In
our next we shall give you an extra eight pages.

LENDING GLEANINGS.

I think I have heard publishers find fault be-
cause some people borrow the paper and do not sub-
scribe; but I rather like the idea of lending papers.
Of course, there may be such a thing as carrying it
too far, like borrowing the paper regularly each is-
sue. But to encourage the friends in being neigh-
borly with their copies of Gleanings, we shall be
glad to have you lend them— that is, after you have
read them; and whenever one is lost or soiled, just
send us word and we will send you a nice clean one
free of charge. We can do this just as well as not,
because we almost always have surplus copies that
get old, and have to be sold for paper-rags, or about
the same. In fact, we have got tons of them stack-
ed away in an old out-building now. Therefore,
" Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again." I
got the above suggestion from our friend Minnie
Coulter, on page 62, last issue.

ALFALFA AND CUCUMBER HONEY.

C. C. Miller, while in Pueblo, Col., purchased a
sample of alfalfa honey of that region. On his ar-
rival home at Marengo, 111., he sent us this honey,
together with a sample of cucumber honey. The
flavor of the alfalfa is fully equal to clover, which
it resembles closely. It is seldom that we take
more than a good taste of honey sent as a sample;
but after A. I. R. had tasted, E. R. R. and J. T. C.
followed suit. With an expression of "That's good,"
we kept on scooping it up with our knife-blades un-
til—well, there is just a little left for you to try.
The fact that this plant yields from three to four
crops of hay in a season, that it will grow in most
Northern localities, together with the fact that it
yields a superb honey, are no small recommenda-
tions in its favor. The flavor of the cucumber
could hardly be called first-class, but on the whole
it is better than the majority of the second-rate
honeys. The taste reminds one a little of cucum-
ber itself, and this becomes more evident a few mo-
ments after tasting.

langstroth on the honey-bee, revised by

DADANT.

The new book is finally on our table. It con-
tains 521 p8ges, while Langstroth's old edition has
only 387; and after turning over the leavesfor per-
haps half an hour (it came just as we were ready to
go to press) I should say it gives the fullest and
most comprehensive view of bee culture, up to the
present day, of any thing in print. The book is full
from beginning to end of the finest engravings
that ever graced any book on bee culture, or any
other industry, for that matter. It is not devoted
to any particular hive nor system of management,
as is our own ABC book, but it mentions all the
principal hives and methods in use, and atthesame
time friend Dadant indicates plainly his preference.
I was very glad indeed to find, at the close of the
chapter on " Hives," several pages devoted to " the
hive we prefer;" and then he gives his reasons for
his preference. Everybody is given full credit, so
far as I can discover, for their own ideas and for
their own inventions, and the book gives one an ex-

ceedingly pleasant idea of the friendly relations in
which bee-keepers stand, the one to the other.
There is not a word of discussion in it anywhere,
that I know of, as to who invented this, that, and
the other, or to whom credit belongs; and if our
friends have here and there made a mistake or two
in giving credit, 1 hope no one will be critical
enough to lake it up. We can send the book by
mail, postpaid, for $2.00; by freight or express with
other goods, $1.85. We have a few of Langstroth's
old edition, which we will close out at 50 cts. less
than the above, to those who may want one.

gPECI^Ii J^OTICEg.

WAX RENDERED BY THE SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR.

At the present time our regular advertised price
for wax is 20 cts.; 23 cts. in trade. Now, for wax
rendered by the solar wax-extractor— clean yellow
wax with no impurities on the bottom of the cakes,
we will pay 5 cts. more than the above prices. We
think it is no more than lair and just, in considera-
tion of the great superiority of sun rendered wax.

A NEW TEN-INCH FOUNDATION MILL FOR SALE.

This mill is one of our latest make, and has just
reached its destination. Our customer finds that it
requires more wax to dip from than he was pre-
pared for, and now has changed his mind, and con-
cluded to buy his foundation. The mill has never
been taken out of the box. If any one in the West
is contemplating buying one it will be considerable
saving in freight to take tbis. The outfit, at cata-
logue prices, would be worth $23; but we will sell it
for $22.00. '

DARK-COLORED FOUNDATION.

Some time ago we advertised foundation, made
of dark-colored wax, for 3 cts. less per lb.; but as
the demand was constantly greater than the sup-
ply, we took the notice out. During the past year,
however, we have saved up perhaps a ton, too dark
in color to send out as regular foundation; but in
my opinion it is exactly as good, in every respect,
for brood-combs ; but as it does not look quite so
nice, we will furnish it, while the supply lasts, for
3 cts. per lb. less than the regular price. Perhaps
it will be well to order soon if you want it.

FREIGHTS TO CALIFORNIA.

We find on investigation, that the rates of freight
from here to California, on sections and bee-hive
material in the flat, differ widely whether you take
a carload or less than a carload. The rate from
here to San Diego, Los Angeles, or Bakersfleld, on
a carload, is $1.25 per 100 ; while if less than a carload
is taken, $2.90 is charged. In view of this fact, it
will be greatly to your advantage if you all could
club together in sending your orders, in regard to
making up a carload, even if part of the load would
have to be reshipped after it got there. Remember,
this rate applies to fourth-class freight, under
which head comes section boxes, and bee-hive ma-
terial in the flat which can be called "box stuff."
Material coming under a higher classification re-
quires a higher rate.

ALSIKE CLOVER AWAY UP.

One of the largest dealers in seeds in the city of
New York has just written us that the very best he
can do on prime alslke at present is $8.50 per bush-
el; and as this is the very price that we have been
advertising it at retail of late, it leaves us in a rath-
er bad predicament; but I rather enjoy it, after all.
Do you know why? It is because bee-keepers who
have alsike to dispose of are going to get a good
price for it; and every bee-keeper ought to have
some alsike clover seed to sell; in fact, raising al-
sike, buckwheat, rape, and seeds, that produce
both grain and honey, should be a part of every
bee-keeper's business. Now, then, those of you
who have alsike to spare will please tell how much
you have, and what you will take for it. Of course,
we can not pay $8.50, and furnish bags, and sell it
out at retail for $8.50. Another thing, most of the
alsike we sell has to go through that new-fangled
fanning-mill that goes by steam power, to make it

1880

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

105

No. 1 seed. However, if you will mail us a sample
of what you have, we can tell you what it will be
worth to us.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The Northeastern Michigan Bee-keepers' Association will
hold its annual convention Feb. 6. 1889, at the Dayton Hotel, in
Flint. Meeting will be called to order at 10 a.m.

W. Z. H TCHINSON, Sec'y.

PftlCE LISTS RECEIVED.

We have received from Win. H. Bright, Mazeppa. Minn., his
catalogue of bee-keepers' supplies.

J. W. K. Shaw & Co., Loreauville, La., have just sent us their
price list of Italian queens.

We have just printed for Andrews & Lockhart, Pattens Mills,
N. Y., a catalogue of their specialty. Carniolan queens.

J. M. Kinzie, Rochester, Mich., sends out a list of general sup-
plies for the apiary.

The Rank and File

As well as the leaders in bee-keeping are well pleas-
ed with the BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. Read what
some of them say :

The Review is like LippincoW s Magazine. It is a
digest of the best articles to be found ia the best
British and American magazines. The Review is
the cream; the kernel without the shuck.

Atlanta, Ga. Jno. Barfokd.

Enclosed please find 50 cts. for the Review for
1889. Although only a novice, I like to read some-
thing beyond me, instead of so many " hints to be-
ginners," as are found in some of the journals.

Westboro, Mass. A. L. Phipps.

Allow me t'i congratulate you on the very superi-
or character of your paper. It fills an important
place never before occupied; and, in my estima-
tion, no one interested in any pursuit can afford to
be without it. B. M. Hayhurst.

Kansas City, Mo.

The Review comes the nearest to filling the bill
of any thing I have seen. If you can bring each
succeeding volume up to the standard of the first
one, your fortune is made. C. J. Sackett.

Cochecton Center, N. Y.

If your comb honey is as bright, clean, and fresh,
in proportion to your experience, as is your excel-
lent little journal, I think white will become it as
well as " the sweet young girl."

Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Oliver Foster.

Viewed in the lights and shadows of nigh twenty
years of beekeeping, no twelve numbers of any
bee-journal have contained the amount of valuable
information that you have crowded into the first
volume of the Review. James Heddon.

Dowagiac, Mich.

There was no need for the Review, but you have
made a need for it. I should be a sincere mourner
at its death. Dr. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Reader, send for a sample copy of the Review,
and judge of it yourself. Price of the Review, 50
cents a year.

The Review and "The Production of Comb Hon-
ey "for 65 cts. For $ 1.00 the Review will be sent
two years, and "The Production of Comb Honey"
thrown in. Back numbers of the Review can be
furnished. Stamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian.

lOtfdb W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

Mention Gleanings. Flint, Mich.

FOR SALE. — Six Light Brahma pullets, one
cockerel, $10; P. Rock and Langshan cockerels,
$1.50 to $2.00; pullets, $1.00. Thorougbred. Satis-
faction given. MRS. C. E. HATCH,
3d Kentland, Newton Co., lnd.

B J. MILLER <fc CO.,

NAPPANEK, - ELKHART CO., - HMD.,

MANUFACTURERS OF

BEE-HIVES and SUPPLIES.

Sections, T-tin cases, shipping-crates, metal cor-
ners, etc. Five per cent discount on supplies in
Jan. and Feb. Price list free. Send for one. ltfdb

0"ln responding to this advertisement mention Ui.kaninos.

FOR SALE!

I am obliged to dispose of my farm so as to be
nearer to my business. On this account I am also
obliged to sell out my bees. 1 have 56 colonies in
prime condition in the cellar. My surplus arrange-
ment, 1 think, can not be beat. Every thing 1 have
connected with the business is in the best possible
shape for practical purposes that long experience
could suggest. The following is a nearly complete
list of what 1 have to dispose of : 56 colonies bees,
mostly pure Italians, in 8-frame Langstroth hives;
88 hives filled with comb or wired foundation; 143
hives complete with frames, honey-boards, and
covers; 53 section racks, with 18 sections each, filled
with comb: 224 section racks, with 18 sections each,
filled with foundation; 89 section racks, with 18 sec-
tions each, empty ; 31 section racks, without sections ;
15 shipping cases; one Given foundation press for
full Langstroth frame; 50 feeders; 2 bellows smok-
ers; 20 lbs. foundation; one extractor; and a lot of
other paraphernalia, such as shipping-screens, wire
for frames, wire screenhouse, saws, mandrel and
stand, top hive, stands, cover rings for tiering up,
etc., etc., which are usually necessary to a complete
outfit in the business. The total cost of the whole
is not far from $1500.00; I will sell the whole lot for
about one-half of that. I will not sell in part, but
only by the lot, and I would like to have any would-
be purchaser come and see for himself before he
bargains. Certainly, a much better opportunity
will not present itself to one with limited means to
start in the business. GEORGE GRIMM,

Jefferson, Jefferson Co., Wis.
i Win responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

^a ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS EARLY.

-*=* Imported Ital. queen (1888 Imp.) $5 50

i2 Tested " " 2 25

Untested " " $1 00 j three 2 75

^a 1 Sim. frame Nucleus, l/2 lb. bees 1 25

« 1 " " " 1 " " 1 75

c3 2 " " " 1 " " 2 00

^2 " " " 2 " " 2 80

Ten per cent discount to all who send orders
s— so early as to reach me 20 days before they wish
,-«— ^ their orders filled. Make money orders payable
-=t: at Clifton. S. H. COLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co., Tex. 3-8db

tyin responding to this advertisement mention R leanings.

EARLY QUEENS. I will send young queens
by return mail from this date, Jan. 25, 1889.
Mrs. A. A. Needham, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

FOR Ohio IMPROVED CHESTER PIGS, or the
Finest BROWN LEGHORN FOWLS for breed-
ing purposes, write to FILLMORE DECKER,
Itfd New Florence, Westm'd Co., Pa.

DAD ANT'S FOUNDATION PA0T0S7, WHOLESALE asd RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column. 3tf bd

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE- HI VES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, dec, &< .
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S. — Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers." {Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

Costs less than .2 cents per tceek.

THE CANADIAN BEE JOURNAL.

THE FIRST DOLLAR WEEKLY IN THE WORLD.

TEE D.A.JONES CO., PUBLISHERS, BEETON, ONTABIO, CAN.

D. A. Jones is its editor, and this fact is a guaran-
tee of its worth. It is thoroughly practical and con-
tains weekly excellent articles from leading bee-
keepers in the United States and Canada. Fifty-two
numbers make a volume of 1040 pages. American
currency and stamps at par. Samples free.

106

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Feb.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half oar
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must say you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-lide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange for extracted honey, a
10 h. p. horizontal engine, worth $200. I will
give somebody a rare bargain. Speak quick.
15tfdb C. H. Smith, Pittsfleld, Mass.

WANTED.— To exchange one of Livingston'sfarm
feed, or grist mills, for hand or power, as good
as new, for Barnes foot-power saw. 2-3-4d

H. L. Fisher, Milford, Kos. Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfd Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange a Barnes foot-power
saw, combined circular and scroll, for a foun-
dation-mill, 10-inch, A. I. Root's preferred. 3d
Mathew Dodds, Sauk Center, Stearns Co., Minn.

WANTED.— To exchange buzz-saw for power (not
foot-power), 4 saws, 8 to 16 inch, all good as
new. Also a few P. R. chicks, fine, warranted.
3d C. E. Hatch, Kentlaud, Newton Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange bees in Simplicity hives,
or History of Civilization, in four volumes,
cost $14.00, for B-flat clarionet. Phil Tisher,
3d Hannibal, Monroe Co., O.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

Sti'db Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— To exchange Turner raspberry-
plant, for improved poultry eggs or bee-sup-
plies, or fine pig. G.F.Tyler,
3-4d Honey Grove, Fannin Co., Tex.

WANTED— To exchange about 200 hives, to hold
4 L. frames, for queen-rearing, well painted,
nearly new, for any thing useful. I will give any
one a bargain. C. D. Duvall,

3d Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

\TTANTED.— To exchange bee-supplies for a few
M thousand strawberry plants — Crescent and
Sharpless. W. E. Clark,

3-14db Oriskany, Oneida Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange volumes of the American
Bee Journal and Gleanings for Japanese
buckwheat, alsike, or mammotb red clover, or
something else. J. W. Barlow,

3d Burlington, Desmoines Co., Iowa.

WANTED.— Situation with some supply-dealer,
apiarist, or honey-merchant, by a single man
of 27, eleven years' experience; best of references.
Distance no objection. Address A. B. C,

3d Groesbeck, Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange a new 8x12 self-inking
Monumental press, with a lot of type, cases,
etc.; one 240-egg self-regulating incubator; one
Monarch brooder, for 200 chicks; one brooder for
100 chicks, for 2 or 3 H. P. boiler and engine, section
machine, cigar-box planer, honey, alsike clover
seed, or offers. J. T. Fletcher,

3-4d Clarion, Clarion Co., Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange a lot of Turner and
Crimson Beauty raspberry-plants for other
nursery stock, Italian queens, sections, eggs for
hatching, etc. Write first. E. R. Miller,

3-4d Garden City, Cass Co., Mo.

WANTED.— A good bee-man for an opening,
Christian man preferred. C. J. Jost.

3d Banning, San Ber. Co., Cal.

WANTED.— To exchange Italian bees for timber
or a " Springfield roadster." L. Heine.
3tfdv Bellmore, Queens Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tldb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED.— To exchange one well-drill, good as
Vi new, made in Aurora, 111., cost $450; will value
at $200, and exchange for bees or any kind of bee-
supplies. This is a rare bargain. Address 3-4d
S. Ray Holbert, Watson, Marion Co., W. Va.

WANTED.— As many Italian or hybrid bees as I
can get for $100, delivered here between May
1st and 10th. Who will give me the best bargain ?
3d N. E. Doane, Breckenridge, Gratiot Co., Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange 160acresof fine land near
Watertown, Dakota, for property in some good
location for bee-keeping, or would take stock if not
too far from here, or an apiary, in part payment, or
offers. J. L. Cole,

3-4d Carlton Center, Barry Co., Mich.

SEND FOR

HEDDON'S
CIRCULARS.

Address

James Heddon

DOWAGIAC, MICH. m

(G^*ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NEARLY THIRTY TONS

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

SOLD XIV X887.

It is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth. Cincinnati, O. ; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyyille, 111. ; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo. ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater, Columbus, Neb., and numer-
ous other dealers.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee sup-
plies. We guarantee every inch of our foundation
equal In sample in every respect. Every one who
buys it is pleased with it.

(HAS. DADANI A SON,
3btfd Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Ill

Contents of this Number.

ABC Scholar 62 Years Old. 123

Amateur Expert. 124

Beans. Bush Lima 119

Bees Working in January. .139
Bees from Imported Stock. .135
Bees Losing Sting. . . (Q. B.) .138

Bees and Berries 130

Bee-trees, To Find 133

Bees, Honest 131

Bees. When toRemove(Q.B.)137

Blackboards in Apiary 128

Brood-rearing (Q.B.).13?

Cans, To Clean 139

Carbolic Acid vs. Smoke 139

Caves, Temperature of 116

Chapman Honey-plant 134

Clover, White 133

Colonies, Strengthening — 136

Comb, Building of 132

Corn Salad 121

Cucumber, Wild 141

Currecanti's Needle 146

Cyclone of Jan. 9 133

Dandelions under Glass 117

Editorials 147

Exchange Department 126

Feeding in Cellar 132

Fertile Workers, To Tell. . . .134

Foul-brood Inspector 131

Foundation, To Fasten 131

Frames Filled with Brood.. 116
Frames, Number Needed. . ..139

Gardening in February 117

Heads of Grain 131

Hives, Direction to Face 139

Hives, Shading 133

! Honey, California 131

Honey, 9 Tons 130

| Honey, To Sell 114

Honey-jumbles 139

I Hot-beds, To Make 120

House-apiaries 136

| Italians. Changing t<> 136

i Japanese Buckwheat 121

I Lettuce, Grand Kapids 118

Manzani ta 132

Melon-boxes 119

Niman's Exhibit 122

Notes and Queries 139

Out-apiaries 113,134

Porcupine Hens 128

Potatoes, Sweet 120

Press Strainer 130

Quantity vs. Quality 126

Queens in Shipment 133

Question 102 127

Ramble No. 10, Continued.. 128

Reports Discouraging 139

Roaring in Winter 132

Saws, Setting 136

Sections, One-piece 121

Sections, Size of 129

Shoes. A pair of Old 142

Sweet Potatoes 120

! Tarantulas 123

Tobacco Column 142

Trees for Timber and Ho'y. 133

Vinegar, Honey 135

Water in Cellar 116

Wintering in the Cellar 115

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange for extracted honey, a
10 h. p. horizontal engine, worth $200. I will
give somebody a rare bargain. Speak quick.
15tfdb C. H. Smith, Pittsfield, Mass.

WANTED.— To exchange one of Livingston's farm
feed, or grist mills, for hand or power, as good
as new, for Barnes foot-power saw. 2-3-4d

H. L. Fisher, Milford, Kos. Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange 350 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

3tfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— Two students for the coming season.
Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich. 4-5d

WANTED— To exchange Turner raspberry-
plant, for improved poultry eggs or bee-sup-
plies, or fine pig. G. F. Tyler,
3-4d Honey Grove, Fannin Co., Tex.

WANTED.— To exchange a new 8x12 self-inking
Monumental press, with a lot of type, cases,
etc.; one 240-egg self-regulating incubator; one
Monarch brooder, for 200 chicks; one brooder for
100 chicks, for 2 or 3 H. P. boiler and engine, section
machine, cigar-box planer, honey, alsike clover
seed, or offers. J. T. Fletcher,

3-4d Clarion, Clarion Co., Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange a lot of Turner aud
Crimson Beauty raspberry-plants for other
nursery stock, Italian queens, sections, eggs for
hatching, etc. Write first. E. R, Miller,

3-4d Garden City, Cass Co., Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange one well-drill, good as
new, made in Aurora, 111., cost $450; will value
at $200, and exchange for bees or any kind of bee-
Supplies. This is a rare bargain. Address 3-4d

S. Ray Holbert, Watson, Marion Co., W. Ya.

WANTED.— To exchange a Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary for extracted honey or bees, with
some one not too far distant. John A. Geeting,
4d McKeesport, Pa.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

ANTED— You to send for my illustrated Price
List of supplies; Bees, Queens, etc. 4-5d

Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.

W

WANTED.— To exchange 160acresof fine land near
Watertown, Dakota, for property in some good
location for bee-keeping, or would take stock if not
too far from here, or an apiary, in part payment, or
offers. J. L. Cole,

3-4d Carlton Center, Barry Co., Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange for honey or offers,
about 25 colonies of Italian bees, in new, mova-
ble-frame hives, frames 9%xl2% inside measure;
8 frames to the hive; also one second-hand Barnes
foot-power combined saw.

Chas. Dorfman, Pittsburg, Tex.

WANTED.— To exchange one American Incuba-
tor, 250-egg capacity, about 50 nuclei, 2, 3, and
4 frame. 20 cts. each, about 50 Simplicity hives, 10
frame, $1.00 each, for horse-power, corn-grinder, or
any thing useful to a farmer. Geo. W. Baker,
4-5d Milton, Wayne Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange, house and lot with
grapevine apiary of 50 colonies Italio-Carnio-
lans. Good location, and a good property, at a bar-
gain. Also want to buy or rent an apiary in grood
location. Jno. C. Capehart, St. Albans, W. Va.

WANTED.— To exchange one Jones wax-extract-
or, 275 side-opening sections, 375 %-lb. sections,
500 separators for Heddon case, 20 Simplicity hives,
one Lamb knitting-machine, 50 Jones honey-cans, 5
lb. ; 200 Concord grapevines, for 20 to 24 inch circu-
lar saw, type-writer, bicycle, camera, bees, or sup-
plies. J. A. Green, Dayton, LaSalle Co., 111. 4d

WANTED.— To exchange Italian bees for timber
or a " Springfield roadster." L. Heine.
3tfdv Bellmore, Queens Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— Bee-keepers in Missouri, Kansas, Ne-
braska, and Arkansas to learn something of
value by addressing Rev. E. T. Abbott, St. Joe, Mo.
4-5

WANTED! Bee-Help. Will engage on favorable
terms two young men, desirous of learning
practical apiculture. None but strictly temperate
need apply. S. I. Freeborn,

4-7d Ithaca, Wis.

WANTED.— Correspondence with parties having
Japanese buckwheat to sell, or exchange for
supplies. Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la. 4d

WANTED.— Situation in an apiary for the season
of 1889, from 6 months to a term of years.
4-5d S. W. White, Liberty, Clay Co., Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange one cutter-head, one
dovetailing mandrel with saws, one six-inch
rubber-belt, 30 ft. long; 50 ft. of three-inch rubber-
belting, all as good as new, for bees or bee-keepers'
supplies; also one six-inch Pelham fdn. mill, itfdb
Thomas Gedye, Kangley. LaSalle Co., 111.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

1889. Italian Queens. 1889.

For $l.QO From Jan. till June.

2-4-6d N. Adams, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

FAR <\AI F In WInter Fark, Fla., 5-acre
run OnLLi Orange-groves. Circular free.
4d Address J. B. La Montagne, Orlando, Fla.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTOR?, WHOLE-
SALE AND RETAIL. Sep advertisement in
another column. 3btfd

112

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb

peNEY CeMMN.

Cincinnati.
as quoted last:
ers is improvi
.V" s on arrival,
at 12@16in the
pood demand,
good to choice

Feb. 12.

CITT MARKETS.
—Honey.— Prices are about the same

hut the demnnd from manufactur-
ne\ We quote: Extracted honey at

Prices of comb honey are nominal,

jobbing: way. Beeswax.— There is a
which brings 20(??i22 on arrival, for
yellow.

Chas. F. Moth & Son,
Cincinnati, Ohio.

St. Louis.— Honey.— The supply of honey is not
large, but it is movine1 very slow. Choice comb
honey is selling at 13@14; fair, 11®12; dark and
broken, 8(3)10. Extracted, dark, in bbls., 414®5;
choice, r>V4@6. In cans, dark, 5@5 !^ ; fair, 6@654;
choice, V@8: fancy. 9. Beeswax, prime, 20. The outlook
on honey is not verv bright.

Feb. 9. W. B. Westcott & Co., St. Louis Mo.

Kansas City.— Honey.— We quote: 1-lb. comb,
white, 16; fall. 14; California white. 16: 2-lb. Cali-
fornia white, 14; 2-lb. extra Cal'a, 13. Extracted,
Cal'a white, 8; Cal'a amber, 7. Beeswax. 20@22.
Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Feb. 9. Kansas City, Mo.

Chicago.— Honey.— The supply of choice grades
Is light, and the prices are held at about 17; but
sales are small. The off arrades are movine1 very
slowly, at lower figures. Extracted brings 7@8 for
white and medium grades. Beeswax. 22.

Feb. 8. R. A. Burnett,

Chicago, 111.

Detroit.— ffonev. — Best white comb in one-
pound sections, 16(®17 cents. Sales slow. Extract-
ed. 9@10. Beeswax. 22(a23. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., Feb. 11.

St. Louis.— Honey.— No material change in the
market. Too much mild weather for good honey-
trade. Beeswax, 20. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

Feb. 9. St. Louis, Mo.

Cleveland.— Honey.— Market very dull and quiet.
Very little No. 1 white in market. Price ranging
from 15@18c. A. C. Kendel,

Feb. 13. Cleveland, O.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of extracted honey
in 50-lb. kegs, which I will sell at the following
prices: 8c for the white and 7c for the amber, f. o.b.
The honey is first-class. C. H. Stordock,

3-6db Durand, 111.

*IMew Orleans Apiary.X

Early Queen Orders booked now for Italian or
Carniolans. Warranted purely mated and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. Address
4tfdb J. W. WINDER, New Orleans, La,

CF"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK! LOOK AT THIS!

I am better prepared this year? to [fill all orders
for queens, and bees by the pound than ever be-
fore. Send for price list for 1889. From 10 to 50 per
cent off from last year's prices on all bee-supplies.
Don't fail to get my prices before you place your
orders, as you can save monev bv so doing.
4d Bos 72. R. E. SMITH, TILBURY CENTER, ONTARIO, CAN.

1889. Italian Qubbqs. 1889.

Having moved 8 miles from Nicholasville to a
better location for bees, I will continue to raise
queens, and more extensively than formerly. I will
have the very best of Italians only. Select tested
queens, in April, $3.00; May, $2.50: June, $2.00;
Julyl to Nov. 1, $l..r>0. Queens warranted purely
mated, $1.00; 6 for $5.00. Make money orders paya-
ble at Nicholasville. Send for circular.

Address J. T. WILSON,

4-5tfd Little Hickman, Jess. Co., Ky.

t^~In responding to thia advertisement mention GLEANINGS,

n T 1 0 c' Bt' McFadden Still Works 11/ I V
rJLnUi G°od work guaranteed. Send WllA.

for sample f ou ndation and price
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working.
4-8db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

YOTJ1TG QTJEEITS

Ready to send out by return mail; price each, $1.50.
J. W. Taylor, Ozan, Ark.

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS3 SUPPLIES,

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

*tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

BEES.

IF YOU WANT BEES,

Flease Write for Prices.

4-9db S. A. SHUCK, LIVERPOOL. ILL.

SMALL-FRUIT PLANTS

Plants at one-hall I lie usual price. All stock
warranted. Good references. All of the leading
varieties of Berries, Currants, and Grapes. Send
postal card, and get prices.

EZRA G. SMITH,
4d Manchester, Ontario Co., N. Y.

MEICHERS

IMPROVED

EXTRACTORS

FOR $2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address

J.C.MELCHER,

O'Quinn. Tex.

4-10db

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

W. E. Clark's Improved Binge-Nozzle Quiriby

Smoker. The Best Smoker Made.
Ori&kany, - Oneida Co., - New York.

3-14db y^TMention Gleanings.

DAD ANT' 3 FOUNDATION FA0T0R7, WHOLESALE and RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column.

HONEY, BEE^guEBis, SUPPLIES.

OLIVER FOSTER, WIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

4^-J r FER CENT DISCOUNTS IN FEB.
aflflft AND MARCH! On Queens, Bees,
°-^~ Apiarian Supplies. Japanese Buck-
wheat, and Seed Potatoes (20 varieties). Send
for catalogue giving full particulars.

CHAS. D. DUVALL,
3-6db Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

l^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

Vol. XT1I.

FEBRUARY 15, 1889.

No. 4.

TERMS: 81.0C Per ANNUM DfA»VAJJCE;l TF v+ nhli <i~h P fl lift 7 R V 3 f O'-bs to different postoffices. NOT LESS
2 Copies forflflO- 3for82.76.6fortt.00; \ JJJOvtl/UVl/O rVt/tV 1/rO J- O ' CJ . th ..,; 90cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the
10 or more,75cts. each. Single nuin- \ published semi-monthly by \ L^a°fd.?*nI^il„s- T<? g" tot}\%r coun;

ber 5cts. Additions to clubs maybe [ tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18

made at club rates. Above are all to \A I DQfjT MFHI l\l A OHIO I °t8' ^ y*ar~e"tra- - a11 countries

be sent to one postoffice.

I not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES. NO. II.

CHOOSING A LOCATION.

tFTER deciding to have an out-apiary, you
must decide on a location. It is quite likely
that local circumstances will have a good
deal to do in deciding. Some relative or
friend may live somewhere near the proper
distance, and I would not hesitate to have an apiary
half a mile further or nearer, for the sake of be-
ing at a place where the people were pleasant to get
along with. My first out-apiary was located at my
father-in-law's, although it was a mile nearer than
at that time I thought right. The second was
reached by a roundabout way which makes me
travel a mile or more extra, but a very pleasant
relative lives there. The third was chosen mainly
without reference to the people; and as the plan
then taken in choosing was about the one I should
in general advise, I will tell how it was done. One
day, some time before I wanted to occupy the site,
when we had plenty of time for a pleasant ride I
took my wife and her sister in the buggy to pros-
pect. I wanted them along because we three were
the whole working force, and they were as much
interested as I; and, besides, we would enjoy the
ride. I knew about the direction, and something of
the distance I wanted to go, so we rode along, dis-
cussing the different places as we came to them.
"That place wouldn't do, for there isn't a spot
where we could be in the shade, and we don't want
to work in the hot sun." "There's a nice little
grove, but it's too far from the house, and thieves
would be likely to feel more free at such a distance
from the house." "Those apple-trees would do
nicely, only they are very close to the road, and we
should be in plain sight of every one passing,
which isn't so pleasant as being a little more pri-
vate, and, besides, I suspect there would be more
temptation to meddle with them at night, if some

meddler should see them so very plainly every time
he passed by."

One or the other of the above objections lay in
more or less force against all the places on the
straight road and upon the side-roads until we came
to one where was quite an evergreen grove right
in front of the house, a hedge between one end of
it and the road, so that we should be reasonably
near the house, in a dense shade (too dense, I think),
right close by the road, but entirely screened from
it by the evergreen hedge. It was by odds the best
place of all we had seen. The farmer was one with
whom I had scarcely any acquaintance, but for
many years I had known him by reputation as an
upright man, and, moreover, I was strongly im-
pressed in his favor from the fact that two sons
who had been to school to me years before were
manly, trustworthy fellows. So I drove up to the
door.

"How do you do, Mr. Belden? I have too many
bees at home, and I want to find a place to put
some. What is the chance of my bringing some
here?"

He replied, laughingly, "Oh 1 I couldn't have
any bees here. They'd sting me every time I tried
to do any thing with them."

"But," said I, " I don't want you to do any thing
with them. We'll take all the care of them. All I
ask of you is to let them stay here."

"Oh ! if that's the way, bring on all you like, and
welcome."

" And how much shall I pay you for rent and for
trouble ? "

"Oh! nothing at all."

And no insisting made any difference.

I want to press pretty strongly the matter of hav-
ing nice people where you have an out-apiary. If
things are unpleasant, you can't pick up and leave
at a moment's warning, and it is in the power of
your landlord to make it uncomfortable for you in

1U

GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

a good many ways. Little annoyances of which
you can hardly complain may make every visit to
be dreaded; whereas, with the right people, and
the right behavior onyour part, every visit will be
anticipated with pleasure on both sides.

You may happen on a location otherwise suitable,
only that it may be used as a pasture for farm
stock, as many orchards are. Beyond the occasion-
al displacing of a hive, 1 never knew any harm to
come from this; and E.France says, " All five of
our out-apiaries are used by owners of the land for
pasture for farm stock, horses, cattle, pigs, sheep,
etc., including poultry."

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

Friend M., may I suggest the importance
of being " nice people " yourself ? and, in
fact, I do not believe that anybody ought to
think of starting out-apiaries unless they
are of the class that " thinketh no evil,"
" suffer long," etc.

HOW TO SELL HONEY, AND HOW TO
MAKE MONEY.

VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS TO PRODUCERS.

N my last letter to Gleanings I promised to
write an article on the above subject. What I
shall say at this time will refer to making sales
direct to consumers. As I have succeeded so
well in this, it may be due me to say that,
whatever I may write on this subject, can not but
be an advantage to many.

Here, we are not often blessed with good crops of
honey; but even in seasons of bountiful yields,
when choice comb honey is offered at 12% cts. per
lb., and 11 lbs. of finest extracted given for $1.00, 1
never had to sell my honey at such low figures.

When seasons do occur where large crops of sur-
plus have been secured, it is bad policy to force it
all on the market the same year at unpaying prices,
as it is altogether probable that the crop will be a
light one the succeeding year. It is true, that comb
honey looks its best when new, and should find a
market at the earliest opportunity ; but extract-
ed honey, when properly cared for, will keep per-
fectly for years. If the price will not justify this
year, it is sure to do so another. Here let us score
one more point in favor of extracted honey; and so
long as I can sell it at the same price I can get for
honey in the comb, I'll keep on scoring points in its
favor. I shall produce but little more comb honey;
and as my purchases of honey in this shape
generally result in loss from breakage by careless
handling of the transportation companies, I have
decided to have no more shipped to me at my own
risk.

It may be urged, that it requires more time and
greater effort to sell liquid honey. I think not; but
even if this is true, it is a good thing. I can make
twice the money producing it, or on that which I
purchase, that I can on comb honey. The majority
of those who make a specialty of producing honey
have ample time to devote to making sales of their
honey during the fall and winters, which time they
would be glad to have profitably employed. Why,
this unoccupied time is the chief trouble to many
of the craft; then why not employ profitably to
ourselves this time in selling our product at pay-
ing prices, direct to consumers, rather than suffer
that which justly belongs to us to go into the hands

of speculators who may not— often do not— pay the
shipper any thing? I have strong suspicions-
judging from a complaiut that was made recently
in one of our bee-journals -that several barrels of
honey which I bought of a certain commission
dealer was obtained from a bee-keeper who receiv-
ed no pay for his honey.

Having secured a crop of honey, remuneration
for toil depends entirely on the price the apiarist
obtains from it. To those who have hitherto sold
their honey at prices which have failed to satisfy
you, I will now offer a few hints on " how to sell
honey."

The great crop of honey obtained in 1886 filled
this country to overflowing, and the bottom fell
clear out of prices, as you all know. Well, I got
out all right, and made money. I started a peddling
wagon, driving through the country, selling to
farmers and villagers, and my honey was all gone
at good prices, almost before I was aware of it.
This season I had no surplus, but have bought tons
and tons of it at low enough figures, from dealers
to whom some good bee-keepers had sent it for a
" big price." Some changes have been made in my
tactics this season; and as they have pleased me, I
will give them to the reader. I have two sons,
aged 17 and 19 respectively. These young fellows
have learned how to sell honey too. Provided with
order-books and samples of honey in small glass
jars, they are ready to solicit orders in any town or
city. Taking streets in regular order, every family
is offered an opportunity to buy. Usually a few
names of the first families of the town are secured,
which serve well as leaders.

It is surprising, when these names are shown,
how readily others fall in line with their orders.
When a town is to be worked for the first time, the
boys will say, " Papa, you had better tackle that
place, as you can work the racket on 'em better
than we can."

To become an expert in the art of selling liquid
honey, tact, as well as experience, plays an impor-
tant part. One must not talk as a drummer fresh
from a commercial house would, but just as a
farmer having a little honey to sell. Success in
making sales depends largely on the manner of
presenting the case. As a help, I will give an ex-
ample.

Should the lady of the house answer our call, we
would, with some dignity and a pleasantness of
manner, bid her the time of day. At once the im-
pression is made that a gentleman, not a tramp, is
present, and an invitation is given to "come in."
This is what we want, as it gives us an opportunity
to become somewhat acquainted with our custom-
er; and then we can give the baby and all a taste of
honey, which is sure to get the children to say,
" Mamma, do buy some, it's so nice." At this j unc-
ture we say, "Oh, yes! you see" (exhibiting the
long list of names on the order-book) " nearly all
the folks in town are giving me orders." This will
generally " bring down the house; " but if the case
requires more talking, we fill in the chinks by ex-
plaining the medicinal qualities of honey— how
good it is for colds, coughs, often saving doctors'
bills, etc. If this doesn't do the work, you'd better
waste no more time. We never take orders for less
than one dollar's worth, as we find it doesn't pay.

When orders for a few thousand pounds have
been taken, we begin at the starting-point to deliv-
er: If roads are good, and distance not too great,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

115

our team is sent with the honey, and necessary ap-
pliances for rapid delivery: otherwise we ship to
destination, hiring a team to make deliveries. As
a rule, honey is taken for use of team, boarding,
lodging, etc. We carry about all the honey in 60-lb.
tin cans, screw caps, two in a case. One case is
made large enough to admit, when cans are raised
Up, an oil-Stove under them, that honey may be
kept thinned, so it may be quickly run into the re-
tailing-can, which holds 150 lbs., with gate soldered
firmly, and this can is also raised in its case so that
vessels may go under the gate, and an oil stove be-
neath the can. With this arrangement the honey
is made to run out at once. Without this we could
not get along in cold weather. We always take 50 to
100 lbs. more honey along than our orders call for;
but even then, seldom have any to carry back.

Now, I am aware that many will say, after all,
"Oh! 1 can never go to all this trouble to sell my
honey; it won't pay me. I'll just do as I have been
doing— ship my honey to some dealer, and let him
sell it for me." Well, then, all right; do so, and I
will get some of it cheap, and make the profit you
lose— that is all.

I made a clear profit, in one day's sales, this fall,
of $26.00 on honey which some of you bee-keepers
shipped to a commission man, and the price I paid
for the honey may have satisfied the bee-keeper
who produced it too. The least pay I have had
selling direct to consumers this fall and winter was
$5.00 a day. Did my health permit any thing like
constant work in the business, I would ask for
nothing better.

Before closing I wish to say that I know there
are many apiarists so located that their honey
must be shipped to distant markets; but where
there is any thing like a home market, use it, and
use it well. J. A Buchanan.

Holliday's Cove, W. Va., Jan. 23, 1889.

Friend B., I presume you well remember
that, about the time Gleanings was start-
ed, and for several years afterward, 1 was
perhaps the strongest and most earnest
champion of extracted honey, and it was
with great reluctance that I finally gave way
so far as to agree that comb might be al-
most as profitable, all things considered. I
do believe you are right in regard to selling
honey— that is, if the man wlio produces it
has unoccupied time on his hands ; and if
he has not, I am inclined to think that he
can hunt up some one who will dispose of
his honey in the way you mention, to a good
deal more profit than sending it to com-
mission houses. Circumstances, however,
may alter cases. A commission man who
loves his business, and loves his customers1
interests, as well as his own, would be a
good deal in the line of somebody taking
up the kind of work you describe. I also
like the idea of taking a sample of the hon-
ey around first, and taking orders before de-
livering. The Moore brothers, whom we
have mentioned once or twice before, have
been for years doing this same kind of bus-
iness; and they take great cities like Tole-
do and Cleveland, and canvass them thor-
oughly. For the first time this winter we
have been selling not only honey, but the
produce of our market garden, in just that
way. The mild weather has made the roads
so bad that it seemed too bad to ask a horse

to lug heavy vegetables around through the
mud, before we knew where they were to be
delivered ; therefore the boys go out in the
morning first and take orders just as you
have described. If they sell enough to war-
rant taking a horse, then a horse is used ;
but a good deal of the time they use a coup-
le of our light wheelbarrows, and get along
quicker than even a horse. When there is
sleighing they use light sleds, with a light
box. In this way our fruit and vegetable
rooms and cellars can be always kept order-
ly. The one who takes the orders goes and
puts up in neat packages just what he
wants and no more. The fruit and vegeta-
bles are not bruised by being bumped
around in a wagon, and the honey is not
mashed and soiled. Packages are handed
to the purchaser, clean and tidy. We visit
our customers every other day. The onions
and lettuce and radishes — yes, and spinach
too — can grow in our cold greenhouses until
they are wanted, so we have no wilting and
no stale goods on hand. — The picture you
give us, of a father working side by side
with his boys, is indeed a pleasant one ; and
although you do not mention it, friend B.,
1 suppose that you and your boys have
learned how unprofitable it is to have quar-
rels or any thing the least unpleasant with
the people you call upon. One who goes
from house to house needs not only tact but
gentility. The suggestions you give us
are very valuable.

CELLAR WINTERING.

SOME POINTS WELL TAKEN BY GEO. E. HILTON.

Tjp S 1 am laid up for repairs with rheumatism, I
gilk have thoroughly digested Gleanings for

jRI? Jan. 15, and will say a few words in eonclu-
■*™2 sion.

CELLAR WINTERING VS. OUTDOOR WIN-
TERING IN CHAFF HIVES.

For three winters I have been experimenting with
a cellar above ground. The walls are 26 inches
thick, 24 inches of which are sawdust, two inches
air space, and then lathed and plastered inside.
There is a cement floor. The only ventilation it
has is a 5-inch pipe about the center, running with-
in 2 inches of the cement floor. I have put in about
40 colonies each winter, a few in single-walled hives,
the remainder in chaff hives, packed the same as
outdoors, only the cover is removed. The cellar is
10x24x6 ft. high. They have wintered successfully
every winter, only not as dry and bright as out-
doors. My preference is chaff hives and outdoor
wintering.

SECURING AN EXCLUSIVE LOCALITY, ETC.

I can hardly agree with you and friend Dilworth
in regard to " exclusive right of territory." In the
first place, I do not think it would be right; and in
the second place I don't think it possible. I doubt
very much your ability to find a community where
all could be bought; and he of whom you could not
purchase the agreement not to keep or allow bees
to be kept on his premises would either keep or
lease to some one else who would . pasture the
other fields you had purchased the right of, and
what redress would you have? I see no other way
than to let all try it who want to, and then let the
" survival of the fittest '•' have the pasturage. A few

116

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

more seasons like the past two, and all survivors
will have all the pasturage they need.

STORES FOR WINTER; LARGE CONSUMPTION — SEE
QUESTION 102.

" Which is the more profitable— colonies that re-
quire from 3D to 25 lbs. to carry them through, or
those that will get along on from 5 to 10 pounds?"
Most decidedly, the former; and could I get them
to use up another 10 lbs. between April 15 and June
1, 1 should consider it a good investment in this
latitude. An extra 10 pounds of old fall honey
means 25 lbs. of white clover, if it is in the fields.
My bees go into winter quarters with nearer 40 lbs.
than any thing else, and I have not only been suc-
cessful in wintering, but in a good surplus also.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

They are very interesting indeed. I am glad to
hear friend Perrine has risen above his losses in the
interest of apiculture, and of that wonderful ranch
of our good friend David C. Cook. May God spare
him yet many years of usefulness, as well as your-
self, is my prayer. Geo. E. Hilton.

Fremont, Mich.

I am glad to see so favorable a report for
chaff hives and outdoor wintering, away up
in the northern part of Michigan. In re-
gard to bees and neighbors, I should like to
have some of the friends try it and report.
Go out and canvass your neighborhoods,
and see what it will cost you to get a prom-
ise from each land-owner to agree not to
keep bees, say for the next five years.

GIVING BEES WATER WHILE IN THE
CELLAR.

ANSWERS TO PRACTICAL QUESTIONS.

T|p SUBSCRIBER to Gleaninos propounds the
2MH f°'l°win& question: "Do bees in the cellar
^jP during winter need water? and if so, how is
^*- it given?" Bees that are wintering proper-
ly need no water, for, inasmuch as no brood
is reared in the cellar, of any amount, they would
have no use for it, even should they take it. As far
as my experience goes, water is used by bees only
during the time there is brood in the hive. Out of
the colonies which I winter in the cellar, not one in
ten have any brood, except a few eggs, when the
bees are set from the cellar, whether the time of
setting from the cellar be March 15th or May 1st.
The year I kept the cellar warm with the oil-stove,
brood-rearing was carried on to quite a large ex-
tent, so that the bees were very uneasy; and to see
what effect water had on them I gave some to a few
in a sponge at the entrance. This seemed to make
those colonies more quiet; but as all eventually
died, 1 do not know whether it was any benefit to
them or not. One or two that brooded quite largely
had enameled cloth over them; and although con-
siderably weakened when set out in the spring they
came out so as to finally make quite good colonies.
These were more quiet than any of the rest, and I
laid it to their getting water from the condensed
moisture on the under side of the cloth. All know
that moisture will so condense on these sheets as
to form large drops, which is a great injury to weak
and feeble colonies, by its dropping on the bees and
making them so wet that they finally perish. How-
ever, I do not think it is best for bees to breed in
the cellar, hence say that water is not necessary.

FRAMES FILLED WITH BROOD.

The same subscriber wishes to know how I com-
pel bees to fill the brood-combs with brood in ad-
vance of the honey harvest. This is usually done
by what is known as " the spreading of the brood."
This, in short, is as follows: As early in the season
as I think it will answer, or when there is little dan-
ger of very frosty nights, the brood which is found
in the hive is reversed, by which is meant that the
combs which now occupy the center of the brood-
nest are placed on the outside, and those which are
on the outside are put in the center. This puts the
combs having the most as well as the oldest brood
on the outside, while the young brood, which usual-
ly occupies only a small space in each comb, is
placed in the center. This causes the queen to fill
these partly filled combs very quickly with eggs-
much more so than she otherwise would, so that we
make quite an advance over what would have been
had they not been disturbed. In a few days more,
a comb from the outside of this brood is placed in
the center of the brood-nest, which causes the
queen to fill this comb quickly; and so on till all of
the combs are filled with brood. If all are not quite
as full of brood as you would like them, when the
noney harvest arrives, reverse the brood-nest
again, the same as you did at first, when you will
nave all of the combs full of brood, where the bees
would be likely to store their first honey, thus
causing the honey to go into the boxes, as the queen
is never crowded with honey from the center of the
brood-nest out toward the outside of the hive. The
crowding of the queen is done from the bees put-
ting their honey in the tops of the combs and at the
sides, and then narrowing down on the brood space.
If there >re empty combs in the brood-chamber
when the harvest arrives, these should be taken
away, and the space which is left should be filled
with dummies.

THE LATERAL PLAN.

Another correspondent wishes me to tell in
Gleanings whether he can use wide frames on the
lateral plan, " in the Heddon (old style) case, or the
Lewis section-holder." Single-tier wide frames, as
I use them, are not adapted to cases of any kind.
They can be used right on top of any hive, by plac-
ing a wide board over them to shed the rain, but I
much ^prefer what is termed a " cap," or " half-
story cover," over them. In this way they can be
used nicely, but they are especially adapted to
chaff hives while using on the lateral plan, or
to using on such hives as are placed in large
packing-boxes, as is recommended in Hutchinson's
book on comb honey. In these there is no limit to
the spreading-out of wide frames on the lateral
plan; while any one using common reason can see
that such wide frames can not be used with any
satisfaction in any of the case or super systems
now before the public.

TEMPERATURE OF BEE-CAVES.

It would seem by the editor's comments at the
foot of my article, that I have not fully made my-
self understood on all points regarding my bee cel-
lar, or cave. As soon as the bees are out of the cel-
lar in the spring, the doors are all opened wide,
as well as all ventilators, in which shape it is left
all summer, so as to thoroughly dry out what mois-
ture the walls and earth overhead have absorbed
during the winter. This, of course, causes the air
inside the cellar to become nearly the same as it is
outside- Occasionally I put in some boxes of bees,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

117

when forming nuclei by the " caged bees " plan,
which I have given in Gleanings during years
past, when, if the doors are kept closed for two or
three days, the temperature goes down to rbout 60°
in July and August. As winter draws near (with
the doors wide open), the ground cools off till I have
the temperature inside, after the bees are put in,
as spoken of in my last. Friend Root seems to be
bound to compare these bee-caves with deep cav-
erns in Kentucky and elsewhere, that go hundreds,
if not thousands of feet, into the earth. While we
call our winter repositories caves, yet if any one
Will turn to the description which T gave last year
of mine, it will be seen that the surface of the roof,
together with the sides above the surface of the
earth around it, is nearly as great as the sides and
bottom which are under ground, properly speak-
ing, thus causing the mean temperature between
the warm earth beneath and the cold air above to
range from 43° to 46% as I gave in my last.
Borodino, N. Y., Jan. 25, 1889. G. M. Doolittle.

Prof. Cook experimented quite fully in
the matter of giving bees water when kept
in cellars, and I believe his decision was
that, although bees will take water, and it
seems to quiet them for the time, under cer-
tain circumstances, the result in the. spring
shows that colonies supplied with water are
not only no better off. but, as a general
thing, not as well off. They are more likely
to die from dysentery than those that do
not have water.— All right, old friend. No
doubt I have got natural caves on the brain
a little ; but I have succeeded in bringing
out the point I wanted ; namely, that you
managed to have your bee-cave quite a little
colder than the average temperature of the
earth below the frost-line; and this low
temperature was secured by letting the se-
vere weather outside affect the cellar to a
certain extent in the manner you explain.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT. AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

GARDENING IN FEBRUARY, ETC.; HOW MUCH OF IT
CAN WE DO PROFITABLY ?

'ELL, we can do a good deal. The
sun is a good deal higher up, and
consequently comes down with
much more heat when it shines. If
you want to see how rapidly the sun
travels northward, just make a mark on the
floor (that is, if you have got a south win-
dow that the sun shines through so as to
strike the floor) where the shade of the top of
the window falls. On this mark, write the
date. Next day the sun shines, look again
and see where the shadow comes. You will
be surprised to find that the sun makes a
different path every day ; and at noontime
the marks will be from one to two inches
apart, where only a single day intervenes.
This is a good study for the children, for it
shows them plainly the motion of the earth
and of the heavenly bodies.

Your cold-frames, greenhouses, or hot-
beds, will now need attention at noon, or
the plants may be scorched before you are
aware of it. If possible I would have all
these structures so you can go inside and
consult your thermometer, or, when you get
a little used to it, you can tell^what tem-

perature the plants need, without a ther-
mometer.

If you are going to raise plants for sale,
now is the time to put your Early Jersey
Wakefield cabbages into the seed-bed. The
cabbage seed and celery seed sown in Jan-
uary should give plants now with the sec-
ond leaves coming out, and this indicates
that they are ready to be transplanted and
need more room. During the latter part of
February is also the proper time to sow the
seed for your early tomato-plants. Every
season we have a call for extra-large strong
tomato-plants. When we are short, and do
not want to spare them all, customers fre-
quently offer a nickel apiece for them, es-
pecially when they are set in pots, so the
plant can be turned out to show the mat of
roots around the ball of earth. Such toma-
to-plants, at a nickel apiece, will pay tiptop
for your time and trouble. Now, if, in ad-
dition to this, they are choice expensive
varieties, you will probably have a great
many customers who will willingly pay a
dime apiece for the plants. If the foliage
of the tomato itself indicates that it differs
from the common kind, this will help call
attention to it, and encourage people in
wanting just one or two of the " new-fan-
gled kind." Two years ago we sold a good
many of the Mikado plants at 10 cents
apiece— that is, extra-early and extra-strong
plants. A year ago the Dwarf Champion
brought a dime each — all we wanted to
spare of them, on account of the beautiful
dark-green foliage, and the thick stubby
appearance of the plant itself. Good strong
Ignotum plants will also probably bring 10
cents apiece at retail next May. We have
a lot of them planted, and our first planting
of Dwarf Champions are already transplant-
ed into little pots. Everybody who sees
them says, " Why ! aren't they just as cute
as can be V " As these little bits of pots
now cost only about I of a cent apiece, we
can readily afford to sell plant and all for a
nickel. In addition to offering single plants
at high prices, you will need a lot of the
plant-boxes described in our book, " What
to Do.'' A little later on, these will sell
readily for from 20 to 25 cents, box and all,
each box containing one dozen plants. Ex-
tra-strong celery-plants will readily bring
twice as much as ordinary plants ; and it is
a good plan to have some beautiful White
Plume plants on hand to show fto'custom-
ers. Somebody will want them about as
soon as they can be put outdoors, and it will
pay very well to raise them, even if you do
not get more than a cent apiece for them.

DANDELIONS UNDER GLASS.

For some years past, in the East, early
dandelions for greens have commanded
good prices. Here is something in regard
to the matter from our'friend who originat-
ed the Grand Rapids lettuce :

In your article on " Raising Winter Vegetables,"
I see you do not mention forced dandelions' for
greens. As my experience with them may be of
some use to you, I give it. Early last spring I sow-
ed 54 lb. of the broad-leaved dandelion in rows one
foot apart. They were cultivated, and thinned the
same as salsify; were taken up in November, and

118

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

the most of them were trenched the same as celery, so
as to be handy to get at anytime during- the winter.
The rest of the roots were planted under the green-
house benches, 4 inches apart each way, in good
soil. Six weeks from planting- they are ready for
market; are about a foot high, of a light green,
and the finest greens I ever saw, retailing here at
2ii cts. per lb. 1 have just planted roots for a second
crop. Eugene Davis.

Grand Rapids, Mich., Jan. 21, 1889.

Friend Davis was kind enough to send us
a sample basket of the dandelions. They
are not only beautifully white and hand-
some, but they are delicious when cooked
in winter time. Physicians have for years
past recommended the use of dandelions in
the spring. They are cut off a little below
the surface of the ground, so that some of
the dandelion root comes along with the
plant, and it is the root, I believe, that is
claimed to possess medical properties. In
selling dandelions you might mention this
latter point if you think best.

If you have any turnips that have started
to grow before you have got ready to use
them, just plant them under the benches,
as you do pie-plant and dandelions, and
they will make an astonishing growth in a
very few days. The yellowish-white tops,
resembling the Golden Self-blanching celery
a good deal in appearance, will be found,
when cooked like asparagus, a most deli-
cious dish.

Rhubarb, or pie-plant, can now be grown
under the shed described for celery. J ust
dig up some roots and bury them in rich
dirt, watering them occasionally ; and if
you have a temperature warm enough for
the other plants, you will get delicious stalks
of rhubarb. It seems to me the nicest pies
I ever tasted were made from rhubarb-stalks
grown in the greenhouse. If you have
raised benches for your plants, under the
benches is the place for the rhubarb.

THE GRAND RAPIDS LETTUCE.

As this is the season of the year when the
great bulk of the lettuce will be planted in
boxes or under glass, for the spring crop, we
take pleasure in copying from the American
Garden for February the following in regard
to the Grand Rapids lettuce :

UPRIGHT LETTUCE IN THE GREENHOUSE.

In December, 1887, my attention was called to the
culture of tall or open-head lettuce under glass and
in the greenhouse. The subject was of greater inter-
est, as I had heard and therefore assumed that it
was impossible to raise the tall kind of lettuce un-
der glass. The seeds used by the originator he calls
" Grand Rapids " lettuce, and the plant in growth
has the appearance of the Perpetual or the Hanson.
It is a light green, upright, wrinkled, soft-head let-
tuce.

In correspondence with Mr. Eugene Davis, the
originator of this lettuce, I was enabled in Feb-
ruary last to receive by express from his houses
heads weighing three-quarters of a pound each of
as nice, tender lettuce as one would wish to see.
Through his kindness, also, I had a few seeds of the
lettuce sent me. Part of these I planted last March.
In May they were set in open ground and made
good growth; but from those saved for seed I se-
cured but a few pods of seed last August. I plant-
ed the rest of the seed received from Mr. Davis in
the spring, and the plants were set in the green-
house in September. In November they had made
a healthy growth, weighed about half a pound each,
and were sold at the full price of head lettuce
growing in the same house. Mr. Davis states that

this lettuce has been raised in that locality for the
past ten years. There are about seventy-five green-
houses, 20x50 feet, in Grand Rapids, devoted to the
culture of this lettuce exclusively, the product go-
ing east to New York, also to Chicago, Cincinnati,
and Cleveland, shipped in paper-lined barrels, and
sold by the pound at about 19 cents net. The sell-
ing by the pound pleases both buyer and seller.
The average weight is about three-quarters of a
pound to the head, some heads weighing \\ pounds.
The business is remunerative in those markets that
receive a tall lettuce. Of course, where a head let-
tuce is demanded this would not sell.

The houses face the south, running east and
west; the front is 3 feet high; the front rafters are
16 feet long, rising beyond the center to the ridge,
the highest point, which is 10 feet above the house
floor: the back rafters are 8 feet long, resting on a
wall 6 feet high on the north side. The width of the
houses is 20 feet and the length 50, 60, or 100 feet;
20x50 is safely heated by brick return flues and a
wood fire, burning about eight cords of 4-foot wood,
costing $3 a cord, and between September and May
yielding two or three crops of lettuce.

The benches were not solid; the dirt is 7 inches
deep on boards resting on wcoden supports and
posts. The flue runs the whole length of the house,
and the chimney is over the furnace; temperature
can be maintained easily at 65°; the furnace filled
at 9 p. m. will last until morning, and is kept going
all day in the coldest weather. The 100-feet-long
houses have a furnace at each end, 50 feet in length,
being all one fire can easily heat.

With me the " Grand Rapids" lettuce proves less
liable to rot, but less salable than head lettuce in
the winter. Mr. Davis says: "It stands shipping
better, and is not so liable to rot on the benches.
The trouble with head lettuce with us is, if it gets
to top rotting you can't stop it; this kind, the heads
being more open, you can stop it at once." He also
says: " I tried three kinds of head lettuce last win-
ter, and I find it can not be sold by the pound at a
profit to the grower; also when head lettuce gets its
growth it must be sold at once; grown by the side
of Grand Rapids lettuce it rotted and was not re-
liable. All who are trying the business here are
making a success of it. This lettuce will grow as
well in hot-beds as in hot-houses. In regard to
weight, profit, etc., I have just finished (March 6,
1888) cutting one house, 20x60. and got 1400 pounds,
which nets us 19 cents per pound. It gives better
satisfaction sold by the pound. In a good season
this lettuce is a heavy seeder. The past season my
crop was very light, on account of dry weather."

Mr. Davis is a young man, probably thirty-seven
years old, who has devoted sixteen years of study
and experiment to the improvement of lettuce,
with a view of growing it under glass. He started
with the Black-seeded Simpson. He wanted lettuce
that would not rot, of rapid growth, light-colored,
handsome in appearance, crisp, tender, excellent in
flavor, and that could be kept ten days or more
without hurting, when ready for market, should
the weather be unfavorable for shipping or the
market dull. During this time the stock has not
got into the hands of seedsmen.

In January, 1888, Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio,
paid $50 for half a pound of seed, which is the only
case of sale outside of Grand Rapids, where Mr.
Davis supplies the seed to all who are in the busi-
ness in that section. He says he has no seed for
sale this year, but could have another season. His
experiments have been conducted in his own inter-
est, and not with a view to sell seeds or plants; but
the subject is of sufficient importance to warrant
continued investigation on the part of those engag-
ed in raising lettuce under glass. I have no per-
sonal interests to serve in speaking of the subject.
Mr. Davis has, by constant selection and improve-
ment, succeeded in keeping- the stock up to its pres-
ent capabilities, from which it would speedily de*
cline in the hands of a careless operator.

Hampden Co., Mass. W. H. Bull.

MORE ABOUT THE GRAND RAPIDS LETTUCE ; HOW

TO CONSTRUCT A GREENHOUSE FOR LETTUCE ;

HOW TO WARM IT, ETC.

Friend Boot:— In your issue for Feb. 1, 1889, Mr.
Eugene Davis, of Grand Rapids, in answer to your
fourth question, as to best mode of heating lettuce-
houses, says: "Our houses are heated with flues
running under the middle benoh, constructed so as

I88y

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

119

to give as even a temperature as possible." Can
you inform me how his fdrnace and flue is con-
structed, in order that it may give this even tem-
perature all over the whole length of the house,
the houses being 16 feet wide and 50 feet long ?
Aldersholt, Ont., Can. Roy M. Blessingeb.

We at once forwarded the above inquiry
to friend Davis, who replies below :

Mr. Root:— The furnace and flue that gives the
most even temperature in my greenhouses is made
as follows: A pit is dug, 4 ft. deep and 4 ft. wide and
9 feet long. Tbe furnace is 5 ft. long, 22 inches
wide and 30 inches high to the top of the arch, in-
side measure; the walls are 8 inches thick and 24
inches high, arched over with two tiers of brick.
This leaves the top of the furnace about 15 inches
below the surface; 18 inches of furnace should be
built in the shed, for the chimney to rest on. The
furnace-door is 16 by 20 inches, with draft in the
door. The flues are four brick high, laid flat, and
seven inches wide inside, with double tier of brick
on top, 20 feet from the furnace. The brick is laid
flat, 40 ft. from the furnace; then with 9-inch sewer-
tile to chimney, or brick set edgewise, 3 brick high.
There should be a gradual rise in the flue trom the
furnace to the chimney. When firing with green
wood, never close the drafts, as the gas from the
wood will kill the plants.

The chimney is on top of the furnace. The rea-
son for it is this: As soon as a fire is started in the
furnace, tbe air is heated in the chimney, and gives
a direct draft. There are no grates in the furnace.
In the first one I built I used them; but I saw the
draft was good enough without. Any one handy
with a trowel can build the flues, furnace, and plas
ter the cistern.

I am afraid these directions are not very plain;
but my hand is more used to a shovel or hoe than
to a pen. Eugene Davis.

Grand Kapids, Mich., Jan. 25, 1889.

The article from the American Garden, it
will be noticed, has also considerable to say
about the construction of greenhouses for
lettuce. Friend Davis sends us, also, some
diagrams, but I think they will not be need-
ed with the full explanation which has just
been given.

boxes fob pbotecting melons from fbost,

ETC.

I wish to use, the coming season, quite a number
of the boxes over my melons in the early spring,
such as you wrote about having made for the pur-
pose of protecting squash and cucumbers from
frost, etc. My object is to protect my melons from
frost, so that I can force them very early. We had
a killing frost last spring after melons had been up
three weeks. This is what I wish to avoid in future.
Please answer the following questions; and if you
can not give answers from experience, then give
me your opinion about the matter.

1. Would not a box smaller than the one 8 by 10 do
as well (say one taking a glass 6x6 inches), where
one or two plants are in a hill?

2. Would it be good economy to use half as many
boxes as hills, transplanting to the other or open
hills from the boxes? One plant is all that is desir-
ed in each hill after thinning out the last time. We
plant cantaloupes 7 to 8 ft. apart, and watermelons
9 to 10 ft. each way. Albebt Wittenmyeb.

Emison, Ind., Dec. 27, 1888.

Friend W., the only trouble with your
small boxes would be that the frost would,
as you will readily perceive, be more likely to
freeze the ground solid clear through under
them. This could be avoided, however, by
banking up the earth on the outside, when
the freezing is severe. With our tin trans-
planting-tubes, you can transplant melon-
vines without the least risk, and rarely with
any check in their growth. Another trouble
with your small boxes would be that the
vine would be very soon too large to be pro-
tected by it. This, however, does not as
often happen with boxes as with the wire-
cloth baskets for protecting them from the
bugs. See what we said in regard to the
matter on page 544, in Gleanings for 1888.
My experience last season was not very fa-
vorable with the boxes for protecting plants
from the frost. The protection is complete,
and I saved my vines ; but the discouraging
feature about it was this : Seeds planted
several weeks later, side by side with those
that had been protected with so much pains,
give melons and cucumbers almost as soon
as the ones that had been started so early.
1 am inclined to think, however, that sea-
sons as they usually come would give a dif-
ferent result. The same is true with toma-
toes protected by the plant-boxes from the
frost. We had so much wet weather, how-
ever, last season, that all kinds of vines
kept growing, and did not commence to
fruit as early as they do when we have more
dry weather; that is, careful protection
from frost resulted only in giving me im-
mense plants ; but they did not bear fruit
any sooner than the small plants that had
grown a much shorter time. We are going
to get early tomatoes this year by planting
them on poor soil; and I think if we could
have kept off some of the extra amount of
rain we had last year, from our melon-vines,
we should have had earlier melons.

HENDERSON'S BUSH LIMA BEANS IN THEIB NA-
TIVE STATE.

I see you have the bush lima bean illustrated, and
I have read what you and others have said about it.
We have had this bean with us two years, and per-
haps longer. I planted a very few the past year,
and gave them but little attention. Had I only
known they would have been in such demand, I
might have planted a quantity, and now been able
to supply you and others. J. W. Hudson.

Maysville, S. C, Feb. 5, 1888.

Well done, friend H. I had a dim idea
that perhaps Gleanings might be able to
find out where these bush lima beans came
from, for it makes its way into more nooks
and corners than one might imagine, with a
circulation of less than 9000. A great deal
is due to the fact that it has a keen and en-
terprising set of readers, and a thing must
be pretty difficult indeed if there is not one
of them somewhere who gets hold of it.
Now, don't you think that, if you " flax
around lively," you can get hold of some of
those beans somewhere in your vicinity?
You need not tell anybody, but I will just
whisper in your ear, they are worth about a
cent apiece, even if they are small. And
now, friend H., we want your private opin-
ion publicly expressed, in regard to the

120

GLEA NLNGS 1& BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

quality, compared with the big lima beans.
And another thing, is it not a little tedious
to gather and shell them, compared with shell-
ing our great big ones — the " King of the
Garden" limas, for instance? Who is there
in your State or vicinity who can tell us
more about the bush lima bean?

While I think of it, I want to complain a
little of our good friend Peter Henderson.
In all the glowing accounts we have had of
these new lima beans, there is almost nothing
said about their being so exceedingly small.
When I opened my first package I was a
good deal disgusted, and that is why I took
particular paius to tell the readers of
Gleanings what they might expect in the
way of size before we sent out any of them.
I know the temptation is strong to say all
the good things we can about novelties, and
to skip over the unpleasaut part; but if a
seedsman wants to keep the confidence of
his patrons he will not only tell nothing but
the truth, but he will tell the whole truth.
Again, in Henderson's new catalogue quite
a glowing account is given of a tomato call-
ed the Shah ; but we learn that this is only
a Mikado that is yellow instead of red. The
first Mikados we ever got of Henderson gave
us a few plants producing the yellow toma-
toes ; and for three years in succession we
have noticed the same thing — occasionally a
plant producing Mikados that were yellow ;
but as most of our patrons preferred the red
tomato to the yellow one, we rejected them
in saving tomatoes for seed, as being objec-
tionable. Under the circumstances, is it
right to biing this out as a variety? Noth-
ing is said in the advertisement as to its be-
ing any more regular or any smoother than
the Mikado. That being the case, I do not
see how it can compare with the Golden
Queen, which has for some years been be-
fore the people as a good-sized beautifully
shaped yellow tomato.

Later. — In Landreth's new catalogue just
received, we find a photograph of what he
calls " Dwarf Carolina, or small lima
beans." The photograph shows a single
stalk bearing an immense quantity of pods
that look exactly like the pods represented
by Henderson ; and a package of the beans
placed side by side of a package of Hender-
son's bush lima beans looks so exactly like
them, that no one can tell the difference.
Landreth charges 10 cents for a package of
25 beans, while Henderson charges 25 cents
for the same. Henderson says his came
from the South, and our correspondent
from South Carolina says they have had
them there for two years, and Landreth
calls them Dwarf Carolina; so it seems pret-

B clear that it is one and the same thing,
indreth, however, does not herald them
with any spread-eagle advertisement. Of
course, we can tell positively that they are
the same thing only after raising a crop of
each. We can mail Landreth's at lOcts. per
packet, or Henderson's at 25 cts.

HOW TO RAISE SWEET-POTATO PLANTS.

I wish you would give some directions how to
raise sweet-potato plants, as 1 am in the gardening
business as well as the bee business.

Hastings, Neb., Feb. 1, 1889. D. J. Raddick.

Friend R., we have succeeded in getting
a fine lot of sweet-potato-plants only once ;
then we cut the potatoes in two and turned
them cut side down, and placed them in a
warm spot in our greenhouse. They were
very slow about starting, but we finally suc-
ceeded in getting some very nice plants.
When they Decame crowded, and we didn't
have customers, we pulled off the sprouts,
or plants, and set them out exactly as we
do celery and cabbage plants in our plant-
garden, and they made strong thrifty plants
about the time customers came for them.
Such plants that have been transplanted so
as to give them a good root, and make them
strong and stocky, are certainly worth doub-
le the price of ordinary sweet-potato plants.
If some of our readers are in the sweet-po-
tato-plant business, and will give us a full
account of how plants are raised for the
garden, on a large scale, we will gladly pay
them for the paper. Last season there was
a scarcity, and we failed to get plants to till
orders, even though we telegraphed to
many different points. Saving sweet pota-
toes so as to be in good trim by planting
time, I believe is one of the most difficult
points, especially here in the North ; and if
somebody who has nice potatoes suitable
for plant-raising will advertise them in
Gleanings, I think he would meet with
abundant sales.

HOT-BEDS— HOW TO MAKE, ETC.

I should like some information on hot-beds, how
and when to make them, and whether to use
glass or oil cloth for frames. I want to sow my
seeds about Feb. 15. H. White.

Spencer, O., Jan. 14, 1889.

Directions for making hot-beds have been
given so frequently in most of our seed
catalogues that it seems a good deal like
repetition. The whole matter is very sim-
ple : My father-in-law used to make a very
nice hot-bed on top of a smoking manure-
heap. All he did was to dig down until he
found the manure hot enough, then he put
on three or four inches of good garden soil,
set a box over it, and placed on top of the
box a sash, banking the manure up around
the box, clear up to the sash. He raised as
fine plants as any I ever saw, by this means.
Now, a hot-bed is nothing more than put-
ting this manure into a square pit dug in
the ground. They go into the ground to be
more secure from frost, and to save the
heat from the manure. The pit must be
well drained, so that heavy rains will not
drown every thing with ice water. Cloth is
not as good as glass. In fact, it would not
answer at all at a season of the year when
we are liable to have heavy snowstorms.
It is true, there is no danger of the plants
being scorched by what sun gets through
the cloth ; and at a season when you simply
wish to protect your plants from an occa-
sional frost at night, the cloth answers
every purpose. But the cheapest kind of
common sheeting that we get at our dry-
goods stores is every bit as good as the hot-
bed cloth that has been advertised so much ;
in fact, we prefer the cheap cotton cloth
from the stores. It is not so easily torn in-
to shreds. Another trouble with cloth is,

188&

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

i2i

the havoc that high winds make with the
frames. We have chased after them so
much, and wasted so much time in fasten-
ing them down, that we have about conclud-
ed the glass sash is cheaper in the end.

CORN SALAD.

You gave in Gleanings so excellent a plan for
raising lettuce, would you not have the kindness to
give advice for growing in cold-frames corn salad
(fetticus, or lamb's lettuce), through Gleanings?
It is much esteemed in the old country, but it
needs there no planting, as it grows in all corn-
fields spontaneously, and stands any weather and
winter. It is there called "corn."

Sigel, III., Jan. 27, 1889. Dr. Wm. Heer.

Friend A., we have some very fine corn
salad now growing in one of our cold green-
houses. We have raised it and sold it to
some extent here in Medina. I believe,
however, that but few people have learned
to use it, except the Germans. We are very
much obliged to you for the additional facts
you give us, and we should be glad to be
told more about it.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT ; LIMA BEANS WITHOUT
POLES, KAFFIR CORN FOR HOT-CAKES.

Here is my testimony regarding Japanese buck-
wheat : I sowed about a pecK, and got 17 bushels.
The seed came from Peter Henderson. We never
saw a single bee at work on the blossoms, except
the little wild " sweat " bees. The flour is equal to
any buckwheat, and we sold it at 4 cts. per lb., but
at the same price we sold 2 lbs. of the Kaffir-corn
flour to one of buckwheat, and used the latter in
our own family, most of the time. The garden
talk found in your paper is very refreshing to me.
The Henderson bush lima has caught the attention
of gardeners; and if it did not look so small I would
take more stock in it. Let me tell how 1 raise
Jersey lima beans without poles. I run a fence,
made of wires and lath, which can be had at 40 cts.
per rod (3 strands and plastering lath), right where
the row of limas is to stand. Plant the beans 6
inches apart, on the south side of the fence; and if
they come up at all right, your row of limas will be
the wonder of the neighborhood in September. I
have picked a bushel of pods in two rods of fence.

Crete, Neb., Feb. 5, 1889. M. S. Benedict.

The fact that you saw no bees on the blos-
soms, I do not think at all against the Jap-
anese for honey, for many such reports have
been made from common buckwheat. There
are two causes that bring this about : First,
the buckwheat may contain no honey, just
as many other kinds of blossoms may con
tain no honey during certain seasons. Sec-
ond, the bees may have found something
else so much more to their liking that they
would not notice the buckwheat. Some-
times, when this pasturage fails, they will
start for the buckwheat with a sudden rush.
— We have tasted the Kaffir-corn flour, for
miking cakes, in place of buckwheat, but
we rather give the buckwheat the prefer-
ence. The Kaffir corn, however, makes a
very nice light cake.

WANTED, A SCHOOL FOR TEACHING GARDENING
AND AGRICULTURE.

Dear Friend:— I received and read your book,
How to Be Happy, with pleasure. It held my at-
tention, though I know nothing about gardening. I

have taken a great notion for farm life, and I
should like to know if you know of any schools
teaching farm methods, dairying, fruit - tending,
etc.— things you can not learn from books. I know
there are State agricultural schools, and I have
read of experimental and college farms, but noth-
ing further. Mary L. Bonner.
Davenport, Iowa, Jan. 17, 18£9.

My good friend, our agricultural colleges,
I think, will fill the bill exactly. The one
at Lansing, Mich., has attained a world-
wide celebrity ; and the Experimental Sta-
tion at Columbus, O., is beginning to be-
come one of the institutions of which our
State may well be proud. We should
think that your own station in Iowa,
where Prof. Chamberlain presides, who, by
the way, has only recently left Ohio, would
furnish all the advantages you wish.

FRIEND MARCH'S CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER
SEED— REPORTS THEREFROM.

As far as my test is concerned, I can say I think
they are extra. I put out nearly a hundred cauli-
flower-plants, and they all headed to a plant.

Wilsonville, Norfolk Co., Ont. Isaac Lundy.

From a five-cent packet of March's Select Very
Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage seed bought of
you last spring we got 431 nice strong plants; and
after six kinds of bugs had satisfied their appe-
tites, we got about 400 of the nicest cabbages I
ever saw. We have just received a trial package of
Ignotum tomato seed, containing 26!4 seeds, which
we are going to plant in our little greenhouse, right
off this minute. B. L. Sage.

New Haven, Conn., Jan. 24, 1889.

March's Jersey Wakefield cabbage seed, of which
I bought of you one five-cent paper, gave me 340
strong, healthy plants. After I set them in the
open ground the cut-worms proved to be very bad;
and although I went over the patch every morning
for a month, and caught from a dozen to 75 cut-
worms a day, they destroyed half the plants; but
all that were left made beautiful large and solid
heads. S. L. Sherman.

Oskaloosa, la., Jan. 9, 1889.

THE ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

SUGGESTIONS IN REGARD TO THEIR BREAKING,
ETC.

fRIBND ROOT:— My article in Gleanings, on
" Folding Sections," brought me quite a
number of letters and samples from differ-
ent manufacturers. From these letters I de-
duct the following: 1. Sections made from
old basswood are more liable to break than those
made from young wood (second growth). 2. Kiln-
drying destroys the elasticity of the wood, and
makes it brittle, while air-drying does not have that
effect.

3. The grooving-saws should not be too sharp-
pointed on the edge, but rather a little rounding, so
as to leave more wood in the bottom of the V-groove
than is done by a sharp-pointed saw.

I am going to try sliced sections this year as their
folding quality and rigidity after folding seems to
be much superior, although in appearance they are
not as " pretty " as sawed and sandpapered sections.

122

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

A PROPOSED SHIPPING-CASE.

I have in ray mind's eye a (any) shipping-case for
comb honey, with four little india-rubber balls, one
under each corner. The balls should be solid, but
with a hole through the center, just large enough
to take a 2-inch wire nail. I suppose ?i or 1 inch
in diameter would be a good size for the balls. The
wire nail should be " set in " so that the head would
go to the center of the ball, and thus not interfere
with its elasticity. I imagine that a case provided
with 4 such balls under its corners would stand
considerable bumping before the combs would break
loose. What do you think of it? Would it be worth
while for you— to have them manufactured, and
keep them for sale? Or would the balls interfere
with the piling of cases on top of each other?

I once heard of a double packing-case with rub-
ber balls between the cases, but I do not know if
anybody ever used such. They would be too ex-
pensive, at any rate. Wm. Mdth-Rasmussen.

Independence, Inyo Co., Cal., Jan. 7, 1889.

HONEY-EXHIBIT AT SPBING MILL.

AS ARRANGED BY J. W. NIMAN.

f" HAVE taken the liberty to send you a photo of
!§? my apiarian exhibit at our county fair. As the
W name in the picture is something of a novelty,
**■ and has been admired by many thousands of
people, I thought it might be of interest to the
thousands of readers of Gleanings. I will here
give you a brief description of the picture. At
the extreme left is a bee-tent; next is a solar wax-
extractor, and adjoining it is a queen-excluding
honey-board. A bee-hive with a capacity for 100 one-
pound sections is next in order. Thirteen stars of
solar - extracted wax, representing the thirteen
original States, stand out conspicuously in the back-
ground; beneath it is a queen observatory hive.
Next is a pyramid of glass jars of different sizes;
above it, a glass case five feet long; in it the name
of your humble servant, made by the bees, as you
see therein the picture, and over five feet in length.

.1. W. NIMANS IIOXEY-EXHIB1T, SPRING MILL, OHIO.

I believe you are right, friend M., on all
the three points you make. The rubber
balls have been suggested, and used to
some extent, not only for honey, but for
shipping eggs for hatching. The trouble is
with honey, that, where one has 100 cases or
more, it would not be practicable to have
them all set on these rubber balls. Where
one has a good crop of honey, he had better
load it on the cars himself if possible. Put
a good layer of straw under the cases, and
pile them up one on top of the other. Pack
straw between the cases, at the side of the
car ; then if you can have some careful man
to attend to unloading them, they can be
shipped by freight without injury. ' If it be
necessary to transfer from one road to an-
other, then comes in a difficulty that can be
obviated only, perhaps, by securing the
whole car, if the crop warrants, thus having
it shipped to its destination without trans-
ferring.

A Novice hfney-ex tractor is at my right. In my
hand is a Langstroth brood-frame of new comb
partly capped over. At my back is a large case of
honey and wax, and near them are bee-smokers.
Back of the Clark smoker you can see a corner of
an old box hive, with brimstone matches sticking
in it, such as were used in old times to kill the bees
to get their honey. On the ground in front is
the apiary tool-box and swarm-arresters on the top
of it. J. W. Niman.

Spring Mill, Ohio, Oct. 10, 1888.

Friend N., your exhibit does you great
credit. Your name, built out in honey-
comb by the bees, must have proved quite a
curiosity to the many visitors. Those little
bits of comb built in the frames, showing
how the bees start their work, not only ex-
hibit the beauty of workmanship on the part
of the bees, but it teaches people how comb
is built, and the way in which bees go
about it.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

123

THE TARANTULA.

PROF. COOK ADMITS THAT SPIDERS MAY BITE.

ISS FLORENCE GREEN, Welde, Col., writes

me as follows: " I send you a specimen of

tarantula— not a very good one, but I hope

you will tell us all about it in Gleanings,

especially whether it is poisonous or not.

The people here say that it is. We take great

pleasure in reading the articles on insects, and we

shall be much pleased if you will notice this."

THE TARANTULA.

This is one of the largest of American spiders,
and is found from California to Missouri, and south
into Texas. I send a good drawing of the speci-
men, so that all may see just what manner of
creature it is. The scientific name is Mygale
Hentzii. It is brown, and the drawing gives the
correct size. As will be seen, it, like all spiders,
differs from an insect in having only two parts to
the body— the cephalo-thorax— head-thorax— which
bears the mouth organs, eyes, and legs, and the ab-
domen. Thus the head and thorax, instead of be-
ing separate, as they are in insects, are united.
They have no antennas and no compound eyes, but
eight simple eyes arranged in two rows, as seen in
the figure. There are eight legs instead of six, as
in insects. Those front leg-like appendages, which
bear the curious claw-like organ, are not feet, but
the maxillary palpi, and so belong to the mouth
organs.

These are ground-spiders, and live in holes dug
in the earth. As to whether these are very poison-
ous, or dangerously poisonous, T am not able to
say. All spiders have fang-like jaws and poison-
glands, with attached poison-sacs, and so can ex-
trude poison with their bites; but our smaller
spiders can not bite very severely, and the poison
is too scant to do harm. I never hesitate to pick
up a spider, and never could get one to bite me so
as to hurt, much less poison me. Of course, such a
Jumbo of a spider as the tarantula would frighten
most people, and we can readily see how terrible
stories might arise, solely as the product of fear
and imagination. If the tarantula were a Michi-
gan spider I should try it, possibly with gloved
hands at first, and I should not be surprised if I
should find that I could handle this as safely as our
common and smaller spiders. Where it costs noth-
ing, it is always best to be cautious, so I advise
Florence not to handle the tarantula till she proves
that it can not or will not bite. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Friend C, you say these spiders live in
holes dug in :the earth. That may be true ;

but you do not give our readers any concep-
tion of what beautiful silken-lined holes
these are where the tarantulas live. More
than that, they have one of the prettiest lit-
tle doors, hinged as daintily as the lid to a
jewel-casket, and the spider can shut the
door in the face of his visitors if he choose.
When on my brother's farm, one of the lit-
tle boys brought me a nest to bring home ;
but in some way it was forgotten. The
silken gallery is a sort of tube, with suffi-
cient tenacity so it can be handled without
danger of breakage.

AN ABC SCHOLAR 62 YEARS OLD.

HOW SHE FINALLY TRIUMPHED OVER DIFFICUL-
TIES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND CAME
OUT VICTORIOUS.

R. ROOT, DEAR FRIEND:— We consider
you as such, and your name has become a
household word. I have been wanting
to write you, to ask that you would con-
tinue Gleanings, although we can not
send you the money quite yet, owing to sickness in
my family. My husband has been out of health the
past year. He has bronchial asthma, and has not
been able to do any thing for many months. I had a
hard time the past fall, getting my bees ready for
winter, not being strong myself. I had about 80
colonies. I sold 10, and doubled until I now have
56, all strong and in good condition for winter in
Root chaff hives (all but seven). I commenced the
season with 50 colonies. It has been a very poor
season in this part of the country. I got only about
one-fourth of a crop, and that not nearly as good as
in a good season, both extracted and comb honey.

Mr. Root, 1 have wanted to tell you that I owe
you all the credit for my suecess, as I did not know
any thing, scarcely, about bees when I commenced.
I saw a few old copies of Gleanings at a friend's
house while on a visit, which gave me a great desire
to possess a colony of bees. We were poor, and in
debt. I thought I could learn to care for them,
and may be it would be a help. My husband had
no faith in the idea, so he put me off; but finally,
after much persuasion he purchased a light colony
in an old box hive in the early spring. They did
not cost much, as they were not worth much, for
they swarmed out and went off. I did not know
that they could be fed. T felt so bad about losing
my bees that my husband then bought a good col-
ony. I was so delighted I gave them every atten-
tion I could. They swarmed five times. I put them
in the American hive, as it was in use here at that
time. I was much elated with my success, and I
thought I was going to show my husband that I
could take care of bees. But I did not dare to open
the hives; so when winter came they all died, of
course, as the old colony had swarmed itself to
death. I was sorely tried, but I had no idea of giv-
ing up— I had grown wiser. I learned of the ABC
book. I sent for that and Gleanings, and went to
studying. The next spring, 1880, I had an oppor-
tunity of taking three colonies on shares. I had all
the increase and one-fourth the honey. Since then
I have wintered with very small loss— some winters
none. I now have 50 chaff hives; and as I thought
that number was about all I had strength to care
for with all my domestic duties, I have tried hard
to keep them down to about that, by selling some

124

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

and doubling up in the fall. I have succeeded no-
bly in doing so, although I have had between 70 and
80 colonies several times. My husband is no bee-
man, and does not like the business. Since I com-
menced I have taken between 13,000 and 14,000 lbs.
of honey, over one-half extracted. It sells here
now for 15 cents, comb; 12% extracted. Those
troublesome debts are paid, and we have built us a
good new house, which we much needed, and my
husband gives the " blessed bees" credit for most
of it. My husband and son did the work. lam almost
62 years old. If I were younger I would try to care
for a larger apiary, as I do not lose my enthusiasm
for the care of bees. My health is not good, but
much better than it used to be before I worked in
the apiary— so much that I feel as though I wanted
to thank you for the biographical sketches you
sent out with Gleanings. I am very much inter-
ested in them, but most of all in the one that ap-
peared in Gleanings for Dec. 15. I can not tell
you how much we prize Gleanings. I shall take
that as long as I have any thing to pay for it, while
I live.

I have wished many times I had Our Homes in
binding of some kind. I mean ever since they were
commenced. I have wondered if you had them.

I feel to praise God every day of my life for his
goodness to me, and for all the way in which he has
led me, and for the success he has given me in my
labors; for it has come through much prayer
and humble trust in him that I have been able to
accomplish the desire of my heart in getting an
apiary established on a small scale, and it is a cher-
ished desire yet to be able to do a little more in
helping on the blessed cause of Christ in the world.
I am especially interested in the American Mission-
ary Association. Oh how I do want to help more in
that direction !

I am almost frightened when I see how much I
am trespassing on your precious time, but I will
promise not to do so again. You seem so much
like an old friend that I almost forget myself.

We get our supplies at Jamestown, as the freight
is much less. I was sorry to change.
Farmers' Valley, Pa., Jan. 8, 1889. Mrs. B. C.Olds.

By all means call me " dear friend," if
you feel like it, my dear friend. I can not
tell you how much it rejoices my heart to
know that' you have ultimately triumphed
in conquering the intricate and perplexing
minutiae of bee-keeping. I am really afraid
that, had you asked my advice, about the
time of your repeated disasters, I should
have urged you to give up the business, and
not try any more, a good deal as your hus-
band probably did. In fact, I should have
thought it almost impossible that one so
well* advanced in years as yourself could
conquer the difficulties that every beginner
must meet. However, you have given us a
grand illustration of what may be done by
one who has a steady enthusiasm for any
such industry, right along, year after year.
You loved bee culture, and did not tire of it,
even though beset with repeated disasters,
and therefore you conquered. The point
you make, where the debts were paid and
the new house built, is not only refreshing,
but it is a good rebuke to those who say
after they have got old, and let their bees go
to ruin through lack of attention, that " bee-
keeping does not pay." I think your hus-

band and son must be exceedingly good-
natured to follow your directions when they
have no particular interest in the matter.
Another encouraging thing, like our good
friend Mrs. Axtell you have found your
health improved, as well as your pocket-
book ; and the improvement came, too,
without the use of medicines of any kind.
Now, any outdoor industry that gives us re-
newed health, without the aid of medicine
of any sort whatever, is a grand gift from
God, even if we do not make any money
by it at all. When it pays the debts and
builds houses besides, it amounts to one of
the grandest gifts that ever came from the
hand of the all-wise Creator. No doubt
your heart was stirred within you by the
accounts of Mrs. AxtelTs great achieve-
ment with honey-bees, for we notice that
you too are interested in missions. Never
mind about trespassing on my time, dear
friends, when you have such a story to tell
as we have just had in the above. You see,
I have taken the liberty of putting in even
your last paragraph also ; and I will tell you
why I did it. I want to say to you, and to
all others of the friends who read Glean-
ings, that, whenever you can buy your
supplies nearer home, so as to be the means
of saving you freight, or in any other way,
remember it does me good to hear of it,
even if your money does go into the pocket
of some other brother ; for 1 hope I have
grace enough in my heart to wish to have
you all do what benefits you most. If the
money did come to us here at the Home of
the Honey-bees, it wouldn't go to our good
brother at Jamestown ; and I am not sure
but it affords me just as much pleasure to
think he has been receiving good-sized
orders, as if they came right here to us.

JOTTINGS FROM AMATEUR EXPERT.

ENGLISH BEE-KEEPERS ; CARNIOLANS AND OTHER
RACES OF BEES.

fRIEND ERNEST:-Your letter of Dec. 6th is
before me. So you have foraged out my
name and address from friend Blow, and now
wi6h to make use of me. I thank you for
offering to put me on your list of paid con-
tributors; that, I must decline. I never write for
"grit," but for amusement; moreover, my experi-
ence with editors is that they are an arhitary class
of men, so I keep free of them; and if they do not
treat me as I think I ought to be treated, I am then
in a position to throw up the pen and make my
bow. I shall, however, be pleased to include
Gleanings among my friends, as I always read it
with very great pleasure, and it is my wife's first
favorite among bee-papers.

You suggest a host of subjects for me to give my
views about, naming Carniolan bees first. A very
innocent remark of mine in the B. B. J. raised an
awful "storm in a teapot" about these bees; and
when it came to high words it was brought to an
abrupt end by the veto of the editor. For myself,
I was not sorry; but for people who are likely to be
eased of their money in the future as in the past, I
was very sorry. There are immense numbers of
queens imported into En. land every year; and in
my wanderings labout I see great numbers of vari>

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

125

ous races. The trouble is, they are so very much
mixed. It matters little what race you select, the
trouble is to depend on getting them pure. Car-
niolans are the last foreign race in great demand
—if I except the Minorcan— and most of us had
hoped an effort would be made by the queen-breed-
ers to keep them pure; but it soon became evident
to those who watched what was going on, with a
critical eye, that the same old game had reached
Carniola also. I do not wish to blame any one
man for doing this, but T at least did expect some to
endeavor to keep their hands clean of such prac-
tices by keeping the yellow races out of the breed-
ing-grounds, instead of introducing stocks in num-
bers to breed from.

I presume you are not aware that our law of li-
bel in England makes it a crime to write and pub-
lish the truth, if it is calculated to injure a man in
his business. Dishonesty with us, as everywhere
else, does not succeed in the end; but we have not
the ready means of showing up any " fishy " tricks
that you have in America, as the parties would
soon down upon us and get heavy damnges; con-
sequently one has to be very cautious, and so have
editors.

Now as to the Carniolan bees. Why are they
such favorites with us? To understand the rea-
son, you must understand the class of people who
compose a large number of our bee-keepers. First,
we have the farm laborers, who keep bees in the
old-fashioned straw-skep hive. They are very nu-
merous in the pai-ish (township, an area of 4000
acres) in which I reside; there are quite 40 who
keep from two up to a dozen such stocks each.
They never buy a fresh queen or swarm, but sim
ply hive whatever increase comes naturally, and
take the swarms in autumn, and return the bees
(or in some cases even brimstone them), and ap-
propriate what honey they may have stored, and
allow the old stocks to stand over winter. The on
ly good thing about this method is, they have al-
ways young queens at the head of their colonies.

Next we have a class of people socially a stage
above these, who keep bees in bar-frame hives on
modern methods and read the bee-papers, and keep
the bees for what they can get out of them, as well
as a relaxation from other labors. In my parish
I have two other such besides myself, but the three
of us would not keep 50 stocks between us, as we
can not find time from other duties to attend to
more, and I keep the greater portion of that num-
ber, the other two not being such lovers of it as
myself.

We next have a class of people who keep bees for
pleasure and profit, who enjoy moderate incomes,
who keep a daughter of the laboring classes in
their houses to do the work as a " slavey," and a
lad out of doors to do the pleasure-ground and
garden, clean boots, and do odd jobs generally. As
a rule, these people live fully up to their incomes,
are very poor and very proud. Indoors the wife
would not wash a cup or light a fire on any ac-
count, while out of doors the master would not hoe
a weed in his garden, or run a lawn-mower, for a
fortune, if he thought his neighbors would see him.
These people keep poultry for the sake of the eggs
they lay, as well as to have something to interest
themselves in outside of their duties. They also
keep bees for a similar purpose. These are the
people who use the bee dresses and gloves, etc.,
that form a part of bee-gear with us, and a real

good stinging from a fiery-tempered stock of hy-
brids would really be serious to such people, as well
as inconvenient. I remember meeting one such
one day who offered to sell his five colonies in bar-
frame hives cheap, to be rid of them quickly. He
was dreadfully disfigured; and on my inquiring
why he wished to sell them he replied he could not
bear to walk up the street, as every one he met
"chaffed" him so— "What! been out late?"

Having said so much about our social habits, and
bearing in mind the fact that Carniolans are re-
markably docile bees, you will readily understand
why they are such favorites with this class of peo-
ple. As honey-gatherers they are as good as many
sold here for Italians; they are also better comb-
builders, as a rule, and they certainly are far more
reliable in temper.

Our farmers, with extremely rare exceptions, do
not keep bees, nor do their sons, daughters, or
wives, seem to take to it. This with you is the con-
trary, I believe. Many of us are compelled to keep
our bees very near our houses and pleasure-
grounds, consequently their tempers often have to
be a great consideration with us. The characteris-
tics of Italians, Cyprians, and Syrians, that you in-
quire about, I must leave to a future letter. This
is " Boxing-day" with us, and consequently a gen-
eral holiday spent in feasting and idleness, so I am
spending it by putting up arrears of correspon-
dence. December has been a month of mild, damp,
foggy weather. The air is saturated with moisture;
and in places where there are no fires you can wipe
the moisture off painted woodwork and such like
articles, so you may imagine what the hives are
like on their summer stands. Amateur Expert.

Friend E., although your letter was di-
rected to Ernest, I want to express to you
my thanks for your kind letter to our read-
ers. I am very glad indeed that you have
taken hold of this matter of false pride in
regard to doing necessary household duties,
and that you have handled it without
gloves. Although there are not very many
in our country, so far as my knowledge ex-
tends, who are ashamed to wash the dishes,
light the fire, weed garden, or run a lawn-
mower, there is a constant tendency here in
that direction— that is, there are certain
people who are ashamed to be found doing
these things. I suppose that you are well
aware that I have been strongly opposed to
any such romantic notions. A great many
times, when well-dressed runners inquire
for the " boss " they are surprised, and may
be now and then disgusted, to find him not
as well dressed as some of his workmen,
and perhaps engaged in " weeding garden,"
as you express it. There may be such a
thing, however, as too great extremes in
this matter. My wife thinks many times I
ought to take more pains to be tidy and
neat than I do. Doubtless she is right; but
she prefers to do her own housework ; and
when you pay us a visit, which I hope you
sooner or later may do, very likely she will
light the fire and cook the breakfast for us
with her own hands. I often tell my help-
ers that I shall never ask them to do any
tiling that I should be ashamed to do my-
self, and I think this contributes greatly to
the pleasant relations that exist between
myself and all who are working for me.

126

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

My wife remembers enough about her child-
hood home in " Merry England " to give us
very graphic accounts of the people, cli-
mate, etc., even including the dampness of
the winters, which you mention.

NOT QUANTITY BUT QUALITY.

MRS. HARRISON OFFERS SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS
TO PRODUCERS AND SELLERS OF HONEY.

R. ROOT:— Mrs. Chaddock, in telling- what I
sold extracted honey for, has caused let-
ters to pour in upon me at a fearful rate,
offering- honey in barrels by the score. I
wish to say to one and all, that I'm not in
the commission business. If I wanted honey, I
would either advertise for it, or write to those who
I knew had it to sell. The reason why 1 get 2U cents
per pound for extracted honey is this: I'm an old
resident of this city, having lived here nearly all
my life, and am well known. Although there may
be plenty of honey at the stores, persons will come
long distances to get ours, fearing adulteration,
saying, " It's bees' honey 1 want."

Those who report such large yields of extracted
honey, and claim to produce it so cheaply, are an
injury to the craft. I always feel as though my
extracted honey cost me the most. This cheap
way is certainly not the best way. The honey that
I'm selling is pure basswood. The combs were en-
tirely empty at the advent of the flow, and extract-
ed before sealing. It was a ground-hog case. We
were out of honey. The boy who was digging out
a woodchuck on Sunday morning, who was repri-
manded by a minister driving by said, " I must
have him; we are out of meat, and the minister is
coming to our house for dinner to-day."

The honey, as it came from the extractor, ran
into jars or tin vessels, which had cheese-cloth tied
over the top. When they were full, fresh cheese-
cloth was tied on them and placed in the sun. The
weather was very hot and dry. It is a mistake to
let the honey run from the extractor into barrels,
without straining. If this honey were to pass
through the hands of that careful and painstaking
woman Mrs. Muth. it would come upon the market
all right, but it may not be so fortunate. She told
me, when I was there, that when she "cooked"
honey, as she expressed it, she skimmed it as long
as any scum would rise; and on looking at the
skimmings with a magnifying-glass, broken legs
and wings of bees could be seen.

In lieu of trying to see how much extracted hon-
ey can be produced, it would be better to aim at
excellence. I do not see how any one can tier up
until the close of the season, and then extract and
keep each kind separate. I lately received a letter
from a person, complaining that he purchased two
barrels of extracted honey from Illinois for clover,
which was not the kind represented, and that he
lost money on his purchase. Judging from the
tone of his letter, it is evident that he thinks no
pure clover honey is produced in this State.

Mr. Muth appears to have taught his patrons so
that they keep the different honeys distinct and
separate, so that the flavor of apple, clover, bass-
wood, etc., is easily detected. Will Mr. Muth now
take the floor, and give us directions upon this sub-
ject, and in what way the trade demands it put up?

By the way, Peoria has no need for the honey call-
ed "amber." I would not offer it to my customers
as an article of food. I saw some of this honey in a
store; and on questioning the proprietor he said,
"I didn't buy that honey; a man left it here, and I
wish he would take it away, for I would as soon
have soap-grease in my store." This honey may
suit manufacturers, especially cigar-makers, but it
is not fit for table use. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Peoria,^ll., Jan. 21, 1889.

My friend, you make a good point where
you suggest that, if we tier up the whole
product of the season, on the Dadant plan,
we have our spring, summer, and autumn
honey all mixed up. May be some of the
combs contain clover honey, others bass-
wood, and still others goldenrod ; and I am
afraid that the operation of extracting
would not be so managed as to keep the dif-
ferent grades separate. We should like to
have our friends Dadant tell us their experi-
ence in the matter. Your strictures on am-
ber honey, it seems to me, are a little too
broad. Well-ripened goldenrod or Spanish-
needle honey is very nice, and, to a good
many, just as delicious as clover and bass-
wood, although the amber color is rather
against the sale of it. I am well aware,
however, that there is a good deal of honey
on the market that is not fit for any thing,
unless it is for some kind of " manufactur-
ing " purposes.

THE EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT, AND
ITS USE AND ABUSE.

TRADING "SIGHT UNSEEN."

E have reason to fear, from com-
plaints which have come in recently,
that some of the advertisers in our
Exchange Department have taken
advantage of the persons with
whom they have made a trade, somewhat
in the manner indicated in the heading. It
used to be common among boys, but we
hope it is not so now, to trade knives " sight
uuseen." That such a practice is a species
of gambling, no one will deny. To those of
our readers who may not be acquainted
with the plan, we would say that two boys,
having each a knife which they desire to
trade, make the following agreement : One
of the boys, A, says to his companion, B,
" Let's trade knives sight unseen.'1 Each
clasps firmly his own knife in such a way as
to conceal it entirely, and then says, " Whole
sides, whole blades, or no trade.11 The
knives are passed to each other simultane-
ously. It matters not whether the knife is
new or old, or whether the blades are steel
or iron, the trade is effected, and one of the
boys is almost sure to get the better of the
bargain, while his companion fares the
worse, of course.

Now, we have reason to fear that some of
our advertisers in the Exchange Depart-
ment are making their trades somewhat in
the same way. Very recently a transaction
took place as follows :

Mr. A advertised in the Wants and Ex-
change Department something to this ef-
fect : " Wanted to exchange, a Mason &

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

127

Hamlin organ, worth $135, for a two-horse-
power engine." Among the numerous
answers received to this advertisement was
one received from B, who stated that he
had a two-horse-power Shipman engine that
had been " used only a year," and which
was " in perfect running order." This he
offered to give in even trade for the organ.
B referred A to the postmaster, who an-
swered that B was a wealthy farmer, and
that his reputation for honesty and veracity
was not to be questioned. Certainly it
would seem that A had taken the necessary
precautions. The exchange was made ; but
A was greatly disappointed to find that the
engine wras one of the oldest styles of Ship-
man, and he did not think it had been used
within five years. The shipper was careless
enough to ship it without even crating it.
The result was, that some of the legs, pipes,
and gauges were broken. Indeed, A says it
is not worth the freight he paid on it. A
wrote B at once, and the latter sent $7.00 to
make good the repairs, stating that he had
never used the engine at all, but supposed it
was all right. He also said that he was
more than pleased with the organ. A im-
mediately felt relieved, and sent to the
manufacturers for the necessary repairs.
The latter stated that the engine was so old
in design that they had no duplicate parts
or patterns, and could not make the parts
except at a great expense. A then wrote B
to this effect ; but B made no response, and
A has not been able to get any response
since, although he has written him a num-
ber of times. The engine is utterly worth-
less to A ; and as he is at a distance from
any shop where the necessary repairs could
be made, he does not feel warranted in run-
ning the risk on the mere possibility of doing
it any good.

A, the receiver of the engine, was in close
circumstances, and the loss was a severe
one. He says he did not mind so much the
loss of the organ as the fact that the engine
will not help him to make a living. In con-
sequence of this trade, to meet a pay-
ment on a certain debt, he was obliged to
sacrifice his bees at $2.40 per colony. Each
colony was bright yellow Italians, in double-
walled chaff hives, and should not have been
sold for less than $10.00 or $12.00. A says
he feels no ill will toward anybody. He on-
ly wishes us to make it a warning to others
who enter into such transactions.

The Exchange Department is, beyond
question, a great benefit to honest advertis-
ers, but it can be the means of fraud on
the part of one or both parties. We have
given the above incident in order that our
readers may exercise caution. Be sure to
ascertain that the article for which you
wish to make an exchange is as good as rep-
resented, or that it is of a recent pattern ;
how long it has been used, and how much it
is worth from a dollars-and-cents point of
view. Be sure to ascertain all the facts in
regard to the responsibility of the party
with whom you think of making the trans-
action ; and if the amount involved is con-
siderable, be especially cautious. If possi-
ble, employ some competent party in the
place to look at the goods for you.

QUESTION 102 RECONSIDERED.

ARE THOSE COLONIES WHICH CONSUME THE MOST

STORES IN WINTER THE BEST COLONIES

FOR BUSINESS?

«i NSWERS to Question 102 show so wide a differ-
&, ence of opinion, that one must surely be at a
loss to decide how near any of the answers
*• might possibly be correct. Likely no defi-
nite answer can be given to the question.
The time given from October to May, seven months,
is too long a time to reckon on for the consumption
of stores per colony for wintering. With us, brood-
rearing is carried on very heavily during April, and
commences early in March. For those two months,
as much honey will be consumed as during the four
previous months. This is for our locality. There
are exceptionally few localities where bees are con-
fined seven months to their winter quarters; and,
with such, brood-rearing must necessarily be going
on. I think 30 or 40 lbs. of stores for a colony,
seven months, with brood-rearing going on, is not
too much. Messrs. Dadant & Son have not over-
estimated the amount for that period of time. Dr.
A. B. Mason gives 6 to 11 pounds. He may be cor-
rect also; likely not, from October to May.

We have made cellar wintering our way for safe
wintering for the past five years; and, to tell to a cer-
tainty what we gained besides the security of safe
wintering, we weighed a sufficient number of colo-
nies to get an average of what our colonies con-
sumed while in confinement from the time they are
put into the cellar and taken out, which is generally
from Nov. 1st to April 1st— five months. We find
for the past three winters that our colonies con-
sumed from 3 to 12 pounds. The most of the num-
ber weighed consumed 8 and 9 pounds. We think
those numbers would be very near an average for
ours, only one colony consumed less than six
pounds, and that one consumed 3 pounds, and was a
strong colony. Said colony did as well as any that
season (the summer of 1886).

In answer to the question, " Which is the more
profitable, a colony which consumes more or less
stores ?" we could hardly say the one that con-
sumed the most, if Question 102 means strictly
the amount consumed in wintering. If 20 or 25
pounds of stores are used in wintering, and none of
that amount is used for brood-rearing, that colony
is no better off than if it had consumed 10 pounds if
wintered in a suitable place. Colonies that we have
wintered with suitable packing on their summer
stands, consumed from 20 to 30 pounds in five
months. Knowing the difference in stores used for
outdoor and cellar wintering, we built another cel-
lar two years ago at our out-apiary, and have now
100 colonies in it doing nicely. We have also 101 col-
onies at our home apiary in a cellar in which we
could easily winter lull colonies. The temperature
at which our cellars are kept ranges from 40 to 45°.
We haven't a single colony out of doors; and with
the assurance of saving an average of 10 pounds of
honey per colony, we think it pays to winter in the
cellar. J. Nebel & Son.

High Hill, Mo., Jan. 21, 1889.

I know, friends, that certain colonies
sometimes consume great quantities of
stores, without being any better for it. But
what I had in mind was where a colony
consumes its stores in healthy brood-rear-
ing, so as to require the larger amounts to

128

GLEANINGS IN BEE CQLTURE.

Feb.

carry them clear through until the month of
Mav.— The point you make in regard to the
saving of stores by wintering in the cellar,
even so far south as Missouri, is something
worthy of consideration.

RAMBLE NO. 10.

THE USE OF A BLACKBOARD TO BEE-KEEPERS, ETC.

em EFORE starting upon this ramble I wish to
Ljr show the fraternity a very handy article to
(^| have in the apiary. It is no more and no less
-™^ than a common blackboard. Now, some one
will probably say, " For conscience' sake,
are there not enough traps now in the apiary, with-
out lugging in a blackboard?"

Well, friends, let us explain. The hives in every
well-regulated apiary are numbered, and have slates
or something upon which to keep a record. If you
put a record on the slate, of something to be at-
tended to in a few hours or a few days, or even
weeks, there isn't a bee-keeper having a large apia-
ry but will often forget the record. The black-
board, if put up in a dry, conspicuous place, any
fact placed upon it will be staring at you every
time it is passed, and is thus a constant reminder of
something to be attended to. Have you discovered
a hive that needs more surplus room? If you are
not ready just now to accommodate them, chalk it
down on the board. Is there a queen to supersede,
or have you caged a score of queens that need re-
leasing at a certain time, chalk it down. We can
not enumerate half of the items that will be put

^X^-

THE RAMBLER'S BLACKBOARD.

upon the board during the season; but, believe the
Rambler when he tells you it will save steps and
worry, and enable you to do things at just the prop-
er time. Try a blackboard. 1 give it to the fra-
ternity. The record on our board now reads as
seen in this sketch.

PIGEONS.

We ramble this time among the bird-fanciers. In
our boyhood days, pigeons or doves were common
among our best-loved pets; but if any one had ask-
ed us, a few months ago, if there was any thing in
the life of a pigeon that reminded us of bees, we
would have given our head an incredulous shake.
A short visit to a fancier gave us many interesting

facts, and there are many bee-keepers who will be
interested in one very curious fact.

The pigeon is the only bird that feeds its young
with digested food. We are all familiar with the
method the old pigeon uses to accomplish this, with
old and young bills interlocked; and some authori-
ties go so far as to say that this food has had two di-
gestions—first by the male bird, then by the female.
Be this as it may, the effect is remarkable; for the
growth of the young pigeon is unequaled by any
other family of birds. When hatched, the little pig-
eon weighs about half an ounce; in six days it
gains to four and one-half ounces; on the ninth
day, over eight ounces; and at the age of one
month, over twelve ounces, or somewhat heavier
than one of its parents.

While other young birds have to digest the worm,
grub, or grain, the pigeon simply grows with no ex-
ertion whatever; the pi-epared food is simply ab-
sorbed.

The bee-keeper will readily see that there is
much similarity in the life of the young pigeon and
young bee in the previous preparation of the food;
and if the young pigeon has the benefit of two di-
gestions, is there any reason to think that the roy-
al jelly in the queen-cell is not the result of many
digestions?

PORCUPINES.

Our next call was upon an accomplished and suc-
cessful poultry-breeder. Miss Kincaid. We wished
to investigate a new breed of poultry which was ex-
citing the public for miles around, and about which
people were indulging in much loose and inflated
talk. These fowls were popularly called Porcu-
pines.

The Rambler, upon presenting himself, was
somewhat Hustrated, as a modest man always is be-
fore beauty and talent; but after a few prelimina-
ry remarks about the weather and the crops, I felt
entirely at ease, feeling that Miss K. was much like
our own folks. In fact, she reminded me of my
cousin Flora Jerusha. After stating that my busi-
ness was mostly through curiosity to see her won-
derful fowls, we adjourned to the neatly arranged
poultry-yard; and the sight there presented fully
aroused the curiosity of the Rambler. It is said
that beauty is only skin deep on human bipeds;
and so I suppose it is only feather deep on fowls;
if so, then the beauty of the Porcupine fowls lies at
the roots of the feathers. Beauty is not distin-
guishable on the surface. The prominent noticeable
feature in the Porcupines is the position of the
feathers, which are somewhat pointed, and stick
out at all angles, but mostly toward the head. They
are not quite so happy-appearing as other fowls,
and the roosters have a dilapidated, disconsolate
look. I was assured, however, that the hens were
great layers, good sitters, and excellent mothers.
Being of only medium size, they were not so well
adapted to table use, but the meat was very tender,
even to old age. While I was thus being favorably
impressed with the fowls, a talkative neighbor
came along and gave some more interesting points.

"Why," said he, "stranger, you can put them
right down in a posy-bed, and they won't scratch.
You see, if they kick back too far those sharp fea-
thers prick their shins, and they stop instanter.

"Then, stranger, there is another point that
shows their intellectual superiority. When they
come to a hole in a fence, if their feathers prevent
an easy passage head first, they jest turn around

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

129

and back through, tail first. It's very comical,
stranger, very comical."

SIZE OP SECTIONS.

"JVERY COMICAL, STRANGER, VERY COMICAL."

Miss1 K. frowned^very heavily upon the fellow,
and assured me that it was only a small specimen
of the inflated talk that was going around the com-
munity about her poultry. After an interesting
study of fowls of various strains, I ended my very
pleasant call and went my way, thinking of the
solid facts to my profit, and laughing at the chaff.

That the young women of our land have so many
avenues through which to show their enterprise and
success, rejoices the heart of the Rambler.

Friend K,., I do think your blackboard
might be an excellent thing ; in fact, a
blackboard is now in use among our berry-
pickers. As fast as the children bring
in boxes of berries, the boss writes their
name on the blackboard, and gives them
credit. They watch him while he does it ;
and if they assent to his blackboard record,
no further discussion is allowed in regard
to it. In this way each one can see how he
is getting along, compared to his compan-
ions ; and when he has finished for the day
there can be no discussion, because the
whole story is not only in plain black and
white, but in big figures and letters at that.
It may not be necessary to inform our read-
ers that the Rambler is supposed to have
put his bees away for winter, on the plan

recommended by friend " A. B. Ma ."

With wonderful wisdom and forethought
he is just in the act of noting that all that
die are to be charged to the account of " A.

B. Ma ."—I have often thought of this

matter of the way pigeons feed their young
on digested food. I did not know, however,
of the wonderful rapidity of their growth.
Now, I want you to tell us just one thing
more : Of what age are the young pigeons
when they sell them for table use? In
many places they are considered a rarity,
and bring large prices. — Why, old friend,
you enjoyed yourself almost as much dur-
ing your rambles as I did in California.
Next time I take a trip I hereby give you
notice to come along with me. Both of us
together would probably find most things of
interest ; and you could hunt up the funny
items. — Are we to understand that it is
yourself with your hands on your knees in
the picture, or is it the neighbor who said
the new breed would not scratch, and that
they crawled through fences back end first?

DR. MILLER DISCUSSES THE MATTER OF HAVING

SECTIONS OF HONEY WEIGH EXACTLY

ONE PODND.

fHE foot-notes to friend Kelley's remarks on
page 57 leave but little to be said; but as the
matter is important, I may add a word. It
is unfortunate, if not wrong, to call a thing
more than it is, and I am in full accord with
the idea that we should give good weight, and ap-
prove the motive that impels friend Kelley; but
there are difficulties in the way that make it, I
think, not desirable that we should try to get up a
section that will sell uniformly as a pound. Most
bee-keepers sell their honey in no smaller quanti-
ties than by the case; and I never knew a case of
honey to be sold otherwise than by actual weight;
so when you sell your grocer a case or a ton of
honey, so far as you are concerned it doesn't mat-
ter a particle whether the sections average 15 or 17
ounces, nor whether the sections are uniform in
weight, or vary a quarter of a pound. If there are
24 sections in the case weighing 22 lbs., you get pay
for just the 22 lbs. you sold, and so far the transac-
tion is a righteous one. Let us follow it up. If the
grocer, as he should do, weighs every section he
sells, and sells it for just what it weighs, then every
thing is right to the end, no matter how light or
heavy the sections may be.

Before going any further I will answer friend
Kelley's request, and give some weights of the so-
called 1-lb. sections; and in order to have a general
result I will refer to my book and give the average
weight in ounces of a section in a lot of sections in
each one of five years, together with the average
weight of a section in the lightest and heaviest
case in each one of the lots.

Average.

Lightest.

Heaviest

1879

15.60

14.80

16 93

1881

16.34

15.00

18.00

1882

16.10

14.30

17.16

1883

14.62

13.66

15.30

1884

15.50

13.66

16.66

Notice, the number of ounces in the lightest and
heaviest columns doesn't mean the lightest and heav-
iest section in the lot, but the average weight of a
section in the lightest and heaviest case in the lot.
Thus, the average weight of a section in the light-
est case in 1884 was 13.66 ounces; and as these sec-
tions varied, the probability is that the lightest sec-
tion in that case was not more than 13 oz. The heav-
iest case in the whole (in 1881) contained sections
averaging 18 oz. each; and I have no idea that the
heaviest section in that case weighed less than 18J4
oz.

The first conclusion I reach from this table is one
that surprises me. It is, that, with me, the 1-lb.
section probably averages not less than 16 oz., tak-
ing it for a series of years. You will notice that
there were three years when the average was be-
low 16 oz., and only two years when the average
was above. But the two crops of those two years
were nearly as heavy as the three crops of the
three other years; and I suspect that, if all the
pound sections I ever raised were averaged, they
would come as near 16 oz. as any size of section that
could be made. Of course, I can't be sure of this,
and I don't think it matters.

Let us now follow those two cases in which the
sections averaged respectively 18 and 13.66 oz. I
sold them by weight, so my conscience is all clear.

130

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

After leaving my hands I presume they went into
the hands of two different grocers. If sold by
weight there would be no trouble; but if sold by
the section, the one grocer couldn't afford to sell at
the same price per section as the other, so there
would be trouble. But suppose both cases fell into
the hands of the same man, and he sold them at the
same price per section throughout, there would be
injustice to the customer who paid the same price
for 13.66 oz. that another did for 18. Every now and
then some one starts up this subject, and I should
like to impress the point that there is no such thing
as a section that shall always weigh the same; and
even if you succeed in finding one that will average
16 ounces this year it will probably differ next year.
Now, friend Kelley, the thing to do is to quit striv-
ing for the unattainable, but use your influence to
oppose selling sections by the piece, and insist on
their being sold by weight. The former simply
gives a chance for trickery, for I know there are
some who sell by the piece; and it is a fact that the
commission men will tell you that they can sell
light sections better than heavy ones. Let us in-
sist on weight in selling sections, always.

I am surprised to find that, notwithstanding the
poor yield of 1888, 888 first-class sections averaged
15.7 ounces each. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111., Jan. 24, 1889.

There is another point, doctor : We should
all of us beware about being in haste to ac-
cuse anybody of deliberate cheating. I am
sure there are not many bee-keepers who
have a desire to deceive their customers, es-
pecially on a matter where the use of a pair
of scales would so quickly detect the fraud.
Think what mischief has been done by be-
ing in haste to think evil in this matter of
false statements in regard to the adultera-
tion of honey!

^ ■ ^

NINE TONS OF HONEY.

BEES AND BERRIES.

J HAVE been much interested with your Notes of
[ Travel. I was in California two years ago, and
i bought 10 acres of land 35 miles north of San
■ Diego, in the Escondido Valley, and thought I
should move out there as soon as I could get
ready, but I am not as yet convinced that it is a bet-
ter honey or strawberry country than this, or yet
healthier. I put in cellar 180 colonies of bees this
fall. The last two years I have extracted over 9
tons of honey. It has netted me about 6y2 cents per
pound. With the help of one hired man I work my
80-acre farm. I have help at my out-apiaries. 1 give
them an interest in the bees.

Last summer I raised 41 bushels of strawberries
on four rods less than one-fourth acre. 1 was busy
with my bees when strawberries were ripe, so I told
my wife that, if she would see to the picking of
them, she might have all she could make and I
would see that they were taken to town. She quiet-
ly pocketed 50 odd dollars, besides ten dollars in
trade. I think it was the best investment I ever
made, as it was so handy to borrow a dollar or two
now and then, to be paid back when the honey was
sold, and then it seemed to go so far. If I had had
had it, it would have been gone in no time. I think
if I live and have luck I shall do so again. I should
like to raise comb honey, if it were not so much
work, and not so much danger in shipping. I have

a plan on which I should like your opinion. It is
simply a box, made of very light material, to hold T
one-pound sections, with light tins nailed on the
bottom, and a bee-space above, so they can be tier-
ed up. Four of those would go on a hive, to be tak-
en off completed, a box at a time, and shipped about
8 in a crate. The boxes could be covered with light
berry-box material when packed in the crates, and
nailed slightly with small wire nails. They could
be pried apart a little, to lift the sections out.
Viroqua, Wis., Jan. 12, 1889. Wm. Cox.

In regard to moving I think you are right ;
so long as you and your wife are doing as
well as you have been doing where you are,
I think I would let that California arrange-
ment lie still, for you will have many draw-
backs and inconveniences before you can
get things into shape there. — There are sev-
eral modifications of the plan you mention,
for a honey-box holding 7 sections ; but I be-
lieve they have not found very much favor.
The arrangement is more expensive than
the T supers, and does not seem to ship as
safely as the ordinary cases made expressly
for shipping the honey. If you ship the
boxes, containing the 7 sections, with them,
you have an additional amount of material
to ship and to be returned if not lost.

THE PRESS STRAINER, FOR BEE-
KEEPERS.

SOMETHING FOR EXPRESSING WAX AND SMALL
QUANTITIES OF COMB.

T PRESUME that most of the friends
M have seen different forms of these fruit
W and vegetable pn-ss strainers advertis-
-*■ ed. In fact, a friend sent us a cut of
one clear from Australia, saying that
we certainly ought to keep that on our
counters. The cut below gives a pretty
good idea of the machine.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRESS STRAINER.

It is simply a metal pocket, made of gal-
vanized iron and heavily tinned plate. The
sides of the pocket are made of perforated
tin. To use it, raise the handle, fill the
pocket with grapes, currants, strawberries,
or any other sort of fruit. Now bring the
handle down, and every particle of juice is
squeezed out so as to leave but comparative-
ly dry pomace. It can be used for mashing
potatoes, prepared sweet potatoes, or pump-
kins for pies, mashing turnips, making
catsup, making beef tea or broth, rendering
lard, and last, but not least, rendering wax
on a small scale. Throw your pieces of
comb into boiling water until they be-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

131

come soft, then put them into the strainer
and squeeze out the wax, or put your bits of
comb||into a?coarse bag, not too large ; and
when it is boiling, drop it into the machine
and push down the lever. The latter ar-
rangement is also used for getting the juice
from berries, and where there are many
small seeds. If your paste or paint is
lumpy, put it through the press and all
your troubles in that direction are ended.
In the same manner it can be used for al-
most a hundred different purposes. The
regular price is 50 cents ; but by buying
them in quantities we can furnish them for
25 cents. If wanted by mail, you will have
to send 20 .cents extra.

JlE/IDg 0F S^I]\[

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

FASTENING FOUNDATION INTO BROOD-FRAMES BY
NAILING IN A STRIP.

fOU will please find inclosed a small section of
an improved top-bar for honey-frame. As it
is very simple, it needs but little explana-
tion. The object of this device is to facili
tate the work of fastening the foundation
in frames, one of the triangular strips being nailed
fast, as you see. The comb being clamped between
the two strips, the latter can either be fastened by
nailing, or a little wax be used to make it stick.
As you are a practical man, you will readily see
the merits of this little invention (if it has any),
without further explanation. I have shown the de-
vice to several bee-men, and they all seemed to
think it a good thing. I do not send this as a " pat-
ent "to sell to you, but simply to give to you. If
you can make use of it it will be a gratification to
me if you do so. I am not a bee-man; in fact, I
don't think I ever shall be. Being a mechanic, I
am sometimes called upon to make a few hives,
etc., for bee-men. My wife is a little struck on
bees ever since she has been reading Gleanings.
Bellvilie, Tex., Jan. 15, 1889. J. J. Stopple.

Your device, friend S., is very old. It
was illustrated in one of the back numbers
of our journal, Gleanings in Bee Cul-
ture. It never came into practical use, for
the reason that such a fastening costs too
much, and was little if any better than the
comb-guide method of attachment— that is,
pressing a sheet of wax on to the guide.

hives to the 100. About the same number are out
of honey. The rest are full of honey, and I shall
have to extract several tons before the new honey
comes in. My bees are honest, as well as the peo
pie in California. I had six hives that were upset.
They had been lying on their sides for months, for
aught I know, with the supers full of honey, but
were not robbed. This is a case of honesty or
home protection (or what is it?). L. E. Mercer.
San Buena Ventura, Cal.

Friend M., it rejoices our hearts to hear of
instances like those you mention above.
The indications all seem to point now
to the fact that we may not only very
soon dispense with the fences around our
dooryards, but that we may save money
which we have heretofore invested in pad-
locks and expensive burglar-proof buildings
to protect our property. You certainly
have a very nice set of people around Ven-
tura. Why, even here in Ohio, where we
have schools and churches in every little
town, and at a good many of the road-cross-
ings, crops of wool and grain are quite fre-
quently taken out of barns ; at least, such
cases did happen a few years ago. 1 won-
der if it is not true, that the whole world is
climbing up a little higher in this matter.
I am very glad that you have received the
appointment of inspector of foul brood, and
I hope you will do your duty faithfully.

A FODL-BROOD INSPECTOR FOR CALIFORNIA.

The Board of Supervisors have seen fit to ap-
point me as foul-brood inspector for Ventura Co.
The county pays me for my time. I think that, if
the bee-keepers do not avail themselves of this op-
portunity of getting rid of foul brood it will not be
the fault of the new Board of Supervisors.

HONEST BEES AND HONEST NEIGHBORS.

I remember that, when you were here, you ex-
pressed some surprise at my leaving 15 tons of
honey in a frail shanty at the apiary, 10 miles from
Newhall. I just came from the apiary, and I found
every thing just as I left it in August. People
don't steal bees or honey in California. I have
been a bee-keeper for 16 years, but I never had my
bees winter as well as they have this winter. I
have 800 hives, and my loss this winter is only three

CALIFORNIA HONEY ; ITS GRADES AND QUALITIES.

I have been very anxious to see something from
you about the honey produced in California, as you
no doubt had a good opportunity while there of
.earning from what source, and in what part of the
State, the best honey is secured. I have bought
and sold a good many tons of California honey this
season. Some of the honey is, to my taste, the
finest in color and flavor that is produced in the
world, and, again, much of it is the most disa-
greeably flavored honey I have ever tasted, if I
may except some of the dark grades of Southern
honey. The white, or water-colored California
honey (when entirely free from that disagreeable
flavor found in almost all of the amber honey) is
superior to our best clover honey. Every time I
have sold this ill-flavored amber California honey
it has greatly displeased customers. I wish I could
find the producer or dealer in whom I could rely to
give me always the best grade. It would be inter-
esting to your readers to have what you must have
learned about the different grades of honey pro-
duced in California. J. A. Buchanan.

Holliday's Cove, W. Va., Jan. 7, 1889.

Friend B., the amber-colored honey of
California comes mostly from the valleys
and low lands. The beautiful water-white
sage is found only among the mountains,
and away up in the canyons, where the
bears, and lack of civilization and neigh-
bors, and many other things, make it un-
pleasant to camp out ; and most of the bee-
men, as I have told you, are getting back
away from the fruit-lands, into the moun-
tains, where the sages nourish. Other peo-
ple besides ourselves have discovered thn
good qualities of the water-white mountain-
sage honey of California ; and whoever gets
it in the future will have to pay a good price

132

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

for it. I am glad of it too, because it tends,
greatly to encourage pushing bee culture
out among the mountain-wastes.

FEEDING BEES IN THE CELLAR.

I should like to ask you if it would be safe to'
feed in the cellar for the purpose of building up
stocks, say Vi pint every day. I mean, I should
like to have them strong- for the fruit-blossoms
(about the 25th of April), which are very considera-
ble here— apricot, cherry, plum, apple, peach, pear,
raspberry, and others. If you can answer immedi-
ately, it will oblige me very much. M. D. Owen.

Douglas, Mich., Feb. 5, 1889.

Eriend O., feeding has been done in the
cellar successfully, but a good many others
have had trouble. If you want to feed
liquid food, you will have to fasten the bees
in the hive by means of wire cloth, or the
excitement of feeding will make them come
out — at least, it is pretty apt to do so ; and
if confined and fed a liquid food, they are
quite likely to get the dysentery. By far
the better way would be to give them
candy ; but I would by no means think of
feeding them any thing unless it were to
prevent them from starving. If you com-
mence feeding them liquid food for stimu-
lating, when they are gathering their first
pollen, I think it will be soon enough ; and
even then I believe that many think that
better results are obtained by giving them
combs of sealed honey. Some recommend
uncapping the honey to stimulate them to
raising brood more rapidly ; but urging
brood ahead of the season is likely to do
harm, no matter how you manage it.

WHY BEES BUILD COMB BETTER AT ONE TIME
THAN AT ANOTHER.

C. C. Miller's problem as to whether bees build
heavier comb at one time than at another, p. 20, is
very satisfactorily solved. But in a super of mine
containing 28 1-lb. sections I observed something so
different from any thing that I had ever seen be
fore, that I called the attention of Mr. C. C. Eddy, a
bee-man, to know if he had ever witnessed any
thing like it; and his reply was that he never had.
If C. C. Miller's theory is universally true, then I
should be pleased to know why all of the middle
sections in a super I had, contained nice beautiful
thinly drawn comb, while all the outside sections
contained some of the heaviest and most ill-shaped
comb I ever saw, resembling mud wasp cells. I
use the house apiary. The supers are set on top
of the hives, and with an oil-cloth cover on top, and
nothing around the super. The doors were kept
open, and there was plenty of ventilation, until
the honey-flow closed. The colony to which the
super in question belonged produced over 100 lbs.
of comb honey the past season. J. A. Golden.

Reinersville, O., Jan. 25, 1889.

As you state it, friend G., we feel pretty
sure that you gave your bees too much ven-
tilation—that is, their surplus receptacle
was too cold for them to build uniform
comb throughout the super. You say the
middle sections contained thinly drawn
comb, while the outside ones contained
heavy comb. Of course, the middle sec-
tions were directly over the brood-nest,
where there was the greatest warmth. The
outside sections were subjected to the cool-

er air from without. You know that comb-
building, in order to progress properly,
[should be in a close compartment, with a
moderately high degree of temperature.
The comb in the warmest parts of the super
mjwould work the most easily. That near the
.outside would work harder, and the bees
if, would no doubt take less pains to thin it
down.

A MINNESOTA BEE-CONVENTION.

i A convention was organized here on the 17th of
this month, for the purpose of getting together all
the bee-keepers in the State, and many from West-
ern Wisconsin and Northern Iowa, as quite a por-
tion of those two States is near Minneapolis. The
first meeting will be held at the Experimental
Farm, with the Horticultural Society that meets in
June next. All bee-keepers, and those interested
in raising small fruits as well as bees, are earnestly
requested to meet there. I assure you that you
will have a good time. Due notice will be given
through the bee-journals and the press. All cor-
respondence will be cheerfully answered by the
secretary,— Wm. Urie.

Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 22, 1889.

THE MANZANITA OF CALIFORNIA, ETC.

I send you a twig of manzanita bloom. The bees
have been working on it since the first of this month.
We have had but little rain since you left. I will
say nothing about the honey crop until I get it in
tanks. I was sorry you could not stay with me a
few days, but I suppose the old gent and I would
have smoked you off the ranch. I hope to see some
of your folks out next winter, to come and stay
awhile. G. W. Lechler.

Newhall, Cal.

Friend L., we found a few bushes of the
manzanita in bloom the day we left your
beautiful ranch. Please give my respects
to Mr. Friendship, the " old gent," as you
call him, and tell him for me that, when you
two old cronies have your big smoke, be
sure that none of the boys are around, for it
might teach them bad habits. I hope that
huge tank will get filled a good many times
during the coming season.

ROARING IN WINTER QUARTERS.

I wish to say a word in regard to Question 95,

Dec. 15, page 969, about bees roaring in the cellar.

A year ago last November, while passing through

my bee-yard I heard a colony roaring so I could

hear them plainly several paces off, and found them

crawling on the bottom-boai-d and front of the

hive, outside; and upon opening the hive, every

bee, so far as 1 could see, was on the move, as if

looking for something, but none took wing. The

temperature was several degrees below freezing,

and the roaring lasted several hours. The next

January I heard another roaring in the same way,

in the cellar. I marked both hives, and in the spring

found both queenless.

M. B. Hammond.

Ellenburgh Center, N. Y., Jan. 11, 1889.

Your point is, friend II., that this roaring
is in consequeuce of queenlessness, or rath-
er, perhaps, that the colony has just discov-
ered that it is queenless. If giving them a
queen results in quieting them, which it
would, very likely, it would strengthen
your position. 1 have seen colonies out of

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

133

doors in the summer time, running all over
the hives, each bee making a mournful
noise with its wings, and this happened not
long after I had removed the queen ; there-
fore 1 took it for granted that it was a lam-
entation over the loss of a queen. At
such times the colony is pretty certain to
accept any sort of queen you have on hind
to give them ; and some authors have rec-
ommended removing the queen and wait-
ing until the bees begin to mourn or " roar,"
as you term it. The trouble is, however,
the greater part of the time they start
queen-cells without any roaring at all ; at
least, we do not discover any.

WHITE CLOVER ; WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT FA.
VORABLE TO ITS GROWTH ?

I should like to read a thorough essay on the sub-
ject of white clover, particularly as to what condi-
tions are most favorable to its growth, and what
kills it off so thoroughly some seasons. Five years
ago, when I came to this State, it was abundant
everywhere, and two tine crops of honey followed
the succeeding years. Then the dry August and
fall of 1886, followed by a severe winter, destroyed
it almost completely. Was it the drouth or the
winter, or both, that killed it? Will freezing and
thawing kill it as it does wheat and red clover?

Chillicothe, Mo., Jan. 9, 1889. B. A. Rapp.

I think that freezing and thawing does
kill white clover, but I am not prepared to
answer further as to why it is plentiful dur-
ing some seasons and not at others.

THE EFFECTS OF THE RECENT CYCLONE IN A
PENNSYLVANIA APIARY.

Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 9, we had a regular
old-fashioned western cvclone. It went right
through our bee-yard; and when I went out I
would almost have given away bees, hives, and all.
The wind upset 15 or 20 hives, dumped the bees on
the ground, then carried the empty hives away.
Some of the hives were blown 200 ft. I was out as
soon as the worst was over, and picked up all I
could. From some of the hives we lost over one-
half the bees, as it was blowing and hailing. Next
morning I went out and picked up bees by the
handful, brought them in, and revived them.
Within a square of our place, four houses were
leveled to the ground, besides a part of a large fac-
tory just finished (Demorest sewing-machine fac-
tory), but happily no one was hurt. I hope the
next cyclone will take another direction.

Frank W. Lighton.

Newberry, Pa., Jan. 17, 1889.

Friend L., we are very sorry to hear of
your losses during the storm of Jan. 9 ; but
it verifies what I said about the warning
the barometers gave us on that morning.
Most of you, probably, have heard about the
destruction of the bridge just below Niaga-
ra Falls, at the same time. I knew nothing
about that when I wrote that editorial on
page 09. Not only serious losses of proper-
ty, but a great loss of life, resulted from
that cyclone which our barometers foretold.

passed that line for the day, leave it and go the
next day; and when the sun gets on the line, with
your hatchet in your hand start for the sun, lop-
ping bushes or marking trees as you pass, and
mark the line to the extent of where you think
they go. Then retrace your line and find your
bees. I have never failed to find them over four
rods from my line, and that was where they were
behind a high hill, and would pass a low point of
the hill, and then take nearly a right angle to get to
their home. If you get two or three lines, as I have
sometimes, take the early one as the sun comes to
it, and then the next, and so on. J. Andrews.

Pattens Mills, N. Y., Jan. 9, 1889.

A NOVEL METHOD OF FINDING BEE-TREES, AND A
GOOD ONE TOO.

Although out of season, I thought T would send
you a plan for bee-hunting. Get on the north side
of where the bees are likely to be, and in an open
space if you can. Get a good line. If the sun has

THE BEST TREES, BOTH FOR TIMBER AND HONEY.

Do bees get honey from the following: White-
ash and elm blossoms? soft maple? walnut-blos-
soms? honey -locust? box -elder? larch -blossoms?
What trees are best to plant for the combined pur-
poses of timber and honey? There are no natural
forests here, but we plant our groves.

Sharon, Kas., Jan. 23, 1889. J. L. Pelton.

I believe that bees occasionally work on
all the trees you have mentioned, and, for
that matter, there is scarcely a tree or plant
known, that produces blossoms, that is not
visited by the bees, say during an occasional
season. Probably the best honey-plant in
the world, all things considered, is bass-
wood, and basswood timber is now bringing
a very fair price, for a variety of purposes.
I think I would put whitewood (or tulip)
next. Perhaps others can help fill out the
list,

DOES SHADING HIVES TEND TO DISCOURAGE
SWARMING?

What effect would a shade over hives have on
swarming— shade high enough for an operative to
be able to walk under, the same as Casanova's, of
Cuba, shade to be put up about June 1st, so bees
would have the advantage of the sun nearly up to
swarming time? What has been the average crop
of honey for the last 10 years in the different locali-
ties of your answering correspondents? State
coml) and extracted. I. Langstroth.

Seaforth, Ont., Can., Jan. 28, 1889.

It has been several times suggested that
bees often swarm because their hives stand
directly in the sun, and get too hot, especial-
ly where the hives are dark-colored. lam
inclined to think that the color of the hive
and its full exposure to the sun might have
some effect in hastening the issuing of
swarms.— The average crop of honey secured
by the leading bee-keepers in the United
States, according to reports in our Question-
Box for Sept. 1, 1S87, was 50 lbs. per colony
for comb, and from 75 to 100 lbs. of extract-
ed. While occasional yields ran away up
beyond this, the average is pretty nearly as
we have stated.

QUEENS INJURED BY SHIPPING.

On page 23, Jan. 1, I find: "If you and friend
Doolittle are correct (and you may be to a certain
extent), why is it that we have never heard more
frequently of such failure of egg-laying before?
Now, it is just possible that your last sentence ex-
plains the difference in our experiences." That is
just it. Friend Root, of the 2000 or 3000 queens
which you sell annually, these are all, except about

134

GLEANIKGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Feb.

150 or 200 queens, of the untested ones, which are
most invariably taken from a nucleus hive, in
which they have never been required to fully stock
themselves with eggs in order to supply their colo-
ny, as tested queens usually are necessarily com-
pelled to do, and are usually removed to the ship-
ping-cage while in that condition. This is very
wrong. I have found that, to remove a laying
queen, in the height of her laying season, from a
populous colony, and ship her, generally speaking
she is a failure, to a large extent thereafter, as a
prolific layer. The same conditions may exist when
we take a queen and cage her in a full colony for
ten days, and she suffers no deterioration from it,
being just as good as ever when she is liberated and
gets down to business again. Therefore it has been
my practice, the past year or two, when expecting
to ship a queen that is in a strong colony, and a
prolific layer, to either confine her to one or two
frames in her own hive, or remove the hive to an-
other stand, leaving the queen and two or three
frames on the old stand for a few days before ship-
ping her. It works like a charm— no complaint
being made of queens so treated before being ship-
ped. No matter how prolific they were before
shipment, they are the same when received by the
purchaser.

So, friends, never ask a queen-breeder to send
you " a prolific queen out of one of your strongest
colonies," as most buyers are apt to do when order-
ing a queen, especially if it is a tested one. Rather
get a well-developed queen out of a nucleus or
weak colony— one that is not overtaxed in egg-pro-
duction at the time of shipment, but, rather, one
that is capable of developing up to your require-
ments after you receive her.

Not one in a hundred, mailed from a nucleus or
other small colony, have I ever had any complaint
from. Queens appear to time theii egg-production
according to the requirements of theirhives; hence
in one instance it is very rapid; in the other, it is
slow and more fitted to meet the requirements of
shipment by mail, without loss or damage thereby.
Abbott L. Swinson.

Goldsboro, N. C, Jan. 26, 1889.

I think you put it a little too strongly,
friend S. While we do have now and then
reports of extra prolific queens not laying at
all after a trip through the mails, I do not
believe that such reports come oftener than,
say, two or three in every 100 queens taken
right from full colonies in the height of the
laying season.

WINTERING OUT-APIARIES AT HOME, AND MOVING

THEM .JUST AFTER THE HONEY-FLOW

COMMENCES.

I wish to ask a question or two. Brother and I
have about 125 colonies of bees, about half in the
cellar, and half in Root chaff hives. In the spring
we wish to buy 25 colonies, making 150 altogether.
For the surplus-honey harvest we wish to divide
our apiary, and have 75 colonies in two apiaries, 3
miles apart. Can we run all together in one yard
up to within two or three weeks of the honey har-
vest, and then about May 15th move half of them
3 miles, so as to increase the yield of honey per col-
ony? By having all together, we can save one
man's time for nearly two months.

Our folks feel as if Gleanings were one of the
essentials, as we have been subscribers, off and on,
for twelve or more years. It seems only a few days

since I paid our subscription for two years in ad-
vance, and one of them is almost up.

We began last spring with 70 colonies, some rath-
er weak, and increased to 125, and in July extracted
pretty closely, getting about 3600 lbs. Add to this
600 lbs. of comb, taken later, makes 4200 lbs. of nice
honey. We expected to feed, for winter, sugar
syrup, as we can sell extracted and comb for 18 to
20cts. per lb.; but our bees gathered, after July
25th, about 1800 lbs. more honey, enough to winter,
which we left in the hives for that purpose.

Rockaway, Ohio, Jan. 18, 1889. H. F. Moore.

Friend M., I believe this is exactly the
way that C. C. Miller, Boardman, and per-
haps many others, are already managing.
If your home locality is overstocked, how-
ever, your bees would not breed up quite as
well if you delay removing them until the
honey-yield commences.

CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT SEED; CAN IT BE OB-
TAINED OF THE GOVERNMENT ?

I saw the notice last spring in Gleanings, stat-
ing that the Agricultural Department at Washing-
ton had obtained seed of the Chapman honey-plant,
for distribution. I applied to our representative,
and he notified me that he had never heard of such
a plant, but said that he had sent my application to
the department, since which time I never heard
from it. Were any of your readers more fortunate?

POLLEN BEFORE THE BIG STORM.

On the 8th of this month (the day before the big
storm) we noticed a few bees come in laden with
pollen of a yellow color, and this morning some of
mine from chaff hives were flying before 8 o'clock.
I fully concur with Dr. Morrison, of Oxford, Pa.,
that bees are not looked after in this section. Many
that went into winter quarters with plenty of stores
in the fall may be found dead in the spring.

FERTILE WORKERS, AND HOW TO TELL THEM.

Please tell me how to distinguish a fertile worker
from other bees. I should like to know. I had
such a colony destroy two Italian queens for me
the past summer, in one hive, before I found out
what was the matter with them. I then concluded
the cheapest way was to sulphurize the colony.
The one Italian queen they kept in the hive for 8
days, before I found her dead on the outside.

Duncannon, Pa., Jan. 17, 1889. A. L. Lane.

Friend L., I can not help you any about
procuring seed of the Chapman honey-plant.
I opposed the measure of asking the Gov-
ernment to buy friend Chapman's seed, at
the National Convention held in Chicago;
also at the Michigan State Convention at
Saginaw, a year ago. Some of the friends
who were in favor of it admitted that the
Government Seed Bureau was a big humbug
any way; but they gave, as an excuse, that
friend Chapman might as well have some of
the humbug money as anybody else. They
did not state it in just that way, but it
amounted to that. Now, the $2800 that was
paid to friend Chapman for his honey-plant
seed might almost as well have been thrown
into the fire, in my opinion. The seed is
very likely stowed away with other old rub-
bish, and it will probably get too old to ger-
minate before it gets into the hands of bee-
keepers, if it ever does at all. Another
thing, I do not believe that any bee-keeper
wants a lot of Chapman honey-plant seed

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

135

until he has first tested it by trying a five-
cent package ; and even after it has been so
tested, and the seed was wanted, I am not
sure that it could be had of the Government.
Perhaps I am a little uncharitable here; but
I can not help feeling indignant at this
whole proceeding — not only in honey-plants,
but seeds for almost all other purposes.
There have been a good many complaints
just like yours, friend L., that they could
not get the seed of the Chapman honey-
plant, even after the Government had paid
$2800 for it ; and it is not only this kind of
seed, but seeds in general are managed a
good deal in the same fashion. Our agricul-
tural papers have for years shown it up, and
protested that our money should not be
wasted in such senseless proceedings, but
still it goes on. This is the first time I have
publicly spoken about the matter, and per-
haps I shall never have occasion to speak of
it again. — In regard to your last question, I
do not believe that anybody has yet discov-
ered any way of telling a fertile worker
from the rest of the bees, other than the
way in which the bees behave toward her.
You have yourself described how we can
know how fertile workers are present. The
presence of two or more scattering eggs in
the cells, the rearing of drone brood over
worker-cells, etc., are some of the tests.
For a full description of fertile workers, you
had better see the ABC book.

HONEY VINEGAR NOT INFERIOR TO CIDER VINE-
GAR FOR PICKLING PURPOSES.

I have just read Emily West's letter, and I think
I can say something- in favor of honey vinegar for
pickles. I don't know much about making pickles
—only just a little bit, so my letter will not be very
long. Last fall I made sweet pickles of green to-
matoes, and made piccalilli also, making both the
usual way, but using honey vinegar. They were
put in the cellar in open stone jars, and are as good
now as when first made. I have made tomato
pickles with cider vinegar, and had them spoil in a
few weeks; but these have given me no trouble
whatever. I have not been successful with cucum-
ber pickles until this winter. I always put them
into cold vinegar after freshening, fixing only a
quart at a time, as I knew they would get a white
scum on them, and soon spoil. This fall I freshened
nearly two gallons, and scalded them in the vinegar
with a little sugar, enough whole cloves to give a
spicy taste, and a small lump of alum. They are
even better than when first pickled, I think, and
the vinegar is as clear and strong as ever. The su-
gar gives the vinegar something to work on, and so
keeps up its strength. The cloves keep the white
scum from forming, and the alum hardens the
pickles, making them brittle. Alice Fellows.

Broadhead, Wis., Jan. 21, 1889.

HONEY VINEGAR; 10 BARRELS OF IT.

I am very; much interested in bee culture (as I
should be) since I have lately linked my fortune
with those of an apiarian. Last year Mr. Ludden
made a barrel of honey vinegar, by way of trial;
and all who tried it came for more, consequently
this year we have ten barrels on hand. Now, in re-
ply to Emily E. West's article: When I came here
I found that a jar of cucumber pickles on which
Mr. L- had been experimenting were faring the

same as yours had. Boiling does not destroy the
virtue of the vinegar, and perhaps so doing before
putting on the pickles would overcome the difficul-
ty. How old was the vinegar you used ?
Shelby, Iowa, Jan. 21, 1889. Lula Ludden.

The vinegar we used was white-wine vin-
egar ; but I have been told since that it was
not strong enough to make pickles to keep
through the summer.

SAVEET CLOVER.

I received a copy of Gleanings, Jan. 1st, shortly
after I had written my last, and noted foot-notes on
my article. I am afraid you are a little too (excuse
me) enthusiastic about honey-farms of sweet clo-
ver. The point here is simply this: that, whatever
dry soil will grow sweet clover, will grow alfalfa, or
lucerne, and it pays better than clover, even taking
the nectar into consideration. Jno. C. Swaner.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 21, 1889.

Many thanks, friend S., for your caution ;
but my idea was, that the sweet clover
would cover the ground if the seed were
simply scattered over it, without any such
preparations as are needed for alfalfa ; and
I think this must be somewhat the case,
for sweet clover makes its way through the
country at large, while, if I am correct, al-
falfa never does. The seed of sweet clover
is so cheap that one might throw it broad-
cast on our unoccupied land and not be
much out of pocket, even if it did not
amount to much.

bees from imported, versus those from
homebred stock.

Do you consider that imported queens produce
better workers than one that has been raised here
from several strains, provided they have been kept
pure? or, in other words, as long as they show
three bands are they just as good honey-gatherers
as lately imported ones? J. T. Rush.

Hesler, Ky.

To the question which you propound, no
uniformity of answers may be expected
from different ones. We think that stock
direct from imported queens, as a general
rule, is a little more hardy and vigorous
than that produced from queens inbred so
many times in our own country. The great
tendency with breeders is to run for color,
i. e., " nice yellow bees," "four-banded
bees," etc. What we want is not color, not
bands, so much as bees for business — bees
that will produce big crops of honey. Our
experience has been rather in favor of the
leather-colored Italians as houey-gatherers,
and these we generally get from imported
mothers. Stock bred from queens reared in
this country for several generations is pret-
ty sure to be lighter colored ; and this ten-
dency to run to color, as we have already
intimated, we are afraid has been at a sac-
rifice of the real bread-and-butter bees.

A QUESTION OF SETTING CIRCULAR RIP-SAWS.

I am about to use one of your 20-inch rip-saws.
The business is new to me, although I am well
used to hand-saws. 1 have an intelligent neighbor
who has run sawmills near your home. He says
that he sets rip-saws by swageing or hammering.
Now, I admit we can get a very even set that way;
but it strikes me that the hammering ruptures the

136

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

metal, makes it brittle, prevents it holding an edge,
and makes it hard to file. I should like your opin-
ion. I have read the ABC, but it doesn't cover
this particular point. I like the plan there given
best. 1 am making a saw-table, somewhat under
this neighbor's directions. Wm. Young.

Palmyra, Neb., Jan. 18, 1889.

Large heavy saws can be set by hammer-
ing, but it does not answer so well for
small saws less than \ inch in thickness.
You are right. The hammering, in setting,
does rupture, and not unfrequently breaks
the teeth. We formerly recommended the
Star sawset ; but as the Boynton has given
so much better satisfaction, we shall rec-
ommend it hereafter. Perhaps we should
remark, that the Star sets the teeth with a
sharp blow. The Boynton accomplishes
the same result by simply bending the teeth
gently, but perhaps not quite as accurately,
as the Star. Either is provided with a
gauge, so that any desired set may be used.
The Star set broke so many teeth that we
were obliged to use something else. Since
using the Boynton we have had no trouble
with the same grade of saws that formerly
broke. Both sets are listed in our cata-
logue at 75 cts. each.

WHAT MADE THEM DIE ?

On Christmas I thought I would take a peep at
my bees. I found that one colony had died. They
were clustered, and some of them had crawled into
the combs and died. There was honey all around
them, and I don't think it had been cold enough to
freeze them. They were in Root's one-story chaff
hive. The hive was packed well, and I can not
make out what caused their death; but I could not
find any queeu. There were two quarts or more of
dead bees in the hive. Will some of you tell me
what caused their death? J. W. Rupert.

Foxburg, Pa., Jan. 30, 1889.

It is difficult to decide just what did
cause the death of the colony in question.
In the absence of a queen, a colony is more
apt to die. They seem to get the idea into
their heads that, without a mother in the
house, life is not worth living. Bad stores
might have been the cause of their death.
If so, then their hive ought to show some
signs of dysentery.

HOUSE -APIARIES, HEXAGONAL, SQUARE, OR OB-
LONG.

I expect to build a bee-house this season, and
write to ask if you have had any experience with
bees in such a house as I propose to build.

operator can have the extractor, etc., in the
center of the building, and the steps he
would be obliged to take are reduced to a
minimum. Another thing, bees will iind
their entrance better in such a structure.
We suppose you are aware that house-apia-
ries have been discarded by the majority of
bee-keepers. You will find their ad-
vantages and disadvantages are very well
and fully covered in the A B C of Bee Cul-
ture.

1 think this arrangement will work, but I desire
to get all the information I can, before building.
The squares show the hives. The spaces between
the hives are 30 inches, from entrance to entrance.

Westminster, S. C, Jan. 14, 1889. R. E. Mason.

Friend M., your plan of a bee-house would
work, but we would suggest that one hex-
agonal in form, or even square, is much bet-
ter than one oblong, built as you propose
making. In either one of the former, the

STRENGTHENING WEAK COLONIES IN WINTER.

Would you advise giving a weak colony a quart
or more of bees to strengthen them, or not? Does
the Chapman honey-plant grow and do well in this
part of Texas? What honey-producing plants or
trees will be the most profitable to grow here for
honey and fruit, and also just for honey?

Enoch Anderson.

Comanche, Tex., Jan. 11, 1889.

Friend A., it is hard to advise for your
locality. If the bees are bunched up in a
small cluster, and seem to take no more
space than a quart measure, they are proba-
bly strong enough. On the first few warm
days they will probably expand out enough
to make a respectable-looking swarm.
Some of the strongest colonies here in the
North are so much packed together that you
would almost think you could get them into
a teacup ; but when a warm day comes they
will fill the whole hive. If the colony you
speak of is weak in reality, then perhaps it
would be well for you to give them more
bees, preferably from a queenless colony. —
We can not tell you whether the Chapman
honey-plant would do well in Texas or not ;
probably it would. You had better consult
some bee-keeper in your locality.

CHANGING TO ITALIANS, AND BACK AGAIN TO
BLACK BEES; HOW DID IT COME ABOUT?

Friend Root:— I have for a few years been a silent
admirer of the Simplicity hive and your bee-litera-
ture, and now I feel like standing up and telling
you how happy I am to be a member of your ABC
class, and to be numbered among the thousands
who are so fortunate as to be subscribers to Glean-
ings. Not unlike many other beginners, perhaps,
I have had some failures in bee-keeping; but by
the use of the Simplicity hive and the aid of the
ABC book and Gleanings I have secured crops of
honey which in quantity and quality astonished my
" log-hive " neighbors who are apt to look upon any
attempt at intelligent bee-keeping as a mere exper-
iment or humbug.

The honey-season here for 1S88 was very good.

I wish to here relate a bit of strange experience
with a hive of bees— strange to me at least— on
which 1 hope you will give a little explanation: Of
the four queens ordered of you at different times,
I succeeded in introducing one nicely. She proved
to be a good layer, and soon I noticed my combs
were well filled with brood. A little later, and hun-
dreds of young Italians might be seen in the hive.
The Italians increased rapidly, while the black bees
gradually disappeared, until very few of the latter
remained. Thus far I felt truly proud of my suc-
cess. But soon, to my consternation, I observed
that my golden-banded beauties were gradually de-
creasing in numbers, while the blacks were as sure-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

137

]y on the increase. The result was, that the whole
colony were again black bees.

I can now easily account for the presence of
those Italians in that hive; but where did the
eggs come from to produce this last lot of blacks?

Cisco, Ga., Jan. 21, 1889. W. A. Campbell.

Friend C, I think you must have left a
queen-cell in the hive when you introduced
your Italian queen. This queen-cell hatch-
ed, and the bees, as they do sometimes, you
know, permitted both queens to live togeth-
er in the hive. In due time the black
queen became fertile, and may be both
queens supplied the hive with eggs at the
same time. Sooner or later, however, un-
pleasantness arose, and the question had to
be decided. I think you will find the proof
of what 1 say. by finding a black queen in
your hive, instead of an Italian. I know
this may be the case, for I have had the
same thing happen. I have seen the young
queen and the old one for weeks side by
side, and have also, in a few cases, known
the young queen to become fertile, and to
commence laying, without any couflict be-
tween the two.

0a^ QaEgTO]\i-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent In for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 106.— What is the earliest date at which
you regard it safe, usually, to remove your bees from
the cellar, in your locality? In answering this ques-
tion, make no account of exceptional weather or un-
usual circumstances of some seasons.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

Dadant & Son.

Geo. Grimm.

C. C. Miller.

H. R. Boardman.

April 1.
March 10 to 20.
About April 1st.
April 15, or later.
1st to 10th of April.

From the first to the middle of April.

L. C. Root.
I have had too little experience with cellars to
name a date. E. E. Hasty.

From the 15th of April to the 10th of May, accord-
ing to the season. G. M. Doohttle.

We have made it a rule to get them out as soon
after the middle of April as possible.

P. H. Elwood.

About April 10th; as soon as pollen can be gath-
ered. I would make the date later were I to change
at all. A. J. Cook.

In my locality in Iowa, the first gathering of nat-
ural pollen varied from April 6th to 25th. This is as
good a guide as I know of, when to remove bees
from cellar. O. O. Poppleton.

Take your bees from their special repository, and
place them on their summer stands as soon as you
find that those which have been left out are gather-
ing pollen— not before. James Heddon.

When I read this question, the first answer that
came to me was, "None of your business," and I

don't know as I care to give any other; but if I
don't, then what? Whoever asked that question
ought to ask a few more and then quit. "Make no
account of exceptional weather," etc. Well, well!
the weather is what we go by here, in removing
bees from winter quarters. I think Dr. Miller an-
swered that question pretty well at Columbus. He
said, " About two weeks after the right time."

Dr. A. B. Mason.
I have nothing to add to the above, that 1
know of, except that I prefer to have them
on their summer stands all winter long.

Question 107.— If hrood-rearing in the spring can
he controlled, would you consider it desirable to have
your young bees hatch before the weather is warm
enough for them to fly?

No. Geo. Grimm.

Some, yes. Dadant & Son.

I can never get them any too soon.

Mrs. L. Harrison.
I think not; but I don't think my opinion of much
value on that point. C. C. Miller.

I prefer no breeding till the bees are let out of
the cellar about the middle of April. A. J. Cook.

I am ready to take my chances on them after
they are hatched; but cold weather before is what
troubles me. P. H. Elwood.

No. I do not think there is much to be gained, as
a rule, in having brood-rearing begin to any ex-
tent before March 15th. James A. Green.

I have had the best success in getting a good hon-
ey crop in seasons when the colonies were being
rapidly strengthened by hatching brood when re-
moved from the cellar. Dr. A. B. Mason.

Never mind trying to control brood-rearing in the
spring. Spend your time in a better cause. I do
not consider very early spring breeding desirable.

James Heddon.

I don't wish to see breeding progress in good
earnest until about the middle of March; therefore
I leave the entrance wide open, and make no spe-
cial use of division-boards until then.

Chas. F. Muth.

My bees that were wintered in chaff hives in Iowa
would seldom rear brood until the old bees could
fly. I can not say from experience whether early
brood-rearing is desirable or not; but I think not.

O. O. Poppleton.

It is a nice point to decide, as to just how early it
is profitable to have brood-rearing begin (that is, if
we could control it). I am well satisfied that it does
not pay to have it begin any earlier than it will be
continued uninterruptedly until the bees are set
out. H. R. Boardman.

Yes, I think it good to have the hive populous
with young bees as early as their condition and in-
stincts will admit of it, although there are seasons
in California favoring early breeding so much that,
when a cold snap comes, the cluster contracts
enough to allow one-third or the half of the brood
to perish. In such a case, less haste would have
made more speed. R. Wilkin.

Yes, provided the bees are in a perfectly healthy
and natural condition— and such do sometimes raise
considerable early brood with profit to themselves

138

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

Abnormal brood-rearing, which seems to be merely
a phase of dysentery, is a thing to be dreaded. I
think the young bees so raised likely to perish
without profiting the colony very much.

E. E. Hasty.
They 6hould fly soon after they hatch. I have
known some cases where Italian queens were in-
troduced to native stocks just before placing the
colonies in winter quarters; and when taken out
the first of May they were very populous, and near-
ly all of the bees were Italians> but I think the rule
is, that bees winter best which do not breed exten-
sively in winter quarters. L. C. Root.

If brood-rearing could be controlled, I would have
the bees wait about it till settled warm weather
came, providing that no material loss of old bees
would occur before the brood hatched; but as the
bees are still liable to do as they please in this mat-
ter, as they have done in years past, I do not know
that it is of any use for me to express an opinion
in the matter. G. M. Doolittle.

My opinion is, that the above question is a
hard one to answer positively. I have had
colonies raise brood almost all winter long,
when well packed in chaff, and come out
stronger in the spring than when they start-
ed into winter quarters ; and at other times
I have had them give excellent crops of
honey when no brood was started until some
time in March. Some years ago we had a
very warm, sunshiny March— so much so
that people made gardens, and the bees
gathered pollen in large quantities. During
that spring I had, as a matter of course,
quite a number of weak colonies. Old hands
advised me not to undertake to winter
them ; but they commenced brood-rearing
in March, and gathered not only pollen, be-
sides working on meal, but made such large
patches of brood that I was jubilant. Well,
during the latter part of March or the fore
part of April we had a succession of cold
storms that cut off the supplies and con-
tracted the cluster, until they could not
cover the brood, to such an extent that my
prosperous young colonies were killed out-
right, almost every one of them. In this
case, encouraging early brood-rearing was
the death of them. Had they been kept in
the cellar, or been under heavy chaff pack-
ing, where the sun could not reach them,
and no meal given them in the spring to in-
cite to early brood-rearing, they might have
lived. We should remember, however, that,
during most seasons, if they get along well,
say as late as the first of April, they will
probably be all right. These facts may help
us to bear in mind what may happen.

Question 108.— if one worker-bee, called A, stings
a nullify railed B, does A lose its sting, according to
your observations'/ If not, why?

I never observed.
No. I don't know why.

Mrs. L. Harrison.
Geo. Gkimm.

According to my observation, no. A is careful,
and stings where the tissue is too frail to hold the
sting. A. J. Cook.

I have seen but one bee sting another. A queen
was stung by a worker, and died immediately. The
sting was left in the queen. Dr. A. B. Mason.

|i Not usually, because the sting is not in very
deep. Dadant & Son.

C My observation is, that the bee does not lose its
sting in the above case. It seems to be able to
withdraw the sting. L. C. Root.

If A stings B in the soft part of the abdomen, A
is not apt to lose her sting; if in the breast or
back, she will lose it generally. C. F. Muth.

One bee does not lose its sting when using it as a
weapon upon another bee, because it is sufficiently
strong to do the work without being injured.

H. R. Boardman.

Sometimes, but generally not— very rarely, in
fact. I suspect the sting is thrust into one of the
breathing-holes, from which it can easily be with-
drawn. C. C. Miller.

I never knew a bee to lose its sting by stinging
another bee. I think the sting can always be with-
drawn from any thing not more solid than the body
of a bee. R. Wilkin.

I have not noticed that they lose their stings. I
have not investigated the matter, but have con-
cluded the parts between the segments are soft, so
that the sting may be withdrawn. P. H. Elwood.

I do not know, but I guess not. Professor Cook
will tell us about that. I do not care any thing
about it. It is much further from apicultural dol-
lars and cents than many other questions which I
do not understand, but desire to.

James Heddon.

I have seen them sting and kill, without losing
the sting; but I have seen some trying to pull away
from the one stung, without succeeding. I think
it depends in what part they sting, and they seem
to know it, as may be observed when they are try-
ing to sting each other. Paul L. Viallon.

"He does not, generally, I believe. The power re-
quired to tear the muscles of the sting loose is less
than the power required to lift bee B and pull him
around. Even when the sting takes a firm hold of
something solid, bee A can get it out by whirling
around with a corkscrew rotation. E. E. Hasty.

No. Because the sting does not penetrate deep
enough so that the barbs catch and hold, as they do
when thrust deeply into the flesh of an animal. I
have frequently been stung so lightly myself, that
the bee took its sting with it, after twisting around
a little to withdraw the sting. G. M. Doolittle.

I never knew a bee to lose its sting in stinging
another. I presume I have seen many thousands
of bees that had been killed in this way, but I never
saw a sting in one, pulled out from the body of an-
other. I suppose this is because the sting is insert-
ed between the horny plates of the body, which are
too hard and close-grained for the barbs of the
sting to catch on, while the tissues between are too
soft aud yielding to hold it. James A. Green.

Why, friends, I am surprised at you. Not
one of the whole number, unless it be friend
Green in the last item, has mentioned or
even suggested cases where say half a
swarm of bees are stung to death in a cou-
ple of hours. In fact, I have known a nu-
cleus, containing less than a quart of bees,
to sting to death an absconding swarm of
two quarts or more, that tried to get into
their hive, and the whole was done during a

ls^J

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

139

few hours in the afternoon. Now, in this
case I do not think a single bee in the whole
nucleus lost a sting. The dead bees that
covered the alighting-board and partly filled
the hive were all blacks.rand 1 do not re-
member of finding a single Italian among
the mass of dead ones. In such cases they
certainly do not lose their stings nor receive
any harm. I have, however, seen bees,
when trying to sting a strange queen, sting
each other in such a way as to leave the
sting fast in the dead bee. In such a case I
can not see how the unscrewing operation
can be put in practice at all, for the dead bee
lias not weight enough, and, of course, does
not cling to any thing, so that the one that
stung him has to lug him around or loosen
his sting as best he can.

]5eTEj3 wo QnE^iEg.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTIONS, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

BEES WORKING IN JANUARY.

Y bees were busy at work, Jan. 23, 24, and 25.

working on the hickory stumps where

clearing is being done on my father's farm.

But since that it has been very cold. I do

not mean the thermometer has been 40°

below zero, for it has been down to only 8 above

zero. My bees are in a splendid condition.

Loring, Kansas, Jan. 27, 1889. P. C. Chadwick.

FROM 5 TO 21, AND 1703 LBS. OK HONEY.

I commenced last spring with five colonies of
Italians, and increased to 21 during the season, and
got 1700 lbs. of honey. I have about 40 gallons of
candied honey on hand now. A. Thames.

Blum, Texas, Jan. 2, 1889.

TOWARD WHICH POINT OF THE COMPASS SHOULD
THE HIVES FACE?

What side do you prefer for the bees to fly? I
think to the east is the best, winter and summer?

Deshler, O., Dec. 3, 1888. T. Oberhitner.

[We have for years tried hives with their entrances
facing toward the different points of the compass;
and, take it all through, for a whole year, the differ-
ence is so slight that I do not think it material. 1

to clean tin honey-cans.

What is the best way to clean last year's tin hon-
ey-cans that are a little rusty inside, for honey
next year? P. Mullen.

Green Isle, Minn., Jan. 14, 1889.

[I do not know any better way to clean honey-
cans, where the opening is too small for the hand
to go inside, than to put in some coarse sand, and
shake it about until it scours off the rust. If you
can get your hand through the opening, take some
sand on a cloth, and scour it bright.]

CARBOLIC ACID VS. SMOKE, FOR INTIMIDATING
BEES, ETC.

I don't see any thing in your journal, about the
carbolic spray. I have used it, and find it very suc-
cessful. I never use a smoker now (and I never did
smoke), so I am not asking for one. I find the
spray the best quieter, and quickest for manipulat-
ing, and it keeps bees healthy. J. Dann.

Wisbech, Scotland, Jan. 15, 1889.

[We have tried the carbolic-acid spray in lieu of
smoke. It will answer tolerably well if the smoker

does not happen to be handy; but for real execu-
tion, smoke is far ahead. We have tried a great
many substitutes; but every time we have gone
back, fully satisfied that smoke is better.]

WHICH GOES OUT WITH THE SWARM?

When a swarm of bees comes out naturally, does
the virgin queen come out, or does the old one
come out? Which one leaves the old home or hive?

Bee-Keeper.

[The old queen leaves with the first swarm of
the season, and this rule has but few exceptions; in
fact, with the Italians, a great part of the time the
old queen leaves before the young one is hatched,
and sometimes even before a queen-cell is built, so
you see it can not possibly be the young queen,
when there is not any young queen at all in the
hive-]

eight ok ten frame hives— which ?

In handling my bees last year it seemed to me
that 10 frames in the Simplicity hive were too many,
as you recommend in the ABC book, both
in the brood-chamber and in top story, for the pro-
duction of honey. Do you still claim 10 frames as
the right number in the Simplicity hive?

Edwin Holtkamp.

Bellville, Tex., Jan. 22, 1889.

[An eight-frame hive may be better for the pro-
duction of comb honey; but for a general-purpose
hive, and particularly one for extracting, we should
prefer one with ten frames.]

HONEY-JUMBLES ; SOUTH MISSOURI.

Will you please give a recipe for making honey-
jumbles? Can you or any of your readers give me
any knowledge of the honey resources of South
Missouri? S. G. Palmer.

Tobias, Neb., Jan. 4, 1889.

LThe nicest honey-jumbles are made only by ap-
propriate machinery^ such as is to be found in large
bakeries— at least, that is my impression.— The
only way to find out about the honey resources of
Southern Missouri, or any other particular locality,
that 1 know of, is to look over the reports in the
back volumes of the different bee-journals. If you
contemplate moving, it might pay you to purchase
all the back volumes you can find, and hunt them
over. Better still, tro on an excursion-trip and
make inquiries. }»

I^EFei^Fff Digcea^eiNe.

NO LOSS DURING WINTER, BUT DISCOURAGING
JUST THE SAME.

Y report for the last two years has been dis-
couraging. I feed more syrup than I get
honey; but I am not discouraged. lam
going to hold on a while longer. I have
been in the business four years. I have
now 24 stands in good condition. I take Glean-
ings, and have your ABC book. I use your chaff
hives, and I have never lost a colony yet.
Horatio, Ohio. Jan. 28, 1889. Noah Thomas.

NOT PAID EXPENSES; WHY THE BEES DIED.

My bees have not paid expenses for the last two
years, and I am getting tired of stuffing bees and
getting no stuffing. I was not at home in the fall
when they should have been fed, and some of them
have died with cramp in the stomach. Will you
please say whether you know, by experience or
otherwise, the effect of beet-sugar candy, shorten-
ed with flour, for this fatal disease? I gave them all
a dose of that kind of medicine a few days ago, to
see how it would work. M. V. Ewbank.

Wheatland, Tnd., Jan. 29, 1889.

Beet sugar is not equal to cane sugar for
winter food— at least, the editor of the

140

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

British Bee Journal so thinks. The addition
of flour to the bee-candy as a winter food is
a little risky, even with the best granulated
sugar. We recommeiKl the admixture of
flour, only for the purpose of stimulating
brood-rearing in spring ; but it is hardly to
be advised in the dead of winter.

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school books costing from $1.00 to 31.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret-
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, nowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can nave your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

'E haven't received many drawings
from the little folks yet. Haven't
we got some little artists among our
number who write for this depart-
ment? Oh, yes ! we are sure we have.
Remember to make the drawing represent
something useful, and remember, also, to
make the picture without the aid of papa or
mamma.

PA'S BEES.

My pa has 30 swarms of bees. They swarmed six
times last summer. He has 11 colonies in chaff, on
summer stands, and 19 in cellar. He carr'ed them in
his arms. He has the entrance the whole width of
the hive, and a top entrance. He put the bees in
the last of November. Wilber L. Boyd.

North Monroe, Maine.

HOW PAPA WATERS HIS BEES.

Papa has 28 hives of bees. He saw them gather-
ing pollen the middle of January this year. They
got it from alder-blossoms. Papa had one swarm
of bees last year on the last day of March, and six
more the next week. I will tell you how papa wa-
ters his bees. He lets the water drip slowly from a
barrel on a plank that slants downward.

Cuthbert, Ga. Joe Ddoqan, age 9.

ABOUT A PIG.

Last winter my grandma gave me a pig. I fed it
lots of corn and milk, and it got very fat. I told pa
if he would get me a little wagon he might have the
pig, and so he got me the wagon, which cost $2.25,
and then something got the matter with the pig's
throat, and about two months ago it died. I got
my pay for it any way. Ernest Baldwin.

Stewardson, 111.

PACKING-BOXES.

My father winters his bees on their summer
stands. He gets a box that is larger than the hive.
Between the box and the hive we fill with chaff.
For the roof we use siding, and the whole amount
cost 25 cents besides the work. We never lost any
bees while we wintered them that way, and they
seem to do first rate. Hans C. Nelson, age 14.

Barnes, Kan.

NOT A CARP-POND, BUT A TROUT-POND, AND ONE
THAT TWO BOYS MADE.

My pa hasn't any bees, but he got two colonies
three years ago; and when winter came he put
them in a little underground cellar out of doors.
It got so damp in the cellar that the bees died. He
has a sawmill, and has a lot of saws, and can saw
frames and lumber for hives. He is going to get
some bees by and by. He is going to get some carp
also. We have a good place for a pond. My broth-
er and I made a pond, and caught some trout and
put them in it. They were from 2 to 12 incd.es
long. They would swim around and jump up for
flies. One died because the water was too warm.
Ernest Seaton, age 14.

Ellensburgh, Wash. Ter.

FOUL BROOD AND CHESHIRE'S REMEDY.

Five years ago papa had 46 colonies, and they all
got foul brood. Papa tried Mr. Cheshire's remedy
of "Calvert No. 1," phenol, early, on one, and then
built them up to a full colony. They cast three
swarms that summer. Papa hived the new swarms
in clean hives, and buried the combs of the parent
stand. The past season was a very poor one. We
got hardly honey enough to pay for the work.
Mamma hived all the swarms with the weak ones.
She caged the queen that came out with the
ewarms, and let her run back into her own hive.

Coldwater, Mich. Ida Carls, age 10.

You say in your letter, friend Ida, that
your papa tried Mr. Cheshire's remedy. Al-
though you intimate that the bees were
cured, you do not say so in so many words.
As you are perhaps aware, this remedy was
a failure with us. So far as we can observe
from the letters of our correspondents, it is
not very apt to be a success in the hands of
any one. We should be glad to know
whether the parent colony stayed cured.

WANTS A LITTLE ENGINE; PAPA'S FRAME-LIFTERS.

Papa has 8 colonies of bees, mostly Italians, in
Simplicity hives. He is wintering them on their
summer stands. He put the hives in boxes, and
packed them with leaves and chaff. He makes his
own bee-fixtures. He has a foot-power saw, but he
wants a little engine very bad. I have made sec-
tions and frames alone, and they looked as well as
papa's.

Papa made two hooks to take out frames with.
The ring is large enough to put one or two fingers

Ointo; he puts it under the frames
1 and lifts them out. I thought if I
wrote about it you might send me
a book. This is a picture of it.
Grafton, Vt. George E. Walker, age 11.

If your papa has many hives to make on a
foot-power buzz-saw, I do not much wonder
that " he wants a little engine very bad."
See what we say in regard to foot-power
versus steam, on page 91 of our last issue.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

141

Your papa's frame-hook will answer the
purpose, but we should very much prefer to
use the ringers. We have sometimes used
such an arrangement to '* heft " the frame
—that is, to find out its weight in mid-win-
ter, when the day is warm enough to war-
rant disturbing the cluster. In lifting up
the chaff cushion, burlap, etc., we find that
it saves a little time to use such an imple-
ment. A little experience in lifting up at
one end will tell about how much stores
there is in each frame— consequently how
much there is in a hive.

HOW PAPA HIVES SWARMS ; NO HONEY FROM
WILD CUCUMBER.

My father hives bees in this way: The bees gener-
ally alight inj a, low place; then he gets the table
and puts the bee-hive upon that. He brushes them
down into the hive, then covers them up quickly,
and lets them stand until after sundown; then he
moves them to their permanent places. Last sum-
mer we had a new stand of bees, and their combs
broke down twice. Papa had quite a time chang-
ing them into a new hive, in order to save them.
He makes his own hives. We got only a few
pounds of surplus this year. Papa sends to you
for his supplies. The wild cucumber seems to be a
honey-plant in some places, but it is not so here,
for we raise them every year. It seems queer that
the bees never go near it, as it is so fragrant. I
like to hear papa read your travels to California.

Waco, Neb., Jan. 26, 1889. Everett Phiery.

hive of my own, but grandpa tends to it. I live
with him. Ma keeps house for him, as my papa is
dead. He.died last April. He was sick two years.
I have two brothers— a big brother and a little one.
I live at Albany Switch, a little place between Hen-
ry and Paris. I go to Henry to school, and board
from home. Grandpa takes Gleanings, and it is
always a welcome visitor. I have a pet cat named
Veda. When I call, it will come running as fast as
it can. I like to go to school. My teacher's name
is Miss Lillian Walters. She is tight, but still I
don't think she is any too tight. If we talk one
day we have to write one hundred words; and if we
talk two days we have to write two hundred; and if
we talk three days, we have to write three hun-
dred, and so on. Lounette Carter.
Henry, Tenn., Jan. 19, 1889.

• Your letter is very interesting, friend
Lounette. We thank you for your very
kind offer ; but as we have so many of the
common kind of rats and mice, we shall
hardly want to accept of their white rela-
tives. We have seen them, and they look
very pretty in their cage.

MY BROTHER'S BEES, AND HOW WE HIVE THEM.

My brother takes Gleanings. He had 9 stands
of bees, and they increased to 14. It was a very
poor season for honey. They made enough for
themselves, and we got but a few pounds of sur-
plus honey. My brother left them out in the or-
chard, where they were all summer. He says they
are in good order. The way we hive them is this :
When they are up in the tree, so we can not reach
them very well, we saw the limb off and shake
them under a sheet, and thump on the top of the
hive. They always go in. Once when the folks
were all away but my two sisters (one of them is
fourteen and the other is but nine) and two visit-
ors, we got a looking-glass and settled the bees. I
got things ready for my brother and he came and
hived them. He took a bucket and shook them in-
to it. He covered them up with a cloth, and put
them under a sheet, and covered them up until
they went into the hive. Joseph Miller.

Ege, Ind.,Jan. 33, 1889.

GOATS ; white rats, bees, and other pets.

I have been reading this morning in Gleanings
the little folks' letters, which put me in the notion
to write. We have 25 goats, and one of them is just
as pretty as it can be. It is just 24 hours old. We
have two kinds of goats, the common stock goat,
and the Angora goat. I think the Angora goat is
the prettiest. It is white, with long curly wool.
The common stock goat is black and white spotted,
and it has short wool. Mr. Root, did you ever see a
white mouse? I never did, but Mr. Littleton, the
doctor who put mamma's teeth up, is going to
bring us some; and if you want any white rats I
will try to send you some. Grandpa has 24 bee-
hives, and they are doing well so far. I have one

A HOME. WITHOUT A PAPA.

In the spring of 1887 I wrote to you that, the sum-
mer before, we built a large hay and cattle barn,
and a creamery near the well. We had been rent-
ing the fields for four years, but that year papa
hired a man and ran it again himself. Papa's
health seemed much better. In the fall he plowed
some fifty acres with the riding-plow, which he
hadn't been able to work in the field for eleven
years. It seemed nice to have him well enough to
be out around. He taught me much about farm-
ng; but on Jan. 6, 1888, he took a heavy cold and
Kept getting worse, and spitting blood every day,
and April 1st he died, which leaves mamma alone
with four children, and 1 am the oldest. We had a
sale, and sold off all but what we needed for con-
venience. We kept two swarms of bees. They
were in chaff hives. We have a great number of
hives that we did not sell at the sale. Mamma
says that, as long as she lives on the farm, she will
keep bees. In 1888 we had to rent the farm again
to four of our neighbors. I went to school six
months— two in the spring and four in the fall. In
harvest and haying I worked for 50 cts. a day. I
earned $31, which bought me all that I needed.
This year mamma rented all the farm to our near-
est neighbor. I think it is nicer than to have so
many different men working the farm, because
they seed down their own farm and run down the
rented one. Arthur J. Bossemever, age 13.

Dixon, 111., Jan. 29, 1889.

PA'S SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR.

I have long wanted to get the book, Ten Nights in
a Bar-room, so I am going to try to get it. I will
send you a drawing of pa's wax-extractor. It is a
box about a foot and a half long, a foot wide, and
about ten inches deep, with a double cover. The
upper cover is lined with tin; the lower cover is
glass, both hinged to the box. Inside there is a
screen that rests on small cleats in which you put
the comb. Below this is a small dish which catches
the wax. When the cover is up in a bright sunny
day the heat will reflect from the tin through the
glass, and melt the comb very rapidly.

142

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Feb.

Pa has ~0 swartns of bees, packed in the Wolver-
ine chaff hive, which he makes to sell. He wintered
17 colonies without loss last year. Mamma's name
was Root, and she has an uncle whose name is Hez-
ekiah Root. He lives about five miles from G. M.
Doolittle. His business is bee-keeping. Grandma
Root lives with us. I have a brother by the name
of Huber. He is three years old. I am eleven years
old. Ruel H. Rawson.

Quincy, Mich.

Your drawing, friend Ruel, is very good,
and represents the idea very nicely ; but as
it is very similar to the engraving in our
price list, with the exception of one or two
details, it will hardly pay to have it engrav-
ed here, for everybody knows how that is
made. We do not wish to carry the idea
that you copied your picture from the en-
graving, for we are sure you did not, be-
cause of some little details. If the little
folks will read lluel's letter and compare it
with the cut of our solar wax-extractor,
they will get an excellent idea of the same.
We suppose you know that the wax render-
ed by the heat of sun is yellower and nicer
than that rendered by any other means.

A PAIR OF OLD SHOES.

BY EUGENE SECOR.

The daintiest white leather that ever grew

On the back of an innocent mountain kid,
With laces once red, and tassels once blue,

Make the shoes in which baby's pink toes were
hid.
'Tis true, that these " booties " are out at the toe,

And slightly the worse for wear at the heel;
But new ones never can interest me so.

Nor bring to my heart such innocent weal.

Each wrinkle is prized by the mother-heart,
And reminds her of smiles on her darling's face;

Each stain is more precious than work of art,
For baby's sweet mouth these lines did trace.

For the few happy months while these have been
worn,

My life has been one perpetual hymn;
Since she came to earth by kind angels borne,

My cup of joy has been full to the brim.

While these were worn, the first pearly teeth
Brought as pleasant relief as did Noah's white
dove;
When the first steps were taken, these shoes were
beneath
The precious load of sweetness and love.

With fond recollection I often recall

Her innocent prattle when perched on my knee,
With language so simple, yet puzzling withal,

She charmingly tried to entertain me.

As these little old shoes are tucked away,
And tenderly kept with scrupulous care,

We think of the toddling wearer, and pray
That those feet may be guided from every snare.

We pray that the Shepherd may guard this lamb,
And shelter her always in his safe fold;

May her life, like these shoes, prove not a sham,
And her worth like these, need not to be told.

T0B7ICC0 C@MMN.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO
STOP USING TOBACCO.

First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobaceo in consequence of what he has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

STEPPING HEAVENWARD.

T COME to you with two new candidates for the
j^F Tobacco Column. I do not keep bees at present,
^II but I go to Carlstadt every week to manage a
**■ farmer neighbor's bees for him. He has no smo-
ker, so I told him about your offer. He thought
it over awhile, and then said, " Friend H., I will
try it right off, as I have smoked and chewed to-
bacco for the past eight years or so. I will also
give up drinking beer, to which I have been ad-
dicted for quite a few years. If I start again, I
promise to pay you all it costs."

Friend Root, I have a show to see that he keeps
his promise, because I am out there every week.
He is a farmer, and well to do. If he breaks his
promise I will see that you get your pay.

I am the other candidate. I have given up
smoking the pipe and cigar, to which 1 have clung
about seven years. I do not need a smoker, as I
don't keep bees at present; and I also have a Bing-
ham; but I only want it to Show to friends, and tell
them about your offer, and see how long our prom-
ise lasts. Fred Holtke.

Hoboken, N. J.

Friend H., may God bless you both in
your undertaking. Most gladly da we send
you the smoker to show your neighbors,
and to exhibit as an object-lesson in gather
ing new recruits. Our readers will please
notice that your friend accepted your sug-
gestion as something in the right way, for
he voluntarily, of his own free will, put his
beer-drinking with the tobacco, and throws
them both overboard. You may think that
the heading which I put to your kind letter
is a little extravagant ; but, in my opinion,
leaving off habits which you know to be
bad is one of the surest steps toward right-
eousness that a man can take.

TOBACCO MONEY TURNED INTO A LIBRARY OF 300
VOLUMES.

Let me give your readers who are leaving off the
tobacco habit an idea that occurred to me when I
laid aside the weed nearly eighteen years ago. At
that time I resolved to invest in good books the
same amount of money, yearly, that I would have
spent for tobacco had I continued its use. The re-
sult is truly surprising. I have now a library of
nearly 300 volumes, to which I am still making fre-
quent additions. I have often wondered if our
worthy editor ever was a slave to the weed; and if
a personal knowledge of the fllthiness of the habit,
combined with his good will to all, prompted his
liberality to those who promise " to do so no more."

Mingo, O. I. M. Martin.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

143

Why, friend M., it seems as if there were
a providence in having your bright cheering
letter follow right along in the wake of the
one above it. Who shall say there are not
plain evidences of the hand of God in this
Tobacco Column V May God bless you for
the example which you have set before us
all. No, dear friend, I never used tobacco.
But there is no credit due me at all for not
using it. It did not happen to be in the line
of my temptations. Your question reminds
me of a jovial friend of mine who has a
comic way of declining, when a cigar is
offered him. He replies something like
this : " No, sir. 1 tell lies and drink
whisky, but I never use tobacco." The
laugh that this creates lets him out with a
good grace. Now, I do not want to have
you think that I drink whisky, or that 1
ever did ; and I am trying very hard not to
tell lies, even little ones, either by word or
by act.

OLD TOBACCO MONEY TURNED INTO CHRISTMAS
PRESENTS.

lam very thankful to you for inspiring me to
stop using tobacco; for with the money thus care-
fully saved I have bought for my little girl such
Christmas gifts as not many children in this neigh-
borhood can enjoy; and, besides, I feel much clean-
er and better since I no longer handle the accursed
weed. Ed E. Smith.

Carpenter, 111., Dec. 23, 1888.

Why, friend Smith, yours too is inspiring.
The money that you have been using for
indulgence in a filthy habit has been trans-
formed into useful and wholesome gifts for
your little girl. Another thing, that same
little girl (and may God bless her) can now
climb up into your lap and give you a kiss,
without any misgivings that your mouth
may not be clean enough for her innocent
little face to approach.

A GOOD RESOLVE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

I shall soon be 26 years of age. I am a single man.
I commenced to take Gleanings less than a year
ago. I have purchased 11 colonies of bees, and ex-
pect to keep bees for a livelihood henceforth; but
the worst of all, I have used tobacco for the last
five years. I did not chew, but smoked. At last I
let decency get uppermost, and on the last day of
1888 ] bid adieu to tobacco in every form. So far I
find it no trouble to do without, and, by the grace
of God, I will never U6e it again. I have a brother,
who is 2 years younger than I, who used the weed
for 12 years in every conceivable form, and was a
slave to it. Two years ago he quit it, and has never
touched it since. He is going to the State Universi-
ty at Morgantown. We were the only ones, out of
a family of 4. that used the weed. I do not charge
a smoker for my little self-will, but only ask that I
may have grace sufficient to enable me to overcome
my bad habits. S. Ray Holbert.

Watson, W. Va., Feb. 6, 1889.

BREAKING THE HABIT THROUGH GOD'S HELP.

I tried to quit using the weed in my own strength,
but I failed, afterwards I tried again and prayed to
God to help me and now I neither smoke or chew,
or drink liquor, nor have I any desire or appetite
for either. A. W. Maker.

Urbana, 111., Jan. 5, 1889.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the
firmament showeth his handiwork.— Ps. 19:1.

A NOON -DAY PRAYER - MEETING IN THE
CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CAL.

ONDAY it was my pleasure to attend
a noon-day service in the busiest
part of the city. I got in early (did
you ever know, dear friends, that a
special blessing often attends those
who are first on hand in God's house V)
and was pleased to receive a kindly wel-
come, with outstretched hands. And be-
fore the meeting opened we early comers
had a most pleasant little family talk. I am
told that a man and his wife keep up these
meetings, at their own expense. God has
blessed them, and their income is sufficient
so they can afford to do this work in this
busy city, without ]>ay. Yet, dear friends,
it is not without pay, as the genial light and
love in their faces attest. I was obliged to
leave before the service closed, but a broth-
er followed me to the door, and gave me
some tracts, a copy of which I give below, in
small type.

PROFIT

AND

loss:

IK I GET SAVED I SHALL

Lose

Gain

Sinful pleasure.
Wicked associations.

Holy joy.

Divine fellowship,

Ill-gotten gain,

Treasures in heaven,

Worldly wisdom.

Wisdom from above.

Heart condemnation,

No condemnation,

Doubts and fears.

Peace in believing,
Friendship of God,

Friendship of the world,
Dread of the future,

Blessed hope.

Everlasting punishment.

Eternal life.

THESE ABE SCRIPTURAL FACTS!
Since I may die any moment. I had better reckon
the loss and gain just now.

"What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul .' "

the result of choice is eternal!

Come to the Gospel Meetings

at the

NADEAU BASEMENT,

Corner First and Spring Street.

Noon prayer-meeting from 12 to 1 daily.

Salvation meeting every night.

Sabbath services 10, 3 and 7 p. m.

To Huber.—Dec. 11 —Papa is now away up
in the clouds— in the clouds resting on the
Rocky Mountains. They are a great bother
just now, for I wanted to see the valley be-
low, but I can't see it at all, nor the hills
above. May be, however, we shall soon get
up to be above the clouds. We are now just
about half a mile high ; but in four hours
more we shall be over a mile and a quarter
right straight up. The railroad book tells us
just how many feet high we are every time
we stop.

While we are waiting to get out of the
clouds, I want to tell you of something
else. Last Saturday we were on Long
Beach. It is called so because it is a good
many miles long, and the ocean waves have
washed it as clean as a stone sidewalk. The
water, as it comes rushing and roaring up in
great waves, is full of bright sand that
shines almost like silver. Well, every wave
drops some of this sand; and, what is very
funny, you can walk on this clean sand with
your best slippers, and not soil them a bit.
My friend even drove all over the beach
with three of us in the buggy, and neither
the wheels nor the horses' hoofs sank a bit ;

144

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

and then he drove right out among the
splashing and roaring waves, until I begged
him to go back. While we were there, a
lot of boys and girls came down with bath-
ing-suits on, and they just splashed right
out into the ocean. They woidd just stand
still and let a big wave knock them over,
and one little girl who had a very pretty
bathing-suit and bathing-hat just sat dowL
until a big wave came up, then she tipped
over back, and all we could see of her was
her heels kicking about as they stuck out
into the air, from the crest of a foaming
wave. When she came out she looked as
rosy as could be, and I saw her next day at
Sunday-school. My friends wanted me to
go in, but I think 1 like the warm springs
best, especially in winter time.

Hello ! the old engine has been puffing
and puffing, and now the wheels have slip-
ped so much it is standing still. We are
above the clouds, and they lie below us like
a great ocean. Here we can see the pine-
trees on the opposite side of the clouds, so it
is now like a great lake. A boy in the next
seat declares it is a lake. Now we see lit-
tle "puddles" of clouds settled in the low
spots or hollows between the hills.

Later. — Our old locomotive has had to give
it up— it is too hard climbing. The passen-
gers are all out in the moonlight enjoying
themselves on the mountains. I don't know
what they expect to do.— Later.— They tele-
graphed for a "younger" locomotive (the
other was an old one), and now we are just
making the gravel fly as we climb up.

Dec. 12. — We are over the mountain, but
still 4500 feet high. On my homeward trip
I have decided to try a cheaper way of trav-
el. I started in the ordinary coaches ; and
by sleeping in my seat I have saved $3.50
per day thus far. I slept pretty well,
and, were it not that I should come be-
fore my friends looking worn out, I think
I should keep it up clear home. Last night
I took a sleeper, $2.00, providing I got up at
6 o'clock, which, of course, I should do any
way. A nice clean bed, where I could
stretch my limbs at full length, was a luxury
after a night in the seats. Reader, did you
ever thank God for a clean soft bed, with
plenty of room ? If not, do so now, and
thank him that it doesn't cost $2.00 a night.

This morning, while the passengers were
loudly complaining of the poorness of a
breakfast (here at Battle Mountain) that
cost them 75 cts. each, I enjoyed a most
delicious rerast here in the car at a cost of
thirteen cents. Shall I give you the bill of
fare ? A huge but delicious California pear,
5 cts.; crackers and cheese, 5 cts.; home-
dried figs, 3 cts. The crackers and cheese
were in a large paper bag, set in my open
sachel, placed in the seat beside me, so I
could, by holding my head over it, avoid
unsightly crumbs on my seat or person. In
fact, I finished my breakfast before day-
light. The fruit I got of boys at the stations
where the cars stop. Never buy fruit on
the cars. One train-boy wanted 25 cts. for
three apples, and was abusive because I told
my neighbor that, in Ohio, we could get a
bushel for 25 cts. I did not mean the boy
should hear me. There is certainly a great

wrong in this matter of "daily bread "in
traveling. When I first arrived at Los An-
geles it was 11 o'clock at night, and raining
hard. The hotel right at the station, and in
which the Southern Pacific have located
their ticket-offices and waiting-rooms, charg-
ed me $1.75 for lodging and breakfast, nei-
ther of which was first class. A few days
later I had lodging and breakfast at the old-
est hotel in the city, with a pretty room,
lighted with gas, and all accommodations to
match, and yet the charge was only 75 cts.
without the dollar. The extra dollar I paid
was to support a gilded whisky-shop ; and
my friend, the man who sells liquors, may
be expected to defraud and swindle, for he
acknowledges himself devoid of conscience
by the act of liquor-selling. Is it not time
for good people to refuse to stop at any hotel
keeping a bar V At the one mentioned, a
glittering display of liquors occupies one
whole side of the room for the reception
of guests.

In traveling in California I have felt much
better to drink no water at all, not even
tea and coffee. The luscious fruit, to be had
in such profusion at every season, furnishes
all that can be desired to allay thirst.

Noon.— Since crossing the Rockies we find
the ground and still pieces of water frozen
over, and the beautiful gardens have given
place to winter ; but until now we have seen
no snow. Strange to tell, while there isn't
a particle of snow here, right over a little
way, across a sharply defined line, are moun-
tains and highlands perfectly white with
snow. I have thought for half an hour we
must run into the snow soon, but it still
stays just about so far ahead of us Well, I
have found out why it is winter in some
spots and not in others. The white moun-
tains are the highest ; and here at Wells the
snow-line is sharply defined. The snow
comes down just so far and no further ; in
fact, a farmer might plow up to where the
snow commenced.

Near the State line between Nevada and
Utah we see miles upon miles of a sort of
fence, to prevent snow from drifting on the
track. It is simply a sort of board fence
leaning away from the track. They are
used only where the track is lower than the
ground. Sometimes they are on one side of
the track and sometimes on the other,
though 1 can't say whv. At some points
immense sheds, going clear over the track,
and inclosing it like a tunnel, are put up.
These must have cost an immense sum,
even though they are evidently made of
cheap lumber.

Another little mountain is white with
snow, while a great big one is entirely bare.
Both are close by, but the white one is just
a little beyond. Now, as we ran up by them
the white one proved to be miles away, and
ever so much the higher ; yet when I first
saw them, had anybody told me the snow-
covered one was the larger, but miles away,
I should have called it ridiculous. Snow
capping is a pretty good indication of
height, I have often been told, for no one
can tell by appearances.

Six o'clock, and now the monotony of the
sandy old desert is enlivened by the advent

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

145

of Salt Lake itself ; and it is so accommodat-
ing as to come right up close to the car win-
dow. We are to ride along its margin for 3
hours, for it is about 90 miles long and 30 or
40 wide. It is so heavily saturated with
chemicals, principally common salt, that no
fish has ever been found to live in it, nor, in
fact, any kind of animal life. One of the
passengers said it was reported that two
pails or water will make one pail of salt;
but this is, of course, an exaggeration, as
the water of Salt Lake is but 24 per cent salt.
Bathers say it is almost impossible to keep
under water, as it is so dense. After the
bath you must be rinsed in pure water.

Dec. IS.— When I first arrived in Salt Lake
City I did not at once get hold of the bee-
men, and began to feel almost homesick ;
but when I hunted up one or two, and real-
ly let them know that A. I. Root was
" here," it has resulted as many times be-
fore, and I have had a wonderfully pleasant
time. In this region, where irrigation has
to be depended on for every thing, they get
good yields of beautiful honey nearly every
season. The story of its source is really
wonderful. Just listen : Much of the
ground here is so strongly alkaline that
nothing can be made to grow on it ; in fact,
the grass and whole surface of the ground
is white with the alkali. I said nothing
would grow ; but there is one exception to
the rule. Sweet clover will grow rank and
strong, and the farmers have actually been
sowing it for years, and plowing it under to
get rid of the " saleratus " as they call it.
This has scattered the sweet clover far and
wide, and this is what gives them their
beautiful honey, with a flavor that is exqui
site to me, and, at the same time, unmistak-
ably sweet clover. This plant is among the
very few that will live through the long dry
season.

The hives used here are the Kidder and
crosswise L., mostly ; but one friend, Mr.
George Woodmanse, is succeeding beauti-
fully with the new Heddon hive. He makes
them himself, however, and he is a remark-
ably fine mechanic. The sample hive sent
him by the inventor was not as accurately
made as his own.

Dec. 14.— Although it rains, I have had
the pleasure this morning of seeing a snow-
storm on the mountains while it rained in
the valley. How kind and friendly every-
body seems ! It was some time before ' I
found any of the bee-men in Salt Lake, and,
as I have just said, I began to get a little
homesick. Mr. Swaner we found putting
up a stovepipe — at least, that was what
was told us. We sent word for him to
finish his job and then come out in the apia-
ry. When introduced to A. I. Boot he said
he wasn't going to be mad about the stove-

Eipe a bit longer, and he was now very glad
e didn't swear when it bothered him. We
found Mr. Taufer laying a stone wall
for a cellar ; but he too dropped his tools,
got leave to lay off, and we then went for
all the rest of the bee-men. We got to
friend Woodmanse's just at supper time;
and when 1 mildly protested because they
commenced to make a change in their sup-
per arrangements he replied, " Please don't

be anxious ; we don't have A.I. Root here
every day." When his mother asked me to
give thanks, 1 tell you I got over being
homesick entirely. Now, please don't feel
hurt, dear friends, when I say it has been a
great privilege, during this visit, to hear a
blessing asked at the table. If no one else
is near to ask it, I am glad to do it in my
own way and after my own fashion. I like
to thank God for our daily food, and I like
to ask him to let his blessing rest on every
household where I am entertained ; and I
like to ask it out loud too. Just a simple ac-
knowledgment to the great Creator of the
universe, it seems to me, can offend no one.

Well, during this visit it is not the people
only who have been friendly, but the great
sun, the clouds, and the mountains— yes, the
winds and the rain too, seemed pleased to
see me. I got interested in the clouds and
mountains in New Mexico, you remember.
Well, they got up a cloudburst for my
entertainment. Then at Glendale the sun
and rain seemed to have planned together
to get up that beautiful rainbow when I
was hunting that Methodist Sunday-school.
Well, this morning, after I got on the cars,
and was admiring the snowstorm on the
mountains, the old sun seemed to say :

" I wonder if I can't lend a hand so as to
please brother Root ; " and in a twinkling
he looked through a rift in the clouds and
illumined the snowstorm, and made the
mountains glitter like frosted silver; then,
by way of contrast, he shone on the grass in
the valley, and then skipped to the other
side of the car and made Provo Lake shine
so like molten silver that I almost jumped
from my seat in astonishment and surprise.
This is a most beautiful fresh-water lake of
perhaps half the size of Salt Lake. Now, to
go back, did any photographer or artist ever
"• take " a mountain with the sun shining
through the clouds, during a snowstorm ?

I have not seen a snowflake (close by)
since I left home ; but just now the cars
have taken a turn and started through a
pass in the mountains. As soon as we got
partly in, I knew of another reason why
snow is on some mountains and not on oth-
ers—the wind has a hand in the matter. In
fact, wherever the east wind came through
the gap, and struck, the ground was frozen.
A range of mountains makes winter on one
side and summer on the other. When we
got through, the ground was all white; and
as we ascended the canyon the streams be-
gan to be frozen over. Well, we have been
several hours running up this canyon to the
summit ; that is, to the point where the
mountain stream ends and a new one com-
mences on the other side of the range. You
can scarcely imagine with what interest I
watched the whole matter. When we
started up the canyon the stream was al-
most a river ; but it gradually dwindled
down until I saw it disappear entirely, and
nothing: was left but some willow-like bush-
es. While I was watching for another
stream and canyon to start down the oppo-
site side of the mountain, the cars ran into
a snow - shed and stopped observations.
These snow-sheds were almost as tight
and dark a? a tunnel. The conductor said

146

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

they had closed it up for winter. When we
got out of the tunnel the new canyon had
commenced, or, rather, one ran into the oth-
er. On the extreme summit of the range of
mountains there was quite a piece of ground
that was comparatively level, covered with
pine-trees. Of course, the cars ran through
the lowest point, so that there was no
chance to look miles
off and down into the
great valley. And not
once, in climbing
these great mountain
ranges have I seen a
place to look clear in-
to the lowermost val-
ley. One mountain
peak rises above an-
other so gradually
that, even if you get
to the top of "a peak
(which one never does
on the cars) you see
but little more than
neighboring peaks.
When a single moun-
tain rises out of the
plain you can easily
get a view of said
plains; but not so
with the peaks of a
mountain-range. Sin-
gle peaks seldom go
over a quarter of a
mile above the plains,
while mountain
ranges are two or
three miles higher
than the sea - level.
Going up the moun-
tains we found many
charcoal-pits for burn-
ing charcoal for the
smelting -furnaces in |
the vicinity of Salt
Lake. The principal
metal ores worked are
lead and silver. The
charcoal is burned in
permanent kilns, re-
sembling an egg in
shape, with the large
end down.

Just before dark we
came to the wonder-
ful rocks called Castle
Gate, close by the sta-
tion of the same name.
A very good-looking
wall with straight and
almost smooth sides,
juts out from the
mountain, and comes
close up to the track.
Now, there is nothing
so very wonderful
about this were it not

for the fact that this wall is from 500 to 800
feet high; still stranger, a sort of tower runs
up its straight outer edge, and this is further
ornamented by an enlargement on the ex-
treme top, resembling a turret. On the op-
posite side of the track, but a little further
up, is a similar one, smaller in size. If
viewed from the right spot, it is exactly like

a picture which is made from a photo-
graph. By the dim light of the moon we
had. a little further on. several views of the
terraced mountains. These have a flat top,
some of them a mile or two long, and per*
haps half as wide, and, stranger still, the
sides are beautifully terraced with a series
of level shelves clear around. These shelves

CURRECANTIS NEEDLE AND THE BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON.

may be 25, 50, or 100 feet from step to
step. While the mountain is oval in shape,
it seems hard to believe it is not some gi-
gantic piece of engineering and architecture.
During the day we saw huge mountains,
with their rocky side looking as if some
monster giant had hacked it with a huge
butcher-knife, the hack-marks crossing each

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

147

other at an oblique angle. Other moun-
tains were decked all over with great clock-
shelves, with nicely rounded corners. These
wondrous changes in the mountains and
desert remind me of the way the women-
folks used to make different patterns of
patchwork. They were always'studying up
something new and different, and then
holding it up to see if we didn't think it
pretty. Well, dame Nature has been hold-
ing up lots and lots of things to me in just
that way, and I want to respond, tl Yes, they
are all very pretty indeed.'7 How wondrous
are thy works, O Lord !

Dec. 16. — Last night we passed the cele-
brated Black Canyon. It was in the night
time, and no moon ; but I got permission to
stand on the platform, and, with a little ex-
planation, I got a glimpse of most of it. It
is about 15 miles in length, and the most of
the way the Gunnison River has a path
straight through solid mountains. We can
not say the river cut it, for I am told that,
on each side, the ragged edges of the preci-
pices are so near alike no one can escape the
conclusion they were once united. How,
then, did this great rent come, separating
them from 50 to 100 feet or more ? The
books tell us it was probably a " season
crack," or " check," in this earth of ours.
The water then flowed into the chasm, filled
it up, then wore it more or less by using it
as a water-course. Just about half way
through the canyon is Curreeanti's needle,
apparently a slice, or splinter, that stood
almost between the two at the time of the
great crack. Some of the cliffs are said to
be 2000 feet high, or nearly half a mile.

Just look at some object that you know is
about half a mile away, and then imagine
the rocky cliff in the picture that distance,
almost straight up, and you have some idea
of the scenery through the Black Canyon.
When you stand in front of the needle, and
look at it, you might be somewhat disap-
pointed, for it looks more like a great moun-
tain than a needle ; but, do not be in haste
to condemn the guide-books ; wait a little
until the locomotive takes you around the
curve so you can look at it edgewise, and
then you will find that, at the proper spot,
it looks more sharp and splinter-like than it
does in the picture on the opposite page. A
single sentence from one of the guide-
books, called " The Crest of the Continent,"
describes it better than any language of my
own would do :

In the very center of the canyon, where its bul-
warks are most lofty and precipitous, unbroken
cliffs rising two thousand feet without a break, and
shadowed by overhanging cornices, —just here
stands the most striking buttress and pinnacle of
them all,— Currecanti needle. It is a conical tow-
er standing out somewhat beyond the line of the
wall, from which it is separated (so that from some
points of view it looks wholly isolate) on one side by
a deep gash, and on the other by one of those nar-
row side-canyons which in the western part of the
gorge occur every mile or two. These ravines are
filled with trees, and make a green setting for this
massive monolith of pink stone whose diminishing
apex ends in a leaning spire that seems to trace its
march upon the sweeping clouds. Straight as a
plummet's line, and polished like the jasper gates
of the Eternal city, rise these walls of echoing gran-
ite to their dizzy battlements. Here and there a
promontory stands as a buttress; here and there a
protruding crag overhangs like a watch-tower on a
castle-wall.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly .

-fi^. I. HOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

IvIEIDIiT-A., OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
1» ♦ ■}

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Reading Matter.

TMLJEnDT?<T *£>. , FEB. 15, 1889.

Tin- statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart : the
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 19: 8.

"METHOD op rearing early queens."
This is the title of an 8-page pamphlet, written
by G. M. Doolittle, and published by E. L. Pratt,
Marlboro, Mass., editor of the Queen Breeder's Jour-
nal. The plan is succinctly stated, and will pro-
duce good queens. The price is 5 cts., and the work
can be obtained of the publisher.

ANOTHER ENGLISH BEE-BOOK.

The " Book of Bee-keeping" is the title of a new
work by W. B. Webster, and published by L. Pi-
cott Gill, 170 Strand, VV. C, London, England. The
book contains 98 pages. The matter is well ar-
ranged and illustrated, and fully up to the times.
It is sold at the very low price of one English
shilling, or 25 cents of our money. It can be ob-
tained of the publisher, as above.

DEATH OP WILLIAM RAITT, EDITOR OP THE BEE-
KEEPERS' RECORD.

Our good friend laid down the cares of this life,
in obedience to the call of the Master, Jan. 9. An
extended notice of his death should have appeared
in this issue, but it is unavoidably left out. Friend
Raitt was not only widely known and loved in Eng-
land, Ireland, and Scotland, but, by his genial writ-
ings, to a considerable extent throughout the
United States. He loved bees, but he loved his
Maker and his fellow-men more; and while we feel
sad to lose him from among us, we can rejoice that
what is our loss is his gain.

THE GOVERNMENT SEED BUREAU, AND THE PROS-
PECTS OF ITS BEING ABOLISHED.

We notice by the Boston Herald of Feb. 1 an ex-
pose of some of the frauds connected with the mat-
ter to which I have alluded on page 000. We ex-
tract as follows:

Mr. Burnett showed that, through the members
of the House, there were distributed last year
253,739 packages of turnip seed, and of other seeds
the following number of packages: Tobacco, 89,107;
grass seeds, 9679; cotton, 4023; corn, 39-13; sugar
beet, 2992; sorghum, 2750; oats, 2(198; quarts wheat,
354; quarts millet, 26.

Turnip seed was the cheapest in the lot. That
was the reason why it has been in such quantities.
Millet, one of the most valuable of the fodder
plants, which has only within the past few years
attracted attention, was scarcely used at all.

We also take the following:

Unless the action of this morning is rescinded at
a future meeting of the committee, or the bill
amended in the house, there will be but one more
year of the present bad practice of distributing
seeds through the medium of members of Congress.

Now, I want to call attention to the matter of dis-
tributing seeds of tobacco; and I also want to take
our agricultural papers to task for publishing ar-

148

GLEANINGS lN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

tides on tobacco-growing'. At the same time, and
in the very same paper in which these articles are
published, the editors frequently give us editori-
als in reference to the harm that tobacco is doing
in our nation. Well, where is the consistency in
passing laws to prohibit the use of tobacco among
minors, and at the same time distribute 89,10" pack-
ages of seed? In the same line, how can an editor
warn his readers against the pernicious effects of
tobacco, and then in another column give long ar-
ticles teaching how to grow crops of it successfully?
If new and valuable seeds are turned over to our
experiment stations iu all the different States,
they will, without doubt or question, do good. I
feel under great obligations, not only for seeds I
have received from our experiment station, but
for the help they have given me all along in my
work of testing garden seeds.

THE ROCKY-MOUNTAIN BEE-PLANT.

Samuel Wilson, in his seed catalogue for the
present season, gives a picture of what he calls the
Mexican honey-plant, or cleome integrifolia, and la-
bels it the greatest discovery of the modern age
Now, there may be different varieties of cleome in-
tegrifolia ; but the blossoms pictured in the above
catalogue have very little resemblance to our well-
known Rocky-Mountain bee-plant. We have raised
this plant for years on our grounds, and, as our
readers are very well aware, we have for years
sold the seed at 5 cents per package. As friend
Wilson has always been considered a good and re-
sponsible seedsman, we can hardly understand why
he should make this mistake. Very likely, how-
ever, it is no worse a mistake than many of the col-
ored pictures of some of our new vegetables. In
the first place, the picture is not at all correct, as
compared with the cleomes that grow in our gar-
dens; neither is it like the Rocky-Mountain bee-
plant that I found growing in its native state on the
Rocky Mountains. The illustration shows the
flowers literally dripping with honey. This, too, is
a great exaggeration. The plant bears honey in
the morning, much as the spider plant does; but I
am sure never in any locality just as it is pictured.
The leaves and unopejied blossoms are pictured very
correctly. We quote the following from the clos-
ing remarks in regard to it:

Mr. Jesse Frazier, one of the largest apiarists in
the United States, and one of the most prominent
and reliable citizens of Fremont Co., Colorado,
says: " No other plant known to the civilized world
can vie with the cleome integrifolia in producing
honey as food for bees. And no other honey is as
clear and of as good quality." He further says, " I
have frequently weighed my bee-stands for a
number of mornings and evenings, and found
many of them to increase as much as 9 lbs. a day."

Still further on he says :

As yet the seeds of this valuable plant are very
scarce. Our agent, after traversing the mountains
of Mexico for nearly two months, procured only
about 100 pounds. Single packet, 25 cts. ; 5 packets,
$1.00. Each packet will have direetions for culti-
vating, and contain seed enough to plant a row 60
feet long, which will produce sufficient honey for
one colony of bees.

Now, it is possible that Mr. Frazier has, in Colora-
do, received as much as 9 pounds of honey in a day
from a single colony, all gathered from the Rocky-
Mountain bee-plant; but it is a mistake in saying
that a row of plants B0 feet long will produce suf-
ticeint honey for a colony of bees; neither are the
seeds scarce or high-priced. Many of our subscrib-
ers have wanted to sell us the seed for several

years past, and the price has at no time been more
than 15 cents an ounce or $1.25 a pound. We are
told that other catalogues have the same colored
plate and the same string of extravagant state-
ments.

{SPECIAL ]^0¥ICEg.

ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF PUMPKIN SEEDS.

Last year we sold pumpkin seeds for $1.50 per
bushel; but as we are not able to buy them at that
price now, we have been obliged to advance the
price to 75 cts. per peck, or $2.50 per bushel.

Prof. Cook has just finished an appendix to the
Maple Sugar book, which will be pasted in the back
of all that are sold after this date. Our customers
who have already purchased the above work can
have the appendix by making application on a pos-
tal card.

HENNIS' FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRESS.

On pages 130 and 131 of this number is a descrip-
tion of the above utensil. In giving the price of it,
however, the types say 25 cents, when it should be
35. Please remember this advance of 10 cents when
you order.

DISCOUNTS FOR EARLY ORDERS.

Any of our readers intending to purchase sup-
plies soon will do well to notice that the special dis-
counts we allow for early orders are good only un-
til March 1st, two weeks longer. If you have de-
cided upon what you want, take advantage of the
discounts by ordering at once. Your orders will
receive prompt and careful attention, and you will
get your goods in ample time to have them ready
for the bees.

AMERICAN CHESTNUTS.

As these were very plentiful during the past sea-
son in our vicinity, they are now offered at lower
prices than ever known before. To the friends who
live where chestnuts do not grow, and are not com-
mon, they may be quite a novelty. They will sure-
ly please the children, if nobody else. We can, un-
til further notice, furnish them at 5 cents a pint;
8 cents a quart; 50 cents a peck, or $1.75 a bushel.
If wanted by mail, add 10 cents a quart. To show
you that they are good, we will mail you a sample
package for 5 cents.

WANTED— AN EARLY YELLOW PUMPKIN.

Every season we have a demand for pumpkins—
that is. the old-fashioned yellow ones— long before
we can get them; and last year the people of our
town would pay a bigger price per pound for a yel-
low pumpkin than they would for a Hubbard
squash or even for a watermelon. Now, then, who
has got the seed of a small-sized early pumpkin?
Why, I have actually been thinking of starting
some pumpkin-vines in the greenhouse, so as to
have yellow pumpkins on the market before any
farmer could bring them in. By accident we had a
few extra early ones two or three years ago. They
grew on the "New Agriculture " grounds. They
sold readily at good prices, before any were to be
had elsewhere; but it did not then occur to me that
there was an opening for a new industry. Now,
our people say they would rather have a yellow
pumpkin to make pies of than any sort of squash,
so do not offer us a squash, saying it is just as good.
It would not fill the bill unless it looks like a pump-
kin and is a pumpkin. Now, I have much faith that
Gleanings will find something that will just fill
the bill— just see if it doesn't.

PRICE LISTS RECEIVED.

Price lists have been received from the following:
Frank A. Eaton, Blulfton, ().. sends out a price list of fowls,
bees, and queens.

E. Kretchmer, Coburg, la,, sends us a list of bee-supplies in
general.

H. E. & E. L. Pratt, Marlboro, Mass., send out a list of Italian
and Carniolan queens.

J. W. K. Shaw & Co., Loreauville, La., have issued their reg
ular list of Italian queens, etc.

J. Nebel & Son, High Hill, Mo., send out an 8-page list of Ital-
ian bees and queens.

F. A. Snell. Milledgeville, 111., issues a lfr-page list of supplies,
Italian bees, etc.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

149

J. E. Shaver, Friedens. Va., sends us a 24-pai;e list of bee-
keepers' supplies.

B. F. Carroll. Blooming Grove. Texas, sends us a 4-page list
of poultry and Cyprian bees.

We have just printed for J. P. Caldwell, San Marcos, Texas,
a 6-page list of bees, queens, and supplies.

Our printers are now at work on Oliver Foster's annual price
list of bees and supplies. Send for a copy, send for a copy.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The bee-keepers of Buchanan County, Mo., met at Agency
Ford, on the 2d instant, and organized the Agency Bee-keep-
ers' Association. Our next meeting will be held on the last
Saturday in March. J. G-. Graham, Sec'y.

The eleventh annual meeting of the Texas State Bee-keep-
ers' Association will be held at the bee-farm of Vice-president
W. R. Graham. Greenville, Texas, May 1 and 2, 1889.

B. F. Carroll, Pres't.

<KALSIKE.X>

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ; BEST OF SEED.

-jALSO garden seeds.*-

C. M. GOODSPEED, 4tfd THORN HILL, N. Y.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kakim.s.

BEES FOR SALE!

Colonies, Nuclei,
Queens (Tested and
Untested), at living
rates. Send for cir-
cular and price list to

C. C.VAUGHN Si CO.,
Columbia, Tenn.

PURE ITALIAN BEES & QUEENS,

Full colonies and nuclei, per frame, 60c. Tested
queens, $2 00; after June 1, §1.50. Untested queens,
11.00; after June 1, 75c. Remit by postoffice money
order, registered letter, or draft on New York. For
any other information, address

C. W. JONES & CO.,
4-9d Bryant Station, Maury Co., Tenn.

Erin responding to this advertis

jnt mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

CHE^V3e»mt THAN EVER.

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICE.

FOUNDATION for brood-chamber, 30 cts. per lb.
4 5-6d W. T. LYONS, Decherd, Tenn.

FORSAM.

About 20 Colonies of Good Italian Bees

IN ROOT'S PORTICO HIVE.

Will close out at a bargain. Reason for selling,

away at school.
4-5d

D. H. TOWNLEY,
Elizabeth, Union Co., N. J.

Beautiful Laced Wyandottes.

Eggs tor Hatching, $1.00 Cor 13; $2.00
tor 30. Orders Rooked Now.

3tfdb J. W. GEISWOLD. ROSE, WAYNE CO., N. Y.

B J. MILLER dL CO.,

NAPPANEE, - ELKHART CO., - IND.,

MANUFACTURERS OF

BEE-HIVES and SUPPLIES.

Sections, T-tin cases, shipping-crates, metal cor-
ners, etc. Five per cent discount on supplies in
Jan. and Feb. Price list free, Send for one. ltfdb

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS.ETG.

WE make the best beehives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4^4x4^4 sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.

^P~Parties wanting 3000 or more, write for spe-
cial prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Cata-
logues free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb
C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

(tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Imrian supplies cheap.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

MISTAKEST

In the BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW for Feb., the
veterans " own up " to the mistakes they have
made, and point out those being made at present
by other bee-keepers. This number also has a long
article from Byron Walker, showing how bees may
be obtained in the spring very cheaply, and in large
quantities from the South.

Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a year. Samples
free. Back numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613 Wood St. Flint, Mich.

E3P*In responding to tl.i . advert) ement mention Gleanings.

CLOSING-OUT SALE!

I am going to Montana, and will therefore sell at
low figures my apiary of 75 colonies of Italian bees,
in lots or by the single hive; several hundred emp-
ty combs, L. size; empty hives; a few new Clark
smokers; one Dunham 12-inch foundation-mill; one
Novice honey-extractor; one 4-h. p. engine and
boiler; one 10-h. p. engine and boiler; one 12-inch
planer; one saw-table and mandrel, with 4 saws;
one saw-table with 4 grooving-saws and jointer at-
tachment; one light table with mandrel and one
saw; one 16-foot l]g turned shaft, with 4 wood bear-
ings; 4 wood pulleys; one counter-shaft, 6 ft., 1>2
inch, with 4 wood pulleys; all are split pulleys, and
just ns good as iron ones; leather and rubber belt-
ing; also one No. 7 Wilson bone-mill, all wearing
parts new last spring, run but little since. It is a
paying machiue. Also 40 bushels Japanese buck-
wheat for seed. Write for what you want, and I
will give full particulars with prices. I want all
sold by April 1. A. A. Fradenburg,

4tfdb Port Washington, O.

DAD ANT'S FOUNDATION PA0T0E7, WHOLESALE and RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column. 3tfbd

BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS7

Order ynur supplies from a railroad center, and
save freight. Goods sold as cheap as elsewhere.
Send for price list free.
2tfdb W. D. SOPER, Jackson, Mich. Box 1473.

j-3 ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS EARLY.

-♦rj Imported Ital. queen (1888 Imp.) $5 50

^2 Tested " " 2 25

Untested " " $1 00 | three 2 75

_cs 1 Sim. frame Nucleus, y2 lb. bees 1 25

gl ' 1 " " 1 75

cd2 " " '• 1 " " 2 00

S 2 " " " 2 " " 2 80

Ten percent discount to all who send orders
*5 so early as to reach me 20 days before they wish

;w their orders filled. Make money orders payable

«=e at Clifton. S. H. COLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co,, Tex. 3-8db

. i ti i i-.|i. . :<! • " ••: li: if. IK lit lllei.lion ULKAMXliS,

150

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

SAVE FREIGHT. SEND FOR

jBIAY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SAVE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3tfdb Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

t«rin responding I imlveiti»e ■. ..n i: i.,.i ..imni.s.

THE • BEST . HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

If you need any hives don't fail to send for my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and think
I have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
3tdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

(?TIii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanin<;s.

LOOK OUT !

One of the best bee locations in the Fruit Belt of
Michigan. Small fruit-farm (44 acres) to sell — Bees
and " fixings " cheap. For particulars address

J. O. SHEARMAN,
New Richmond, - 3tfdb - Michigan.

t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

IS"In responding: to tiii

nt mention Gleanings.

STRA-CT

GOOSK

3DE"W7

BERRIES

CURRANTS 0 CRAPES.

ADA

L'irge, Late, Hardy, Prolific,
Black IC ISPBGKK1 , Latest of
all in Ripening.

FIRST- CLASS* PLANTS* AT* LOW* RATES.
THEO. F. LONCENECKER,

Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdb Dayton, Ohio.
£^"In resiKHiding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

HEDDON'S
CIRCULARS.

Address

James Heddon

DOWAGIAC, MICH. .

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NEARLY THIRTY TOHS

DADAhTS FOUNDATION

SOLD IW 1887.

It is kept for sale by Messrs. T. O. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111. ; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jan.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallou, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas: J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, At water, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon. Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo. ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co.. Rock Falls. 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford. Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb. : O. G. Collier,
Fairbury, Neb., aod numerous other dealers.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee sup-
plies. We guarantee every inch of our foundation
equal In sample in every respect. Every one who
buys it is pleased with it.

(BIAS. DADANT & SON,
3btfd Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ON 30 DAYS' TRIAL.

THIS NEW

ELASTIC TRUSS

^Has a Pad different from all ja
others, is cup shape, with Sell- na
adjusting Ball in center, adapts g
itself to all positions of the body, while ??
or the baliin the cup. presses back
^^^ the intestines Just. as a per-
son does with the finger, withlightpressirre
the Hernia is held securely day and night, and a radical
cure certain. Itiaeasy. durabloand cheap. Sent by mall
Circulars free. EUGLESTON TRUSS CO. , Chicago, JUL

£5?~ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanini.:..

^TALOGUJI

Bless Your Souls! &^§ss

. »/•.«. r^/ for a seed catalogue,

when you can receive one containing: just as many and very

. probably more varieties and ail new vegetables that are really

valuable, for just JIOXH1SGJ It may have less paint about

the covers, but, great Scott ! we are not after paint, but seed,

fresh and true to name, such as will make with a master's

hand its own picture all over our farms and gardens ; seed I

t am not afraid to WARKAJfT on the cover of my cata-

'ogue. Come, my fellow farmers, and join the thousands,

r vho for thirty years have been users of my seed; why, we

were a goodly company and having pleasant times together

54 before the great majority of the present race of seedsmen (bless

~zjj the boys ! ) had left their nurse's arms ! Send for a catalogue.

JAMES J. H. GRECORY, Marblehead, Mass,

(EF"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleaninqs.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Contents of this Number.

Africa, South 167

Bean, Lima, Controversy . . 1SH

Bees. Carrying 161

Bee-suits 175

Cave, Doe-little's 170

California, My Mistakes 164

Christmas Rose 166

Colonies, Size of.... (Q.B.M81

Columbus Exhibit 176

Contract ion 178

Disease, Nameless Bee lfifl

Drones, Use of (Q.B.) 180

Editorials 190

False Statements 163

Food Question 172

Freight Rates 179

Headsof Grain 178

Hellebore 166

Hives, Large or Small 179

Hive, Dovetailed 188

Honey, How Ripened h'.o

Honey, Shipping (Q.B. ). 180

Honey, Comb, in Winter.. ..169

Humbugs and Swindles 163

Hutchinson, W. Z 161

Oul -apiaries, Distance of.. .159

Premiums on Honey 171

Press Strainer 178

Ramble No. 11 175

Rose, Christinas K'.fi

Rye Flour 179

Silk-moths 170

Spanish Needle 162

Square v. Round Packages. 179

Swarms on Same Place 179

Territory, Right of 171

Tomatoes on Poles 181

Tobacco-book, Hunt's 174

Utah 108

Wintering, Daniels on 165

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

For the benefit of friends who have black or hybrid queens
which they want to dispose of, we will insert notices free ol
charge, as below. We do this because there is hardly value
enough to these queens to pay for buying them up and keep-
ing tnem in stock; and yet it is oftentimes quite an accommo-
dation to those who can not afford higher-priced ones.

I have about 10 hybrid queens which I aim to su-
persede. Send me a queen-cage and I will send you
a queen at market price, less price of cage, till they
are gone. J. W. Key, Willow City, Tex.

PflRNQ A SURE CURE, 15c, prepaid. Address
OUnrad.5-i2db T. G. Ashmead, Williamson, N.Y.

VIRGIN QUEENS.

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in " Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Canadian
He.e Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(cither renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen (value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

( ?'ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaningr.

Hives and Apiarian Supplies.

Pure I. Queens, Bees, S. C. B.
Leghorns, Bronze Turkeys, Toulouse Geese, and
M. G. Carp. Free list. J. W. CLARK,
5 9db Clarksburg, Mo.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION PACTOEY, WHOLESALE and RETAIL.
See advertisement in another column.

FOUNDATION for brood-chamber, 30 cts. per lb.
4-5-6d W. T. LYONS, Dec-herd, Tenn.

INDUSTRIAL

BEES FOR SALE!

Colonies, Nuclei,
Queens (Tested and
Untested), at living
rates. Send for cir-
cular and price list to

C. C.VAUGHN Si CO.,
Columbia, Tenn.

H3Hn responding to this advertise

4-9db
nt mention Gleanings.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL &, WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

_ twin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

For Sale Cheap.

The apiary (140 stands of
bees, hives, etc.), belong-
ing to the estate of Dr. G. W. Young, deceased. A
rare opportunity. Address c 5-6-7d

Albert G. YouNG.iAdm'r, Lexington,'Mo.

nnn C. H. M< I a<l«l« ■■ Still Works 11/ 1 Y
nPflM Good work guaranteed. Send VVAA*
for sample foundation and price "*""
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working-.
4-8db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

S3^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,
4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

LtTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

rFYOlTWANT~BEES,

Please Write for Prices.

4 9db S. A. SHUCK, LIVEEPOOL. ILL.

BEES.

S^-

MELCHER'S

IMPEOVED

EXTRACTORS

FOR $2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address

J.C.MELCHER,

O'Quinn. Tex.

4-10db

G^Tn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling:? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

W. E. Clark's Improved Hinge-Nozzle Quinby

Stnoker. The Rest Smoker Made.
Oriskany, - Oneida Co., - New York.

3-14db ycWMention Gleanings.

HlEiVB^Mu^'^PPLIES;

OLIVER FOSTER, HIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

4^1 C PER CENT DISCOUNTS IN FEB.
aflOO AND MARCH! On Queens, Bees,
£-"" *^ Apiarian Supplies, Japanese ^Buck-
wheat, and Seed Potatoes (30 varieties). Send
for catalogue giving full particulars.

CHAS. D. DUVALL,
3-6db Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

ISTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

j~ ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS EARLY.

-*=» Imported Ital. queen (1888 Imp.) $5 50

i2 Tested " " 3 35

Untested " " %\ 00 j three . . . . . '. . '. '. . 3 75

„ra 1 Sim. frame Nucleus, V% lb. bees 1 35

gl " " " 1 " " 1 75

ec!3 " " " 1 " •' 3 00

S3" " " 3 " " 3 80

Ten percent discount to all who send orders

^* so early as to reach me 30 days before they wish

^— » their orders tilled. Make money orders payable

■aj at Clifton. S. H. OOLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co., Tex. 3-8db

i ii responding to I h i e'me/il menl ion < ;u-..v

156

GLEANINGS IN BEE ULTURE.

Mak.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notioes will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must say you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges.

WANTED.— To exchange 350 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp. Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

:jtfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

ANTED.— Two students for the coming season.
Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich. 4-5d

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

W

W

ANTED.— You to send for my illustrated Price
List of supplies; Bees. Queens, etc. 4-5d

Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange for honey or offers,
about 25 colonies of Italian bees, in new, mova-
ble-frame hives, frames 9v8xl2% inside measure;
8 frames to the hive; also one second-hand Barnes
foot-power combined saw.

Chas. Dorfman, Pittsburg, Tex.

WANTED.— To exchange one American Incuba-
tor, 250-egg capacity, about 50 nuclei, 2, 3, and
4 frame. 20 cts. each, about 50 Simplicity hives, 10
frame, $1.00 each, for horse-power, corn-grinder, or
any thing useful to a farmer. Geo. W. Baker,
4-5d Milton, Wayne Co., Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange Italian bees for timber
or a " Springfield roadster." L. Heine,
3tf dv Bellmore, Queens Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— Bee-keepers in Missouri, Kansas, Ne-
braska, and Arkansas to learn something of
value by addressing Rev. E. T. Abbott, St. Joe, Mo.

4-5 __ .

WANTED! Bee-Help. Will engage on favorable
terms two young men, desirous of learning
practical apiculture. None but strictly temperate
need apply. S. I. Freeborn, Ithaca, Wis. 4-7db

WANTED.— Situation in an apiary for the season
of 1889, from 6 months to a term of years.
4-5d S. W. White, Liberty, Clay Co., Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange one cutter-head, one
dovetailing mandrel with saws, one six-inch
rubber-belt, 30 ft. long; 50 ft. of three-inch rubber-
belting, all as good as new, for bees or bee-keepers'
supplies; also one six-inch Pelham fdn. mill. 4tfdb
Thomas Gedye, Kangley. LaSalle Co., 111.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange my new price list of
pure Italian bees and Poland-China swine for
your name and address written plainly on a postal
card. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co..O. 5678d

WANTED.— To exchange 25 new improved chaff
hives (Root's pattern), packed ready for use,
and about 400 tine brood-combs, at 10c each, for bees.
Correspondence solicited. Address 5-6d

W. H. Swigart, Dixon, 111.

WANTED.— All who are interested in thorough-
bred poultry to send for my new illustrated
circular. Valuable information given free of
charge. S. P. Yoder,

5-6d East Lewistown, Mahoning Co., O.

WANTED.— A woman to do light housework, and
help some with bees. Location in prohibition
town. Religious services every Sunday. **"** 5d
J. B. Marsh, Collinsville, Ala.

W

ANTED.— Japanese buckwheat in exchange for
bee-keepers' supplies or cash. 5tfdb

M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch, Wayne Co., Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange my 20-page price list for
your name. W. D. Soper, Jackson, Mich. 5tfdb

W

ANTED.— To exchange a Whitman fountain
pump for a small-sized printing-press. 5d
J. B. Marsh, Collinsville, Ala.

WANTED. — Position, charge of on shares, or
would purchase an apiary in Kentucky, Ten-
nessee, Missouri, or Texas. Address 5d
Apiarist, Box 226, Williamson, N. Y.

W

ANTED.— Bee-supplies, books, offers, for eggs of

R. C. B. Legh. or W. P. Rocks.
5d W. W. Kulp, Pottstown, Montg. Co., Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange bees in Simp, hives, for
Japanese buckwheat, Jersey cows, single-top
buggy and harness, new; farm wagon, supplies.
L. D. Gale, Stedman, Chaut. Co.. N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange one set of Bunyan's
Practical Works, 8 vols., new; one set of D'Au-
bigne's History of Reformation, 5 vols., new; Life
of Christ, 1 vol.; Our Country, its Past, Present,
and Future, for extracted honey or apiarian sup-
plies. Stephen Roese,
5d Box 91. Maiden Rock, Wis.

WANTED.— A good hand to look after the bees,
and to work in the garden and greenhouse the
rest of the year. Geo. M. Kellogg.

5d Pleasant Hill, Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange Empire State potatoes
for bee-supplies or Barnes foot-power com-
bined saw. Fred Myers, Sharon, Pa. 5d

W

ANTED.— To exchange beautiful pine-trees, 1 to

2 ft., valued at 5 cts., for any thing. Write to

F. C. Morrow, Wallaceburg, Ark. 5d

TO exchange, one set of International Cyclopedia,
edition 1888, 15 volumes; also one set Scott's
Commentary on Bible, six volumes, both in good
order, at bargain, for extracted honey or offers.

A. H. Van Doren, Mons, Virginia, 5tfdb

WILL exchange Nursery stock, shipped from
Garrett's Nursery, Mansfield, Ohio, for full
colonies or bees by the pound in May. 5d

J. B. Mason, Mechanic Falls, Me.

WANTED.— Young man to work at market ear-
dening and do marketing. Must furnish ref-
erence as to honesty, etc. Will have opportunity
to learn bee-keeping and the marketing of honey.
Will pay right party $20 per month and board.
5d W. Hickox, Rockport, Ohio.

WANTED, you to send for my New 1889 Price List,
illustrated, free. Best section-case on earth.
Bees, Queens, etc. Frank A. Eaton, Bluffton, O.

THE RAMBLER

Says to people in general and to bee-keepers in
particular, that he has something to sell. Our
blackboard saves steps all summer, and is a com-
fort every time it is used. Size, lf/2 x 3 feet, and
crayons as long as your finger, all on a roller, mail-
ed for 25 cts. Also recherche (that means boss)
sleeve - protectors, absolutely water-proof. They
are not little stingy things that come half way to
the elbow, but protect the whole arm. Mailed for
25 cts. A whole suit of clothes, weight only 1 lb.,
will keep the entire person clean, ztaust a fit, with
more or less handy pockets. " Handy " buttons
hold them snug around wrists and ankles. By
mail for $1.50. U Several other recherche novelties
and bargains described in our circulars. Address
THE RAMBLER,

Hartford, Wash. Co., N. Y.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTOR Y, WHOLE-
SALE AND RETAIL. See advertisement in
another column. 3btfd

1889

GL^AKINGS IN lJEE CtJLTtTRE.

157

SECTIONS, BEE-HIVES

and SUPPLIES !

White bass wood V-grooved section, $1.90
to $3.15 per M. Parties wanting 3000 or
or more, write for special prices. Sample
and price list free. Address

GOSHEN BEE-SUPPLY CO.

Goshen, Elkhart Co., Ind.

£S"Iu responding to this advertisement mention GLKANINGS.

FOR SALE IN VIRGINIA.

Early Queens, Nuclei, and FullColonies. Also Hives
and Supplies.
Write for what you want. ott'd

J. C. FRISBEE, Suffolk, Nansemond Co.,Va.

Sea-Shells! Sea-Moss!

A 1-pound package of beautiful shells and sea-
moss sent postpaid to any address for one dollar.
Half-pound package, 50 cts. Address

5d MRS. C. W. BUNKER, Oceanside, Cal.

(S?*In respon „ <*j this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

EGSS FOR HATCHING, from choice S. C. B. Leghorns;
can fill all orders promptly, great and small.
Circulars free. A few O. T. C. pigs for sale. 41-5d
Fillmore Decker, New Florence, Westm. Co., Pa.

EAKL.V ©.UKENS. I will send young queens
by return mail from this date, Jan. 25, 1889.
5-6d Mrs. M. A. Needham, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

■mTATnCC Four choice new varieties,

MUIHIULO. SUMMIT, FEARNAUGHT, DELAWARE,
■ and POOTATUGE, 40 eyes of each, postpaid $1.00.
I have mailed potato-eyes as far as Wash. Tor., and
never had a report of failure. A collection of RARE
SEEDS, postpaid, 30c. Send now for catalogue of
SEEDS, PLANTS, BEES, and QUEENS. 5-6-7d

CHRISTIAN WECKESSER,
Marshalville, Wayne Co., Ohio.

ES"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

CLOSING-OUT SALE!

1 am going to Montana, and will therefore sell at
low figures my apiary of 75 colonies of Italian bees,
in lots or by the single hive.

A. A. FEADENBURG,

Port "Washington, O.

BEE^SUPPLIES

AT DIFFERENT PLACES,
TO BE DISPOSED OF AT A SACRIFICE.

These are all new and first-class goods, which, for various
reasons, are on our hands, away from home; and to dispose of
them we offer them very low. If some of our readers, not far
from where the goods are, need them, this is a good opportuni-
ty to get a bargain. Indicate which one you want, by the num-
ber as well as name.
No. 1. At Eureka Springs, Carroll Co. Ark.

100 wide frames, to hold eight 1-lb. sections. Value $2.00.
Will sell for $1.50.
No. 2. At San Marcos, Hays Co., Texas.

5000 prize sections, b% X 6X high. Value $20.60. Will sell
for 817.00.
No. 6. At Lawrenceburg, Tenn.

One No. 1 Honey-extractor, for frames 11}^ x 12J^ or less in
depth. Value $6.00. Will sell for 84.50.
No. 7. At Yorktown, Delaware Co., Ind.

11 Heddon slatted honey-boards double bee-space. Value
81.00. Will sell for 75 c.
Ho. 9. At Higginsville, Mo.

One 4 H. P. engine and boiler complete, used only five
months. Worth new, $275. Will sell for $195.
No. 11. At Johnson City, Washington Co., Tenn.

One homy-extractor that will take frames 11^ x 16, or
smaller. Value $7.00. Will sell for $5.00.
Mo. 16. At Loehiel, Ind.

20 slatted honey-boards to use between brood-chamber
and T supers on Simp, hives, bee space top and bottom as
we now make them. Value $1.80. Will sell for $1.50.
No. 17. At Berlin, Wis.

One 36-inch Exhaust Fan, second hand. It was used about
8 years in our factory. Boxes have been re-babbitted and
the fan is in first-class running order. A new one this
size is worth about $100.00. We will sell this for $25.00.
It is a bargain to the one who i* in need of one this size.
A. I. ROOT, Wediua, Ohio.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Oct.

Select tested $4 00 $3 75 $3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 175 150

Untested 125 100 100

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

12 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address

J. P. CALDWELL, San Marcos, Tex.

E^*In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

Gash for Beeswax!

Will pay 20c per lb. cash, or 23c in trade for any
quantity of good, fair, average beeswax, delivered
at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those
who wish to purchase, at 27c per lb., or 30c for best
selected wax.

Unless you put your name on the box, and notify
us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself
responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen-
eral thing to send wax by express.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

Green Wire Cloth,

FOR

Window Screens and Shipping Bees,

AT

GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.

The following lot of wire cloth is a job lot of rem-
nants, and full rolls direct from the factory, that
are FIRST QUALITY, and the pieces are of such varie-
ty of size as to furnish any thing you want. Price
\%, cts. per sq. foot, for full pieces. If we have to
cut the size you want, 2 cts. per sq. ft.

When you order a piece, and somebody else has
got it ahead of you, we will substitute a piece the
nearest in size to the one ordered, unless you speci-
fy in your order that you do not want us to substi-
tute. The figures on the left indicate the width.

10 rolls, 67 sq. ft. each: 1 each of 66, 65, 64, 63, 63, 62, 54, 40, 27.

24, 22, and 4 sq. ft.
29 rolls of 100 sq. ft. each; 4 of 98, and 1 each of 102, 97, 92, 75,

and 44 sq. ft.
4 rolls of 133 sq. ft.; and 1 each of 132, and 130 sq. ft.
13 rolls of 200 sq. ft. each.

80 rolls of 216 sq. ft. each, and 1 each of 215, 210, and 204 sq. ft.
44 rolls of 233; 3 of 224; 1 of 257 sq. ft.
6 rolls of 283 sq. ft.
9 rolls, 316 sq. ft.

1 roll, 42 inches, of 350 sq. ft. ; 2 of 44 in., 366 sq. ft. ; 1 of 46 in.,
121 sq. feet.

THK FOLLOWING CLOTH IS BLACK.
40 | 4 rolls, 333 sq. ft. each.
42 | 7 rolls, 350 sq. ft. each.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O

JOB LOT OF POULTRY-NETTING,

Small Pieces at same Rate as full Rolls — f ct.
per Square Foot.

Five or more pieces, 5 per cent off; ten or more, 10
per cent discount.

By dividing the number of square feet in this col-
umn by the width in the first column, you can ascer-
tain the length of each piece. These figures give the
number of square feet in each piece.

Si u

O

fc

2

19

2

1.

2

IX

Wr 1

a<

495, 445, 336, 330, 325, 285, 280, 240, 220, 180, 165.
195.

720, 672, 636, 618, 558, 510, 438, 270, 252, 222, 168, 162, 156, 156,
48.
We know of nothing nicer or better for a trellis for creeping
vines than the above netting. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

158

GLEANINGS IN BEE^CULTURE.

Mar.

JIoney (56MMN.

CITY MARKETS.
Kansas City.— Honey.— The supply of honey is
large; demand light: we have no change in prices.
Feb. 23. Clemons, Cloon \- Co.,

Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis. — Honey. — Very dull market. Mild
weather interferes with sales. No demand, except
from local bottlers. Quotations same as last.

Feb. 82. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

St. Louis, Mo.

Columuus.— Honey.— Very little good stock on
the market, and little demand. Sales slow, and
scarcely any moving; asking 17 for No. 1 white, in
1-lb. sections. No market for any other.

Feb. 21. Earle Clickenger,

Columbus, Ohio.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— There is nothing new to
report since our last. No overstocking of the mar-
ket by any means, but demand is moderate only.
We quote extracted honey at 5@8 on arrival. Comb
honey, 12@16, in the jobbing way.

Beeswax.— Demand is good at 20@23 on arrival for
good to choice yellow. Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Feb. 21. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Detroit. — Honey.— Best white comb continues to
be quoted at 16(5 17 cts. Extracted, 9@10; few sales.
Beeswax, 22@23. M. H. Hunt,

Feb. 22. Bell Branch, Mich.

Albany.— Honey.— Like all other produce is mov-
ing off better again at— Buckwheat, comb, 10@12;
clover, comb, 10(5(15; extracted, buckwheat, 6@7;
extracted, clover, 7@8. H. R. Wright,

Feb. 15. Albany, New York.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of extracted honey
in 50-lb. kegs, which 1 will sell at the following
prices: 8c for the white and 7c for the amber, f. o. b.
The honey is first-class. C. H. Stordock,

3-6db Durand, 111.

o<New Orleans Apiary.X

Early Queen Orders booked now for Italian or
Carniolans. Warranted purely. mated and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. Address
4tfdb J. W. WINDER, New Orleans, I^a.

tirin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE S2.00.

For putting together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to vour supply dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport. N. Y.

ES"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

75 COLONIES OF ITALIAN BEES

FOR SALE CHEAP.

Must reduce number of stocks. Send for prices.
Also descriptive circular of the Indiana H atelier
— the best incubator made— simple, self-regulating,
and guaranteed to hatch a greater number of fer-
tile eggs than any other hatcher made.

Address REYNOLDS BROS.,

6-fid Williamsburg, Ind.

i P] i re ponding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

MOYEE'S FEUIT-PICKEE, for apples, peaches, plums,
etc., $1.50. Great induct merits, and exclusive ter-
ritory to agents. Send for illust'd circular and price
list. A. Mktzler, East Lewistown, Ohio. 6-6d

EEDS CIVEN AWAY. ®

P'k'g Mixed Fi«wer Seeds (500 kinds*,
Gl'lDE, and lOct. Certificate for Seeds, your
choice, all for 2 stamps (4c). Flower lovers
delighted. T> 11 all your friends.

C. W. PARK, Fannettsburg, Pa.

fW Be prompt. This offer will appear but once more.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Eaton's Improved

SECTIOKfl- CAS2.

Latest and Best. Send for
free catalogue. Address
FRANK A. EATON,

5 16db Itliill ion, Ohio.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " ' 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

tarin responding to this advertisement muutiun Ul.KANINGS.

CAHNI0LAN BEES.

A young queen, March, April, and May, $2. June,
July, August, $1.50; Sept., Oct., $1. A full colony
in an original Carniolan hive, March, April, and
May, $5; Sept., £4.50. Money must be sent in ad-
vance. No guarantee on shipment by mail. Queens
sent by express, which die in transit, will be re-
placed if returned in a letter.

MICHAEL. AxlIBROZIO,
In Moistrana, near lientrenfeld,
5d Carniola, Austria, Europe.

T M. YOUNG, OF ROCK BLUFFS, NEB., is now
J . moving his apiary to Plattsmouth, Neb. All his
customers and bee-keeping friends will take due
notice, and address him at Plattsmouth, Box 874,
Cass Co., Neb. ■ 5d

LANGSTROm

In the BEE KEEPERS' REVIEW for March will
be begun a comprehensive review of " Langstroth
on the Honey-bee, Revised by Dadant." It will be
continued through several numbers. If you wish
for the cream of this work, to learn what it con-
tains new, to know what few points the REVIEW
opposes, subscribe at once for the REVIEW. The
March number does the best that can be done in
answering the query : " Which are the best bees?"

Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a year. Samples
free. Back numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613WoodSt. Flint, Mich.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleantngs.

FOR SALE.

OUTFITS for making 2-Ounce Shaving Sec-
tions, consising of one Form and a sample
Frame of 20 sections made up. ready to lift off the
Form; also enough Veneer to make 1000 Sections.
All packed and delivered at the Express Office, for
$2.50. Address W, HARMGR,

5d 411 Eighth St., MANISTEE, MICH.

ding to tl

dvertiseinent mention Gleanings.

: --In

T HAVE 80 ACRES OF CHOICE FRUIT LAND
I within half a mile of Sweetwater Dam station,
which I will sell in alternate 5-acre tracts at $30 an
acre, cash; no irrigation required. Address 5d

M. S. Root, Box 711, San Diego, or call at the ranch.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

CHEAPldK THA.TV EVER.

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BEANCH, MICH.

Vol. XY1I,

MARCH 1, 1889.

No. 5.

rERMS: ti.OOPBBANNUM.nr Advance;] T? c,+ rtTJ i Q~h o ri inn 7 R'J '? fc^-bs to different postoffices, not less
2Copiesfor81.90; 3for82.76;6for<4.00; \ JlsOl/U/UObo fl/tsU/ VIV J. O f rJ . th: .i 90cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the
10 or more,75cts. each. Single num- \ published semi-monthly by -1 V -S" and Canadas. To all other coun-

ber 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be f published semi moniml* bx . trie8 of the Umversai postal Union, 18

made at club rates. Above are all to \A I Df)f)T MEDINA f) U I fi cts. per year extra. To all countries
be sent to one postoffice. )ft. I, nUUI, IVI L. U I l\l ft < UlllU. UoTOf the V. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES. NO. III.

DISTANCE APART.

TFyou have only one apiary, you may not feel
41? greatly interested as to the proper distance at
^ll which to locate apiaries but when you come
**■ to locate your first out-apiary, you will give
the matter at least a little thought, but only so
far as to feel safe that the two apiaries shall not se-
riously interfere. When, however, you contem-
plate any thing beyond the first out-apiary, the
thought will likely occur that you do not know just
where the limit may be, and that you may as well
plan quite a little ahead, and then you may become
intensely interested to know just how far apart a
series of apiaries should be planted. If the field is
all clear to an indefinite distance, you can plant
them ten miles apart and feel easy; but then the
distance to travel from one apiary to another would
be quite a serious matter. So the thing you will be
interested to know is the least possible distance at
which they may be planted without interfering
much, for a little interference at the outskirts of
each range, where the flight is longest and the bees
fewest, will be more than compensated by the short-
er journey from one apiary to another. Just ex-
actly what is the largest profitable range to allow
an apiary, and the most profitable distance at
which to plant a number of apiaries, is probably
known to no one, and it is not likely that any one
will ever have positive knowledge about it.
On planting my first out-apiary I supposed I

should have it about five miles away ; but as a matter
of convenience I made it three, and I have gradual-
ly come to the conclusion that three may be about
right— a conclusion that is confirmed by the experi-
ence of others. I asked my friend Capt. Hethering-
ton, "About what is a fair distance apart for api-
aries?" He replied, " Our own are located at about
an average distance of three miles. In locating- we
are governed in a measure by the lay of the land—
the bees will make longer flights, and gather honey
to greater advantage, when they follow the valleys.
I think few bee-keepers appreciate the importance
of this consideration." I confess I never thought
of it before, and I have no doubt the captain is
right.

P. n. Elwood gives an answer that does not con-
flict. He says, " I think about three miles. It de-
pends somewhat on the lay of the land. I have an
apiary two miles from home, in a parallel valley.
Hetherington has one a little less, on the brow of a
steep hill."

In addition to the " lay of the land," other consid-
erations may have something to do with the mat-
ter of location ; but in order to get at a general rule
we will consider the country a dead level, uniform
in every respect. The first thought maybe to plant
an apiary first north, then south, then east, then
west. That will not do. It must be remembered
that the range of flight from an apiary is in the
form of a circle, not a square. In the next issue we
will speak of this same matter further.

Marengo, 111, C. C. Mii-lek,

160

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

HOW DO BEES RIPEN HONEY?

FHIEND DOOLITTLE GIVES US THE RESULT OF HIS
OBSERVATION, AND DRAWS SOME CONCLU-
SIONS.

T|p FEW days ago a friend called in, and, while
9fM talking- about bees, honey, etc., as most bee-
]R* keepers will when they get together, he said
-^*- to me, " What do you think of the idea which
some advocate, that bees can not properly
ripen their honey when it is stored in deep cells
or in old comb?"

I replied something like this: That I did not think
that the advocates of such a theory had any solid
ground to stand on in advocating it; for, unless I
am greatly mistaken, bees reduce their thin nectar,
as brought in from the field, in just the same way
in this, the nineteenth century, as they did thou-
sands of years ago, before each bee-keeper had a
sheet of foundation to place in a section so that
they might have it all so handy for the heat to pass
over shallow combs. If nectar can not be properly
evaporated in deep combs, what have the poor bees
done all of these thousands of years, previous to
the advent of foundation, to get their honey fit to
live on after the first year in which they built their
combs, as at that time they had their new combs to
build, so of course had shallow cells. Then how
comes it that, as a rule, we find a much better
grade of honey in old hives in the fall of the year
than we do in hives having all new combs? for eve-
ry bee-keeper whom I have ever talked with on
this subject has been free to admit, that the best
honey he ever ate came from combs which had been
in the hive for some years. It seems to me that the
reason for such a theory about shallow cells ripen
ing honey better than deep ones has been sprung
on the public from an ignorance of the principle by
which the bees reduce their nectar to the thick
honey which we find in all hives after it is sealed.
Honey is so manipulated by the bees, that the
change from raw nectar to thick honey comes
through the manipulation rather than by its being
stored in shallow cells; hence the depth of the cell
in which it is stored has nothing to do with the mat-
ter whatever. Let us look inside of a hive during a
large basswood yield, and see if we can not learn
something. It is now 2 o'clock p. m., and we find
that, in handling the combs, if we hold them a lit-
tle out of perpendicular the nectar will run out,
while a sudden jar daubs things generally by the
amount which falls from them. When we handle
the brood-combs, an examination will show us that,
scattered all through the brood, are cells of this
thin honey. If we now handle the sections, we
find that, although they are nearly all unsealed,
very little honey will run out of them, and none
from the deeper cells, which are the ones from
which it should flow, if there be any thing in the
theory that honey evaporates fastest in shallow
cells. Now come with me to this observatory hive.
You will remember that, when we were here at 9
A. m., we saw every bee which came in with a load
of honey give it to another bee, instead of putting
it into a cell, as we are told that held bees do. You
will also remember, that these bees which took this
nectar from the field bees seemed to hold it, for we
saw very few of them putting.their heads into the
cells. Now we see them taking the nectar the same;
but instead of holding it as before, we see these in-
side workers putting their heads often into the cells.

and find honey in the midst of the brood the same
as we did at the other hive, while at 9 A. m. these
same cells were empty. By this you see that as
long as the young bees could hold all of the nectar
gathered by the field bees, they did so; but when
more honey than this came in, these young bees
were obliged to place it in the cells, and in doing so
they used the empty cells in the brood-combs first,
which are scattered around among the brood; while
if they are still further crowded they will next use
the store comb; and when the rush of honey is very
great I have known them to put it in an empty
comb outside of the hive, in some instances where
I left such a comb by carelessness, near the en-
trance. Night comes on. and we light a lamp and
go to our observatory hive. Now lie down in such
a position that you can keep steady for quite a
length of time. Do you see those bees which are
facing this way, yet hanging by their legs to other
bees? Do you see them straighten out their pro-
boscis and draw it back again? and do you see that
drop of nectar sparkle in the light when the pro-
boscis is thrown out? What do you suppose they
are doing? Suppose I tell you that they are only
allowing the heat to pass over shallow cells, so that
the nectar may be ripened, will you believe me?
No, you would not. Well, what are they doing? for
you see that all of the bees thus hanging are at this
kind of work. Oh! it has just come to me. These
are the "loafing bees" we hear so much about,
which always hang around in all of the pretty
lounging-places which are left between the combs
and between the ends of the frames and the hive,
which the advocates of closed-end frames tell us
about, which should not be; at least they say so.
Well, joking aside: These bees are evaporating
nectar in the good old-fashioned way, just the
same as they did it when Adam and Eve dwelt in a
garden, when God pronounced all of his works
good, and it doesn't matter how much you try to
help them by giving shallow combs, for they will
always do it the same, just to be contrary, I sup-
pose. Now, come to this hive which has sections
on, closed up at the sides with glass. Don't you
see the same thing going on here, only to a far
greater extent? Many a night have I lain by the
side of a hive, witnessing the bees thus reduce the
thin nectar brought in during the day, so that it
would be fair honey in the morning. Don't be-
lieve it? Well, what are they doing then, and what
is the reason that, in the morning, before any more
nectar of any amount comes in, none will jar from
the combs as it did yesterday afternoon? and why
do we see plenty of young bees putting honey
in the cells in the morning, which honey is of very
fair consistency, when none at all is coming in from
the fields? We must account for this in some way,
and I firmly believe that the process which we have
seen is the way the bees have of reducing their nec-
tar to honey. Of course, the heat of the hive has
much to do with it, for, as the nectar is thrown out
on the proboscis, it needs heat to carry off the par-
ticles of water, which more readily float away from
these small drops of honey which are being thus
stirred over than would be the case were the whole
mass in cells, whether deep or shallow. Now come
into my honey-room and see if you can tell which
sections were full of comb when put on the hive,
and which had only foundation in them. What!
can not tell? Neither can I, except as the sections
in which the combs were are seen to have a little

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

161

more propolis on them; and after years of careful
watching- 1 fail to see any difference as to which
will grow watery, or sweat the quickest; and I know
that I can get one-third more honey from a hive
having comb supplied them than 1 can from one
which has only foundation. All will sweat if the
honey-room is damp and of a low temperature,
while all will be growing better if the room is kept
right. Reader, while the above is not well written
there is more truth than poetry in it.

G. M. Doolittle.
Borodino, N. Y.,Feb. 18, 1889.

Friend D., it is very certain that bees do,
during the night time, get rid of a very
large amount of water contained in the nec-
tar as it is brought in from the flowers.
When the hive is large, and the colony very
populous, with the cracks and joints all
closed, so there is no ventilation except at
the entrance, I have seen a pool of water
collect around the entrance on the alight-
ing-board, sufficient for the bees to fall into
when they started out in the morning.
This occurs especially after a cool night, so
that the alighting-brard becomes so cold as
to condense the moisture from the warm
air that is blown out of the hive by the
ventilating process. Now, although it may
be true that the bees do evaporate a large
amount of water from their nectar by the
process you mention, I can not think it is
all done in that way, because the sheets of
new honey, nearly ready to cap, oftentimes
look like the surface of a liquid, only the
contents of each cell present a convex
shape, so as to look like a lot of beads laid
in a tray. Arranging the honey in this way
offers such a facility for rapid evaporation
that I can- not but think that this is a part
of the process, and I can not see how they
can operate in the same way where the cells
are too deep. In old box hives we some-
times find cells two inches deep or more. I
think it is pretty certain that such combs
are not profitable; for if, during a great
flow of honey, comb of two inches should be
filled with raw nectar, what an amount of
labor it would be to evaporate it, no matter
which way the bees did it, compared with
sheets of ordinary worker comb ! The old
honey you speak of, found in old box hives,
I have always supposed owed this fine quali-
ty to its age, while the honey in new combs
or shallow combs is almost always of the
previous season's storing. Had you attend-
ed the conventions where this matter of
partly filled sections was discussed, friend
D., I hardly think you would be so severe
on those who have had an experience differ-
ent from your own. Old veterans, who sell
honey by the ton, even such men as friend
Elwood, said, if I am correct, they were
obliged to call all honey second grade that
was made from sections partly filled out the
year previous. Of course, a good deal de-
pends on how much difference between first
and second grade in price. Now, I think
the best way to get at the truth of this mat-
ter, especially as it is one in which doctors
disagree, is to get as many testimonies as
we can in the shape of reports from those
who have experimented carefully. There
are several reports in this issue. I am sor-
ry to say that a good many of them have not

tried both ways, and at the same time been
careful to use a few partly filled sections in
every hive by way of a decoy, to induce
the bees, especially Italians, to go above
and store promptly. See the report of C. B.
Jackson, in this issue.

W. Z. HUTCHINSON

AS AN EARLY GLEANINGS CONTRIBUTOR.

JN Gleanings for Dec. 15, among other
biographical sketches was that of the
subject as above. The portrait was a
wood - engraving. Since that time,
friend Hutchinson has had one of those
Ives reproductions made from a recent pho-
tograph, for his own paper. As this is much
superior to the wood-engraving found in our
biographical sketches, we take pleasure in
reproducing it here.

Friend Hutchinson began to write for
Gleanings a few years after it started, and
as he grew up, so to speak, with this journal,
we feel more than an ordinary interest in
him, and a few additional facts concerning
his career as a writer on apicultural sub-
jects will perhaps be of interest. The first
item from our friend which appeared in
Gleanings print will be found oh page 247
of the volume for 1877. This was only a
short note expressing his pleasure over an
extractor we sent him. The next we see of
him in print— at leaBt in the pages of
Gleanings— is in our issue for Jan. 1st,
1878. At this time he began a series of arti-
cles full of his " experiences." These were

162

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

so valuable to the general bee- world that we
decided to make them the leading articles
of the subsequent issues. His intense per-
sonality shines from every one of these let-
ters. Beginning in bee-keeping early in
1S77, with four colonies, we And he made his
bees pay for all such improvements as the
growth of the apiary seemed to necessitate.
As he was paying for a home, he had no
moiiev to spend on " improvements." Most
of the" necessary fixtures, he contrived some-
how to manufacture for himself. All this
he described in his early articles. To illus-
trate how he worked with his bees, and how
he economized, we copy from one of these
early papers, found on page 391, of 187S.
After one year of real experience with bees,
he says at the close of an article :

A SORT OF "HOME" PAPER.

I am a young man who has just bouerht and partly
paid tor a small farm. We, wife and I, are working-
hard to finish paving for our home; and we some-
times have to " figure pretty close," in order to ob-
tain my " bee fixings." For instance, I had long
wished for the back volumes of Gleanings, but had
never seemed to have the money to spare to buy
them; at last, however, by going into partnership
with a neighbor, and earning my half by getting up
a club, they were obtained.

In spite of financial difficulties, under which I
commenced bee-keeping, I have prospered in it ex-
ceedingly well; perhaps my love for the business
has had something to do with my success. I some-
times wonder if I do not think ton much of my bees.
For instance, I wore a suit of clothes last spring un-
til I was ashamed of them, in order to save money
to buy a swarm with an imported queen. What do
you think. Novice? Do you think it is possible for
a bee-keeper to be too devoted to his business?

And there is one thing more that T would like to
ask Novice, and that is, don't you think it is a good
thing for some of us enthusiastic young bee-keep-
ers, that we— well, haven't any bank account? If
we had, we would probably buy a whole lot of bees,
all the "modern improvements," and then— why,
then go into " Blasted Hopes," to be sure.

There, my first year's " experience " is finished,
and if it has helped any one else in their " first
year's experience," it has " fulfilled its mission."

These articles continued to be the leaders
until 82 consecutive numbers were issued,
ending Dec. 1. 1886, with perhaps two excep-
tions toward the close of that year. From
this time on, his name occurs only occasion-
ally, and finally dropped out altogether.
During this time he wrote more or less for
the American Bee Journal. American Agricul-
turist, and the Country Gentleman. Jan. 1,
1888, he started a bee-journal for himself,
entitled the Bee-Keepers'1 Beview. It is hard-
ly necessary to explain the features of the
Beview, as most of our readers, if not all, have
been acquainted through our advertising
columns.

GOLDEN COREOPSIS, OR SPANISH
NEEDLE.

63>/2 LBS. OF THIS HONEY AS THE PRODUCT OF

ONE COLONY IN 6 BAYS, AND 2021 "LBS. PROM

43 COLONIES IN 10 DAYS.

fHE above name is now to be seen on many la-
bels that adorn my buckets which contain
honey gathered from coreopsis, or Spanish
needle. I have added the word " golden" to
embellish the name, as it were, and to give
it a better send-off. Do you not think the name ap-
propriate ?
Something over a year ago I wrote a letter for

Gleanings, claiming that the honey gathered from
this plant is superior to that produced from other
fall flowers, and that it should rank among the
very best grades, and command the same price in
the markets as clover and linden honey. My pecu-
liar location has, fortunately, placed me in a posi-
tion to pretty thoroughly understand the nature of
this plant, and the quality of the honey it produces.
Located at the foot of the bluffs of the Illinois Riv-
er, there is a broad expanse of low marshy lands to
the east and south, from three to flvemiles in width.
These lands are subject to overflows from the river
once a year, which usually take place in early
spring. This renders a large portion of the soil un-
fit for tilling purposes; and the consequence is, the
Spanish needle has secured a permanent foothold,
almost to the exclusion of all other plants; and
early in September they begin to open their beauti-
ful petals, and in a short time whole districts are
aglow, and their dazzling brilliancy reminds one of
burnished sheets of gold. It is now, should the
weather prove favorable, that the bees revel in
their glory, and the honey comes piling in; and the
beauty about this kind of honey is, it needs but lit-
tle "boiling down," and the bees no sooner fill their
cells than they are cured and ready to seal. This is
one great advantage, and saves the bees lots of la-
bor, and makes the storage of honey more rapid.
I had one colony of bees that stored 63i lbs. of hon-
ey in six days; another one, 86 lbs. in nine days,
and 43 producing colonies netted me 2021 lbs. in ten
days— an average of 47 lbs. to the colony. This hon-
ey, though not quite as clear as clover or linden, is
of a golden hue, exquisite flavor, and very fine
body, weighing fully 12 lbs. to the gallon, and, as
previously stated, I can not see why it should not
rank in grade and price on the market with clover
and linden honey.

So far as my market is concerned, there is no hon-
ey so universally liked by the consumers as my
"golden coreopsis; " in fact, not one word of com-
plaint has ever come back to me from this honey,
save one. A neighbor ceased buying it; and when
questioned as to why, he stated, " My children eat
it up too fast." I am now running a peddling-wag-
on, and my salesman states he can sell more honey
going over territory he has previously canvassed
than to hunt up new routes. This certainly speaks
well for this kind of honey. I have sold over 4000
lbs. in my home market this season, and the de-
mand seems to be on the increase; and I believe if
apiarists will locate their bees so as to get the ben-
efit of these large areas of coreopsis they will not
only be conferring a boon on their fellow-man, but
will reap a financial reward for themselves. An-
other word in favor of the coreopsis honey: It is
less inclined to granulate; and at this date there is
but little sign of granulation, while my two barrels
of linden honey is as hard as New Orleans sugar.

J. M. Hambaugh.

Spring,' Brown Co., 111., Jan. 21, 1889.

I believe you are about right, friend H.,
in regard to the Spanish-needle honey, al-
though with us it does not go off like bass-
wood and clover. I do not suppose that
anybody will think of planting Spanish
needle, but we can certainly do as you say —
move our bees to great swamps and marshes,
where may be found acres upon acres so full
of bloom as to make it appear as if the
ground were covered with snow, said^ snow

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

163

being of a bright yellow instead of white.
In traveling on the cars I have frequently
witnessed these great masses of bloom, and
at times it fired me with enthusiasm to get
some bees and set them close on the margin
of these swampy wastes. 1 did it once at
the foot of a lake near us. The bloom was
not as full as you have described, but the
bees built comb and stored honey right
away, when those that were left at home
were consuming stores and doing nothing.
Now, then, who knows where there is a big
patch of Spanish needle i and will you make
preparations to move your bees near it,
when the time of bloom comes V

PERTAINING TO BEE CULTURE.

fUE old artificial-honey dodge has come
up again ; but as the author does not
put any date on his circular, we can't
tell whether it is old or new. The
circular commences : " A work of ten
years just completed ! A fortune for you —
will you take it ? World's wonders ; or,
how to obtain riches ! " There are thirty
or forty secrets advertised for getting rich.
The only one which concerns us principally,
however, is the following :

Artificial, Honey.— Equal to bees' honey, and
often mistaken by the best judges to be genuine.
It is palatable and luxurious; costs 8 cents a pound
to make, and will sell for 16 cents per pound, while
the bees' honey sells from 25 to 35 cents. Agents
make money fast by selling the recipe to boarding-
houses, stores, and private families at $1.00 each.
In average territory you can easily sell ten recipes
a day for $1.00 each, $10 clear profit. One agent
writes: " I average a recipe at every sixth house."

" Luxurious," no doubt, and costs only 8
cents a pound to make. It happens, how-
ever, that good honey has been sold in con-
siderable quantities until quite recently at 8
cents per pound ; but bees' honey does not
sell, nor has it sold for from 25 to 35 cents a
pound, for years. The swindling sheet re-
ferred to contains on one side in big letters,
the address of L. W. Lincoln & Co., 89 Ab-
erdeen St., Chicago. I hardly need tell our
readers that this is only a rehash that has
cropped out every now and then for at least
30 years. When I was in my teens 1 sent a
dollar in answer to a similar advertisement,
and obtained a recipe for making artificial
honey, and another one for silver plating,
and something else thrown in. All such
offers of valuable recipes for a certain sum
of money we may safely pronounce hum-
bugs and swindles. All recipes of any
value may be obtained in our recipe-books ;
and a dollar nowadays pays for a pretty
good-sized recipe-book. L. W. Lincoln &
Co., aside from offering recipes, offer to sell
their agents county rights at the very low
price of only a dollar for a county. What
right have they to give rights to certain
counties, pray tell ? A search through
Dun & Co. fails to find any L. W. Lincoln
& Co. in Chicago at all. No doubt, how-
ever, somebody is on the watch for the dol-
lars when they come in for the secrets or
county rights.

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As aprotection to our bee-keeping population, we propose in
this department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

fERMIT me to call your attention to the in-
closed article, which I clip from an Eastern
paper. E. H. Bartlett.

Mt. Vernon, O., Jan. 3.

I will explain to our readers that we
wrote to friend B. at once, to give us the
name of the Eastern paper containing the
clipping. As he has not done it, or, at least,
we have not received it at the present writ-
ing, Feb. 18, we give the clipping below :

BOGUS HONEY.

During the year 1865, or thereabout, I was walk-
ing on the streets in Baltimore, Md., and my atten-
tion was called to what appeared to be a beautiful
specimen of Vermont honey, packed in boxes, and
of the most beautiful clear liquid in the cells of
white-looking comb. It attracted the attention of
every one at the time, as the nicest honey that had
ever been in Baltimore. But some time afterward
it fell into the hands of an analytical chemist, who
found out that the comb was made of paraffine, and
the liquid of glucose syrup (made out of corn
starch). The paraffine was made in imitation of
the honey-comb, by some mode of pressure, by
models prepared for the purpose, and the liquid
glucose syrup had been made to fill the cells. Par-
affine is now prepared from the refuse products of
petroleum, when it is being refined, and the market
is controlled, absolutely, by the "Standard Oil
Trust," who can well afford to let it go on the " free
list," as there is much more made in this country
than anywhere else. This substance is like the
most beautiful white wax, and makes candles like
the purest spermaceti. I commend it to the atten-
tion of the committee having in charge the matter
of " adulteration of food," etc., as I believe the in-
genuity, sharpness, and invention, quite equal, if
not superior, to that presented in the wooden nut-
meg and the maple hams made in Connecticut.

Respectfully, Paul Pry.

I suppose I hardly need tell our readers
that we are prepared to pay "Paul Pry", or
any other man who will show us the above-
described operation going on, $1000. The
whole story about the analytical chemist is
false from beginning to end ; and if any of
our readers can help us to hunt up the au-
thor of these falsehoods, we will hold him
up to the gaze of every man ; and we ask
every friend who has seen the above in any
paper, to carry or send the editor a copy of
this issue of Gleanings. We will furnish
you as many numbers as you want. If the
editor who has given place to the above will
not recant, we want the privilege of holding
him up to the gaze of every truth-loving
man or woman.

Here is another :

Here is another crank. What shall we do to stop
this nonsense? There ought to be a law to protect
bee-keepers. M. S. Roop.

Council Bluffs, Iowa, Feb. 11, 1889.

A NEW SWINDLE.

The Democrat says a new swindle is said to have
been discovered at Oskaloosa, by a woman coming
in a drug-store and buying a half-ounce of "attar
of roses "—a butyraceous oil of delicious fragrance,
which separates itself from the rose-water during
the distillation of dried petals of roses. A reporter
heard this order, and his curiosity became strong
as to why she should want so much of this expen-
sive oil— retailing at from $10 to $15 an ounce. Aft-
er much investigation he found that she used it in

164

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mak.

the manufacture of "pure" honey. Syrup made
of the proper consistency and color— an easy under-
taking'—with enough of this oil added to give it fla-
vor, an article in all appearance, smell, and taste, so
closely representing' honey as to fool the most ex-
pert, and thus at a cost not to exceed 3 or 4 cents
per pound to the manufacturer, this bog-us honey
is sold in this market as straight, pure strained
honey.

Now, friend E., why didn't you tell us what
paper you found the clipping in V We gather
from the reading on the other side that it
is a temperance paper, and the temperance
paper seems to indicate that some Demo-
cratic paper first started the lie. I hope all
good Democrats will help us to hunt up and
straighten out our Democratic brethren. It
is pretty clearly evidert that some wicked
sinner in the shape of a reporter is writing
these things up ; and the publishers of the
papers he sends them to are foolish enough
to believe them, and perhaps pay him for
his sensational scares. Another thing, this
statement is a slur on the character of all
womankind. Think of a woman buying
attar of roses to humbug the public ! Then,
again, the statement shows falsehood on the
face of it. The idea that attar of roses,
added to syrup of the proper consistency,
should make it smell and taste so like honey
as to " fool " an expert ! No doubt th^re
were fools around about that time, but I am
sure it was not one of the fair sex, nor was
it the general public at large that were fool-
ed or humbugged by any such mixture.
Now, friend E., may we trouble you to take
this, or to send it to the editors of the paper
from which you made the clipping, or the
Democratic paper that first published it?
Let us trace them back to the fountain-
head, and get at the seat of the mischief if
we can.

CARRYING BEES INTO THE CELLAR.

I. FREEBORN'S METHOD.

'E think we have a simple device for carry-
ing- bees into the cellar that will rather
surpass friend Miller's rope. It is what we
call a hand-barrow, made of two boards
about 6 ft. long- and 1 ft. wide, worked
down to handles at each end, of the right size to be
convenient to take hold of with the hand, some-

not want them; and, also, we can keep the hives
level while taking them in. This is quite a consid-
eration when recently fed, as the added frames
would likely be loose.

We noticed here the same thing that our friend
Miller did at his place— that the bees did not fre-
quent the grapes the past season nearly as much
as usual. We think one reason for this lies in the
fact that it was a very dry year, and fine for grapes.
The weather was so favorable that very few crack-
ed or burst their skins. May was a very cold
month, and no doubt killed off a large per cent of
the queens, or mother-wasps, making that insect
very scarce, to the benefit of the grape crop. The
little round holes spoken of, made with such regu-
larity in the grapes, we have lately attributed to a
little brown sparrow. We have not seen them in
the act, but have frequently frightened them from
the vines. On examination we found grapes fresh-
ly punctured. It seems to have been done by some-
thing with quite a long bill, and strength to use it.

Ithaca, Richland Co., Wis. S. I. Freeborn.

thing like this. To these we nail cross-pieces, mak-
ing our barrow of a convenient width to set the
hives on crosswise. This will hold three hives, but
the number can be gauged by the weight of the
hives and the strength of those carrying them.
Some of the advantages of this kind of a barrow
are, that, having the weight on the hands and arms,
enables one to humor the motion, and prevent sud-
den jars that we could not prevent with the hive
held firmly against the body, as we have to where
we carry a hive alone. Its advantages over the
wheelbarrow are, that it jars less, and you can get
in and out of places that you could not with the
wheelbarrow, and that, in the event of bees crawl-
ing out, they are not so apt to annoy us by crawl-
ing up our sleeves and other places where we do

MY VISIT TO CALIFORNIA, AND SOME
OF MY MISTAKES.

A. I. ROOT TAKEN TO TASK BY HIS FRIENDS.

R. ROOT:— You owe a big apology to the bee-
men of Santa Barbara. After I and others
gave you an invitation to come here you
sent a note accepting our invitation. I put
right into the city, saw two of the promi-
nent men in the business, told them to work the
thing up for your reception, spoke to one of the al-
dermen to take you by the hand, and show you
around the city, to see our fine public buildings,
water and electric works, etc. I went home, filled
our larder with the good things of this life, hired
an invalid (for I was busy) for one month to see
that the cart and buggy were well oiled, and the
horses well fed, so that, at a moment's notice, you
could be run out to any point of interest ; kept the
best room in the house tidied up, and even the or-
gan tuned up, all for your reception, and only to
come to Ventura, and then turn back, when one
hour's ride (4 bits) and an apology would have been
satisfactory. My reason for not writing sooner is,
I was so mad I was afraid I might say something
unbecoming. I could not bear the looks of the pa-
per, as it would bring the thing up to my mind so
vividly. J. N. Gilchrist.

El Monteeito, Santa Barbara Co., Cal., Feb. 24, '89.

Now. old friend, I am about as mad as a bee-man
ever gets, I guess. You have been to California,
and did not come to see me. Well, did I ever! I sat
up two nights, and slept three days with my boots
on, expecting you to come, but you did not. But I
am glad jou had a good time, and returned safe
home to your family and business.

Dehesa, San Diego Co., Cal. A. W. Osburn.

Dear friends, if it would do any good I
would sit down and have a good cry over
m> blunder in not meeting either of you.
You see, I had no comprehension of what
an awful big country California is. Besides,
when I started away I was a good deal dis-
turbed and perhaps somewhat excited. I

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

i65

took along quite a number of letters, and
fully intended to take both of yours. After
I started I did remember your kind invita-
tion, and my promise to call on you ; but
I knew so little of the names of the places
that I could not remember.very much about
it. When I stated the matter to friend Wil-
kin he said you would doubtless all be at
the bee-keepers' picnic he had planned, and
that he sent invitations through the bee-
men in the vicinity. Well, you were not at
the picnic, and 1 had made arrangements so
that my allotted time was up and more too ;
and before I knew it the time had gone by.
Mr. J. S. Harbison did tell me, the night
before I left San Diego, that I could not
very well go without seeing Mr. Osburn ;
but arrangements were then made so that it
was next to impossible ; and friend Wilkin
did tell me that I surely ought to visit Santa
Barbara before I went home. Please for-
give your old friend for his awkwardness
this time, especially when he tells you that
he is now planning" another and longer visit,
and this time Mrs. Root is going. She is
pretty sure she can not follow over all the
mountains, but possibly we can leave her to
visit with some of the women-folks while
we do the climbing. Won't this do, friends
G. and O.? Please don't feel mad any more.

CELLAR -WINTERING.

LOSING BEES IN LOCATING ON NEW STANDS.

fHERE is one thing that has always been a
wonder to me in my experience in keeping
bees; that is, how they are carried around
and piled up in cellars, like so many potato-
barrels; carried out again some warm day
for a fly, then packed back again in the evening
and ricked up, and not one word about losing bees
in all the years I have been reading bee-papers.
My experience since I have been in the business is,
that if I pick a hive up and carry it to a new loca-
tion—no difference if it is from 4 ft. to 300, quanti-
ties of bees will go back and cluster around in lit,
tie bunches, apparently lost entirely. Night com-
ing on, I have often, out of pure sorrow for the lit-
tle fellows, put back the hive in its place, to see
them apparently made happy. Now, is that un-
necessary sympathy in me? This may be very un-
mportant, as there seems to be so little said on this
point; but I tell you, it is something to me. I have
invariably, in moving my hives, had to move them
little at a time, and tole them, as it were, till I got
them where I wanted them. Is that unnecessary?
I used to think instinct taught them to follow their
queen; but I've learned better.

Now, the case in point is just this: I had two
hives set off by themselves (for convenience and
room), say about 3 rods. I moved them back to the
main apiary in November, to pack for winter.
They had not had a fly for about five weeks, which
proved to be rather chilly in the evening. I was
not at home; but when I came, my wife asked me
what the matter was with my bees— they had been
swarming around that new place till dark, and
great piles of them were clustering on the fence
and shed. The night w»s cold and windy, with
some rain. I looked after them as soon as I could
see, to find what hadn't blown away of them ; but

bunches and piles were huddled together dead, on
posts, fence, roof, and everywhere. Njw, am I to
expect such losses, and let those that hadn't sense
enough to go home out of the rain take the conse-
quences of their own folly, and think nothing about
it? or am I to blame myself for part of it?

If this is not important enough to notice in
Gleanings, a word from you will suffice; but I
want light on the above subject.

By the way, friend Root, I am an old Californian,
having crossed the Great American Plains in 1852.
I should really like to have a good talk with you
about experiences; but I am rather surprised at a
man of your cloth, at this late day, lying out in
barns and sheds at night with strangers, even
sleeping with them— deaf ones at that. I have
been put to the necessity of slipping off by myself
to the mountains, and building me a Are to keep
off grizzlies, to put in a night when 1 couldn't do
better; but I wouldn't have trusted any strange
man, for fear he would have killed me for my
boots. At some future time I should like to com-
pare notes with you, if you like. Let me hear from
you. S. Daniels.

Pine Grove, O., Feb. 7, 1889.

Friend D., if you will turn to page 81 of
our issue for Feb. 1 you will see that our ex-
perience is just about like yours. I do not
believe in moving bees, any more than you
do, and that is one reason why I made the
chaff hive to be a permanent home for each
colony. When I want to move a colony,
one that is in a chaff hive, I take as many
combs and bees as I want, and start a
nucleus in that chaff hive with the bees
that returned to their homes — that is,
where I want to move bees short distances.
— You must have forgotten that I said the
man I stayed with in the barn got out his
old well-thumbed family Bible, and read a
chapter before we went to bed. You see,
that made us not only well acquainted, but
brothers, and so I was not " away off among
strangers " at all.

THE NAMELESS BEE-DISEASE.

A MALADY WHICH IS WORKING HAVOC IN A CALI-
FORNIA APIARY.

fRIEND ROOT:— I am somewhat in the frame
of mind the man in the ABC was whose
hopes were blasted, and thinks of emigrating.
Some of our bee-men here wish me to state
the case, as they are somewhat anxious.
Last September I began to notice that my bees
were dying, a whole swarm going at once, seeming-
ly. It was toward the last of my run of honey, and
pretty hot weather. In the course of a month, 10 or
12 swarms had gone, some of which were full of hon-
ey at the last extracting. In December some 50 more
died, and at this writing another hundred is added
to the list of dead. The brood-combs, as a general
thing, are left clean of brood, with the exception of
some dead at the advanced stage of growth, where
the bees had begun to gnaw out, or have the head
out. The mature bees seem to have what you
term dysentery, voiding the yellow excrement.
The abdomen is distended, and sometimes filled
with white or almost transparent fluid. The bees
fall in a pile at the bottom of the hive; in fact,
your description fills the bill, except as to the con-

166

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mak.

dition of the weather. The past month, when the
decline was so rapid, the weather was cold and
foggy much of the time. Some swarms, which have
pulled through to the present, with a handful of
bees, are now raising some healthy brood, only a
little, of course. As I remarked at the time the
bees began to drop off, the crop of honey ceased to
come in, except in a few colonies which continued
to work later, and up to the time that other apia-
ries suspended. I note what you say about aphi-
des, and would remark that honey-dew is secreted
at the season of which I write. The swarms which
pulled through so far are those which worked the
longest, and evidently obtained their stores from
other sources. Now that the weather is warm,
these are robbing from deserted hives, and putting
it in the brood-nest; and that, added to the fact that
a few combs placed in another apiary to feed upon
do not seem to have any bad effect, is still more of a
puzzler.

So far as I am able to learn, the trouble is local.
Others are not losing any more than the usual per
cent. Whether this is the opening of some pest on
the honey crop, or whether it is a special or local
cause, remains to be seen. 1 have feared that it
might be in connection with my water supply.
Ditch water failing, I resorted to tubs made from
barrels in which I tried to make vinegar; but owing
to inexperience I made it too strong of honey, con-
sequently obtained only a worthless alcoholic slop.
These were, of course, washed out and frequently
filled, and were in use about two months or more.
It was after the removal of running water and dew
that the greatest fatality commenced. You will
notice that it did not affect all simultaneously, but
skipped here and there. My hives are set directly
upon the ground, as do many in this community.
I shall make an effort to build up again, and should
like to use these combs. Do you think it safe?

Bee-men here feel that you made a mistake in
passing by Kern Co. Although we are not so noted
as our southern neighbors, nor as good and virtu-
ous, yet we have taken the first premium for three
successive years at the State Fair, and have sever-
al thousand stands of bees. If you had called you
would have seen things equal to motor roads and
Sweet Water Dam, though of a little different na-
ture,and probably " sold the boys something to-day."
Our own personal trade will, under the circum-
stances, be small; but our neighbors exported some-
thing like 150,000 lbs. of comb honey last season.
One of them told me he had ordered $1000 worth
of supplies already.

I should be glad of your opinion on the problem I
present, as my experience is limited, and this mis-
fortune comes at a time when it falls exceedingly
heavy. W. A. Webster.

Bakersfleld, Cal.. Feb. 4, 1889.

Friend W., taking all things into consid-
eration I am inclined to think your bees
were killed by drinking the water in those
tubs. You may remember that my carp
were killed by putting them over night in a
barrel that had been used for pickles. The
barrel was washed and rinsed, but there
was vinegar enough in the wood to contam-
inate the water. When I first commenced
reading I decided that your bees had got
hold of some poison— probably the effects of
Paris green or London purple, used for kill-
ing insects in your vicinity. I would put

the water for bees in shallow stone crocks.
Throw in clean pebbles or gravel to keep
them from drowning. Perhaps you will
soon have irrigation in your neighborhood,
and that will tix the whole matter.— Yes, I
made a good many mistakes in not visiting
different locations and calling on all those
good friends of mine. See what is said
about it in another column.

HYBRID HELLEBORE, OR CHRISTMAS
ROSE.

SOMETHING T< I GLADDEN THE BKES AND TO GLADDEN
VIIUR DOORYARD.

E extract from L'Apiculteur, of Paris,
the following article, which we
believe will be of interest to our
readers, for whose benefit it is trans-
lated from the French by our proof-
reader, Mr. W. P. Root.

Here is a modest plant, the blossoms of which are
the first to make glad the bees when they make
their first excursion from the hive during sunshiny
spells. They get pollen from it in abundance. For
this reason the Christmas rose should have a place
in every bee-keeper's garden. It is very rustic in
other respects, and is quite indifferent as to the
nature of the soil. It is propagated either from the

MVlmt

VILMOKJN'S CHRISTMAS ROSE.

root or from the seed. Whole basketfuls of helle-
bore may be found near clumps of trees. The reg-
ular leaf of this plant, of a dark green, issuing
from the peduncle, constitutes a summer orna-
ment. At the country residence of Ricquebourg,
near Resson, Oise, France, the cultivation of Christ-
mas roses in hot-houses requires a space of from
100 to 150 square meters. Every week during win-
ter, the flowers are cut off and sent to Paris for the
decoration of rooms. Hellebore, or Christmas rose,
begins to blossom near Christmas, from which fact
it derives its name, and continues through January
and February, and even into March, depending on
the rigor of the winter.

A small packet of seed, weighing 10
grammes, is sent free by the house of Vil-
morin-Andrieux, 4 Quai de la Megisserie,
Paris, France, on receipt of 11 cts. to pay
for packing. As tha above firm solicits or-
ders from America, I presume they are pre-
pared to receive our postage-stamps ; also to
read communications in our language.

1889

GLEAKINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

16?

BEE-KEEPING IN SOUTH AFKICA.

CHAPTER II. OF A MISSIONARY'S EXPERIENCE IN
STARTING IN BEE-KEEPING.

9 EAR GLEANINGS:— In my first letter, pub-
lished Dec. 15, I promised to send Chapter II.
of my experience when I found time to write
it; and that seems to be the present time. I
told you that I had three boxes of bees (I do
not feel justified in calling- them hives) as the re-
sult of my capture of about three times that num-
ber of colonies of wild bees. Then I sent to Ameri-
ca for " a good book on bee-keeping"— Langstroth's.
I knew that bees were in the habit of sending off
swarms; but these of mine, if they had ever swarm-
ed, did it when no one was about. It was not pos-
sible for me to keep watch of them, and how was I
then to increase the number of colonies? I read
what was said about "artificial swarming." Ah!
there is the solution of the difficulty. I determin-
ed that I would divide my three colonies and make
them into six, and another year the six would be-
come twelve, and a third year— but I will go no
further. I believe I was to be contented with ten
good colonies. Mr. Langstroth's directions for ar-
tificial swarming- are very specific, but there were
difficulties for which he had not provided. For one
thing, our seasons are "the other end to." He
talks about swarms in May; but that is when our
winter begins. That is all the winter we have, if
it is proper to speak of a winter where there is not
even a frost. Then, again, he speaks of certain
plants being in bloom, as the white clover, the
basswood, etc., none of which we have. Of course,
we have honey-plants, and, of course, bees swarm,
and swarm when there is honey to be gathered;
but what are the honey-plants of Natal, when are
they in blossom, and when do bees swarm in a
country so warm the year round that there is no
frost? I did not think so much of these various
conditions then as I did after I had tried artificial
swarming. The directions were so plain that 1 felt
sure I could succeed. Mr. Langstroth gives fair
warning- of the danger of failure, and of the need
of going slow. But as people so often, when they
hear a good sermon, give it to their neighbors, so I
considered that these warnings were for those who
did not follow the directions carefully.

I had about a dozen hives with movable frames
made in the Industrial department of the school.
This department had only just started, and the
boys in the shop did not yet know much about
using tools. I must also confess that it was my
own fault that I did not get better hives. I did not
think I could afford expensive hives, and so at-
tempted to have some paraffin-cases made over in-
to hives. Kerosene oil is called " paraffin," in
Natal, and comes to us in tins protected by wooden
cases. These cases, when laid on the side, are
about the size and shape of an L. hive; but al-
though they were cheap, it was a penny-wise and
pound-foolish plan, as cheap investments so often
are. The trouble was not that the hives retained
the smell of the kerosene, but there were cracks
and knots in them, and in time the cracks became
wider and the knots came out. To make matters
worse, I tried to make them into observing-hives,
with a glass and a door at the back. I can see now
how foolish it was; but that did not help any then.
As some one has said, " If only our foresight were
as good as our hindsight, how wise we should be I"

My hives were made and painted in our winter,
so when spring- came I was ready to multiply my
three colonies into six. Formerly I had carried on
my operations with bees at night; but now acting
on a suggestion of Langstroth's, that whoever at-
tempted to do any thing with bees at night was
sure to repent of it, I determined to try the day for
transferring- and dividing my bees. I had made a
bee-hat by framing a small glass and sewing it into
a strip of mosquito-netting. Like many others in
this country, we had the idea that mosquitoes
abounded everywhere in Africa, and took out with
us a large roll of mosquito-netting, which we never
had occasion to use. My bee-hat was not a suc-
cess. The moisture from the breath, condensing
on the glass, made it little better than a piece of
tin to look through, and the frame bumped against
my nose and face rather disagreeably. I had
bought a pair of weeding-gloves, which answered
very well for bee-gloves. I see friend Root does
not approve of handling- bees with gloves; and I
will confess that, when I saw the gloves covered
with stings, and thought that every sting meant a
dead bee, I felt very sorry for the bees; but my
sorrow was tempered with thankfulness that the
stings were in the gloves and not in my hands.

The day selected for operations was bright and
hot, and the time about noon. Armed cap-a-pie we
sallied forth ; that is, I was armed ; but the native
boy who was to assist me was not. My unpainted
boxes had become somewhat rotten by this time,
and the bees had found numerous places of exit
besides the one I had made for them. It was not an
easy task to carry out the direction of the book— to
close the entrance of the hive and remove it to
another place while transferring. I might close
one entrance, and the bees would rush out from
half a dozen others. However, I thought I could
manage it. My plan was to throw a sheet over the
hive, lift it quickly from the ground while the boy
grasped the ends of the sheet underneath the hive
and twisted them together, and thus confined the
bees. The plan worked beautifully until a stray
bee made straight for that boy's eye, causing him
to drop the sheet and run. Strange as it may seem,
those bees were in a decidedly bad temper as they
rushed forth to see what it all meant. I thought
my armor was bee-proof, but soon found out my
mistake, and ran to find out where my boy had
gone to. The spectators all laughed, and this sug-
gests a puzzle which might be offered by some en-
terprising paper as a prize puzzle. There is no
copyright on it. Puzzle: What is it that is so fun-
ny in seeing- other people stung? I do not ask this
reproachfully. I have myself been in both places,
and I laughed when I was a spectator, and didn't
laugh when I was in the other place. At that par-
ticular time I was in the other place, and did not
feel like laughing. 1 began to think the day was
no better than the night for handling bees, and
that Langstroth might have said, " Night or day,
you will be sure to repent of it."

It will probably be thought that, under the cir-
cumstances, we postponed further operations to
another day. Very likely that would have been
the part of wisdom; but wisdom was an article we
had not yet acquired so far as bees were concerned.
I afterward learned that the principal object of
bee-keeping was to acquire bee-wisdom. No; I did
not wait till another clay, but, readjusting my ar-
mor, I went back and tried again, and finally drum-

168

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

med the bees into a state of acquiescence to the
inevitable. The comb was transferred to frames,
and the bees were divided into two colonies. Pre-
vious to this we had moved out of the " bee-haunt-
ed " house into another not far away. I had there
prepared a nice shady place for my ten colonies of
bees which I was to obtain by artificial swarming.
I had not then seen friend Root's plan of placing
the hives on bricks, and filling up to the edge of
the hive with sand. How the white ants would
like that! They would come up through the sand
and eat their way through bottom, sides, and top of
the hives, leaving only a shell where there was a
solid board. I had prepared a place by thinning
out a clump of bush, and driving down posts of a
native wood, a species of olive, so hard that even
the white ants do not eat it. On these posts I nail-
ed boards, and here placed the hives. It was a
beautiful place, and it would seem as though any
right-minded bees would settle down at once to
good honest work, on finding themselves in such a
home.

I fear that my bees were not right-minded; for
the results did not justify the confidence that I had
placed in them. I transferred and divided my
other two colonies, or, rather, one of them, I should
say; for as I was about to proceed against the oth-
er I found that they had just sent out a swarm
which was waiting for me on a tree close by. I left
the parent colony in their old box, and hived the
swarm, removing both to my new apiary. So I now
had six colonies, and I became ambitious to get
ten. So I told the boys that, if they would find
some colonies of wild bees, I would give them a
sixpence for each one pointed out. I had some
qualms of conscience at the time for offering so
little, and some regrets afterward that I had given
so much. I completed my ten colonies with re-
joicings. Another year I would feast upon honey,
1 thought. But it is well not to count chickens be-
fore they are hatched, and not to eat honey before
it is gathered. In another letter I will tell you
what became of my ten colonies of bees.

H. D. Goodenough.

Clifton Springs, N. Y., Jan. 23, 1889.

Friend G., you kept me uneasy during all
your description, because I did not find
anywhere that you spoke of using smoke.
Why in the world did you attempt to do
any thing with bees until you first had giv-
en them a good smoking, according to the
books ? Even if one could fix himself up
with gloves and veil, and every thing else
that has been used, to make a regular bee-
proof armor, I would by no means think of
handling bees without smoking them. They
will be pretty sure to find a break in the
armor, and get through. Even if they
should not, you will get them so furious as
to attack passers-by and domestic animals ;
and I do not think that anybody has any
right to arouse a colony of bees to such a
fury as trying to handle them without
smoke does; and this is one great reason
why I object to gloves or veil either ; better
lose the time required to bring the bees into
perfect subjection than to have them on the
wing stinging right and left. When we
throw away our veil and gloves, and care-
fully learn to judge by their behavior as to
what bees will do, we soon learn to handle
them with comparative impunity, even

when an inexperienced person would rouse
them to fierceness ; and we also learn the
time of year and the time of day the bees
can be handled safely and when they can
not.

BEE-KEEPING IN UTAH.

FURTHER FACTS IN REGARD TO THE TERRITORY
AS A HONEY-COUNTRY.

tEE-KEEPING in Utah, as far as I have been
able to judge, differs but little from bee-
keeping elsewhere. The hives and fixtures
are about the same, while the pasturage
seems to be more sure than in most places.
We almost always get some surplus, and it is gener-
ally through extracting too close that we have to
feed. Of course, the crop varies with the season.
If we have a dry season, and sweet clover is not
so abundaut, we have a light crop.

The hives used are of various patterns and di-
mensions. The Kidder predominates among the
farmers and those not considered to be practical
bee-keepers; while among good bee-keepers the
Simplicity, Heddon, and what we call here the
" Short Langstroth," or a frame that fits crosswise
of a ten-frame Simplicity, is used.

The bees are a cross between the black and Ital-
ian, with a predominance of about two-thirds in
favor of the latter, although we have had importa-
tions of other races at different times. Our best
honey-gatherers are generally those that are con-
sidered a trifle cross.

Comb foundation plays a very prominent part
here among practical bee-keepers.

The sources of honey are various, the most prom-
inent of which, as I have before stated, being sweet
clover, while the bees gather considerable from
fruit-blossoms, alfalfa, wild flowers, etc. The sur-
plus-honey flow does not generally commence until
sweet-clover bloom, which begins about the first of
July; and in most seasons it continues until the
first of September, although the bees generally
gather enough to live upon from the middle of
April until late in October.

In a dry season we do not have to wait for the
honey to get sealed, as it is pretty thick when gath-
ered, therefore we can extract, generally, when
the frames are full, which, in dry seasons, is about
every ten days. In moist seasons which, by the way,
are very rare, we have to let the honey get about a
third capped. The honey taken in the above way
candies in a very few weeks, and becomes very
solid. It is then (with us) in a very good condition
for shipping.

Comb honey is handled much in the same way as
in other places. The T super seems to be, all things
considered, the best adapted to our system of man-
agement.

In handling bees during the season, the minor
points in management are as many (if not more) as
the bee-keepers, while the main points are about as
follows:

Along in March or April, according to the season,
the hives get a thorough cleaning; all dead bees,
dirt, broken combs, etc., are removed; the hives
are straightened up, and the litter, etc., is raked up
and carried away from around the hives; and if
any bees are without stores, full frames from
those that have plenty are given them.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

169

In May, queen-rearing and dividing- claim our at-
tention. In June, the stocks are all built up, and
every thing- is put in readiness for the honey-flow;
the supers are put on the last week in June or the
first of July. In about two weeks extracting- com-
mences, and keeps up until the last of August,
when the surplus-honey flow generally ceases. The
supers are left on until about the first of October,
to catch any surplus that might be stored, then
they are taken off and the bees are packed for win-
ter.

Bees are generally wintered in single - walled
hives on summer stands, although chaff hives are
used. Some give their bees considerable protec-
tion, while others consider it unnecessary.

The honey-market here is not the best in the
world, as there are by far too many small produc-
ers; but 1 am happy to say that their ranks are
weakening. Fruit-growers here look on bees as
their friends, while the bee is considered the em-
blem of Utah. We hear very little about adultera-
tion of honey, as it will not pay.

We have considerable trouble with foul brood,
which is generally found in old tumble-down Kid-
der hives, but very seldom found in a well-kept
apiary. In fact, I have never seen the disease, ex-
cept in neglected apiaries. The foremost bee-keep-
ers of Utah are young men, and you may hear of
something from us in the way of bee-keeping, in
the near future; but be that as it may, bee-keeping
in Utah has come to stay, and I predict that, in a
very few years, it will be quite a source of revenue
to the Territory. J. C. Swaner.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 24, 1889.

CARE OF COMB HONEY IN WINTER.

HOW MUCH DOES IT DETERIORATE IF PROPERLY
CARED FOR?

TTp GREAT many honey-producers seem to act
?Mk on the belief that honey is a perishable prod-

0B; uct, which must be placed on the market as
■*^*- soon as possible after it is secured. Just as
soon as the honey is taken from the hives or at
least as soon as cold weather is at hand, they make
haste to ship it to commission merchants in some of
the large cities, cr to crowd it upon grocerymen of
their own neighborhood, far beyond their immedi-
ate needs. Various evils result from this. In the
first place, the markets are often so overcrowded
that prices are forced down below where they real-
ly belong and would remain if more wisdom had
been shown in disposing of the product. As it is,
these impatient and over-hasty sellers often fix the
price for the remainder of the season, causing loss
not only to themselves but to others. The offend-
ers in this direction are usually the small produc-
ers; but many large producers are not exempt
from the same charge.

An objection that is perhaps more serious to this
careless way of disposing of a season's labor is the
fact that honey usually deteriorates very rapidlv
after it leaves the producer's hands. Comb honey
may be kept from one season until the next, unim-
paired in quality, but it requires some care and a
proper place for keeping it. The producer ought
to be able to supply these, while it is perhaps too
much to expect of the dealer. The average com-
mission store is a very poor place for storing comb
honey, and many grocery stores are not much bet-

ter. It is almost needless to say to any honey-
producer, that honey should always be kept in as
dry a place as possible, because in a damp place it
soon absorbs moisture, and becomes thin and wa-
tery. The surface of comb honey "sweats," or be-
comes covered with drops of moisture, and the nice
white comb becomes dark and unattractive, owing
to the increase in bulk of the honey in the cells.
Sometimes the caps of the cells even burst from
this cause, and frequently the honey undergoes a
partial fermentation, and loses much of its sweet-
ness. The honey in unsealed cells and broken
places becomes so thin that it runs almost as readi-
ly as water when the comb is turned on its side,
daubing every thing beneath.

All these results I have seen for myself. Once
while making a tour of inspection among the com-
mission houses of one of our large cities I came
across a large lot of honey, the producer of which
was known to me, and I knew that he had taken
unusual pains that his honey might reach the com-
mission merchant in the best condition possible.
There it was, stored in a cellar which, with its
damp, cold atmosphere, was of all places the most
unsuited for the proper keeping of honey. At an-
other place I found a large lot of honey in a room
intended for the cold storage of butter and eggs.
It was (or, rather, had been) an extra fine lot of
honey, and the merchant was taking extra pains
with it, as he supposed; but somehow, he said.it
was not keeping well. No wonder. It was worth
at least three cents a pound less than when it left
the producer's hands. Some may see in this a rea-
son why their honey sold for so much less than
they expected.

This state of affair may perhaps be somewhat im-
proved by a little missionary work among commis-
sion men; but the producer must expect to bear
the brunt of it himself. In the first place, honey
should be prepared for market by a thorough ripen-
ing. This is best done by storing the honey in a
room which may be heated to about 100°, and kept
at that temperature as long as desired. An oil-
stove will be found an excellent arrangement for
heating the honey-closet, or, if the closet is small
and the weather not very severe, an ordinary large-
sized lamp will answer. Neither of these will re-
quire attention more than once or twice a day.

This ripening process should begin as soon as all
the honey is removed from the hives and stored
away, and continue for several weeks. By this
means the honey is thoroughly ripened, and ac-
quires that rich pleasant taste so often remarked
as belonging to honey which has been left in the
hive for a long time. More than this, the honey in
all unsealed and broken cells is evaporated down
until it is so thick that it can not run from the cells.
Any one who has ever handled leaky and dripping
comb honey will appreciate the advantage of this.
"Your honey is always so clean and dry— no sticki-
ness about it," was the remark made tome not long
ago by a dealer of considerable experience.

After the honey is once well-ripened it is scarcely
necessary to keep the room at this high tempera-
ture, although it would no doubt be advantageous.
Unless it is kept reasonably warm and dry all the
while, it should be warmed up whenever the weath-
er is very damp or very cold. If this is done, the
honey will not attract moisture, nor crack, as often
happens in very cold weather. If proper care is
taken in regard to temperature and dryness, comb

170

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

honey may be kept in good condition for an indefi-
nite time.

I hope I shall not be thought egotistical if I re-
mind some who have written of this plan as if it
were their own, that I was the first to recommend
artificial heat for ripening comb honey. " Honor to
whom honor is due." Surely, brethren, it does not
cost much to give proper credit for an idea.

After you have your honey in good condition for
the market, do not ship it off to commission men in
large lots unless you are sure it will receive proper
care until it is sold. Keep all who handle your hon-
ey, whether commission men or retail dealers, con-
stantly supplied, but let their stock on hand be
gauged as closely as possible by the running re-
quirements of their trade. Any amount beyond
this is safer in your own hands. J. A. Green.

Dayton, 111., Jan. 30, 1889.

Friend G., I can attest to the truthfulness
of every point you make. I have seen comb
honey after it had been kept a year or two,
and we have had some experience ourselves.
I am pretty sure it will pay the owner to
examine and fix up any honey that is held
over a year or two on commission.

THE SILK-MOTHS OF AMERICA, ETC.

PROF. COOK DESCRIBES THEM.

ISS EVA M. WATROUS, Lake, Mich., sends
in a strong tin box the cocoon of one of our
largest silk-moths— Lelea polyphemus, or
cocoon of the oak-tree silk-moth. She
says, " We found it on a lilac, under an
oak-tree. Mother thinks it comes from a long
' worm ' which feeds on the oak."

Bless these mothers! Tliey are usually correct. The
lilac-bush grew close beside an oak-tree. The
teacher, she says, said it was a tomato-worm. Bless
the teachers! but, as this shows, they are not al-
ways correct. Miss Eva closes with, "Please
oblige and instruct us, and perhaps many who are
interested in nature's wonders, and who are read-
ers of Gleanings."

This cocoon is more compact than is that of the
silk-worm that feeds on apple, etc. It is dark gray,
three inches long, and nearly half as wide. The
dried-up larva is inside; but it would never have
produced a moth, as parasites have devoured its
substance. These little parasites, whose life-histo-
ry I hope soon to give in Gleanings, are ever on
the alert, and bring to naught many a large insect.
Hac our friend placed this cocoon in a close box,
she would have reared some of these parasitic
flies.

The oak silk-moth is one of our largest American
silk-moths. They are buff in color. A heavy black
stripe, bordered with a narrow white line, cuts off a
strip of buff on the margins of the wings, which
trims up the moth in fine style. A transparent
eye-spot marks the front wings. This is bordered
by a narrow ring of white and black. A larger
similar spot on the hind wings has a large blue
patch inside of it. The beautiful green larva has
deep red tubercles, which bear hairs.

These insects form an excellent silk, perhaps
equal to the Chinese silk-worm. Indeed, a Boston
gentleman had a plantation devoted to their cul-
ture a few years ago. Disease, however, got
among them and cut short a very interesting ex-

periment. All of these large silk-worms, of which
we have several species, spin their cocoons in the
trees, attaching them to twigs. One of them, the
ailanthus silk-worm, fastens to the large compound
leaf. But this leaf falls, so some provision is nec-
essary to keep the cocoon up in the tree where all
is high and dry; hence the larva, before spinning
its cocoon, goes to the base of the leaves and fast-
ens them securely by silk threads which are firmly
attached to twig and branch. Where this is not
necessary, it is not done. Is such discrimination
mere instinct? To call all such actions mere in-
stinct is making instinct a greater thing than is
reason. Instinct is only inherited habit.

A. J.Cook.
Agricultural College, Mich., Nov. 6, 1888.

DOOLITTLE'S CAVE.

will such a cave answer on clay soil, with-
out SPECIAL PROTECTION ?

fRIEND DOOLITTLE has persisted that bees
can be wintered without any sub-ventilation,
and without any attention whatever to ven-
tilation. Now, if it can be done as easily and
at as little expense as he says, there would
be a good deal of saving of time and expense. His
last article (p. 41), and the remarks under it, with
the foot-notes on p. 46, and especially the fact of
his success, make me have a good deal of hope that
he may be all right. To me it would be a very de-
lightful thought to think that I could put my bees
away in the fall, without care, and with no anxious
thought about them till spring.

To the last question in the foot-notes, " Would it
do to shut up a cellar tight, in a damp clay soil?"
I should very much like an answer, for that's just
the soil I have. Most rose-cultivators approve of
covering roses, before freezing, with soil. One
year, just before freezing up, I covered my hardy
roses with soil, and in the spring not more than
five out of a hundred were alive. The soil was
clay, and very wet at the time, and I think the
roses were smothered. I suspect bees would
smother if shut in the same soil. But if it be the
covering overhead that allows the ventilation, as
you suggest, friend Root, then the case is not so
bad; for material could be hauled from some dis-
tance. Possibly some other material than soil
might answer. I do not know that it is any thing
strange that Doolittle's cave keeps " as low as from
43° to 46°." You say Mammoth Cave holds at 56°,
summer and winter. I suppose Doolittle could find
a depth at which he could hold, say, 54° summer
and winter, the temperature outside ranging be-
tween the extremes of 3(1° below and perhaps 95°
above. At a trifle less depth it would slowly vary
from 53° in winter to something like 55° in sum-
mer, and at a still less depth the variation would be
still more, until we reached a point where, instead
of 54, summer and winter, we might have perhaps
9° lower than 54 in winter, and 9° higher in sum-
mer, only at this poiut we should have slight varia-
tions with the weather, making it in winter from
43 to 46 instead of staying uniformly at 45.

I don't know but I'll have to give under to Doo-
little in this whole matter of wintering; but to
save his chuckling over it, the printer needn't print
this in the copy of Gleanings that is sent to Doo-
little.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

171

dilworth's "exclusive right of territory."
More and more, as men think of making a regu-
lar business of raising honey this matter of exclu-
sive territory " will not down," but will come to the
front. For one, I shall gladly welcome any fair
and honest solution of the problem. Friend Dil-
worth's plan is " to pay each farmer or lot-holder
within the flight of his bees a certain sum yearly,
not to keep any bees on his property." It is some-
thing after the plan recommended by Mr. S. T. Pet-
tit, of Canada. In the foot-note, friend Root says,
" Go to your neighbors all round about you, if you
are located in the country, and get them to sign a
paper, agreeing not to keep bees under a certain
number of years." The plan has a look of fairness
about it. Now, will friends Dil worth and Root put
it in practice? If I am not mistaken, friend Root
has said he would like to have exclusive territory;
and if I am not still more mistaken, there isn't a
man in the business, having as many as a hundred
colonies, who would like another hundred colonies
set down within half a mile of him. So, friend
Root, you are just the one to try it. Still, I'm not
so sure that I hate you bad enough to want you to
try it. If you were to start out to-day to get every
one within a mile of you to sign a paper not to
raise oranges in the open air, I think it would cost
some money; for people who never dreamed of
raising oranges would feel sure there was money
in it, and I'm not sure but it might be the means of
getting some started in the business. So in the
bee-matter, I think you would find a good many
who would refuse to sign altogether, and others to
ask an unreasonable sum, while the very fact of
your attempting to buy some men off would start
them to thinking whether they ought not to keep
bees. Then suppose you have bought up or had
given you all the territory within two miles of you,
except just one acre that belongs to old Grasper,
within a quarter of a mile of you, the whole affair
is utterly worthless unless you can get that acre,
and Grasper has you at his mercy. Then there
may be sheriffs' sales, and things of that sort
among so large a number, and then your previous
arrangements are upset.

I have just looked at the map, and counted the
different parties owning land on one-fourth of the
ground within two miles of me— and surely apia-
ries should be at least two miles apart, if of full
size— and I find there are 30. This includes no vil-
lage or suburb; and if I take in the whole ground,
village and all, it runs up into the hundreds. Excuse
me from stirring up those hundreds. I have no
trouble now, and never had; but if I started out
with a paper I might make myself trouble. Tou
can see, friend Root, that, in the great majority of
cases, you would have from 100 to 500 parties of all
sorts to deal with. But friend Dilworth isjustthat
much ahead of the majority, that he sees some plan
is needed. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

I grant, doctor, that, in my locality, it
would be a pretty big job to get exclusive
territory ; but where one has a farm, and all
around him are large farmers, it seems to
me there ought not to be any difficulty in
purchasing it. Large farms do not change
owners very often. If that does not answer,
go where land is cheap, and buy all within a
mile in every direction. Who will tell us
how many acres it would take ? By the

way, almost everybody in our neighbor-
hood has given up bee-keeping, and I be-
lieve that that would be the result to a cer-
tain extent in the course of a number of
years, especially if the acknowledged bee-
keeper of the locality does not have any
very big bonanza, and they do not come very
often.

BEE CULTURE IN PREMIUM LIST.

WHY THIS INDUSTRY HAS NOT RECEIVED THE PO-
SITION IT DESERVES.

J WISH to call the attention of our bee-keeping
friends at large to a matter in which I think we
are all interested; that is, the manner in which
our vocation is neglected by agricultural so-
cieties. I find, in looking over a great many
premium lists in this and adjoining States, that bee
culture is recognized in only comparatively few
of them. Now, why is it so, and who is at fault? Is
it the officers of said societies, or bee-keepers them-
selves? I am inclined to think that, in a majority
of such cases, it is the latter; for in my experience
with agricultural societies I have never met a board
of officers who were not only willing but anxious to
add an apiarian department to their premium list.

As I have intimated that bee-keepers are at fault,
I must explain wherein. As a rule, officers of agri-
cultural societies are not conversant with or skilled
in apiculture, consequently are at a loss to know
the requisites in an apiarian department, which
could be furnished them by almost any bee-keeper
who would volunteer to do so. But this is too often
neglected or deferred until too late; and the conse-
quence is, apiculture is left out. Now, friends, let
me insist that every bee-keeper consider himself a
committee of one to look after this important mat-
ter of seeing that our industry is represented in
your respective agricultural premiumlists. In case
you should meet any opposition in the board of offi-
cers, press upon them the fact that bee-keeping is
an essential branch of agriculture, in that the hon-
ey-bee is indispensable to the fertilization necessa-
ry in the vegetable kingdom; that honey is a pro-
duction of the farm, and can be had at the door of
every farmer who will acquire the proper knowl-
edge of handling a colony of bees. Besides, it is a
wholesome and desirable article of food, and is get-
ting to be one of the staple articles of our markets,
therefore its production should be encouraged by
every agricultural society in the land.

Now, friend Root, as some of our bee-keeping
friends may be a little backward, and feel incompe-
tent to furnish the requisite list, and as it has been
suggested in Gleanings that a list be published as
a guide for those interested, allow me, with your as-
sistance, to submit the following]form,or criterion,
for county fairs:

1st Pr. 2d Pr.

Best colony Italian bees |2.00 $1 .00

Native, or black bees. . . 2.00 1.00

" Italian queen-bee 1.00 50

" Display of comb honey, quality
and manner of putting up for

market to be considered 3.00 1.50

" display of extracted or strained

hon«y,ifor market 2.00 1.00

" 5 lbs. fancy comb honey 1.00 50

" 5 lbs. fancy extracted honey. . . 1.00 50

" Specimen comb foundation.. . 1.00 50

" 5 lbs. beeswax 1.00 50

" Bee-hive for all purposes 1.00 50

" Display of apiarian implem'ts . 3.00 1.50
Benton, 111., Feb. 12, 1889, Wm. Hutchison,

172 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mab.

Your ideas are tiptop, friend II. My ex- *3 Per cent of the whole. One pound of sugar,

perience has been exactly like your own. therefore, requires for its combustion about 68 ou-

When the officers of our county fairs blun- bic feet of air. Supposing the bees to consume

der, and make themselves a laughing-Stock half an ounce per day, or about a pound per month,

for all bee-keepei'S, it is the fault Of the bee- and supposing the air space in a hive to be half a

keepers, because they did not come and help cubic foot, to furnish the oxygen absolutely re-

and properly post them. Perhaps the officers quired for the consumption of this small quantity

Of some county fairs think they can not af- the air in the hive must be changed in one way or

ford the amount of money ($27.00) in your another, at least once in every six hours. There is

table ; but in such an event, the bee-keepers n0 escaping this conclusion, if this supply of air

should turn in and help. After you have i8 Cut off, the bees will die just as certainly as the

once showed the officers what you can do, machinery ,n the -Home of the Honey-bees"

and put up your display in good shape, 1 am would if tne da r8 were cloeed and the fur.

sure they would not be at all backward in nace nermetically sealed.
giving you handsome encouragement ; and

this State Of affairs is very much better than I may mention, incidentally, that the oxidation of

fault-finding. If , after having done all you half an ounce of sugar in the bodies of the bees

can, they should get hold Of a poor man for produces sufficient heat to raise the temperature of

judge, and accord the premiums to a box- 23^ lbs. of water one degree. In both the above

hive bee-keeper, don't find a bit Of fault, but cases, the sugar is assumed to be free of water. As-

urge the importance next time of having a suming their food to contain 18 per cent of water,

practical bee-mail for at least One Of the which is about the normal quantity in honey, the

judges. oxidation of half an ounce of food would raise the

"^*-~* — ^"""' temperature of 13 lbs. of water one degree. Since

THE FOOD QUESTION IN WINTERING the Quantity of carbon in honey and sugar is the

BEES. same, their heat-producing powers should be the

same, and experimental tests prove this to be the

FRIEND CORNEIL TAKES FRIEND HEDDON TO TASK. case.

The union of oxygen and carbon, besides gener-

J^\EPLYING to question No. 97, in Gleanings, atina: a great amount of heat, produces a large

EX Mr. James Heddon says it does not make quantity of carbonic acid, which is given off with

MX much difference about ventilation, because the breath. To dilute this gas as fast as it is pro-

■*^Y the whole matter of safe wintering hinges on duced, so as to render it harmless, the air in the

the food. Since, of the thirteen bee-keepers hive must be changed every half-hour, assuming

who send replies, Mr. Heddon is the only one who the consumption of stores and capacity of the hive

ignores ventilation as a factor in wintering, it is to be the same as before.

proper to inquire what are his views regarding food, The quantity of vapor produced by the consump-

upon which, in his opinion, hinges all the chances tion of a pound of sugar can be shown to amount to

of failure or success. about 16 cubic feet. This is an additional reason for

Of sugar syrup he says, "It has heat-producing a steady change of the air in the hive,
elements to a greater degree than honey." He These statements of fact are in accord with the
says, " Syrup contains no nitrogen, but it does con- teachings of physiologists and scientists whose rep-
tain more oxygen " than .honey, and he says this utation is second to none in the world; and I would
oxygen is burned to keep up the temperature. Of ask Mr. Heddon to investigate what is known re-
pollen, he says, " Pollen is almost wholly nitrogen," garding these facts, and be prepared either to ad-
and " the consumption of nitrogen is the cause of mit their correctness, or to successfully controvert
the trouble." On this account he objects to honey, them,
because it often contains floating pollen. "From the researches of Dr. A. de Planta, as to

In a recent article, Mr. Heddon says, "When the the chemical composition of hazel pollen, we learn

bees find themselves unable to keep up the proper that the contents of pollen grains consists of proto-

temperature by the burning of oxygen derived from plasm, starch, and oils. After thorough drying, the

the honey and sugar syrup they consume, they add to residue remaining consists of 31.63 per cent of nitro-

it combustion from that taken in in the air they geneous matter, 64.36 per cent of non-nitrogeneous

breathe." Honey and sugar are built up of carbon, substances, and 4.01 per cent of ash. The non-nitro-

with twice as much hydrogen as oxygen. This is genous portion contained no glucose, but cane

precisely the proportion in which these two ele- sugar was proved to be present to the extent of 14.70

ments are united in water. Neither the one nor per cent, and starch to the extent of 5.26 per cent."

the other plays any part whatever in heat produc- —LB. B. J., 1886, p. 286.]

tion, when combined as they are in this case. That In an analysis of pollen given by the late Arthur

depends entirely upon the quantity of carbon pres- Todd, B. B. J., 1883, p. 14, we find :

ent, and upon the requisite quantity of oxygen be- Water 12.74 per cent.

ingtaken in, by breathing, to oxidize it. The oxy- £8^^; ;";::;..\7.7 /.jEwKSK

gen which takes part in heat production is not taken Sugar 26.20 percent.

into the alimentary canal, and is therefore neither Nitrogenous organic sub's 36.59 per cent.

meat nor drink, but it passes from the air, taken in Albumen, which is shown to be present to the ex-

by breathing, into the blood by diffusion, and by tent of 21.75 per cent, contains about 15 per cent of

diffusion also from the blood into the tissues; hence nitrogen, or 3.26 per cent of the whole. The whole

the necessity for a change of air in the hive, be- amount of nitrogen present was less than 40 per

cause "one pound of carbon requires for its com- cent in this case, and less than 32 per cent in the

bustion 158 cubic feet of air."— [Butler on Ventila- former one. These analyses hardly justify any one

tion of Buildings.] in saying " pollen is almost wholly nitrogen." In

The quantity of carbon in one pound of sugar is the latter case the carbon in the sugar present

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

173

amounts to 11.27 per cent of the whole, and the car-
bon In the albumen present amounts to 11.52 per
cent of the whole, or in all more than half as much
carbon as there is in an equal weight of sugar. The
other elements, nitrogen, sulphur, and phospho-
rus, produce some heat also. These facts show that,
for direct heat production, pollen is not an unim-
portant item in the larder of the hive. According
to the investigation of Erlynmeyer and Dr. von
Planta, the average total quantity of floating pol-
len in ten different samples of honey was only about
one part in 600 parts of honey. Regarding this.
Pastor Schoenfeld says, " It is quite clear that so ex-
ceedingly small a percentage of nitrogen is alto-
gether insufficient to maintain a colony in a normal
and healthy condition during the winter."

I shall not now discuss the necessity for pollen to
repair the wear and tear of tissue in bees from the
time of fall feeding till the time for gathering pol-
len in the following spring, a period of, say, seven
months, during at least a portion of which time it is
impossible to keep them in a state of quiescence;
but I shall direct attention to two facts to which
other writers on food for wintering have not allud-
ed, as far as I recollect; namely, that, under any cir-
cumstances bees can not continue to digest sugar
syrup for any considerable length of time without
the aid of nitrogen, and that the oil contained in
pollen materially assists the digestion of both the
nitrogenous and carbo-hydrate food stuffs. In order
that the reader may judge as to the sufficiency of
my grounds for making these statements, I quote
as follows:

Dr. Letheby says, " It is very probable that the
nitrogenous matters assist the assimilation of hy-
drocarbons. Fat serves important functions in the
process of digestion, assimilation, and nutrition.
The digestive power of fat is considerable."— [Lec-
tures on Pood, pages 71, 74.]

Dr. Parkes says, " If the nitrogen be cut off from
the body, the various functions languish. This
does not at once occur, for every body contains a
store of nitrogen, but it is at length inevitable."—
[Practical Hygiene, vol. I., p. 204.]

Dr. Wilson says, "The saccharine constituents
are largely concerned in carrying on the digestion
of nitrogenous substances."— [Handbook of Sanita-
ry Science.]

Dr. Pavey says, " It may be inferred that nitro-
genous matter is required, not only for the forma-
tion of tissues, but liKewise for contributing, by the
promotion of the requisite change, to the utiliza-
tion of non-nitrogenous principles; and unless it ex-
ists in suitable amount in the fond, these principles
fail to pass to their proper destination. The presence
of fat in the food seems in some way to promote
the transformation of the carbo-hydrates. Fat ex-
erts a favorable influence over the assimilation of
nitrogenous matter."— [Treatise on Food and Diet-
etics, pages 278, 279.]

Prof. Foster says, " When an animal is fed sim-
ply on non-nitrogenous food, death soon takes
place. The food rapidly ceases to be digested, and
starvation ensues." — [Text-book of Physiology,
page 570.]

These quotations are hardly compatible with the
statement that " the consumption of nitrogen is the
cause of all the trouble."

If practical proof of the truth of these statements
is required when applied to the case of the bees, it
js furnished in the experiepcp of Mr. Heddon, as

given on page 270, Gleanings, 1885. His bees, from
which pollen had been excluded as far as possible,
died of starvation, notwithstanding the fact that
they were found to be full of undigested sugar syr-
up. In the light of the information furnished by
the physiologists quoted above, are we not justified
in attributing their defective digestion to the ab-
sence of nitrogen and oil, which a supply of pollen
would have furnished? Mr. Heddon found, then,
for the first time in a long experience, that bees
quite readily succumb to the effects of cold. When
the digestion of sugar languished and then ceased,
a failure in keeping up the normal temperature
should excite no surprise. The experience of Mr.
Demaree, given on page 788, vol. I., C. B. J., is an-
other case in point, showing that bees can not con-
tinue to digest syrup without pollen.

In view of all the facts, I think it will be admit-
ted that Mr. Heddon is in error as regards the com-
position of honey, syrup, and pollen, their functions
in the process of digestion and assimilation, their
capacity for heat production, and the necessity for
a constant change of air in the hives. I submit,
therefore, that he is not in a position to be able to
say with confidence, "The whole matter of safe
wintering hinges on the food." All attempts to de-
fend the exclusion of pollen from the food of bees
in winter, on scientific grounds, have broken down,
and all experiments made to justify its exclusion,
by the success of practical results, have been either
so inconclusive that they are quite worthless as
proof, or they have proven the very contrary of what
it was supposed they would establish. I think it is
high time that Mr. Heddon should begin to see that
the old-fashioned food, honey and pollen, with sur-
roundings such as will keep the bees comfortable,
are, after all, the most reliable conditions for safe
wintering. S. Corneil.

Lindsay, Ont., Can., Feb. 11, 1889.

Friend C, you are doubtless right, or pret-
ty nearly right ; and I presume likely that
friend Heddon as well as myself has got
somewhat rusty on chemistry. You have
given us theory and science (and I believe
you are correct) enough to last us a good
long while. Mow, while I do not mean to
be disrespectful to science or theory either, I
want to say that I have wintered splendidly
when every thing was removed as closely as
I could remove it, except stores of sugar
syrup. In fact, we took their combs all
away, and gave them clean combs contain-
ing nothing but sugar syrup, and I never
saw bees winter better than they did. We
have done nearly the same thing, on a large
scale, since the time I have mentioned, and
there was no loss with as many as 200 colo-
nies. In this latter case, however, they had
their own combs ; in the former experiment
alluded to they did not commence brood -
rearing, or at least did not succeed in rear-
ing brood, until they got pollen ; and in re-
gard to ventilation, I feel sure either that
bees do not need as much as you estimate,
or that more air gets through ordinary hives
and ordinary cellars than we are aware of.
I have repeatedly seen bees winter beauti-
fully in ordinary cellars that seemed to be
remarkably close and tight, where no pro-
vision had been made for ventilation at all ;
and with bees buried in the ground, or put
in caves, as Doolittle mentions, they not

174

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

only do well, but even better, tban where
provision is made to have a constant circu-
lation of air. We thank you for your excel-
lent article, because it gives us valuable
scientific data for future reference ; but if
practice and theory should give different re-
sults, I would stick to practice. Friend
Terry said that, when scientific men were
against ensilage, and the cows were for it.
he preferred the testimony of the cows. I
believe the cows have come out ahead.

CALIFORNIA ; CONSISTENCY OF
CHRISTIANS, ETC.

A GOOD BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF TOBAOCO-
. USING.

R. ROOT:— I have delayed this letter, that
Huber and all the home friends might have
time to exhaust their store of questions in
regard to that wonderful country you have
,'ust visited. My husband traveled over a
part of the same country one year ago, and was so
well pleased with it, and had such good times with
J. Root, that he tells me he left his heart there. I
think the orange-tree, with its fruit in all stages of
growth, and from which ripe fruit may be picked
every month in the year, might remind us some-
what of the tree of life, spoken of in Revelation.
And did you never think, while admiring them and
all the other beautiful things, what wonderfully
large tobacco-plants are raised in that rich soil,
whose leaves are not for the healing of the nations?
No doubt you did, and were saddened by it. I have
not seen much about tobacco in Glean in ns of late,
and I often wonder if all the tobacco-users who
come under the influence of your journal have re
formed, and if all the boys whose papas take
Gleanings have been careful not to learn to
smoke. I prize what has been printed in the "To-
bacco Column" more highly than any thing else in
Gleanings— not that I undervalue Our Homes, but
there are a thousand people who will speak and
write on the subject treated there, where one can
be found who will say a word against the use of to-
bacco, except in a mild and general way; and so
unpopular is it, that hardly a newspaper or maga-
zine can be found that will print a decidedly out
spoken article on the subject. And when we think
of the number of professing Christians who are
slaves to the use of tobacco, it is appalling; "their
name is legion." I can count quite a number in our
little neighborhood. They will " speak in meeting,"
and say they feel that they have reserved nothing-
all is laid on the altar. Now, I believe these people
are real Christians, but they have not been aroused
on the subject ; " their eyes they have closed," etc.
I know a man about 30 years of age who has been a
professing Christian for 15 years; has used tobacco
all the time, and is Sunday-school superintendent
in one of the churches of this place. I believe he
has never been known to " take a chew " during the
hour he is engaged in this exercise. He also
teaches a district school near here; and although it
is not known that he uses tobacco during school
hours, he makes a free use of it morning, noon, and
night, giving and receiving it from the boys of the
school who are addicted to its use. Now, if it were
possible to exclude all superintendents and teach-
ers, what shall we say of Christian fathers who

have an influence over their sons that no teacher
can have, and yet indulge in its use without appar-
ent shame, and other fathers too?

1 am very glad of what you are doing to bring
about a tobacco reform; and may we not hope,
when liquor has been banished from the land, and
people are aroused on the subject, to see the boy
who now walks proudly with a lighted cigar, slink
out of sight behind a corner, or hide in an alley to
indulge his morbid taste? And may we not look
still further, and confidently expect a time when the
American people will arise in their might and put
it from them? Let us remember the words the
Lord spake to Joshua, that the children of Israel
should go up and possess the land—" Only be thou
strong and very courageous."

I have been led to think more on this subject of
late, by reading a book, written by an aged minister
residing in this vicinity, whom I have known for
years. I will send you a copy of the book. His ob-
ject in writing the book was to inform the young of
the evil effects of tobacco, both on mind and body.
He has been studying the subject for a number of
years, and finally decided to publish a book at his
own expense, that the youth of the land might be
warned, giving incidents from his personal observa-
tion, and opinions of eminent physicians, etc. He
nas not undertaken this work with a view to mon-
ey-making, but solely to benefit mankind; and he
assures me that, whatever profits are derived from
its sale, will be used to print more books. While
preparing himself for his life-work, he was a stu-
dent at Oberlin for some time, completing his stud-
ies afterward. He has spent a long and useful life
in the ministry, and now, in his old age, to help rid
the world of this tobacco curse, he is willing to give
the greater part of his earthly store. Surely a little
of that spirit of self-sacrifice manifested by the
Savior remains with his followers. The price of the
book is 50 cts. Will you be so kind as to read it and
give it such notice in Gleanings as you may think
best ? Please let me know. 1 wish every subscriber
of Gleanings would purchase this book. All hav-
ing sons opposed to the use of tobacco, and those
having no children, could make it do a good work
by placing it where visitors and hired help could
easily pick it up; and those having daughters only
could make it useful in the same way. I think
it would be a good book for Sunday-schools and
public libraries. Mrs. J. B. Ratcliffe.

Amboy. Minn., Feb. 1, 1889.

My good friend , I am exceedingly obliged
to you for having given us a good stirring-
up on the tobacco reform. In the crowd of
other matter that is sent in for Gleanings,
we have sometimes inclined, when deciding
what must go in and what might be held over,
to say that the Tobacco Column is not of any
special importance "for this present issue,''
so it lies over for something else. There is
almost always, however, a protest by myself
when a single number goes to press without
at least something on the subject. 1 am ex-
ceedingly obliged to you for the copy of the
little book, and I want to say to our readers
that it is a perfect gem so far as the subject
on hand is concerned. There is not any dry
reading in it. It is all, or pretty much all,
stories from actual' experience. One is re-
minded of an experience meeting where
those who attend rise up rapidly, one after

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

175

another, and give in their testimony. The
book is so interesting that, if the hired man
or boys should open it almost anywhere,
they would read and read, and then turn
back until they had read it through. 1 real-
ly believe, as you say, that it will pay us to
buy it and leave it around where people will
get hold of it. You may tell the author that
I want 100 copies right away ; and those who
And it more convenient to order of us in-
stead of the author, N. A. Hunt, Mapleton
Station, Minn., can do so.

We will furnish it at 45 cents, by express
or freight with other goods. Now, then,
friends, if you want to help along in this
work, order one or more copies, as you can
afford, and "leave them around," as our
good friend Mrs. Ratcliffe expresses it.
The book is neatly bound, and contains 192
pages, so that the price, 50 cents, is not very
high.

Since the above was in type we have the
following :

Mr. N. A. Hunt:

I am glad to receive a copy of your book— a broad-
side against tobacco. I have read it from beginning'
to end, and believe pvery word of it. The book is
fair and moderate in tone, without exaggeration or
over-statement, nothing bitter or fanatical in it;
yet it is a terrible arraignment of the mischievous
and unworthy habit. I wish all the 5000 copies were
sold, and another edition twice as large called for.
Jas. H. Fairchild, President Oberlin College.

It is refreshing to know that so great an
authority as the President of Oberlin College
so warmly seconds what I have just said in
regard to the book.

RAMBLE NO. 11.

THE RAMBLER'S IDEA OF WHAT A BEE-SUIT
SHOULD BE.

fBFORE getting off upon this ramble I wish to
call attention to something else that is an
immense success in my every-day work in
the apiary.

So far in bee-literature 1 have not read of
nor seen illustrated a really full dress-suitespecially
for bee-keepers; nor have I seen any thing system-
atic in dress in any of my rambles. The Rambler
tries to be a tidy bee-keeper, and has given bee-
dress much attention.

A special work-suit must have several essentials.
It must, or ought to be, light in color; easy to put
on or off; must protect the entire person, and be of
a color, make, and texture, to stand frequent wash-
ings.

Duck overalls and aprons usually worn are clum-
sy and inconvenient for all of the above purposes.
Getting thoroughly disgusted with the "sticka-
tiveness " of my clothes I rambled to a clothing-
store and found what is called an engineer's suit
—overalls and short coat, or blouse, made of blue
and white checked cotton cloth, the whole weigh-
ing only 154 lbs. Cost "zhust von tollar, zhust a
fit, and zhust the thing." The beauty of this suit is
the certainty of complete protection to your Sun-
day clothes if you choose to wear them; and the
price enables you to own two suits, and wash often,
and always clean. Then there are plenty of pock-
ets fore and aft, for pencils, jack-knives, screw-

drivers, queen-cages, toothpicks, etc. There are
those who may possibly object to appropriating
or adopting an engineer's suit to bee-keeping; but,
friends, if a mortal man or woman, conducting an
apiary of two hundred colonies of bees, isn't an en-
gineer, who else indeed is worthy of the name?

When extracting honey, or at work with sticki-
ness that is certain to get on my arms, I put on an
additional set of sleeves. What are called gossa-
mer sleeve-protectors have been extensively ad-
vertised; but my experience with them proves
them to be a humbug. Try to wash them off, and
they wet through; then they are of such a stingy
pattern that the elbow is not reached. I now use a
sleeve made of a new manufacture of oil cloth,
thin, flexible, and absolutely water-proof, reaching
generously above the elbow, and secured at wrists
and arms with a peculiar button. These buttons
are also on the bottoms of the overalls and on the
coat-sleeves. Rubber bands work well at first, but
they soon become a " vexation of spirit."

THE RAMBLER'S COMPLETE WORK-SUIT.

For head wear I prefer a stiff straw hat, with a
3>4-inch brim, over which a silk brussels-net veil is
worn in the ordinary way. A hat-brim of the
above width enables the veil to give protection to
the Rambler's three-inch nose. There are other
bee-keepers who would probably need a wider-
brimmed hat; but a slouch hat should be avoided,
as partaking too much of the nature of a cow-boy
style.

The Rambler could never tolerate a white veil
wirh black portion before the eyes, as there is al-
ways more or less strain' on the eye through the
contrast of color; and then such a veil never re-
mains half black and half white. The white soon
tries to get to the shade of black, but never attains
to it, but gets dirty enough to look very untidy.
The Rambler has seen some horrid bee-veils, and,
rather than wear them, would prefer stings.

To hold the veil snug around the neck I prefer a
stout cord with a slip-noose. This isn't half the
bother it is to tuck it under the coat; or if it is de-
sired to put the coat-collar over, it is already drawn
up nicely for the purpose by the cord. A net veil
can be slipped off the hat, and carried ip the vest
pocket,

176

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mah,

I am also particular in relation to foot-covering.
I have seen bee-keepers stamping around the yard
with heavy No. 10 cowhide boots, or even rubber
boots, with the trowser-legs tucked in. This style
may do fop drawing manure, ditching, or other
menial work, but are clogs to feet, body, and mind,
in the bee-yard. There is nothing easier than
a good lace or button shoe. I prefer a leather
shoe for durability; and for wet mornings I slip on
a pair of rubbers. Cloth shoes of various styles
are very easy, but objectionable on the above
grounds.

The foregoing, therefore, is the Rambler's ideas
and practice in relation to bee-dress; and to keep
up my reputation for liberality, I give it to the fra-
ternity. Don it, my friends, and you will some day
rise up and bless the Rambler.

P. S.— Please wait a few minutes, friends. I will
now start on the ramble as soon as I get " Nig's off
hind shoe set." R.

Friend R., I think you have hit the nail
on the head this time, even if you did not
ramble. When I am working among the
bees, I can not bear heavy boots, nor heavy
clothing of any kind. Our engraver has
made a very neat-looking young man, as
you may notice, in the picture. Your foot
on top of the hive looks a little as if the
pant-leg were tied up with a string. I used
to wear cloth or kid gaiters ; and when in a
hurry 1 have often wrapped up the leg of my
light pants, and pulled my stocking over it.
This made a sure thing of keeping the bees
out, but it did not look very becoming, espe-
cially when ladies called to see the apiary.
One trouble about dressing, especially for
our vocation, is that most of us have to rush
from one thing to another in a hurry. Ditch-
ing, hauling manure, etc., may be the regu-
lar work of the day until something calls us
to the bee-yard, or we happen to have a lit-
tle spare time. I have often admired the
suit worn by our railway engineers, especial-
ly when they put on a clean one, and I be-
lieve the same rig would be handy and con-
venient for a good many kinds of farm work.

THE HONEY EXHIBIT AT THE COLUM-
BUS CENTENNIAL.

PRESIDENT MASON GIVES FURTHER FACTS CON-
CERNING IT.

fRIEND ROOT:— In Gleanings for Dec. 15th I
described your exhibit at the Ohio Centenni-
al Exposition, as shown in the picture on page
959. I think I am safe in saying that not one-
fourth of your exhibit is there shown, and I
will but briefly mention the remainder.

Across a passageway, to the right of your exhibit
as shown in the picture, on a platform, was shown
a one and a two story chaff hive all complete for ex-
tracted honey, and so arranged that, at the desire
of any interested visitor, some of us were ready to
transform either or both into hives for comb honey
in a "jiffy." Here was also displayed a bee-tent
made of mosquito netting; a roll of 600 square feet
of wire cloth; a large roll of perforated (or queen-
excluding) zinc; some force-pumps, sections, etc.

On the further side of the table, but not to be
seen in the picture, there were smokers, sections in

all shapes; foundation, both thick and thin; foun-
dation fasteners, ready for business, and they were
frequently put to the test too. There were also
price lists, and sample copies of Gleanings, hun-
dreds of which were distributed. On this table, and
within easy reach, was always kept a goodly supply
of your cards offering $1000 for evidence that comb
honey is made by machinery.

On the platform beyond the table was a large as-
sortment of Langstroth and Simplicity hives in all
sorts of combinations; slatted honey-boards, met-
al honey-boards, wood and zinc honey-boards, wood-
en frames, metal-cornered frames, chaff cush-
ions, division-boards, separators, section cases in
endless variety, with and without sections, and with
and without starters. It was just wonderful what
a variety of combinations could be made with what
was here shown. Wondering and inquisitive bee-
keepers could in a moment have a hive rigged out
for operation. It was as good as a box of monkeys,
for fun, to see your men or some one else of our
company make up a hive for any purpose, or to
suit any inquiry.

Two kinds of section-folders were always in run-
ning order; and boxes of sections, made on your
section machinery at Power Hall, were always
handy by so as to demonstrate to visitors and cus-
tomers just how it was done.

One day when we were all busy showing off things
to the crowd, some boys took it upon themselves to
fold a lot of sections with one of the machines, and,
when first noticed, had folded as much as a two-
bushel box full. Perhaps if they had thought it
was work they might not have folded more than a
dozen or two, and then have been " tired out."

On the platform, at the left of the picture, were
shown some 60-lb. honey-cans with their accompa-
nying boxes; a lawn-mower that was so cheap and
good that I brought it home with me; a solar, a
Swiss, and a Jones wax-extractor, and some swarm-
catchers.

Next to the display of queens, I don't now remem-
ber of anyone thing that you had on exhibition
that attracted so much attention, and called forth
so many remarks, as did the straw bee-hive you
look the trouble to get from Connecticut, I believe.
We had it labeled, "Straw bee-hive over one hun-
dred years old." People were not satisfied with
looking at the outside of it, but had to turn it over
and look inside also; and when we would tell them
it was the same shape inside as out, they would still
turn it over. I sometimes wished that it contained
a colony of bees that were first class In the stinging
line.

A great nuisance at such times is the very bad
habit so many people have of leaving things just as
they happen to be when they get through examin-
ing them, evidently not having " a place for every
thing, and every thing in its place " at home.

The large sign, " Exhibited by A. I. Root," in the
top of the picture, looks all out of proportion to the
rest of the exhibit; but it was not, and I have not
the slightest idea why it looks as it does. It was a
neat, tasty, and cheap sign, and all the exhibits
would have looked better with a nice sign over
them.

Perhaps some exhibitors may want to have such a
sign at some county or State fair next fall, but might
think it is too expensive. Aside from the boards,
either rough or dressed, the cost is but a few cents.
Mr. Will Weed, who had charge of your exhibit, was

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

177

quite anxious to have everybody know that the ex-
hibit belonged to A. I. Koot, and seemed bound to
have a sign painted that would have cost several
dollars, from four to six, I believe; but "older
heads " didn't think it was best; but he could not
give up his wish, and so took two boards, about
nine inches wide and six to eight feet long, and fas-
tened them together with strips on the ends, and
covered the whole, both sides and edges, with white
paper. He then took some red card-board and cut
it into strips and pieces, and then tacked them on
with small tacks, making the name A. I. Root, as
shown, the A being made of three pieces, the I of
one, the T of two, the R of seven, and the O's of
eight each. These letters were put on both sides,
and it made a very neat sign. I believe the above
letters were about a foot high. The letters in " Ex-
hibited by " were each of one piece, and were about
three or four inches high.

To the left of the picture and your exhibit was
quite a variety of appliances used in the apiary,
consisting of an exhibit by Dr. G. L. Tinker, in
which was a box hive used over 40 years ago in
Eastern Ohio, and a small straw hive that was used
over 60 years ago in the same locality. The doctor
also exhibited a double-walled hive, several of his
"Storifying" hives, for either comb or extracted
honey, several section and extracting 6upers, quite
a variety of honey-boards, among them his wood
and zinc queen-excluding; strips of perforated
zinc; four-piece poplar sections, smokers, cartons,
drone-traps, some crates of poplar honey, two colo-
nies of his Syrio-albino bees, and three nuclei for
showing queens. To those who have seen any of
the doctor's " handy work " it will be unnecessary
to say it was first class in every respect.

Dr. J. C. Oldham, of Springfield, O., exhibited an
invertible and divisible shallow-framed storifying
and interchangeable hive that attracted some at-
tention, and was frequently dissected by curious
bee-keepers. Near by was an Armstrong side-open-
ing hive and side-opening T super, with sections,
fixed up in nice shape, exhibited by E. S. Arm-
strong, Jerseyville, 111. It attracted quite a good
deal of attention, and we frequently had to put it
together after parties had given it a good over-
hauling, or visitors would not have known such a
hive was on exhibition.

Here, too, was one of Mr. James Heddon's new
hives, with divisible brood-chamber, section-supers,
extracting-super, a queen-excluding and a break-
joint honey-board. This hive was a regular "curi-
osity shop" to many, and attracted much attention,
and, like the other divisible hives, had frequently
to be reconstructed so that its individuality might
be maintained.

Here was also a straw hive from Germany, which
belonged to an 80-year-old German by the name of
Burchard, who lives in Michigan, and who will keep
bees in no other kind of hive. It was a great curi-
osity. With it was an old Quinby smoker that be-
longed to Mr. Andrew Fabrique, also of Michigan.
It was brought from Pennsylvania many years ago.
By the side of this hive was an old " log gum," or
bee-hive, cut from a basswood-tree, with a board
nailed on one end for a cover, for which many old
bee-keepers had words of affection, and many an
entertaining as well as amusing story was told
about cutting bee-trees by these "old-timers."
These old relics were properly labeled, so that
passers-by might know what they were.

Here I'm reminded of an explanation given one
day by a gentleman 75 years old, being one of our
largest exhibitors, a well-posted bee-keeper, and
known to us as "Uncle Aaron" Goodrich, of
Worthington, Ohio. Some visitors, who acted as
we see people sometimes when they wish to make
the impression that they are smarter than most
people, were asking him some questions about the
straw hives, the box hive, and the log gum, and he
told them that was " the kind of hives bees used to
be kept in when they had king-bees; " then point-
ing to the Tinker, Armstrong, and Heddon hives
that were near, added, "but those nice hives, or
bee-palaces, are what bees are kept in now that
they have queens." Perhaps there didn't any of us
bee-keepers or anybody else smile, and it can readi-
ly be imagined that the story was more than once
repeated.

On this same platform were exhibited a Muth
honey-extractor and a Jones wax-extractor by Dr.
Besse, of Delaware, o., and a solax wax-extractor
and bee-hive by Elias Cole, of Ashley, O.; also a
hive and solar wax-extractor by C. E. Jones, of Del-
aware, O., each of whom also exhibited several good
colonies of bees and a one-comb nucleus to show
the queen, and one of them had 16 and the other
17 queens in queen-cages, for exhibition.

In the right-hand upper corner of the picture on
page 959, above referred to, is shown a portion of
the exhibit of C. E. Jones, which consisted mostly
of comb honey in crates, the crates being inter-
spersed with extracted honey in different styles of
packages, and a display of honey-producing plants.
He also had two candy-jars that had been filled very
nicely with honey by the bees.

To the left of the above exhibit was that of Mr.
Elias Cole, of Ashley, Delaware Co., O., composed
largely of extracted honey in glass, and placed on
shelves. It will be noticed, by referring to the pic-
ture, that some of the bottles look black and some
white. That is owing to the different kinds of hon-
ey. When the picture was taken, that which is
white was candied; and^the other, which is alsike-
clover honey, was not. The wall above the exhibit
was decorated with flags, etc. ; and over the left
portion of this exhibit, almost entirely hidden by
the large 6ign, was festooned a large American flag.
To the right and near the top of the wall may be
seen a display of over 140 honey-producing plants,
each one numbered and named.

On the platform below the exhibit, but hidden
from view, was a foundation mill, smokers, honey-
knives, samples of foundation, comb honey in
crates, beeswax, etc. Near the center, at the bot-
tom of the shelves, may be seen a part of a diminu-
tive house that attracted the attention of all the
little folks who espied it, and many an " old folks "
was attracted by its novelty. It was a regular
house made in the form of an L, with chimneys,
doors, and windows. Lace curtains were at the
windows, so looped back as to show the nice honey
within. It had a veranda, with diminutive people
sitting on it; a pump near the door; afence around
the dooryard, which contained evergreens and
shrubbery, and, to complete it as the home of hon-
ey-bees, small bee-hives were sitting in the yard.
To complete the picture, a sign, "This Property for
Sale," was standing in the yard.

At the left of Mr. Cole's exhibit may be seen a
portion of the exhibit of our family, consisting of
comb and extracted honey, honey-plants, honey-

178

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mak.

cakes, and cookies of several kinds, honey-candies,
honey vinegar, honey wine, honey-knives, founda-
tion, beeswax, and Bingham smokers sent by Mr.
T. F. Bingham for exhibition. At the right of the
exhibit, but hidden by your Sturwold show-case,
is another of your Sturwold cases filled with fine
comb honey, and, standing on its top, one of Mr. E.
O. Tuttle's bee-keepers' medleys.

A description of what was on the other side of the
building, and of your section machinery, etc., with
some incidents connected with the exhibition, may
be given in the future. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, O.

Now, doctor, I am going to complain a
little. From the above it is quite evident
that, day after day and week after week,
you explained things, and showed your vis-
itors all around— told them long stories ;
ves, you even took pains with every old
lady, and I suppose every juvenile too ; and
yet vv hen I came around myself you did not
show me about nor tell me any of these
wonderful stories at all— at least if you did
I can not remember it— that is, I do not re-
member very much about it. I did not
know until just now that there is a bee-
keeper in Michigan who still keeps bees in
straw hives. You say the man's name is
Burchard, and that " he lives in Michigan ;"
but how in the world are we going to visit
and see an old-time apiary, without know-
ing what part of Michigan it is in ? I want
to tell vou, friend M., that Michigan is a
very big place. Your story is so interesting
that I feel now as if I would give a good
deal to see " Uncle Aaron " and all the rest
of those other good friends we always meet
at our Columbus conventions. By the way,
I have just asked Ernest why we did not
have a convention this winter. He says we
had our convention in conjunction with the
great national, and the bee-keepers thought
that that was convention enough for quite
a spell. I do not agree with him, however,
and 1 hereby give notice that, when there is
another Ohio bee-keepers' convention, I
wish to be invited. — Just a word about that
sign. Mr. Weed wrote me that he thought
we ought to get a good nice big sign, even if
it cost several dollars. I told him that I
thought something transient would do very
well. But when I got down there I said to
myself, " There, the boys have gone and
paid out quite a lot of money for a sign, aft-
er all ; " but as we went there to have a pic-
nic I thought I would not scold, but just
make believe that 1 was pleased, you know.
Pretty soon I remarked toMr. Weed, " Why,
Will, you did go and get a nice sign, after
all, didn't you? But, didn't it cost a good
deal of money V " And then they had quite
a good laugh when somebody said it did not
cost half a dollar all together. Now, friends,
you can make very handsome signs, to be
put up indoors, not exposed to the weather,
with a pair of scissors, some tacks, and some
colored paper. Why, there was not a pret-
tier nor a plainer sign on the whole centen-
nial grounds than that one.— Doctor, you do
not tell us who got up that little house and
dooryard, etc., with the house " chuck full "
of honey. Did that little sign bring a cus-
tomer V

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

DR. A. B. MASON'S OPINION OF THAT NEW PRESS
STRAINER.

T AM glad you have the press strainer for sale,
M that you illustrate and describe on page 130;
W and so cheap too. I told one of your men at
"*■ the centennial that you ought to have them
for sale. At the earnest solicitation of " Uncle
Aaron " Goodrich, one of the exhibitors at the Ex-
position at Columbus last fall, who lived nine miles
away, I went home with him one Saturday night to
spend the Sabbath with him and his family; and
nicer potatoes than were on their table it had nev-
er been my privilege to eat. (I hope Mrs. Mason
will not hear of this.) Monday morning at break-
fast I got up courage enough to ask for their way
of fixing them so nicely, and learned that it was
done with just the kind of press you describe.
They had been sold from house to house by an
agent, for one dollar each. I found them for sale
at a "general store "near where "Uncle Aaron"
lived, and bought one for fifty cents. I would have
willingly paid a dollar for it, and felt that I had the
worth of my money. Mrs. Mason makes as nice
bread as I ever tasted (I don't care if she does hear
of this), and uses mashed potatoes in doing it; and
when I showed her how the press (or " tater smash-
er"! call it) made the potatoes so "fluffy" you
"just had oughter seen" her smile. Try to induce
every husband to get one for his better half, and
every " feller " to get one for his " best girl," if her
father hasn't already got one for her mother.
Auburndale, O., Feb. 30, 1889. A. B. Mason.

CONTRACTION, AND HOW FAR IT MAY BE CARRIED
IWITH ADVANTAGE.

If the brood-nest is contracted to 5 or 6 frames in
the Gallup hive, will the queen be more likely to lay
in the surplus apartments? If so, is not side stor-
ing preferable? Do bee-keepers always use queen-
excluding honey-boards if contraction is|practiced?
When the brood-nest is well tilled with brood in the
spring, is it advisable to spread the combs and in-
sert about two empty combs in the center, in order
to increase brood-rearing? E. S. Mead.

Olivet, Belmont Co., O., Feb. 6, 1889.

Friend M., if contraction of the brood-
nest is carried to extremes, of course there
will be a greater liability of the queen going
above to deposit eggs. If the colony is good
and strong, a brood-nest of 8 Langstroth
frames ordinarily will not require to be con-
tracted. With a colony of moderate
strength, and in a moderate honey season,
it may be desirable to reduce the brood-nest
to 5 or 6 frames.— As we have had but very
little experience with the Gallup frame, we
could not advise you in regard to contrac-
tion for a frame of that dimension.— Queen-
excluding honey-boards are, we think, an
advantage where the brood-nest is reduced
to t or possibly t of its full capacity. A
great many prominent bee-keepers do not
consider their use essential, while others are
just as positive that they are an advantage.
In regard to spreading brood, we advise you
to see an article from the pen of G. M. Doo-
little, in a late issue.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1?9

SQUARE VERSUS ROUND PACKAGES FOR 10 LBS. OF
EXTRACTED HONEY.

Last fall, when I was visiting some of the towns
of Texas in which so much California honey had
been sold two years ago, I found nearly all the
merchants pleased with and wanting the California
style of packages for extracted honey ; namely, the
square tin can holding 10 lbs. of honey, packed 12
in a crate, and sold by the dozen. I promised some
of them the packages for the coming season; but
where can we get them? You don't sell them, as it
seems. I called the attention of some of the mer-
chants to the fact that there was only 10 lbs., light
weight, but they said they didn't care for that. I
hope the editor will look well into this matter.
Give us these packages at a fair rate, and we can
compete with California in extracted honey.

Bright Star, Ark., Jan. 1, 1889. T. J. Martin.

We can furnish the one-gallon square
cans put up ten in a box, and shipped from
St. Louis, Mo., or from Medina, Ohio, in
lots of ten boxes, at $1.40 per box ; in lots of
one hundred, $1.30 per box. Although we
have not heretofore advertised them, the
new edition of our price list will contain
prices about as above. You will notice that
the prices quoted are about the same as for
the round cans of the same capacity. For
economy of space, convenience in boxing
and shipping, the square style of cans is
very much superior. These and other con-
siderations will make them the favorite
shipping package for holding about 10 lbs.
of honey. See another column.

limbs. As many of the swarms were quite large,
their weight was more than the tender branches
could bear, and many of them were broken off.

Sarah E. Duncan.
Lineville, Iowa, Feb. 12, 1889.

The fact you mention has been brought
up before, a good many times. You will
find it spoken of in the ABC book. The
subsequent swarm was probably attracted by
the scent left by the bees and queen of the
preceding swarm. Little particles of wax
may sometimes be found attached to the
limb, and these particles may be a factor in
inducing the bees to seek this point.

STIMULATING BKOOD-REARING WITH RYE FLOUR.

Can I start brood-rearing with rye flour, without
feeding honey or syrup? When there is plenty of seal
ed stores in the hive, about what amount of the rye
flour would I need for 55 colonies, to have them in
good shape for the honey-flow? White clover and wild
raspberry are the staple honey-plants here. There
are several good orchards within range, and su
mac is plentiful. Basswood is scarce.

Myrtle, Pa. E. A. Pratt.

You can start brood-rearing with rye flour,
without feeding any honey or syrup, provid-
ed the colony has plenty of stores in the hive.
If the season is favorable for meal feeding—
that is, if natural pollen is slow to make its
appearance — you may feed several bushels
of rye flour to your bees before the pollen
comes ; but we are not quite agreed that
there is always a positive advantage in feed-
ing rye flour. I have known bees to store
so much rye meal in their combs that they
did not succeed in getting rid of it, and it re-
mained there the season through. Better
not overdo it.

SUCCESSIVE SWARMS OCCUPYING THE SAME PLACE
OF CLUSTERING.

Are swarms attracted by the scent of other
swarms, or why do they so often cluster on the
same object? During the past summer our
swarms, with few exceptions, settled on the same
tree (a peach-tree), notwithstanding there were
other trees of the same kind in the apiary. I have
hived as many as four swarms from the same tree,
in a single forenoon. In fact, it became such a
common occurrence that, when a swarm issued, it
was easy to'guess where it would alight. This state
of affairs continued until the poor tree really be-
came an object of pity, being almost destitute of

LARGE OR SMALL HIVES FOR BUSINESS.

Friend Boot, you have asked me a question in
Gleanings, page 61, that I am just prepared to an-
swer from actual experience. May 11th I cut a bee-
tree, and there was about a quart of bees in it, and
about 5 lbs. of honey. I put the bees and honey in
a box with 6 frames 9 inches deep, and 17 inches
long. I carried them home, set them on a bench by
the side of a strong colony in a 10-frame hive. The
small colony filled their 6 frames full by July 17th,
and I put on top 24 1-lb. boxes, and they filled them.
The 10-frame hive swarmed twice, and made just fi
1-lb. boxes full, and the first swarm made enough to
winter on. The second swarm did not. In this
case the small swarm is the better.

Wistar, Pa. Seth Nelson.

Friend N., you give us good proof that a
small colony may do better than a large one :
but we should by no means conclude that
this is the case in the majority of instances.

SOME GOOD NEWS FOR BEE-KEEPERS WHO HAVE
TO PAY FREIGHT RATES.

Friend Root:— The bee-keepers of our country
will be gratified to learn that one of the great rail-
roads, the Louisville & Nashville (reaching from
Cincinnati to New Orleans, to Memphis, St. Louis,
and many other important points) issued a new
local freight tariff and classification table last
month, and a good many changes were made in our
favor. The rates are not materially changed, but
the new classification of articles in our line is what
makes the reduction. For instance, '"Bee-hives,
set up," are changed from double 1st class to 1st
class; same in the flat, crated, from 3d to 6th class
(which is the same class as box material and lum-
ber); honey, from 2d class to "honey in glass or
tin, boxed," also " comb honey boxed," 3d class, if
released, " honey in barrels or kegs," 5th class, re-
leased. All honey is 1st class if not released. Hon-
ey-extractors, crated, and smokers, boxed, are 1st
class; beeswax is changed from 2d to 3d class. A
"low tariff " letter from your humble servant to
the General Freight Agent, about 3 months ago,
may have dropped in opportunely, as the new
tariff was being made up; and may or may not
have had something to do with the changes. That
matters not, though. The result of the revison is
gratifying to us bee-people, and we appreciate it
enough to "stand by " the "old reliable" L. & N.,
and give her our traffic whenever we can.
Wetumpka, Ala., Feb. t, 1889. J. M. Jenkins.
Friend J., this is indeed good news, and
we hereby express our hearty thanks to the
L. & N. Now, then, can't their tariff rates
be submitted to other roads^ as a means of
inducing them to go and do likewise?

1«0

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mail

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 109.— Do the drones subserve any useful
purpose in assisting to keep the brood warm after
swarming?

Sometimes. Geo. Grimm.

I think they do. Dr. A. B. Mason.

I believe that they do. Chas. F. Muth.

I have always thought so, when natural swarm-
ing is allowed. P. H. Elwood.

I seldom find sufficient numbers of them left in
the hive to affect much. R. Wilkin.

1 guess so, but I am not sure. Let the apicultural
entomologists post us in regard to this.

James Heddon.

Not any more than the workers that could be
raised in their space and with their food.

Dadant & Son.

I suppose enough drones would keep the brood
warm without any workers; but I think the same
number of workers would do it as well, at less ex-
pense. C. C. Miller.

They may at times, when it comes off cold imme-
diately after a swarm issues; but 1 think the cases
are rare where the drones are of any use inside the
hive. G. M. Doolittle.

Of course, all bees help keep up the temperature
of the hive; but 1 should much prefer workers to
drones. I am sure that few drones in the hive is
the correct policy. A. J. Cook.

I think it very doubtful. If they do, their use is
not appreciated by the rest of the colony, as they
are generally required to move into some corner
of the hive, out of the way. H. R. Boardman.

I think they are of some assistance. I advise a
limited amount of drone comb in each hive. I
think all of the facts will not warrant the supply-
ing a large number of drones. L. C. Root.

I think the brood has sufficient vital heat of its
own to keep warm, usually, in swarming time. In
case the hive was a very bad one, or an untimely
cold spell should occur, the drones might be useful.

E. E. Hasty.

I have failed to come to any conclusion in that
regard, but I am inclined to think that they do not.
Take a colony and sift the drones out, and another
with drones, and you will see that one does as well
as the other. Paul L. Viallon.

Possibly they are of some use for this purpose,
but their presence can generally be dispensed with
without any detriment, as, at the swarming season,
the weather is usually so warm that a very few bees
will keep up the temperature of the hive. I have
known a drone to hatch after lying on the top of a
hive in the shade for three days and nights, no bees
having been near it during that time.

James A. Green.

The answers to these questions remind
me of the time when I used a queen-nursery
made of a lot of cages, so as to have a dozen

or two queens in one hive. When the
queens were old enough to get fertilized I
let them out one at a time, to take their
wedding-trip. It all went very well until
the bees protested against having a new
queen every day or every other clay. They
began to ball them to such an extent that it
spoiled the business. As a remedy, I pro-
posed to have a colony all drones and no
workers. The drones would keep the brood
warm, and afford the new queen a refuge.
Of course, tfiey would not care a cent what
queen nor how many queens there were at a
time in the cluster. Well, it all proved true,
and more too, for they did not care a cent
how many robbers came in and loaded up
and went off. My next project was to find
a locality where no bees were near enough
to rob ; but as I did not at that time find
any such locality around here, my plan of
raising queens about as easily as you raise
cabbage-plants went by the board.

Question 110.— Suppose two or more commission
firms in the same city— distant from your home — solicit
consignments of honey from you, and you know them
to be equally reliable and capable. They watch arri-
vals, and know to whom your honey goes, in that place
at least. They are not confined to your honey alone,
but have consignments from others as well. Would
you ship all your honey (for that market) to one of
these firms, or divide your consignments between them?
Give reasons for your decision.

I think I would deal with one. This would in-
volve less expense and trouble in the whole trans-
action. A. J. Cook.

I would not ship to either, but employ my leisure
moments in selling it at home and in the vicinity of
home. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Under the above circumstances I would ship to
both. Two salesmen, each with a line of customers,
are better than one. Geo. Grimm.

I would ship to only one commission house in the
same place. You can not afford to enter into com-
petition with yourself. H. R. Boardman.

Divide consignments, because there is a better
chance to make your name known, and because
you can best tell which firm is best.

Dadant & Son.

My custom has been to send or sell all to one
party, as I prefer to receive one full remittance.
There might be reasons for dividing shipments.

L. C. Root.

I would divide the consignment, believing that
each would be interested in making better returns
than the other in order to secure further consign-
ments. R. Wilkin.

If I could get no information as to which one has
done the best, I would divide to find out. I have
divided my shipment on some occasions, shipping
on the same day, and the returns were at least 15%
difference in price sold, although the honey was all
of the same grade. Paul L. Viallon.

In one city, I would confine my consignments to
one firm, under ordinary circumstances. Reason:
To prevent competitive ambition. I have seen the
case in our city, where a carload of comb honey
was consigned to two commission merchants, who
ran down the prices of each offer in order to effect
sales. Chas. F. Muth.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

181

If the crop were a small one I would send it all to
one, in accordance with the proverb that says,
"Don't make two bites of a cherry." Were the
crop large I would send some to each, in accordance
with the proverb that says, " Don't put all your
eggs in one basket." Too many men in the honey-
trade tends toward cutting under in prices. Too
few men in the honey trade tends toward an im-
perfect cultivation of the market. E. E. Hasty.

I would ship all to one firm. By so doing, the one
who gets your consignment will feel better toward
you than if you divided it. There are reasons both
ways as regards the action of the commission mer-
chant; but it is much less trouble to make one deal
than two. We country people are too much prone
to suspect the action of business houses in the city.
In many cases we make ourselves ridiculous in
that way. James Heddon.

That's a tough one. I've practiced both ways. I
would ship to one firm alone, because it would be
less trouble; and if small shipments, a little less ex-
pense; the firm would have a more friendly inter-
est in my sales knowing they had all my shipments,
and my honey would not be in competition with it-
self.

I would ship to both, so each would try to outdo
the other in getting me a good price, and to find
which one would do best for me, and because each
may have his own customers. C. C. Miller.

Of late years I have never shipped more than 500
pounds of honey to any one commission house, and
have found that I obtain better prices than I for-
merly did. The principle seems to be, that there
are more parties that want only from three to five
hundred pounds of honey than there are who want
larger lots; and where one sale will dispose of a
whole lot at one time, the commission merchant
prefers it that way, to the breaking-up of a large
lot. If the commission merchant is honest and re-
liable, he should work to your advantage, whether
he knows that he has your whole lot or otherwise.
G. M. Doolittle.

I think I should ship all to one firm. I have had
no experience in sending honey to commission
men; but if they all feel as do the commission men
here in Toledo in regard to other kinds of consign-
ments, it would be much better to send all to one
firm. There are two good reasons for doing so.
One is, that the commission man is more interested
in the disposal of the consignments of parties who
give him all their trade. Another reason is, that it
tends to raise the price. If one has consignments
and the other has none, he will feel like offering an
advance in price, in order to secure a consignment.

Dr. A. B. Mason.

I would do as 1 thought right and best. The rea-
son is, that, if your venture proves a bad one, you
can say to your wife or other guardian that you
did it for the best, etc. 1. I would send an equal
quantity to each, with the understanding that the
one who makes the best returns shall have a prize-
either a chromo or a mouth-organ. 2. I would send
all my honey to one; for if you let them both have
it, the first thing they will do will be to run down
the price; Jones will come in and say, "I can get
Smith's honey over at the other shop for 10 cents a
pound." Shopkeeper No. 2 will say that he will sell
you Smith's honey for 9 cents. In a short time the
price will be away down below the cost of furnishing

—another illustration of overproduction, and that
prices are regulated by supply and demand, and not
by trusts, monopolies, combinations, strikes, and
tariff. 3. I should not send any thing to either of
these men, but I would sell to the man who offered
me a reasonable cash price. This is the only good
way to establish a satisfactory honey-market. When
nine-tenths of our honey-producers do this, we shall
have a satisfactory honey-market, and not before.
If you send no honey to either of these men, you
will probably know enough to keep away from that
town, as " they watch arrivals." P. H. Elwood.

Ship to only one commission firm in the same
city, if you know that one to be reliable, otherwise
there is likely to be competition and underbidding.
This is especially the case if there is any difference
between the two lots. Call one commission man A
and the other B. Jones ships No. 1 honey to A,
and some not quite so good to B. A's judgment is,
that he can get 16 cts. for his lot of honey, while B
puts a price of 15 cts. on that consigned to him.
Smith, a sharp unscrupulous buyer, goes to B, in-
quires the price of that lot of honey, and is told 15
cts. He moves on to A, and prices Jones' honey.
" What, 16 cts.? Why, I can get just the same hon-
ey down at B's for 15." A doesn't want to be un-
dersold, so he probably replies that he will sell hon-
ey as cheap as B. Perhaps, to make a trade, he of-
fers it at half a cent less. Back goes Smith to B,
and says, "See here; A is selling honey at HlA cts.
that is a good deal nicer than this, worth fully two
cents a pound more. If you'll come down to a rea-
sonable figure, I'll take five cases of this; but if you
can't, I'll go somewhere else." The result is, that
Jones's honey, in competition with itself, lowers its
own price. James. A. Green.

I do not know who asked the above ques-
tion, but I suspect it was somebody who felt
a little sore over some transaction, and
wanted to see whether we as a crowd were
sharp enough to pick out all the points in
the case ; and it is those who have had a
rich and ripe experience who see difficulties
first. For instance, our good friend Muth
is the first one to see the danger that your
stock of honey will be running against itself.
Friends Elwood and Green develop this
state of affairs still further. Friend Hasty
tersely puts it by directing attention to the
two dangers by referring to two opposite
proverbs. Friend Heddon closes with a
grand truth. We country people are too
prone to suspect the action of business men
in the cities. Wholesale denunciation of
commission men is one of the saddest blun-
ders a body of bee-keepers ever fell into.

Question 111.— Which will make the better work-
ing colonies during the working season— that is, secure
the most honey— those that require from 20 to 25 pounds
to carry them through, or those that will get along on
from 5 to 10 pounds while in winter quarters!

I think as a rule, such as consume the lesser
quantity are the better. L. C. Root.

A strong colony always consumes more honey
than a weak one, and a strong colony always se-
cures the most honey. Chas. F. Muth.

I suppose this question has reference to large or
small colonies; if so, I should say the large one.

182

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

The one that has the most bees will make the most
honey. E. France.

As ;i rule, those that winter on a small amount of
honey in proportion to the number of bees in the
hive; or, in other words, those that hibernate most
perfectly. P. H. Elwood.

Under the same conditions, the colonies requiring
most honey for wintering will prove the most prof-
itable the next season. Taking every thing into
consideration, though, I do not care for extra-
strong colonies in the fall. J. A. Green.

It all depends on the queen. If the strength of
the colony, when it goes into winter quarters, is the
gauge of the proliflcness of the queen, then the
strong colony would likely make the better work-
ing colony, as the queen, judging by the past, would
likely be the better layer of the two.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

The colonies that require the greatest amount of
stores to " carry them through," as a rule will be
able to do the most work during the honey-season,
because most of the stores consumed are in brood-
raising; and the colonies that raise the most brood
will, as a rule, be strongest at the beginning of the
honey season. H. R. Boardman.

I do not think this question can be answered, as
so much depends upon the mode of wintering and
quality of queen. I prefer to have a colony eat but
little in winter. This indicates a repose or restful
condition, that I think favorable to the bees. Dis-
turbance or disquiet causes undue eating.

A. J. Cook.

It is not the amount of stores a colony consumes
in winter quarters that enables the bee-keeper to
judge of its working qualities. Some of the best
working colonies I ever had consumed less than
seven pounds of stores while in winter quarters.
One of my poorest colonies last season was one
that lost over 20 pounds in weight while in the cel-
lar. Dr. A. B. Mason.

That depends. If the 25-pound eaters are raven-
ous because'they are worrying and unhealthy, they
will be very apt to come out number two in the
honey-harvest. If they use the extra stores in rear-
ing brood, they may gain or may lose by the pro-
cess—more frequently the latter, 1 think. I rather
prefer that all over 16 pounds be hanging in the
comb-closet, to be given back to them in the spring,
if desired. Bees that (in a moderate climate) will
not go through the winter on 16 pounds had better
be dead than to live and propagate their greedy
race. E. E. Hasty.

Our bees have always wintered the best when
coming through with the least depletion of num-
bers, and consequently with better vitality where
the consumption of stores, while in winter quar-
ters, was small. We know by careful weighing that
we once wintered a strong colony of bees, in a
special repository, on two and a half pounds of
honey. That season all colonies cousumed a mini-
mum amount of stores, and nearly all were strong
enough to swarm about the 15th of April. I never
saw any thing like it before or since.

James Heddon.

That depends. If the colony that eats 25 lbs. is
no stronger than the one that eats the Id lbs., but
eats more only because it's uneasy, it is likely to
come out weaker in the spring than the one that
eats 10. Still, it is barely possible (although 1 don't

think it's likely) that, being of equal strength, the
one eats more than the other because of a more
active temperament, and on that account may be
more active in the working season, hence more
valuable. In general, however, I suspect that the
colony that eats 25 lbs. is just so much stronger-
than the one that eats 10, in which case the one
that eats the 25 is likely to be the better working
colony. C. C. Miller.

Now, I wonder who is the author of these ques-
tions. What has the amount of the consumption of
winter stores got to do with the working qualities
of the colony during the next season, any way?
How can we reason from an effect when we don't
know the cause? Increased consumption of stores
may be due to the temperature, the manner of
wintering, disturbance, extra strength of colony
caused by great proliticness of queens, etc., and it
may result in " playing out " the queen premature-
ly, or it may continue the colony strong during the
season. In other words, I don't think any judg-
ment as to the working quality of a colony can be
based on its consumption of winter stores alone.
The colony in best condition when the honey season
openg will ordinarily give the best results.

Geo. Grimm.

To answer this question we had better condense
what a successful bee-keeper of Italy, Mr. G. Metel-
li says, who got a good crop last year while bee cul-
ture was a failure in the whole country. See the
Apicoltore for December and January:

" We use very capacious (capacissime) hives, which
contain in the brood-chamber from 12 to 15 Italian
frames, instead of « or 10, as usually." The Italian
frame is about of the same size as the Langstroth,
but it is placed vertically. " The colonies which, on
the first of May, have hardly consumed the 22 or 24
lbs. (10 or 11 kilog.tof honey given for winter are
not strong enough to make honey in spring. But
we can anticipate that those which consumed from
36 to 40, and even 44 lbs., will return the honey used,
and profusely." Dadant & Son.

No colony, to winter well, should consume more
than ten pounds of honey while in winter quarters.
If more than this is consumed, the chances are
against that colony being a very profitable one the
next summer. By winter quarters, I mean the
time during which the colony is in the cellar, or
from Nov. 1st to April 15th. If this colony is win-
tered outdoors, then I should say from Nov. 1st to
March 20th. After this, during the next two
months, the colony should consume as much honey,
if they are to be a profitable colony during the
summer, as they did while in winter quarters. The
size of the colony has not so much to do with the
amount of stores which they consume while in win-
ter quarters, as has the quietude or uneasiness of
the colony. For summer profit, give me the colony
which has been quiet during winter, every time.
G. M. Doolittle.

No wonder our good friend George Grimm
wonders who the author of these questions
is. 1 suspect that A. I. Root started the
matter, and I was pretty sure of the truth
of what the above testimony brings out;
namely, that uneasy colonies often consume
a large amount of stores, without being very
much the better for it ; also that, when ev-
ery thing is just right, a pretty fair-sized
colony may winter on a comparatively small

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUttE.

183

amount of stores, and be in excellent trim
for business in the spring. Notwithstand-
ing this, however, I would rather have a
colony of bees that weighed 3 lbs., even if it
cost 15 lbs. to winter them, than a nucleus of
one pound that could be wintered on 5 lbs. of
stores. And this starts another question :
About how many pounds of stores would be
required to winter a pound of bees, on an
average? I would suggest 5 lbs. Now, if
some of our bee-hives contain 1 lb. of live
bees, and others contain 5 lbs., we can read-
ily see how it will take five pounds of stores
for one, and 25 for the other. Dadant, Doo-
little, and others have hinted at this thing,
as you will notice.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

THE BUSH LIMA BEAK— FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

«FTER receiving a sample of Dwarf
Carolina beans from Landreth, men-
tioned on page 119 of our last issue,
I wrote at once, asking how low they
could sell us a quantity, also asking
them if these beans were not exactly the
same thing as Henderson's Bush lima bean.
Below is their reply :

A. I. Root— Dear Sir:— Henderson's Bush lima
bean is not a lima bean at all, but a Carolina bean.
We have had it for five years, and never considered
it worth more than a three-line paragraph. We
never propagated in quantity. Next year, if peo-
ple want it, we shall be able to supply it.

David Landreth & Sons.

Bristol, Penn., Feb. 14, 1889.

Now, it seems to me no more than just
and right that the public should have the
benefit of the above opinion, from so great a
seedsman as Landreth. It is also just and
right that Henderson be allowed to reply.
I accordingly submitted to him a copy of
Landreth's letter, to which he replies:

Mr. Root:— If any of our contemporaries in the
trade have said that our " New Bush lima bean "
is " not a lima bean at all," then allow me to say
that any one making such a statement is either ig-
norant of botany and of knowledge of the bean
tribe, or that he is actuated by motives unworthy
of an honorable contemporary.

The "New Bush lima" is simply a dwarf " sport "
from the Sieva (sometimes called Sewee), or Caro-
lina lima, which, though smaller, of course, than
the large white lima, is just as truly a lima as the
large white lima, which is known in botany as
Phaseolus lunatus, while the variety known as the
Sieva, or Carolina lima, is Phaseolus lunatus "mi-
nor" (smaller).

My knowledge of this vegetable was from a cor-
respondent in Virginia, two years ago, who wrote
me that he had a Held of three acres, growing for
seed. I could hardly credit his description of it,
because such a story seemed too good to be true;
but 1 at once started to examine it, and I found on
arrival that it was all he claimed for it— a lima,
pure and simple, dwarf as the ordinary bush bean,
in no way differing in pod or bean from the large
White Pole lima, except in size. When I tell you
that we are retailing 500 packets a day of the Bush
lima bean, and that our sales, wholesale and re-
tail, will probably reach 250,000 packets before the

1st of June, you can well understand what a seri-
ous matter it would be to us if "Henderson's new
Bush lima bean " were not all we claim it to be.

Peter Henderson.
Jersey City Heights, N. J., Feb. 19, 1886.

Although it seems hard to reconcile these
two statements from two of the greatest
seedsmen in the world, I think perhaps
I can help the matter. In Landreth's cata-
logue, 1889, first page, he gives a photograph
of the bean ; and I presume that, when he
wrote the above letter, he had forgotten
that, light under that photograph, it is call-
ed " Dwarf Carolina, or Small Lima." From
the above it is evident that Landreth de-
cided to call it a small lima bean. Besides,
the picture shows a stalk literally loaded
down with pods. It is not a picture gotten
up for catalogue show, mind you, but it is
an absolute photograph of a stalk of beans
pulled up by the roots. This photograph
shows that the bean in question is certainly
enormously productive, just as Peter Hen-
derson says. Now, then, if the flavor is as
good as that of the large lima bean, it is
certainly worth all the advertising that
friend Henderson has given it, even if it is
small. My impression is, that Landreth's
folks had not given the bean the attention
it really deserves. One thing is certain, al-
so, that they have not any amount of seed
on hand, for they say, at the close of their
letter, that they will" be prepared to supply
it next year. Up to the present date of
writing it seems that Peter Henderson bas
the only stock to be had, on the face of the
earth. Again, on page 24 of Landreth's cat-
alogue, right under mention of the Large
Jersey lima, we read :

Carolina, or Sewee.— A small variety of lima, more
easy of vegetation, more vigorous in growth, earli-
er in season, more profitable in pod than the above.
Price $9.00 per bushel; 45 cts. per quart.

Now, observe that the above refers to the
Large Jersey lima. Well, if this new Dwarf
lima bean has all the qualities of the lima,
as quoted, and is dwarf besides, it is cer-
tainly an acquisition.

I want to call the attention of our read-
ers to the little incident that comes out in
the above, where Henderson went at once
to see that three-acre field of bush limas.
The act is characteristic of the man ; and 1
presume, although he does not tell us about
it, that he bought every bean on that three-
acre field. Almost if not all were planted
last season, and now Peter Henderson is
boss of the Bush Lima bean for the world,
for all we know, and he ought to be. He
deserves it for his energy and enterprise.

Later.— Since writing the above I have
had my wife cook three samples of lima
beans. The first was California lima beans,
such as we sell at 10 cents a quart — dry
beans, of course. The second was some
King of the Garden limas that were saved
last summer because they were too ripe to
shell for the market-wagon. The third
batch consisted of three 25-cent packages of
Henderson's Bush lima beans. The whole-
family tasted them and their decision agrees
with mine : The California lima beans were
very good ; King of the Garden limas, ex-
cellent—almost as good as green limas ;

184

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

Henderson's Bush lima bean, very little
different from ordinary white beans, with
the exception that they have a slight lima
taste, but not to be compared with the oth-
er two. Now, if, in a green state, they are
no better than when dry, our good friend
Landreth is not so very far out of the way
in saying they are not a lima bean at all.
But here comes a card from our good friend
W. J. Green, of the Ohio Experiment
Station :

Friend Boot:— I see that you are disappointed in
the size of Henderson's dwarf lima bean, and no
doubt many others are also. Thorburn has what he
calls Kumorle's dwarf lima, the seeds of which are
quite large. I know nothing about it, however.

Agric'l Exp't Sta., Columbus, O. W. J. Green.

We have written to Thorburn, and will
report in our next.

THAT EARLY YEI,L,OW PUMPKIN.

Mr. Boot:— Inclosed find some pumpkin seeds of a
yellow pumpkin that is earlier than anything else
in the line of pumpkins I have ever seen. They are
very sweet and nice, though they are quite small,
growing to weigh only about 8 to 12 pounds.

Wabbaseka, Ark. G. B. Lytle.

We have got it already, friends — see?
And here is another :

My wife Binds you some pumpkin seeds called
"Garden" pumpkin, as per Feb. 15th Gleanings.
They are " boss," small, but grow quickly.

Mosiertown, Pa., Feb. 18, 1889. Geo. Spitler.

There, friends, do you see how readily we
can get almost any thing we want by sub-
mitting it to the combined wisdom and ex-
perience of the readers of Gleanings?
and here is still another friend with his of-
fering :

A. I. Root: -We notice you want an early variety
of pumpkins. We have an extra-early variety, but
it is in a tin can. Now, our people here never think
of cooking a pumpkin, as they think our canned
pumpkin is an improvement on what they can cooh;
besides it is ready for immediate use. Will not this
answer? D. Cummins.

Conneaut, O., Feb. 22, 1889.

You see, friend Cummins is in the can-
ning business, and his early pumpkin is cer-
tainly e;irly enough for anybody, for it is al-
ways ready for use, as we can testify from
personal experience, winter and summer;
and a whole can full, can and all, can be sold
at retail for only 10 cts. If you want a sin-
gle can for sample, when you are ordering
goods of us just mention it and we will put
one in at the above prices. If you want them
by the case of two dozen each, I presume
friend Cummins will be glad to fill your or-
ders.

FRIEND MARCH'S CABBAGE SEED — ANOTHER RE-
PORT.

The trial packet of March's seed we planted last
season gave the best of satisfaction. It was fully
as early as Etampes, and a better header. (Wife
says the above is not strong enough; the Wakefield
seed was sown two weeks later than Etampes, and
produced the first heads fitfor use.) S. P. Yoder.

East Lewistown, O., Feb. 21, 1889.

I wish to add to the above, that we have
for many years tested almost every new

cabbage that has been recommended as be-
ing earlier than the Wakefield, to be found
in our catalogues, and so far we have not
found one of them that made a good solid
head. Last season we planted two long
rows of Johnson & Stokes' Wonderful ; but
our customers would not have them at any
price when they could get Jersey Wake-
field, as they were soft and loose ; and I
presume we lost a couple of dollars that
would have been saved had we planted
Jersey Wakefield. I am still going to keep
on testing early cabbage, but I shall not put
out over a dozen plants of any kind again
until I find something not only earlier, but
as hard and solid as the Wakefield.

TRAINING TOMATOES ON BEAN-POLES.

Set the plants three feet apart each way, and
rather deep in the ground; in fact, as far down as
the plant will admit, as the less plant above the
surface at the start, the shorter and more bulky the
vine will be, which is a very great advantage when
the fruit is large and abundant. Very tall and leg-
gy plants may be set out by making the hole
trough-like, as you would to set out grapevines,
and cover up the leggy part of the plant, and leave
only a small part of the top above ground, as the
stem of the plant will send out roots all the length
that is under ground. The next move will be to
drive down firmly by each plant a strong pole or
stick, not less than six feet above ground— hoop-
poles or sticks from lumber yards, such as are used
for " sticking" plank will do well. When the plant
is high enough to need tying to the stake it will
need pruning, and, most likely, before. Every
sucker must be taken off then, not one being allow-
ed to remain, and the vine will, of course, consist
of one single stalk, and must be kept so, to give
large perfect fruit, and late into the fall. The ty-
ing to the stake must not be neglected after being
begun, or the vine will fall over of its own weight,
and likely break off. In pruning do not take off
any of the leaves, as they are needed to shade the
fruit aud ground, and will grow just right to do it,
and are, in fact, the life of the plant. Some years
we are much troubled with cut-worms; and to go
out some fine morning and find about every third
plant lying over on its side, with no connection
with mother Earth, is very exasperating. I would
suggest, as a remedy, to wrap the stem of the plant
loosely with a small piece of tissue paper, al-
ways allowing the grain of the paper to run up
and down the plant instead of around it, so if you
forget to remove it after the worms have disap-
peared, the growing of the plant, with the aid of a
shower, will burst the paper. The fruit should be
gathered before it gets too ripe, especially if it is to
be shipped to market; and when it is gathered, put
it in the shade instead of the sun, as is frequently
done. Seed should be saved from the earliest and
best specimens, dried on paper, and the variety and
date put on the paper at the time. J. S. Reese.
Winchester, Ky., Feb. 4, 1889.

Friend K., I think very likely your plan
would answer tiptop. I certainly think it
would be a great gain indeed to be able to
get our tomatoes away up above the ground,
where they would not get spattered with
muddy soil during heavy rains, and I do not
know but that this one thing alone would
pay for the expense of poles, and tying up.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

185

0ai^ JieMEp.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath,
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call
the Sabbath a delight, the hoiy of the Lord, honor-
able; and shalt honor him, not doing- thine own
ways, nor finding- thine own pleasure, nor speaking
thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself
in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the
high places of the earth, and feed thee with the
heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it.— Isaiah, 58: 13, 14.

8UR next adventure was crossing the
main range of the Rocky Mountains.
This trip was by daylight ; and as the
road does not follow any stream of
water it was much more romantic. In
order to get up hill, the track runs around
and up, partly on one mountain
and then on another, and often-
times it runs at different heights
on the same hill. The conductor
pointed to one place during the
ascent, where the track could be
plainly seen in four different places
— the uppermost, clear up in the
clouds. As we approached the
summit we were greatly annoyed
in our view of the valley by the
snow-sheds, and also by the snow-
storms, until we got above the
clouds. As we neared the summit
still more, the coal smoke left by a
train just before us became very
unpleasant in the snow-sheds ; but
when we finally stopped on the ex-
treme summit, at Marshall Pass,
nearly two miles above sea-level,
I began to wish very anxiously to
have them start down again. The
rarity of the atmosphere made me
pant for breath, as if I had been
climbing the mountain, when I
just sat there in my seat and had |
not walked a step. The descent
was much pleasanter, for the sun j
shone ; and when we got down in
the valley it was very fair summer
weather, while on the mountains
it snowed and blew, and was ter-
ribly cold.

After we reached the summit
of the mountain, of course we did
not need the two locomotives that
had pulled us up, therefore one of
them started on ahead in order to
be at the foot of the mountain
when the next train came along,
going in an opposite direction.
This solitary locomotive, as it
wound its way through the rocky
cliffs, and threaded its way down
below, was a most interesting sight
to me, for it indicated more plain-
ly the curves in and out. I can
not tell it. My gift of language
is not equal to the occasion ; but I
can come pretty near it by quoting
an extract from the same book I
have quoted from before — "The Crest of
the Continent." You will notice that the
author was going in an opposite direction
from myself.

To attain this height, the road has to twist and
wriggle in the most confusing way, going three or
four miles, sometimes, to make fifty rods; but all
the time it gains ground upward, over some start-
ling bridges, along the crest of huge fillings,
through miniature canyons blasted out of rock or
shoveled through gravel, and always up slopes
whose steepness it needs no practiced eye to ap-
preciate. To say that the road crosses a pass in the
Rocky Mountains 10,820 feet in height is enough to
astonish the conservative engineers who have
never seen this audacious line; but you can mag-
nify their amazement when you tell them that
some of the grades are 220 feet to the mile.

We have just passed through Grand Can-
yon, on the Arkansas River. It is much
like Black Canyon, only the cliffs are still
higher. Some of them that hang right over
the cars as they thunder along, 1 do believe
are fully three-fourths of a mile to the top.
Many of these great leaning cliffs are ap-

THE ROYAL GORGE.

parently of rocks so loose and rotten that a
little jar might set them tumbling. Many
of them greatly resemble a certain kind of
rotten wood, both in appearance and color.

186

GLEA NINGS IM BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

There is one special point in Grand Can-
yon where the rocks rise higher, and the
Assure where the river and the railroad
run is still narrower, that 1 wish to men-
tion. It is what is called the Royal Gorge,
and the train stops here for a few moments
to allow the passengers to get out and look
around. The Denver & Rio Grande Rail-
road Co. have kindly loaned me a picture of
it (see preceding page).

At this point we seemed to be so far in
the depths of the earth that one is tempted
to think we are soon to be at the end of the
road. In fact, as we look out in advance of
the train, and the short curves make it pos-
sible to see not only the locomotive for the
greater part of the way, but the train itself,
we are tempted to think we have run into a
place wrhere there is no outlet. Very likely,
however, you have learned to have faith in
the locomotive, and to feel safe wherever it
plunges ahead.

Oh, yes! here is an outlet; but it is so
narrow you begin to wonder how both the
river and the railroad can find room. Well,
this is exactly the problem that confronted
the engineers when they laid out the road.
There is not room fur both ; lor when the
river rises it fills the whole opening between
the cliffs. Necessity here proves to be the
mother of invention, and the track is placed
on a sort of bridge, one side of the bridge
b^ing let into the rocky cliff— the other side,
or, perhaps, more properly speaking, the
ends of the railroad ties, resting on a tim-
ber that is suspended under their ends, run-
ning parallel with the iron rails. The river
rushes along right under this timber — in
fact, it refuses to be contracted even one
inch. It must have all the space between
the rocky barriers on either side. How,
then, shall that timber that holds the ties
over the water be supported ? The picture
will show you how they did it. Braces of
great timbers, something like the letter A,
span the river. One end is set in the rocks
of the cliff at one side, and the other end in
the other ; and from where the timbers
meet, great iron rods reach down and hold
the track securely, with one edge over the
boiling and seething torrent. 1 got off the
train and stood on the track near those
timber braces. I tipped my head back and
looked up, up, up, up, until the rocks seem-
ed on a level with the great birds as they
swung lazily in the sky. I stared with open
mouth until my neck ached, and then look-
ed on the opposite side. There it was just
the same. Look at some object just three-
fourths of a mile distant from you, and
then picture to yourself a rocky precipice
straight up that distance. When tired
again, I glanced at my twelve fellow-pas-
sengers, and then 1 looked at the railway
train and the locomotive. The author of
" The Crest of the Continent" says, after
viewing the above he looked at his fellow-
men, at the locomotive, and then conclud-
ed : " Of all natural curiosities, man is the
most curious — yes, more marvelous than
even the Grand Canyon itself.1' Before dis-
missing Grand Canyon I want to make an-
other quotation from the above writer.

This is the Koyal Gorge! But how faintly I tell it
—how inexpressible are the wonders of plutonic

force it commemorates! how magnificent the pose
and self-sustained majesty of its walls! how stupen-
dous the height as we look up, the depth if we were
to gaze timidly down! how splendid the massive
shadows at the base of the interlocking headlands
—the glint of sunlight on the upper rim and high
polish of the crowning points! One must catch it
all as an impression on the retina of his mind's eye,
—must memorize it instantly and ponder it after-
ward. It is ineffable, but the thought of it remains
through years and years a legacy of vivid recollec-
tion and delight, and you never cease to be proud
that you have seen it.

At Pueblo, Colorado, I am again surprised
to find a summer temperature, and to be
told they have only five or six weeks of win-
ter.

It is Saturday night, and the question
confronts me, " What about Sunday?" My
fellow-travelers have announced their de-
termination of traveling right along, so as
to get home. In my pocket is a letter from
my wife, telling me that they expected me
more than a week ago ; also that she could
not take Huber to church any more ; for
when he looks over to wrhere papa usually
sits, at the right of the empty seat, he bursts
out sobbing, and has to be taken home.
Dear little Huber ! what would I give to
get hold of him to-night? I am afraid 1 am
a little homesick. The temptation is strong
to rush right on home. But, how shall 1
feel all the long day, encouraging, by my
presence, Sunday travel, or, rather, no Sun-
day at all? It is exactly like buying the
memorandum - book last Sunday. By my
act I should be saying to the great busy
world, " You are all right as you are." Four
Sundays have passed since I left home, and
they have been glorious ones. Shall I lose
courage on the fifth? God help me to do
right. To be ready to keep the Sabbath
" decently and in order," I should stop cer-
tainly by 6 o'clock, for I want to get ready
for Sunday, and make a short call on the
pastor of the church where I expect to at-
tend. I believe my deaf friend was about
right when he said he thought we ought to
even black our shoes Saturday night in order
to keep the Sabbath in the best sense of the
word. Once more I am about to go among
entire strangers. Satan says, " Nobody will
know you or care for you here surely,"
but, with a prayer that the spirit of the
Master may go with me and before me, I
make my decision. I hardly need tell you
that my heart felt lighter as soon as I had
decided on this step.

During the past week I have already fig-
ured up about where I should be when Sat-
urday night came, and I have selected a lit-
tle town at the base of Pike's Peak (much
talked of by the gold-hunters in 1859), called
Manitou Springs, as my resting-place dur-
ing the Sabbath. I selected this spot on
account of certain attractions in the way of
natural scenery beside the great mountain ;
and the conductor had already told me that
we should be there about six o'clock. It
was now about four o'clock, but no moun-
tains were in sight, except a clump of hills
off toward the northwest. The tallest of
these, I had decided in my own mind, was
probably Pike's Peak. This little group of
mountains was probably forty or fifty miles
away ; but at the rapid rate at which we are
going we should probably reach them in

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

187

two hours. Darkness came upon us, and I
could see no more. Shall I tell you how it
turned out? Well, I asked a young man if
he could direct me to a quiet temperance
hotel, where the charges were moderate. I
also made some inquiries about Pike's Peak;
for by the light of the stars I could see that
the town was surrounded by mountains,
except on one side, where the train ran in.
A hotel was pointed out to me, and my in-
formant also asked me if I could see the
snow-capped mountain just back of the
town. I told him I did.

" Well," said he, " that mountain, with
its top covered with snow, is Pike's Peak."

"What! that great hill up close to the
buildings yonderV"

" Yes, sir. that great hill up close to the
buildings. But you may be surprised, how-
ever, to learn that it is not so very close, aft-
er all, for it is fully thirteen miles away."

Could it be possible ? I gazed at the hills
so long, wondering how it was possible that
the mountain could be thirteen miles away,
when it seemed almost overhanging the
town, that I suppose I forgot which way he
pointed when he told me to go to the hotel
where I saw a light. Of course, I made a
blunder, and got the wrong place ; but,
dear friends, did it never occur to you that,
when one is seeking the guidance of his
heavenly Father, even his blunders seem to
be looked after ? The place where I did go
was a little hotel on the hillside, called
Mountain View. A tidy, trim little wom-
an, with a pleasant Scotch accent, informed
me that their rates were only $1.25 a day.
She told me, further, that there was a Con-
gregational church in the place, and that it
was close beside us ; yes, the pastor lived
near by too ; in fact, he was almost their
next-door neighbor. I told her that I had a
severe headache, and did not care for sup-
per, any more than a cup of tea and some
toast ; but she took so much pains to make
every thing pleasant, and to look after my
comforts and wants, that I had forgotten
my homesickness a good deal, even before I
went over to call on the pastor of the little
stone church. When I told them the cir-
cumstances, he and his good wife, and even
the children too, treated me with as much
consideration as if I were a member of
their family. I felt too tired, however, to
talk much. I told them I came principally
to get some lesson-helps, to prepare myself
for the Suuday-school on the morrow. The
pastor's wife then said she had been won-
dering how she should find somebody to
take her place as teacher of the Sabbath-
school on the following day, as she was pre-
vented from attending to it by other duties.
I promised her to take charge of the class
as well as I could, if I were not too hoarse
to speak. They then both advised that I
go back to the hotel and go to bed ; and the
good pastor added that, if I were not better
in the morning, they would make it their
business to take care of me until I was bet-
ter. As I lay down to rest, I really feared
that 1 was going to be sick ; but I felt hap-
py to think of the friendly hands I had fall-
en into.

As the morning sun poured into my pret-

ty little bedroom, my first thought was a
feeling of thankfulness that I felt so well.
Right in sight was that old white moun-
tain, Pike's Peak, of the night before. An
excellent breakfast soon made me feel quite
well. The three or four young men who
were boarders there not only enlightened
me in regard to Pike's Peak, but also
Grand Cavern on the mountain-side that, in
some respects, rivaled Mammoth Cave;
Rainbow Falls, the Cave of the Winds, the
wonderful effervescing springs, and last,
but not least, that strange product of na-
ture, the Garden of the Gods, as it is called.
One of them said that he was so busy dur-
ing the week, he had not had time to see
these celebrated places ; but he thought he
would go over during that bright sunshiny
day, and he indirectly intimated that he
would be glad to have me accompany him.
I told the boys that I was very much inter-
ested in these strange things, but I did not
believe in visiting such places very much
on Sunday, but that on Monday I should be
very glad of any instruction. As we went
back to the sitting-room, one of my new
friends asked me to look out of the window
at Pike's Peak. I did so.

" Well, do you see the snow rolling in
great drifts over the peak, and whirling in
the wind ? "

As soon as he mentioned it, I saw it dis-
tinctly, and uttered an exclamation of sur-
prise—especially so as, down in the valley
where we were, it was a comparatively
warm spring morning. He further inform-
ed me that snow is blowing and whirling
almost every day in the year away up on the
summit of Pike's Peak.

While the boys went their several ways I
sat down in the little sitting-room to study,
and to prepare myself to teach my class. I
not only read all the lesson-helps, but I took
the Bible and read the whole history of
Samson, from beginning to end. When
the pretty little church built of mountain
granite was opened, I was one of the first to
enter. Did you ever know, dear reader,
that a peculiar blessing seems to rest on
those who gather first in God's holy house?
I confess now that it has not been my cus-
tom by any means to be among the first at
home,- but during my vacation of four oi
five weeks, I have, somehow or other, been
in a hurry to get to church or Sunday-
school. On this Sabbath morning I felt
particularly happy. Bright little faces soon
followed me, and gathered into the Sunday-
school. In Manitou they have Sunday-
school before preaching. Pretty soon a lit-
tle one, just about Huber's size, and remark-
ably like him, came up the aisle and made
straight for me, taking hold of my arm, as
if it always knew me. The act almost star-
tled me ; but it awoke in my heart a fervent
" God bless the child !" and while the super-
intendent was speaking as the school open-
ed, this same little one turned back to some
boys and communicated the astounding
piece of intelligence that she ( I found out
after that it was a little girl) had just had
her hair cut. This piece of information was
so extremely funny that she followed it up
by giggling out loud. The superintendent

188

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

verv gravel v took her by the hand and led
her" up by 'his side, and then made her sit
down by the steps of the pulpit. It seemed
to me a little severe, and I was afraid she
was going to cry ; but she only hung down
her head ; and pretty soon, when his atten-
tion was taken up by the work of the school
she edged off slightly, so that, when he
looked" for her again, she was missing.
Now, this was a mere trifle, dear reader;
but somehow or other it brought vividly be-
fore my mind the task that the Sunday-
school teachers and superintendents have
upon their shoulders— the leading of these
precious little souls to Christ Jesus. And
then burst upon me, as never before, the
words, " Suffer the little children to come
unto me. and forbid them not."

After the school was over, the little blue-
eyed chick came up to me again, and the
superintendent came at the same time. It
was his little girl. It seemed to me as if I
loved them both — father and child — as
though they had been near relatives all my
life. I told her about my little Huber at
home ; then I asked her some questions.

" Will you tell me your name, my little
friend?''

The only reply I got, however, was, " I
had my hair cut yesterday ;" and then she
indulged in her childish fun again.
" But won't you tell me how old you are?"
" Next May*" was all the reply I could
get. Then her father asked me how I got
on with my class. I looked up into his
kindly face, but I did not dare to tell him
the whole truth. Had I done so I should
have said it was one of the happiest half-
hours of my life. I decided to say only,
that, for my part, I had enjoyed it exceed-
ingly. One of the members of the class— a
bright, intelligent lady, who had strength-
ened me by her kind and wise words, added :
" And I am glad to say, Mr. Superinten-
dent, that the class have enjoyed it also— at
least, I have enjoyed it very much."

What a nice lot of men and women were
in that class ! Was it possible that Mani-
tou contained more good people than all the
rest of the world, or was it only the peace
of Christ Jesus, and that his great love had
found a lodging-place in my heart that Sun-
day morning, that had made me feel like
loving every thing and everybody ?

There was another little circumstance
that made that morning service so bright
and glorious. Right back of the pulpit, in
beautiful letters on the wall, were the fol-
lowing words :

"Let the words of my mouth, and the medita-
tions of my heart, be acceptable in thy eight, O
Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

When those words first burst on my view,
it seemed that it was the most grand and
glorious text that the Bible ever gave to
poor humanity; and the often er I read the
words, the brighter they shone forth, as a
beautiful prayer for weak and sinful people
like myself. I thought of my wavering de-
cision of the night before ; but T can not tell
you how I thanked God that I had not chos-
en to'travel on Sunday. During my stay I
had had several arguments, and some pret-
ty serious talks, with avowed infidels and

skeptics ; and the thought came into my
mind, Is there an individual in the whole
wide world who can honestly raise the
slightest objection, or offer a single breath
of criticism, on that wonderful prayer V

I can't tell you the wide difference be-
tween having the prospect before me of Sun-
day travel, contrasted with a day among
Christian worshipers. Do you say it is an
easy matter to make me happy ? My friend,
it is an easy matter to make everybody happy,
when they are in the path of duty. A thrill
of peace and joy poured down into my soul
so like that of my first experience, when 1
dropped the whole world for Christ Jesus,
that it was hard for me to keep the tears
back. What a bright and pretty gathering
of boys and girls, and what a class full of in-
telligent and refined gentlemen and ladies
were in my class. My heart went out in
love to every one of them. I read the text
again and again, dwelling longingly on the
(1 i ft'erent shades of meaning. Did David ev-
er long for the presence of God in his heart
as I have longed, and did he ever have
cause to pray as / have prayed, that his in-
most thoughts might be acceptable to God V
How exactly it tits with my temptation and
triumph of yesterday ! To-morrow I am go-
ing to visit, and describe to you some of the
natural curiosities about here; but, dear
friends, there is nothing in this whole uni-
verse to be compared with the riches— the
boundless and inexhaustible riches of the sim-
ple words of the text I have quoted.

Recent Deyemppe^

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.
THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

I HE tendency of the times is more and
more toward simplicity. The most
practical honey-producers— those who
own colonies by the hundreds and not
by the tens, incline toward (if they do
not already use) cheap, substantial, and sim-
ple hives and fixtures. Indeed, the price of
honey is such that they can not afford ex-
pensive and complicated arrangements. In
the past few months our foreman (Mr. J. S.
Warner), Mr. Calvert, and your humble ser-
vant, have been considering the question of
a still simpler and still cheaper hive than
the Simplicity, though not necessarily cheap-
er in quality. Dr. C. C. Miller's advice and
assistance have been freely sought through
correspondence. After a good deal of ar-
guing and discussion, and a careful study of
the needs of the times, we have at last
brought out what we shall call the Dove-
tailed hive, a cut of which we append below.
As the name indicates, its distinctive fea-
ture is the dovetailed corners. To do this
work we have recently put in some expen-
sive machinery. Almost anv child can drive
such a hive together. If each of the dove-
tailed ends be dipped into paint before driv-
ing them together, and then cross-nailed,
you have a joint that, for strength, can
hardly be surpassed. No iron gauge-frames
nor any thing of the sort is necessary. The
hive proper is simply an eight-frame hive

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

189

with square edges (that is, unbeveled), hav-
ing a plain bottom-board cleated at each
end ; a plain cover, likewise cleated, with
this difference, that the cleats have a longi-
tudinal groove $ inch wide, and i inch deep,
to admit the ends of the cover-board, as
shown in the cut. The front of the bottom-
board is cut out so as to permit contracting
the entrance in the same manner as is done
with the Simplicity hive with the alighting-
board. The brood-chamber may be used
for an upper story for extracting if desired.
Each body is of the width of an eight-frame
hive, and deeper than a Simplicity frame by
a bee-space, making a total depth of exactly
91 inches. The frame-rabbets are simply
plain wood bearings (without tin rabbets),
which bring the top-bar of the frame flush
with the top edge of the hive. " Take care,
there ! " you will say ; " you have made a
mistake— there should be a bee-space above
the frames in the hive." Let me explain.
In order that the brood-chamber may be
used interchangeably as a brood-chamber
proper and as an extracting super, you will
see, upon a moment's reflection, that the
body should be deeper by a bee-space than
the extracting- frame. If a bee-space is left
on top, and a bee-space below, when one

THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

body is put on another there will be a dis-
tance of I inch, calling a bee-space f$ of an
inch. How, then, do we provide for a bee-
space above the frames? Use a honey-
board, to be sure, bee-spaced on both sides.
Judging from reports that have come in, and
the statements of our most extensive honey-
producers, and from our own experience, we
feel sure that the honey-board will save not
only time but patience, and in the present
state of our knowledge of apiculture it is in
reality an indispensable fixture to the hive ;
therefore the honey-board of the Dovetailed
hive is to have a bee-space -/% inch above
and below the slats or zinc, as the case may
be.

We now come to the surplus apartments.
In the present state of progress in hives and
supers, you and I scarcely know what kind
of a surplus arrangement we may be using
or advocating, say two years hence. Dr.
Miller has made a similar statement in
print, I think, in his " Year Among the
Bees." In view of this fact, were it not
well, since we are making a new hive, to
construct a super for it that can, with no
very great difficulty, be adapted either to a

T super proper or to a wide-frame arrange-
ment ? If this year we adopt the T super,
possibly next year we shall find it to our ad-
vantage and to our interest to change to a
wide-frame arrangement, if we can do so at
no very great expense. Well, a T super
should be 4£ inches deep— that is, I inch
deeper than the 4i section, so as to leave,
after proper shrinkage, fW bee-space above
the sections. With this fact in view, how
shall we adapt it to a wide-frame arrange-
ment ? We did it this way. The en-
graving below shows the section-holders, as
we shall call them, to distinguish them from
the wide frames proper.

SECTION-HOLDERS FOR THE DOVETAILED
SUPER.

You will notice there are no top-bars, the
reason of which will be made obvious pres-
ently. The end-bars are i inch thick, and
exactly 4i inches long, and 1£§ inches wide.
The bottom-bars have openings to corres-
pond with the openings in 1|| sections,
and are" exact ly j3,T inch thick. Our super-
shell, you will remember, is 4f inches deep.
Into this we set these section-holders, the
ends of which are supported by a strip of
tin. The sections are 4i inches deep ; adding
to this J*, for the bottom-bar of the section-
holder we have 47g. This figure, subtracted
from 4| (the total depth of the super) will
leave -t3g bee-space above the sections. This
bee-space, I grant, is rather scant; but
there are those who claim that if there is
just barely enough room for bees to crawl
through, they will not propolize. At any
rate, we deemed it better to leave the top of
the sections unprotected by a top-bar than
to protect them. One of my greatest ob-
jections to the wide frame proper is that
propolis is deposited between the top-bar of
the wide frame and the top of the sections,
for the reason that the sections sag away
from the top-bar ; but the amount of propo-
lis is reduced to a minimum between the
bottom of the sections and the bottom-bar,
for the reason that gravity draws the sec-
tion close in contact with the support below.
Now, then, if we should prefer to use T su-
pers, wre shall have to close the space up at
the two ends, with a board i inch thick—
the space occupied by the end-bars of the
section-holders. The T tins may then be
put in, and the sections be placed in the su-
per, and an ordinary T super is the result.
You may urge, why not make the T super
shorter ? For a reason I will not attempt
to explain here, I will say this can not be
done very easily, so that the adoption of the
i-inch board seems to be the only solution to
us thus far.

l'.MI

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

WIDE FRAMES VERSUS SECTION-HOLDERS.

The facility with which wide frames or
similar arrangements can be shifted from
outside to center, and vice versa, is a strong
argument in their fav< ir. While our section-
holders possess this feature, unlike wide
frames tin the absence of the top-bar) they
can be rilled and emptied easily. While I
do not wish to do any thing to discourage
any one from taking hold of the justly popu-
lar T super. 1 wish simply to say that our
section holders are better adapted to the
Dovetailed hive.

Our dovetailed supers can be used for the
half-depth bodies, if desired ; and one of
them placed upon the other will take ex-
tracting frames when circumstances require
it — for instance, an unexpected rush of hon-
ey when the bee-keeper is unprepared with
extra bodies. Each of these super-shells
has the ends rabbeted for the purpose ; and
right here I want to say that this rabbet af-
fords the nicest kinds of finger room to
grasp the section-holders. The fingers can
be let down into the rabbet, and grasp the
upper edge of any individual holder, so that
you will see this rabbet may be made to
serve a double purpose.

is THIS HIVE NEW OK OLD?

This hive is not new. In appearance it is
similar to the old-style eight-frame Heddon-
Langstroth. As we paid Mr. Heddon, some
three or four years ago, $100 for using any
or all the features of this particular hive
that we thought proper (none of which we
have used hitherto until now), we. are sure
that he will not accuse us of copying with-
out credit, or without a just recompense.
The feature of dovetailing is, of course, not
new. but it has quite recently been applied
on a large scale to hives, and that by some
of our good friends in Australia, and by our
friend Mr. Danzenbaker, of Claymont, Del.

I want to say right here, that, although
Dr. Miller has helped us not a little by way
of suggestions, it is not just exactly his ideal
hive. With the T super, pure and simple,
one that would not require taking up the
space with loose boards, and with a reversi-
ble bottom-board, it would be just his ideal,
exactly ; but he agrees that, for the masses,
the hive as we propose making it is about
right, although his individual needs would
require one or two slight changes.

That this hive is considerably cheaper
than the Simplicity or any of its combina-
tions, you will see by com pa ring prices found
in our Special Notices. In most cases it
will be found from 25 to 33 per cent cheaper.

PRICE LISTS RECEIVED.

S I.. Watkins, PlacervUle, Cal.. sends as a one-page li-t of
bone; and Carniolan bees.

.1. M. Hambaugh, Spring, EL, sends \is a nice 12-page list ,,f
apiarian supplies.

Tin- W. T. Falconer Mfg. Co.. Jamestown, X. Y.. send us quite
a comprehensi ■ .f apiarian supplies.

Fillmore Decker, New Florence, Pa . sends us liis list of bees,
poultry, seeds, and p e

H. i.. Frame, North Manchester, Ind., mails us a 4-page price
)ht <<f queens and bees

Eiamei & LaRue, Lewistown, Ohio, have just had printed at
this office a 16-page list of bees, queens, etc.

We an- now printing i i] ver Foster's annual li>t of supplies.
It will be ready for delivery tty the time this journal is nail.
Th.- address is Ml. Vernon, la. "

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi-Monthly.

J±. I. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
»» ♦ 'i

For Glutting Sates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

I^IEIDIIT-A., ZbvdZ-^IR,- 1, 1889.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart.
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, mv strength and mv re-
deemer.—Psalm 19 : 14.

GOOD SUBJECTS TO WRITE ABOUT.

We are glad to notice the evident disposition of
our correspondents t( i review and reconsider the
contents of " Our Question-Box " after they have
been once submitted. The questions are selected
and worded with great care, and aregixid subjects to
write about.

HOW TO RAISE SWEET-POTATO PLANTS.

In answer to my request in the last issue, we
have received up to this date 30 excellent articleson
the subject, and I do not know but I shall put them
all together in a little pamphlet. We will try to
have it before our readers in some shape before
time to commence operations. Please do not send
any more.

GREAT IS TRUTH, AND WILL PREVAIL.

A few months ago I was saddened and somewhat
discouraged because there seemed to bean attempt
on the part of quite a good many men to revive
patents on bee-hives; and even as good a man as
our jovial friend D. A. Jones thought best to offer
rights for sale. I am, however, much refreshed to
notice the following in the Canadian Bee Journal of
Jan. 23:

1 object to patents on bee-hives, and am pleased
to say that the simplest and most practical hives of
the present day are unpatented, so that any one is
at liberty to make for himself almost any hive
which takes his fancy and suits his ideas of practic-
ability.

OMITTING TO GIVE FULL ADDRESSES WHEN RE-
NEWING.

Renewals and new names are coming in at a rap-
id rate. This, of course, is gratifying; but some of
our good friends, on renewing, simply sign their
names, without giving either postoffice or State.
Please bear in mind that our subscription-list is ar-
ranged alphabetically according to postofflces: and
unless we have your full name and address we can
not very well renew your name without going to a
great amount of trouble, and even then we some-
times have to give it up as a bad job. If we hap-
pen to have previous correspondence, or if the
name happen to be on our ledgers, we can then
find out what the postoffice is. Our subscription
clerk informs us that, at the rate renewals are now
coming in, there is about one a day which does not
not contain the proper address. A day or two ago
we received a letter from a man, asking us to re-
new his subscription. He not only failed to give
his postoffice and State, but he failed to give his
initials. The postmark on the envelope showed
that his State was Illinois. Knowing this, our
clerk looked at our long list of Illinois subscribers,

1889

GLEANINGS'LN BEE CULTUitE.

191

and succeeded in finding the name. As a general
rule we can not afford to do this, and consequently
have to wait until the careless individual com-
plains. A very little care on your part saves us a
large amount of trouble.

FALSE STATEMENT IN REGARD TO THE ADULTERA-
TION OF HONEY. SEE PAGE 163.

The clipping, entitled "Bogus Honey," has been
sent us again. It was taken out of the Albia ila.i
Union, and they credit it to the Oskaloosa Herald.
If any of our readers live near these papers, or
take them, will they help us by writing to the ed-
itors and inclose this number marked? We will
furnish them just as many copies as they need.

THE PREMIUM BUSH LIMA BEAN FOR SUBSCRIBING
AHEAD.

Any one who pays up his subscription to the
present date, or ahead of the present date, and
then sends us another dollar for another year
ahead, can have a package of Henderson's new
Bush lima beans ; and any one who takes Gleanings,
no matter how or under what circumstances, can
have a package of the Ignotum tomato seed on ap-
plication. We give the above in answer to many
inquiries.

THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL AND ITS BIOGRAPHY
OF A. I. ROOT.

In the American Bee Journal for Feb. 23, page 117,
appears a fine Ives engraving of the editor of
Gleanings, together with a biographical sketch.
We extend our hearty thanks to Bro. Newman, not
only for the excellent engraving, but for the very,
very kind words said of us at the end of the sketch,
by himself. In speaking of our relations in the
past, he says: "Mistakes have been made; but
with both parties anxious only to be right, they have
been readily adjusted." The italics are ours. We
most heartily indorse these sentiments.

HOW TO MAKE HENS LAY.

For two winters past we have been starting our
Brahmas to laying by feeding them cooked beans—
the beans being the culls from those picked over
for our market-wagon. There is no doubt about it.
They will start them to laying within 48 hours. Well,
a few days ago we had a surplus of hulled corn (boil-
ed corn), and quite a lot of it was given to the
Brahmas. We had been getting three eggs a day;
but the day after they had the boiled corn we re.
ceived seven eggs. Now, then, shall we say that
cooked corn is as good as cooked beans, or even
better? I think not. Shall we say, then, that
cooked grain starts them to laying? Not necessari-
ly. I think it is just this: A change of diet at just
the right time. A good feed of raw cabbage, when
they have not had any for some time, will at once
set several hens to laying that had not been laying.
Lettuce produces the same result; and for hot
weather I think it is even better than cabbage.

APICULTURE IN SPAIN.

With the beginning of the year, friend Andreu,
editor of the Revista Apicola, published in Mahon,
a city in the Balearic Islands, off the east coast of
Spain, has enlarged his neat little journal from 8
pages to 16, and prints it on nice calendered paper,
and also puts on a cover. Friend Andreu is fully
abreast with the spirit of the age, which seems in
strange contrast with the conservative spirit of the
Spaniards in general. Being free from such win-
ters as we have here, although in the same latitude,

the question of wintering seems to cut no figure
with them. The kindly editor not only writes
Spanish, of course, but his letters in English show
him to be even more familiar with our language
than the majority of those who have always used it
—see p. 516, 1888. The advent of his paper is al-
ways a source of pleasure, for it indicates the rapid
spread of modern ideas of apiculture in that land of
romance and song. By the way, it was here that,
in 1796,

Old Ironsides at anchor lay.

In the harbor of Mahon:
A dead calm rested on the bay,

And the winds to sleep had gone.
When little Jack, the captain's son.

With gallant hardihood.
Climbed shroud and spar,
And then upon the main-truck rose and stood.

SHALL WE FOLLOW OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS?

Several of the good friends of Gleanings have
entered a mild protest to the position I take on
page 101, Feb. 1. Now^ there is not room, even if it
were advisable, to discuss doctrinal points in the-
ology in the pages of Gleanings. Such matters
had'much better be left, in my opinion, to the pas-
tors of our respective churches, who have had a
theological training and a theological education.
Shall a member of a church confer with his pastor
and get his advice on these points, or shall he go
off on his own hook? It seems to me, dear friends,
the man who leaves his church and pastor because
they can not agree or think alike on all points is
much like the man who leaves his wife because of
little differences. If he gets a divorce and takes
another wife, he has ten times more trouble than
with his first one. If you think I am mistaken
in the matter, see how such things turn out in your
own neighborhood. By their fruits ye shall know
them. First and foremost, and above all things,
read your Bible carefully and prayerfully, then
consult your pastor.

WANTED.

The principal thing that seems to be wanted just
now is some sort of a scheme to induce those who
have much money and few wants to hand over some
of the surplus to the rest of us who have many
wants and " few" money. Now, I am not getting
toward anarchy, for you know that is not like me.
I am simply looking for plans to bring it about in a
legitimate way. Raising lettuce and strawberries
in greenhouses for rich folks to adorn their tables
in the winter time is one of the ways. Gilt-edged
butter comes in the same line. My brother-in-law
took me to a restaurant in Cincinnati that is cele-
brated for the excellence of its steaks. The waiter
gave each of us a great slice that might make a
small man feel bashful until he had taken a taste
of it. Why, my friends, it was away ahead of roast
turkey or any thing in that line. This restaurant
always keeps just that kind, and they have a host
of customers among people who are not only will-
ing but glad to pay an extra price to be sure of get-
ting this extra corn-fed beef every time. At
Bagg's Hotel, in Utica, N. Y., where each meal costs
a dollar, every thing was gilt-edged. If you called
for a baked potato it was a great whopper, roasted
in the ashes, as in the good old times, and the
qualitv of the potato was so choice that all you had
to do was to break it in two, rap on the charred out-
side, and the smoking contents rattled out dry and
fluffy. Twice in my life have I tasted such baked
potatoes. The first time was more than forty years

i92

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar»

ago, when grandmother used to bake Lady Fingers
in the ashes on the hearth of the wide old fireplace.
Well, the experiment stations say the sole trouble
with the Lady Finger nowadays is, that it is an ex-
tremely poor } ielder. And now you can see what
it is that 1 want. I want a potato as good as the
old-fashioned Lady Finger, that yields well. Can
any of the brethren furnish it? If so, send me one
or two by mail, and I will have Mrs. Root roast
them in the ashes; and if they even come pretty
near the Lady Finger we will give you a free ad-
vertisement of your seed. Surely somebody ought
to have this potato. A catalogue is just at hand,
offering 700 different varieties of potatoes. It would
be a little sad if none of the 700 could come up to
the Lady Finger as a baker.

We have at this date 8477 subscribers.

jSPECI/m jMOTICEg.

We now have Dadant's Langstroth Revised, and
can send them out by return mail. Price $2.00.
By freight or express, 15 cts. less.

WANTED— SPIDER-PLANT SEED.

Mail us a sample, tell us how much you have, and
we will write you what we can pay for it. We want
seed of last season's raising.

ALSIKE CLOVER.

We have a nice stock of alsike clover seed, to fill
orders on short notice. I believe it is the nicest
seed we ever had for sale. The secret is, we have
had a good many samples to choose from, and se-
lected only the best. Our prices: $2.25 per peck;
$4.40 per half-bushel; #8.50 per bushel. In lots of
5 bushels, $8.00 per bushel.

TBE IGNOTCM TOMATO SEED.

Since my last mention of it, we have given away
about 1000 more packages, making 2000 in all. And
now the friends begin again to say, " Send me a
package if it is not all gone." Why, bless your
hearts, there are at least 3000 more packages to be
given to subscribers of Gleanings. Just say,
"Send us a package of that tomato seed," and do
not put in any thing about its being gone.

FOR SALE, ENGINE LATHE AT ONE-HALF PRICE.

It swings 15 inches over bed; takes 40-inehes be-
tween centers; has both foot-power and counter-
shaft; is back-geared, screw-feed, and screw-cut-
ting; cost *150.iK). Will clean up, paint, and pack
for shipment, for #75.00. It is now in use in our
machine-room, and we would not think of selling it
except that our work now demands a heavier and
larger tool. This is undoubtedly a good opportu-
nity for some one to secure a valuable tool cheap.

THE CHARTIER RADISH.

A great trade has sprung up on this favorite rad-
ish, and we have bought such large quantities of
the seed of the originator, Wm. C. Beckert, that we
can give the following low prices: 5 cts. per oz.; 10
cts. per Ji lb.; 35 cts. per lb. If wanted by mail, add
at the rate of 3 cts. per % lb., or 9 cts. per lb., for
postage and packing. See the latest issue of our
seed catalogue, giving reductions on many kinds of
staple seeds, issued Feb. 15— mailed free on applica-
tion.

"KING OK THE GARDEN" LIMA BEANS.

Since my test i mentioned in another column) of
dry lima beans, I have concluded that we did not
quite appreciate the King of the Garden last sum-
mer. Their immense size makes it much easier to
pick and shell a quart of them than the common
li mas, and they are certainly fully equal for table
use. We planted quite a large patch of them last
season, and we propose this season to plant a larger
patch. Price 5 cts. a package; 15 cts. per half-pint;
50 cts. per quart: $2.75 per peck, or $10.00 per bushel.

THE CARPENTER'S STEEL SQUARE, AND ITS USES.

After long months of waiting and putting off our
customers having orders in for the above book, we
finally gave up all hopes of getting them again
from the publisher, and accordingly sent back the
money we had received, and crossed them out of
our book-list. No sooner had this been done than
we received word from the publisher that the
books were out at last. We sent him an order by
first mail, and now have 200 in stock, ready to send
by return mail for 17 cts. each, postpaid, or 15 with
other goods by express or freight.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

We notice in most of the seed catalogues so far,
that seedsmen are asking $3.00 per bushel, retail,
for new Japanese buckwheat. No doubt this extra
price is to help pay for fancy lithograph covers and
chromo pictures that come with the catalogues;
but please remember that our price is only $2.00 per
bushel; $1.25 per lA bushel; 75 cts. per peck. In lots
of five bushels or more, $1.75 per bushel. We have
a very large stock of very choice seed. We have
made arrangements with a party in Wisconsin,
whereby we can fill orders from that point, of
two bushels or more, to customers in the West, to
save freight.

PRICE LIST OF DOVETAILED HIVES.

We append here a list of prices on the Dovetailed
hive, illustrated and described elsewhere in this
issue. Please notice that we give prices in differ-
ent quantities per hive, under the quantity named
at the top of the column.

DOVETAILED HIVES PUT UP AND IN THE FLAT.

Description. Price each. , In lots of .

(Please order by number). 1 5 10 20 50

No. 1. Eight-frame Dovetailedgihive, shown to the
right, over, with oue bottom, body, one super,
slatted honey-board, 8 all-wood frames and cover,
Wi story, for comb honey, complete, put up and
painted | 1 50 | 1 45 | 1 40 | 1 35 1

No. 1. Eight-fr. Dovetailed hive inflat,\v\th sections,
starters, and tin sep's.. | 1 20 | 1 00 | 90 | 85 | 80

No. 1. Eight-fr. Dovetailed hive, in flat, with frames
and section-holders, but no sections, starters, nor
separators | 90 1 75 1 70 | 65 1 60

No. 2. Eight-frame Dovetailed hive, shown to the
left, over, is furnished just like No. 1, with one
more super added, making a two-storv hive com-
plete, put up painted. .|200|195|190|186|

No. 2. Eight-fr. Dovetailed hive in flat, with sect's,
starters, and separa's. | 1 50 | 1 30 | 1 25 | 1 20 | 1 15

No. 2. Eight-frame, Dovetailed, in flat, with frames
and section-holders, but no starters, separators,
nor sections | 1 10 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 75

No. 3. Same as No. 1, except that it has T tins in the
supers, instead of section-holders. Same price.

No. 4. Same as No. 2, with T tins instead of section-
holders. Same price.
We will make the Dovetailed hive 10-frame instead

of 8-frame, in any of above numbers, as follows:
Nailed and painted, complete, 20 cts. each extra.
In flat, complete, 15 cts. each extra.
In flat, without sections, starters, or separators,

10 cts. each extra.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

Gleanings is so valuable and interesting I
should not want to do without it.
New Philadelphia, O. Dr. G. L. Tinker.

Really, Bro. Root, and no "taffy," Gleanings
does grow better and better. Thank you for the
biographies. They are good. H. E. Miller.

N. Searsmont, Me., Jan. 9, 1889.

The type-writer came all right. We are Very
much pleased with it. It is very nice, and a better
machine than we supposed it to be.

Wells, Minn., Dec. 31, 1888. J. P. West.

We were really delighted with the account of the
travels in California. Your way of describing it,
and mentioning the little things, makes a person
seem to be traveling with you. We think Ernest
did well upon Gleanings while you were gone—
not only well, but splendid. He gave us an excel-
lent Gleanings, especially the last one.

Roseville, 111., Dec. 15, 1888. Mrs. L. C. Axtell.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

193

KIND WORDS FROM SWEDEN.

After describing our ABC book, our good frieud
Hj. Stahlhainmer, editor of the Svensk Bibidning
(Swedish Bee-Journal), deposes as follows in regard
to the author of the book :

Mr. Root's name alone is a guarantee for the
worth of this book— a man of whom it may be said,
" In him falsehood finds no place," and who in faith
and business is a Christian in the best sense of the
word. We can, therefore, recommend this book in
the highest terms, as it is fully up to the times.

[If the above is " too good," we hope it will be ex-
cused by the fact that our education in the Swed-
ish language was somewhat neglected when we
went to school, and hence a "new version" might
modify the meaning somewhat. But we strongly
suspect that the "sum and substance" is about all
right.]

A B C OF BEE CUIiTURE.

"What's that?" remarked the editor as a pack-
age was handed him. As no one replied, he
thought it might be well to investigate. Was it a
bomb? Never! It was a copy of the "A B C of
Bee Culture," that pioneer book on the art of pro-
gressive bee-keeping, which gives its readers the
bee-fever so badly that sometimes they never get
over it— you see it's worse than a bomb (?) for the
bee-keeper. The book has now reached its 37th
thousand; beeu recently revised; many new en-
gravings added, and, to make it what friend Root
used to call a "whopper," the biographies of 21
"noted bee-keepers" add much to its value. The
great beauty of this work, it seems to us, lies in the
simplicity and clearness with which all the details
and manipulations are given; making it preem-
inently a book for the beginner. It is published by
A. I. Root, Medina, O. Price $1.25— Bee-Hive, Jan. 1.

WHAT A. E. MANUM THINKS OF GLEANINGS.

I can not let the year 1888 pass away without re-
turning to you the warmest thanks of one who is a
steady reader of Gleanings, for the good work you
have accomplished in the past few years. It has
been an era of great success to you, and, as I firmly
believe, a great benefit to the many bee-keepers of
this country. Although the year 1888 has been
somewhat disastrous to the bee-keepers of America,
your good and timely counsel has given courage
and hope that the coming year will bring prosperi-
ty and gladness to your many readers. You are
entitled to the thanks of the great body of bee-
keepers, and the increase of your circulation shows
that many of them are not unmindful of their obli-
gations. You have given us a bright, clean, able,
educational magazine at one dollar a year, which
shows hard work and good business management,
and I am pleased to notice the success which is so
justly your due. A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt., Dec. 27, 1888.

WHAT TO DO, AND HOW TO BE HAPPY. ETC.;
WHAT A READER OF THE BOOK SAYS OF IT.

On receiving your book, " What to Do," I thought
I would write just a formal note, acknowledging
the receipt of the same. I began to read the book,
became interested, and put off writing, until now I
feel under obligations to give you my sincere
thanks, for the pleasure and instruction contained
therein. To simply say, "I like the work," seems
cold and expressionless; therefore I will say it pave
me real pleasure to read it, and I believe it will be
greatly to my benefit to obey its instructions.

A great many books are written, giving instruc-
tions in g-arden and farm work, which are so filled
with technical terms it is hard to find out what
they mean. The language in "What to Do " is
very easy to understand, and its author seems each
time to put just the right word in just the right
place. In some other works of this kind (if their
author's plans were carried out) it would require a
very heavy outlay of money, which the poor farm-
er or gardener could in nowise afford for the pur-
pose. The plans in this work .do not call for any
very great outlay of money, but such outlay as
most men can afford who follow the business of
either farming or gardening. I speak of farming
and gardening both, because the reading of your
book would benefit both.

I own a small farm; have lived nearly all my life

on a farm, and am deeply in love with farming as
an occupation at once "the most ennobling aud
healthful " of any. A good garden is a great ad-
vantage to the farmer who gives a share of his
time to its culture, but by many farmers it is often
neglected. Of course, any book which helps in
gardening would also help in farming.

There is another feature shown in your work,
which makes me wish I were personally acquainted
with its author; and that is the trustful leaving of
all things in the hands of "Him in whom we live
and move and have our being." Each chapter is
introduced with a text— an appropriate beginning
surely— and love to God aud your fellow-man seems
no small share of the whole work. I have derived
great pleasure in the reading of the work, and
great satisfaction in thinking its author was a child
of God, and that, while he was instructing some
how to sow seeds and cultivate them, he was him-
self sowing seeds of immortality which might
spring up and bear fruit which never would decay.
Now I trust I have not tired you, for less would not
satisfy me. I hope we may meet at some future
time, and may that hope become a certainty. We
are both striving for a crown of glory, and may we
botli be so blest as to win and wear it.

James A. Field.

Farmer, Defiance Co., O, Jan. 26, 1889.

WHAT TO DO,

—AND—

How to Be Happy While Doing It.

The above book, by A. 1. Root, is a compilation of
papers published in Gleanings in 1886, '7, and 8.
It is intended to solve the problem of finding occu-
pation for those scattered over our land, out of em-
ployment. The suggestions are principally about
finding employment around your own homes. The
book is mainly upon market-gardening, fruit cul-
ture, poultry-raising, etc. I think the book will be
well worth the price, not only to those out of em-
ployment, but to any one who loves home and rural
industries. Price in paper covers, 50 cts.; cloth, 75
cts. If wanted by mail, add 8 and 10c respectively.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

MUTH'S

HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

NQIIAKEGLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, A< ., &c.
PERFECTION (OLD-BLAST SMOKE Hs.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S. — Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) Hfdh

DADANT'S FOUNDATION FACTORY, WHOLESALE aniUETAIL.
See advertisement in another column. 3tf bd

"SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY JOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers. Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY &, CO.,
3-l4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT !

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bn.. $u.00; per i-bu., $1.25; per peck,
75 cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

Bloomfiold, Greene Co., Ind.

194

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Ma u.

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
4J4x4M Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

ThTVbEST . HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

if you need any hives don't fail to send for my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and think
I have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
it.ii. J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

t^Wln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK OUT !

One of the best bee locations in the Fruit Belt of
Michigan. Small fruit-farm (44 acres) to sell— Bees
and " fixings " cheap. For particulars address

J. O. SHEARMAN,
New Richmond, - 3tfdb - Michigan.

t&*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

CS*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BERRIES

BLACK
-OOOSE

RASP

IDE'OT

CURRANTS * CRAPES.

An ■ Large, Late, Hardy, Prolific,
II D Black RASPBERRY, Latest of
■* M all iu Ripening.

FIRST - CLASS * PLANTS * AT * LOW * RATES.
THEO. F. LONCENECKER,

Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdb Dayton, Ohio.

O1"!!! responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEE-HIVES, SEGTIONS,ETC.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering: our choicest white one-piece
454x4J4 sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

i^~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

J. F0RNCR00K & CO.,

MANUFACTURERS OF THE

BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS,

WILL furnish you, the coming season, ONE-
PIECE SECTIONS as cheap as the cheapest.
WRITE FOR PRICES.
Watertown, Wis., Jan. 1, 1889. 1-lld

l -5"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

About 20 Colonies of Good Italian Bees

IN ROOT'S PORTICO HIVE.

Will close out at a bargain. Reason for selling,
away at school. D. H. TOWNLEY.

4-5d Elizabeth, Union Co., N. J.

NEARLY THIRTY TONS

-OF—

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

s<=>XjX> irr X887.

It is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111. ; C F. Muth, Cincinnati, O. ; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich. ; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111. ; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver. Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater, Columbus, Neb. ; O. G. Collier,
Fairbury, Neb., and numerous other dealers.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee sup-
plies. We guarantee every inch of our foundation
equal to sample in every respect. Every one who
buys it is pleased with it.

< HAS. DADANT & SON,
3btfd Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.
fcyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

GREGORY

SEED *

Bless Your Souls! SS

when you can receive one containing just as many and very
, pi-obably more varieties and ail new vegetables that are really
valuable, for just NOTHING i It may have less paint about
the covers, but, great Scott ! we are not after paint, but seed,
fresh and true to name, such as will make with a master's
bandits own picture all over our farms and gardens; seed I
am not afraid to WARRANT on the cover of my cata-
logue. Come, my fellow farmers, and join the thousands,
who for thirty years have been users of my seed ; why, we
were a goodly company and having pleasant times together
i before the great majority of the present race of seedsmen (bless
the boys! ) had left their nurse's arms! Send for a catalogue.
JAMES J, H. GREGORY, Marblehead, Mass.

0TIn responding to tills advertisement mention gleanings.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

X 190

Contents of this Number,

Apiary, Sesne £06, 207

Basswood. To Keep Whice.. 219

Beans, Kumerle's 209

Bees vs. Pigeons 205

Bees in Cool Weather 220

Bees Carrying Wax 822

Bees Starting in Supers 219

Bees, Keeping out or Crates. 212

Bee-food in Winter 206

Brood-chambers, size of 210

Brood-frames (Q. B.) 224

Buckwheat. Jap'se..219, 283j 224

Calf in Apiary 228

Candying, To Prevent 221

Cans. Square 205

Chaff for Surplus Boxes. . . .219
Chapman Seed from Gov't. 220

Coffee-cans for Honey 223

Consumption in Winter 215

Contraction (Q. B.1.225, 226

Editorial 235

Feeders, Swiss 216

Feeding at Entrance 220

Forsythia Viridissimn 2t0

Frames Parallel with Ent'f .224

Gleanings. March 215

Heads of Grain 219

Hethering ton's History 212

Hive, Dovetailed 234

Hives, Decoy 221

Hives, Painting 217

Hive-lifters 234

Honey, Separating 216

Increase, Preventing 224

Italians Ahead 221

Lizards 207

Oat Hulls 223

Order, How to 227

Out-apiaries 203

Paper vs. Chaff 224

Queens Mating 220

Question 110 209

Ramble No. 12 204

Repi ,i ts Disci .uraging 223

Reports Enron raging 222

Salt as a Fertilizer 220

Sect ions Breaking 221

Sections. Unfinished 214

Serradella 221

Singapore Letter 211

Smoker. Clark, Improved.. .220

Spring Dwindling 222

Starter Machines 217

Swarm Shooting at 229

Tarantulas 219

Trees, To Set: 208

Tomato, Ignotum 208

Zinc, Shepherd's 221

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

For the benefit of friends who have black or hybrid queens
which they want to dispose of, we will insert notices free of
charge, as below. We do this bec»use there is hardly value
enough to these queens to pay for buying them up and keep-
ing them in stock; and yet it, is oftentimes quite an accommo-
dation to those who can not afford higher-priced ones.

For Sale. —A few black and hybrid queens, 35 and
50 cents. Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind. ; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111. ; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.: G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford. Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus. Neb. ; O.G.Collier,
Fairbury, Neb.; CD. Battev, Peterboro, Madison
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
to sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH BOOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

(HAS. DAOANT A SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

<KALSIKE>

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ; BEST OF SEED.
-jALSO GARDEN SEEDS.**

C. M. GOODSPEED, 4tfd THORN HILL, N. Y.

KS"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS.ETC.

WE make the best bee hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc.. in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4*4x4^, sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.

iW~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

t^*ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889. Italian Queens. 1889.

For $1.00 From Jan. till June.

2-4 6d N. Adams, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

PURE ITALIAN BEES & QUEENS.

Full colonies and nuclei, per frame, 60c. Tested
queens, $3.00; after June 1. S1.50. Untested queens,
$1.00; after June 1, 75c. Remit by postoffice money
order, registered letter, or draft on New York. For
any other information, address

C. W. JONES & CO.,
4-9d Bryant Station, Maury Co., Tenn.

1889. Italian Queens. 1889.

Having moved 8 miles from Nicholasville to a
better location for bees, I will continue to raise
queens, and more extensively than formerly. I will
have the very best of Italians onlv. Select tested
queens, in April, $3.00; May, $2.50: June, $2.00;
July 1 to Nov. 1, $l.r,0. Queens warranted purely
mated. $1.00; 6 for $5.00. Make money orders paya-
ble at Nicholasville. Send for circular.

Address J. T. WILSON,

4-5tfd Little Hickman, Jess. Co., Ky.

) in responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

BERRIES

CURRANTS

ADA

STRAW

-GOOSE
R-A-SI3

CRAPES.

Large, Late, Hardy, Prolific,
Black KASPB£RU¥, Latest ol
all in Ripening.

FIRST - CLASS * PLANTS * AT * LOW * RATES.

THEO. F. LONCENECKER,
Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdb Dayton, Ohio.

lEWIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

"JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu„ $2.00; per 1-bu., $1.25; per peck,
75cts.; 5lbs.,50cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

Bloomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

EARLY QUEENS, I will send young queens
by return mail from this date, Jan. 25, 1889.
5-6d Mrs. A. A. Needham, Sorrento, Lake Co., Fla.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY -JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, A« ., dec.
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S. — Send 10-oent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

200

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
tor sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

"TT7"ANTED.— Man and wife to keep house for a
VV farmer (single man). Good house of seven
rooms. Two miles from postoftice. No better place
in Ohio for bee-keeping- or market-gardening-.
Chance for an enterprising man to handle several
colonies, as farm is V-A miles long by 54 mile wide.
Four manufacturing towns from 2 to 8 miles from
farm, with populations of 50J, 2500, 10,000, 25,000. No
farm hands to board. 6d R. L. Kivg, Vanlue, O.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wasrons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

3tfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED.— To exchange Italian bees for timber
or a " Springfield roadster." L. Heine.
3tfdb Bellmore, Queens Co., N. Y.

WANTED! Bee-Help. Will engage on favorable
terms two young men, desirous of learning
practical apiculture. None but strictly temperate
need apply. S. I. Freeborn, Ithaca, Wis. 4-7db

WANTED.— To exchange one cutter-head, one
dovetailing mandrel with saws, one six-inch
rubber-belt, 30 ft. long; 50 ft. of three-inch rubber-
belting, all as good as new, for bees or bee-keepers'
supplies; also one six-inch Pelham fdn. mill, itfdb
Thomas Gedye, Kangley, LaSalle Co., 111.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4 1 id 1 > No. 150 Military Ave. , Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange my new price list of
pure Italian bees and Poland-China swine for
your name and address written plainly on a postal
card. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co.,0. 5678d

WANTED.— To exchange 25 new improved chaff
hives (Root's pattern), packed ready for use,,
and about 400 fine brood-combs, at 10c each, for bees.
Correspondence solicited. Address 5-6d

W. H. Swigart, Dixon, 111.

WANTED.— All who are interested in thorough-
bred poultry to send for my new illustrated
circular. Valuable information given free of
charge. S. P. Yoder,

5-6d East Lesvistown, Mahoning Co., O.

ANTED.— To exchange my 20-page price list for
your name. W. D. Soper, Jackson, Mich. 5tfdb

W

WANTED.— To exchange Empire State potatoes
for bee-supplies or Barnes foot-power com-
bined 6aw. Fred Myers, Sharon, Pa. 5d

TO exchange, one set of International Cyclopedia,
edition 1888, 15 volumes; also one set Scott's
Commentary on Bible, six volumes, both in good
order, at bargain, for extracted honey or offers.

A. H. Van Doren, Mons, Virginia, 5-6-7d

WANTED.— Some one to rent over 500 acres on
shares or money rent, in lots to suit renter,
either for farming or gardening; well-drained
swamp, fine land for market-gardening, and is from
two to eight miles from four cities with populations
from 500 to 25,000. For particulars address
6 R. L. King, Vanlue, O.

WANTED.— Situation as apiarist; age 20, 5 years'
experience; New York or New England pre-
ferred. Also to exchange Cuthbert raspberry-plants
or Roth's saw-fliers for supplies. Address

E. B. Kibbe, South Cuyler, Cort. Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange for bees fine field-trained
setter dog; bargain given; write for particu-
lars. Also $100 to $200 worth of bees, queens, emp-
ty combs, sections, pure Japanese buckwheat, etc.
Who makes us the best offer? 6d

C. F. Lane, Lexington, Mo.

WANTED.— Situation with some apiarist by single
man of 22; 5 years' experience. Address
Wm. Hey wood, Stafford, (ienesee Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange early Italian queens for
10-inch foundation- mill, Novice extractor, and
supplies. Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
6-7d

WANTED.— To exchange bees or apiarian sup
plies for raspberry and strawberry plants.
6d J. B. Murray, Ada, O.

WANTED.— To exchange family library and
Sunday-school books, such as Bible Dictiona-
ry, Cruden's Concordance, and juvenile books of
all kinds for apiarian supplies, extracted honey, or
any thing useful. Stephen Roese,

6d Box 51. Maiden Rock, Wis.

WANTED.— To exchange a few full colonies of
bees for a small foundation-machine, or thin
foundation; also for one-piece 454 x 4Ji sections.
Oood reference. D. F. Lashier,

6d Hooper, Broome Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— A situation with some apiarist. I
understand theory, experience limited.
Agreements on addressing F. S. Feeks,

6-7d 1604 Lamine St., Sedalia, Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange. Box machine, good as
new, groover swing saw; cost $150. Root 4-
piece section machine, $35; saw bench with arbor,
boring attachment, $40; 20 ft. shafting with hang-
ers; 12 cast-iron pulleys, from 10 to 30 inch; grind-
stone, cost $75, for a young sound driving horse.
6d J. B. Mason, Mechanic Falls, Me.

WANTED.— To exchange for thin or heavy founda-
tion, or offers, queens or nuclei, one-story
Simplicity hives. Send for price list.

Mrs. Oliver Cole, Sherburne, Chenango Co.,
N. Y. Chenango Valley Apiary. 6tfdb

HOW TO MANAGE BEES;

OR, BEE-KEEPING FOR THE "MASSES."

Every farmer, and all beginners in bee-keeping,
as well as those more advanced, should have it, as it
is especially adapted to their wants. Fully up to
date. Price $1.00, by mail. In beautiful paper cov-
ers. Illustrated. Address

6d W. S. VATVDRUFF, Waynesbiirsi, Pa.

t^Wln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

IN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
\ See advertisement in another column.

ALSIKE CLOVER SEED.

$8.00 per bushel; $2.00 per peck; 1 lb. by mail, 25 cts.
6d O.A.TROWBRIDGE, Columbus, Wis.

WHITE Wyandotte and Houdan Cooker-
els, very choice, and strictly pure. Have
more than I can use. Will box and ship for $2.00
each— just half price. Eggs for hatching, 10 cts.
each; 40 or more, 6 cts. each; or will exchange for
bee-supplies. Jas. Evans,

6tfdb Box 89, Schaghticoke, N. Y.

WANTED.— 25 buyers. A 50-lb. sack of nice
dried mountain apricots for $4.00. No sul-
phur. Send P. O. order on Hueneme to

C. M. Drake,
6d Springfield, Ventura Co., Cal,

"1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

201

Italian Bees and Queens, Early !

After May 15
Imported Ital. queens (1888 imp.) . . . $5.50 $5.00

Tested " " 2.25 1.75

Untested " " $1.00; three, 2 75 2.60

One-frame nucleus. $1.25: 2-fr. nucl., $2.00; 10 or
more at a discount. Write for what you want.
Ready now to ship. Safe arrival guaranteed; 10 per
cent discount on orders booked for 20 days.
Make money orders payable at Clifton. 3-8db

S. H. COLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co., Tex.
t7*In responding to this advertisement mention '•■•

PINELAND & BUCKEYE INCUBATORS!

Indoor and outdoor brooders. Send stamp for cir-
cular. Pinkland Incubator and Brooder Co.,
6d Janiesburg, N. J.

Handel's Swarm Securing and
Hiving Funnel

Is warranted to give satisfaction if directions (which
go with it) are followed. With it you can bag a
swarm clustered 20 ft. or more from the ground, and
have them entering the hive in a minute.
Sample by mail, $1.00; by express, per doz., $6.00.
6d JOHN HANDEL, Savanna, 111.

tWIu responding to this advertisement m

POR SiLLE !
FARM NEAR MITCHELL, DAKOTA.
One mile directly north of the city of Mitchell, Da-
kota, Y2 section of improved land, well watered by
Firesteel Creek, well fenced, and good buildings;
splendid for stock of all kinds, and general farming.
For particulars address J. H. ROOT,

6d Tempe, Maricopa Co., Arizona Ter.

Sections by the Bushel !

My sections will hereafter be packed in bushel
boxes, so every one buying 500 sections will get a box
worth 15c. Sections only $3.00 per M. Send for
price list. W. D. SOPER,

6 7d Box 1473, Jackson, Mich.

P?"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Sweet Potatoes for Seed.

Yellow Jersey stock. Sweet potatoes are low this
season. For prices address 6-7d

JASPER SMOCK, Terre Haute, Ind.

For Sale !

Seventeen colonies of bees with supplies pertain-
ing thereto. Will sell any number. Address

6d MIFFLIN RASIN, Jenkintown, Pa.

POULTRY FENCE.
ct. per sq. ft.
6d

Galvanized wire netting %

P. DURYEE & CO.,

68 Vesey St., N. T.

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,
*tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

ksfln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEES.

IF YOU WANT BEES,

Please Write lor Prices.

4-9db S. A. SHUCK, LIVERPOOL, ILL.

tWln responding to this advert Isement mention Gleanings.

Read A. J. King's advertisement on another page
of this issue.

Fnr <5nlo Phoon Tne apiary (140 stands of
rur OdlC UllCdp. bees, hives, etc.), belong-
ing to the estate of Dr. G. W. Young, deceased. A
rare opportunity. Address 5-6-7d

Albert G. Young, Adm'r.'Lexington, Mo.

THIS unique
little en-
graving rep-
resents Cupid
"clothed and
in his right
mind." It al-
so shows that,
when busy
with the pret-
ty flowers, he
has no use for
his bow and
arrows. The
flery darts lie
unused at his
feet. His ac-
tion in this
respect reminds us of one trait in the character of
a bee ; when intent upon the blossoms she has no in-
clination to use her "fiery dart." There is, however,
quite a difference in bees in this respect. Some are
far more inclined than others to thrust in the
" barbed arrows." In the character of bees there
are still other peculiarities. Some are more indus-
trious than others; some cling more tightly to the
combs; some cap the honey more white; some work
more readily in the supers, etc. There is not space
here to enumerate all the characteristics of each
variety of bees; but in the

BEE-KEEPERS'' REVIEW
for March much space is given to the discussion of:
" Which are the best bees'?" The same bee may not
be the best for every purpose and all localities. If
you are in doubt as to which is the best bee for you,
read this number. It will be sent free, and with it,
will be sent the May and June numbers of 1888.

Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a year. Back
numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian, w. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613 Wood St. 6d Flint, Mich.

(STIii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

EARLY * QUEENS

W Apr. May. ^

■» 1 untested queen ...$1.00 $1.00 f*

\Pi 3 " " 3 CO 2.50 f*

r+ 1 virgin " $6 per doz 60 60

C\ 1 tested " 3.00 2.50 -4*

*^ 3 " " 7.50 6.00

^^ 2 and 3 fr. nuclei; special rates to dealers, Tj
. . South Carolina is the best State in the r^
H South for early queens. The climate is well f^
m T adapted to queen-rearing, and it takes but 4 ^H
Hor 5 days to send them through the mails to p— i
m "j any part of the Northern States or Canada. ^
H Prompt shipment and safe arrival guaran- £^

Hteed. W. J. ELLISON, ^

Stateburg, Sumter Co., S. C. C/3
r??"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE HIVE AND H0NE7-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

MELCHER'S ___ »>_ '

IMPROVED fa-=- -(j _ (

EXTRACTORS

FOR $2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address
<—~\ \ J.C.MELCHER, .

O'Quinn, Tex. / J-
4-10db

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

nrin C. H. OTcFariden Still Works 11/ I V
ntAUi Good w«rk guaranteed. Send WAA,

forsample foundation and price
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working.
4-10db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

riHAS. M. GRIFFING. Shelter Island, Suffolk Co.,
V N. Y. P. Rocks, Light Brahmas, Langshans,
Laced Wyandottes. 6d

202

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

JfcpY 06MJIN.

CITY MARKETS.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Fair demand for comb
honey. Extracted, scarce and in good demand at 8
cents for both white and amber.

Mar. 9. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis.— Honey.— Actually there is no demand,
and, with the exception of occasional inquiries, the
market is quite dead. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

Mar. 9. St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— Sales continue to be slow;
supply about equal to the demand. The quality
seems rather poorer than usual. Quotations same
as last. Beeswax.— There is a little more call for
this, but no change in prices. M. H. Hunt,

Mar. 9. Bell Branch, Mich.

BOSTON.— Honey. — Our market is very strong and
active for white honey. We quote: Best 1-lb.
comb, 18@2(); 2-lb., 16@18. Extracted, 8@9.

Beeswax, 24. Stock on hand very light.

Mar. 9. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Chicago.— Honey.— Honey sells in a small way at
16@17 for the best white comb, in pound sections;
all other grades of comb are dull. Extracted is
steady at 7@8; off color and dark, 6@7. Beeswax, 22.

Mar. 8. R. A. Burnett,

161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— There is no improvement
in the market excepting in the demand for dark or
extracted honey, which is scarce. We quote ex-
tracted honey at 5@8 on arrival. Comb honey at
12@15 in the jobbing way. Bees wax.— Demand is
good at 20(T(,22 on arrival for good to choice yellow.
Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Mar. 11. Cincinnati, Ohio.

For Sale.— Ten 613-lb. cans of first-class extracted
honey, at 8c per lb.; has just been liquefied, and
will pour readily from cans. Sample for 2-ceut
stamp. R. 1. Barber, E. Washington St.,

Bloomington, McLean Co., 111.

I still have a few 601b. cans of choice light honey
that I will sell at $5.0J'per can (60 lbs. net), sample
free. Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

For Sale.— 1500 lbs. of clover and heart's-ease
honey, mixed; by tbe barrel, 7c; in 60-lb. square
cans, 754c, F. O. B. cars at Dixon. Samples free by
mail. Ezra Baer, Dixon, 111.

BEES and QUEENS !

Hea.ci.y- to iSlxxj^.

Friends, if you are in need of queens or bees to
replace in hives where they have been lost during
the winter, I can accommodate you at the following
low prices: Italian bees, -A lb,65cts.; 1 lb., $1.00.
Untested queens, f 1.(0; tested, $1 50. Hybrid bees,
Y2 lb., 50 cts.; 1 lb., 90 cts. Hybrid queens, 75 cts.
Prices by the quantity will be sent on application.
6-7 9-lld W. S. CAUTHEN,

Heal li Spring', Lancaster Co., S. C.
E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NEW BOOK ON BEES, and DAEANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $2.00, $1.50, and $1.25, in Apr., May and June.

One untested, May, $1.00; after Ju^e 1st, .75.

Three untested, May, $2.50; after June 1st, $2.00.

Three-frame nuclei, with untested queen, May,
$3.50; June, $3.00; after, $2.60; with tested queen,
add 50 cts. For prices of 2-frame nuclei bees, per
lb. and Y2 lb., full colonies, foundation, and bee-
keepers' supplies, write for price list. Address
6-lldb J NO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

2 STORY Langstroth B Hives, $1.00; 1-story Sim
plicity B-Hives, 45 cts. These hives have frames
and covers, all readv for bees, except they are
in fiat. 6-7d T. A. GUNN, Tullahoma, Tenn.

NEW YORK CITY

COMB-FOUNDAT'N FACTORY

Foundation (natural bottom) as good and
cheap as theBest. Bee-Supplies of allkindson
same plan. Send for price list before you forget it.

6d A. J. KING, 51 Barclay-st, N. Y.

E&"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE!

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bees, with
their queens, in 10 frame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well painted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, $7.00; 2 at one time, $13.00;
4, same, $24.00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Lima. Adams Co., 111.

Express office, Ursa, 111. 6-lldb

C. M. DIXON,

Parrish, Franklin Co., 111.,

—manufacturer of—

BEE-HIVE^ § $!IPPME$

New shop and new machinery. Send for my
sixth annual price list, free. C. M. DIXON.

E&"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BRADNER'S FACTORY FOR

BEE - KEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

WHOLESALE and RETAIL.

Best Goods at Low Prices. Price List free.
6-8-10d J.J.BRADNER, Findlay, Ohio.

I HAVE COME

To say E. Baer will close out
the supplies he has on hand,
consisting of 100M . sections,
100 chaff hives, 2000 separa-
tors, 4 M. wide frames, far
below cost. They are first-
class goods, the same as I
have sold in the past, and
must be sold. Please state
what goods you can use,
and I will quote you bottom prices. Also a few
choice Italian queens, last year's raising, @ 75 cts.

ea6cthfdb EZRA BAER) Dixon, Lee Co. , III.

0*111 responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Do You Want Knowledge?

Send a postal for price list of International Ency-
clopedia, 15 vols., royal 8vo, over 13,000 pages, with
maps and illustrations. It excels all in comprehen-
siveness, conciseness, latenesscof information, con-
venience, and cheapness, C. O. D. Liberal discount
for freight charges. A. H. VAN DOR EN,

Mons, Bedford Co., Va.

PRIME & GOVE,

BRISTOL,, - - VER2£OXTT_

—manufacturers of—

Pee - peepers' Supplies.

White Poplar Dovetailed Sections and Shipping
Crates a Specialty. Price List and Samples free.
6JSd

Italian Bees, Queens, and Eggs

From Light Brahma and Wyandotte Poultry. Eggs,
two dollars for thirteen.

One untested queen, $1.00; three for $2.00.

1^-Price List Free. Address

6-16d H. G. FRAME, North Manchester, I nd.

Vol. XVII.

MAHCH 15, 1889.

No. 6.

TERMS: $1.00 Per ANNTTM, IN Advance;*! 7? <>+ „ T\ 7-i o In /> rl Vti 1 Si *? ?
2Copiesfor81.90;3forS2.75;5for$1.00; | HjO LU/ULLb /It'll/ III ± O / C

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num-
ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs maybe
made at club rates. Above are all to
be sent to one fostoffice.

> PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

k /. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO

{ Clubs to different postoffices, not less
than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the

j U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun-

1 tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries

I. NOT of the U. P. U., 12 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES. NO. III. -CONTINUED.

DISTANCE APART.

§UPPOSE the home apiary is located at a. With
a as a center, draw a circle be, the points b
and c being distant three miles from a. The
first series of apiaries will be located some-
where in the curved line be; and if just three
miles apart, there will be six of them, b, d, e, c,f,
and g. We may represent the range of the home

apiary by the circle hi, and the ranges of the other
apiaries by circles of the same size. These circles
representing the range of each apiary are arbitrari-
ly assumed, and may be too large or too small, the
supposition being that the ranges overlap a little at
their outer edges, where the interference will not
amount to much. This makes, including the home
apiary, a series of seven apiaries. If it be desired

to increase the number, or if the pasturage be such
that it is desirable to omit some of these and plant
others to one side, we can find the location for one
at k by finding a point three miles distant from each
of the points b and d. I is equidistant from b and g,
and m equidistant from k and b, and, for that mat-
ter, from I. If we complete two circles at these dis-
tances, we shall have altogether 19 apiaries, the
furthest of which shall be only six miles from
home. I think I'll not carry the thing any further
than 19. Let Capt. Hetherington make his own
plans. All this looks very easy and very regular on
paper. In actual practice it will be quite different.

If you have a township map, cut an equilateral
triangle out of card-board, each side of [which shall
measure 1 hree miles on your map, and you can eas-
ily lay off your ground, for a, b, and d make an equi-
lateral triangle, so do a, d, and e, and so on.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

Well, old friend, I think you would get
pretty much all the honey, if you covered a
field as illustrated above, any way. During
an excessive yield there might not be bees
enough to consume it all ; but I think that,
with an apiary every three miles, as you
have planned it, there would not be very
much wasted any season. During poor sea-
sons I am afraid the two apiaries in the mid-
dle, a and 6, might have a pretty tough time
of it, especially if all the surrounding apia-
ries turn in and learn the trade of robbing.
By the way, do robber-bees ever go three
miles ? When 1 was thinking about getting
a locality for queen-rearing, where no rob-
bers would interfere, I thought that, if I
could go about a mile and a half from any
other bees, it would do very well. In our
locality I am pretty certain that bees are not

204

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

often found three miles from home at any
season of the year. But to cover the ground
as you have planned it, I believe I should
want as much space between them as three
miles; therefore, all things considered, I
should say you have got it about right.

RAMBLE NO. 12.

SOURING HONEY, ETC.

Flow, softly flow, by lawn and lea;

A rivulet, then a river,
And here by thee will hum the bee

For ever and for ever.

SIG'S feet having been put in proper order,
they patted down in staccato time as we hied
away again over hill and dale, by quiet for-
est shades and over babbling brooks, until
our course was arrested by what is popular-
ly known as Hall's Mills— a gristmill, sawmill, cider-
mill, a potato-hook mill, and, besides all these, a
honey-mill, or, in other words, Mr. Hall, not getting
filthy lucre fast enough, he thought he saw a great
bonanza in the production of honey, and enthusias
tically stocked up, with bees, bee-journals, etc. A
severe winter loss caused a perceptible decline in
enthusiasm. Then a few seasons of short yields
caused the abandonment of bee-journals, and a
general neglect of both bees and honey; and it is
evident that Hall's bees will not hum by this rivulet,
" for ever and for ever."

The Rambler found four barrels of honey, rolled
out at the rear of the house, under the eaves, with
the honey in all more or less sour. This, when ex-
tracted, was evidently a good quality of clover
honey; but being left in a damp cellar, with bungs
out, it had absorbed so much moisture as to make
it a damaged article, and it was finally rolled out to
make room for cider. If this honey had been
stored in a dry room, the quality would not have
been injured. The opinion people had of it was
fully expressed by Mrs. Hall asking the Rambler if
his customers for extracted honey ever wanted any
the second time. When told that many customers
laid in a supply every fall for winter use, year aft-
er year, many preferring it to comb honey, she was
incredulous, and said their customers never came
for extracted honey the second time; and it was
even hard to sell comb honey to those who had used
their extracted honey.

As the Rambler went on his way again, the
thought uppermost in his mind was the great fact
that many people are induced to keep bees who are
not and never can befitted for the business; and
the production and sale of honey in many localities
is injured more by incompetent local producers
than by any other cause. The Rambler does not
encourage everybody to keep bees.

LUTE VIRGIL.

The sun was just descending behind the western
hills, the lovely autumnal tints blending to charm
the eye, while the musical notes of the fall cricket
rose and fell in rich cadence from orchard and
meadow, and the Rambler would fain lay himself
down upon some mossy bank and sweetly dream of
the hum of bees and a flowery laud. The real hard
struggles of life were, however, before me; the
farmers were coming in from the toils of the day,
with sweat-bedewed faces, tattered clothes, and
calloused hands that silently spoke of the hard
struggle with nature. A few of the "cattle from a

thousand hills " were being herded for the night,
and all signs admonished the Rambler to hasten to
a haven for the night, under the roof of Mr. Lute
Virgil, a noted bee-keeper of Whitehall. Bro. V.
lives upon one of the world's byways. We go down
through a dark ravine. The stalwart trees on
either side, like huge sentinels, seem to guard the
rocky pass. When safely down we come out on a
broad alluvial bottom, and this is called an interval
on Wood Creek. A sharp turn to the right soon
brings us to a cosy cottage, under a perpendicular
rocky cliff of over sixty feet in height. As it is
east of the house, old Sol puts in a late appearance
at the Virgil homestead. I found Bro. V. attending
to the chores, after the completion of which we ad-
journed to the house, where I found Mrs. V. and two
bright little girls to enliven the home and lo make
it worth loving and living for. Nearly all of the
Dee-journals are found upon his table, and we
found his preferences strong in particular direc-
tions. A worthy man named Doolittle seemed, ac-
cording to Bro. V.'s dictionary, to be the only writ-
er of much consequence in the apicultural ranks.
To sum up the main points of our conversation
during the evening, I find it ran about as follows:

" Well, Bro. Virgil, I did not see your hives as 1
entered your grounds this evening; you must
paint them a dark color."

RAMBLER'S DREAM — FOLLOWING IN THE XKACK.S
OF DOOLITTLE.

"Oh, ho! friend R, I follow nature; take Doolit-
tle's advice, and don't paint them sit all. Bees win-
ter better in unpainted hives. I don't believe in
any fancy fixings or poetry about hives and yards,
etc. I run my bees at the least possible expense.
I am after the hard dollars."

" Then I suppose you use the Doolittle hive."

"Oh, no! I use the Langstroth hive; but if I had
known as much about Doolittle's plans as I do now,
I would have adopted his hive. His big yields of
honey every year show that the hive enables him
to get there every time."

" Then I suppose you don't think much of the
new-fangled Heddon hive."

"Well, no! You see, Doolittle don't say much
about it."

"Well, Bro. V., do you practice artificial swarm-
ing?"

"No, sir. You don't catch me so far from na
ture's plan as that. Doolittle and I agree on
swarming, exactly."

" I see you have Alley's Handy-book; how do you

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

205

succeed in raising queens according- to his parti 3ular
method?"

"Why, now, friend R, you make me tired. Just
think of the fixin's and palaverings with shaving
combs, hot beeswax, matches, and tm feeders!
Why, Doolittles's natural plan just fits into my hat,
and we get there with big queens and tons of honey
every time."

" Do you raise comb or extracted honey?"

" I raise gilt-edged comb honey. I don't expect to
equal Doolittle just yet, but I mean to get there."

Finding I could not get Bro. V.'s mind from the
great bee-man, we talked crops and farming gen-
erally, but Doolittle's name would get mixed in
with corn, potatoes, and the care of stock.

At the table, when he parsed the articles to me I
expected him to say, "Will you take some more
Doolittle?" like the girl passing potatoes to a man
with an enormous nose. The nose fully absorbed
her mind, and, said she, " Sir, will you have some
more nose?"

Dreams troubled the Rambler again, and it seem-
ed as though we were all following Doolittle; and
in this direction I am free to confess are often
found the steps of the Rambler.

THAT RACE BETWEEN BEES AND
PIGEONS.

THE MATTER EXPLAINED.

R. EDITOR:— On page !)35, for 1888, you
copy an item from the Bee-Keepers' Record
about a flying - match between pigeons
and bees. You reserve prudently your
opinion on the story, for want of facts.
I am able to give you information. The German
Bienenzeitung first reported the match, whence
it has been translated in so bungling a manner
that it became indeed a very ridiculous yarn. A
correct translation will change it into a serious
and interesting experiment. It reads as follows:

From Hamm it is reported that one Mr. Ch. R., a
fancier of carrier-pigeons, and
a bee-keeper, proposed the fol-
lowing match: The distance
was to be not quite one hour
(about 2% miles), namely, from
Rhynern to Hamm. The day se-
lected was fine, when bees would
come home sooner than carrier-
pigeons. The bet was taken

and bravely won by

1 he bee-man-. Twelve carrier pig-
eons and twelve bees, sprinkled
with flour, 1 of which were
drones, were taken to Rhynern,
and there simultaneously set
free. One white drone arrived
4 seconds in advance of the first
pigeon. The second pigeon ar-
rived simultaneously with the
other three drones, and togeth-
er with the rest of the pigeons
arrived also the workers. The
bee-keeper had won the match."
¥~ou will, by comparing the
above with the rendering in the
Record, easily understand
that the translation has been
made by a man equally igno-

rant of the German language and of apiculture
(which he confounded with agriculture). He omit-
ted to say that the bees were sprinkled with flour,
because he did not know what every bee-keeper
knows, that it was essential, as otherwise the bees
could not be identified. Not quite one hour is about
2l/2 miles (English), not 5 miles. The German term
lanaten an, which means a>-rived, is, by the ignorant
fellow, translated "preceded by a length." Any
schoolboy would not have made such nonsense. The
fact that pigeons are beaten by bees is not new.
Sigel, 111., Feb. 15, 1889. Dr. Wm. Leers.

SOMETHING NEW FOR HONEY AND
MAPLE SYRUP.

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY OF CANS I'OR
MAPLE-SYRUP MAKERS AND SHIPPERS.

OST maple-sugar makers have expe-
rienced the awkwardness of trying
to box up the ordinary round cans,
whenever the: are so lucky as to
have an order for syrup from a dis-
tance. Well, this season, for the first time,
we have got a gallon can that fits into an
ordinary square box as nicely as a duck's
foot fits in the mud. If you don't believe
it, look at the " picter."

Now, if you should be so lucky as to have
an order for ten or a dozen caus, you can
just set them all in one box made purposely
for shipping syrup, as in cut below.

Of course, all I have said in regard to the
adaptability of these cans for maple syrup
will apply with equal force to putting up
and shipping honey. In fact, we keep
them in stock all the year round.

BOX HOLDINO TEV <>\E-riAI.L<>N CAN!
PLE SYRUP OR HONEY.

Price of the one-gallon cans, not boxed ,*
$12.00 per 100; same boxed, 10 in a box,
$14.00 per 100; single box of 10 cans, $1.60.
without any boxing, 15 cts.

Single can,

206

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

BEE-FOOD IN WINTER.

THE BEST OF THEORIES MUST VAMOOSE BEFORE|
CONTRA FACTS.

"HEN I answered Question 97, in Gleanings,!
1 did so from my experience in bee culture
for the past twenty years. I, also, have
some theories and a slight knowledge of
chemistry as connected with apiculture;
but the latter are not great enough to cause me to
rely upon them when my practice with large apia-
ries teaches me differently; but it happens that my
theories regarding transpiration, ventilation, and
the component parts of winter food, precisely agree
with my experience, nearly all of which ground you
have been over in your experience, as indicated in
your foot-notes to Bro. Corneil's article on page 172.
I love theory; still 1 am aware that there is both
true and false theory. 1 strongly incline toward
those minds which take to theorizing, and who
study and love science; and lvalue Mr. Corneil's
scientific articles, but I know positively that, in the
depths of his research, his lantern has gone out,
and he thinks he feels something that doesn't exist.
I know that bees can and do and did continue to
digest syrup without the least particle of pollen
in the hive. Practically I know nothing of the
component parts of sugar, only so far as T believe
the statements of chemists, and especially of our
friend Professor Cook. I believe that I never said
that my bees starved on sugar syrup. I said that
they froze to death during the longest and severest
cold spell 1 ever witnessed. Bees kept upon natu-
ral stores did the same; but I did bring through 73
colonies upon sugar syrup, and in perfect condi-
tion. There were very few dead bees, and not the
least sign of the old malady we have called bee-
diarrhea or bee-dysentery, so that, when they had
their first flight on the 17th of April, warm and
pleasant, and the outside bees were gathering pol-
len, not a bee of the 73 colonies voided any thing,
not even water. Their bodies were just as slim as
when placed in winter quarters. I call that perfect
wintering, as they were confined in the cellar 151
days with absolutely no food in the hive except
strictly pure granulated-sugar syrup acidized with
tartaric acid. I honor Mr. Corneil for his careful
research, but I know that he will be compelled to
search again.

DOVETAILED HIVES.

When I see something in Gleanings relative to
mechanical construction of hives I am at once in-
terested; for, more than all other branches of api-
culture, have I made this a study, and with it have
I experimented. While William Stolley, of Grand
Island, Neb., was my foreman I devised this same
honey-board with the full bee-space on either side,
and he assisted me in making it; or perhaps I am
mistaken, and it was W. H. Shirley, of Mill Grove,
Allegan County, Mich., who helped me make some
of them at our mill, one or two samples of which
still hang in my shop. The brood-frames to use in
that case were to come flush with the top of the
hive, of course, the bee-space being in the honey-
board. It has never gone into general use with us,
and I think it never would, even were we to con-
tinue using the old Langstroth hive and suspended
frame. Now, the dovetailing arrangement, you may
well imagine, was talked over much by us, believ-
ing as we did that it would be the best way with
which to make our shallow cases, which with the

[new hive you know I use in the brood-chambers the
isame as in the surplus cases, and we came near
[getting machinery to make them in that way, but
[did not do so. T believe it is a move in the right
[direction; and with your shop-room, power, fine
machinery, and large trade, I believe it is practical
and best to adopt dovetailing for hives, supers, etc.
No. I do not favor discarding the bee-space at the
top of the L. hive, nor do I believe the section-hold-
ers illustrated on page 189 will come into general
use. I will not occupy your valuable space at pres-
ent by telling why; but you make one of my points
when you say that honey is cheap, and we must
have simple and cheap implements. Where no sep-
arators are to be used, I believe nothing is better
than my old-style case, but I would advise making
it with dovetailed corners, and grooves in the sides
for divisions. Certainly you are privileged to not
only use but manufacture for sale my break-joint
and bee-space honey-board, when used either with
or without queen-excluding metal, or, for that mat-
ter, any of the parts connected with my modifica-
tion of the Langstroth hive; and, more than that, 1
wish to thank you for your manly method of giving
credit to whom you believe it belongs. Of course,
you have not forgotten how almost alone I pleaded
for the honey-board; but a writer in the Canadian
Honey-Producer seems to have forgotten that al-
most alone I also pleaded for the tiering-up system
long before he ever uttered a word about it, as the
records show, and no doubt before he had any con-
ception of its usefulness. It is tedious, to say the
least, to plead for certain manufactures and sys-
tems of manipulations for years, opposed and al-
most alone, and, after succeeding in popularizing
it, to have some one come up, like a Jack out of a
box, and lay claim to the results of your labors;
but we must learn to bear and forbear.
Dowagiac, Mich., Mar. 5, 1889. James Heddon.

You will see, by referring to department
of " Recent Developments,'1 elsewhere, that
we have decided to put the bee-space above
the frames instead of below, and, of course,
use a one-bee-space honey -board.

ANOTHER HEXAGONAL APIARY.

SESPE APIARY, FILLMORE, CAL.

T DID not think to tell you about my hexagonal
|jf apiary when you were here, so I send you a
W plan of it now. The little round spots are

"*• stones about as large as a man's head, 8 in a
pile. They answer a double purpose. They
are put on the hives in the winter to keep the cov-
ers from blowing off, and when a hive has a virgin
queen one of them is put near the entrance to mark
the hive until she is laying. The hives all face those
stone piles, and the honey-carts are run up through
the other hexagons between the backs of the hives.
Those other marks between the stones are nucleus
hives. The advantages of this arrangement of the
hives are, that the bees do not work to the out ends
of the rows, and become weak in the center as they
do when the rows are straight, and queens are sel-
dom lost on their wedding-trip. The only disadvan-
tage I know of is the difficulty in getting the honey-
cart to stand close and at right angles to the inner
hives when taking out honey. The land slopes
south to the honey-house; hives face east and west,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

207

and brood is always placed near the south side of
hives in the spring. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., Jan. 21, 1889.

Friend M., we are very greatly obliged to
you. I was very much interested, in fact,
in your hexagonal apiary ; but those great
mountains before and behind your pretty
little ranch kept me staring so much of the
time with open mouth that I am afraid I
did not look at the apiary as much as I
might have done otherwise. Perhaps not
all the readers may be as fortunate as you
are in having access to stones of any par-
ticular size you may happen to need. I
want to explain to the friends, that right in
front of his house a big block of granite
about the size of a meeting-house stands as
tranquilly and unconcerned as if it had a
perfect right there ; but friend M. told me,

PLAN OF SESPE APIARY, BELONGING TO J. F. MCINTYRE,
FILLMORE, CAL.

when I looked at it in a questioning way,
that it came down the canyon one night in
a flood, and stopped right there. In my in-
nocence I spoke about following the path
up to the summit of a mountain right across
the stream, while waiting for the buggy.
They said I would not have time, and asked
me if I noticed some animals away up on
the summit of the mountain. I told him I
saw some little black pigs, if that was what
he meant ; but after I looked carefully, the
little black pigs seemed to have horns on
their heads. When told they were cows,
the mountain seemed to spring up a quarter
of a mile all at once, and I concluded I
would not go up where those little cows
were, especially as we hadn't more than an
hour to spare.

Do you want to know something more
about the apiary? Well, Sespe Apiary, as
they call it, is one of the prettiest I ever
saw. The honey -house is at the foot of the
incline, just below the bee-hives, so that a

cartload of honey goes down through those
open lanes without much labor. Between
the honey-house and the road is a great iron
tank. These iron tanks are to be seen near
every honey-house in California. An iron
pipe runs from the extractor into the tank ;
then a gate at the bottom of the tank lets
the honey into the square cans, standing on
a platform just right to load into a wagon.
There is no need of building any roof over
the tank, for it never rains in California
during the honey-flow. You will find a
photograph of some of the mountains back
of Sespe Apiary, in our ABC book. Right
back of the apiary, on the western slope, is
an irrigating canal that pleased me greatly.
It is a sort of wooden flume ; and the sight
of the pure babbling brook that glides down
over the sandy and gravelly bottom, as if it
were in a big hurry to get some-
where, was to me a fascination.
These streams of watermean busi-
ness — market - gardening, fruit-
raising, etc. The picture of R.
Wilkin's apiary, in the ABC
book, does not begin to do justice
to the spot. The trees seen scat-
tered about are orange and fig
trees, and the oranges and figs are
good too.

Do you want to know what our
young friend McIntyre is doing
with R. Wilkin's apiary? Why,
he married friend Wilkin's young-
est daughter — that is how it comes
about. Oh, yes ! I want to tell
you one thing more about young
McIntyre : He is a young Canadi-
an, like " our John ;" and I tell
you, friends, when you find better
boys to work than these young
" Canucks " you will have to fly
around lively. When friend Wil-
kin was putting up his shipload of
honey to take to Europe there was
a great demand for tinners, to
solder up cans. The best tinner in
San Buenaventura succeeded in
soldering only about 1100 cans a
day; but friend McIntyre, after a
couple of weeks' practice, solder-
ed up l/fio.

This is the same apiary that E. Gallup
had charge of some years ago. Friend G. is
now located in Santa Ana, near Los An-
geles, but he was not keeping bees when I
called upon him.

DO LIZAKDS EAT BEES?

PROF. COOK TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT THE
LIZARD FAMILY IN GENERAL.

R. J. M. WOODHOUSE, Durango. Dubuque
Co., Iowa, writes: "Thei-e is a small quad-
ruped, about six inches long, with striped
body and blue tail. It lurks about my
hives, burrowing last summer under an
empty hive in the bee-yard. What is it? Does it
eat bees or honey, and is it poisonous? "

This is doubtless Scincus fosceatus, Holbr.— the
blue-tailed striped lizard. This lizard is about
eight inches long when full grown. Its head is
bluish black, with six light-yellow lines, and its

208

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

body the same color, with five straw-colored lines,
The tail is deep blue. The throat and abdomen are
white. It belongs to the "skink" family of liz-
ards.

Lizards— from their quick lively movements oft-
en called swifts— do live on insects. I have never
known or heard of their eating bees; but the toads
do, and why may not the lizards as well, as they too
are insectivorous? I do not think, however, that
they will do any very considerable harm. None of
the lizards are in the least poisonous, or harmful to
handle. Even the horned toads of Colorado, Kan-
sas, and Texas— these are also lizards and not
toads at all— which, from their horns, or spines,
look quite formidable, are quite safe to handle.

Very likely the lizard may visit the cellar. They
have been found in cellars often.

Mr. Woodhouse also asks if there is any positive
evidence that bees mean to kill a queen when they
ball her. I think there is the best of evidence. I
have seen several queens balled, and soon after-
ward found them dead in front of the hive. That
the bees sometimes relent, and do not execute
their intentions, is equally obvious, for I have
known more than one case where a balled queen
left alone was permitted to escape, and did excel-
lent work as the mother of the hive for months
afterward. I think the bees intend execution
when they surround a queen. Why they change
their minds in some cases, I can not say.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

I saw a great many beautiful lizards in
California. They would glide along the
rocks on which we were sitting, and peek
at us curiously out of the cracks and crev-
ices. I think it quite likely they might
learn to eat bees to some extent. — In regard
to bees killing a queen when they ball her.
the most of us have had ample proof, by sad
experience, that they do usually kill them
unless driven away by smoke, or made to
let them alone by recaging or something of
the sort.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

SETTING OUT TREES; HOW TO DO IT BY MEANS OF
HEXAGONS.

tN page 980 of Gleanings, Dec. 15, you ask if
any of your readers can tell you how the or-
ange groves are planted so as to line at so
many different angles. Yes, I think I (tan.
The properties of the hexagon will explain it-
You go to the honey-bee again for wisdom. Take a

FITZGERALD'S METHOD OF MARKING THE SITE
(IF TREES.

hexagonal piece of card and lay it on a piece of
card-board, at the upper left-hand corner, to cor-
respond with the dots of pencil. Move it to the
right one-half of its diameter, and mark its angles
and center. Keep on at this across the card, then
place the hexagon just below the first diagrams
made, and go across the same way. Continue this
process ad libitum ; then you can draw lines to rep-
resent the rows, as I have done, showing six angles
at which they will row, or "line."

More trees can be set at a given distance apart on
the same land, this way than in any other I know of.
I have been in the fruit-business quite extensively,
and have given the subject much thought. The
properties of the hexagon are very useful in the so-
lution of problems in geometry and trigonometry,
as no doubt Ernest can testify. If any one gives a
plan that is ahead of this, let us have it in Glean-
ings. I hope you will keep on traveling, aud writ-
ing notes. I think your Notes and "Our Homes"
the most valuable part of the book.

Brookston, Tex. .1. G. Fitzgerald.

We are all very well aware that the figure
you give is the way trees should be set ; but
I can imagine that the greater part of us
will have great difficulty in setting them as
accurately as you have drawn your lines.
Perhaps by the aid of the appliances given
in our former numbers we may be able to
do it. The orange-groves— in fact, orchards
of almost all kinds in California— are set out
in just this way. Each tree is the center of
six other trees, all at equal distances from
it and from each other. Some may say
that it is too much fuss and bother ; but,
my friends, it pays to spend some time in
fuss and bother when you realize that an
orchard may stand not only during your life,
but for the benefit of your children also.
In cultivating, our California friends just
pull their harrows through between the
trees, in three different directions ; and aft-
er they get done, the ground looked " hand-
some," 1 tell you.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO. REPORT FROM PROF.
BAILEY.

At least two or three thousand of our
readers will be interested in the following,
which we take from the American Garden of
March 1 :

This variety has been mentioned of late in several
journals, and it therefore seems proper to say
something concerning its origin and merits. Dur-
ing three years the Michigan Agricultural College
has undertaken extensive tests with tomatoes, and
for two years all varieties that could be secured
from all sources were grown. In the spring of 1887
a complete set of German varieties was obtained
from Robert Neumann, of Erfurt. Among them
was the Eiformige Dauer. This proved to be a
small and angular variety of no promise; but one
plant bore fruits of remarkable beauty, solidity,
size, and uniformity. Among about 170sorts shown
that year at the State fair at Jackson this tomato
stood up far the best of any. I supposed this plant
to be an accidental mixture in the seed of Eifor-
mise Dauer; but being unable to determine it I
called it Ignotum, or " unknown." In the spring of
1888 a few seeds were sent to several friends for
test imr, and some 500 plants were set in our own
garden. Everywhere the variety appears to have
exceeded expectations. I left the Michigan College
in August, and therefore did not see the full fruit-
age of the plants; but my former" foreman, Charles
S. Crandall, a thoroughly competent observer, in-
forms me that it maintained its excellence, but
that a few plants reverted to the Eiformige Dauer,
a fact which indicates that the Ignotum is a sport

1889

GLEANltfGS IK BEE CULTURE.

209

from that variety, instead of having: been a simple
admixture in the seeds. Others, including E. S.
Golf, at the New York Experiment Station, had
similar results. It is to be hoped, therefore, that
seedsmen will not be tempted to secure the variety
until two or three years further selection give it
a thoroughly stable character.

My successor, Professor Taft, makes the follow-
ing observation concerning my last plantation of
Ignotum: •' From our own experience, and the re-
ports of others who have tried it, I am inclined to
think that it deserves a front rank among the to-
matoes. With us, as compared with the Mikado, it
is larger, smoother, more solid, less subject to rot,
more productive, and is more desirable, both as an
early and as a late variety. We had several hun-
dred plants growing on a dry sandy knoll ; and al-
though it was a dry year with us, the plants gave a
very beavy crop, and continued ripening until the
frost destroyed the plants about the first of Octo-
ber."

Mr. A. I. Root, to whom a few seed6 were sent,
makes the following statement in his Gleanings
in Bee Culture : " The first ripe tomatoes I picked
in the open ground were from a dozen vines of the
Ignotum. It is remarkably free from rot, ripens all
over alike, and each vine bears a great quantity of
tomatoes. I do not know that we have any tomato
in any respect superior, except the Mikado, and the
Mikado excels only in size. Perhaps this is owing,
however, to the fact that our Mikados of the past
season were all from the seed taken from a tomato
that weighed a pound and a half. The result of
this selection of the seed gave us extra large Mika-
dos, but it did not mend the awkward shape of a
great part of the tomatoes very much. To sum it
all up, then, the Ignotum tomato, in my estimation,
is ahead of any thing heretofore introduced."

Four tomatoes have given us great satisfaction in
outdoor culture, in the order named: Ignotum,
Puritan (from Rawson), Potato Leaf (from Living
ston), and Mikado. Mikado is too irregular, and is
not uniform in size; but its great size and produc-
tiveness are merits which can not be overlooked.

Ithaca, N. Y., Feb. 4. L. H. Bailey.

You will notice from the above, that Prof.
Taft has found it even larger than the Mi-
kado. Professor Taft says that the plants
were on a dry sandy knoll. Now, friends, I
am beginning to think that a dry sandy
knoll, or a dry gravelly knoll, is a much bet-
ter place for tomatoes than the ordinary
rich grounds of our market gardens. Last
season we planted the bulk of our tomatoes
right over the best and richest ground ; and
while they made an enormous amount of fo-
liage, the tomatoes were later, and the
greater part of them did not get ripe at all.
If you want fruit very early, put it on
ground so poor that they will begin to pro-
duce fruit when less than a foot high. If
our friends who have received seeds of the
Iguotum will carefully save their seed from
the best tomatoes, there will be a good de-
mand for them another season ; and it is al-
together likely that no seedsman will ever
be able to sell a very few seeds at a big
price, as has been done with many of our
novelties when they first came out.

MORE ABOUT BUSH LIMA BEANS.

In response to our order mentioned in our
last issue, Thorburn & Co. did send us a
packet of lima beans ; and 25 of Thorburn 's
Bush lima beans weigh as much as 75 of Pe-
ter Henderson's Bush lima beans ; moreover,
the %5 beans, when cooked, were a lima bean,
and no mistake, and fully as rich and deli-
cious as the King of the Garden lima.
Thorburn said that their stock was so limit-
ed they could not furnish any except 25-cent
packets. We find printed on the envelope
the following :

KUMERLE'S DWARF LIMA BEANS.

A novelty of great merit. Originated at Newark,
New Jersey, Grows two feet high, branching out in
all directions; is very productive, and especially
desirable in small gardens, as it does not require
any poles. Plant in rows two feet apart and one
foot in the rows; one plant only should be allowed
to grow in a hill. Per packet of twenty-live seeds,
25 cents.

We have asked Thorburn how many pack-
ets he will let us have at 25 cents each. If
anybody else on the face of the earth has
any of these Kumerle's Dwarf lima beans,
we should like to have them stand up and
tell us what they know — how many they
have, and what they will take for them. It
might be worth while to pay a big price for
what stock is to be had, even at one cent
per bean ; for whoever raises a crop of them
next season will probably get a good profit
on his investment.

QUESTION 110 RECONSIDERED.

SHALL WE SHIP OUR HONEY TO ONE COMMISSION

HOUSE, OR DIVIDE IT UP AMONG SEVERAL?

THE COMMISSION MAN A BENEFIT

TO THE PURSUIT.

T HAVE had no experience in marketing honey,
||P as this season will be my first in bee culture;
W but as a gardener I have had twelve or thir-
■*■ teen years of experience. I consider the mar-
keting of honey the same, with this difference:
Honey is not a perishable article, and does not have
to be sold in one day, or even two or three, as do
small fruits and garden truck. I do not think, but
Know by experience, that taking goods to two or
more commission merchants (according to the
amount) is a benefit to the shipper, and I believe it
the same with honey. Commission merchants have
chosen this occupation to accumulate wealth and
support, and it would be folly for them to cut down
the prices as some of the respondents tried to ar-
gue. Honey is something which does not require
immediate sale. The larger the price, the more
percentage they receive. One point I wish to men-
tion is, that nearly if not all commission merchants
have more or less enemies. I know about thirty
commission merchants in Buffalo, N. Y., and many
more I am not acquainted with. I believe there is
not one but that has some enemies, some more
than others. If we consign to two or more we have
that much benefit. And another great point I look
at in the honey line as well as gardening is the
amount; for instance, 1000 or 1500 lbs. of honey in
one commission house. It would seem a large
amount in the eyes of some, but divide it among
three or more and it would not be noticed; the same
with garden production. If three or four teams
came into market with very large loads, the people
would exclaim, "Oh my! the market will be away
down to-day." Take the same amount in one-horse
loads, and the tune will be changed to " A small
market to-day. Prices will be way up." Many here
have discovered that it is better to go to market
with two one-horse loads rather than make a very
large two-horse load. Therefore I believe honey
should be distributed among the commission
houses. As far as my experience goes, I find the
commission merchants try to keep a uniform price
as far as possible. If every shipper of honey would
be careful and sort his honey into two, three, or
even more grades, as the case may be, and if, too,

2l()

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

he would paste small labels on each package to
indicate first, second, and third quality, etc., and
then divide the whole lot of several grades among
the commission merchants, he would avoid some of
the evils of competition hinted at by some of the
respondents to the Question-Box. If Jones or
Smith stops at A's commission store, and inquires
the price of honey, and then goes to B's shop, Jones
or Smith will find the same quality, and then there
will be no chance for Jones or Smith to go back to
A's store and say they can obtain honey at B's shop
at a less figure. The commission merchants are
generally up in the morning, and wide awake; they
know the quality of goods others are handling. So
T think Mr. E. E. Hasty is correct in using for ex-
ample, the proverb that says, " Don't put all your
eggs in one basket." Horace F. GresSman.

"Water Valley, N. Y., March 4, 1889.

I am exceedingly obliged to you for put-
ting in a good word in favor of commission
merchants. There has been altogether too
much fault found through the bee-journals
and agricultural papers with this class of
neighbors of ours. They do have enemies,
I know ; and many times it is because they
are so far away that the one who intrusts
them with his produce can not well get ac-
quainted with them as he does with near
neighbors. I do not mean that there are
not some bad men among them ; but if you
consult your nearest bank, I think they can
tell you almost every time which ones are
honest and trustworthy. Sending produce
to somebody whom you do not know is like
jumping in the dark. I do not quite like
your idea of two one-horse loads in place of
one two-horse load. The former would
take an extra man, and I think your people
had better be educated instead of being en-
couraged in such notions. I believe it is
true, that commission men, at least the suc-
cessful ones, are up in the morning, and
wide awake ; and if bee-men are not also,
they don't deserve success.

SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE

BROOD-CHAMBER.

C. J. H. GRAVENHORST S VIEWS.

T NEVER am more delighted by reading the
/If American bee-papers than at that moment
Til when the author holds with me in an opinion
**■ got by carefully conducted experiments. I
think there must be some truth in it, if two
men, living in different parts of the globe, come to
one and the same conclusion, and agree, therefore,
with one another. At least I felt so by reading the
excellent article in Gleanings, No. 1, 1889, by Mr.
Doolittle, under the head, "Something about Bee-
hives." He says: "By many carefully conducted
experiments I found that queens, as a rule, would
not occupy more than 800 square inches of comb
with brood for any length of time." In order to in-
Bure success, and not to get any pollen in the sec-
tions, Doolittle allows 200 square inches of comb
above the 800 the queen occupied, so that he has
1000 square inches of comb space, or about 1500 cu-
bic inches, as the right size for the brood-chamber,
regardless of what style of frame is used. " Of
course," says Mr. Doolittle, " the frames one has in
use will not always give just the number of square

inches inside of them which is required, but we can
use the number which comes nearest to it." That
is to say, it matters not whether we allow a few
square inches of comb more or less than 1000 for the
brood-chamber, but this number is sufficient, and
more are not needed. Of course, Mr. Doolittle
knows as well as I and many other experienced
bee-keepers, that, as we have sometimes dwarfs
and giants among men and animals, so we have al-
so small and big colonies in our apiaries, according
to the fertility of the queens, aside from other cir-
cumstances. Now, I think we are on the right way
if we have regard to this, and construct the brood-
chambers of our hives neither for dwarfs nor
giants, but for standard colonies; that is to say,
such colonies as are in the best working order.

As far as I know from what I have read in the
American bee-papers, the climate and honey re-
sources at the Home of the Honey-bees in Medina,
Ohio, and at the home of Mr. Doolittle, are similar
if not equal, as in most sections of Germany, so that
our standard colonies need only a brood-chamber
of 1000 square inches to remain in full working or-
der. May be that the standard working condition
of colonies is not the same in all countries, accord-
ing to the climate and the honey resources, and
that in some sections it may be better to construct
the brood-chamber much larger than 1000 square
inches of comb space; but that must not lead us
the wrong way in our own country.

By using 1000 square inches of comb, Doolittle has
in the brood-chamber 50,000 cells for brood-rearing,
if one square inch on each side of the comb has 25
cells. I have in the brood-chambers of my hives
51,000 cells in 9 frames. Now, let us see if 50,000 cells
are enough for brood-rearing in order to have a
good colony in full strength. No one has made
more carefully conducted experiments to find out
the number of bees in a swarm than the Baron von
Berlepsch, so far as I know. He tells us in his
book that a strong swarm of bees in a well-con-
ducted apiary contains 20,000 to 22,000 workers.
Such a swarm, he says, is in the best working or-
der, if it is doubled so that it has 40,000 to 44,000 bees.
If every bee lives six weeks at the time of their ut-
most working, then the bees will be doubled within
six weeks. In order to breed 44,000 bees there must
be 44,000 cells, besides the cells for honey-storing.
If the queen is very prolific, and deposits only 2200
eggs daily, there would be, within 20 days, 44,000
eggs in the combs; there are in six weeks, more
than 88,000 eggs. The hive would be double filled,
even if all swarm bees had lived only six weeks. In
order to have a colony of 40,000 or 44,000 bees in full
strength it is only necessary that the queen deposit
1100 eggs daily during 40 or 44 days. Therefore 11 00
square inches of worker comb is sufficient for the
brood-chamber, where the climate and honey re-
sources are similar, as at the home of Mr. Doolittle
or in Germany. C. J. H. Gravenhorst.

Wilsnack, Germany.

It rejoices our hearts to get a word now
and then from good friends like yourself,
away off across the water; and we feel
proud to have you indorse friend Doolittle.
If your conclusions are correct, bee-keepers
should not spend too much time in hunting
up better locations. They should bear in
mind that success is not achieved in Medina,
in Borodino, nor even away over in Ger-
many, without hard, earnest work.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

211

CHILDBEN OF THE KING.

SOMETHING ABOUT BEES AND OTHER THINGS,
FROM SINGAPORE.

SROTHER ROOT:— I have just been reading
Gleanings; and when I got over to what
you had written on Isaiah 55:9 I felt like the
man at a family reunion, who met for the
first time a distant relative whom he had
never seen. As he extended his hand and looked
him in the eye he said, " I have never seen you, but
I should know you were a Smith, even if I should
meet you in London. Here's my hand; we're of
one blood." So I was sensible of a thrill of friendly
feeling as I read how the hard places in our Fa-
ther's word used to trouble you, and how our elder
Brother made them plain to you in answer to ear-
nest, honest prayer; and I said, "This is one of the
family, and I can see the family likeness. So, here's
my hand; and though I never saw you, and proba-
bly never shall, I want to send you a word of en-
couragement, and ask you to pray for the Master's
work in this distant heathen city.

If you haven't looked to see whose name is at-
tached to this letter by this time, then I miss my
guess; but if you haven't, you must begin to ask,
" Who is the fellow, and why does he not let us
know who he is?" Well, I am a missionary from
Ohio, and Gleanings is sent to me by friend Dr. A.
B. Mason. He knows me and Mrs. M. and both our
families; but suffice it to say to Gleanings, I am a
Buckeye, at work for my King, like a bee for its
queen, among the Chinese and Malays of the isl-
ands of Singapore.

I have often read your plain, simple expositions
or explanations of texts, and have been helped and
encouraged; not only by that, but also by the Scrip-
tural way in which you seem to combine business
and religion. Let your light shine; you probably
could not glorify God more or half so much in any
other sphere.

I was a year in Burma, but I have never seen a
hive of bees in either that land or this, but heard
that some were known of by some one else, and I
am inclined to think it a matter of doubt whether
any one has an apiary in this part of the world.
But there are bees, for a month or two ago I saw a
large swarm settle on a big teak-wood tree near our
mission house. The Chinese schoolboys (boarders)
tried to knock some of the comb down, which they
said the bees would make very quickly, but they
concluded to let them alone, and the bees went
away after a few weeks, I think.

We have perpetual summer here, as we are less
than a hundred miles from the equator. But we
are so exposed to the sea-breezes that it seldom is
over 90° or less than 70°. Foliage is superabundant,
but flowers not numerous, yet I have no doubt hon-
ey is found to some extent. This I know, we have
here some of the finest fruits that grow in the
whole world— chiefly sub-acid or sweet— and there
is no season, no month, even, when we can not get
fruit of some kind in the fruit market or stalls.
Oranges, pine-apples, and bananas, abound almost
the whole year round. There is now growing, in
our compound, cocoanuts, pine-apples, pomellos,
nutmegs, cocoa, mangostines, jack-fruit, rambu-
tans, and duriens. The four last are peculiar to
this region. The last is called by some writer the
" emperor of sub-acids."

It is hard to get acquainted with, but a fast friend.

This, like the jack-fruit, smells from afar. It re-
quired a year and numerous attempts to kindle a
fondness for either of them, but I am strongly at-
tached to them now.

I left New York in Nov., 1886, and landed in Bom-
bay, India, Jan., 1887. I had a good look at the
great city of India, and crossed over the continent
to Madras, on the eastern coast. Jan. 28 I plucked
the choicest tea-roses from the abounding bushes
in the station yard, at the top of the western
Ghauts.

I am teaching by day in the Anglo-Chinese school
(we have a large school of 250 day pupils, and a doz-
en boarders), and we hold regular gospel meetings
among the artillerymen in Fort Canning, and an-
other among the poor Eurasians in a narrow street
called Saliga Road.

Last week several from both these quarters iden-
tified themselves with the church of Christ. Our
boarders (Chinese boys) are most of them from
wealthy Chinese homes. They eat at the same ta-
ble, and of the same food, that the principal and
teachers do. We carefully train them in books, and
at the same time teach them about God's word and
its contents. Nothing so interests them as Bible
stories. The older ones understand the gospel
message, pray, and some have said in actions and
words, " I want to be a Christian." I saw one of
our brightest, most promising boys on his knees be-
fore going to sleep, praying to the God of the Bible.
We find great joy in doing such work for our
Master.

But how often and how keenly do we feel our in-
competence alone to undertake the great task of
bringing these boys and these people to a knowl-
edge of Jesus Christ as the every-day Savior of men
from sin as well as wrath !

Pray for me and the other missionaries, that God
may use us in accomplishing the great work, sure
to be accomplished in time, of making the king-
doms of this world the kingdoms of God and of
his Christ. R. w. Munson.

Singapore, Malaysia, Asia, on Straits of Malacca,
Dec. 7, 1888.

Here is my hand, dear brother, with
thanks for your exceedingly kind words, es-
pecially as I had felt that that chapter of
mine was one of my poorest— at least I didn't
succeed in telling it so as to give one an idea
of the actual experience I passed through
in finding great truths where in the first
place I had seen only great stumbling-
blocks. I wish to emphasize one thought of
yours in regard to getting accustomed to
new products of the soil. In California the
people were, almost without exception, ex-
ceedingly fond of pickled olives— that is,
with the exception of the " tender feet " as
they call them, meaning Tthe new comers.
They all assured me that everybody who
tasted olives, for the first time, declared
they were anything but pleasant; and while
the rest devoured them greedily I was shut
out. But I kept tasting them, however,
and now I not only find them delicious but
nourishing ; and if one who goes into a new
country'gives way to his likes and ^dislikes,
especially prejudice, he will lose a great
fund of enjoyment afforded by getting ac-
quainted with such of God's gifts as we
have not been accustomed to.— It stirsTmy
heart to hear you speak of the Chinese boys,

212

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

and I think yet of that class I had in charge
lor a brief half-hour in San Buenaventura.
I know I am not mistaken when I say that
these boys were well started on the up-grade
from earth to heaven. With encouragement
and looking-after, I am as sure of the out-
come as I should be of a crop of corn with
plenty of rain and sunshine, and all that can
be asked for in the way of soil and fertilizers.
May God bless and strengthen you. Such
letters as yours will enourage me to make
a more hopeful and brighter and better
journal than I could otherwise.

HOW TO GET BEES OUT OF CRATES
OP HONEY-BOXES, ETC.

ALSO A SUGGESTION IN REGARD TO KEEPING THE
MOTH-WORM FROM EMPTY COMBS.

' Y bees do not seem to like those queen-ex-
cluding honey-boards (?). T hived three
swarms in a hive with one in, before I
could get one to stay, and then only a hat-
ful stayed. I let them alone, thinking
they had no queen, and would soon die; but when I
looked at them a week later they were carrying in
pollen. The whole lower part of the hive was filled
with empty combs; on top of them I placed the
queen-excluder, then another Simplicity body half
tilled with new white drone comb; on this a crate
with partly filled sections from last year. When I
went to prepare them for winter I found the crate
empty— the top Simplicity body half filled with
what looked like nice white honey— and bees— the
lower body containing neither bees nor honey. I
thought I could not bother to keep them over win-
ter, but would take the white honey from them and
let the bees go out at the screen-door along with
the other bees. So I had them carried in with the
rest, and set on the floor among them. Next day I
looked to see if any of the crates were empty of
bees, so that tbey might be carried upstairs, and I
found that all the crates and hive-bodies were en-
tirely empty— not a bee in them, and not many
bees were clustered on the screen, as there used to
be on such occasions, with the exception of that
hive-body that had that white-looking honey in. I
lifted up the frames and found that, after about
three inches of drone comb filled with honey, there
was worker comb with a few cells of unhatched
brood. All the bees in those twenty or more dif-
ferent boxes had gone in where there was a queen.
Now, will bees do this every time? If they will,
here is a very easy way to get bees out of sections:
Just bring a nucleus with a queen, and put it
among the crates, and let all the bees go to her.
Perhaps some one has told this before. I do not
remember seeing it, and it is perfectly new to me.

I had the men carry that hive back to its old
stand, and fixed it up for winter, like the rest.
Last spring, when I found that so many of my bees
had died, I knew that I ought to take care of those
combs in some way. But I was too sick and weak,
and I made up my mind that the moths would have
to eat them. Every week I thought I would get
Irving to help me smoke them, or get the beeswax
out, or something; but there never was an hour
when I could have him, nor a day when I could do
it alone. This went on till three weeks before
swarming time. Then I went one day to look at
them, expecting to bo made sick with the sight of

so many worms; but (would anybody believe it?)
not a worm was to be seen. I could scarcely be-
lieve my eyes. The combs were molded somewhat
where the dead bees still clung to them, but there
were no moth webs and no worms. I began taking
out the combs, and in every hive I found a colony
of little black ants. They were mostly in the out-
side combs which contained some drone combs, and
the cells were full of white ant-eggs— or larvae—
Prof. Cook will please tell me which. I took the
empty combs then and placed them over colonies,
instead of cooking them up, as I expected to do.
Now, then, did those ants keep out the moth? or is
all nature going to be kind to me after this, and let
my things alone? Mahala B. Chaddock.

Vermont, 111., Feb. 14, 1889.

My friend, your invention is not new.
The matter has been several times noticed,
and I believe, also, several times mentioned
in our journals, that, where a queen is by
accident or otherwise carried into the honey-
house, all the bees from a great stack of sec-
tions will find the queen and cluster around
her, and sometimes you can make not only
a nucleus but a nice little swarm of bees,
and such a swarm will work as well as a
natural one. Ants or spiders, if allowed ac-
cess to empty combs, will keep out the
moth-worm. Whether they appropriate the
larvse for food, or whether the moth is
afraid of them, we are not able to say.

CAPTAIN HETHERINGTON.

The Largest Bee-Keeper in the World.

BY HIS FRIEND P. H. ELWOOD.

fHB subject of this sketch would have gained
distinction in any occupation, for nature has
endowed him with indomitable will power,
coupled with organizing and executive abili-
ties such as would quickly have placed him
at the head in any large undertaking. His power
of comprehending the whole is no less remarkable
than his ability to grasp, at the same time, the
minute details of an extensive business.

John Edwin Hetherington was born January 7,
1840, at Cherry Valley, N. Y., where he still resides.
He comes of a good ancestry, his father being an
educated English gentleman, his mother a member
of the old Judd family, of Connecticut. The father
dying when the youngest of the three brothers was
less than a year old, master John less than three
years, the entire care and training of the children
fell upon the mother; and the highest tribute we

CAPTAIN HETHERINGTON'S FIRST LOAD OF BK.ES,

1889

GLEANINGS IN liEE CULTURE.

213

can pay her is to point to the characters developed
in her sons. Although all three were in the milita-
ry service during the late war, they came out as
they went in, with spotless reputations, and abstain-
ers from the use of tobacco and strong drink.

The captain bought his first swarm of bees when
twelve years old, with money earned for that pur-
pose. The thoroughgoing business methods of the
mature bee-keeper were foreshadowed in the care
taken in bringing home his first colony. The old
family horse is put before the large spring wagon,
and is driven by a member of the family. For the
additional comfort and security of the swarm, the
hive is suspended in a sheet, the ends of which are
tied over a springing pole, while the ends of the
pole rest on the shoulders of the two older brothers,
who are seated on boards across the wagon-box,
facing each other. This extra care seemed neces-
sary for the^warm that was destiued to contribute
so much toward bringing apiculture from the dai-k-

he discovered that, while warmer for awhile, this
double wall did not allow the sun to drive out the
moisture, and the hive soon became damp, and con-
sequently cold. He made six hundred of these, and
I think they are as perfect mechanically as hives
can be made. Not finding the double wall satisfac-
tory he next put his bees into straw hives, a part of
which were adapted to the Quinby size of the Lang-
stroth frame. This was about the time of the com-
mencement of the civil war. These box straw hives
were excellent for winter and spring, and well
suited to the requirements of the bees at other
times. They were not of the usual straw-hive
shape, but had flat tops, and were well adapted to
boxing. They cost nearly two dollars apiece, and
at one time he had about 1400 of them. With the
immovable-comb straw hive he adopted a system of
artificial swarming that was so successful that he
often had not a single natural swarm from an en-
tire apiary. Previous to this he had in use swarm-

CAPT. HETHERINGTON'S HOME, WITH LAST LOAD OF 32 COLONIES IN THE BACKGROUND.

ness of superstition into the full light of modei-n
science. In contrast to this first load we present a
picture of the last load of bees, driven by James,
the eldest brother. On the one side is seen the
captain's residence, while upon the other side is a
honey house and shop, with the barn in the rear.
At the back of the well-kept lawn are two observa-
tory hives, not shown in the engraving. We
endeavored to get in a view of the bee-37ard, but it
was not possible, for at this time of the year, it is
several acres in extent.

The boy bee keeper had good success, and withiu
five years he had marketed honey by the ton, and
had secured an average of nearly sixty pounds of
honey in glass boxes from his entire apiary. He
was a close observer, and quick to adopt improve-
ments. Before he had been in the business half a
dozen years he had perfected a double-walled hive
with chamber of confined air between, and had ap-
plied for a patent on the same, On thorough trial

catchers for issuing swarms. These were placed
before the old colonies, and held the clustered
swarms until the apiarist could get around to hive
them. It would be an item of interest in apicultur-
al history to have some of these early hives and ap-
pliances illustrated. After a trial of the movable
frame, the captain found that he could not do with-
out it; but in his trial he made the important dis-
covery that the straw hives with the Langstroth
frames did not winter nearly as well as did the oth-
ers whose combs were built against the sides of the
hive, leaving no spaces at the end of the combs. He
therefore adopted the newly invented Quinby hive,
with closed-end frames. After an experience of
years with open and closed end frames he decidedly
prefers the latter. No new invention enters the
apicultural world but that the captain notices it;
and, if valuable, he adopts it. The honey-extractor
was his as soon as it crossed the ocean, and he has
used it ever since, believing it to be one of the

214

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

greatest inventions and one of the most useful arti-
cles in the apiary. He believes in producing- both
comb and extracted honey, in quantities and styles
to suit the market. He experimented with comb
foundation four or five years after the date of
Wagner's patent, obtaining his samples from a Mr.
Steel, of New Jersey. The invention came from
Germany, as perhaps did also the samples. It was
only a midrib, without any attempt at cell-walls,
and was a failure, but lacked only the Yankee in-
genuity to finish it by giving it side walls, and thus
make it a success. The captain has very hopefully
followed up this invention from its beginning. He
was quite enthusiastic at the time, of receiving the
first handsome samples from the Weiss machine;
but, alas! he did not then know that it was made of
paraffine, nor did he at first observe that the cells
were intermediate in size between worker and
drone. The queen was slow to use this size of cell
except when the sheet was convex, or stretched so
that the cells were enlarged, when she very freely de-
posited drone eggs in them, or where the sheet was
concave, so that the cells were diminished in size
when workers were reared. Noticing this fact he
saw the necessity of making and keeping the cells
of the proper size. To prevent sagging he tried
cloth, paper, and wood centers, all of which were
objectionable. Finally in 1876 he incorporated wires
into the wax sheet, and met with complete success.
Several years before this, Mr. Quinby and himself
had made complete comb of thin tin coated with
wax. This was tested in midwinter, the captain
bringing bees into a warm room for the purpose;
and although the cell bottoms were flat, it was free-
ly occupied with brood and honey. In the manu-
facture of comb foundation, it was observed that im
pressing the rhomboidal bases upon the wax sheet
would lay bare the wire unless a wasteful quantity
of wax was used. To avoid this he left the cell bot-
tom flat, thus also economizing in wax and simplify-
ing its manuf acture. Previous to his invention of flat-
bottomed foundation he had persistently refused
to U6e natural-base foundation in his honey-boxes,
he being unable to make or buy any but that would
leave an objectionable fishbone in the honey, and
he did not propose to sell to others what he would
not use on his own table, or what would injure the
high reputation his honey had gained. With flat-
bottomed foundation, twelve feet and upward to
the pound, he now produces comb honey that, on
the average, has a more delicate center than that
built wholly by the bees. Last year Mr. Cowan,
president of the British Bee-Keepers' Association,
looked in vain for foundation or fishbone in Capt.
Hetherington's honey. Next day, however, he vis-
ited a second-class bee-keeper and found the objec-
tionable hard center in his honey, although he had
used no thicker natural-bottom foundation than
10V4 feet to the pound. The captain says this foun-
dation is usually worked over, and its base chang-
ed; and I have observed that the wax then appears
to lose some of its solidity, and becomes more like
comb. Certain it is, this foundation makes more
tender comb honey than any other we have been
able to obtain. Capt. H.'s patent legally covers all
kinds of wire supports for foundation, including
wired frames, and he should be recognized by the
bee-keeping fraternity as the inventor of wire sup-
ports for comb foundation. This should be most
cheerfully given him, as he has so generously per-
mitted.'all who wished to do so, to use wired frames.

He receives a royalty upon wired foundation from
its manufacturers, the Messrs J. Van Deusen &
Sons, of Sprout Brook, N. Y. The importance of
this invention is becoming more apparent as time
passes, and it must soon take rank as one of the
greatest inventions of modern apiculture.
Starkville, N. Y. P. H. Elwood.

To be continued.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

DECIDEDLY IN FAVOR OF THEM.

fKIEND BOOT:— Noticing your request in re
gard to unfinished sections, p. 92, 1 will give
you my experiments and conclusions in re-
gard to the matter. At the close of the sea-
son of 1887 I had about 500 unfinished sec-
tions on hand. The combs were nicely drawn out,
and the sections white and clean. I placed them in
crates, without scraping off the propolis. I piled the
crates up as compactly as possible, and covered
them so as to exclude all dust. They wintered in
good shape— in fact, they looked as well when I put
them on the hives the next spring as they did when
taken off in the fall. Thus I was led to believe that
they would look as well when completed as those
built from new foundation in new sections. Now
for the facts: On part of the hives I placed these
sections, and on colonies of equal strength I placed
crates of new sections. The season opened badly,
and the bees were in no hurry to go upstairs.
They showed a decided preference to staying in the
brood-nest ; but those colonies that were supplied
with unfinished sections commenced work above
first. The sections— that is, the wood— looked rath-
er bad, but the capping was as white as the others.
In our market such honey sells as well as any.

The colonies having new sections were about a
week behind in starting and capping. There was
one exception. One colony completed new sec-
tions before the rest had capped honey in the
crates. They also cast the first swarm of the sea-
son. They are also tlie worst robbers I ever saw.
They did not need feeding in the spring, because
they fed themselves at the expense of their neigh-
bors. So full of mischief have they been, that we
call them the " den of thieves."

From the light of what experience I have had, I
believe that it pays to keep unfinished sections. I
place one or two in every crate of new sections as a
decoy, and am fully convinced that it pays. I shall
experiment on the same line next summer, be-
cause this season honey came in slowly up to buck-
wheat bloom, and that may have had something to
do with the result.

Hereafter I shall cut my foundation for sections
3% in. square, as by doing so I get combs built
clear out to the wood. I use the 4^4 by V/i section.

I did not scrape off the propolis in the fall, as I
thought that I could keep them cleaner by hand-
ling them as little as possible. You may place me
on record as being of the opinion that a colony will
complete a crate of unfinished sections sooner than
a crate of new sections, even if the latter has a de-
coy section.

THE WOra.D TYPE-WRITER.

T do not wish to close without saying a word in
favor of the World type-writer. I am well pleased
with mine. After two weeks of practice I can
write faster with it than I can with a pen. The

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

215

other evening I wrote off a song containing 300
words, in ten minutes, making only five mistakes.
William B. Gould.
Fremont, Mich., Feb. 9, 1889.

It does not seem to me that you hit the
point exactly until you come to the conclud-
ing part of your last sentence. The ques-
tion is, " Will bees store more honey in a
whole crate of partly finished sections than
they will in a crate of new sections filled
with foundation with, say, three or four part-
ly finished ones in the middle as decoy sec-
tions?" We should like to have more facts
from actual experience in regard to this lat-
ter point.

HOW MUCH IS. CONSUMED IN 'WIN-
TER?

NOTES ON MARCH GLEANINGS.

AND NOW PROF. COOK TAKES FRIEND COKNEIL TO
TASK A LITTLE— SEE PAGE 173.

IS IT FAIR TO ESTIMATE FROM OCT. 1 TO MAY 15 ?

fRIEND ROOT:— In your comments on page 61
to the answers to Question 102, you ask
whether your explanation of the widely dif-
ferent reports is not a good one. I don't
think you have touched the real root of the
matter at all, so please let me give my idea.

The time specified, from October to May, includes
time that can not be properly charged to wintering,
but includes much time when bees can fly freely,
when more or less honey is gathered, and when
large amounts of brood are raised. In my answer
I estimated the amount of honey in the hive Oct.
1st, less the amount on May 1st, without making
any account whatever of the amount gathered and
consumed during the time. The amount of honey
gathered in the spring before May 1st varies very
widely in different localities and in different sea-
sons in the same locality. In Northern Iowa I have
known over 40 lbs. per colony, over and above what
ever might have been gathered, to be consumed be-
tween the dates mentioned; and I remember one
season at least where there was fully as much if
not more honey in the hives on May 1st than there
was Oct. 1st previous. It can easily be seen how
impossible it is to get accurate reports to cover so
long a time. Again, it is very evident that several
of those who answered this question did not do so
with reference to the full time covered by the
question; in fact, Prof. Cook and Dr. Miller name
other dates.

On page 41 friend Doolittle speaks of the climatic
changes going on in his section of country on ac-
count of the destruction of forest-trees. In the far
western prairie States the opposite change is tak-
ing place, as more artificial groves are being raised
than natural ones are being destroyed. And right
here let me repeat what I have already written,
that it is useless to expect success in outdoor win-
tering in the far North, unless the hives are well
protected from direct winter winds. A thick grove,
not simply a hedge of evergreens or other brushy
trees, is best; but I have known success obtained by
the use of high tight board inclosures.
Havana, Cuba, Feb. 2, 1889. O. O. Poppleton.

Friend P., your points are well taken.
We have been accustomed to say May 1, be-
cause we can not say that our bees are safe-
ly wintered until about that date. I do not
believe that anybody has overdone the mat-
ter of providing windbreaks, very much.

8DITOR GLEANINGS:— I read March Glean-
ings, as I do ever j- number, with much inter-
est. You are to be praised and congratulat-
ed for giving us such a rich meal each fort-
night.

Mr. Corneil's article, like all of his writings, shows
honest, painstaking, conscientious work. His au-
thorities and quotations are excellent and correct,
but his conclusions may not be warranted. True,
we must have the three kinds of food, and that at
frequent intervals. Neither one nor two of the
three kinds, carbo-hydrates (starch and sugars), fats,
and albuminoids will answer. All must be present.
But, can we reason that bees must have the same,
and at as frequent intervals? Nay, verily, I think
not. I have known the Texas horned lizard— usual-
ly called horned toad— to live for months with no
food. Such reasoning as Mr. Corneil adopts above
would pronounce this absurd and impossible. A
bear will live in winter, and breathe very little, al-
most none at all, yet the circulation continues.
Our hearts would not propel such blood at all. They
are not made that way; but the bear's is and does.
Now, it is my opinion that bees may pass the win-
ter with no air other than may pass through the
hive, and that they may also do well with no nitrog-
enous food except that which is already in the
blood. The bear passes the winter with only the
fat of its own body to keep the vital engine at
work. May not bees, then, live on pure carbo-hy-
drates during their winter quiet? I b,elieve so, and,
as I said in a recent article sent to Gleanings, I
shall soon know.

As to air, I kept a colony sealed in ice, at the
opening of the hive, one whole winter. It was cov-
ered with snow, and wintered exceptionally well.
The ice was still intact in spring, when I dug out
the hive. Now, there can be no mistake about this.
I have tried to repeat the experiment, but without
success. It needs a nice adjustment of conditions
which 1 have failed to arrange. Let me say that 1
froze up the entrance after a very severe winter
had commenced. Those bees secured all their air
through the hive— doubt it who may.

Sorry, friend Root, that you say science and art
are at variance. I say, never. In our haste to gen-
eralize we assert what is not science. Thus pseudo-
science and art, or practice, differ. The chemist
said there are no nutritive elements in the silage
not in the dried food. That was true. Had he said
the dry food is as easy to digest and assimilate as
the silage, he would have stated, not a scientific
fact, but an untruth, and the cow would have
shamed him. We ought all to be careful in our gen-
eralizations and statements. Even then the best
will make some mistakes.

I like Rambler's bee-dress very much, and Er-
nest's new Dovetailed hive. How can the board cov-
er be made so it will not twist or warp?

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

And now, friend Cook, are you not a little
mistaken ? As soon as I read the sentence,
" Sorry, friend Eoot, that you say science
and art are at variance," I carefully scanned
my remarks to see where I have even inti-
mated that science and art might be at va-
riance, but I do not find it. All I do find is

216

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

this : " If practice and theory should give
different results, I would stick to practice."
What I meant by it was. that I should at
once conclude that science (?) was making a
mistake. 1 know that all of us are often too
hasty in drawing conclusions, but I believe
that I entirely agree with all you have said
in the above.

We are glad you like the Dovetailed hive.
As to the cover of the Dovetailed hive, it
can not warp, because the ends are driven
into longitudinal grooves of the end cleats,
which for additional security are nailed.
That there may be a twist or wind to such a
cover is possible but usually not probable,
we think. It should, of course, be kept
painted. This cover is similar to the one used
by Mr. Heddon, Dr. Miller, and other ex-
tensive bee-keepers. If we are correct these
gentlemen like them better than any other
kind.

AMERICAN AND SWISS FEEDERS.

KEEPING DIFFERENT KINDS OF
HONEY SEPARATE

"When Extracting at the Close of the Honey-
Flow.

DADANT & SON GIVE US SOME IMPORTANT FACTS
IN THE MATTEK.

fRIEND ROOT:— On page 126 you ask us our ex-
perience concerning harvesting the different
grades of honey separately. We wish to say,
that we have never tried to leave the entire
honey crop on the hives from May till Octo-
ber, but that we do harvest each crop separately.
We will ask you to quote from page 436 of the Re-
vised Langstroth: "Some apiarists extract the
honey as fast as it is harvested by the bees, and aft-
erward ripen it artificially by exposing it to heat in
open vessels. We do not like this method, aod pre-
fer to extract the whole crop at once. It is much
more economical, for, with -pur system, one skilled
man attends to as many as five or six apiaries dur-
ing the honey crop, and extracts at leisure after-
ward, with almost any kind of cheap help. Since
honey has now to compete in price with the cheap-
est of sweets, the question of economical produc-
tion is not to be disregarded." Now turn to page
444 of the same book. " In localities where there are
two distinct honey-crops, each crop should be har-
vested separately. Thus we always extract the
June crop in July, and the fall crop in September."
We will add that we never have any mixture, ex-
cept that of clover with basswood (the basswood
crop being of no account here), or the mixture of
different fall flowers that bloom at the same time.
We will say, also, that we And differences at the
same date, in the honey of apiaries four or five
miles apart, owing to the greater abundance of one
certain kind of blossom in each apiary. Thus we
have different grades of honey at one time; and
the honey of one barrel can not be taken as a speci-
men of the honey of another barrel harvested at
the same date in a different apiary. The date of
granulation also differs, probably owing to the
greater or lesser density of the honey. We are not
the only ones who have noted this, for Mr. J. M.
Hambaugh, of Spring, 111., has had a similar experi-
ence in different apiaries which he conducts ac-
cording to our methods. Chas. Dadant & Son.
Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

THE MILLEK-WAKNER FEEDER NOT NEW.

f^IIE following article we copy from the
w" November number, page 215, of the
£ Revue Internationale cT Apiculture
(French i. The translation, by W. P.
Root, is as follows:
Similar needs arising in different countries gives
birth to the same ideas and inventions, without the
inventors having necessarily copied from each oth-
er. Such is frequently the case in apiculture, the
best instance of which we can cite being the mova-
ble-frame hive which Langstroth invented in Amer-
ica, while, but a short time after, Berlepsch, in Eu-
rope, transformed the single-barred hives of Dzier-
zon and of his predecessors, completing the framing
of the combs by suspending them, as in the Lang-
stroth model.* The same matter comes up to-day
in regard to utensils of far less importance.

After describing and illustrating the Mil-
ler-Warner feeder, already given in our col-
umns, the editor, Mr. Bertrand, says :

Now, several years ago there was used in Switzer-
land a large feeder, invented and manufactured by
P. von Siebenthal, in Aigle. It is constructed on
the same principle as the American feeder, and does
not differ materially. The two troughs are of sheet
iron, varnished, and surrounded with wood on three
exterior sides. The fourth side is slanting instead
of being made vertical, that the bees may have
access to the liquid. To prevent them from getting
drowned in the troughs, a permanent vertical par-
tition separates the slanting wall, or side, from the
trough proper. A space two millimeters (02B of an
inch) high runs between the partition and the bot-
tom of the trough, giving a +'ree passage to the liq-
uid. A sheet of glass, movable, and resting on the
two partitions, closes the space between the two
platforms above, and retains the heat. See Figs, as
below.

A, A, troughs. L, sheet of glass. P, passage for
the bees. N, level of the liquid.

The troughs are independent of each other, and
can be used separately, and they do not permit of
the bees going out, if their dimensions are adapted
to the inside of the hive. The sheet of glass being
placed on, the cloth covering and cushion are put
back. The troughs adapted to the Dadant hives

* Sixty years previously, Francis Huber had con-
ceived the idea of making frames movable by ad-
justing them to his observatory hives ; andQuinby,
in the later years of his life, went back to the inven-
tion of Huber when he made his hive with fixed
frames.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

217

have an interior dimension of about 51 centimeters
(20 inches) loug and 6^4 inches broad. By giving 6
centimeters [2% inches) in height to the framework,
we obtain about 1'4 inches of height which can be
utilized for holding liquid. That done, by the open-
ing of the interior wall about 4 liters (a little over a
gallon) per trough, or 8 liters per hive, may be
put in, and a good quantity will be taken by the
bees in a single night.

FOOT-POWEB VS. HAND-MACHINES

FOB PUTTING FOUNDATION IN

SECTIONS.

C. C. MILLER IN FAVOR OF THE CLARK.

fN page 68, Jan. 15, is " A Correction" which I
think needs a correction. The last sentence
reads, "With regard to the relative merit of
the Parker and the foot-power machines, our
experience says that the latter work more
rapidly and easily, but the Parker does rather bet-
ter work; that is, the foundation is made to hang
strnighter after it leaves the machine." If, in
place of " foot-power," you had said " Gray," I
should make no objection; but as "foot-power" in-
cludes the Clark, your statement does not agree
with my experience. Having had a large experi-
ence with both the Parker and the Clark, I feel
pretty competent to compare them. It takes so
much strength to use the Parker, that my assistant
could use it only a short time without stopping.
Perhaps, while I am at it, 1 may as well compare
the three, premising that I have very little ac-
quaintance practically with the Gray. Although
the Gray may not make quite so good work as the
Parker, the labor is lighter, and the Clark takes
the least labor of the three; and besides that, it
makes better work than either of the others. When
using the Parker I was troubled by foundation oc-
casionally dropping out of the sections— remember,
I use full-sized starters— but it is a very rare thing
to have foundation drop out after being fastened
with the Clark, although such sections have been
trotted back and forth to out-apiaries till a good
many have traveled 30 miles.

Friend Root says, that, with the Parker, "the
foundation is made to hang straighter after it
leaves the machine." I suppose that is true of the
Parker as compared with the Gray. The Clark ex
eels the Parker in this respect, in my experience.
Indeed, for my use I think the Clark excels in every
respect. Probably for friend Root the Gray is bet-
ter, because he uses shallow starters, and has his
sections tumbled promiscuously into a basket. I
should not want full starters subjected to such
treatment. Immediately on leaving the machine I
want my sections set upright, either in a super, or
preferably in a p)le ready for supering.

I suspect that some who have tried these ma-
chines will wonder at my strong preference for the
Clark; but if they use the Clark right they will
cease to wonder. The Gray and Parker both de-
pend upon pressure with a sliding motion, to fas-
ten. With the Clark there is to be no sliding what-
ever. All that is needed is a quick swing of the
feet, making the presser sink the foundation into
the wood, and then the feet come back with a re-
bound, the whole performance requiring very lit-
tle strength. I think it would be well if friend
Hoot would change the instructions in his price

list ; for if I had to use the Clark as there instructed
I would then probably choose between the Gray
and Parker.

It remains to be said, that the chief trouble I
have had in using the Clark has been in using too
much strength, and pressing the foundation so
hard as to cut it entirely off, or so nearly off that it
was held by a very slight hold. Possibly I ought to
say, that, rather than too much strength, the
trouble was in having the foundation too warm
and soft.

FAILURE OF WHITE CLOVER.

After the severe drouth of 1887, which appeared
to kill out a good 6hare of the white clover, root and
branch, I watched with intense interest to see
what it would do in 1888. As the first green leaves
showed, there seemed promise of a fair crop; and
when the blossoms opened there was, without ex-
ception, the heaviest bloom I ever remember to
have seen. The disastrous season of 1887 had so
diminished my numbers that 1 did not average
more than 35 to each apiary, and, with such an ap-
parent harvest, and the ground so lightly stocked,
I confidently counted on a big yield per colony.
The average per colony, spring count, was not
quite 12 lbs. I have some doubts whether any
great portion of that 12 lbs. was from white clover.
I know that a good part of it was not, and I think
scarcely any of the stores for winter were from
that source. Is it to be, that white clover, like
buckwheat and some other things, will have its
seasons of failure to yield nectar? or is there any
truth in the theory of some, that white clover
yields no nectar the first year it blooms after com-
ing from the seed? Although this may be true, it
does not seem probable that a whole season's
blooming will take place, and no nectar in the
flowers. Or is the failure due to electrical condi-
tions, which is equivalent to saying that we com-
mon bee-keepers can't tell any thing about it?

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

What we said on page 68 had more direct
reference to the Gray machine than to the
Clark. When we used to use the Clark we
fastened foundation by using pressure and
the rubbing motion ; but had we used pressure
alone, no doubt we should have had better
success. We are very glad to get the testi-
mony you give ; and, in accordance with
your suggestion, we have changed the di-
rections in our price list so as to conform to
your method of fastening foundation.

PAINTED VS. UNPAINTED HIVES.

friend doolittle gives us some valuable
facts in regard to the matter.

TTo S the season of the year for painting hives is
9M& drawing near with us here at the North, and
^P has probably already come to our brethren
■**■ of the South, I thought a few words on the
desirability of our doing so might not be
amiss at this time. It will, I think, be admitted by
all, that hives look better and will last longer, if
painted, than if left unpainted; but I mistrust that
$15.00 a year will sustain more hives if spent for
lumber alone than if spent for paint and lumber;
yet when we take the looks into consideration,
probably there is little difference in favor of either,
providing that the bees would do as well in one as

218

GLEANINGS IN 13EE CULTURE.

Mar.

in the other. In this respect, I consider the un-
painted hive much better suited to the wants of the
bees, and contend that bees will not do nearly as
well in painted hives as they will in an unpainted
one. Wherein is an unpainted hive better than a
painted one? Principally in this, that, if properly
covered, it will keep the bees dryer at all seasons of
the year, and, owing- to this dryness, they are con-
sequently much warmer. As unpainted wood is
porous, the moisture evaporates through all parts
of the hive, keeping- the bees warm, dry, and quiet,
thus avoiding- an undue consumption of honey, as
well as bee-diarrhea. Several years ag-o I had a
number of box hives, some of which were painted,
while others were not. I set them out of the cellar
about the first of April, in as near an equal condi-
tion as could be. In the morning- after every cold
frosty night, there would be water running out of
the entrance of those that were painted, and on
tipping them up the combs were found to be quite
wet near the outside of them, or next the walls of
the hive, while those in unpainted hives were dry
and nice, no water ever showing even at the en-
trance. Those in the unpainted hives increased in
numbers faster, and swarmed from one to two
weeks earlier, than did those in the painted hives.

" But," says one, "I use corncobs, cut straw, for-
est-leaves, and other absorbents in the top of the
hive, to get the moisture out, by letting any excess
that may arise pass through them and out at the
top of the cover." This will help some as far as the
moisture is concerned ; but if not done on a scien-
tific plan, it will let out much of the heat by such a
direct-draft process, which should be retained in
the hive. Even if done properly, I can not help
thinking that hives will keep bees better if un-
painted, because in this case the moisture passes
out of the hive in all directions. Paint is useful
only so far as looks and durability are concerned,
and is positively injurious as retarding the evapo-
ration of moisture. This is the result which I have
arrived at, after years of experience and close ob-
servation with single-walled hives, and I believe
the damage is greater by far than the cost of a new
hive occasionally, where ordinary hives are used.

So far I wish it understood that I have been
speaking only of such hives as we used a quarter of
a century ago, and not of the chaff hives of the
present day. With the advent of the chaff hives
came a new era in bee-keeping, and the case with
these is entirely different, along this line of paint-
ing, than with the single-walled hive. With the
chaff hive the moisture is driven through the first
wall, which is always of unpainted lumber, just the
same as it would be in case of an unpainted single-
walled hive, after which it lodges in the chaff or
other packing, from which it passes out slowly
through any crack or crevice which may exisr in
the outer shell, and more largely about the joint in
the top of the cover and between the cover and the
hive. I use a cap or hood six inches deep, on all of
my chaff hives, while directly over the bees is a
sawdust cushion, which is only four inches thick.
This cushion extends out over the chaff packing
only an inch or so on all sides, or only sufficient to
make sure that all the upward ventilation that can
possibly exist must pass through this cushion, and
also so as to make sure that no bees can get up into
the cap. This leaves the larger share of the chaff
walls uncovered except by the cap, so t hat whatever
moisture escapes through the walls of the inner

hive into the chaff can at once pass up into the
cap, and out through the cracks of the same, in all
mild weather, which it also does to a certain extent
on very cold days; yet in zero weather, where the
same lasts for several days, I will find the inside of
the cap all frosted over, which shows what an
amount of moisture is continually passing from the
bees. I think that, from this passing-off of the
moisture as given above, comes the reason, largely,
why bees winter so much better in chaff-packed
hives, rather than that the extra protection has all
to do with it, as some claim. Bees can endure any
amount of cold which we ever experience in the
U. S., provided they are kept dry; but dampness
and wet they are not able to stand, where cold is
added to it. From this comes the reason that bees
winter tolerably well in a warm damp cellar, while
with the same degree of dampness outdoors they
generally perish; or if in such surroundings in any
place where the tnercuiy stays below the freezing-
point for any length of time, as it necessarily must
in our Northern clime. In this we get a little clew
to add to the others, which, as a whole, causes our
wintering troubles, for I believe these troubles do
not rest on any one thing entirely. In accordance
with my belief, as expressed in this article, I paint
all of my double-walled or chaff hives, and leave all
of the rest unpainted, considering that in doing so
I am as near right as possible, taking all things into
consideration. If any of the readers of Gleanings
think that I am wrong, a trial of a few hives in each
way will convince them which is right.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

Borodino, N. Y., March 1, 1889.

I have for years, friend D., been pretty
well satisfied that what you say is true. An
old board with outsides somewhat decayed
is warmer, and better for a bee-hive, than a
sound board so thoroughly paiuted that it is
as hard and cold, almost, as a marble slab.
The old board partakes somewhat of the
nature of the walls of the old straw hive.
Since you mention it, I do remember of
having seen water run out of well-painted
hives, in the spiirg of the year, but I am
pretty sure there would have been no such
ice and condensation inside had the hive
been unpainted, although I never thought
of it until you suggested it. I am glad to
know that your experience with chaff hives
is like my own. Now, somebody is contin-
ually improving our chaff hives by making
an outside shell < £ wide boards instead of
slats something after the fashion of a corn-
crib, as we make then. And while we are
discussing this matter I want to say that
my opinion has been for some time that the
inside of a chaff hive would be better if
made of common plastering-lath than as it
is now. The principal objection to it is,
that 't would be more work. Some friend
has adopted the plan of making the boards
of this inside shell of thin lumber, perforat-
ed with holes ; and as this was discussed in
the journals some years ago, I wish the
friend who had the idea would tell us how it
answers for a wintering hive. Of course, if
we make the outside exposed to the weather,
with narrow slats, we must have these slats
beveled on their edges, so as to let the water
run down the outside as much as possible,
instead of going through and wetting the
chaff.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

219

PE^Dg @F 6^IN

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

THE TARANTULA ; SOMETHING MORE CONCERN-
ING ITS HABITS.

Tjp LLOW me to correct your mistake in regard
qfl^ to tarantula nests. It is only a hole in the

jR» ground, without a cap, and the web very
■^*- light. The nest you speak of is that of the
trap-door spider, which is a much smaller
spider, and without the hair. Tarantulas are both
black and brown in color. The males have small
bodies and very long- legs; the females have longer
bodies. I have captured a great many while in
California, and killed and mounted some for sale,
while working at my trade of taxidermist in Pasa-
dena. To capture them, all that is necessary is
plenty of water, a pair of large tweezers, and
plenty of small pasteboard boxes; for if they are
put together they will kill one another. I have
frequently brought in 100 or more in half a day's
hunt with a horse and buggy. When you And the
location, a doby clay soil, you pour water in their
holes and the spider comes up to see what is the
matter. You then catch him with the long twee-
zers, and box him. I killed them with chloroform,
and then prepared with arsenic. I mounted some
500 while in California last winter. I sent you a
fine specimen, if you remember.
Williamson, N. Y., Feb., 1889. T. G. Ashmead.

Very likely you are right, friend A.; but
the boy who brought me the nest, with its
velvet lining and neat little trap-door, told
me, if I remember correctly, that it was the
nest of the tarantula.

STARTING BEES INTO THE SOPERS WITH SECTIONS
OF HONEY ; WILL ITALIANS FILL THE SU-
PERS AS READILY AS THE BLACKS ?

In Gleanings of Feb. 1, page 91, 1 notice an ex-
periment of Elias Cole, in regard to the best thing
to get bees to work in the supers as soon as put on.
Last season I put nothing in the sections but nar-
row starters, until about the 1st of August, and the
bees seemed loth to work in them. One day in tak-
ing off honey I put one section full of honey in
each row in the super, and the next morning the
bees had nice combs built on each side of the hon-
ey, so 1 did that way until the close of the season;
and the result was the same in every case. I think
empty combs would have done as well, but I did
not have them.

Is there any strain of Italian bees that will work
in sections, equal to the blacks? From my experi-
ence, I say no.

243 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 5
BUSHELS OF SEED.

From 5 bushels of Japanese buckwheat that my
brother bought of you last summer he had 243
bushels. It was sown on sod land at that.

C. B. Jackson.

Eau Claire, Wis., Feb. 12, 1889.

Friend J., if you fixed a lot of hives with
sections containing just starters, and none
with unfinished combs for decoy, you certain-
ly neglected to follow the instructions of the
journals and the text-books. No wonder
your bees didn't commence work. You
probably lost a good many pounds of honey
by the operation. I think the ABC book,
as long ago as when it was first written,

recommended taking a few sections from a
hive that had already commenced work;
and as it is some bother to get the bees off,
I advised taking the section, not only with
the comb and honey, but bees too. With
such a hint as that, almost any colony with
sufficient strength will commence to work
as you have described — that is, when the
other colonies are working in sections. — I
suppose it is true, that black bees, as a rule,
go up into supers more readily than Ital-
ians. They also very often put all their
honey in the sections, and then starve to
death if the owner does not look after them,
while the more prudent Italians would have
a supply in the brood-nest before they com-
menced in the supers. — So your brother
made a pretty good thing of the Japanese
buckwheat, did he not, friend J.?

CHAFF PROTECTION FOR SURPLUS BOXES.

My principal honey harvest is from the heather,
which comes in about the middle of August. From
the variableness of our climate at that season of
the year we have difficulty in keeping the bees in
the super at night. I make an outer case, for
wintering, about three inches all over larger than
my hives (the Simplicity), and fill up with chaff.
Now, would you advise this outer case to be kept
on during our honey season? How would this com-
pare with your chaff hive, mentioned in your ABC?

Now that you have done California, why not link
your arm in that of Dr. C. C. Miller and come over
and see your cousins " across the pond " ? We
have a cold climate in the north here, but you
would find warm hearts before you. W. Stokes.

Can- Bridge, Scotland, Feb. 2, 1889.

Friend S., we certainly would advise you
to keep the outer case on during the honey
season. Most of our colonies are in chaff
hives, and our experience has been most
emphatically that chaff protection around
the surplus boxes is certainly a good thing.
According to our experience bees are more
apt to build comb in chaff-protected supers
than in those not so protected, and they are
more inclined, also, to enter the boxes.
The reluctance of bees to enter the surplus
apartment might, we think, sometimes be
overcome with chaff packing around the
super. Thanks for the kind invitation.

BASSWOOD LUMBER ; HOW TO GET IT CLEAR AND
WHITE.

We have commenced making sections. We find
considerable of our basswood is colored, and do not
know how to account for it. The most of the stuff
was cut this winter, and we know most of it was
white and nice when sawed. We shall be glad to
have any information you can give us.

Riverton, Va., Feb. 18, 1889. J. Slack.

Friend S., it takes years of experience, or,
at least, it has taken us many years, to learn
the knack of getting perfectly white bass-
wood when dry. In the first place, the
trees should be cut in cold weather, before
the sap starts in the spring. The logs
should be taken to the mill and sawed just
as soon after cutting as possible ; then the
lumber must be sticked up right away, well
spaced out, with good slant, well covered,
in the open air. If these directions are
strictly followed, you will have nice lumber,
if you use nice timber to start with. It

220

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

takes four or five mouths for the timber to
seasoii properly. In fact, it had better not
be used for almost a year after it is cut.
We anticipate our needs a year ahead in
getting basswood lumber, and have to keep
a stock of from S5000 to $10,000 worth in our
yard all tbe time.

FEEDING AT ENTRANCE DURING THE DAY.

Please tell me If it would do to place a feeder at
the entrance of a hive through the day, and cover
the feeder with a box, and have it so arranged that
the bees can get to the feed, but not out of the box.
My bee-3 get wild when T feed them a little.

Muncie, Ind. E. W. Hitchens.

Friend H., you could feed bees in the
manner you propose, but we would not ad-
vise it. Better put the feeder on top of the
brood-frames. If there is not space under
the cover, put on an extra super or brood-
chamber. Feeding at the entrance during
the day is dangerous business, especially for
beginners. We sell an entrance feeder, to
be used during the day, but after all we re-
gard it safer to use an entrance feeder at
night, or, better still, put it upon the brood-
frames as stated. Bees are apt to rush out
of the hive in excitement if fed during the
day, when no natural stores are coming in.

A SHRUB WHICH BLOSSOMS WITH THE SNOW ON
THE GROUND.

Forsythia viridissima is a hardy early-flowering
shrub, introduced some years ago from Japan,
where it is said to blossom on and under the snow.
I have seen it flower more than once on top of
snow one or two feet deep, in this country. It
seems that, while the ground is covered with snow,
the sun causes the buds to burst, partly by reflec-
tion I suppose. Some people call it golden-bell.
The branches are thickly covered with yellow
flowers, which it produces anyway; and if it is no
honey - plant, I should say the pollen would be
very acceptable where enough of it could be plant-
ed for bees to gather it. The shrub is hardy, very
attractive, and not very fastidious about soil or lo-
cation, but blooms, often, when nothing else can
be found, like the witch-hazel in the fall. Perhaps
others will send in their experience.

Sandusky, O., Feb. 3, 1889. F. J. M. Otto.

Friend O., where can this plant be ob-
tained? Is it found in the catalogues, or
does it grow in the woods like witch-hazel?
I do not suppose it would be worth very
much to the bees, as it blossoms almost too
early, but it might be interesting as a curi-
osity.

A SUGGESTION FOR THE CLARK SMOKER.

I have bored an inch hole opposite the large end
of the cold-blast tube in the Clark smokers, and
over that hole I fastened securely a 2-inch tin screw
cap, of the flat variety (not the kind that have a
convex base), so that we can more easily clean out
the tubes that are sometimes so liable to choke up
with soot. Please try this feature on an old smoker
that needs cleaning. The spring need not interfere,
as the center of the tin cap need not be exactly over
the tube. It is true, there is a patent on the caps,
but the caps do not know it or say so.

Terre Haute, Ind. H.

When we had the old blast tube we had
thought of putting on the feature you speak
of ; but since enlarging the tube, such a pro-

vision is not so necessary. It might prove
a convenience, but the advantage we think
would hardly warrant the expense.

AN EYE-WITNESS TO THE QUEEN'S SEPARATION
FROM THE DRONE AFTER MATING.

On page 92, Mr. E. A. Pratt speaks of queens and
drones mating. I was going out to my bees one
day, when two bees came whirling down in front of
me and fell on to a pumpkin leaf. It proved to be
a queen and drone. The drone acted as if he had
been stung by a worker. He held fast to the leaf
with his feet, and the queen kept whirling over and
over, about as a fly would if caught in a spider's
web, until she freed herself, then she flew out of
sight in an instant, and the drone remained where
he was on the leaf, but showed life for only about
three minutes. S. R. Fletcher.

Onawa City, Iowa, Feb. 19, 1889.

Very good, friend F. We now have the
whole thing from beginning to end, and I
think that others have in times past report-
ed pretty nearly the same thing you wit-
nessed, so that we are able in our text-books
to describe the operation from beginning to
end, providing it always happens after about
the same fashion.

CHAPMAN HONEV-PLANT SEED— HOW TO GET IT OF
THE GOVERNMENT.

As I see some complaint in Gleanings, on page
134, by A. L. Lane and you about the distribution of
the Chapman honey-plant seed by the Department
of Agriculture at Washington, I want to say that I
too read the notice in Gleanings last spring, and I
at once wrote to Hon. Norman J. Colman, Commis-
sioner of Agriculture, at Washington, for some
seed, and soon got a little package of the same. I
sowed some, and almost every seed came up all
right. Some plants had, by fall, leaves 28 inches
long. I believe if Mr. Lane had applied to Hon. Nor-
man J. Colman, Commissioner, for the seed, in-
stead of to his Representative, he would have re-
ceived some Jacob Ruch, Jr.

Gruetli, Grundy Co., Tenn., Feb. 21, 1889.

DISTURBING BEES IN COOL WEATHER ; CLOSING
THE ENTRANCE.

Referring to Question 90, disturbing bees in cool
weather, please insist that all of your ABC class,
and others whom you can influence, do make it a
point, when examining bees while weather is too
cool for them to fly, to close the front entrance of
the hive with a cloth or block before opening the
hive, removing the cloth or block when the hive-
cover is replaced. You may try the plan in your
dwelling when the weather is just right. One door
or window may be open to advantage; but open a
door opposite the one already open, and you can
feel the draft, if you do not see the point. I hoped
to read of this feature long since; but no paper
that I have seen advances the advantage of shut-
ting off the draft. H.

Terre Haute, Ind!

SALT AS A FERTILIZER.

Have any of the readers ever tried sowing salt on
buckwheat ground? What was the result? I am
contemplating sowing about 24 acres of Japanese
buckwheat. I can get the salt for $3.50 or $4.00 per
ton, and the ground is heavy loam. 1 have tried
it on common wheat, and I think it makes it plutnp-
er and whiter.

1880

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

221

All my bees are in splendid shape up to date. I
have 10 in chaff hives on their summer stands, and
22 in the cellar under the house. They were put in
Oct. 20, and are as nice as a new pin.

Jackson, Mich., Feb. 6, 1889. W. D. Soper.

I would by no means think of applying
salt at the rate you speak of, unless I had
first tested it on a small scale. Now, please
bear in mind that you can not test salt, phos-
phate, bone-dust, guano, or any thing else,
unless you put it in your field in strips,
leaving a strip without the fertilizer along-
side of one with it. If there is a decided
improvement in the fertilized strips, clear
through the whole length, it amounts to
something. Then you are ready for the
question, "Does it increase the yield enough
to pay the costV" I am sure there is a good
deal of blundering in the dark in this mat-
ter of fertilizers.

DR. TINKER DISCUSSES MR. SHEPHERD'S ZINC ; SEE
PAGE 11, JAN. 1.

Friend Root:— Mr. Shepherd's zinc is new, so far
as I know, but the perforations are the exact length
and width of those I have in my zinc. His zinc has
no advantages over the usual style of perforating,
as you state in the foot-note. Mr. Shepherd is also
mistaken in supposing that more openings can be
made in a given piece of zinc by perforating his
way. The strips of zinc I use in my wood-zinc hon-
ey-board are only 3i of an inch wide, and yet eight
of these strips (the number used in a honey-board)
have 352 perforations. Mr. Shepherd's zinc is one
inch wide, and eight strips of the same length
would have 372 perforations, or only 20 more than
my honey-board now contains. But strips of my
zinc one inch wide would have three rows of per-
forations, as you will see by the inclosed sample,
which would make 528 perforations in the honey-
boards, or 156 more than Mr. Shepherd's zinc would
have in the same size of board.

Strips of zinc one inch wide, if used between
wood slats spaced l3i inches, as they should be,
would not leave enough wood in the slats to proper-
ly support the zinc, as you well observe. The wood
slats in my honey-board are a little over 78 of an
inch wide by ,3« thick; and used with strips of zinc
?i of an inch wide they make a strong honey-board;
and if the zinc has two rows of perforations there
will be all the perforations necessary for the largest
colony.

I presume Mr. Shepherd's perforator is made of
wood, carrying a punch and die, as it would cost
about $75.00 to make a good iron machine to go by
a belt. The wood machine can be made to do very
fair work at the start, but the dies are soon spoiled.
Good perforated zinc is now so cheap that I can
not think it would pay any one to make a wooden
machine. Dr. G. L. Tinker.

New Philadelphia, O., March 2, 1889.

regard to extracted honey. If it is in the
comb the temperature should not be allow-
ed to go down to freezing. Swarming can
not be prevented by the use of perforated
zinc, although it may be thwarted for the
time being. The zinc simply prevents the
queen from going out with the swarm.
The latter, in her absence, will usually re-
turn. But it is not advisable to let the bees
make a second attempt. Trying again, and
failing, they will be pretty apt to destroy
the queen. The zinc is a convenience while
you and the rest of the family are away.

BREAKING OF ONE-PIECE SECTIONS, AND HOW TO
PREVENT WHEN THE TIMBER IS TOO DRY.

Last spring, after I had put on the first sections,
I carried a crate containing about 350 to the attic,
under a slate roof. Temperature was 110° to 130°
during the clear days. When I came to use them,
several weeks later, they were so dry I could not
fold them without breaking. 1 carried them to the
cellar for a day, when I could fold without a single
break.

A NEW FORAGE PLANT.

The Am. Agriculturist for Feb. tells of a new for-
age plant called " serradella." Dr. A. W. Thornton,
Washington Ter., speaks of it as being valuable for
bee-pasturage. It is planted about corn-planting
time, and blooms from July 1st to frost, so it can
be cut twice. It is equal to timothy hay for feed-
ing. W. W. Kulp.

Pottstown, Pa., Feb. 11, 1889.

Your ideas in regard to handling sections
to make them fold up are good, friend K.

HOW TO KEEP HONEY FROM CANDYING; PERFOR-
ATED ZINC NOT A PREVENTIVE OF SWARMING.

Can you tell me of a method to prevent honey in
the comb, and also extracted honey, from candy-
ing? Can swarming be successfully pre'Vented by
placing perforated zinc before the entrance so as to
keep the queen from flying? S. Howe.

Clarence, N. Y., Mar. -1, 1889.

Candying can not be prevented entirely,
but you can do a good deal toward it. See
what is said in the ABC book, especially in

ITALIANS BEST, HYBRIDS INFERIOR, AND BLACKS
POOR.

I have 50 strong colonies of bees— blacks, Italians,
hybrids, and albinos. The Italians are the best
honey-gatherers I ever saw. For Texas they are the
bee. If honey is to be had, they will surely get it.
My best Italian colony gave me about 90 pounds of
comb honey. My best hybrid colony gave 50 pounds
of comb honey; best black colony, 35 pounds of
comb honey. All of them had the same showing.
The flow from the horsemint lasted about 30 days,
being the only good flow from that source since 1884.

Lexington, Tex., Feb. 12, 1889. W. S. Douglass.

DECOY HIVES ; BUILDING UP AN APIARY BY
MEANS OF.

I have been reading your ABC, and was attract-
ed by your article on "Decoy Hives," under
" Swarming." I am but a novice, and have had
very little experience in bee culture, and am in-
debted to Mr. F. Danzenbaker and your ABC for
what little I know. In 1886 I noticed about 100 bees
flying about our barn in swarming season, and im-
mediately put an old bee-hive there. Next day at
ten o'clock there was a large colony; that after-
noon there were a few more bees around the gable
end of our house, and I put a hive there. Mean-
while I had put another hive in place of No. 1. (I
will designate hives by numbers.) The next day I
had a second swarm in No. 1 and one in No. 2.
They had crossed the Delaware, which is two miles
wide at this point, and had half a mile from our
place to the river; and as it is a marsh for ful-
ly a mile to the first house on the New Jersey
side, they must have flown at least 3J4 miles. Sub-
sequently I had two more swarms from across the
river, and two more from this side, all outside of

GLEA NXNGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

my small apiary of 14 hives at that time. There
was a man who followed swarm No. 1, from the
river-bank up to our barn, and saw them go into
my hive. Now, as I was watching- for them, and
had made preparations for them, and as he had no
hives to hive them, whose ought they to be? I of-
fered them to him; but when he saw my prepara-
tions for them he would not take them. He is my
cousin's husband, and I afterward got two swarms
off the place from him, so we are good enough
friends, but I don't know who had the legal right.
In 1887 I took three more, and one in 1888, by using
decoy hives. Wm. S. Sloan.

Claymont, Delaware, Mar. 3, 1889.

Friend S., your facts are very valuable.
From what you say it would seem that bees
have a special fancy for selecting special lo-
calities for migrating. What it is that at-
tracts the new swarm, or decides them on
going in a new direction, is not very fully
understood, and we should be very glad of
some facts bearing on this point. If we
were sufficiently well posted in regard to
their habits and instincts, perhaps we might
induce them to do the swarming themselves
and go into hives already prepared.

IS THERE ANY CURE FOR SPRING DWINDLING ?

Do you know any cure for spring dwindling? If
so, please let me know. My bees are all getting
along finely except two colonies which keep flying
out in cold days, and dying. They are in 4-inch
walled chaff hives, good and strong, with plenty of
bees and plenty of honey. What ails them? What
can I do to cure them? C. S. Johnston.

Emlenton, Pa., Feb. 21, 1889.

Friend J., no one is prepared, that I know
of, to say exactly what causes spring dwin-
dling. It may possibly be somewhat de-
pendent on the queen, or it may be some
sort of disease that afflicts certain hives.
The fact, however, that most of the veterans
have succeeded in getting along without any
of it for a good many years, would indicate
that management has much to do with it.
Have those two colonies that keep flying out
in cold weather exactly the same stores that
the rest have ?

BEES GATHERING BITS OF OLD WAX.

Let us have facts— real, certain, unmistakable
facts: There can be no science without them.
Last summer, on the 2d day of July I transferred a
swarm of hybrid bees from a post-oak log, in which
they were found, and put them into a movable-
frame hive, and filled only one frame with comb,
and stuck some pieces to the under side of the
other frames. The bees from that hive would
gather the comb that was left sticking to the old
log, and carry it into the movable-frame hive,
and build comb on the pieces which I attached to
the top of the frames. I watched them, and I know
whereof I speak. Has anybody else ever known
such? The bees would gather it on their legs like
pollen, in the heat of the day, when the wax was
very soft. Don't think I am mistaken, and say it
was propolis, for it was not, and they built comb
with it. You could readily tell the comb they made
of the wax thus gathered. E. Andehson.

Comanche, Tex.

Friend A., the fact that you record, in re-
gard to bees carrying wax, is a matter of
common observation. When they have

nothing else to do, and the weather is suita-
ble, they very frequently do this if they can
get access to wax.

REP0TO ENC@HI^GIP.

FROM 37 TO 76 COLONIES, AND 8620 LBS. OF HONEY;
A GOOD REPORT.

fOUR years ago I sent my winter's loss to
Gleanings; but this time I will send my
last summer's gain. From 37 colonies, com-
mencing with basswood, I extracted 6500 lbs.,
and secured 200 lbs. of comb honey. I have
on hand for spring feeding 240 large combs that will
weigh 8 lbs. to the comb, making 1920 lbs., or a
grand total of 8620 lbs., and increased to 76 colonies.
They are wintering all right yet. I did not pay out
a dollar for help. My boy of 9 and girl of 11 years
and I did all the work, except some very light that
my sick wife helped on ; and the saddest of it all is,
she has left us since then, and gone to that home
beyond. We took care of a garden of 13 lots in 3
different blocks. We work six days in a week, and
serve the Lord in our humble way on Sunday.

QUANTITY AND QUALITY; ARE THE REPORTS OF
LARGE YIELDS AN INJURY TO THE CRAFT?

Mrs. L. Harrison says those who report such
large yields of extracted honey, and claim to pro-
duce it so cheaply, are an injury to the craft. As I
have done both for the last 7 years, please tell the
readers of Gleanings of the quality of that 1100
lbs. I sent you last summer; also of the two sam-
ples I sent to-day, for I pride myself in that I raise
as good honey as the best in this part— at least I am
no old bee-keeper. Ten years ago I knew nothing
about bees. I had never seen a swarm in the air
nor in a tree. I could not tell what a queen or a
drone was. In the winter of 1880 a neighbor gave
me two box-hive swarms. I have sold and lost a
good many swarms since then. The Bible, Glean-
ings, ABC, and W. H. Stewart, of Orion, have
been my guides every day since. F. C. Snyder.

Orion, Wis., Feb. 26, 1889.

Friend S. , we are very glad indeed to find
that you pulled through after your winter's
losses, and have made such a good record.
Such a report is especially refreshing aft-
er such a season as 1888, when so many of
the reports were discouraging. You see
you have secured toward 200 pounds to the
hive, and at the same time more than dou-
bled. Your 1100 lbs. of honey was excel-
lent ; and one of the samples you sent us
has something remarkably fine about it. I
should say that at least a part of it came
from red clover. Right glad am I to see
that you have no hesitation in placing the
Bible first and foremost among your friends
and helpers.

FROM 55 TO 105, AND 4500 LBS. OF HONEY.

We commenced with 55 swarms— 50 good, the oth-
er five very weak, and increased to 105. We sold
one swarm, united some, and now have 96 in the
cellar. Five more are now sold, to be delivered in
the spring. The temperature has averaged 48 — a
little too warm. The bees seem uneasy most of the
time. I can not remember of as mild a winter, and
I have lived here for 32 years. We took off 4500 1-lb.
sections— 2000 basswood and clover, the rest golden-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

228

rod and wild sunflowers. The honey is the nicest
fall honey we ever produced. We sold 500 lbs. or
more, cut right out of the brood-frames. The light
honey brought 12y2— 2000 lbs., $250. The dark honey
brought 10—3000 lbs., $300. Six swarms of bees
brought $15.00. All sold within 12 miles of home.
We did not have enough to supply the demand.
We think we have reason to thank the Master—
don't you? E. R. A. Brainard.

Postville, Iowa, Jan. 21, 1889.

To be sure, friend B.; and it rejoices my
soul to see so many of the readers of
Gleanings indicate even in their reports
that they recognize in their work the all-
wise Ruler of the universe.

1047J/i GALLONS of honey; the last season the

BEST FOR YEARS.

Last year was the best for honey we have had
here in many years; 120 colonies made for me 1047 V6
gallons of honey; average per colony, 8% gallons.

Padgett, Ala., Feb. 9, 1889. B. B. Toney.

Well done again, friend Toney. This
makes another tiptop report for 1888.

11J4 TONS OF HONEY LAST SEASON, AND 29 TONS
FOR THE PAST THREE SEASONS.

My honey crop this season was 11% tons, and for
the past three seasons 29 tons. When you come to
visit friend Freeborn next summer, just drive
around this way, and I think we can show you a
few "points" in our management worth seeing.

Mauston, Wis., Feb. 19, 1889. Frank McNay.

3500 LBS. OF HONEY FROM 32 COLONIES THE FIRST
YEAR.

Last year I bought 32 stands of bees at wheat
harvest, and during the fall I harvested about
3500 lbs. of fine extracted honey, and increased to
51 by natural swarming. They are all in very fine
shape. Joseph Trindley.

St. Peters, Mo., Feb. 20, 1889.

^EF0TO Digceai^eiNQ.

NOT ENCOURAGING FOR NEW SOUTH WALES.

'E are having a very bad season here this
year. Last season I put an Italian swarm
into a hive of comb foundation, Nov. 1,
and on Dec. 8th I extracted 50 lbs. of honey
from it, from white clover. This season, no
signs of swarming yet. The Italians are the only
ones getting honey. The blacks make scarcely
enough to live on. When I say a bad season here, I
mean in the "New England District of New South
Wales." John S. Rutter.

Armidale, Australia, Jan. 7, 1889.

NOT ENCOURAGING FOR AUSTRALIA.

We regret to say, that this season the bees have
not done any thing worth speaking of, and our
trade in supplies has been correspondingly small.
Reports are, however, improving, and men have
told us of " pure Italians" (?) being found " in the
bush " as we call it— that is to say, building in trees,
etc., wild. At any rate, swarming has commenced
at last; and if we have a long summer we might
make up for some of the trade which we might
have done if the season had been more propitious.

Sydney, Jan. 21, 1889. Hebblewhite & Co.

]Mote# ti]md QaEi^iE^.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTiONS.it' accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

TO TRANSFER IN WINTER.

TS it possible to transfer a colony of bees from
M an old-fashioned box hive to a hive with
W movable frames, in the winter? They have no
■*• honey in the old hive, and I wish to transfer
them for feeding. John Hobbs.

Red Hook, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1889.

[Experts have done it frequently, but a beginner
should not undertake it. The better way would be
to pry off part of the top of the hive, and feed them
as you would ordinarily a colony in a movable-
frame hive. If they pull through all right, you can
then transfer them during apple-bloom next
spring.]

OAT HULLS INSTEAD OF CHAFF.

I am putting up a few chaff hives, but I have no
chaff to fill them with, and I'd like to use them this
summer. The question is, Would oat hulls do to
fill them, instead of chaff? Don't you think that
would be a good substitute? J. L. Edwards.

Oxford, la., Feb. 7, 1*89.

[Oat hulls might answer for a packing; but if you
can possibly get chaff we would recommend you to
use it instead. For further particulars, see A B C
book on " Wintering," a prospectus of which we in-
close you.]

HOW LONG FROM A START WILL IT TAKE FOR
FOUL BROOD TO INFECT THE WHOLE HIVE?

How long would it take foul brood to get under
such headway in a hive containing 12 Gallup
frames that every comb should be affected more or
lees— say from ys to % of all cells used in brood-
rearing being affected? D. W. C. Matthews.

Ypsilanti, Mich., Feb. 7, 1889.

[After foul brood has made its appearance in a
few cells in a hive, if neglected by the apiarist that
long, it will take only about a week or ten days for
it to affect every comb. In two weeks every cell
of brood will be rotten.]

COFFEE-CANS FOR EXTRACTED HONEY.

Will large tin cans that roasted coffee comes in,
holding 50 lbs. of coffee and 16 gallons of honey, be
stout enough to ship honey in? Cans are boxed.

Madison, Ga., Feb. 12. R. H. Campbell.

[If the coffee-cans are securely soldered I should
think they might answer; but as they are manu-
factured for shipping coffee and not for honey,
which is so very much heavier, I think you had bet-
ter test them carefully before risking very much
honey in them.]

BEES ALL " FROZE ; " HOW TO START ANEW.

Can a person start up a swarm of bees by getting
a queen and a pound of bees? Mine all froze. I
should like to start again. M. J. Bowles.

Sexton, Ind., Feb. 4, 1889.

LWith a pound of bees and a queen you can make
a very nice start. Where one has lost all his bees,
this is the best way to begin anew. It certainly is
the cheapest.]

40 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 1
PECK OF SEED.

We have received Gleanings regularly, for
which we thank you. We are well pleased with it.
The peck of Japanese buckwheat I bought of you
last year I sowed on % acre of ground. It yielded
40 bushels by measure. J. N. Buzza.

Kossuth, Pa., Feb. 18, 1889.

224

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

197 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM ONE
POUND OF SEED, IN TWO SEASONS.

I was well pleased with the Japanese backwheat I
got from you. I got 1 lb. in 1887, and I raised three
bushels. I sowed this, and got 197 bushels from four
acres, and did not use any fertilizer or manure.

Vose, Pa., Feb. 25, 1889. G. A. Conrad.

5!4 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 6
LBS. OF SEED.

I sowed 6 lbs. of Japanese buckwheat last spring,
and harvested 5% bushels, and that on thin land
without manure. 1 think it is the best buckwheat
in the world. T. R. Canady.

Roark, Mo., Jan. 23, 1889.

THAT CALIFORNIA TRIP.

I have been much interested in the report of your
trip. I was over much of the same route the year
before. I am now moving out there. If you did
not visit Pomona, you missed one of the nicest
places in Southern California. The author of
" Blessed Bees " lives at Pomona.

Green, N. Y., Jan. 17, 1889. L. E. St. John.

PREVENTING INCREASE ; A QUESTION.

How would the following method of preventing
increase succeed? Follow Dr. Miller's plan of giv-
ing plenty of room in the sections; hive all prime
swarms that come out, and prevent after-swarms
by some well-known method; the following season,
unite down to the original number at the begin-
ning of the honey-flow, using the empty hives and
combs to repeat the operation? A. C. Bugbee.

Lochiel, Ind.

LYour idea of uniting in the spring, so as to have
your colonies all exceedingly strong just before
the honey harvest opens, is one that has been con-
siderably discussed, and some very successful
honey-producers tried the method years ago.]

FRAMES PARALLEL OR AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE
ENTRANCE ; WHICH ?

Will bees do better to enter at the side or ends of
frames in a house-apiary? I think I prefer to have
entrance at sides of frames, but am not certain
that it will do so well. R.E.Mason.

Westminster, S. C, Feb. 19, 1889.

[Friend M., we do not think it is very material
whether the frames are parallel with the entrance,
or at right angles with it. We rather prefer the
latter arrangement. Theoretically, the bees can
better ventilate their hives during summer; but
practically, there does not seem to be very much
difference. Numerous tests have been made both
ways, and there was no appreciable difference in
the result, either in the amount of honey secured
or in its proper evaporation.]

TWO OR THREE THICKNESSES OF PAPER INSTEAD
OF CHAFF.

I come to Gleanings for advice. Another bee-
keeper and myself conceived the idea that we
would make several hives with double walls with
two or three thicknesses of paper between, believ-
ing that paper is a non-conductor of heat or cold.
Now, I want to know what would be the difference
between them and chaff hives. Win. Barclay.

Harmony, Ind.

Lit is claimed by some, that two or three thickness-
es of paper around the brood-nest, in between the
outer shell, is equal to 3 or 4 inches of chaff— among
them Francis Danzenbaker, of Claymont, New Cas-
tle Co., Del. As for ourselves, we can hardly see
how the paper can be equal to chaff. It may be as
warm, but it will not absorb moisture as well. G.M.
Doolittle's article in the present number tells pret-
ty nearly why chaff will be better than paper.]

0a^ (|aEgJFi0]\[-Be&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 112.— a. What is the largest number of
L. brood-frames you allow a colony at any time? b.
If you vary the number, say when you allow the most.
Say whether you mean for comb or extracted.

Nine or ten frames of the large Quinby size, both
for comb or extracted. Dadant & Son.

a. Eight is the largest number, b. I never vary
the number, either for comb or extracted honey.

Geo. Grimm.

Eight. This is my number in brood-chamber.
For extracting I add a second story, making six-
teen frames. A. J. Cook.

Working for extracted honey, a. 24, three stories
high, eight frames each, in the height of honey-
gathering, with extra strong colonies; ordinarily 16.

R. Wilkin.

For comb honey, 8; but I winter outdoors on two
sets of 8 frames, one set above the other, and the
upper set full of honey; for extracted honey, three
tiers high, 8 frames in a tier, 24 frames in all.

E. France.

I allow 19—10 in brood-chamber and 9 above— for
extracted honey. For comb honey, 8 frames below
is generally preferred. The surplus should not be
added before the bees begin to gather in the spring.

P. L. Viallon.

a. 27 is the largest number I ever used at one
time. b. I allow the most when the most are need-
ed; for extracted honey I furnish the colony with
all the combs or foundation they need, and tier up,
using no honey-board. Dr. A. B. Mason.

a. Eight for box honey, b. In the early spring,
especially if the colony is weak, I contract to five
or six frames, and expand the brood-chamber as
the season advances; but I do not contract during
the honey-flow, to force bees into the boxes.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

We use a frame 10V2xl6 inside. Before putting on
boxes we usually build them up to seven frames.
When we had black bees we built up to eight. We
usually reduce the number by one not long after
putting on boxes. 1 would at least double the num-
ber for extracting. P. H. Elwood.

a. Ten. But that's a very rare thing — seldom
more than eight, b. Just before the harvest when
the queen occupies the most room. This for comb
honey. It is quite possible, however, that, all
things considered, it is best to have the same num-
ber all the year round. C C Midler.

I have used as many as 48 in the best part of the
season, when extracting. When boxing I would
use 8, and the same for wintering. During the
period when I am handling and preparing for the
yield of either extracted or box honey, I use a nunj
ber in proportion to the strength of the colony.

L. C. Root.

If 1 used the L. frame I would never allow a col-
ony over 6even when working for comb honey, and
would use but five for a new swarm, up to the time
of fall honey; then I would give them the seven,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

225

For extracted honey I would allow ten L. frames
all the while, unless the colony were very weak in
the spring-, and give room enough above to keep
them from swarming. G. M. Doolittle.

a. I frequently allow the equivalent of 25 L.
frames at a time. b. I vary the number of combs
according to the strength of the colony, but the
same number of bees in a colony will occupy and
use more combs during the honey-How than at oth-
er times. This applies to extracted honey.

O. O. Poppleton.

Seven is my usual number, with eight or ten as
an occasional variation or experiment. I do not
vary the number after sections are put on. When
I winter on four frames, as I often do, I simply add
one or two at a time, in the spring, until they have
seven. For extracting I would put ten below and
eight or nine above. B. E. Hastv.

I do not use the L. frame, so 1 do not know wheth-
er this question was intended for me or not. My
frames are nearly the same in capacity as the L.
frame. I use eight brood-frames at all times, ex-
cept in building up light colonies in the spring by
use of the division-board. I practice contraction
sometimes during the honey-season, not by remov-
ing frames, but by an entirely different and I think
a more natural and a better way.

H. R. BOABDMAN.

Your question is not precise. I suppose you
mean to ask, " What is the largest number of L.
frames you allow a colony at any time for brood?"
etc. I allow a colony for the brood-chamber, all
the L. frames they can till with brood, no more.
Ten frames filled with brood is my maximum.
Whatever there is over is used for strengthening
up weak colonies or forming nuclei. A variation
from this rule is " neglect of duty " as far as I am
concerned. Chas. F. Muth.

1 always try to get as many frames as possible
filled with brood before the opening of the honey
season, and have had 12 frames reasonably well
filled by June 30. Most of my hives for comb honey
hold only eight frames; and if a colony can do more
than fill that number it must help a weaker neigh-
bor. For extracted honey I have always allowed
ten frames. Sometimes I allow the queen free ac-
cess to three or more stories of empty combs,
which I have known to result in twenty frames of
brood. James A. Green.

In using the Langstroth frames in the brood-
chamber I would never use more than eight, be-
cause we do not want the L. brood-chamber larger
than that. We have found splendid results to
flow from contracting that size of brood-chamber
to five L. combs during that part of the season
when the bees were storing surplus, and at the
time the creation of more bees would not bring
them into the surplus harvest as workers. The
time to contract or expand a brood-chamber de-
pends entirely upon the periods of your honey-flow.
I disfavor young bees for wintering; also extreme-
ly full colonies for wintering.

James Heddon.

Question 113.— If you practice contraction, at what
time do you contract I

This question is answered by 112.

Mks. L. Harrison.
I have never practiced contraction.

Geo. Grimm.

I rarely use it except on new swarms, as given in
answer to No. 112. G. M. Doolittle.

On putting on supers. I don't believe so much in
contraction as some. C. C. Miller.

I do, and like it. I contract with a new swarm,
in time of honey harvest. A. J. Cook.

I contract to the number of combs needed in the
spring, and give more as needed. I don't contract
to secure surplus. Dr. A. B. Mason.

When they are placed upon their summer stands
in spring, or when they commence gathering pol-
len and begin brooding. L. C. Root.

Not until the season is well commenced, and a
fair amount of stores secured for winter, and the
bees are building new comb. H. R. Boardman.

Contraction does not seem to me to be suited to
the needs of my locality. For comb honey I keep
contracted pretty close all the time.

E. E. Hasty.

Here we don't practice it. We contract only
when a colony is too weak; but this should not hap-
pen when one is up to the business.

P. L. VlALLON.

I suppose this question refers to the contraction
of the brood-nest, which I have practiced but very
little, except when preparing bees for winter quar-
ters. O. O. Poppleton.

I contract in the early spring by placing a duck
cloth over the lower frames or brood-nest, to facili-
tate breeding, leaving a hole for bees to go above
for honey. R. Wilkin.

I contract the brood-chamber in spring only, in
order to breed up. Reason, I want large colonies at
the beginning of the season, and during the season
I don't want to be obliged to feed in the fall.

Chas. F. Muth.

I don't practice contraction any further than to
put the bees on to one tier of brood-combs, 8 combs.
Do that when the bees are strong— that is, when
there are bees enough to fill the brood-nest and a
case of sections. E. France.

We are opposed to contraction. Mr. Metelli (see
answer to 111) answers for us, " To have colonies for
honey in good order for the next spring you have
to give them large hives, and to prepare them dur-
ing the previous summer." Dadant & Son.

See my answer to 113. You may rest assured that
I practice contraction, and know by experience
that it is one, if not the greatest improvement, in
modern honey production, whether for comb or ex-
tracted honey, but especially for the former.

James Heddon.

Always at the time of hiving a swarm ; generally
as soon as a colony has swarmed, often before
a colony has swarmed at the beginning of a
honey-flow. With regard to the last two, and
especially the last method, I am not altogether cer-
tain as to the advisability of contraction.

James A. Green.

Sometimes when boxes are put on, but usually
when the queen is removed or artificial swarms
made if there are any such. We formerly reduced
the number to five, when the queen was taken out,
but have since preferred to leave in another. If
contracted too much, the quality of box honey suf-
fers, and I think there are more pieoe boxes at the

226

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

close of season. Our first contracting- for comb
honey was in the season of 1873 or 1874, and the
swarms were brought down to four of our combs,
10^x16 inside. P. H. Elwood.

Question 114.— How many pounds additional sur-
plus do you think is gained by contracting?

I do not know. O. O. Poppleton.

1 have never had any experience in that line.

E. France.
With my method, no additional surplus.

Dr. A. B. Mason.
Not an ounce, hut more honey will be brought to
the surplus box. Dadant & Son.

I could not give an estimate. 1 think the gain
pays for the trouble, and more. A. J. Cook.

If by this question contraction during the honey-
How is meant, not enough additional to pay for the
trouble. Mrs. L. Harrison.

In some localities I have no doubt but that there
is some gain by contracting; but here our colonies
are so 6trong at the time of the flow of honey that
there is no gain. P. L. Viallon.

Possibly as many pounds as they would store in
the additional combs, say 15 or 20; but taken for a
series of years, I'm not so sure they would store
anjT more, and in any case it necessitates feeding
usually. C. C. Miller.

Many stocks that would be lost if the number of
combs were not reduced, are saved by contracting,
and are in condition for gathering surplus. In such
cases the gain equals the difference between entire
loss and what proper management will secure.

L. C. Root.

I do not practice the manipulation in question.
As excessive swarming is the main difficulty with
me, I think (if I do not know) that getting an extra-
large colony, and then crowding them above, would
only make them swarm directly with no gain in
pounds of honey whatever. E. E. Hasty.

I don't believe that any additional surplus can be
gained by contracting the brood-chamber during
the honey season, unless the bee-keeper's time is
worth nothing. Honey or sugar has to be fed again
if a dearth or a cold wet spell follows the season,
and honey or sugar has to be fed again for winter
stores. Chas. F. Muth.

I do not know, because I never weighed carefully
to get at the exact number of pounds; but I get
more surplus and less honey uselessly consumed by
the bees; get that surplus in better and more at-
tractive condition, and handle my colonies more
easily and safely during the fall, winter, and spring,
by practicing contraction. James Heddon.

I have not practiced contraction long enough
through good and bad seasons to answer definitely.
I can recall instances where it seemed to me that
contraction secured 25 pounds of honey more than
would have been had without it. Doubtless this is
more than could be expected on an average, but I
feel very sure that contraction pa3S well when
properly managed. James A. Green.

Contraction is now having a run. It is carried to
extremes, and its benefits overestimated. With the
inexperienced, and with honey-boards, particularly
the queen-excluding board, it may make quite a

difference. In any case a part of the early honey
that is usually stored in the brood-combs will be
stored as surplus. This is the honey that bees usu-
ally winter best on. P. H. Elwood.

Not any more, if you leave the colony as much as
it ought to have. It may be different in other lo-
cations, but with me I find it safest to leave a col-
ony all the white honey it has stored over and
around the brood in an eight-frame Langstroth
hive. Of course, if I should crowd them they would
have to store part of this as surplus; but I do not
find it safe policy bei-e. as I have no fall honey to
fill up on. Geo. Grimm.

In some seasons probably nothing is gained by
any system of contracting the brood-chamber. The
amount additional gained depends upon the season,
strength of the colony, manner, and extent of con-
tracting, etc. When honey is coming in steadily it
can all or nearly all be forced into the surplus
chamber for a period of about 20 days; but we
must not lose sight of a most valuable fact, that
hives or fixtures, or methods, however perfect, will
not produce honey. H. R. Boardman.

Not any. if you call winter stores a surplus. Bees
will store all the honey they can gather if they have
sufficient room, no matter whether that room is in
a nail-keg, barrel, old box hiv^e, or one of the latest
improved hives. All we accomplish by contraction
is to get the most of the surplus, or the most of all
of the honey gathered by the bees, stored in our
neat sections, instead of in the body of the hive.
If I have ever made it appear that bees would gath-
er more honey according to their numbers where
contraction was used, I wish to ask pardon, and
correct the mistake. By contracting at the right
time, or allowing contraction of the brood to be
done by swarming, we save the amount of honey
that an extra amount of brood would use, to go
into our surplus. As this brood, when hatched into
bees, would become consumers, this item is worth
looking after. G. M. Doolittle.

Well, friends. I have been for a good
many years rather of the opinion that con-
traction did not amount to very much, any
way. Of course, colonies do well where the
brood-nest has been contracted according to
the latest and most approved theory ; but I
am afraid we lose sight of the fact that they
also do well where no contraction is prac-
ticed. To make it a little plainer, I have
seen a colony of bees build up, raise brood,
and prosper at a tremendous rate, when
they were in two-story Langstroth' hives,
with 10 frames below and 10 above. When
more room was wanted they took it at the side
or overhead, just as they chose. They did
not have any dysentery nor spring dwin-
dling, nor any thing of the sort ; and I have
seen this happen when colonies that were
fussed up and fixed up did not do nearly as
well. At the same time, I have known a
tolerably fair colony that was raising brood
at a very good rate, apparently killed by re-
moving the quilt over them to put on a feed-
er. The openings made by turning up the
quilt so as to give the feeder a place, per-
mitted the warm air of the brood-nest to es-
cape. They were found dead after a severe
cold spell in the fore part of April. .Other
colonies that did not have the 'quilt over

1889

GLEANINGS IN ttEE CULTURE.

227

them disturbed, stood the cold snap without
any apparent injury. I am rather inclined
to think that there are extremes both ways ;
but I believe a good nice dry worker comb
is about as good protection as any sort of di-
vision-board. Perhaps you begin to think
that I do not have any very decided ideas in
regard to contraction, and I do not know
but that you are about right.

HOW TO MAKE OUT AN ORDER FOR
GARDEN SEEDS, ETC.

ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT DOING BUSINESS IN SUCH
A WAY THAT IT WILL ADVERTISE ITSELF.

T"\ VERY season it makes me feel sad to

L| see the amount of paper and the

Wj amount of work that not only our cus-

■^ tomers but our clerks here in the office

often use to make an order, or

make out a bill for a few cents' worth of

garden seeds. Now, please have a little

faith in Uncle Amos, and let him convince

you that he knows best. First suppose you

want 9 papers of garden seeds. Almost all

of you would commence :

One paper of Select Very Early Jersey Wakefield
cabbage seed 5 ets.

The next item would be in the same way,
and so on for the whole nine. Some of the
friends who are in a hurry, sometimes, in-
stead of " one paper,1' nine times, use ditto
marks. When you get to the 9th figure 5,
one above the other, I suppose that many
of you go to work and " add up " the 5's.

Now, friends, you are wasting paper
and time fearfully ; yes, and you are wast-
ing money besides, because many of you
forget that 10 packages of seed are fur-
nished at 4 cents each, so our clerks will
probably charge you more for 9 packages than
they would for 10. Now, then, let me tell
how I would do. Thus :

Please mail me garden seeds as follows: One pa-
per each— Wakefield cabbage, Eclipse beet, Forcing
carrot, Snowball cauliflower. Self-blanching celery,
Pepper-grass, Grand Rapids lettuce, Banana melon.
Silver King onion, Alaska peas, 10 papers at 4 cts.,
40 cts.

You will notice in the above, that, instead
of giving the long name of the article as
given in the seed catalogues, I have given
only just enough so there can be no mistake.
"Wakefield cabbage " tells what you want
just exactly as well as if you wrote out " Se-
lect Very Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage.'1

Now, where you order simply five-cent
packages the matter is very easy, you see ;
but suppose you have discovered that it is a
great deal cheaper to buy seeds by the ounce
than to get it in five-cent packages— how
then shall we do? The objections to saying
" one ounce each of the following seeds ''
would be, that they are not all the same price.
An ounce of one may be 10 cts., and another
may be only 5 cts., and still another may be
25 cts., and so on. Well, this makes the
matter a little more complicated, but it can
be arranged so as to economize space almost
as well as the other packages. 1 learned it
in the jewelry business. The traveling run-
ners whose bread and butter depended on
speed and expedition would make a correct
invoice of 100 or more items on a small piece

of paper, and they would do it in a very few
minutes in the way I am going to show you.
Now then : Suppose you are buying ounces
as follows. Start your letter this way :

Mail me one ounce each of the following seeds:

5 10

Eclipse beet, Winnings tadt cabbage, ft 15

50 25

Self-blanching celery, Kawson's cucumber, 75

:!5 15

Grand Rapids lettuce, Danvers onion, 50

5 5 10

Parsley, Early Globe radish, Lady-finger radish, rid

25

Mikado tomato. ~5

#1.85

Of course, half-pints, pints, and quarts
and pecks, can be run together in the same
way ; also quarter-pounds and pounds. If
you want to make your order neatly, 1
would take a catalogue and go through with
a pencil, marking the amount you propose
to order, on the margin, all the way from as-
paragus to turnip. When you have decided
on every thing you want from a certain cat-
alogue, then collect the 5c papers first. If
there are only 9, you had better make it one
more so as to get the 10 rate. After you
have collected the papers, then collect the
ounces. These two items alone will save a
deal of time and paper ; and instead of a
long lot of additions, you will have simply a
matter of multiplication. Do you ask how
it is when you want two ounces or three
ounces? Well, for two ounces you can
make a separate item. For instance, " 2
ounces Palmetto asparagus, at 10 cts. per
ounce, 20 cts.;'1 but when it comes to 3
ounces, by all means order i of a pound. If
you will just look at it you will notice that
in most seed catalogues 3 oz. will cost you as
much, and oftentimes more, than I pound.
In fact, I am pained a great many times to
see our clerks charge a customer more for 3
ounces of seeds than they would if the order
had read i pound. When I remonstrate,
they reply, " Why, he wanted only 3 ounces
of seeds, and he sent the exact price accord-
ing to the catalogue." Now, I do not like
that sort of logic at all. I never saw any-
body yet who would complain because you
sent him more seeds than he asked for ; and
when a man sends money enough to pay for
i pound of parsnip seed, he should have i
pound, even if his order does read 2 ounces.
You will notice by the catalogue that pars-
nip seed is 5 cts. an ounce, or 40 cts. a
pound ; and you will notice, also, on the
first page, that we sell Hb. or i peck at peck
rates ; 2 ounces cost 10 cts.-, i lb. costs 10
cts. Some of the friends still urge, that,
when you give a man just what he asks for,
that that is enough. My friends, if you
want to build up a business, or if you want
to glorify the Master, make it your business
to give your patrons more than they ask for
whenever such a chance offers. Why, it is
just fun for me to give a man i pound of
seed when he sent for and expected only 2
ounces ; and I should not wonder a bit if
our present large business has been built up
a good deal in just that way. The great
world at large has had ample experience in
sending away their money and getting less
than the printed advertisements promised,

228

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

or getting less than they expected. But
there is a great open field— a big unexplored
region — for business and happiness and
peace of mind in giving not only all you
agree to give, but " good measure, pressed
down.'1

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 81.00 to 81.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a pliotograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

THE CALK AND THE BEES, IN TWO ACTS.

We have 13 hives. My teacher is cross. She lives
near us. We have a little calf; and next summer,

when we let her out, she will go by the hives and
tip one over, and they will sting her nearly to death.

I have sent you these pictures. 1 drew them my-
self. Louie Michael, age 13.
East Buffalo, N. Y., Feb. 7, 1889.

Your drawings, friend Louie, are very
good. We reduced them, and made them
almost fac-similes of yours. What is a fac-
simile V Well, that means a " make-like,"
or something just like the original.

BEES HAVE ALWAYS PAID WELL.

My father had 48 stands of bees, but he has sold
them all but 4. We left these to our renter, on
shares. When we put them in the cellar they were
heavier than ever before. We have rented our

farm, and we are packing up to move ; but we mean
always to keep bees wherever we go, for they have
paid us well. We have taken Gleanings for so
long 1 can't remember when we didn't take it. We
like it very well, and we are going to keep on taking
it, for we should miss it very much.
Traer, Iowa, Feb. 21, 1889. J. L. Pkovin, age 14.

A CRIPPLED BOY WHO HELPS PAPA.

I am a little crippled boy, 12 years of age. My pa
has 63 stands of bees. I help him tend them.
Newbern. la. David C. Malone.

BROTHERS' BEES.

My two brothers keep bees, and have 11 hives.
They keep them in the cellar. They carried them
in their arms. My grandfather says that the bees
in the cellar ought to be kept at 42 degrees in the
winter. In warm days they make a great noise.
We had six in the spring. The wheat crop was
poor last year. Robert Dawson.

East Dayton, Mich.

papa's wintering-cellar.
DPapa winters his bees in the cellar. He commenc-
ed last spring with 10 swarms, increased to 24, and
got 600 lbs. of extracted honey and 100 lbs. of comb
honey in 1-lb. sections. Three hundred and fifty
pounds was from mammoth clover, and the rest
was from buckwheat. The cellar that papa keeps
his bees in is a place dug out under the house,
about 3y2 feet deep, not plastered. Nothing was
done to it but to bank up the house well. But he
winters successfully in it.

Bertha Boardman, age 9.
Weston, O., Feb. 22, 1889.

hauling bees twelve miles in a two-horse
wagon.

My pa has 14 hives of bees, and [ have one. The
14th of last May the levee broke, and on the night
of the 14th pa hauled our bees 12 miles without
breaking any comb. The 11th of August he
brought them and 15 of grandpa's back to the bot-
tom, without breaking or damaging the comb. To
prepare them for hauling he nailed cleats over the
entrances, then he set them in the wagon and
packed clover hay all around them tight. We did
not have a very big honey-flow last year. We got
about 360 lbs. for home use. They have from 60 to
70 lbs. to the colony now. We are wintering on
summer stands. They are all right so far. We use
A. I. Root's Simplicity hives. I am an A B C scholar,
and read Gleanings. Abbie Hoskin, age 14.

Louisana, Mo., Feb. 19, 1889.

HOW PAPA FEEDS BEES.

I am a little boy seven years old. I was paralyzed
three years ago, and have never gotten over it en-
tirely. I have a pony and a little saddle. I can go
to town and get the mail, or any little thing that
papa or mamma wants. We live a mile from town.
My papa feeds bees two ways. One way he takes a
little square piece of board and cuts small grooves
in it, two of them crosswise, from corner to corner,
one from top to bottom, and one from side to side.
Then he takes a goblet, with the bottom broken off;
fills it with sugar syrup; puts the board on it, and
turns it bottom upward and sets it in the hive.
The bees take up the syrup as it runs out in those
grooves. But he likes the other way best. It is

i88y

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

229

this: Takeout the empty combs; pour syrup over
them; h ing ihein back in the hive. Papa has 43
colonies. He has extracted once, and they are full
again. He sells honey at 15 cents a pound, home
market. We got some strong honey, described by
S. G. Christol, page 851, from the white-top milk
weed. I think the strong or hot part soon evapo
rates. Clay Dillehay.

Milford, Tex.

The grooved-board feeder is illustrated
and described under " Water," in the A B
C of Bee Culture.

THROWING MUD, AND SHOOTING, TO BRING DOWN
A SWARM.

Last tummer papa got 100 pounds of honey from
12 colonies, and my brother-in-law got 60 pounds
from only 2 colonies. Papa caught two swarms
when he was extracting. He heard a lot of bees
buzzing, and he looked up and saw a swarm. We
threw mud at it, but it would not come down, and
then papa sent me home after the gun. He tired
both barrels at it, and I kept throwing mud, and at
last it settled on a pile of brush in a ditch. Papa
put a hive there, and at evening they went in it.
My brother came down, and he, papa, and I went
down to the hive and carried it to the apiary. We
caught the other the same way.

Daniel W. Higgins, Jr.

South River, Md., Feb. 22, 1889.

Well, well ! was it the mud-slinging or the
shooting that finally induced the swarm to
alight, or did the swarm settle when it got
a good ready, regardless of either the mud
or the shot '? We suspect they got a good
ready.

EXTRACTED SELLING HIGHER THAN COMB HONEY ;

HOW PA FASTENS FOUNDATION INTO WIRED

FRAMES.

My pa takes Gleanings, and we are glad when it
comes. I have a little brother, six years old. We
go to school every day. My pa has 85 stands of
bees, packed in clover chaff, outdoors. Pa says
that he is going to extract more honey next sum-
mer than he did, as it sells better than comb honey.
1 help pa extract honey. I have been stung only
two or three times in my life. Charley is afraid of
the bees.

Pa fastens the brood foundation in the brood-
frames with the heat of a common lamp. He sets
the lamp on the table and lays foundation in the
brood-frames and holds the frame over the lamp
with his left hand so as to heat the tin wire and the
foundation. Then he passes the finger of his right
hand over the wire on top of the foundation so as to
sink the wire into the foundation; and when it is
finished it looks as if the wire were sewTed through
the foundation. We can fasten the foundation in
cold weather as well as in warm. We did not get
much honey last year, as it was too dry.

Dora Kunz, age 8.
Linkvillo, Ind., Feb. 23, 1889.

You probably do nice work in putting in
the foundation ; but how your papa can heat
the wire so that it will sink into the wax,
without spoiling the foundation by too much
heat, we do not quite understand. Is the
foundation itself left as perfect after put-
ting iuto the frame as before V Please tell
us more about it in your next letter.

PYgELF WV W ]S[EIGJIBWS.

CONTINUED FROM ISSUE OF MAR. 1.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take
not thy Holy Spirit from me.— Psalm 51: 11.

9 U RING the sermon that followed the
Sunday-school, this peace and joy I
have told you of still poured into my
soul. The closing thought of the ser-
mon was something like this :
Some people seem to imagine that it is
not in their power to turn to Christ, any
more than it would be in the power of an
individual who is lost in Mammoth Cave to
find his way out. If no guide were near to
direct his steps, his case would indeed be
hopeless ; but Christ Jesus stands ever
ready to lead every willing soul from dark-
ness" to light. In fact, he has said, "lam
the light of the world. He that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life."

Dear friends, I had unconsciously, as it
were, reached the top of one mountain. 1
want to use here one verse and chorus of a
familiar little hymn that expressed my
state of mind at the close of that sermon :

The Savior comes and walks with me.
And sweet communion here have we;
He gently leads me by his hand,
For this is heaven's border land.

0 Beulah laud, sweet Beulah land,
As on the highest mount I stand,

1 look away across the sea

Where mansions are prepared for me,
And view the shining glory shore,
My heav'n, my home for ever more.

Last Sabbath evening I listened to a min-
ister who made the broad declaration that
all humanity are seeking happiness. I
thought at the time that his statement was
open to a little question ; but perhaps he
was pretty nearly right. Well, if this is
true, dear friends, suppose wre consider for a
moment human happiness. Many of you
besides myself have discovered that it
comes oftenest wThen we are not seeking it.
It was a good deal against my inclination
that I had decided to wait until the Sab-
bath was passed before resuming my trav-
els. My reward had come unexpectedly.
Perhaps part of it came because I refused
to go with the boys who wanted to show me
the natural attractions of the little town,
but stayed inside of my room, and studied
God's holy word all through the bright sun-
shiny morning. Jesus tells us, in that beau-
tiful parable, that those who had been all
their lives busy ministering to him were not
aware of it at all. When he called them to
their reward they replied, " Lord, when saw
we thee a hungered or thirsty, and gave
thee drink ? " etc. Instead of boasting of
what they had done, they had not thought
it worth mentioning. A great blessing had
come to me, simply because I was doing my
duty, without any thought of reward. But
I had been vouchsafed a taste of the waters
of life that I presume 1 shall never forget.

Whosoever drinketb of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that 1 shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life— John 4: 14.

And I here wish to leave my testimony, to

230

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mak.

the effect that there is no enjoyment nor
happiness in this world to be compared
with it. Such seasons as these, however,
are usually of brief duration ; and while we
are yet human, perhaps it will always be so.
There is quite a temptation to skip the re-
mainder of the events of that Sabbath day ;
but perhaps it migbt be profitable to consid-
er how I came down from the mountain, as
well as to relate how I unconsciously got up.
As the service closed, 1 felt sorry to know
there were no more meetings till evening.
At dinner I compared notes with the boys
who had been seeking pleasure in the ways
I have already mentioned. What should
be done during the afternoon V I read
awhile ; and then feeling the need of exer-
cise (or at least I thought I did) I decided to
walk out a little by myself. The suggestion
came into my mind, that I not
only needed some
mountain air, for
the place is widely
ebrated, but that, il
could find one o
those springs at
some quiet place
there would be
no harm to
take a drink
of the famed
medicinal
waters. O f
course, I
could wait
until the
morrow ; but
if I expected
to get any
marked ben-
efit from the
c e 1 e b ra t e d
waters, it be-
hooved me to
get a drink
as soon as
possible, that I
might be able to
take many drinks
before I was called
upon to leave. Even
in my boyhood I had al-
ways a great fondness for
ginger pop, and mineral
waters that owed their pun-
gency to imprisoned carbonic
acid. The pop of the cork and
the foaming in the glass always had a
certain fascination, and I must confess
that the taste of these foaming drinks
has always been more or less agreea-
ble. I had been told that the water of
Manitou Springs had a fashion of foam-
ing and sparkling as it conies out of the
ground— a foaming, sparkling draught from
nature's own laboratory. I did not know
exactly where the springs were located, but
I thought there could be no harm in walk-
ing out along the railroad, all by myself,
and so I started. The walk was very pleas-
ant indeed— or, rather, it would have been
pleasant had it been some other day than
Sunday, for my conscience was making me
feel a little uneasy. When perhaps a quar-
ter of a mile from my boarding-place the

THE UTE SPRING, MANITOU
COLORADO.

track ran into a tunnel. Conscience said it
was time to go back ; but curiosity pointed
to the strange rocks which had been cut and
chiseled in making an opening. After I
got in a little piece I saw daylight from the
other side, and 1 thought I would just look
through. When I did so, I saw another
tunnel, more wonderful still. Of course,
I went through the last tunnel, and, sure,
enough, right before me was one of those
wonderful effervescing springs. Some be-
nevolent (V) individual had built a pretty
little summer-house over it.

Below is a picture of the spring as it met
my view. In the distance is the white sum-
mit of Pike's Peak, where I had seen the
snow blowing in the morning. The picture,
however, is not from a photograph, and
does not at all do justice to the mountains.
The summer-house built over
the spring is very lifelike.
Some steps ran down to
the sparkling spring, and
l cup hung invit-
?ly by a chain. Just
hen I noticed that
not only young
men but women

also were pass-
ing to and
fro, evident-
ly out that
Sunday aft-
ernoon seek-
ing h a p p i-
ness and rec-
reation, or
some sort of
excitement.
I thought I
would take
just one
drink, and
then go back
quickly to
m y lodging-
place. When al-
most to the brink
the spring I dis-
covered in a room,
ose by, a gathering
ungodly people ; and
the looks of the bot-
tles and decanters, I judged
the place was for the traffic
in intoxicating liquors. Should
I turn back, or go ahead and
taste the waters V Since I had got so far, I
decided to take just a taste ; but I began to
feel very bad and uncomfortable. It seem-
ed as if they were all looking at me, and
saying, " There is that man out here this
Sunday afternoon, who talked so well in
the Sabbath-school. After all his talk, he
has as much curiosity to see things, and
just as much of a desire for a little ex-
citement and stir, even if it is Sunday, as
the rest of us."

I tasted the water, and dropped the cup
hurriedly. Somebody has said, that " stol-
en waters are sweet." My young friends,
don't you believe it. It has never been
true in my experience. I noticed the spark-
le of the gas as it came bubbling up from
the water from the bottom of the spring,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

li3l

and the taste had a decided snap, like pun-
gent soda ; but 1 did not care very much for
it then. 1 decided it was not worth the cost
on that Sabbath afternoon. I didn't think
at the time (but I did afterward) of the text,
" Whosoever drinketh of the water that I
shall give him, shall never thirst." Well,
what was to hinder my retracing my steps
as quickly as I could V Nothing ; only, as I
started to go back, something suggested
(very likely it was Satan) that, if 1 climbed
that big hill to regain the railroad track, I
should be all in a sweat, and one ought not
to look sweaty with exercise on Sunday.
Before me was a smooth traveled road that
led back to my hotel, without the necessity
of climbing the hill to reach the track. It
is true, this travelled road led through the
business part of town ; but I did not think so
much about that just then. As I passed
along the road I saw more and more people,
who, it seemed, eyed me as did the others.
Most of them were shabbily dressed. Some
were smoking and swearing, and I had a
sort of feeling that my presence on that
street was something of an indirect encour-
agement to them to think it was right and
proper to be seen on the streets on the Sab-
bath day. Pretty soon a path turned off in-
to a quiet little grove, or ravine, beside the
brook. This path, so far as I could see,
went along almost parallel with the public
road. " There," thought I, " I can take this
path and thereby escape the crowd and
their questioning gaze, and it will no doubt
lead me just as directly, and may be more so,
to my hotel." Do you remember how
Christian, in Pilgrim's Progress, started off
a little from the straight and narrow path,
and, without actually knowing it, got fur-
ther away ? Well, it was so in my case.
The path led down by some more springs,
and, for some reason or other, I thought I
would just taste the water of these springs
— it wouldn't take more than a moment —
and I wanted to see if it were all alike.
Was it really so, that these were not as good
as the first ones, or was it my guilty con-
science that made it seem so V I met more
untidy people, and pretty soon I found a
wire fence intercepting my path. The own-
er of the ground, evidently not liking so
many tramping over his lands, had recently
made the fence. As soon as I saw it some
thing said :

" Now, old fellow, you will be sure to tear
your nice clothes before you get over that
wire fence. You know you always have
some mishap when you go off so on Sunday;
and you may depend on it, you won't escape
this time." I thought of the morning, and
I felt feverish and nervous. Several times
I had tried to walk slowly and sedately; but
before I knew it I was rushing ahead again
very much as A. I. Root does on week days.
I would have turned back and retraced the
path until I came to the highway again, but
I was getting nervously impatient. How I
did long for the protecting walls of the
Mountain View House, or even to be so
near its doors that no one would think I
was guilty of strolling about on the Sabbath.
I decided, that by being real careful, I could
get over that wire fence, and not have my

clothes torn. 1 pressed down the top wire,
carefully gathered up the coat-tails of my
Sunday overcoat, and succeeded in stepping
over the fence without a rag of my clothing
touching a single barb. Then I decided to
walk slowly and sedately the rest of the
way, and that nothing should entice me to
wander about any more during the after-
noon. After I had gone a few rods I hap-
pened to look down at my polished boots.
They were newly blacked, expressly for
church and Sunday - school. Something
caught my eye that troubled me at once. I
reassured myself, however, by saying men-
tally it was only a wide blade of grass that
had fallen across my boot. Nervously I un-
dertook to brush off that '"blade of grass."
As I found it would not brush off, the sweat
began to start on my forehead. One of my
nice new boots (a pair that just cost $7.00)
was actually cut from ankle to toe, and was
gapping open wide, showing my blue stock-
ing underneath. I have heard that pick-
pockets sometimes carry a lance so sharp
that it will cut open a pocket, without the
owner being aware of it. Had a pickpocket
suspected I carried money in my boot, I
should have thought it was his work. How
was it possible that that great cut was made
without my knowing it? Oh, yes ! When I
lifted my last foot over that wire fence, I
do remember a peculiar singing" zee-e-e-p,"
and that sound was made by one of those
keen barbs as it cut my boot. I was near to
the pastor's house. Perhaps they were
watching me out of the window. May be
some of them would come out to the door
just as 1 came by, and find me sweaty,
dusty, flushed, and uncomfortable, with a
great gash across my foot. Satan whispered
to turn around and go and get a shoemaker
to sew it up before church time. Just then,
however, I thought I could see where
glimpses of Satan's cloven foot had been
visible all the afternoon, and I said, very
decidedly, " Get thee behind me, Satan."
The minister's folks did not come out, and 1
was enabled to get safely to my tidy little
room in the hotel ; and when there I knelt
by my bed and asked the kind Savior to for-
give me for my folly of the afternoon. And
that is the way, dear friends, I slipped away
down in the "Valley of Humiliation " from
that high pinnacle where it had been my
pleasure to stand but a few hours before.

I had been asked by the pastor to take
part in the young people's Endeavor Society
at half-past six, before preaching services,
and I was on hand, I believe, before any-
body else. We have often been enjoined to
" put our best foot forward." So far as that
was concerned, however, I was trying to
keep my best foot in the background, you
may be sure. When the proper time came I
gave in my testimony But I was some-
what like a crippled soldier. The spirit that
was with me in the forenoon was not gone,
but it was a good deal dimmed. However,
I went to bed feeling happy that the Sab-
bath day as a whole had not been so very
badly spent.

I found that my train did not leave till
2:35 in the afternoon, on Monday, so you
may be sure I was up bright and early, ready

232

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mak.

to make the best of my time before leaving.
On questioning in regard to the liveries, and
what I could get a rig for, the landlord sug-
gested, that, if I were used to walking, I
might make the whole trip on foot, and thus
save quite a little money. The two caves
and the Rainbow Falls he thought I could
make by noon, taking in the springs on the
way, and the Garden of the Gods might be
visited before the train left if I were not too
tired. Can you imagine with what a light
heart I started forth after my early break-
fast?

The accompanying picture gives you an-
other glimpse of 'Manitou. The building in

A GLIMPSE OF .MAiNITOU.

the foreground is one of the fine large ho-
tels. A pretty fountain plays in front of
the piazza, on the lawn. A rustic bridge
across the stream that comes from Rainbow
Falls, and the caves 1 am about to describe
to you, are in the mountain off to the right.
Pike's Peak looms up in the background ;
in fact, Pike's Peak seems to be always be-
fore you, and every glimpse seemed to say
to me that it could not be very far away.

I was down through the little village,
and had a drink from the springs, almost
before anybody else was stirring. The
waters were much pleasanter than they

were the day before, but I was not very
thirsty just then. Then off I went, as hap-
py as a schoolboy when school is out, up the
mountain side, for the Cave of the Winds.
The road very soon began twisting amid the
rocky cliffs, one way and then another, until
one could hardly see many rods ahead.
Then the cliffs towered away up toward the
sky, in some cases leaning clear over the road ,
until it seemed as if we were in a land of
giants. It was up-hill work ; butwhatcared
1, with the love of God in my heart? It
seemed that morning just a pleasure to climb;
and before the sun was fairly up I had made
the two m'les up the mountain-side, and

^ stood at the foot <>f the cliff

I whereon was found the Cave of
] the Winds. Now, it is a little
funny, but this cave was dis-
covered only three or four years
ago by a band of Sunday-school
boys. To keep them busy, and
perhaps out of mischief, the
Congregational pastor had or-
ganized what he called an ex-
ploring band; and the boys
composing this band, when
they had the leisure, devoted
their time to exploring the
mountains about Manitou. As
I stood and gazed upward I
saw in the side of a steep cliff,
perhaps 500 feet above me, a fis-
sure in the rocks. This fissure
was a sort of crack where the
mountain had split in two, as
it were, leaving a space of per-
haps a yard wide. Now, the
rock was rough enough so the
boys by reaching from one side
to "the other had climbed up in
this tissure for a hundred feet
or more^; and away back, out of
the sight of human eyes, either
from below or above, they
found the cave. I did not rest
long before I commenced
climbing the steps. Then a
sort of sheep-path led up along
quite a distance further. Then
some rude stairs took me to
the foot of the fissure. Wood-
en timbers were put across the
fissure, and stairways took us
up to the opening. See cut on
next page. I knew before I
started out, however, that the
Cave of the Winds was closed
at this season of the year ;
so after resting a while, and
trying to imagine how the boys felt when
they reached this spot, by means of other
ladders I ascended clear to the top of the
opening, and stood nearly on the summit of
the mountain. A good many people get
dizzy when up here, and I sat down and
meditated a while before I took what seem-
ed to be really a perilous passage on the very
edge of the cliffs. Still another narrow path
wound up and up, until I reached the very
summit of the mountain. The sun was just
rising, and a refreshing breeze seemed very
grateful after so much climbing. By my
side was a little pyramid of stones. This

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

233

pyramid was the work of tourists, each one
contributing a stone to it. Although I was
panting for breath, 1 selected one also, and
placed it near the top. A good many had
left business cards, and some had scratched
their names and addresses on the stones. I
looked off toward the village, and there in

Elain sight was my hotel, Mountain View ;
ut, oh how small and insignificant it look-
ed ! The landlord had, before I started,
pointed out to me the Cave of the Winds ;
but as I looked from the hotel, all I could
see was a few rough rocks that seemed not
larger than a common-sized house. But

ENTRANCE TO THE CAVK OF THE WIND

when I came to stand by them, they loomed
up nearly a quarter of a mile high. Now,
this is one reason why we can not compre-
hend the height of a mountain. There are
no familiar objects with which to compare
things, and our eyes deceive us. More of
this anon.

After being satisfied with my view I start-
ed on the downward path, to take in the
Manitou Grand Cavern. Going down hill is
comparatively easy work. (L)id you ever
know it, boys ?) It was not very long be-
fore I stood before the locked door of the

otlier cavern. Before I could get in, howev-
er, I had to go still further down the moun-
tain to where the guide lived. He informed
me they did not open till eight o'clock, and,
sure enough, it was only just eight. The
points the landlord said 1 could make by
noon, I had already made, except going
through the cave. Come to compare notes,
the guide had been an Ohio boy, and, still
further, he was brought up in the neighbor-
ing town of Akron. We were old friends in
short meter. While he was lighting his
lamps, and getting ready to go into the
cave, I sat down on the steps, thinking I
had better economize my
strength, although I didn't feel
tired a bit. My eye glanced
across between a couple of
mountains, and there was Pike's
Peak again, with the snow roll-
ing and blowing.

" Mr. Snyder, they tell me it
is thirteen miles to the top of that
mountain over there. Why, it
seems as if I could skip to the
top of it in a little more than
half an hour."

" Well, I think I can teach you
a lesson if you care to look
through our big telescope. It
cost us about $250, and therefore
we are obliged to charge ten
cents for the privilege of look-
ing."

•' Cheap enough, my friend.
I want to see every thing you
have that is worth seeing, and
here is a five-dollar bill to cover
expenses. While you are mak-
ing your change I will look at
Pike's Peak."

The instrument was very soon
adjusted by his practiced hands ;
but before I put my eye to the
glass he spoke :

■ 'Mr. Boot, I want you to tell
me first if you can see any thing
like a house on top of Pike's
Peak, with the naked eye."

" Why, I think I could see a
house if there were one, but
there is surely nothing of the
sort. It is just a scene of snow
and blank desolation."

As I replied, however, I put
my eye to the glass, and, lo and
behold ! There was quite a good-
sized stone house on the peak
— some outbuildings around it,
a flag floating from the highest
part of the house, and smoke
coming out of the chimney, while the blow-
ing snow made one fairly shiver as he look-
ed through the glass. Of course. I uttered
an exclamation of surprise, and then took
another look with my naked eye. After the
telescope had shown me what there was to
be seen, I readily fixed my eye on a mere
speck that I decided must be the house.
And all at once the old mountain shoved
back fully ten miles. You see, when my
eye had learned to pick on something with
known dimensions, things then assumed their
proper size and distance,

234

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

Recent DEVEL-epjffip^

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE, AGAIN.

fHE new hive seems to be taking well,
especially the dovetailed feature of it.
The only serious criticism that has
been offered is the dispensing of the
bee -space above the brood-frames, in
the hive, and, instead, putting it below. As
many good friends, prominently among the
number Mr. Heddon, thought we were mak-
ing a mistake, we called aVouncil compris-
ing, as usual, A. I. R., the foreman, Mr.
Calvert, and your humble servant. After
discussing the matter in all its bearings, we
saw our way, without any additional ex-
pense, to put the bee-space above the frames,
and, of course, make the honey-board bee-
spaced on one side only. To provide for a
bee-space below the frames, we make what
might be called a sunk or bee-spaced bot-
tom-board, one side open for an entrance.
This bottom -board is simply a cover, as
shown in the engraving on page 189, with
the projecting shoulder of one of the end
cleats cut down so as to be made level with
the board itself for an entrance. A t-inch
strip is nailed on to close up the two sides.
As a result of this change, the cover-board
and bottom-board are exactly alike, except
that they are cleated a little differently, and
the bottom-board can be used as a cover, al-
though the cover can not be used to answer
the purpose of a bottom.

Fortunately it was not too late to change
the bee-space from the bottom of the frames
to the top. All who have sent for the Dove-
tailed hive will receive them with the bee-
space above the frames, and the bottom-
boards bee - spaced as before explained.
Perhaps it may seem a little strange that
we should think of abolishing thebee-space
in the first place. We had not then discov-
ered a feasible plan whereby the space could
be put above the frames, without an addi-
tional expense. In constructing this hive,
the one feature of economy has been kept
constantly in view, and we believe we have
succeeded, as many letters at hand testify.

HIVE-LIFTERS, AND CARRYING HIVES.

Some time ago I stated that we would give
something more on the matter of carrying
hives. In compliance with our request in
Gleanings, quite a number sent in de-
scriptions of the devices which they were
using for carrying hives ; but scarcely any
of them seemed practicable for carrying the
Simplicities or any other than some particu-
lar hive. They either cost too much or else
were complicated. Mr. J. H. Griffith, of
Kingsville. Ontario, Can., and G. L. Jones, *
of Grand Ridge, III., suggested a method of
lifting hives, which I have modified some-
what. The engravings above explain the
whole thing. It is simply a wire bail bent
in the form shown in the engraving at the
right, with hooks formed at the ends of the
wires. For convenience in handling, a neat

* Mr. Jones, in a letter, says he carried into the cel-
lar over 100 hives with such a device.

bail handle is formed into the bend. It is
very simple, and quickly made, and a pair
of them can be made at a cost not to exceed
25 cents. You will notice that they will
pick up not only the Simplicity hive it-
self, but the bottom-board also. The op-
eration of attachment is very simple ; push

WIRE BAIL FOR CARRYING HIVES.

the hooks into the soil, close to one side of
the bottom, catch the beveled edge of the
rim of the bottom-board, and the wire bail
is caught. The other bail is attached in a
similar manner. The apiarist can, either
with or without an assistant, now lift up the
hive. If the colony is a heavy one, and there
are many to be moved, it would be advisa-
ble, of course, to employ an assistant, as
shown in the right in the engraving above.
If, on the contrary, the hive is not a very
heavy one, he can, without very much diffi-
culty, handle it as shown at the left. Per-
haps it may be urged that it is almost as
handy to put the fingers under the bottom-
board ; but if you consider a moment, you
will see that it is not a very easy task
to lift a burden when the body is stoop-
ed clear over in an awkward position.
One can handle a much greater weight in
an upright or nearly upright position, as
shown in either of the figures above, than
he can when the body is inclined horizontal-
ly. But the bail is a greater convenience
when there are two to carry the hives, be-
cause then the palms of the hands are not
twisted out of their natural position. The
two figures were taken from a photograph.

To test these hive-carriers, Mr. Spafford
and I attached them successively to several
chaff hives, which, you are aware, are con-
siderably heavier than the ordinary Sim-
plicity. We found we could lift them with
ease, and carry them to any place desired.

As they can be used oh any hive with
tight or loose bottom-board, I think they
may prove a great help. The time is now
approaching when it will be necessary to
carry the bees out of the cellar ; and to ac-
commodate those who do not care to make
them, wre will furnish them for 28 cents per
pair, or 10 cents extra when sent by mail.

P. S.— Since writing the above I discover,
quite by accident, that one Wm. K. Deish-
er, of Kutztown, Pa., illustrated and describ-
ed something very similar in Gleanings
for 1883, page 607. ' Mr. D.*s implement was
made of f-inch iron, rather heavier than
necessary. That described above is made of
ordinary bail wire, such as is used foa pails.
Mr. K. says it is very handy, and that two
boys can carry even a chaff hive about with
ease.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CU LTURE.

235

Cleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly ,

JL.. X. EOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

IvfEIDISsT.^, OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For flatting Bates, See First Page of Heading Matter.

no apology for "inflicting" the readers of Glean-
ings with another article, but we want you to com-
mence saying what you have to say at once. Com-
plaints are already coming in because we are
using the "other fellow's" articles, not so meritori-
ous as some we haven't used. Please remember,
it is our privilege to be the judge, and that we do
fairly well is evidenced by our large and increas-
ing subscription list. Please remember, too, that
the circumstances are such that the rule of the
" survival of the fittest " can not always be ap-
plied, although we try to use the best.

IvCEJDinST-fiu, l^LJ^tt- 15, 1889.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which satistieth not?— ISA. 55:2.

THE "SCIENTIFIC LEGERDEMAIN" STORY AGAIN.

The " scientific legerdemain " story, see page 81,
now comes to us in the columns of the Reg ister, Troy,
Pa., and they copy it from a paper called the Wash-
ington Star. Will those of our readers who are ac-
quainted with either of the papers please call their
attention to our article alluded to above?

DIMENSIONS OF LANGSTROTH FRAMES— SEE P. 69.

Friend Alley asks why I should send to Mr.
Langstroth for dimensions of frame to the L. hive,
when I already had the dimensions in Langstroth's
book. It was not only the dimensions I asked for;
but I asked friend Langstroth, while he was visit-
ing Samuel Wagner, something like 25 years ago, to
send me a sample frame by express, just as he
would have the frame. I wanted to know the di-
mensions of the different pieces, the way in which
they were put together, the kind of nails to be
used, and all about it; and I wanted one made ac-
cording to his latest ideas in regard to the matter,
for the frame at that time had been already a good
many years before the public.

THE FRUIT-PRESS AND VEGETABLE-STRAINER AS A
HONEY-EXTRACTOR.

Oh dear me! 1 entirely forgot, in my description
on page 130, to mention that the above machine
would answer for pressing honey out of the comb.
In transferring from old box hives, if you have bits
of comb containing honey just squeeze the honey
out with the press, then put the wax in a bag by
itself, to be squeezed after boiling. We are in-
debted to our good friend Thomas B. Blow, of Eng-
land, for the suggestion. In fact, he calls it, in his
price list, the "honey-squeezer," and he says it is a
most useful article for the purpose. By the way,
friend Blow sends out a very complete and compre-
hensive catalogue, 65 pages,of bee-keepers' supplies.

GLEANINGS MATTER, AND SOMETHING FOR THOSE
WHOSE ARTICLES HAVEN'T BEEN PRINTED.

Before us is a great heap of Gleanings matter,
most of it excellent, and, as a matter of course, ac-
ceptable, but it hasn't appeared in Gleanings yet.
Why? because we haven't room, although our
journal is now enlarged to 44 pages. Many of the
communications show evidence of painstaking
care, but we fear only a small portion of them can
be used. We are going to try to use the best part
of them, however. If, therefore, you see the in-
troduction and the tail end of your carefully word-
ed and well-connected communication chopped off,
don't feel hurt. Flowery introductions and appro-
priate " windings up " are not acceptable. We want

THE SILO AND ENSILAGE, BY PROF. COOK.

The above is the title of a little book of 31 pages
of reading-matter, written in Prof. Cook's happiest
vein; in fact, while you read, those of you who
have heard him at our institutes can imagine you
hear the sound of his voice, and see the enthusiasm
shining from his face. I have long been wonder-
ing why we did not have a book on ensilage, and
one written by somebody who did not have the
machinery for sale. Prof. Cook recommends the
silo because he thinks it is going to be a great boon
for farmers; and, so far as I can learn, I think he is
right. The only criticism I have to make is the
one I made in regard to Dr. Miller's book— a lack of
engravings. I confess that I do not even now
understand how the foundation of the silo is made,
and I have read it several times over, while a sim-
ple rude drawing or diagram would make it plain to
a busy laboring man, without taking much time or
mental effort. I sincerely hope we may have a re-
vised edition soon, with some pictures. The price
of the book is 25 cts., and the size of the pages is 3Y2
x 5!4. If more convenient you can order from us
instead of from the author.

AIR-SLACKED LIME, IN CONNECTION WITH MA-
NURE, AS A FERTILIZER.

Until last season we had always had more or
less trouble with club foot in our cabbages, and I
began to feel considerably worried about it. Peter
Henderson tells us, however, in his book, " Garden-
ing for Profit," that lime or bone dust has proven
to be a sure remedy with him. Now, inasmuch as
we had seen club foot on some little plants in our
plant-beds over the " new agriculture," we decided
to give these beds a good dose of lime. Well, one
day, when I was not around, the boys decided that
they could kill two birds with one stone by raking
in the guano and lime at one operation. When
they came to mix the two together, however, with
a sieve, their olfactories were greeted with fumes
of ammonia that were almost like a dose from a
smelling-bottle. However, they sifted the mixture
over the ground and raked it in, and said nothing
about it. When those cabbage-plants came up they
had such wonderful vigor, and such a rich dark
green, that I made quite a stir about it, and asked
for further particulars as to the amount of guano,
and how they did it. Then came out the above
story. We tried it again with like results. I com-
municated the matter to W. J. Green, of our Ex-
periment Station, Columbus, and he advised me
not to put it in print until it had been more
thoroughly tested. He succeeded in the same way,
by mixing pulverized and sifted poultry manure
with lime instead of guano. No club foot has ever
appeared in our plant-beds since we adopted the
above. But this is not all. Last fall, our neighbor,
who deals in lime for plasterers' use, informed me

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

that he had forty or fifty barrels that had become
so much air-slacked by the damp weather that he
would sell it out to me cheap. By the aid of a ma-
nure-spreader we covered our richly manured lots
with the lime until it looked white. We immediate-
ly harrowed it in and put on cabbages. The result
has been good every time. The lime seems to have
a remarkable effect in setting free the ammonia
from stable or other manure so that it is available
to the plants. But my impression is, that lime
alone, without any manure, amounts to but little
as a fertilizer. Now, besides liberating the ammo
nia it has another office. Our heavily manured
soil is full of angleworms; in fact, I have been
troubled because it seemed to me they must owe
their fatness and great size to the rich manure I
have been buying around town. Well, in the fall
we gave several plots a heavy dressing with slack-
ed lime, and then plowed it into lands with deep
dead-furrows between, to carry off the winter rains,
so we could work it quickly in the spring. Well,
after the first good rain, great fat angle- worms
were found in those dead-furrows, dead, in such
quantities that they could have been gathered up
by the handfuls. The lime killed them. They
crawled out in the dead-furrows; and the lime
water, as it washed down, fixed them in good shape
to give off their ammonia. This matter is already
partly understood, as I have already noticed by the
agricultural papers; but I am quite certain that it
is not fully understood and appreciated in plant-
beds and in greenhouses.

OBITUARY.

We are pained to announce that Mr. Wm. H.
Shane, who has been, perhaps, the most prominent
raiser of comb honey in Medina Co., died on the 7th
inst. Shortly after 1 succeeded in securing such
large crops of honey by the use of the extractor, as
mentioned in the introduction to the A B C book,
Mr. Shane became interested in bees, visited me
repeatedly, and asked me so many questions that T
began to think that, if he remembered all my an-
swers, he would know all I knew, any way. He was
an earnest student, and soon became master of al-
most all that was known on the subject of bees.
From the first he secured profitable crops of honey.
Last season, and the season before, were no excep-
tions. Mr. Shane had a nice crop of honey, put up
in beautiful shape, when almost every other bee-
keeper in the land failed. While we lament his
death, we rejoice to know that, like friend Raitt,
while he loved his bees he loved his Savior more;
and when the call came he was ready to go.

We now have Dadant's Langstroth Revised, and
can send them out by return mail. Price $2.00.
By freight or express, 15 cts. less.

160 SIMPLICITY ALL-WOOD BROOD-FRAMES FOB

$1.75, AT HIGHLAND MILLS, ORANGE CO.,

NEW YORK.

Here is a chance for some one in that vicinity.
Who speaks first?

POULTRY NETTING AND FENCING.

We call the attention of our readers to our ad-
vertisement of netting and fencing, on the inside
cover page of this number. Notice that prices are
still lower than last year. We shall be pleased to
mail a special 16-page netting and fencing cata-
logue to any one requesting it.

REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OP THE FIVE-PRONGED
GARDEN-WEEDER.

LiThe above implement is now furnished for 10
cents instead of 15, as formerly. If wanted by
mail, add 7 cents for postage and packing. These
are retinned, to prevent rusting, and we think it
pays to have half a dozen of them hung up in con-
venient places about our grounds.

CHOICE COMB HONEY AT 18 CTS. PER LB.

We have about 100(1 lbs. of very choice comb honey
in 4&x43£ sections. 7 to foot, put up 28 sections in a
case, ne1 weigh! of which is about 23 lbs. We offer
it in single-case lots for 19 cts. per lb.; 5-case lots or
more, 18 cts. per lb. It was produced by our neigh-
bor W. H. Shane, who has so recently passed to his
eternal reward.

12-INCH FDN. MILL FOR SALE IN CANADA.

We have at Cheltenham, Ont., one of our late 12-
inch fdn. mills, sent from here a year ago, and has
been used almost none. It is just as good as when
new. We will sell it for $30.00. The duty on mills
to Canada is 30 ;,'., so you will make a saving of$9.00
by buying this machine, besides the transporta-
tion charges from here there. Who will be the
first to speak for it?

DISCOUNTS FOR GARDEN SEEDS, POTATOES, ETC.

As we are beginning now to sell a good many
more seeds by ounces, pounds, pecks, and bushels,
than formerly, we have decided to make the follow-
ing discounts on large orders. But please bear in
mind that this does not apply to five-cent packages
of seeds. For all else in our seed catalogue we will
allow a discount of 5 per cent on all orders of $5.00
or over; 10 per cent on all orders of $10.00 or over;
15 for 15 or over; 20 for 20, and so on up to 25 per
cent off for $25.00 worth or any larger quantity. In
consequence of the great plenty of nice potatoes in
our vicinity at the present time, we will, from this
date on, allow a discount of 5 cts. per peck, or 25 cts.
per bushel from prices given in our seed catalogue.

Later.— Since the above was written we have pur-
chased two large lots of Burbank and Beauty of
Hebron potatoes, suitable for seed, which we offer
at 50 cts. per single bushel, or only 40 cts. in lots of
five bushels or more.

OUR MARCH 1ST CATALOGUE, 68TH EDITION.

This has been increased in size to 4-1 pages by the
addition of a rose-colored cover, thus giving room
for more matter, and adding to its appearance a
little more attractiveness. A careful observer will
notice a great many changes over former editions,
especially in the matter of hives. There are very
few changes in prices, except in the Counter Store
department, to which are also added a great many
new cuts. Three pages relating to hives are en-
tirely re-written, also the matter relating to sec-
tions; likewise that relating to circular saws, hive
and section machinery. Our $25.00 saw-table is ad-
vanced to $30.00. Thin flat-bottom fdn. is reduced
to 55 cts. per lb., and where it is taken in 25-lb. box-
es the price is only 50 cts., and we furnish Vandu-
sen's make, in sheets 16*4 x 28, or 17 x 30. We shall
be pleased to mail this catalogue to any of our
readers requesting it; and if you have any bee-
keeping friends and neighbors we will mail them a
copy also, if you add to your request their name
and address.

CLEVELAND'S ALASKA PEA.

I thought 1 had got through for the season men-
tioning all new things in the way of garden-seeds;
but a notice of the Alaska pea, by our good friend
A. C. Kendel, has reminded me of something:

The A. B. Cleveland Co. Cleveland. Ohio. June 26.

Gentlemen:— In reply to yours* of the 23:1. we would say the
Alaska peas were given to a number of our most careful
growers, and the reports are as follows : Planted at the same
time, and on equal quality of soil, the Alaskas in every in-
starn i were from two to four days earlier than any other
variety, and were as good as any in quality. We predict for
the Alaska a leading place among the lirst early peas.

A. C. Kendel.

See also the following from the originator of the
Chartier radish :

Allegheny City, Pa.

1 made two personal trials of Alaska peas this season— an
early and a late sowing, and in both eases with similar results.
In my trials 1 planted them with Landreth's Extra Early. First
and Bist, and Rural New Yorkers. In habit I find them of
about the same height as the very extra-early varieties, but
more slender in the stalks, and lighter green in foliage. They
are in bloom nearly a week earlier than the others, and ma-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

237

tured fouk days soonek. Crop all came in at two days' pick-
ing'. Slightly more prolific than tin* others; quality very good.

W. C. Bkckert.

In addition to the above we raised the finest
patch of peas last year by sowing the Alaskas, that
I ever saw or ever raised anywhere. They ripened
up so nearly at one time that we cleared the ground
at once and put cabbages in their place; intact,
the crop matured so suddenly— so much all at one
time— that we were obliged to take itin wagonloads
to towns to dispose of it. In tact, we had bad
luck with peas, just about as we had bad luck with
early pototoes. Did 1 never tell you about our baa
luck with potatoes? Well, we expected 25 bushels
from a little patch, and got over 100. We had so
many Alaska peas that we could not sell them in
Medina, and we could not sell them in the country
towns, and so they went to seed, and we have now
several bags full of beautiful seed— no bugs nor
any thing of the sort. The pods are remarkable for
their fine dark-green color, and this color holds lon-
ger after they have been picked than any other pea
we have ever tried. Price, per packet, 5 cts.; per
pint, 10 cts ; per peck, $1.50; per bushel, $5.00. If
wanted by mail, add 8 cts. per pint for postage.

PBICE LISTS RECEIVED.

C. I>. Duvall. Spencerville. Hi., sends us a 12 -page list of hees.
queens, poultry, potatoes, and buckwheat.

G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, Ohio, sends us his price list
of hives, sections, hees, etc.

C. M. Dixon. Parrish, 111 , sends out an 8-page list of poultry
and bee-supplies.

J. T. Wilson, Little Hickman, Ky., mails us his list of Italian
queens.

S. S. Jordan. Hiramsburg, <>., sends us an 8-page list of bees,
poultry, and ferrets.

W. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn., sends us his 20-page list of api-
arian supplies.

We have just printed for A. F. Bright. Mazeppa, Minn., a 16-
page price list of poultry, bees, etc.

H. P. Langdon, East Constable, N. Y., mails us a 4-page price
list of bees and queens.

W. W. Bliss. Duarte, Cat. sends us his list of bee-keeping
supplies, printed in the shape of a newspaper column, 3 x 38.

J. Lingenfelter, Akin, N. Y.. sen is us a 12-page list of queens
and bees.

John Xebel & Son, High Hill, Mo.. s;-nd ns their price list of
Italian bees and queens.

S. P. Yoder, East Lewistown, O., sends out a list of poultry
and Italian bees.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

30th and 21st, 1889. Come and bring your friends with you, as
great preparations have been made for this meeting. The
president of the O. B. K. A. will be present.

N. Smith. Secretary.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

One second-hand Barnes saw with scroll attach-
ment, in good order. One large Pelham fdn. mill,
but little used ; 300 good combs in L. frames.
6-7d GEO. E BOGGS, Wayuesville, N. C.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

t7"In responding to this advertisement mention Glka.m.vgs.

PflRNQ A SURE CURE. 15c, prepaid. Address
OUnnO 5-12db T. G. Ashmead, Williamson, N. Y.

^vTrgin queensT

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in "Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Vamulian
Bee 'Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(either renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen i value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the'season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES 00., BEETON, ONTABIO, CAN.

LSTl.i responding to this ttdvcitj emeut mention Gi.kaninos.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos,-Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Oct.

Select tested $4 00 $3 75 S3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 175 150

Untested 125 1(0 1 01)

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

12 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5-21db .1. P. CALDWELL. San Marcos, Tex.

Cyin responding to this advertisement mention Ulkamngs.

THE EEVISED LAl'OSTEOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

flflTATnCC Four choice new varieties,

VUIHIULO. SUMMIT, FEAENAUGHT, DELAWARE,
■ and POOTATUCE, 40 eyes of each, postpaid $1.00.
I have mailed potato-eyes as far as Wash. Ter., and
never had a report of failure. A collection of EAEE
SEEDS, postpaid, 30c. Send now for catalogue of
SEEDS, PLANTS, BEES, and QUEENS. 5-6-7d

CHRISTSAN WECKESSER,
Nlarshalville, Wayne Co., Ohio.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NO. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, #1 50; No. 4, $125;
No. 5, $1.00; No. 6, $.65: Knife, $1.15. On receipt
of the above price, smokers and knives will be
sent postpaid per mail. Descriptive circulars will
be sent on receipt of request card. Bingham &
Hetherington smokers and knives are staple tools,
and have been used ten years without complaint,
and are the only stovewood-burning clear smoke
bee-smokers; no giving out, no fussing, no going
out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

' ■ i — i. .inn: to l !i . advertisement mention RLKANINQS.

'OR SALE.— 50 colonies of Italian bees, in Lang-
stroth hives, cheap. Write for prices.
6-7d J. Mattoon, Atwater, O.

EGGS. Minorca and P. Rock. This yard headed by
a 1034-lb. first-premium bird, $1.00 per 13. Vege-
table plants in season by mail or express.

(id R. J. Townsend, Sassafras, Md.

IMnilCTDIAI Hives and Apiarian Supplies.
lilUUOiniHL pUre I. Queens, Bees, S. C. B.
Leghorns, Bronze Turkeys, Toulouse Geese, and
M. G. Carp. Free list. J. W. CLARK,

5-9db Clarksburg, Mo.

EARLY Untested Italian Queens, 75c. each.
6d Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

BEES FOR SALE!

Colonies, Nuclei,
Queens (Tested and
Untested), at living
rates. Send for cir-
cular and price list to

C. C.VAUGHN Si CO.,
Columbia, Tenn.

Gash for Beeswax!

Will pay 20c per lb. cash, or 23c in trade for any
quantity of good, fair, average beeswax, delivered
at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those
who wish to purchase, at 27c per lb., or 30c for best
selected wax.

Unless j'ou put your name on the box, and notify
us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself
responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen-
eral thing to send wax by express.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

288

GLEA NLNGS W BEE CULTURE.

Mar.

o<IMew Orleans Apiary>

Early Queen Orders booked now for Ttalian or
Carniolans. Warranted purely mated and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. Address
4tfdb J. W. WINDER, New Orleans, La.

l/lFFin pftDU This new grain, which has recent-
I\Mrrin OUllIll lyb.ua introduced into the United

States 1'roiu Africa, la certainly oueofthemustcurious anduitc-
ful ever grown in this country. Its enormous productiveness and
great value as food for poultry can hardly be estimated. It is also
highly valuable as a forage plant, well adapted fur dry climates.
Seed, with directions for growing, post-paid, large pkt. 10c,
>^-pound 20c, pound 60c One pound will plant half an acre.
CLKUMU 1XTEGKIFOLIA, or MEXICAN HONEY
PLANT— The seed of this magnificent plant Is highly prized
for young chicks, pigeons, and birds. But its most valuable
qualities are its wonderful honey-producing properties.
A splendid plant or bush 6 feet high, with acuntiuuous bloom
of beautiful pink flowers, resembling the Prairie Rose. Kach petal
has its drop of honey, sparkling likedew drops in the morn-
ing sun. Single colonies of bees have gained 9 pounds of honey
a day from this beautiful plant. Liberal pkt., with directions
for culture, 20c, 6 for $1 ; one packet each of the above novel-
ties for 25c Our beautiful 144-page Catalogue with each order
Address Samuel Wilson, Mechanlcsvllle, Bucks Co., Pa.
S3TIii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Eaton's Improved

SECTION CASZ.

Bees and Queens. Send for
free catalogue Address
FRANK A. EATON,

5-16db mull (on, Ohio.

advertisement mention Gleanings.

(Snu responding to th

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and fu'1 colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Nlurfreesboro, Tenn.

IHyin responding to this advertisement mention (5 LEANINGS.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HTOT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
414x414 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

tSTln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

HONEY,BEES.nuEENS.SUPPLIES.

OLIVER FOSTER, WIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

4^1 C PER CENT DISCOUNTS IN FEB.
afl0O *ND MARCH! On Queens, Bees,
^•"~ Apiarian Supplies, Japanese Buck-
wheat, and Seed Potatoes (20 varieties). Send
for catalogue giving full particulars.

CHAS. D. DUVALL,
3-6db Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

~S AVE FREIGHT.

HIV VOIR sri' PLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers. Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
■mi. n, Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

IF. E. Clark's Improved Hinge-Nozzle Ouinby

Smoker. The Rest Smoker Made.
Oriskany, - Oneida Co., - New York

3-14db 8S~ Merit ion Gleanings.

SEGTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

PATENTED

For putting together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to vour supply dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention wi.kanings.

THE • BEST • HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

If you need any hives don't fail to send for my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and think
I have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
3tdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

I ^"lu responding to this advertisement mention ulkanim;s.

LOOK OUT !

One of the best bee locations in the Fruit Belt of
Michigan. Small fruit-farm (44 acres) to sell— Bees
and " fixings " cheap. For particulars address

J. O. SHEARMAN,

New Richmond, - 3-fidb - Michigan.

M OYER'S FKUIT-PICKER. for apples, peaches, plums,
etc., $ 1.5ii. Great inducements, and exclusive ter-
ritory to agents. Send for illust'tl circular and price
list. A. Metzi.eh, East Lewistown. Ohio. 5 6d

ON 30 DAYS' TRIAL.

THIS NEW

1ELASTIC TRUSS

'Has a Pad different from all
others, is cup shape, with Self-
adjusting Ball in center, adapts
itself to all positions of the body, while
thebal'inthe cup. presses back

w the intestines lust. as aper-

Bon does with the finger, wuulight pressure
the Hernia is held securely day and night, and a ; radical
cure certain. Itiseasy. durabloand cheap. Sentby mail
Circulars free. EG0LESTOH TuUSS CO. , Chicago, Ilk

IL#"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

243

Contents of this Number.

After-swarms 288

Altilaria

Attire for the Apiary

Bees iu Town

Bees, Diseased

Bees, Purchasing

Hee-caves

Blacks vs. Italians

Brood-chambers, Size of.
Chaff around Brood nest,.

Circulars Received

Clover, Alsike, in Drouth. .

Colony, The Starving

Columbus Exhibit

editorial

Ernest's Kamble

Exhibits at Fairs

Extractor. Non-reversing. .
Frames, No. Used . (Q. B I
Frames, Hanging... (Q. B.)
Frames, Bearings. ..(Q. B.)

Gauge, The Parallel

Heads of Grain

Heart 's-ease

Hetherington's History. - .

Hives, Cost of

"Hives. Large or Small . .259
Hive for Comb Homy
Honey in Paper Packages.

Honey Yield

House-flies

Mice in Hives

Out-apiaries, Colonies in. .

Ramble No. 13

Reports Encouraging

Rubliers. Thwarting

Saliva. Function of

Sea son, Pred cting

Smoker-lighters

Sorghum for Bees

Start, T<> Make a

Swarming Without Queen.
Sweet Potatoes, All About.

Tarantula a Jumper

Territory. Exclusive

Waste Felt vs. Chaff

Wa x-moths

Willow for Honey

Wings of Insects

Workers from Large Cells.

Italian Bees and Queens.

Tested queen, $ 1.5"; untested, $1.25. Bees, per
lb., $1.00. Frame of brood, 50 cts. : 3-frame nucleus,
containing 254 lbs. of bees, 2 L. frames of brood and
tested queen, ft 50. Queens reared from imported
mother. Mismated queens, 50 cts. each. Send card
for price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

7 8d Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co , Til.

i in responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

50 Colonies of Bees for Sale.

In order to reduce my stocks. Same are Italians,
in L. hives, with combs built on foundation mostly
wired. Price $5.00 per colony. Will ship as early
as weather will permit, and guarantee safe arrival.
ADOLPH VANDEREIRE,
7d Lake Mills, Jefferson Co., Wis.

Apr. 1. For 60 Days. 1889.

We have on hand a large stock of one-piece sec-
tions, which are first class. To reduce stock we
will name very low prices for the next 60 days, in
any size lots from 1000 to 100,000 or more. Save
money by letting- us know what you want. Other
supplies to correspond in price. Price list free.
7tfdb SMITH & SMITH,

Mention Gleanings. Kenton, Hardin Co., O.

IF like begets like, then I know you will like my
well-/ /feed Brown Leghorns. Eggs, $1.00 per 13;
$1 50 per 26. Price list free. A. F. Bright,

7tfdb Mazeppa, Minn.

PURE ITALIAN BMIfiOllS.

Full colonies and nuclei, per frame, 60c. Tested

queens, $2 00; after June 1, $1.50. Untested queens.

$1.00; after J une 1, 75c. Remit by postoffice money

order, registered letter, or draft on New York. For

' any other information, address

C. W. JONES & CO.,
4-9db Bryant Station, Maury Co., Tenn.

1889. Italian taTM.

Having moved 8 miles from Nicholasville to a
better location for bees, I will continue to raise
queens, and more extensively than formerly. I will
have the very best of Italians only. Select tested
queens, in April, $3.00; May, $2.50; June, $2.00;
July 1 to Nov. 1, $1.50. Queens warranted purely
mated, $1.00; 6 for $5.00. Make money orders paya-
ble at Nicholasville. Send for circular.

Address J. T. WILSON,

4-5tfd Little Hickman, Jess. Co., Ky.

.a responding to this advertisement mention (Cleaning;.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT. Per bu., $1.50;
per Vi bu., 80 cts.; per peck, 50 cts. By freight or
pxpress, not prepaid. J. F. Hixon,

7<J Sir Johns Run, Morgan Co., W. Va.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

If you are ever annoved by the scraping and breaking of combs;
killing bees when setting' a frame to one side, or hanging it in
the hive; sagging at the bottom and getting waxed fast; shak-
ing about when moving a hive; in short, it you dislike to pry
and wrench your frames, break combs, and kill bees while
handling them, you will be pleased with this hive.
VERY CONVENIENT. ACENTS WANTED.
C For "1st Principles in Bee Culture. " It tells how to Divide,
Transfer. IntroducerQueens, Feed, Unite, Stop Robbing, Ac,
Money returned upon return of book, if you are not satisfied
C^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONSrETC.

WE make the best bee hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4}4x4 M sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.

JEP~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2 00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

G^"In responding i" this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind. ; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyyille, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant "Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.: G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois ^ Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb.. E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus. Neb.; O.G.Collier,
Fairburv. Neb.; CD. Battev, Peterboro,«3Iadison
Co., N. Y; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
to sample in every rexpect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

CHAS. DADANT & SON,

Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

t3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

One second-h»nd Barnes 'saw with soroll attach-
ment, iu good order. One large Pelham fdn. mill,
but little used ; 300 good combs in L. frames.
6-7d GEO. E. BOGGS, Waynesville, N. C.

244

GLEANLNUS IJSf BEE CULTURE.

Al'R.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

3tfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED! Bee-Help. Will engage on favorable
terms two young men, desirous of learning
practical apiculture. None but strictly temperate
need apply. S. I. Freeborn, Ithaca. Wis. 4-7db

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Keeinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange my new price list of
pure Italian bees and Poland-China swine for
your name and address written plainly on a postal
card. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co., O. 5678d

WANTED.— To exchange early Italian queens for
10-inch foundation- mill, Novice extractor, and
supplies. Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
6-7d .

WANTED.— A situation with some apiarist. I
understand theory, experience limited.
Agreements on addressing F. S. Feeks,

6-7d 1004 Lamine St., Sedalia, Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange for thin or heavy founda-
tion, or offers, queens or nuclei, one-story
Simplicity hives. Send for price list.

Mrs. Oliver Cole, Sherburne, Chenango Co.,
N. Y. Chenango Valley Apiary. 6tfdb

WANTED.— To exchange Plym. Rock cockerels
from Sugar Grove thoroughbred-poultry farm,
Pitkin & Kilpatrick strain, at $1.50 each, for bees
by the pound. Correspondence solicited. 7-8d

W. H. Swigart, Dixon, III.

WANTED.— To exchange new 6-inch Root fdn.
mill, cost $13.00. Will exchange for 55 pounds
g-ood wax. Correspondence solicited.
7d Leahy & Co., Higginsville, Mo.

WANTED.— The address of 1000 bee-keepers.
Send, plainly written, on postal card.

W. E. Gould, Fremont, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a Kelly duplex corn-
grinder, No. 3, for a Barnes foot-power saw
combined, or for foundation-mill, or for foundation.
7-8d Lee Beagle, Thornville, Ohio.

WANTED.— Two active young men to work in
apiary; good chance to learn the business.
References required. Address W. D. Wright,
7d Altamont, Alb. Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange Vanderwort foundation
for any quantity of nice yellow beeswax.
7-8d B. Chase, Earlville, Madison Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange new 4 H. P. horrizontal
engine for bees. Give me a call it must go. 7-8d
J. B. Overocker, Box 47, Melrose, Rens' Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange one Acme harrow, No.
10, new, for a good Poland-China brood sow.
7d Luther Purdy, Killbuck, Holmes Co., Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange, a first-class violin,
cheap at $50,00, for a foot-power lathe. It must
be iron, and in good order. D. S. Bassett,

7tfdb Farnumsville, Worcester Co., Mass.

WANTED.— Untested Italian queens, for which 1
wish to exchange eggs from choice pure-bred
P. Rocks, at the rate of nine eggs per queen. 7-8d
A. F. Loomis, Hartwellville, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat for
a Novice honey-extractor, new, or nearly as
prood as new; $1.50 per bushel. R. Robinson,
7d Laclede, Fayette Co., 111.

YT7 ANTED.— To exchange one ten inch Root fdn.
VV mill; has been used but one year, also 30 feet of
6-inch rubber belt, forbees or bee-papers' supplies.
7tfdb Thomas Gedge, Kangley, LaSalle Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange 400 brood-combs in L.
frames, and 300 combs in half L. frames (half
depth), valued at 10 cts. each.
7-8d Miss Delly Reynolds, Sonora, Ky.

SC. B. Leghorns: S.L.Wyandotte, and P. Ducks,
. 15 eggs, $1.00, in exchauge lor bee-supplies,
raspberry and strawberry plants, or beeswax.
7-8d Geo. A. Wright, Glen wood, Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat for
Pekan ducks, or eggs, Wyandotte eggs. Bee-
supers for L. Hive, and Italian queens. Address
7-8d A. J. Shepard, Walker, Linn Co., Iowa.

j. w. k. siot § ce.,

Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

We have, ready for mailing, 1011 large, light, test-
ed Italian queens, imported mother, Sept. and Oct.,
1888, rearing, very fine, at SI 50 each. Untested,
$1.00; per doz., $10.00. Send for circular. Money
orders, New Iberia, La. 7 8d

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

J. F0RNCR00K & CO.,

MANUFACTURERS OF THE

BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

WILL furnish you. the coming season, ONE-
PIECE SECTIONS as cheap as the cheapest.
WRITE FOR PRICES.
Watertown, Wis., Jan. 1, 1889. 1-11

|£^"ln responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Term.

tSTIn responding to t lii^ iidvertiseme

iiion Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

cheaper rra^viv EVEH.
Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

WHITE: Wyandotte and Houdan Cocker-
els, very choic. mid strictly pure. Have
more than I can use. Will box and ship for $2.W
each— just half price. Eggs for hatching. 10 cts.
each; 40 or more, 6 cts. each; or will exchange for
bee-supplies. Jas. Evans,

6tfdb Box 89, Schaghticoke, N. J.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULT HUH.

245

I ARISE to say to the

readers of Gleanings that
UOOL1TTLG has conclud-
ed to sell BEES and
QUEENS in their season,
during 1889, at the following-
prices:

One colony Italians, on
nine Gallup frames,
inligbtshipping-box$ 7 00

Five colonies 30 00

Ten colonies .. 50 00

One untested queen .. 1 00
Three untested queens 2 00
One untested queen
reared by natural

swarming- 150

Three ditto 3 00

One tested queen 2 00

Three tested queens.. 4 00

One tested queen by natural swarming 3 00

Three ditto 6 00

Tested queens, 1888 rearing, each 4 00

Extra selected, for breeding, two years old. . . . 10 00
About a pound of bees in a two-frame nucleus
with any queen for $2.00 extra.

Circular free, giving full particulars regarding
each class of queens. Address

G. OT. OOOL.ITTL.E,
7d Borodino, Onondaga Co., N. Y.

CWIn responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

C- M. DIXON^

Parrish, Franklin Co., XII.,

—MANUFACTURER OF—

BEE-KIVB^ § gUPPItlEg

New shop and new machinery. Send for my
sixth annual price list, free. C. M. DIXON.

Mention Gleanings. 7-8-9d

Beautiful Laced Wyandottes.

Eggs tor Hatching, i$1.00 for 13; $2.00
tor 30. Orders Booked Now.

J. W. GKISWOLD, ROSE, WAYNE CO., N. Y.

17nr» QqIo Barnes foot-power circular saw;
r Ul OcllC price, delivered to cars, $27.00;
with scroll-saw, $32.00. It is all in perfect order, as
good as new. D. S. BASSETT,

7-8d Farnumsville, Worcester Co., Mass.

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and BADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

Choice Italian Queens !

Tested, $1.50; untested, .$1.00.' None but pure Ital-
ians in our apiary.

Brood Foundation 43 cts. per lb. Foundation
for sections, 55 cts. per lb. 7d

Misses S. & M. Barnes, Piketon, Ohio.

T 13 It II -I It \ H I NUCLEI, with tested queen,
pure Italian, $3 50. Heady May 15th. •
789d D. B. Lovett, Crestline, Crawford Co., O.

T-f Vnil W^Ylt Ful1 value ror your money
aa A \jw VV dill; y0U should see my catalogue
before purchasing. Japanese buckwheat, $1.75 per
bushel; 2() varieties of potatoes. Bees, queens, and
supplies at low rates. Chas. D. Duvall.

7tfdb Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

LOOK HERE!

After the 15th of May I will send strong 3-frame
nuclei of Italian bees on L. wired frames, queen
and all, for $2.50 each. Safe arrival guaranteed.

7-8d DAN WHITE, New London, Ohio.

Minnesota Ahead!

We are selling L. hives with T supers for 55c, and
brood-frames for $1.00 per hundred. Send for cir-
cular before ordering elsewhere. 7-10db
Wm. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn.

THERE! I TOLD YOU SO!

Not that the cow would eat the
grindstone, but that A. F.
Bright's strain of Italian bees
and Brosvn Leghorns would be in
demand, both North and South.
Just nod at him (with a postal
card) and he will send you his
nice illustrated catalogue, and
write you a letter too— he did me.
Address

A. F. BRIGHT,

7tfdb IVIazepjm, Minn.

this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ITALIAN QUEENS for the season of 1889. Test-
ed, $1.00; untested, 75 cts. After May 15, 60 cts.
Bees, per lb., 75 cts. Ferrets, 50 cts. per pair.
Safe arrival. C. C. Kirkman,

7d Redallia, Pitt Co., N. C.

^^EMOVElT $^

To Pla-fc-fcsraowfcls., ITebraslsa.
3-frame Nucleus Colonies a Specialty, $2.50 each.

7tfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

FOUNBATION and HIVES for sale at Root's
prices. E. K. Miller,

7-9d (harden City, Cass Co., Mo.

Fresh-Made Foundation !

I am still in the wax business, and will sell at
these prices :

Heavy foundation, per lb 32c

Thin " " " 42c

Wax worked— heavy, per lb 8c

" " thin, " " 15c

7tfdb J. V. CALDWELL, Cambridge, 111.

t^lii responding to this advertisement mention '

Comb P'ovixi.cla'fciori-

AND OTHER

Apiarian. S-upplies.

Send for a price list. Address
7d Jas. A. Nelson, Muncie, Kan.

THOROUGHBRED White P. Rock, W. Wyan-
dotte eggs, $1.50 per 13; L. Brahma, P. Rock,
L. Wyandotte, W. and B. Leghorn eggs, $1.00
per 13. Italian Queens, reared on the Doolittle
plan, select tested, in May, $3.00; June, $2.50. War-
ranted, May, $1.25; June, $1.00.

C. H. WATSON,
7-12db Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa.

iWln responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE.

Fifty colonies of Italian bees in 10-frame Lang-
stroth hives, at $5.00 per stand; 10 per cent off for
more than one stand. John Grand,

7-lldb Batavia, Clermont Co., O.

For Sale at a Bargain.

Bees from one to one hundred colonies, 8-f . L. hives;
7d S. Coulthard, Shelby, Oceana Co., Mich.

STOCKBRIDGE'S

Simplicity Hive, Sections, Frames,

Smokers, Comb Foundation, etc.

Send for price list. Address

CHAS. A. STOCKBBIBGE,

Mention Gleaninus. 7tfdb Fort Wayne, Ind.

1872. One Dollar 1889.

Tested Italian Queens. Progeny large, well
marked, and fine honey-gatherers. Orders filled as
early in May as weather permits. Select testPd, un-
tested, nuclei, bees, etc., at low prices. Send for
price list. C. OT. HICKS,

7-9-lld Fairview, Wash. Co., Md.

2411

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Al'li.

JJ0NEY (30MOT.

CITY MARKETS.

Milwaukee. Honey. — Honey in fair demand.
Best 1-lb. sections, white, TT@18; second same, lt>@
IT; best 1-lb., dark, 15@16; second same, 14@15. If
damaged and leaky, 10@,12>4. Extracted, in bbls.,
white, 8@854: in halt'-bbls., 8%@9. Amber, in half-
bbls., 7(S7»4; dark, in same, 6@6l/2; white, in tin and
kegs, 9@9*4. Beeswax.— Nominal, 21 (g 22.

Mar. 26. A. V. Bishop.

Milwaukee, Wis.

St. Louis.— Honey.— There is some demand for
choice white-clover comb honey in 1-lb. sections,
which is hard to supply, as there is none on the
market. It would sell readily at 15. Common comb
and extracted honey is plentiful; comb, l(!(oil3. Ex-
tracted, in bbls., 4'2(rt6, as to quality; cans, 5lA@V/2,
as to quality; cans, 5£®754, as to quality.
Beeswax, 21@22. W. B. Westcott & Co.,
Mar. 22. St. Louis, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— No change worthy of note
from our last quotations. There is now no over-
production by any means, nor an overstocking of
the market. Demand is slow for all kinds of honey,
and prices low. We quote extracted honey at 5@8
on arrival; comb honey at 12@15, in the jobbing
way. Beeswax is in good demand, and brings 20@22
on arrival for good to choice yellow.

Mar. 21. Chas. P. Muth,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Boston.— Honey.— Our market is very short of
fancy white honey, and sales are good. We quote:
Fancy one-pound, 18@20. Same two-pound. 17'" is.
Extracted, 8@9. Beeswax, 24.

Mar. 22. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

New York.— Honey. -There is no demand, except
for dark extracted, of which supplies are small.
Comb honey is all sold. We quote extracted Cali-
fornia honey at 73.i(g'81/4. Basswood, 8(3)9. Cuban,
in bbls., Gl2- Beeswax.— Yellow, 24; halt white, for
foundation, 28. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co.,

Mar. 22. New York City.

Albany.— Honey. — Market about over for this
season, with very little stock and very little de-
mand. We advise bee-keepers to use 2i-pound sec-
tions; not only increases prices, but causes much
greater consumption. H. R. Wright,

Mar. 22. Albany, N. Y.

.St. Louis.— Honey.— Market unchanged. Could
sell some in barrels at Ql/2@Hi. Beenwax, prime, 21.
Mar. 22. D. G. Tutt GRO. < '<>.,

St. Louis, Mo.

Kansas City.— Honey. -Honey is in fair demand.
1-lb. comb, 15; 2-lb., 13. Extracted, 8.
Mar. 22. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Kansas City, Mo.

Detroit. -Honey.— Prices are somewhat lower;
best honey in one-pound sections selling at 15@16.
Extracted, 8@9, in tin cans. Beeswax, 22@23.

Mar. 22 M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich.

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOI It SUPPLIES NEAR HOME.

Shipping facilities good. Send for price list of
every thing needed in the apiary. 7tfdb

C. P. BISH, St. Joe Station, Butler Co., Pa.

Bees! BeesT Bees! Yes, Bees!

Bees by the pound. Italian queens and LOO
swarms of Italian bees for sale. Hives in Hat. 40
cents each. Sections, one-piece, $3.25 per 1000. Ev-
ery thing needed iti the bee-business, at rock-bot-
toni prices. Send for price list and discount sheet
for 1889. IS. E. SMITH,

7d Box 72, Tilbury Center, Ont., Can.

1000 Lbs. Bees with Queens and Brood,

Bee Supplies, Honey, &c. Price List Free.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

Mention QUanvngs. 7-lOdb

ITarniolai^ueens

From imported mothers Untested queens, $1.00;
tested queens, $2.00. j. B. KLINE'S APIARY,

7-10db Topeka, Kansas.

OH! RING THE BELLS!

OH! RING THE BELLS! THE MODEL B. HIVE 00.

is coming to town with the IVew Jersey Bcc-
Hive, Nicest, Cheapest, Handiest, and Best;

most complete 1^-story movable-comb hive in use.
Takes L. frames crosswise. Thousands of them
sold side by side of leading hives. Price $2.50. Par-
ticulars and testimonials upon application.

GREAT SCOTT!

Bee-Keepers, Look Here ! Brand-new, bright,
fresh, clean, and pure brood comb foundation, 38
cts. per lb. Address

7d Model B. Kive Co., W. Philadelphia, Pa.

6^*This ad. will not appear again. Mention Gleanings.

half-price!

SOMETHING FOR THE GOOD WIFE.

Any one sending us $3.50 for 1000 FIEST-CLASS SEC-
TIONS or $4.00 worth of other supplies may have one
of our SELF-HE ATI1TQ CHAECOAL SM00THINO-IE0NS for
$1.50, which is half-price. For description, send for
circular, or see adv't in Gleanings for Oct. 15, 1888.

SMITH & SMITH,
7tfdb Kenton, Hardin Co.. Ohio.

C^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Dure Italian Beeg For {Sale

Two-frame nuclei, $3.50; 3-frame, $4.00. Full col-
ony in A. I. Root's Simplicity hive, $7.00. Each
nucleus and full colony to contain a fine tested
queen, and plenty of bees and brood, all on wired
L. frames, combs drawn from foundation. To be
shipped in May. Safe arrival guaranteed. Hives
new, and every thing first-class. I shall do by all as
I would be done by. N. A. K.NAPP,

7-10db EOCHESTEE, LOEAIN CO., OHIO.

C3fln responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

Send for Sample "♦"ofc™ Lawn Bee-Hive,

With neat portico, cover, and bottom-board,
nailed, and painted inside and out, lettered and
numbered; 8 metal-cornered brood-frames with
fdn. starters, 1 enamel sheet, 1 Heddon honey-board,
painted edge; 1 T super, painted, filled with sec-
tions, fdn. starters, and separators, boxed and de-
livered at depot for $4; on order for 10 hives the
price of sample will be deducted. Money returned
if not satisfactory. Write for prices in quantities.
Early queens, nuclei, pounds of bees, full colonies,
and supplies for sale. J. C. FR1SBEE,

Prop. Evergreen Lawn Apiary. Suffolk, Nanse. Co., Ya.
Mention Gleanings. 7-19d

Minorcan Queens.

Very prolific, and tolerably docile. No foul brood
known. Will be sent from April to October, by
mail, on receipt of $2 greenback in certified letter.

F. C. ANDREU.

'i 8-°d Port Mahoue, Minorca, Spain.

GP"In responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kanixos.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The Brst meeting of the Fayette Go. Bee-keepers' Association
for the year 1889 will be held al the re-id. <n> eof J. W. (iillispie.
Washington C. U pO., Apr. Uth, at 10 o'clock a.m. AH members
are cordially invited to be present. as the election of officers
for the ensuing year will take place on that day; alsc. other
important business. S. K. Morris, See.

Vol. XTIT.

APRIL 1, 1889.

No. 7.

TERMS : $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance ;"| TF,*4-r* 7~>14 oX, n /] -inn 1 Q "V Q f Clubs to different postoffiees, not less
2 Copies for$1.90; 3 for $2.75; 5 fur $1.00; -&£> HX/Uiio fl/t/ll> V/b J. O I O . | than 90 cts. each. Serit postpaid, in the

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single hum- I
her. 5 cts. Additions to clubs maybe J

rt'BLISIIEI) SEMI-MUNTHLY BY

lay I

!afltoU /. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

be sent to one 1'ustoffice.

cts. per year extra. To all countries
not of the U. P. U., 12 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIAHIES, NO. IV.

HOW MANY COLONIES IN EACH OUT-APIARY?

Tip (JAIN we have a question to which no one is
2|»^ aDle with any positive assurance of correct-

I$m ness to give an answer. I think, however,
■*™- the drift of opinion, of late years, has been
toward a smaller number than in former
years was thought possible. On page 905, Glean-
ings for Dec. 1, 1887, in reply to the question, most
of the respondents agree on somewhere from 50 to
10U, a good share of them having had no actual ex-
perience. Of those who have had experience, the
answers show considerable diversity of opinion.
Geo. Grimm says, "About 100 colonies." Dadant
& Son say, " We do not want to exceed 100 colonies
in any apiary." James Heddon says, "I keep
about 200 colonies, spring count, in each of my
apiaries." K.Wilkin says of Southern California,
" About 300 colonies, provided no other bees are
within three miles of you." E. France says, "We
think our location will work 80 colonies, spring
count, in each yard, profitably." There, you can
read over those answers and then guess what will
be right for you. P. H. Elwood says, " We keep
from 70 to 100, spring count. Our neighbors crowd
us some. Fifty would suit me best for best results,
three miles apart, but we can't always put them
just where we want them." Capt. Hetherington
writes, " Our practice is to put 70 first-class stocks
in an apiary— in a few cases 80, spring count. We
find an advantage in about this number, as a man
(with perhaps an assistant) will drive to such an
apiary, complete the necessary work, and return
the same day. With a larger number he could not
do it; with less there is waste of time on the road."
You see, Capt. Hetherington very wisely does not
reBt his decision entirely upon what may suit the

bees alone, but makes an important factor of the
convenience of the apiarist.

Let us plan a little. Suppose you settle upon 70
as about the right number for a full day's work,
and that you think there ought not to be more than
100 in one apiary. You have, only one out-apiary,
and a total of 200 colonies. You might put 70 colo-
nies in the out-apiary, but then that would leave
130 at home— too many. Put 100 in the out-apiary
and the 100 at home will be all right. You go to the
out-apiary to-day and go through 70 colonies, leav-
ing 30 that you must go and finish to-morrow.
Manifestly, you might just as well go in the oppo-
site direction to do those 30 to-morrow. So in gen-
eral, whenever you have more than enough colo-
nies to make a full day's work in each out-apiary,
the best thing will be to start another apiary.
Where you have the 200 colonies for your three
apiaries, it is somewhat a question of convenience
whether to keep 100 at home and 70 in one and 30 in
the other out-apiary, or 100 at home and 50 at each
of the others, or to divide the 200 about evenly be-
tween the three apiaries. If it makes no difference
as to convenience of work, the last plan is probably
the best. Please bear in mind, that although 100
may do well in one locality, 70 may do a little bet-
ter, and 50 a little better than 70. "But," you say,
"if there is clover enough to give 100 colonies all
and more than they can do, how could a smaller
number do any better? " Well, the clover doesn't
last all the season. If it did there would be no ob-
ject in having less than 100 in a place. Although
the main crop of honey depends on a very few
sources in one locality, as clover, linden, and per-
haps buckwheat, yet there are a great many other
sources from which bees get a little, from some
more, from some less. This varies throughout the
season, there being a very short time, if indeed

248

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr

there is any, when bees can find absolutely nothing
upon which to work. Suppose at the poorest time
in the season there is enough to keep only two
colonies busy, then different times aggregating
four or five weeks when 15 colonies can be kent
busy, a lew weeks when 40 colonies have all they
can do, and so on, till we find a few weeks of clo-
ver when 100 colonies have all they can do. I think
it is pretty evident that the two colonies occupying
the whole field during the entire season will make
a better average yield than the 100, and as you di-
minish the 100 your yield will gradually increase
till the number gets down to two. Understand I
don't say there will be any immense difference be-
tween 100 and 75, but still I think there will be
some difference, and in making our plans we may
as well keep in view the principle that the smaller
the number the better chance each colony will
have: C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

PURCHASING BEES.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

T AM requested to answer some questions in
ijjp Gleanings, by one who says that he is a be-
^ll ginner in bee-keeping, he having been induc-

"*■ ed to go into the same by getting hold of a
sample copy of the above-mentioned paper.
In reading it he was seized with what is known as
the "bee-fever," so has concluded to purchase
some bees. He has subscribed for Gleanings, and
thinks that I am just the one to answer his ques-
tions. In this last I think he has made a mistake,
but will try, in brief, to do the best 1 can. He first
asks what price he ought to pay for a colony of
Italian bees in a movable-frame hive. Much de-
pends upon the season of the year, and the condi-
tion of the colony. They are usually sold at from
$4 to $ 6 in the fall, and from $8 to $10 in the spring.
The reason for the difference in price is that, of
late years, there seems to be much risk in winter-
ing, nearly 75 per cent of the bees throughout all
the United States being lost during one or two of
our worst winters, while the average loss for the
past fifteen years has not been much less than
twenty per cent. If ten or more colonies are pur-
chased of one party, the price should not be above
the lowest figures given, for each colony. In an
average season, and in a favorable locality, such a
colony of bees should give 50 pounds of honey, be-
sides one good swarm. The honey would readily
bring ten cents per pound, or $5, and the swarm
should be worth $4 without the hive, in the fall,
which would nearly give the purchaser his money
back, even if he lost the old colony, or fifty per
cent of his bees, during the next winter.
diseased bees.
He next asks, "Are bees subject to disease or
epidemics?" There is only one disease of any
account among bees, aside from our wintering
troubles, and that is termed "foul brood." The
cause of our wintering troubles, " doctors " do not
agree upon, some claiming that continued cold
causes it, others that it all comes through the pol-
len which the combs contain, while others talk of
confinement, dampness, lack of ventilation, etc.
Whatever may be the cause, our greatest mortality
occurs during the latter part of a long, steady cold
winter, an open winter being favorable to the suc-
cessful wintering of bees, as the present season is

proving. Foul brood is of a different nature. The
character of the season has nothing to do with it.
So far no one knows the cause, except to guess at
it. However, all agree, that the disease is carried
in the honey. One bee-load of honey taken from a
diseased hive to a healthy colony is sure death, in
time, to that colony; so the greatest possible care
should be used, where a colony is discovered hav-
ing the disease. For symptoms and cure, see late
volumes of Gleanings.

COST OF HIVES.

He next says he thinks of making a hive " 14 x 22
x 11, with an outer shell for chaff, the whole to be
covered with tin, and painted," and desires to
know about what the cost would be. I should
guess about $4.50 for a single hive; while if 10 to 25
were made, $3.75 each ought to buy them, includ-
ing frames, sections, and all. But let me ask.
" Why make such a hive?" It is out of the regular
size, and could not possibly give better results than
any of the hives now in use. There are four styles
of hives in general use; the Langstroth, Quinby,
Gallup, and American, any of which would give as
good results as the one spoken of, and at much less
cost, while any of them can have the chaff box fixed
on the outside of it. Besides, all of the sections,
frames, etc., to these hives fit the shipping-cases,
extractors, and other conveniences, manufactured
by most of our supply-dealers. A complete Lang-
stroth hive can be bought for about $2.00. It is one
of the mistakes made by many beginners, in think-
ing that they can get up a hive " just a little better
than the older heads have done," thus causing
much complication in our business.

HONEY YIELD.

Then he wants to know, "Flow much honey
should an Italian colony average annually? " Very
much would depend on the location and manage-
ment. Taking the United States together, the
average yield among specialists is about 50 pounds
per colony, spring count. Some years give double
this amount, others very little or nothing at all.
My average yield, for the past 16 years, has been
not far from 80 lbs. to the colony, which I had in
the spring. Best average (1877) was 166 pounds;
poorest, about 30 pounds.

ALSIKE CLOVER.

Next he asks, " Does"alsike clover suffer from
drouth? " To about the same extent as does red
clover, as it has a very similar root; but no kind of
clover is infallible as to its honey yield. Very dry
or very wet weather is against the secretion of nec-
tar in flowers, and especially are cool or cold nights
damaging. The last, in my opinion, are the cause of
more failures of honey than all other causes com-
bined, unless it be weeks of cloudy, rainy weather,
together with high winds, which prevent the bees
from leaving their hives in search of stores.
There is an occasional season, when bees are kept
at a loss in some localities, as all bee-keepers are
willing to testify— seasons when they hardly get a
living during the summer months, saying nothing
about laying up stores for winter. However, the
alsike clover is about as sure a yielder of honey as
any thing which we have.

WAX-MOTHS.

"Is there danger of losing colonies by moths or
other insects?" is the last question. The larva of
the wax-moth is about the only real enemy which
the bees have in the inseotline. These feed upon
the combs, and burrow through them, and in very

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

249

weak colonies often nearly or quite destroy them,
changing them by consumption from the nice sym-
metrical cells for brood and honey, into a mass of
webs and cocoons. However, there are no strong
colonies destroyed from this source, especially
Italians. In fact, where pure Italian bees are kept
exclusively, these pests are rarely ever seen. Still,
combs not protected by bees, especially those hav-
ing pollen in, are always subject to their ravages,
and should be looked after during warm weather.
If signs of worms appear, the combs should be
placed in a tight barrel or box, and fumigated with
burning sulphur, having all fixed so that there can
be no possible danger from fire. All combs taken
away from the bees during the fall, winter, or early
spring, are comparatively safe till swarming time,
if hung an inch or so apart, so that the air can cir-
culate freely through and about them.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

Borodino, N. Y., Mar. 18, 1889.

their easy, graceful, and, upon occasion, their rapid
flight. Their wings are all falcate. Our common
meadow-lark has a labored, awkward, and lazy
flight. Its wings are broad and short. Among in-
sects the butterfly has a slow flight and broad wing.

WINGS OF INSECTS.

PROF. COOK TELLS US SOME WONDERFUL THINGS
ABOUT THEM.

fHERE is something in the very words " wing "
and " flight" that stirs the imagination and
wakes to life all the poetry and sentiment
that there is within us. Even as practical
people as are you and I, brother Root, feel a
sort of thrill and uplift as there comes to our ears,
either upon the wings of memory or song: "Oh
had I the wings of a dove, I would fly." Indeed,
there are very few of us so stolid and inert that we
are not roused, interested— yea, pleased— as we
note the swoop of the osprey, the graceful curves
of the swift-flying night-hawk, the easy, gentle mo-
tion of the listless butterfly, or the quick, arrow-
like descent of the industrious bee. All of these
are interesting, fascinating, and have claimed a
large place in song and story all down the ages. In
this article, however, I shall ignore sentiment and
poetry, and aim to describe accurately only the in-
sect's wing.

FIG. 1.— AN ENLARGED VIEW OF A HONEY-BEE

The wing of the honey-bee, Fig. 1, is long, strong,
and narrow. Such a wing, called falcate, indicates
rapid flight. A bee or fly will rival a fast-running
horse In speed. This same fact holds with birds.
The hawks, pigeons, and night-hawks are noted for

fig. 2.
The insect-wing consists of a thin membrane
spread upon a framework of veins, or nerves.
These veins are hollow, and so carry nourishment
—blood and air— to the wing. The veins vary great-
ly in number and strength. Thus in the higher in-
sects the veins are few and strong; in the lower,
many and frail. In the lowest order of insects—
Neuroptera — the veins are so numerous that they
resemble lace, and we have the common name,
lace-wings.

According to our modern philosophy of develop-
ment, which now is universally accepted by scien-
tists, we should expect much variation in organs as
usef ul as are wings, and it is so. Thus the wings
are useful in defining orders, and even lower
groups down to species. Indeed, the names of the
orders come from the character of the wings.
Hymenoptera — the highest order, including bees,
wasps, ants, etc., have four membraneous wings,
hence the name, which means membraneous wings.
So the word Lepidoptera, used to designate the
order of moths and butterflies, means scaled wings,
and was given because of the shingle-
like scales which adorn such insects.
These scales rub off easily, and so the
care required in handling moths, if we
would keep our specimens in first-class
order. The name Diptera— two wings-
refers to the fly order, including mos-
quitoes, house-flies, bot-flies, horse-
flies, etc. The word is very appropriate,
as it means two wings. Thus we have
Coleoptera, sheathed wings, for the bee-
tles; Hemiptera, half -wings, for the
bugs. The wings] of the typical bugs
are thick at the base, and appear like
half-wings. Thus they are only half-
wings in appearance. Orthoptera —
I" straight wings — includes the crickets,

grasshoppers, etc., whose front) wings
areilong, slim, and straight. Neuroptera
—or nerve wings— is very appropriate
for the lowest orders, as is also their
common name of lace-wings. Here are found the
dragon-flies, day-flies, ant-lions, etQ.

There are five main veins in the best-developed
wings. Thus (see Figs. 1 and 2)> is known as the
postal vein, or nerve; b, the sub-costal; c, the medi-

s WING.

2-50

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

an, or externo-medial; d, the sub-median, and e the
internal or anal. The large open space in the
wings of butterflies (Fig-. 2) is called the discoidal
area. In the higher orders the cells are all named.
Thus, in the bee (Fig. 1), 1 is the costal cell; 5 the
marginal, and 6, 7, and 8 the sub-costal, or cubital
cells. These are very much used in classifying and
describing different bees. Thus, the cells will be
alike in bees of the same genus. All hive-bees will
have wings as in Fig. 1; so the bumble-bees— Bom-
bus will all have similar wings; and the carpenter
bees— Xylocopa— etc. In entomology, then, we are
ever studying these wings, for they are one of the
most sure keys with which to unlock the curious
relationships. Insects may and often do look very
much alike; yet a study of the wings will show they
are widely apart.

When insects like bees, wasps, butterflies, moths,
etc., have two wings on each side, which act as one
in flight, they are usually hooked together. In the
honey-bee there are from eighteen to twenty-two of
these hooks (Fig. 1, h, h), on the front, or costal
margin of the hind or secondary wing. These hook
into a fold of the front wing- (Fig. 1, s). This fold is
on the hind margin of the wing, which folds up and
over. In butterflies and moths there is but one
hook, which is close to the base of the wing.

Many insects are apterous, or have no wings. In
such cases there are usually structural indications
that the ancestors of such insects possessed organs
of flight. In these ancestors, owing to changed
habits, the wings were not used, and nature snatch-
ed them away. I am sure nature abhors a useless
member, whether of an animal or of society. We
can often see nature whittling away these organs.
Thus we often see insects with wings weak and
abortive. The insect, from its mode of life, has
ceased to use its wings; and nature says, "If you
tie up my gifts in a napkin, I shall take them
away." Just as nature says to us, "Think, study,
or soon you will have no brain power for thought
and study; exercise, or soon you will have no mus-
cles to work with." What a unity— a oneness of
plan— runs all through nature! Even the study of
nature alone, proclaims that there is one God, and
he is in all and over all.

The rate of flight in insects is marvelous beyond
comprehension. The bee flies often twenty miles an
hour, while very tiny flies will often keep abreast
of a horse in full speed. Landois, judging from
the pitch, finds that the bee's wing may vibrate 440
times per second. While there is no doubt about
the truth of this statement, the fact baffles com-
prehension. The sole use of the wings of most in-
sects is for flight. A few insects, however, like the
crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers, use them to
voice their feelings. The love-note of the grass-
hopper, cricket, and katydid, is produced by mo-
tions of the wings alone, or of the legs and wings.
Thus the insect chorus which sounds by day and
night during the warmth and sunshine of summer
and autumn is but the love-songs of these myriad
Lilliputs. These songs which " rasp the silence"
are sure signs that sentiment and emotion reach
even to the lesser forms of animal life; and while
they are no proof that insects possess ears, they do
show clearly that insects have a very delicate
sense, whereby they take account of vibrations.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

Well, old friend, you have given us one of
the grandest talks above that ever came

from your pen. I did not know before that
you felt a thrill whenever a winged insect
passed by; and I have sometimes thought
that I was more imaginative than most peo-
ple, when that thrill comes to me over and
over again, suggesting that somewhere or
some time we too shall be wafted through
the air. I do not know whether it is com-
ing through machinery or by the aid of
some great bird that shall be bred up on
purpose to carry people through the air ;
but I am certain that God, in his infinite
plans, has this in store for us. We breed
horses for great burdens, and also for speed
—why not birds ? By the way, who will
tell us the most fit bird to commence with V
1 suppose the brothers and sisters down
south will laugh again if I suggest turkey
buzzards as being somewhere in the line.
They are gentle, and have enormous wings.
They can already carry a considerable bur-
den, for I have seen them do it. Friend
Cook, there is one more problem that has
troubled me sorely, that I do not find touch-
ed in your talk at all. Why does an up-and-
down motion, or, in fact, any sort of motion
of a flat wing, like the wing of a bee, carry
it aloft in the air ? I have read some learn-
ed papers on this subject, but they do not
satisfy me. I can understand how a bird
flies, because the wing is concave ; but why
does the paddling motion of a butterfly with
its wings enable it to soar aloft ? "Every
spring, when butterflies come around, I
watch and ponder ; but I have not got any
further than the old gentleman who replied
to his good wife on a various lot of prob-
lems, " ' Case it does.'" The motion of the
wings does enable them to fly, but I do not
see why. Then, again, there is a species of
bugs that have a coarse dark overcoat un-
der which they tuck their gauzy wings to
keep them nice. It always reminds me of a
city belle putting away her gauzy laces and
trimmings in a big Saratoga trunk. When
these bugs alight you would think they
could never tuck the filmy wings under
these black shells at all ; but they fold them
all under very quickly and very neatly ; and
when the sun comes out they manage in
some way to get them spread without very
much fuss or bother either. When fighting
squash-bugs alone, sometimes I have been
tempted to waste, time in seeing the little
rascals fetch out their wings when I got at
them. My daughter, Mrs. Calvert, has a
pet canary bird that flies all over the house.
It alights on her head and shoulders, flits
from one hand to the other when she is do-
ing her work, and a study of the deft and
skillful way in which that bird uses its
wings awakens that same thrill you have
mentioned. The bird has become playful,
and it is the wonder of " Root village " to
see how much sense can be packed away in
such a little mite of golden feathers. No
doubt it is true that God takes away our
talents that are unused ; but don't you for-
get, dear friend, to mention that the reverse
is also true—1' To him that hath shall be giv-
en " V Just as sure as we begin to develop
the talents we have. a. vast extent of unex-
plored region begins to unfold itself before
our wondering eyes ; and it is right in this

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

251

line that I believe we are going to be able
to enjoy flitting through the air by and by.
Our proof-reader suggests another thought.
Here in Medina just now it is exceedingly
muddy. His thought is this : That it seems
to be too bad that man should be compelled
to walk through the mud, while even the
turkey buzzards tly with such wonderful ease
through the air.

RAMBLE NO. 13.

AMONG THE MOUNTAINS; RUINING THE HONEY
MARKET, ETC.

" It's all very well for poets to tell,

By way of their songs adorning,
Of milkmaids who rouse to manipulate cows,

At five o'clock bright in the morning;
And of mooney young mowers who bundle outdoors,

The charm of their straw beds scorning,
Before break of clay, to make love and hay.

At five o'clock bright in the morning.''

fHE Rambler considers it very unwise and
unhealthy to get up before sunrise. This is
an excellent rule to follow in the winter, and
it is with regret that we see the days length-
en; but "old Sol" is inexorable, and he
peeps into our window a little earlier every morn-
ing, and bids us arise. It is a noticeable fact, that
those people who sleep in church are the ones who

Get out of bed, their house, and their head.
At five o'clock bright in the morning.

It is far better to take the needed sleep in the
morning than to take time for naps during the busy
hours of the day. I am led to thus discourse
upon early rising because I thought the sun had
forgotten to shed its morning beams on the Virgil
mansion. Getting tired of waiting, I went out to
see about it; and after waiting a little I saw a glo-
rious sunrise over that rocky cliff.

home-made foot-power saw, which showed evi-
dences of much hard work. The apiary did not
look so bright as it would if more paint had been
used, but it was evidently laid out for convenient
work; and as the proprietor is after money and no
poetical fixings, perhaps it is just as well. If the
owner is pleased, the Rambler certainly is.

The honey-house was a neat little affair, crammed
full of implements, and a few crates of very fine
honey. Bro. V. keeps up with the times, and pro-
duces A No. 1 comb honey, and does not make
much effort on extracted honey. Cappings and all
pieces of comb are thrown into a barrel, and a
heavy maul pounds all into a solid mass, proof
against miller-worms, and in time it is rendered
into beautiful wax, at which business Mr. V. is an
expert. He is also an expert bee-hunter. Several
swarms are secured every fall from the surround-
ing mountains. Cellar wintering is practiced, and,
owing to the lowness and level nature of the land,
the water floods the cellar at very inconvenient
seasons; and perhaps early in March all hands have
to work lively to get the bees out of the cellar to
prevent total destruction. Still, Mr. V. has had
very good success in wintering. I think I suggest-
ed the digging of a cave into that rocky cliff for
wintering, which could be easily done.

After breakfast we struck out for other bee-
keepers in the vicinity.

"HELLO, OLD SOL! IS THAT YOU?" SUNRISE AT
MR. VIRGIL'S.

I found Bro. V.'s headquarters in a small but
convenient shop. The most of the work of getting
out portions of hives, crates, etc., was done on a

"IT DON'T PAY; I'M GOING TO NEW-BRASKA."

Mr. , whom for convenience I will call Jones,

we found with a score or more of colonies. This
man's methods conflicted somewhat with Mr. V.'s.
Several bee-keepers in this vicinity find market for
their honey in Whitehall, a village of about 4000 in-
habitants. Jones lives the nearest, about a mile;
and as soon as a few pounds of honey are ready to
come off, he trots it into the village and sells it at a
remarkably cheap rate, demoralizing the market for
those who have a better quality of honey in bet-
ter shape. As a result there is any thing but good
feeling toward him from those who have honey to
sell in the same market. Mr. Jones's bees were
mostly in box hives. He loved the bees, and wished
he could work with them all the time. Not attain-
ing much wealth, he wanted to sell out and go to
" New-braska." The disease seemed to have a
strong grip on him, and, from Mr. V.'s remarks
about what a glorious country is found in the West,
I had no doubt but he wished the " New-braska "
fever would take his neighbor far away.

About three miles from Whitehall resides Mr. C.
Beckwith, another of those enterprising young
men who have tried many things and found much
vexation of spirit where, to the imagination, things

252

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

were all lovely. Mr. B. had about 100 colonies; had
purchased a steam-engine, saws, many tools, had
invented a hive with a frame differing in size from
any other he ever saw; and now, after getting up
to 100 colonies, he wanted to sell out ! Reasons, a
large farm to manage, and he found raising pota-
toes, fighting bugs, milking cows, fattening pigs, or
hunting woodchucks, all a bigger bonanza than
bee-keeping. "Come, make me an offer for the
whole business. Why, that pestiferous Jones,
down by the toll-gate, has ruined my trade in the
village; and if he wants to go to Neu-u-braska, we
had better bundle him off to-morrow."

Nothing would console our friend Beckwitb, and
we left him, considering that nothing could remedy
these casesof conflicting interests but co-operation,
or the purchase of the stock of the mischief-maker.
We find that, when the interests of many bee-keep-
ers center in one modorate-sized town for the sale
of their product, there is more or less conflict, re-
sulting, pern aps, in a few, who have a good stan-
dard article, in withdrawing entirely from the local
market and shipping to commission men.

I would ask Mr. J. A. Buchanan, who has given
us much interesting information upon the sale of
honey, if he has had this damaging competition in
his experience, or how he could overcome it if it
should arise. The Rambler has had some experience
in selling honey through a farming community, and
thus far has had no competition ; but even if 1 here
were, we should be no worse off than nearly every
salesman of other goods of whatever description.
I find the best plan to sell honey is to combine it
with the sale of some other articles, and keep the
cart going all the year round. "A continual drop-
ping will wear a stone;" so continual trips will
wear away a big pile of honey in a year. If all the
honey in a certain district were placed in the hands
of a competent local traveling salesman, there
would be but little to go to commission men. Hur-
rah for the honey-peddler, the sweetest man on
earth! That's what all the gi--gir— boys say about
the Rambler.

P. S.— In relation to the age of
pigeons when ready for market, I
do not know. The authority from
whom I got my information in re-
lation to growth was a fancier,
and] did not grow pigeons for sale.
I notice there is a difference of
opinion between our prominent
authors in respect to the prepar-
ation of food for the young bee.
Cheshire claims that larval food is
secreted by a gland located in the
head of the bee, around the eyes.
Cook claims that it is not a gland-
ular secretion, but chyle, and that the glands mere-
ly secrete a ferment that aids in digesting pollen.
Whoever may be right, we know there is a concen-
tration of food, and in the pigeon we have an un-
questionable demonstration of it on a comparative-
ly large scale.

Thanks for your kind invitation to that California
trip. Nothing would please the Rambler better
than a visit to the Golden Gate; and as I have rela-
tives in Oakland, 1 fear my visit would be prolong-
ed should T get there. The editors of Gleanings
are cordially invited to come east. The Rambler
and many others are ready to extend such fare as
they have, and the best of it, to those they have

known so long. Yes, that is the Rambler with his
hands on his knees, but that can not be the R. at
the blackboard— the person is too aldermanic. The
R. wears a smaller vest. That man weighs 200 lbs. ;
the R. only 140, and 5 ft. 10 inches. R.

FIXING FOR HONEY- EXHIBITS AT
FAIRS.

A BRIGHT SUGGESTION FROM FRIEND HOLTERMANN.

fRIEND ROOT:— I was much pleased with Dr.
Mason's articles on the above subject, and
also with the display of honey and bee-keep-
ers' supplies at the Ohio Centennial. There
is one point, however, which I did not like at
all at Columbus; and now Dr. Mason has an illus-
tration of this objectionable feature — " so, there
now ! "

The regular shelves (or irregular, if you like) as
illustrated are unsightly, and particularly so if not
completely covered by the exhibit. I have used
them, and now avoid them, and try to break the
monotony of the show as far as possible. In my es-
timation, a platform four or more feet deep, and
the height of an ordinary table to start on, is desira-
ble. Put your first shelf on this, as in Dr. Mason's
illustration, but run it back the same distance as
the table. Then place some of the boxes used in
shipping goods to the exhibition (height about 15
inches and the right size) on the shelf thus describ-
ed, and lay the boards which form the tops of crates
for Stanley honey-extractors (being eight-sided as
here shown) on top of these boxes. Upon
ithese eight sided boards place other but
I J smaller boxes, and then put on the top-

\ / board of the crate for an ordinary extract-
or, which is the same shape (8-sided) and much
smaller. Ou top of this, put another box. Then to-
ward the right and left ends of the shelf 1 build an-
other pyramid, only smaller, and cover all with
white paper (I claim there is no better color for
covering), and then arrange my exhibit. The pyra-

/~\

HOLTERMANN'S ARRANGEMENT OF SHELVING FOR EXHIBITS.

mid I can make still higher by placing upon it first
a 10 gallon can, then a smaller; and on top of all,
glasses with honey. It breaks the monotony of
these shelves; and if you mix in comb honey in
crates, which is desirable, a very neat display can
be made. A few pots of flowers (the pot covered)
add greatly to the display.

You can put a number of your cases in a safe
place— quite nn item when you would otherwise
have to put your cases with thousands of others,
and can not find them at the closeof the exhibition,
and realize you are not at home, where you could
replace them.

There was a monotony about the extracted-honey

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

258

display which I did not admire. It is very difficult
to break this with only extracted honey, in any
case, but it is well nigh impossible with shelves. As
before stated, the monotony can be broken nicely
with a photograph, say of father Langstroth, then
individual bee-keepers, or some of the many
groups, diplomas received at previous exhibitions
(of course these diplomas must be put in after the
prizes have been awarded); cakes of nice wax, and
Mowers in pots, or cut flowers. It is a very good
plan to bring along a honey-extractor, and combs
with half of the combs on each side uncapped, and
out of which you have extracted the honey previ-
ously. In this way you can show just how extract-
ed honey can be secured. When bringing material
for display, bring what is lightest, and will make
the most display after considering their advantage
otherwise. Articles bad for packing, avoid.
Brantford, Canada. R. F. Holtermann.

Friend H., I believe you are right. 1 have
a great many times felt what you describe,
when visiting exhibits at fairs. The same
thing is also true in the arrangement of
grounds, greenhouses, and gardens. A lit-
tle bit of variety, even if nothing more than
an octagon pyramid between two square
pyramids, often gives a peculiar grace and
charm to the whole arrangement that would
be entirely lacking without it.

^ i ^

ATTIEE FOR THE APIARY.

MRS. HARRISON GIVES US SOME SUGGESTIONS IN

REGARD TO THE WAY A BEE-WOMAN

SHOULD DRESS.

T FEEL a little slow this morning, so I sit in the
|S|p rocking-chair, with Gleanings in my hand,
W and admire Rambler in his pretty checked
A suit. I really believe he has a bow of natty
ribbon at the bottom of his pants; perhaps the
button was off, so he tied one around to keep out
the inquisitive insects.

How I envy him that suit, because it is light,
cool, and handy! I might raise " von tollar"and
get one "zhust a fit; " but if I donned it, a police-
man would whistle for the patrol wagon and take
me to the calaboose on the double-quick. I should
think the bees would investigate the inside of the
blouse, as it appears so loose at the bottom; but
then a belt buttoned around would easily prevent
that. I've tried hats and veils many times, with
the result of a pretty sore chin and neck. I could
protect my nose, but I could not fasten the veil so
that, in working, the bees would not sting through.
The brim would keep the veil far enough from my
face; but in stooping the bees would sit down on
the back of my head and form a chain around my
neck.

I want to dress according to my work, whether it
is in the apiary, washing, or blacking a stove. In
the apiary I have to guard against heat and stings.
I have for many years worn a health-reform cos-
tume, with the idea in view of clothing the body so
as to promote an equilibrium of circulation and
warmth. In warm weather I wear a cotton suit,
consisting of waist and drawers; formerly I wore
them made in one garment, but I much prefer
them separate. The waist is high neck and long
sleeves, and is supplied with buttons at the bot-
tom, for to button the drawers upon. The drawers
reach to the ankles, and are kept in place with a

strap passing under the foot. I'm clothed when I
have on these garments, and I've had bees creep
up from my feet and come out at the neck, without
stinging. The hose are drawn up over the drawers,
and at times I fasten the sleeves tightly around my
wrists. If I go to work in the apiary with slippers
on, I generally have cause to regret it, as I get
stung in the feet, so I wear a leather shoe.

When working in the apiary, if I had to wear cor-
sets, bustle, and two or three skirts, I should cry
out about bee-keeping being too hard work for
women, just as Mrs. Chaddock does, and throw mud
at those who venture to attempt it. I keep my
bee-dress hanging in the honey-house; and when I
work in the apiary I take off my house dress, hang
it up, and put this on. When the thermometer is
playing around one hundred in the shade, I wear a
skirt and linen sacque. I put on my wire hat, then
the sacque which covers up the cape, so no bees
can possibly get at my head, fasten the sleeves
tightly at the wrists, then the skirt. I do not let
the bottom of the sacque hang loose; if I do not
wear an apron tied around me I put the skirt-band
over it. I'm not dressed for company, but for
work in the apiary, protected from stings and from
being overcome with heat. Should company call,
or when dinner is ready, I retire to the honey-house,
wash, and put on my ordinary clothing, which
takes but a moment. I'm warm, and I need more
clothing when I sit in the shade.

Women who are not very young or strong can do
a great deal of work in the apiary if they manage
well. We have about thirty colonies of bees on the
east side of our house, and they are in the shade
after two o'clock. If there are sections to be put
on or removed, or any other work to be done here,
I do it when the hives are in the shade. There ai-e
other colonies that can be worked with in the
morning, when they are shaded. 1 could not work
with the hot sun pouring down upon my head.

We run our apiary for comb honey, but I extract
several hundred pounds every year, and in a quiet
way, so that the family are not aware of it. When
I know where I can get some honey to extract, I
take my tin comb-basket, remove the filled combs
to it, put empty ones in their place, and carry them
to the honey-house. When I've extracted them I
put them in the bucket, snap the cover over the
uncapping-can, cover up the extractor, change my
clothes, and no one knows what I've been doing,
but find out next fall and winter. I never do any
big day's work in the apiary, unless I am driven to
it in swarming time. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Peoria, 111.

My good friend Mrs. H., I am glad you
have given us these suggestions. As soon
as I saw what Rambler had said, 1 remark-
ed at once to Ernest that somebody should
give us some suggestions for a woman's
suit. I suppose you know that I do not at
all believe or advocate that women should
dress as men do, therefore I am glad you
have such strict "police regulations" in
Peoria. I think you have got the idea of a
bee-dress for women exactly, if I under-
stand you. A woman can dress just as
comfortably as a man, and she can protect
herself from stings; and then, for the very
reason you give, she should have something
light to throw over this working suit to
make herself look womanly, and that she
may not attract attention from passers-by.

254

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

Just one thing more, my good friend : If
the police regulations could only " regulate
or restrain" (prohibition would be out of the
question, I suppose) the growing evil of —
riot intemperance this time — but those very
bustles you have alluded to, Uncle Amos
would feel happy, even if no one else did.

THE STARVING COLONY.

THE AI.FILAHIA.

Starvation's form sat grinning- at their door—
Their only guard— what need had they of more?
They called a meeting- then, in Sally Hall,
To see if they had means to live at all.
An aged warrior cried, " My race is run,
While many more of yours have just begun.
Three cells are left— a scanty store, I ween,
And I would move we leave them for the queen.
We may die slowly— singly— one and ail-
But our dear queen must be the last to fall."
" I charge you now," she cried, with pleading eye,
"To tell us plainly if we have to die;
Tell us what foe we have to face or fear;
And quickly, too, or it shall cost you dear! "
"Arm ! arm ! ' he cried, " 'tis not the crack of doom
I come to tell; the 'filaree's in bloom! "
A shout went up that made the welkin ring,
And every bee began to whet his sting.
A round applause was given that shook the floor,
When all at once a scout stood at the door;
And he had that within his eye which told
That he had potent news to there unfold.
"Arm for the fight," he cried; "each warrior, arm !'
Each stood aghast, with terror and alarm!
And then the queen, to aggravate their fears,
Stood up and burst into a flood of tears.
The fainting queen fell helpless to the floor,
While all rushed pellmell for the door.
And then they raised the song they always sing.
When every bee is every inch a kiiu.i.
The scout and queen were then a happy pair;
For now she sang and wept for joy there.
But, hark ! The first-returning song she hears,
And, starting up, she wiped away her tears.

I.

"O my queen mother! I come, I come,
Over mountain, hill, and dale,
Through the deep and silent vale.
Every thing was dry and stale—
I thought the very skies looked pale."
II.

" 0 my queen mother! I come, I come—
I hied me to a vineyard bare,
Where oft the bloom is rich and rare-
Found only desolation there,
As I swept through the silent air."
III.

"O my queen mother! I come, I come;
But further on— on lower ground.
A lovely green rosette I found
Not only one— but they abound
In great profusion scattered round."
IV.

" O my queen mother! I come, I come;
I found the purple star was there;
And the green rosettes, so rich and rare,
Are coming up in thousands, where
The ground of late was stark and bare."

"O my queen mother! I come, I come;
And here I now present to you
This shining drop of nectar new.
The purple star that's always true,
Now gives her first fruits unto you."

VI.

" O my queen mother! I come, T come;
A hundred now behind me stand,
With nectar from the vineyard land.
A sweet surprise the scout had planned
When we lay on the starving stand."

The alfllaria is one of the most nutritious grasses
of California. It comes up first in well-worked,
clean ground, in the shape of a green rosette. The
rosette looks as if it were made out of small fern
leaves. In the middle of it first appears a small
purple star; then another and another, until the
gi-ass loses the shape of the rosette, and bears hun-
dreds of flowers. It lasts until the Mack sage
blooms. It lies so flat on the ground, when it first
blooms, and the bees are so thick on it, that I have
been often afraid of trampling them to death in
walking over a patch of it.

Bees on this coast, so far as I have handled them,
are more vicious and vindictive in the honey season
than at any other time. In the dry season and in
the fore part of the winter, they hang in the upper
story of the hive, many times three inches deep.
They seem to be listless and lazy, and are ashamed
to look you in the face. I do not believe that over
five per cent are in the air, at any one time during
the whole time from the close of the honey season
until the opening of the flowers the next year. I
have thought that they keep only scouts out during
all this period. Two or three puffs of smoke will
settle them at this time, but it takes volumes of it
to take off honey, or to go into the brood-chamber
during the honey season. J. P. Israel,.

Olivenhain, San Diego Co., Cal.

Why, friend L, the very mention of alfil-
aria, especially as you put it, brings up
many happy memories ; and I want to say
to our readers, that, when I first set foot on
the soil of California, there was not a green
thing nor a living thing to be seen on the
mountains, and hardly any thing in the val-
leys— that is, without the aid of irrigation ;
but under the inlluence of a summer rain, in
just a few hours the whole landscape became
clothed with green, and a great part of the
green came from the 'filaree. When I was a
jeweler we used to have a certain kind of
work which we called " filagree." Well, the
filaree suggests just that. It comes up as
grass, and I am told it makes excellent feed.
The beautiful bright green has a sort of
mellow golden tint that is sure of captivat-
ing any one who loves nature. In the most
protected valleys I watched for the largest
specimens, hoping I might catch a glimpse
of the tiny flower, but I didn't; and inas-
much as there are thousands of acres of it,
and it comes up spontaneously everywhere, I
don't wonder that the bees rejoice when it
comes in and saves from starvation per-
haps thousands of colonies. I have so many
times watched the bees in their rejoicings
when the first honey came in from the soft
maples, that I can readily imagine your
poem to be true, at least in sentiment.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

255

CAPT. HETHEBIKGTON.

AS A BEE-KEEPER— CONTINUED.

|SS|APT. HETHERINGTON is a skilled mechanic,
wf and makes all of his supplies, including' ex-
|1)J tractors, box-making- machines, etc., even to
'■' the three dozen wheelbarrows he uses in his
different bee-yards. The material is prepar-
ed, ready to put together, in his mill, five miles
from home. He prefers, when he has to oversee a
dozen or more men, and keep their machinery in or-
der, to put that distance between himself and those
who would call him from his work. His honey-boxes,
clamps, cases, etc., are models of perfection and
neatness. His packing-cases are of the whitest
basswood, papered inside, so that there may be no
leak, and the boxes rest on cross-cleats, so that the
drip may be kept from them. At the Centennial
his exhibit of 3500 lbs. in single-comb sections, to-
gether with a variety of ornamental packages of
honey and wax, was admired by all. The exhibit
was built up to represent the turreted fi-ont of an
old castle, so arranged as to allow the light to pass
through in the freest manner; the whole surmount-
ed by the flag under which he fought for three long-
years. The highest prize was awarded him— a med-
al and diploma. Two years before this (1874) he had
made a large shipment of comb honey to England,
which Mr. Quinby said was the first sent abroad in
quantity. At this early date he recognized that the
relief for an overstocked market here must be
sought abroad. It is to be regretted that our whole-
sale dealers have not persistently followed up this
exportation, as there are but few difficulties to
overcome, aside from the national prejudice of the
average Briton that foreign products are not quite
as good as home productions. Our climate is dry-
er, and we have a better proportion of sunshine than
England, conditions which should give our honey a
superior body and flavor. While Mr. Cowan, editor
of the British Bee Journal, did not admit this, other
distinguished visitors have done so, and it is confi-
dently expected that, in the not distant future, the
early expectations of Capt. Hetherington will be
realized, and that Great Britain will demand some
of the products of our apiaries.

Messrs. Cowan and Young, on their recent visit
to this country, recognized Capt. Hetherington as
the most extensive bee-keeper in the country; and
on his return, Mr. Cowan stated, in an address to
the British Bee-keepers' Association, of which he is
the recognized head, that at Cherry Valley, N. Y.,
he "met the most extensive bee-keeper in the
world." This October his colonies number about
3000, located in twenty-two apiaries. The manage-
ment of these large numbers must necessarily be
in a systematic, wholesale way, to which we may
fairly apply the word extensive rather than inten-
sive. His results per hive should not be expected
to equal those who keep a smaller number, cared
for with the closest possible attention, although it
can be said they do not fail far short. In a good
many of the details of business, however, the word,
"intensive" might very appropriately be applied,
for in the mechanical perfection of his supplies of
all kinds, and in the neatness and order displayed
in every branch of his business, even to the mi-
nutest detail, he far surpasses the average keeper
of a dozen hives. So well does he look after the
details of his business that it would be difficult to
inquire for any implement or article used, or rem-

nant left within a year, but that he could tell you
where to find it.

As soon as possible after giving his bees a flight
in the spring, he moves them away to his out-yards,
which are situated from two to twelve miles from
home. After this they are visited as often as may
be necessary, at intervals varying from two days
to two weeks. Usually, however, during the hon-
ey-gathering season, at some time between Monday
morning and Saturday night, they are all seen. He
hires a plot of ground on which to set them, and
takes all the care of the bees. No one looks after
issuing swarms, because he has no such swarms
worth looking after. For some time after adopting
the new Quinby hive he labored with Mr. Quinby
to prevent swarming by giving shade, young
queens, and plenty of room in surplus and brood
apartments of the hive; and in 1868 he succeeded in
preventing all increase from the 150 colonies then
under experiment. What worked well in one sea-
son, however, did not succeed in all, and it was not
until he practiced removing the queen that he was
entirely successful in controlling swarming.

For some years he has used the T clamp and one-
pound sections, glassed or unglassed, as the mar-
ket demands. In the fall he moves his bees all back
home, when they are weighed, their stores equal-
ized, and they are prepared for winter. The prin-
cipal forage at Cherry Valley is clover, basswood,
and buckwheat, which last, being largely stored in
the brood-apartment of the hive, usually insures
sufficient stores for winter.

In connection with his last attempts at outdoor
wintering, the captain experimented quite largely
with plaster of Paris as a material for bee-hives, it
being an excellent non-conductor of heat, and a
good absorbent of moisture. But he soon discover-
ed that, in common with the absorbents he had be-
fore used, in proportion as it became saturated
with moisture it lost its non-conducting properties.
He therefore, after the most thorough trial, aban-
doned, with almost all kind of hives and all kinds of
packing, outdoor wintering, as unsuited to his se-
vere climate, where a five-months' confinement to
the hive is sometimes experienced. In this high
mountainous region, successful wintering has been
the most difficult point in practical bee-keeping, and
perhaps always will be, as the honey-bee is indig-
enous to warmer climates, and, when removed to
long winters, it does not bear confinement well un-
less every condition is perfect.

The captain finds it best in the fall to persistently
weed out all swarms not up to a high standard of
excellence. Some years as many as one-third are
thrown out as unfit for the cellar. He takes per-
sonal supervision of this preparation for winter,
and not long since he informed me that either he
or his brother had examined every swarm as to
quantity of bees and amount of honey. The writ-
er, after spending some time in looking through
his bee-yard, concluded this was the best lot of bees
he ever saw. There were no second - quality
swarms, and an old queen was the rare exception,
for Hetherington has a decided preference for the
first-year's work of a queen.

The captain is not at all satisfied with his winter-
ing, notwithstanding his success of late has been
much better than that of the average bee-keeper.
In the spring of 1881 he took a carload of hn weak-
er swarms as far south as Philadelphia, in order
that they might avoid the chilling winds of the

256

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

North, and be benefited by the early forage and
warmth of the South. The experiment was a suc-
cess; but on account of wearing work he has since
preferred to unite his weakest stocks early in the
spring. p. H. Elwood.

Starkville, N. Y.

To be continued.

THE CENTENNIAL HONEY-EXHIBIT.

DK. MASON'S PYRAMID OF HONEY ; A GLIMPSE AT
A FEW OF THE BIG BEE-GUNS.

fRIEND ROOT:— Under the circumstances it
seems to me that this picture, taken in a
closed building, and with but little light, is a
pretty good production for an amateur. It
represents a portion of one of the honey ex-
hibits at the Ohio Centennial at Columbus last fall,
and is decorated by the faces of some bee-friends.

The man at the right is Mr. C. E. Jones, of Dela-
ware, O., one of the exhibitors whose exhibit of

Mr. N. W. McLain, known to all your readers as the
one having charge of the Government Apiarian
Experimental Station in Illinois, and at his right
sits "yours truly," whogot a " racket" from Ernest
because of his "wiggling" so as to spoil the face;
but the splendid picture of the indefatigable work-
er, and editor of the American Bee Journal, Thos. G.
Newman, makes up for any deficiency in mine.

In this picture, near the lower left-hand corner,
is shown a portion of one of the side platforms on
which the exhibits were placed. The wire poultry-
netting, which I have mentioned before, is nicely
shown, with three of the posts that held it up.
Near the top of two of the posts were tacked cards
of your $1000 offer in regard to comb honey made
by machinery. It seems to me it would be a good
plan to have a goodly supply of these tacked up in
conspicuous places at every exhibition of honey;
and it might do no harm to have 1 hem on every
crate of honey that lenves the producer's hands.

A PARTI A I

•HE APICULTl'KAL EXHIBIT AT THE COLUMBUS CENTENNIAL, WITH SOME OF THE
PROMINENT BEE-MEN IN THE FOREGROUND.

comb honey, etc., I mentioned in my last; and to
his left stands his little boy, Charley. Next to Mr.
Jones is the one I have once mentioned as known
by "our company " as " Uncle Aaron " Goodrich, of
Worthington, O., an enthusiastic bee-keeper' over
75 years old, one of the largest exhibitors, and who
was awarded first premium on display of comb
honey. Next to " Uncle Aaron " is shown Mr. J. Y.
Detwiler, of New Smyrna, Florida, formerly of To-
ledo, O., who, at an expense of $80, came to attend
the meeting of the N. A. B. K. Soc'y, and to see the
Exposition. He also acted as one of the judges in
the Dee and Honey Department, H. D. Cutting, of
Clinton, Mich., being the other judge. Whether it
pays or not to attend bee-conventions unless one
" has an ax to grind," as Mrs. Chacdock has said,
Mr. Detwiler had no ax to grind, and he was one of
the active ones in the convention. Next to him is

In this exhibit, a portion of which may be seen
at the top, were shown about 150 honey-producing
plants, mounted on strawboard, some of them be-
ing hidden from view by the persons in front, as
was also a display of honey vinegar and different
kinds of honey. Over Mr. Newman's left, and my
right shoulder may be seen points of the nozzles of
Bingham smokers, an assortment of all styles and
sizes of which were here shown, with Bingham,
Novice, Muth, and Murphy honey - knives. The
Bingham smoker and honey-knife were awarded
first premiums. In the lower left-hand corner is
shown the gearing and a portion of the top of a
Muth honey-extractor, exhibited by Dr. Besse.

The exhibit of honey shows for itself. The hon-
ey on the pj ramid was linden (basswood), and, be-
ing very nicely candied, it made a pretty display,
and was so frequently called sugar by visitors that

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

257

a sign was placed on it, as may be seen, which
said, " Candied Honey. No Sugar Here." A few
bottles of it had been drained and then stirred, so
that not even an expert could tell that it was not
sugar, without tasting. The editor of the A. B. J.
refers to it in the number for Nov. 14, 1888, page
739. The pyramid was originally designed to be
eight square; but as only about one-half of it would
show, the back half was left off. The next week
after the visit of those in attendance at the con-
vention, your young man, W. B. Weed, took the
pyramid in hand and decorated it and rearranged
the honey, and made it a " thing of beauty." In
the back concave side of the pyramid your men
had a shelf on which they did their writing and
kept their stationery, etc. In the rear of the
straight shelves they had a bedroom and a ward-
robe, the whole being inclosed by a door, as shown;
and over the door, and but little shown in the pic-
ture, the sign, "Medina Headquarters." On the
brace, near the upper central portion of the pic-
ture, a sign says, " Honey-producing Plants; " and
above that another, on which may be seen, " Ex-
hibited by Dr. A. B. Mason, Toledo, O."

To the left of this picture, and on the same plat-
form, was a large exhibit of comb and extracted
honey on shelves, 20 feet long, and extending near-
ly to the top of the side of the building. This be
longed to "Uncle Aaron," whom 1 have before
mentioned. In connection with this he made a fine
display of very yellow beeswax, molded in differ-
ent forms and sizes. It, of course, took the "red
ribbon." He also had a display of five gallons of
the lightest-colored honey vinegar I ever saw. It
was as clear as the best water, and attracted much
attention.

To the left of Uncle Aaron's exhibit was that of
Dr. H. Besse, of Delaware, O., occupying 30 feet of
the platform, and consisting of comb and extract-
ed honey, beeswax in the form of round columns,
foundation-mill, smokers, honey-knives, bee-litera-
ture, etc. On the platform in the center of the
building I also exhibited a Given foundation-press
on which foundation was occasionally made, to
show people how it was done. Also a U. S. honey-
extractor, with duplex reel; and being, as you
know, an " extracted-honey man," I shall always
want to have a honey-extractor along when show-
ing extracted honey at fairs. I also had two single-
comb nuclei with glass sides, so arranged on posts
as to be readily turned to look on either side for the
queen. On top of each was a sign, "Bees and
(Queens," and it took only an instant for some of us
to gather a crowd around these nuclei, and start off
in a "speech," giving a little of the natural history
of the queen, workers, drones, etc., and we fre-
quently had listeners that were very much inter-
ested in what we told, and would ask questions,
and sometimes kindly thank us for the informa-
tion we gave. Dr. Tinker, Mr. Elias Cole, and C. E.
Jones, also had nuclei for showing queens, but
they were not so conveniently arranged, as they
had to be held, and were liable to be tipped over
and broken.

The description of the exhibit in our department
would not be complete without mention of your
"one-piece section" machinery. Unfortunately
for our display, this, in order to have power with
which to operate it, had to be put in Power Hall,
fully sixty rods. I should think, from the Bee and
Honey building. It consisted of four new ma-

chines, placed in a space of 12 x 15 feet. An abun-
dance of the very nicest basswood blocks had been
prepared (in Medina, I suppose), dressed to the
right thickness, and cut to the right length for sec-
tions and placed in boxes that would hold 500 sec-
tions. These blocks were first run through the ma-
chine that automatically makes the openings in the
sides; then over the "gang" of saws that cut the
notches in the ends; then the sections were cut
from the side by a saw that left them almost, if not
quite, as smooth as if they had been sandpapered.
From this machine they were put into one that cut
the V grooves. It was a marvel of ingenuity and
simplicity, and it was "just fun "to see it work.
All the attention it seemed to require was to have a
lot of sections, few or many, placed within its
reach, and it would, without watching, cut the V
groove just right in every section, and drop the
sections ail complete, in a box ready to be packed
for customers. A great many were given away as
samples, and a large quantity of price lists were
here judiciously distributed.

I am not aware that such an exhibit of bees, hon-
ey, and the appliances of the apiary, was ever be-
fore made in this country. It was a continuous
display for forty days (Sunday excluded), and our
building almost became a home to some of us. It
was the regular sleeping - place for two of your
men, Uncle Aaron, and myself, and Uncle Aaron
and I "boarded" ourselves. Uncle Aaron gained
in health and weight every day, and got a " new
lease of life," which to a Christian man worth
scores of thousands of dollars, was of more value
than money; but to me the blessing came with a
loss of over two pounds a week in weight, and 1
never felt better in my life. The loss of flesh in my
case I attribute to worry. The boys " nagged " me,
and poked fun at me, and laughed at me at every
crook and turn; and visitors were not in the
least loth to do the same. There seemed to be no
end to my " putting my foot into it" (you know
what that means) at the most inopportune times,
and once I came pretty near getting a " licking " by
a Chicago man (not our friend Newman), who knew
more about "manufactured honey "than we did.
I believe I must tell you about it. Owing to my get-
ting so badly scared I may not get it just exactly
as it was, but it will be near enough for all practi-
cal pui'poses. When any of "our boys " found out
any thing new, or got "sold," or came across a
specially hard or green customer, or one that
probably never kept bees, or else kept them in the
old-fashioned way, and knew more about them
than we did, they were sure to bring such parties
to me. Well, one day a company of ladies and
gentlemen from Chicago were visiting our "neck
of the woods," and one of the men was telling
about having bought and used manufactured hon-
ey there ten years ago, and that " it was just as
good as the honey made by bees." After talking
with him awhile, and finding he knew more than
I did, I very mildly suggested that it wasn't just
right to be telling such stuff, as that way of mak-
ing honey was "played out " in Chicago, and re-
ferred him to friend Newman. He rather excited-
ly said that he guessed a man had a right to say
what he had a mind too. With as little discretion
as truth I admitted it, but, unfortunately, added,
"A man has a. right to Keif he wants to." Well,
his looks and actions induced me to get up from
the seat I was occupying, and put down a package

258

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

of honey 1 had in my hands, and for an instant I
didn't know but somebody would get hurt. He
rather excitedly asked me, "Did you tell me I
lied? " Did you ever: But I was in a fix. I simply
replied that he didn't ask that question in the right
way. So he took it back and wanted to know what
he Should say. and I very kindly informed him that
he should say. " Did I understand you to say that I
lied?" Lie at once repeated my words, and I very
innocently replied that I did not know how he un-
derstood me. My reply showed my guilelessness.
and his own company joined in the general laugh,
and tried to get him away: but he seemed to have a
liking for " our boys," and I asked them to let him
stay with us awhile, assuring them that we would
not hurt him. and would not even let our bees sting
him if we could prevent them. So they all, except
my friend, went of laughing and we gave them a
cordial invitation to come and see us again. This
was the only time, I believe, when there was a
cloud on our horizon. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, O.

Well, old friend, it is too bad. and it
makes one feel sad to think that those boys
should have been so naughty as to nag and
worry you in the way you mention. I do
not blame them for laughing, because al-
most every one laughs as soon as he gets ac-
quainted with you, aDd I did not know be-
fore that a man could be found with cheek
enough to get mad. even if you did intimate
to him that he was not telling the truth. I
suppose you gave him one of those cards
with the thousand-dollar offer on it. and
that he went away thoroughly satisfied and
thoroughly converted. I suppose a great
many people went away from that honey-
exhibit a little wiser in regard to this mat-
ter of adulteration, and I am inclined to
think that you are about the best man to
undertake the great task of getting such a
great stream of humanity to give up error
and accept truth. Our work is not done
yet ; and I hope, doctor, that you are still
using your big gifts among the people where-
ever you meet them.

PREVENTING AFTER-SWARMS.

A. E. HANUH S METHOD.

-TT A VING noticed in Gleanings and other bee-
HJ periodicals, from time to time, various plans
l-j to prevent second swarms, all of which I
AA have tried without satisfactory results, and
having finally adopted a method of my own
which is somewhat different from any I have ever
seen in print, 1 will, with your permission, give it
to your readers, that another drop may be added to
the great fountain of knowledge from which a clear
and invigorating stream is constantly flowing over
the pages of Gleanings.

As stated above, 1 have tried various plans to pre-
vent second swarms by hiving in different ways,
such as moving the old hive to a new stand, and
hiving the new swarm on the old stand; also set-
ting the old hive on the new swarm or the new one
over the old; also hiving the swarms by them-
selves, and giving them a portion of the brood from
the parent hive, etc. All of these have proved to
be unsatisfactory to me. owing to the fact that
these methods have a tendency to lessen the
amount of surplus, since the old hive is so reduced

that it is a long while before it becomes strong
enough to work in the boxes. Hence we have only
the new swarm to depend upon for a surplus,
where we depend wholly upon clover and basswood
for box honey. I always aim to keep every colony
strong— the ones that have cast a swarm, as well as
the new ones. My experience teaches me that light
swarms during the honey season give no profit. I
would rather have half a bushel of bees in one hive
than divided by two, hiving a peck in each hive,
when the honey season is at hand.

In hiving lees, the plan that suits me best is to
return one -third of the swarm to the old hive,
and hive the remaining two-thirds in a new hive,
and add to it. as soon as may be. one or more two-
thirds swarms i without queens this time), each time
returning the third of the bees to the hive from
which they came. The surplus queens, if good
ones, may be returned to their respective hives
after cutting out all the queen-cells. By this meth-
od the old hive is kept well stocked with bees, and
work in the boxes is but little interrupted; the
new colonies are made very strong, and are in the
best of conditioti to store a large amount of honey
in the boxes. As I do not desire a large increase of
colonies, I strive to secure a large surplus, regard-
less of increase.

To prevent second swarms I go to the hive four
days after a swarm has issued, lift out the combs
one by one, and cut out all queen-cells but one,
leaving the best one if I wish to rear a queen from
this stock; if not, all are cut out. and a cell from
some other is introduced. Then in four days more
I again cut out any queen-cells that may have been
started, after which there is no danger of more be-
ing started. Now. when the young queen hatches
and finds no rival, and the bees not being able to
rear another, owing to the age of the brood, the
young queen is permitted to leave the hive for fer-
tilization, without the bees following her; and in
due time she will commence to lay. But if the
young queen is allowed to hatch before the other
cells are removed, as recommended by some writ-
ers, even )f the cells are removed very soon after
the queen hatches, there is dauger of a second
swarm. But if all surplus cells are removed before
the queen hatches, there is no danger of a second
swarm; at least, that has been my experience the
past few years.

One night last season my son reported six second
swarms that day (this being only his second sea-
son in having charge of an apiary, and he had for-
gotten my instructions of the year before); upon
inquiry I learned that he had not removed the cells
the second time; or on the eighth day, thinking
that, if he removed them soon after the young
hatched from the cell left in the hive when looking
them over on the fourth day after the swarm had
issued it would be as well. But the result was six
after-swarms in one day. I visited his yard next
day, and assisted him to cut out the surplus cells
from all that had swarmed seven or eight days pre-
viously, and cautioned him to attend to this matter
in the future, which he did, and the result was no
more second swarms.

It may be asked, why I cut out the cells so soon as
the fourth day. My answer is, that it sometimes
happens that a swarm is retarded from coming out,
for some days, owing to bad weather or some other
cause. In sujh a case the young queen will hatch
sooner than the eighth or ninth day; hence this

1889

GLEAJSTNGS IN BEE CULTURE.

259

precaution. As second swarms are unprofitable to
me, I aim to prevent their issue; and by close at-
tention T find they can be prevented.
Bristol, Vi., Mar. 12, 1889. A. E. Manum.

BEE-CAVES, AGAIN.

THK DOOL1TTLE PLAN A SUCCESS.

"Ma PTEK reading Doolittle'8 article on bee-caves,
^Ma in Gleanings, I am constrained to give my

|Nr experience. I wintered, or tried to winter,
■**• bees on summer stands for eight years, and
the result was far from being satisfactory.
In the fall of 18% I made me a cave 8x16 feet, and 5
feet deep at the eaves, in the ground. I put in a
3-inch drain-tile 50 feet long. To a suitable frame
of studding and rafters I nailed inch lumber.
Above and around I banked 3 feet of dirt, and then
sowed with sweet clover. I have compartments in
the rear end, 8x12 feet, and 4x8 in the front, for veg-
etables. There are three doors, including the trap-
door, and an ordinary ground floor inside. When
winter comes to stay (that is generally about Christ-
mas i, I till the hatchway with straw, and shut it up
till spring. A 3-inch pipe passes up through the top.
In the fall of 1886 I put in 42 colonies of bees. In
the spring I took out 42 in fine condition; and what
surprised me most was that the cave was dripping
wet. I dug a hole in one corner of the cave, and I
think I took out ten barrels of water in 15 days, and
I could not detect any trace of dysentery about a
single colony. In the fall of 1887 1 put in 52 colonies,
and next spring I took out 50 in prime condition.
This time two died— one of which was queenless,
and the other one starved from neglect in the fall.
This time the cave was as wet as before, and two
nuclei showed some signs of dysentery, and some
of the bees were in the cave for just six months,
from Oct. 15th to April 15th. This winter has been
so warm that I have not filled the hatchway yet,
and the cave is dry. I am in the cave almost every
day. The bees are wintering well. I am convinced
that a good cave is the place to winter bees in this
latitude.

WHEN WE MAY EXPECT A GOOD HONEY CROP.

I want to tell your readers when to expect a
good honey season (and that next year is one in
Iowa, at least i. My observation has been, that al-
ways, after a plentiful rainfall, the next year will
be a good honey year; and a poor honey season al-
ways follows a dry season; a wet season gives the
trees and herbs a good growth of fibrous roots, and
this is what gives us a good supply of nectar.

Newbern, Iowa, Jan. 22. 1889. Wm. Malone.

It seems a little singular that somebody
else should have almost exactly the same
idea you have in your concluding sentence.
See the following :

ESTIMATING the season in advance, in the

LIGHT OF THE PAST; IS IT A CASE OF COUNT-
ING CHICKENS BEFORE THEY ARE
HATCHED?

Bees have wintered well to date, March 1st. I
have 177 hives. I believe every one is all right.

Why can't some kind of correct estimate be given
in advance as to what the honey crop will be for
the season? For example, the season of 1889, ac-
cording to indications, will give us a good crop.
Why do I think so? I will explain. In this locality,
during the fall of 1885 we bad frequent rains; white

clover thrived everywhere. The fall pasturage was
excellent. In 1886 we got a good crop of white-
clover honey. The fall of 1886 was very dry. The
grass and white clover burned out, even to the root.
Hardly any white clover made an appearance in
1887. The fall of 1S87 was dry, drier, driest, and I
got no honey whatever in 1888 from white clover.
The summer of W8 was a fine one. White clover
sprouted up luxuriously everywhere— little fine
stuff, just from the seed. During the fail of that
year the weather couldn't be better. The pasture
was the very best for stock. Even now the white
clover is green and in splendid condition to furnish
us a crop of honey. Why is it this subject of a
prospect of a honey-yield is never discussed, or is it
too much like counting chickens before they are
hatched? A. N. Draper.

Upper Alton, 111.

LARGE OH SMALL HIVES— WHICH ?

A NUT FOR THE ADVOCATES OF SMALL BROOD-
CHAMBERS TO CRACK.

§0 much has been said in favor of small brood-
chambers, 1 concluded to give them a trial. I
commenced the experiment in July, 1S86, put-
ting 20 colonies, that season, on ten frames,
said frames 6l4 inches deep, and same length
as L. frames. During the summer of 1887 I put
some 35 or 40 colonies more on these shallow
frames. This divided my apiary about equally-
half on ten L. combs, and the other half on the shal-
low frames. The season of 1887 was extremely dry
and hot. The nectar from the flowers was, from
the nature of the weather, of a very thick consis-
tency—so much so that it required constant care on
the part of the apiarist, in manipulating hives, to
prevent the bees from robbing. Yet I secured
nearly 6000 lbs. of honey from 9S colonies, spring
count.

The season of 1888 was just the reverse of that of
1887. both as regards the nature of the weather and
the nectar in the flowers. For six weeks during
July and August. 1888, there was very little disposi-
tion on the part of the bees to rob. But I obtained
only 4500 lbs. of honey from 108 colonies, spring
count.

Now for the results from the different sizes of
brood-chambers. In 1887 there was but little differ-
ence, and that was in favor of the large hives. In
1888 the large hives not only gave me nearly three-
fourths of the surplus obtained, but had an abun-
dance for winter stores, while the small hives were
quite light when placed in the cellar, and will have
to be fed early in spring to carry them through.

I have for several years entertained a theory in
regard to storing and evaporating the moisture
from honey, and this theory is substantiated by the
past two years' experience.

The statement that all the honey goes into the
surplus receptacles when small brood-chambers
are used is quite true, as there is no other place for
it. But it is my opinion, that few if any of the ad-
vocates of small brood-chambers know how much
they lose by not having sufficient room for stor-
age and evaporation of nectar, especially when,
from the nature of the weather, the nectar is very
thin, as is often the case in wet seasons. Notwith-
standing the many plausible arguments presented
by able writers in favor of small brood-chambers, I

260

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

would Dot give my past two years' experience for
whole volumes of such arguments. What would
you think of the man who would set to work to pro-
duce 500 gallons of syrup per day, with an evapo-
rating capacity of only 250 gallons per day? Some-
what ridiculous, is it not? Yet this is about the
condition of affairs when put to the actual test.
Liverpool, 111., Feb. 12, 1889. S. A. Shuck.

FUNCTION OF SALIVA.

PROF. COOK REPLIES.

T HAVE found no time before this to reply to the
fl[ kind criticism of Mr. S. Corneil, in Gleanings,
^li 1888, p. 931. I did say, in my first criticism of
■*• Cheshire's first volume, that the author's state-
ment, that the " principal function of our sali-
va is to change starch into 6ugar, is a strange er-
ror." I am still of that opinion. I do not believe
that any real experimental physiologist will disa-
gree with me. I regret if my assertion in com-
menting upon Mr. Stachelhausen, that "we secrete
saliva almost wholly to moisten our food," makes
me appear morbidly sensitive. I really am not so.
I am sensitive regarding what I deem erroneous.
I have no feeling whatever in this matter, nor
do I believe Mr. Corneil has, other than that the
truth should prevail. If I said that Mr. Cheshire
stated that the sole use of saliva was to digest, I
certainly quoted from memory. He says its princi-
pal function is to chemically change some parts of
our food, and notably starch. Again, I say, " Most
English authors, and Foster with the rest, argue that
saliva may do a great part of the work." Mr. Cor-
neil adds. "What Foster does say is this: 'Its char-
acteristic property is that of changing starch into
sugar'— no arguing that it may do in this state-
ment." Now let me quote Foster, page 184: "The
chief purpose served by the saliva in digestion is to
moisten the food, and to assist in mastication and
deglutition." This is its chief purpose. That its
characteristic property is to convert starch into
sugar, is true. There is scarcely a better test for
saliva. That is why I said, "That saliva will change
hydrated or cooked starch into sugar, no one
doubts." Now, Mr. Editor, let me briefly add what
I believe to be just the truth in the case — what I
have taught my students for years, not because I
have read it in books, but because I have actually
proved it. as do my students, and as Mr. Corneil can
with no very great trouble or pains. Saliva of
man, the pig, rabbit, guinea-pig, and the rat, is
amylolytic; that is, it will digest starch, though far
less actively, than does pancreatic juice. The same
thing is very feebly true of the saliva of the cat, or
horse, and sheep, while that of the dog is not so at
all. But this is true of no saliva, except in an alkaline
liquid. Thus, if we take cooked starch— only cook-
ed or hydrated starch is acted on by any saliva— and
simply put it into the mouth for a moment, a trace
of sugar will appear. If, then, starch should re-
main in the mouth, and be mixed for some time
with saliva, it would largely, perhaps wholly,
change to sugar; but it stops only to be moistened,
and is rushed forward to the stomach, where it is
mixed with the acid gastric juice, and then the sali-
va is entirely powerless to digest the starch further.
It did commence, but stopped before it had more
than just begun. But when the starch reaches the

small intestine, and is mixed with the far more
amylolytic pancreatic juice, it is speedily changed
to sugar, or. in other words, digested. Now for the
proofs :

First, only cooked starch is ever digested by sali-
va. The tropical man, then, who eats his starch
raw, must depend wholly on other ferments for
this digestion.

Second, feed a rabbit cooked starch. While we
find a trace of sugar in the mouth, as we do in our
own case, we find no more, only a mere trace, in
the stomach. We see that, while the saliva has this
property, it does not have this function. It can do
it in an alkaline liquid— it can't in an acid one, like
the juices of the stomach.

Third, while our saliva in the mouth will digest
starch, and does very slightly, it will not do this if
in a test-tube we add hydrochloric acid -the acid
that makes the juices of the stomach acid; so we
know that this change is at once cut short as the
food enters the stomach.

Fourth, one element of the pancreatic juice does
this work much more energetically than does the
saliva, even in the mouth, and so there is no call
for such action from the saliva, which is simply to
moisten or soften the food, as Bernard's classic ex-
periments showed years ago.

Fifth, the horse and cow eat much starch, and
their saliva can't do this work. If the pancreatic
juice does this for them, it wonld be logical to sup-
pose that it does the same for all animals, especial-
ly as direct experiment proves that it can and does.

Sixth, the salivary glands and the saliva are as
marked in dogs, cattle, horses, etc., as in man; but
in these animals we know it does not digest starch.
This, then, shows that the saliva has a separate
function, which we know to be to soften the food.

I have made many experiments in this field, and
have no doubt of the correctness of this position.
I have suggested how others may prove the truth
of it, as Fehling's test for sugar is simple, and easi-
ly applied.

We see that this matter in physiology is of practi-
cal importance. We must eat slowly, that the sali-
va may be thoroughly mixed with the food, and the
food well cut up, else it will be impossible to digest
the food properly when it arrives in the stomach
and intestines. Bolting our food is not hygienic.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

HBART'8-EASE HONEY.

HOW IT GRADES WITH OTHER HONEY IN THE
MARKET.

« SUBSCRIBER of Gleanings writes me as
follows: "Please tell through Gleanings
how heart's-ease honey grades in Chicago, as
compared with white clover, linden, etc. It
is considered A 1 here among farmers. . . .
Do you think I could do as well with the extractor?
Do you think extracted as profitable as comb? Also,
what do commission men generally charge per
pound? Three short crops can be secured here in
one season — first, white clover; second, basswood
(by moving bees 3^2 miles); third, heart's-ease."

The honey gathered from heart's-ease is not as
light-colored as that from white clover or linden,
and has a somewhat stronger flavor. A well-ripen-
ed article, though, when granulated, looks almost
as white as clover. It granulates in very fine crys-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

261

tals, forming- a smooth, even grain, perfectly dry,
but not quite as hard as a good article of clover.
Let me remark, in passing, that I do not consider
any honey first-class unless it will candy so as to be
hard and perfectly dry.

The comb made from heart's-ease is as white and
delicate as any made. In most of our markets I be-
lieve it is usually graded and sold as white clover.
With many dealers, all comb honey that is nice and
white is white clover, while all that appears dark is
buckwheat. This, to some extent, is true of ex-
tracted honey. Nearly all honey produced is from
sources more or less mixed, according to the season
and locality in which it was gathered. If you ask
any large dealer in honey for samples of white
clover you may get several different flavors, none
of which you will recognize as the white clover of
your locality. This beipg the case, there is a ten-
dency among dealers to class all honey, that is rea-
sonably light in color and mild in flavor, as white
clover. A friend of whom I bought some honey
almost entirely of heart's-ease, writes that a well-
known Chicago dealer said of some more of the
same lot, "It seems to be almost entirely white
clover."

Tastes differ as to quality. Some do not like the
flavor, others prefer it to any other variety, while
some never learn to distinguish any difference be-
tween it and other kinds. A bee-keeper of some
years' experience admitted to me not long ago that
the only kind of honey she could positively distin-
guish by the flavor was that from sweet clover.

Heart's-ease honey has one serious fault. It is
injured more easily, and to a greater extent, by
overheating than any other kind 1 am acquainted
with. The heat of boiling water, if the whole mass
is heated up to that point, will utterly ruin it, giv-
ing it a flavor and odor that reminds me of an in-
fusion of hay. Unless consumers are made aware
of this fact, unpleasant results may follow. It will
be seen that it is not fit for cooking purposes, as
the " hay tea" flavor is not generally liked. The
nectar from heart's-ease seems thicker than that
from most plants. This was particularly the case
last season, when it seemed ready to cap over al-
most as soon as it was brought in. On this account
I do not think it as profitable in the extracted form
as in comb.

As to the relative profit of producing comb or ex-
tracted honey, I would refer my correspondent to
my article on the subject on page 691 of Glean-
ings for 1887. No one can be certain, until he tries
it, which will pay him best; but in the majority of
cases, comb honey will be found more profitable.
With regard to the rest of the letter, commission
men generally charge 5 per cent on sales, though in
Borne places 10 per cent is charged. If my corres-
pondent makes a success of moving his bees, es-
pecially for the basswood flow, I hope he will re-
port on it. We do not know nearly as much on the
subject as we ought to. I believe it is destined to
play an important part in the bee-keeping of the
future.

HONEY IN PAPER PACKAGES.

You will remember the article I wrote on small
paper packages for extracted honey. I send you
some of these by this mail. The honey is not very
good in quality, being a mixture of various sorts,
and the paper in which it is wrapped is simply
Gleanings paper. I hope it will reach you with-
out damage. It seems to me that something might

be done in this way to furnish a market for a great
deal of honey. J. A. Green.

Dayton, 111., Mar. 9, 1889.

The candied honey in little packages looks
very pretty, only it is somewhat sticky.
This may be remedied, however, by wrap-
ping it up in paraffine paper, exactly as we
get caramels from the confectioner's. I pre-
sume a very choice grade of honey would
sell well as confectionery, but it would be
considerable tiouble and expense to put it
up in these packages ; and if a trade is once
started it will be greatly crippled or perhaps
killed by using an inferior article. If I am
correct, some honey candies in a good deal
better shape than others. Small packages,
say one inch square or less, would probably
keep their shape, and be neat to handle. If
not sold immediately, however. I am a little
afraid that it would look old and uninviting.

MANIPULATING CHAFF HIVES, AND
PREVENTING SECOND SWAEMS.

GEO. E. HILTON GIVES A FEW FACTS IN FAVOR OF
CHAFF AROUND THE BROOD-NEST.

fHE great bugbear held up against chaff hives
is their weight in manipulation. Having al-
ways used chaff hives I have learned it is un-
necessary to move them after they are once
placed upon their stands, which (i. e., the
stands) should be substantial. For this purpose I
like a rim made of 2 x -1 oak, or some timber that
does not rot easily. When the chaff hives are once on
their stands they certainly possess advantages that
the single-walled hives do not. Bees will certainly
build up faster upon less stores in the spring, and
are less liable to spring dwindling. When the heat
of summer comes on, your surplus receptacles are
better protected from the scorching sun without
the use of shade-boards; the brood-nest is more
comfortable, and when bees in single-walled hives
are lying out and doing nothing for fear of melt-
ing their combs, bees in chaff hives are busily at
work; and I have yet to have the first comb break
down in them.

In manipulating the surplus there is less stoop-
ing, and, as a consequence, less backache; and
with both kinds in the yard for the past ten years, I
have received enough more honey from the chaff
hive to pay for their extra cost. They are always
ready for winter by simply putting on a chaff cush-
ion when you remove your surplus crates in the
fall. There is less swarming than in the single-
walled hives, for the same reason that they work
when those in the single-walled hives do not. They
are more successfully handled against second
swarming. When a swarm issues I lift off the sur-
plus cases and set them on top of the next hive,
lift out 7 of the 8 frames, and place them with the
adhering bees in an empty hive. I then put in
seven frames of foundation (in the parent hive), re-
place my surplus eases, and by this time the swarm
has clustered. I next shake what I can of the
swarm into my hiving-basket, invariably getting
the queen the first time, and then dump them upon
th a alighting-board, and the work is done. As the
remaining bees will soon return to the parent hive,
and all the field bees giving you the same working
force as before, with energies redoubled, look out
for your surplus room, for the queen will occupy

262

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Am.

the foundation as fast as drawn. Your seven
frames are so depleted (with yet enough bees to
care for the brood) that they will not swarm one
time in ten, and your honey will all come from the
parent hive, and you will have fewer unfinished
sections, unless you get a fall flow, as we did the
past season when I had to extract the brood-nests
to ixive the young queens room to lay. In my lo-
cality I save all the first swarms up to Aug. 1, and
have never yet failed to have them in good condi-
tion for winter.

When I read of some of the methods used in
manipulating the single-walled hives in securing
honey, and in the preveniion of second swarms, I
fear that I should need a book-keeper to keep
things Straight. With me it is all done at one
operation, and I have no further thoughts in the
matter. It is a success, both in the production of
honey and the prevention of second swarms.

Fremont, Mich.

Geo. E. Hilton.

Why, friend II., it seems to me a little
funny to have you indorse the chaff hive in
the vehement way in which you do. Your
ideas are mine exactly when 1 invented our
present method of making chaff hives ; and
my experience in all these years agrees ex-
actly with yours. Now, it seems to me that
those who have been so vehement— yes, and
I might almost say bitter — in denouncing the
chaff hive should remember there are quite
a few who think just as you and I do.
Some have objected to the chaff hive be
cause it is inconvenient for handling the
combs ; and it surprised me when I heard it,
for I find the chaff hive the most conven-
ient, even for queen-rearing, of any hive I
ever had any thing to do with ; and it is be-
cause I can lean against it when handling
the combs, and support myself without
pushing it over or off its foundation. When
working with the Simplicity hives I am
obliged to lean, over the hive and work in a
leaning position, without any thing to sup-
port me ; and I have always found that,
when I go from a Simplicity hive to a chaff
hive, especially when I am tired, that the
chaff hive rests me just because I can lean
my whole weight against it while I lift out
the combs ; and I want the old-fashioned
two-story chaff hive, just as I first made it.
In your method of working you do not say
what you do with the combs and adhering
bees that you lifted out ; but I suppose they
are taken away to make another colony.
We have not found this very good economy
unless we get some working bees from some
other new swarm to put with them ; other-
wise there will not be any pollen or honey
brought from the fields for nearly a week.

THWARTING BOBBERS.

ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE BHOOU-
CHAMBEH.

"Ifc AST August I received a letter from H. L.
|||) Jeffrey, of New Milford, Conn., in which he
^I^T said, " I must send you a trick that I have
""■ tried many times at this season of the year,
or I should say this time of honey-dearth.
Several years ago I was handling a stock that was
being robbed. The bottom-board to the hive pro-
jected about 4 or 5 inches in front. The stook was

quite demoralized, and were all over the ground,
and the robbers were going in and coming out like
mad demons. I looked at them for a moment, then
around, and, seeing some sticks half an inch thick,
and a shingle about 6 inches wide that had been
used over the combs the previous winter, I just put
the half-inch sticks at each end of the alighting-
board, then the shingle on top. and pushed it tight
to the front of the hive; and, wasn't it fun to see
those robbers try to go through the front of the
hive? the robbers inside coming out from under the
shingle, and unable to find their way back, and at
the same time the demoralized bees belonging to
the hive were quietly crawling back and leisurely
walking under the shingle, as cool as though en-
joying the sight of the acrobatic exercise their de-
feated plunderers were taking."

Mr. Jeffrey found the plan to work equally well
in subsequent trials. I was so unfortunate (or,
rather, so fortunate > as to have no case of robbing
last season after getting his letter; but from the
well-known habits of bees, I think the plan well
worth trying, even if Mr. Jeffrey's long experience
did not give me confidence in his decision. The
whole affair is very simple. The entrance from the
outside is closed, and a new entrance made, while
the exit remains practically unchanged. The rob-
bers remain, frantically attempting to force an
entrance at the one spot, while the bees belonging
to the hive are more inclined to hunt for another
entrance.

HIVE FOR COMB HONEY.

A correspondent writes : "Please answer through
Gleanings what size of frame, size of super inside,
and size of hive inside, also how many frames to
hive, and what size of section you would use if you
were going to adopt a hive for comb honey.
Would you want it larger for extracted honey if
two stories are used? "

The frame I am now using and have been using
for a good many years is 18 x 9. I do not know that
any different size would give better results, al-
though it must be remembered that for a long
time I have used no other size, and am likely to be
prejudiced. I would not adopt that size, however,
if I were beginning anew, for the simple reason
that I don't want a size different from every one's
else, unless there is strong reason for it. The size
of the Simplicity-Langstroth frame is only f inch
shorter and % inch deeper — so nearly the same
that, for practical purposes, there is no difference,
and so I should prefer that which is used by many
others, instead of having an odd size. I think I
should prefer a hive to take eight of these frames,
thus making a hive 18 inches long and 11 V6 inches
wide, inside measure. I would use the common
1-lb. section, 4% x l^. to go in a T super measuring
inside 11% x I2JJ x i%.

I am not authority on extracted honey, but I do
not think I would have a different size of hive, if I
expected to use some hives for comb and some for
extracted. If, however. I intended to raise no comb
honey, but extracted altogether, I should do some
pretty heavy studying or experimenting to see if a
ten-frame hive might not be best.

Marengo, III. C. C. Miller.

The idea of a shingle or other thin board,
supported on narrow strips over the en-
trance, is quite old. and a pane of glass in
place of the shingle seems to answer still
better. If robbers are acting very bad, the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

263

shingle would have to be fastened down
with small nails ; but an ordinary pane of
glass has weight enough to keep its place.
I think that prevention in case of robbing
is much better than cure ; but after they do
get to going, the idea is often valuable. It
is my opinion that such cases of robbing
have more to do with bees being voted a
nuisance in a neighborhood than any other
one thing.

JlETiDg 0F Qwilji

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

EARLY HATCHING.

y bees are situated on a western exposure of
a hill. March 17th they carried in the first
natural pollen that we could see. One col-
ony was not carrying pollen. Concluding'
that that colony was queenless, I open-
ed the hive and found neither brood, larvte, nor
eggs. I then searched for the queen, and found a
young- one, white as a corpse, certainly not live
minutes old. I pushed aside the little cluster of
bees where she was, and found two capped queen-
cells, and one with its " coffee-pot lid " open where
the young' queen had j ust come out. I watched her
a few minutes, when she dipped her nose into a cell
and started out over the comb. About the queen-
cells I found two or three cells of capped brood.
Apparently the old queen had just lived until about
March 1st, then laid six or seven eggs, and died. As
there are no drones flying, and the weather is very
bad, I think the chances are against this queen be
ing fertilized, and I shall lose the colony, as it is too
weak to raise a new queen from eggs in April. At
least, I fear it is too weak to raise good queen6.
think St. Patrick's Day in the afternoon is rather
early for young queens in this latitude.

Philo S. Dilworth.
Bonney, Pa., March 21, 1889.

SORGHUM MOLASSES TO FEED BEES IN SPRING.

Please tell me whether sorghum molasses or syr-
up is fit to feed bees in the spring. Of course, I
know it would be unsafe to give it in the fall for
winter supplies, but I thought it might be good in
the spring to feed up to stimulate queens, etc.

Worthington, lad., Feb. 5, 1889. J. A. Minich.

Sorghum molasses will do for spring feed-
ing whenever the bees fly freely ; that is,
providing the bees will pay any attention to
it. Unless the quality of the sorghum is
quite good, and no honey of any sort is to
be had in the fields, bees will seldom work
on it. During a drouth in the fall, when
we are keeping nuclei going for the purpose
of raising queens, sorghum molasses will
often answer a very good purpose. It is so
distasteful to bees that they seldom care
enough for it to start robbing, and in this
respect it is much better than honey.

THE NON-REVERSING EXTRACTOR, AND WHAT MR.
COWAN SAVS ABOUT IT.

We take pleasure in making the following
extract from a private letter received from
our brother-editor, Mr. Thos. Wm. Cowan,
of the British Be Journal, relative to the
non-reversing extractor mentioned and de-
scribed on pages <>S3>nd 773 for 1888 :

I was interested in your taking up the honey-ex-
tractor to extract from both sides at one operation.
I have been looking forward to remarks from oth-
ers. The diagram of one you have made :s very
nearly exactly the same as the one I made and
used, and was described in the British Bee Journal.
If you like I will send you the extract referring to
it. The reason I gave it up at that time was be-
cause the combs got damaged unless great care
was taken, and it was not safe to put it into the
hands of careless people. You know we did not
have wired frames, and new combs heavy with hon-
ey used to become crushed up toward the top-bar,
which was on the outside circle, and toward which
the centrifugal force pressed them. With old combs,
such a thing would not happen. Otherwise the
honey was extracted without any difficulty. This
extractor is still in existence, and is in the collec-
tion of appliances I presented to the British Bee-
Keepers' Association. Thos. Wm. Cowan.

Boulevard Grancy, Lausanne, Switz., Dec. 22, 18«8.

ARE BLACKS MORE HARDY THAN ITALIANS?

Which are the best bees to winter, in your opin-
ion? My gray bees are wintering all right. The hives
are just full of bees, but the Italians are all dying.
A week ago to-day my bees had a good fly, and the
Italians would crawl out and get a chill and die.

Deshler, O., Feb. 23, 1889. T. Oberhitner.

As a rule, blacks are not more hardy
than Italians. The two races of bees, how-
ever, are so different in their habits that it
is not unfrequent to find one wintering bet-
ter than the other. For instance, while the
blacks are working on buckwheat, the Ital-
ians will often be working on red clover ;
and in this case the difference in the kind of
stores might make a difference in winter-
ing. Italians will also sometimes work on
honey-dew while the blacks will not, and I
should think likely that that is the trouble
in your case. Warm weather, that will
enable the Italians to fly, will probably
fetch them up all right.

HOW TO MAKE A START IN BEE-KEEPIN(i.

I want to get started in the bee-business again, on
a very small scale. A number of years ago I
bought your ABC and got two hives of bees; but
the bees and my bright hopes, one by one, took flight
and left me " weeping sad and lonely." There are
only black bees around here, and the owners ask
$1 .00 per hive for them. But I have not that much
to throw away, as my John says. We have all kinds
of fruit, large and small, which our neighbors' bees
thrive on from the first cherry blossom in May till
the last raspberry in August. If I must gather
bees by the handful while picking raspberries, I am
quite sure that I could do it with greater equanimi-
ty if I knew that some of them were my own. Your
advice in the A B C is to get two or three pounds of
black bees and a fertilized Italian queen. Is that
still your advice? If so, I can get the black bees
here. Mrs. C. H. Tarbell.

Bedford, N. H., Mar. 12, L889.

Yes, my friend, that is still our advice.
Almost everybody can get bees of some sort
near home ; and all you have to do is to get
such a queen as you want, by mail ; and
queens are carried by mail safer and quick-
er than hives of bees, even by express.

264

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Ant.

WASTE FELT VS. CHAFF, FOR PACKING.

Friend Root:— I want to talk to you a little more
in reference to the sample of packing I sent you, in
hopes it may be of some benefit to some bee-keeper
in this vicinity and other places where fur-hat fac-
tories are easily accessible. You reply, the great
objection to it is the expense, and on that account
you prefer chaff, especially wheat chaff. In this lo-
cality we can't get wheat chaff, as comparatively no
wheat is raised in this vicinity, and the best chaff
we can procure is oat chaff, which I have always
used until the last one or two seasons. But after
using this waste— like sample sent you— I think it
much superior ; and the only objection I have to it
is, that the fur and hair stick to the clothes, and it
is quite a bother to get it off. As far as the expense
is concerned, it costs no more than chaff. It is the
waste from the shaving machine, use in the manu
facture of fur hats, and is composed of fur and
hair. Now, if any beekeeper in the vicinity of a
fur-hat factory will go to the factory and get this
waste to pack his bees in, I am sure he would de-
cide with me that it far excels chaff. It costs
nothing. The manufacturers are generally glad to
have it taken away. S. H. Hickok.

Bethel, Conn., Feb. 9, 1889.

We have no doubt, friend EL, but that the
waste from hat-factories will answer as well
as chaff; but the great objection to it is,
that there are very few bee-keepers indeed
who are so situated as you are, to get this
kind of packing ; and the number of bee-
keepers who can not get some sort of chaff
is comparatively small.

THE WORK OF MICE IN THE HIVES.

I went into the winter with 16 colonies, after unit-
ing and giving, as I supposed, plenty of stores to
carry them through; but I find I am taken right
back where I was one year ago, as I have nine colo-
nies left to date, all very strong and fair. We are
told in the ABC that mice are enemies of bees.
We try to guard against them, but mice had been
in no less than five colonies of the 7 lost— the first
time that a mouse ever got into a colony of my
bees. You see, the entrances get large by the ac-
tion of the weather, and the passing of the bees in
and out. That thing will never occur again with
me; however, I thiuk on the whole more stores
have been required to bring bees thus far than any
other winter since I have had bees.

Hinckley, O., Mar. 15, 1889. A. A. Webber.

THE WARNER PARALLEL GAUGE; QUESTIONS CON-
CERNING IT.

Are the rods or screws of Warner's improvement
to saw-tables, for regulating the gauge, long
enough so that the gauge can be set as much as two
feet from the saw with a gauge 354 inches wide, or
how long are they? I often use the parallel gauge
to cut off with, and want to cut my bottom-boards
two feet long; does this attachment still work well?
Do you still sell them, and at what price?

Le Sueur Center, Minn. R. Kendall.

Friend K., the screws in the Warner par-
allel gauge, such as we send out, are 26
inches long. The gauge itself can be set 24
inches from the saw ; but if so arranged it
will not come near enough to saw sections,
brood-frames, or other thin stuff, without
putting a straight piece of plank of suitable
width on the face side of the gauge. On our

regular section saw-tables, such as we use
in our factory, the screws are shorter.
When so arranged, the gauge can come in
contact with the saw itself, if necessary, or
be set back 22 inches. The Warner parallel
bar and screw attachment is the best ar-
rangement of the kind we have ever used.
A few quick jerks of the chain will cause
the gauge to be set at any point. One of its
chief merits is, that it can be adjusted to a
hair's breadth, if not exactly at the point de-
sired. With the old parallel gauge it was
very difficult to get an exact adjustment.
We use these screw gauges in our factory
exclusively now. We sell them with screw,
chain, and every thing complete, for $5.00.

TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF WORKERS BY INCREAS-
ED SIZE OF CELLS NOT A SUCCESS.

Some time since there was a good deal of discus-
sion as to whether we could not increase the size of
worker bees by making comb foundation a little
larger than the regular size. Last spring in look-
ing over my hives I found in one of them that had
a good deal of drone comb a queen (I have had
them before that would not lay a drone egg nor
make any preparations to swarm during the
swarming season) that had not laid a drone egg;
but being pressed for room she had filled three
drone combs with worker brood— no mistake; 30
years in handling bees has made me familiar with
the difference between a worker and a drone.
Those workers were no larger for being raised in
drone-cells.

HOW TO MAKE SMOKER-LIGHTERS.

A great convenience in the apiary, is rolling up
paper balls the size of marbles, putting about an
inch of oil in, in a quart can, filling it up with the
paper marbles, and you have the best and quickest
lighters for your smokers that you can possibly
have; by making them the size of a large egg, you
have a good one for the kitchen stove. A Mr. Wil-
son said to me a few days ago that you can clean
your smoker of soot very easily if you put some
salt on the fire which you make to clean it.

Los Gatos, Cal. S. S. Butler.

You are right about the matter of enlarg-
ing bees by giving them larger cells. Facts
similar to those you have given have been
sent in repeatedly ; but for all that, every
little while somebody invents over again
the idea of enlarging the cells.

EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY. OVERSTOCKING, AND
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR IT?

1 fear my article on " exclusive territory " is not
quite understood by the readers of Gleanings.
Numerous propositions have been made from time
to time by different people to secure exclusive ter-
ritory by legislation. I was bitterly opposed to any
law that would work injustice to the poor, there-
fore I wrote my article on "exclusive territory."
I said the only fair way to secure such rights was
by purchase, rather than by legislation. I do not
believe in monopoly of any kind, where it will oper-
ate against the poor, not even patent bee-hives.
Personally I have no faith in the feasibility or ad-
visability of exclusive territory. I think it would
be cheaper to move to a location where there are
not so many bees than to try to buy out the neigh-
borhood. Bee-keepers are themselves much to
blame for the overstocking of some locations.CA
man gets a new variety of chickens, and he makes

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

265

haste to sell hatching eggs to all his neighbors at
"two dollars a sitting." Before he is well aware of
it he finds everybody crowded with that kind of
chickens and he himself trying to trade his fine
eggs at nine cents a dozen to the village grocer for
molasses and stale cheese. Just so in the bee-busi-
ness. A man gets a few bees, and hastens to adver-
tise " Bees and Queens for Sale." He discounts his
future profits for present benefits, and shortly finds
all his neighbors in the bee-business, the locality
overstocked, and his honey begging for a market.
Philo S. Dilworth.
Pittsburgh, Pa., March 5, 1889.

I also am opposed to any monopoly that
works injustice to the poor, and I also be-
lieve that the way to secure exclusive terri-
tory is to make a contract with your neigh-
bors not to keep bees if you can do so ; and
I still think that, in many neighborhoods,
this can be accomplished. If we are going
to raise forage for bees, and have a boney-
farm, it would be of the utmost importance
that the adjoining farms should agree not
to keep bees. Why can't it be managed as
well as they manage the matter of making
leases when drilling for gas and oil? Be-
fore men go to the expense of sinking a well,
they very carefully lease the land adjoining,
so as to have the control of the locality in
case it should be found to be a valuable one.
Now, while it is true that the man who gets
a new kind of poultry may stock the neigh-
borhood until he runs the price down, I
think great good comes from this kind of
work, many times, without getting the
price down, or, if you choose, before the
price gets down. Surely it is better to buy
choice stock of any kind of your neighbors
than to send away off to a distance, pay
heavy express charges, and then get some-
thing you have not seen before handing over
your money. In the same way I believe it
pays most bee-keepers to advertise bees and
queens for sale. Now, none of you need ac-
cuse me of saying the above from selfish in-
terests, because I have just advised very
strongly trading with your neighbors in-
stead of sending away off to a distance ; and
I do think that bees and queens had very
much better be bought near your own home,
than to send away off, take the risks of
heavy charges, damage in transportation,
and may be getting foul brood besides.
When it is impossible to get what you real-
ly need, in your own neighborhood, why,
then, of course, you can call in the aid of
the express and freight companies.

HOUSE-FLIES, AGAIN.

A subscriber from Ohio says he finds myriads of
flies in his horse manure in winter. He says that,
as the eggs were laid last summer, drawing the
manure out in winter would freeze out the in-
sects. This is not true. The house-fly hibernates
in winter— this is genuine hibernation; so eggs
will be laid next spring. This explains why flies
are scarce in early spring and summer. They breed
rapidly, and become very numerous by fall. The
same subscriber says: A neighbor drew out all his
manure in winter. Soon his manure heap was full
of house-flies, yet all was made in the last two
weeks. An explanation is asked for. I answer,
there is some mistake. House-flies do not breed in

winter, and all insects come from eggs; thus if
flies were seen they came from eggB laid last
autumn. Hence either the manure was not drawn
out clean, or else some old manure, or rubb:=h with
eggs, was thrown out with the manure. Flies do
not lay eggs in winter, in the North. All insects
come from eggs. Any observations that seem to
contradict these statements need to be repeated.
Agricultural College. Mich. A. J. Cook.

I think your explanation is correct, friend
Cook. When our friend wrote me, it did
not occur to me that the eggs laid by flies
might remain several weeks or months, un-
til the temperature was right. If this is so,
it will account for the presence of larva- in
the manure, which I presume has been ob-
served by many, even during the winter
time.

THAT QUEEN OF MRS. CHADDOCK'S UNDER A GOB-
LET; DOES A SWARM EVER ABSCOND WITH-
OUT THE QUEEN?

Friend Root:— I think Mahala B. Chaddock owes a
word of explanation in regard to what she says on
page 89 about 4 swarms of bees going to the woods,
and leaving their queens under a goblet on a plate.
Now, does she mean that those bees went off with-
out any queen, and set up housekeeping in the
woods, without any queen? If she doe6, then she
has "downed " Langstroth, Quinby, and A. I. Root
as effectually as she did A. J. Cook in regard to the
color and scent of flowers. These fathers of apicul-
ture have taught the young American that no
swarm of bees will leave without the queen, and my
experience has proved the correctness of their the-
ory. Now, if sister C. has made the discovery that
a swarm of bees will abscond without a queen, what
is the use of clipping the wing to prevent abscond-
ing? or did the bees know that the queen's wing
was not clipped, and the good woman of the house
had her under a glass goblet, and that she would let
her go in a few days, and that she would follow
them to their new home, and by that time they
would have house-cleaning done ready to receive
her ladyship?

The way I keep the bees from putting propolis in
the beveled joints is not to have any beveled joints,
but use a hive with square joints, like the old-style
Heddon hive, thereby obviating the use of tallow,
chisel, and hatchet; but if I had bevel-joint hives to
sell I might recommend the use of tallow and oil to
prevent the bees from gluing them together.

Sherman, 111., Feb. 0, 1889. D. D. Coper.

Etiend G, we did not understand Mrs.
Chaddock to say that four swarms went off
to the woods, leaving their queens under a
goblet. No doubt one of the queens was
under the goblet ; but the other three ought
to answer for even four swarms — that is, if
they went to the woods en masse. Mrs.
Chaddock did not make her point very clear
about the four swarms that went to the
woods.— Your last sentence, it seems to me.
makes out that you are a " badder man "
than bee-keepers in general. I know there
are some men who would sell a thing that
they knew was worthless, and a hindrance
to their fellows, if they could make money
by it. Surely there are not many such
among the readers of Gleanings ; and I do
not believe there are many who believe the
editor would set the example, We furnish

266

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

any kind of hive that anybody wants ; and
we sometimes make Simplicity hives with
square joints instead of beveled ones, where
the brethren think they prefer them that
way. But 100 of our customers prefer them
with the bevels, where one asks to have
them square. Bee-hives without the bevels
were the rule before the Simplicity was in-
vented, and they are to be found even yet,
more or less, in almost every apiary. Lang-
stroth, you will remember, adopted the
plan of having the upper story slip over the
lower one in order to keep out the wind and
rain, and to keep the upper story in its
place. I thought this took too much lumber,
and, besides, I objected to hives with pro-
jections. When I used Langstroth hives
exclusively, I could get only three hives of
bees into my one-horse wagon. The porti-
co stuck out in the wray, the rim around the
outer edges stuck out in the way, the upper
story stuck out in the way, and the covers
also stuck out in the way, and got bumped
loose, letting the bees out to sting my horse.
After I invented the Simplicity I could set
eight hives of bees in my one-horse wagon
and take them to a buckwheat field, with-
out the top stories slipping off from the
lower ones, or the covers getting slipped off
or bumped off. When I wanted to pile my
empty hives up under shelter, the Simplici
ties could be placed one on top of the other,
covers, bottom-boards, and all, clear up to
the ceiling. The next tier would go up
tight against it. so that it was very much
like putting the hives in the wagon. A cer-
tain size of room that would hold only eight
or ten Langstroth hives would hold twenty
or thirty Simplicities. Now, if anybody
wants to go back to the old style— if they
want hives without the bevels, or even if
they want box hives, we shall be glad to
serve them.

DOES WILLOW PRODUCE HONEY?

I have ten colonies of bees in chaff hives of my
own make. One colony made 96 lbs. of comb hon-
ey last summer. I should like to know for certain
whether yellow willow produces honey. I have
watched the bees at work on them, but never saw
them get any pollen. I think this is conclusive
evidence they get honey; and by the way they
worked I think they were getting it in pretty large
quantities. Would it pay those living by streams
of water to set out some branches? They would
save the banks, and give the bees work.

W. A. Williamson.

Friendly, W. Va., Feb. 11, 1889.

Your evidence seems pretty clear, friend
W., that bees do get honey from the willow.
In our vicinity, willow hedges were put out,
perhaps 25 years ago, to a considerable ex-
tent. During favorable seasons bees do
sometimes work considerably on these wil-
lows ; but as a rule I think they amount to
but little. Perhaps this is because they are
not of the variety that yields honey most.

shed, and filled in with sawdust. The weather has
been very warm here. We have had no cold weath-
er as yet. I live in a town of about 30,000 inhab-
itants. B. M. Huble.
Wallaceburg, Ont., Can.

Bees do very well in town ; in fact, a great
many bee-keepers have their colonies inside
of the corporation limits. Occasionally
there is trouble with neighbors ; but usually
it is a case of ill will from other causes.
Most of such troubles can be avoided by oc-
casionally presenting your neighbor with a
nice sample of honey.

REP6ffg ENcea^eiN6.

ENCOURAGING FROM A. E. MANUM.

tEES in this section of the State are, we think,
wintering nicely, as the winter has been
very mild fur this climate. They had a very
fine clearing flight on Jan. 17th and 18th, and
also March 5th and 6th. On the 6th I opened
a few hives and found, to my great delight, that but
very little of their stores had been consumed, and
the bees appeared to be in a healthy condition,
with but a few dead bees on the bottom-board. We
are very hopeful that this coming season will prove
to be one of our old-time honey seasons, as clover
made a very fine growth last fall, also the bass-
woods made an excellent growth of new wood dur-
ing last summer, which indicates a full bloom the
coming season. A. E Manum.

Bristol, Vt., Mar. 14, 1889.

BEES IN TOWN.

1 have been taking Gleanings for three years.
1 can hardly do without it. I am a beginner with
bee6. 1 had good luck with them, but did not get
much honey last year, on account of dry weather.
I put away 28 colonies in winter quarters, under a

65 GALLONS OP CHUNK HONEY FROM 11
COLONIES.

I bought a place in this county, and moved to it
in the fall of 1887, and with the place I got a few hives
(9, I believe) of hybrid bees, in a bad condition,
" robbed almost to death," including the spring
swarms. After the last winter " starve outs " I
have 11 hives, mostly Simplicity. I did not have
time to work with them much, nor the foundation
to straighten their combs; and having sold my ex-
tractor before moving, I decided to " let 'em rip."
1 did not weigh the honey, but the vessel's capaci-
ty that it filled was 55 gallons, "chunk honey," as
the ABC would call it. My bees went into winter
with plenty of stores, and are now rearing brood
very nicely. W. M. Woolsey.

Floresville, Tex., Mar. 2, 1889.

LARGE VERSUS SMALL HIVES ; $1600 AS THE (ASH
PRODUCT FOR ONE SEASON.

* I have 260 colonies, in hives containing 800 inches
of comb surface. I use two of them for a hive,
and have managed for the last eight years on ex-
actly the plan that Dr. Tinker generously offered
to give free to the bee-keepers, in the American
Bee Journal lately. I like the plan, and secured
seven tons of comb honey by it this poor year.
I cashed it long ago for $1600. I know that, with
the hives and system I now use, the best results
are reached with one-half the work in summer
management, as compared with the common hives
and system. I am wintering 260 swarms in two
apiaries. B. Taylor.

Forest ville, Minn., Feb. 5, 1889.

First swarm of the season came out Feb. 15th.
Sara Sota, Fla., Feb. 17, 1889. S. C. Corwin.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

267

From 4 stands in the spring, 1 increased to 30, and
secured surplus in sections, 1000 lbs.
Ediua, Mo., Mar. 12, 1889. J. M. Long.

I had 13 hives, spring count; increased to 22; ex-
tracted 10(1 gallons of honey; sold it at 75 cents per
gallon. S. C. Cuhard.

Luling, Tex., Jan. 18, 1889.

FROM 19 TO 44; 13 QUEENS AND 840 LBS. OF HONEY
SOLD.

In 1888 1 commenced in the spring with 19, and in-
creased to 44, tall count. I sold 13 queens, and took
840 lbs. of honey. J. W. Taylor.

Ozan, Ark., Jan. 13, 1889.

FROM 26 TO 48, AND 5100 LBS. OF HONEY.

My account with the bees for 1888 is as follows:
I started in the spring with 26 colonies ; increased
them to 48, and obtained 5100 lbs. of honey— 1400 lbs.
comb, and 3700 of extracted.

Salt Lake City, Utah. Wm. G. Adamson.

3850 I.BS. OF HONEY FROM 50 COLONIES, SPRING
COUNT.

During 1888 we secured from 50 colonies, spring
count, 3850 lbs. of comb honey— an average per col-
ony of 77 lbs. John and James Cowe.

Goodland, Mich., March 7, 1889.

pfeK$ ]kpd Queried

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

BEES DYING OFF IN EARLY SPRING.

T HAVE 3 hives of bees, and on warm days the
J|f bees come out in big lots, and die. What can 1
W do for them? James M. Smith.

^ Perkiomenville, Pa., Mar. 4, 1889.

[Those bees which fly out and do not return
are probably old bees. They probably would not
be of very much service to the colony any way, and
would likely die in the hives if not outdoors before
actual weather comes on. Apiarists generally cal-
culate on having some of these old bees, at least,
die early in the spring. They will accumulate on
the bottom-board if the colony is in the cellar, or
will fly out on the first sunny day if on their sum-
mer stands packed in chaff.]

PROSPECTS GOOD ; FROM 18 TO 22, AND 1000 LBS.
OF HONEY.

1 commenced the season with 18 stands of bees;
increased to 22, and obtained 1000 lbs. of comb hon-
ey in 1-lb. sections. J. B. Riggens.

Swanton, Neb., Feb. 18, 1889.

A POOR SEASON, BUT 3000 LBS.

Last year was not very favorable. 1 got 3000 lbs.
of honey this year. 1 am wintering 100 swarms in a
cave. Thus far it has been very warm in the cellar.
It is colder and snowing to-day. Thirty colonies
are out of doors. T. Koulo.

Portville, N. Y.

WINTERED WELL, AND GATHERING POLLEN.

My bees wintered very well on winter stands.
The majority of the hives are full of bees, and they
have all been gathering pollen for the last three
days, from black elder. I have 25 colonies, all in
good condition. S. Yingst.

Sydney, Pa., Mar. 18, 1889.

ENCOURAGING FOR CALIFORNIA— SEE PAGE 207.

I have just finished trimming and plowing my or-
chard. The peach-trees are commencing to bloom,
and the oranges are getting nice and ripe. I noticed
the bees bringing in pollen to-day, and the queens
commencing to lay. So far we have had 11 inches
of rain, and the grass and weeds are growing very
fast. We must have an abundance of both early
and late rains, however, to insure a good honey
crop. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., Jan. 7, 1889.

the first pollen.

How pleasing to the eye and ear to witness the
return of the first pollen-laden bees of the season!
How eagerly they rush out, and how business-like
they march in, after reaching the alighting-board!
Such a sight I had the pleasure of witnessing to-
day. My 100 colonies have all wintered, and are in
good shape, but are rather short of stores, the
mild winter being the cause of a greater consump-
tion of stores than usual. W. H. Laws.

Lavaca, Ark., Feb. 14, 1889.

why we dispense with the tin rabbet in the
dovetailed hive.

1 like your dovetailed hive, as shown in Glean-
ings for Mar. 1, but 1 don't understand why you do
not use the tin strip, or rabbet, for frames to redt
upon, as it renders the manipulation of the frames
much more rapid. R. Q. Kin<;.

Springfield, O., Mar. 6, 1889.

[Because the majority of the honey-producers,
those who are extensive bee-keepers, prefer to dis-
pense with the tin rabbet, for the very reason that
the latter allow the frames to shuck about too
much in transportation from one out-apiary to an-
other. Hives having frames resting on wood bear-
ings require no special provision to hold the frames
in moving. See Question-Box, this issue.]

what is a fair commission for selling honey?

I am starting a home market for selling my hon-
ey. Most of the groceries in this town sell it for
me. 1 furnish every thing, show-cases and paper-
boxes, stands, and cases for extracted honey, and
all they have to do is to sell it out. Now, the ques-
tion is, what per cent do you think is right to allow
the grocers for selling it for me?

Mrs. W. G. Tittsworth.

Avoea, la., March 3, 1889.

[Under the circumstances I think that 5 or 10 per
cent would be all your groceryman should charge;
but friend Heddon and some others have suggested
that grocerymen will work much harder to make
sales, and to work honey off, where they have from
20 to 25 per cent, than where they get only from 5
to 10.]

CAN CHLOROFORM BE USED SAFELY ON BEES ?

I lately read an article, saying that chloroform
might be used with safety in quieting bees, when
handling them; but I thought best to refer to you
before making the attempt; and as I presume oth-
er readers of Gleanings would like your opinion,
would you please give it through the columns of
your excellent magazine? Mrs. S. Allcock.

Ashtabula, O., Mar. 12, 1889.

[Bees can be chloroformed so that they will fall
down on the bottom-board, or stick to the combs,
apparently dead. The idea is very old; but I be-
lieve that one after another who have tried it have
decided they would much rather have live bees to
manipulate than dead ones. Smoke is very much
handier and cheaper, and at the same time accom-
plishes the purpose far better than chloroform. 1

61 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 24
LBS. OF SEED.

I bought a bushel of Japanese buckwheat of you
last spring; sold half of it to a neighbor, and sowed
the remainder, just 24 lbs. It made a wonderful
growth of straw, and was, without exception, the

268

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

nicest field of grain 1 ever saw. Bees did not work
on it to any profit, and the seasons are far be-
tween that buckwheat amounts to much in this vi-
cinity, for honey. The frost came early, damaging
the crop of grain at least one-third. I harvested
W/% bushels, heaping1 measure at that.
Norwich, N. Y. W. B. Norton.

THE TARANTULA A GREAT JUMPER.

In Gleanings, p. 123, is a drawing of a tarantula.
There are some here at least twice as large as the
drawing (it may have dried and shrunk before it
was received by Prof. Cook), but these will attack
any one who molests them. I have seen them jump
twelve or fifteen inches high, and eighteen to
twenty inches in a single jump; and I believe Prof.
Cook would think there was danger when one
would jump several times after him and clear
eighteen inches each jump. S. H. Colwick.

Norse, Tex., Feb. 26, 1889.

wouldn't stay in their new home.

I bought a swarm of bees from a tree last sum-
mer, and brought them home and divided them aiid
put one part in one small hive of Italians, and the
other half in another stronger colony. The last
half contained the queen from the tree. I suppos-
ed the Italians would kill the black queen, but
they stayed in the hive until after 12 o'clock, then
every black bee came out and ran away with their
queen. H. J. Hancock.

Siloam Springs, Ark., Feb. 22, 1889.

Lit is never safe to presume that the bees will
kill one of the queens, for they quite often behave
just as you have described.]

0a^ (*)aEjsJFi6N-Be&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip or paper
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 115.— a. If you were obliged to keep the
same number of brood- frames in a hive the year round,
how many L. frames would you use in working for
comb honey/ b. For extracted.'

b. 24.

Eight.

a. Seven; b. ten.

Eight; sixteen.

a. b. Eight frames.

a. Eight; b. nine.

I use ten for both.

K. Wilkin.
H. R. Boardman.

G. M. DOOLITTLE.

A. J. Cook.
Geo. Grimm.
Mrs. L. Harrison.
P. L. Viallon.
a. Eight; b. ten in the lower story.

O. O. Poppleton.
Seven for comb honey and sixteen for extracted.

E. E. Hasty.
Not less than ten, both for extracted or comb. We
prefer 11 or 12. Dadant & Son.

I believe I would use ten for either comb or ex-
tracted honey. A. B. Mason.

With my present knowledge I am inclined to
think a. eight; b. ten. ('. C Miller.

For comb 8, and winter in the cellar. For extract-
ed 24. and winter outdoors (on 16). E. France.

If T were obliged to start anew, and to use L.

frames, I would make all hives to hold eight frames.
For extracted honey alone. I would a little rather
use ten frames. James A. Green.

a. If I were using the kind of hive in which I was
obliged to retain the same number of frames con-
tinually, I should like it to hold the equivalent of
about seven of our 10^x16 frames, b. I wouldn't
consent to any such arrangement for extracted
honey. P. H. Elwood.

For boxing, 9. If the question means that no oth-
er combs are to be used for surplus in extracting, I
would not advise trying to secure extracted honey,
as more box honey could be secured than one could
expect of extracted. If surplus combs are to be
added by tiering up, I would use the same number
in both cases. L. C. Root.

If I were obliged, I would keep 10 frames in the
brood-chamber, no difference if my object were
comb or extracted honey, because from a large
brood-chamber I expect a large colony, more hon-
ey, and fewer swarms; while from a small brood-
chamber, only a small colony can be expected, less
honey and more swarms. If I should keep a cer-
tain number of frames all the year round, my
standing as a bee-keeper would not be above the
evel of an old fogy. C. F. Muth.

Should not your question read, " Brood-frames in
the brood-chamber" instead of " in the hive"? The
hive combines the whole arrangement, both brood
and surplus departments. In the brood-chamber I
would use just eight L. frames, no more and no
less. I speak assuredly on this subject, for 1 have
given it very extensive tests on a large scale, the
question being a hobby of mine for years. There
are advantages in having a large brood-chamber,
but there are also disadvantages, which amount to
more than the advantages, unless the brood-cham-
ber is horizontally divisible. I speak for both
comb and extracted honey, and of the brood-cham-
ber strictly. James Heddon.

I suppose the above question was intend-
ed to call forth opinions in regard to the
matter of a hive made wide enough to hold
eight or ten frames. Father Langstroth
decided on ten ; but almost immediately
certain parties thought eight was sufficient.
A great many who made a business of sell-
ing bees at so much a colony preferred
eight, because they are easier to handle. Of
late, however, there has been so much said
about having a chaff division-board outside
for winter, and then a dummy to contract
the space when the bees are storing honey
in sections in the summer time, that a great
many of us have been obliged to ask wheth-
er a hive wide enough to hold eight frames
is not enough. Of course, there is danger
of letting bees starve where we have only
eight combs in the brood-chamber or lower
story : and a good many will prefer a hive
to hold ten frames on this account. An
eight-comb hive is easier to handle, because
you do not have to reach so far over. There
is also quite a saving in expense, because a
narrower board will do for covers and bot-
toms, and they are less trouble to handle.
The bees are also more likely to put all their
surplus honey in the sections above, for
there is but little room to store it below
when the combs are well tilled with brood.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

269

With an eight - frame hive, however, we
must many times begin feeding as soon as
the surplus honey is removed from above.
This is especially the case with black bees ;
so you see, friends, it depends much on the
kind of man as to the number of combs we
should have in the brood-chamber.

Question llfi.— Do you prefer the closed end or
hanging frame? Give reasons.

I have never used any closed-end frames.

O. O. Poppleton.
Hanging frames, because they are so much easi-
er to work with. P. L. Viallon.

The hanging frame, on account of greater ease of
manipulation and less injury to bees. R. Wilkin.

I use and prefer the L. hanging frame, and pre-
fer it for ease of manipulation.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

Hanging frames. I think they are more easily
handled, and more perfect in their adjustment.

H. R. Boardman.

I prefer the hanging frame. There are many
reasons, but chief among them is ease of manipula-
tion. Geo. Grimm.

Hanging for L. frames— that is, in a common L.
hive; the combs can be moved so as to make room
to get out the first frame. E. France.

Hanging frames. Principally because they are
more easily manipulated, and are not so liable to
kill bees during manipulation. G. M. Doolittle.

I prefer a hanging frame, for I work mostly for
extracted honey, and I want to remove them readi
ly. In my locality, or perhaps I should say with my
bees, every thing gels glued fast that it is possible
for them to fasten. A. B. Mason.

Hanging. I think I should like the warmth of the
closed ends, but I think the hanging frames so
much easier to handle, and it is possible to move
them so as to vary their distances apart. I must
confess, however, that T never had much experi-
ence with closed ends. C. C. Miller.

I prefer the hanging frame. To gain entrance to
the other kind is too much like breaking into a bur-
glar-proof saf e ; and to get out of the scrape and
close up, one adds wholesale murder to burglary.
Possibly familiarity with some better form of the
closed-end frame would mollify me somewhat; but
I do not think I shall ever be won over.

E. E. Hasty.

We have tried the closed-end frames, but we kill-
ed and enraged bees every time we opened the
hives. At one time we crushed a valuable queen,
and then resolved never to use these frames again.
The theory of manipulating hives instead of frames
can not hold with the pure Italian bees, which cling
to the combs so much that it is impossible to shake
them off. Dadant & Son.

I want neither closed ends nor closed top-bars to
my frames, because a glance will tell me where, in
winter or spring, the cluster is, or where I may find
the queen. No bees need be killed by taking out
or replacing the frames, which can not be avoided
if the frames have closed ends or closed top-bars,
not to speak of the slower, unhandier process of
manipulation with the latter. Chas. F. Mdth.

Hanging. Greater ease and convenience of han-
dling. 1 am still in doubt about the Heddon hive.
While it is certainly an admirable hive for the ex-
pert, I am not so sure for the beginner. I am not
ready to recommend it yet for all. A. J. Cook.

I prefer the closed-end frame, because it is better
to winter and spring bees in, because it can be as
easily and rapidly manipulated as any, and it kills
as few bees as hanging frames, and because it is
the best hive for moving bees in. The new Quinby
hive, which we use, can also be contracted to suit
the requirements of the smallest colony, or enlarg-
ed for the strongest, without any extra division-
boards or extra pieces. P. H. Elwood.

I prefer the closed-end frames as used in connec-
tion with the new hive; and my reasons in general
are, that, with the arrangement, I received the
numerous advantages long ago claimed which only
closed-end frames can give, and at the same time
do away with the past objections to closed-end
frames which really overcame their advantages as
compared with hanging frames. I deem this de-
partment too limited in space to go into an enu-
meration, or describe all the advantages and disad-
vantages. James Heddon.

I very much prefer the closed-end frame, whether
standing or hanging. The first reason is the fact
that each space retains its own warmth so much
more Than when open; and I find, when tested side
by side, that, in early spring, I can build up light
stocks that would be lost with the open-end frame.
Capt. Hetherington once said to me, that he had
saved ICO stocks of bees that spring that would
have been lost had he used the open-end frame. I
believe one of the greatest secrets of success in
Julius Hoffman's management is in his use of a
frame closed part way down with enameled cloth,
pressed down upon the top of the frames.

L. C. Root.

I prefer a closed-end frame for my use. Such a
frame is, perhaps, not advisable for one who is
rearing queens or selling bees by the pound, nor
for the learner to gain knowledge and experience
most easily. But for the production of honey as a
business, in large apiaries, by those who have al-
ready served their apprenticeship, I believe closed-
end frames have decided advantages. While they
are not as movable as metal - cornered hanging
frames, they are sufficiently movable for all practi-
cal purposes, and they are immovable when you
want them so. A hive full of combs may be han-
dled as though it were a single piece instead of a
collection of loose pieces, thus saving work, worry,
and time. You are not obliged to stop to space the
frames every time they are handled. When a
swarm is hived in them you know the frames are
at the proper distance, and can not slide together,
producing crooked combs. If you use foundation
in wired frames, your combs will all be built
straight, even if the hive should not stand exactly
plumb. In carrying, handling, hauling, or ship-
ping, the frames do not need to be fastened, yet
can not slide together, killing bees and queens.

James A. Green.

Before I read any of the answers to the
above question I knew pretty well how it
would go. Out of 18 answers, 14 are in fa-
vor of hanging frames ;'but the other 4 are
men of such wide experience and reputation

270

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

as honey-producers as Elwood, L. C. Root,
Heddon, and friend Green. Perhaps friend
Green has not produced the crops of honey
that the other three have, but he is a bright,
progressive young bee-keeper. I am a little
astonished at him because I didn't know
that he used the closed-end frames at all.
Were we in a convention I should be a little
fearful that we might have some speeches
in regard to this matter that would be a lit-
tle unkind. Perhaps not, however, tor con-
ventions of late years have got into a way
of being very courteous and charitable,
even though some few should have ways of
working, and ideas, that seem to the larger
number beyond comprehension. I can read-
ily understand why a bee-keeper should con-
sider the closed-end frames best ; and I can
readily imagine how Capt. Hetherington
saved 100 colonies by having closed - end
frames ; but I confess I can not understand
why our good friend Elwood can say the
closed-end frame 'l can be as easily and as
rapidly manipulated as any." Now, I do
not mean to dispute this statement at all,
mind you ; and I can readily believe that,
with his long practice with them, he can
get along faster himself than with hanging
frames ; but I very much doubt whether
those of us who have always used hanging
frames could ever learn to work closed-end
frames as rapidly as he does. I have long
been thinking of visiting our friends in
York State, in the height of the honey-flow ;
and perhaps I may some time have the plea-
sure of seeing our good friend Elwood work ;
not this season, however, for 1 have promis
ed to visit the basswood fields of Wisconsin.

Question 117.— If you use all-wood frames, do you
prefer to have them hany on metal rabbets or on a
plain wood bearing, in the production of honey?

There is little difference.

Dadant & Son.

On metal rabbets every time. O. O. Poppleton.

I prefer them to hang on a metal bearing.

L. C. Root.
I should prefer a metal rabbet, with Hoffman
frame, as next best to an all-cased end.

P. H. Elwood.
On a plain wood bearing-. Then they are always
ready to haul, without fastening the frames.

C. C. Miller.
I use the all-wood frames hanging on tin rabbets
—too much propolis to have frames on wood bear-
ings. P. L. Viallon.

1 would never have metal corners, and on the
whole I think I would not have even metal rabbets.
1 have only wooc"en rabbets now. A. J. Cook.

I use all-wood frames hung on wood bearings.
Metal rabbets are a source of constant annoyance
to me, and the few that I had I have discarded.

Geo. Grimm.
We use all-wood frames, with wood bearings. 1
don't see how either way can make any difference
in the amount or quality of the honey.

E. France.

I use the wood-bearing. After years of experi-
ence along this line, I think there is little difference
in favor of either kind of bearing, when taking all
things into consideration. G. M. Doolittle.

I use metal rabbets, and could not be induced to
go back to the wood-bearing. A. B. Mason.

Metal rabbets, by all means— and I use metal cor-
ners too. If we believe in movable frames, let's
have movable frames, and no swindle about it.

E. E. Hasty.

With either hanging or fixed frames I always use
all wood; but when I use the hanging frames I pre-
fer a plan wood rabbet in the brood-chamber, and a
simple metal rest in the extracting supers.

James Heddon.

I use wood bearing, for the reason that I have the
bearings notched for spacing the frames; then my
frames are always the proper distance apart.
Frames hanging on metal rabbets are easier to
manipulate. Mrs. L. Harrison.

There is not much difference between a rabbet of
wood or one of metal; but 1 prefer my all-wood
frame to rest on a metal rabbet, but not on the
sharp edge of the tin. I do not want my frames to
rest on a plain wood bearing. Chas. F. Muth.

I prefer to have them on metal rabbets, especial-
ly in the upper story. I do hate to be prying
frames loose every time I have to move them; but
in lifting off the upper story I sometimes wish the
lower frames were held down by propolis.

R. Wilkin.

I always used metal rabbets with the ordinary
hanging frames; but with the closed-end frames I
find them unnecessary. The ordinary all-wood
frame in a wooden rabbet is not as readily handled
as a properly made closed-end frame, yet it is not
as secure as the latter. James A. Green.

All the hives that I now have in use have the
metal rabbets; but I am almost tempted to say
that, if I had it to do over again, I'd have none of
them in my hives. It takes a long time to find out,
sometimes, the real value of an " improvement."
H. R. Boardman.

This question, too, like the one before it,
depends much on what one is going to do
with his bees. If he is going to raise queens,
I feel quite certain that he will make money
by having metal rabbets and metal corners.
If he is going to raise comb honey, and have
out-apiaries, so that the bees are to be fre-
quently moved several miles, I think quite
likely he does not need either metal rabbets
or metal corners ; and it would not be sur-
prising to me if he ultimately decided on a
closed-end frame, especially if he is working
for comb honey. I have visited many bee-
keepers of late years, who say they have
hives in their apiaries from which the brood-
combs have not been removed in years. If
that is the way we are going to manage, we
can not only dispense with metal rabbets,
but we may have closed-end frames, and a
few have been bold enough to say there is
no particular need that we should have
frames at all— just have a shallow brood-
chamber, something like Ileddon's, and let
the combs be built in solid. So you see
that much depends on the habits of the
owner, and what he is working for. To tell
the truth, I, years ago, planned a box hive.
You will find it in the old volumes of
Gleaning*, and I have studied on the mat-
ter considerably at different times of late
years.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

271

@n^ flejaES.

Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great
waters, and thy footsteps are not known.— Ps. 77:19.

CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE.

fHE friends will remember that I left
off at our last issue where the guide
was just ready to take me to the
cave. The strong door was unlock-
ed, and the guide handed me a lamp.
Just then, however, I remembered that I
was thirsty ; and as I did not want to travel
through the cave in that condition, I asked
the guide if we could find any water to
drink, in the cavern. He replied there was
none. Furthermore, there was none at the
office by the entrance. He said the only
thing they had was some Manitou spring
water, in bottles — 15 cents a bottle. Don't
be uncharitable, dear friends. That is
about the way they do things at all these
fashionable resorts. I decided, however, to
pay the price, even if the water does run
away in a quantity large enough to run a
small sawmill, right at the foot of the
mountain every day in the year. As it hap-
pened the water was bottled from the same
spring I tasted the day before, that I
thought was not very good. The cork flew
out of the bottle with a pop that might have
satisfied any schoolboy ; and as the guide
poured it into the glass, it fairly smoked
and sparkled with foam. Good? Why, my
friends, it was about the most delicious
drink I ever tasted in my life. Don't ever
say again that stolen waters are sweet. They
will not compare with that which has been
honestly paid for, and the thirst for it earned
by hard work in climbing mountains, and,
above all, taken with a clear conscience,
and with thanksgiving to God, the great
creator of the mountains and springs, and
all the wide universe. AVhile I remarked
that one glass was plenty for the time being,
I noticed he corked the bottle and set it
down by the side of the telescope. The
water is so pungent you can take only a
swallow at a time. He says they have an
arrangement for bottling it under pressure
before it reaches the surface of the ground.

And now for the Manitou Cavern. It is
much like Mammoth Cave, only on a small
er scale. Before we had gone into the
mountain many feet I uttered exclamations
of surprise at the beautiful white alabaster
icicles, for that comes nearest in description
of any thing I can think of. Each icicle
had a drop of crystal water hanging to its
tip, and these drops of water glistened like
so many stars. Where the water trickles
down them fast enough to fall off , stalag-
mites are seen right under them. The very
old ones have grown brown and gray with
age ; but the new ones are glossy, and
bright with the liquid that encases them
and makes them grow. Of course, like
every one else I wanted one to take home as
a specimen. But the guide told me that, if
they had not decided to shut down on every
demand of this kind, their cave would have
been ruined in no time. I admitted this, and
yet it seemed rather hard that I could not
have just one little one. Well, a good many

times the guide takes a dozen or more peo-
ple in at once.- Some of them, of course,
will persist in loitering behind, and these
are the chaps who snap off the icicles, and
carry them away. In fact, during this past
season the matter has become so bad that
they have been obliged to cover all the fin-
est ones with a protection of poultry net-
ting I confess that the sight of the netting
around these beautiful products of nature
does not seem to be just in harmony ; but
what are they to do? The guide stuck his
cane through one of the openings in the
netting, and gave one of those beautiful
icicles a rap. I supposed that he would, of
course, send it flying. But instead of that
it rang out like a bell— the sound echoing
and reverberating away through the gal-
leries of the cavern. Again and again he
struck others in the same way. They did
not break, but every one of them gave forth
a musical note. Some of them sounded like
a silver bell, and this is the peculiar feature
of Manitou Cavern. Further on, the im-
pregnated water had run down the side of
the cavern, and coated it with a polished
covering.

" This is what we call the ' Wet Blan-
ket,' " said the guide ; and he hit it a clip
with his cane. It rang out, too, like a great
bell. During the wet season of the year
this impregnated water sometimes forms
pools on the floor ; and as it runs over the
edges it forms this white alabaster stone.
As it rises higher and higher it makes the
edge of it a basin, with many islands in the
center, all incased in alabaster. As we
passed under some vast domes above, that
seemed to go away up toward the top of the
mountain, a reverberating roar, rising and
falling like the tones of an seolian harp, ar-
rested my attention. I stopped and asked
for an explanation. He said it was a sort
of echo or reverberation of the sounds in
the cave. I could not be satisfied, however.
I gazed up at the rocky vault above, then
up one gallery and clown another, and final-
ly I began to consider a sort of quizzical
look on the face of my guide.

" Look here, old chap, you are humbug-
ging me a little. Aren't you making that
sound with your mouth? "

He laughed, and admitted that he was.
But I forgave him, especially as it was so
wonderful to think that a feeble human
voice could awaken such a frightful roar as
that. The guide is something of a musi-
cian, as I will tell you presently, and he
had discovered that, by striking the key-
note of that dome, he could almost make
the whole mountain vibrate, as it were. As
it is a difficult matter to keep his voice in
perfect unison with the vibrations of the
dome, he would occasionally waver to a lit
tie lower note and then higher, and thus
caused the roar to rise and fall, in a way
that seems almost startling. We now came
to some wooden seats, and the guide asked
me to sit down while he gave us some mu-
sic. As I composed the whole audience, I
spread m>self, as it were, to do justice to
the occasion. He climbed some stairs to a
grotto above and some distance away from
me. Then he remarked, by way of apology,

272

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

APR.

that dame Nature had not builded their
organ exactly as lie would like to have it,
therefore he was obliged to do the best he
could under the circumstances. I was ful-
ly agape, not only with eyes, but mouth
wide open. Said organ was only a collec-
tion of stalactites, but, to tell the truth, it
did look somewhat like a great pipe-organ.
Some of the bass pipes were perhaps a foot
through, old and gray with age, while the
highest notes were made by striking with
his cane some of the smaller delicate white
icicles, such as I have described, and I tell
you the music was not only funny but good.
The heavy bass was not quite in tune, but
it rather added to the performance to hear
some of those great fellows u grunt," as it
were, their part of the melody. I believe
he played five different pieces in all — Green-
ville, Yankee Doodle, and a simple melody
for which I know no name except that we
used to call it " My Father and Mother were
Irish."

saw the Cauliflower Garden, where dame
Nature is growing cauliflowers of alabaster.
They just grew up, and were all formed
from a damp rock. Alabaster stars were
growing on the walls of the cavern in many
places where it is damp, and I am told that
a damp fog that is seen in some places de-
posits this white carbonate of lime on the
walls and ceilings of the cavern. Many
other things not mentioned here were not
particularly different from Mammoth Cave,
in Kentucky. This cavern, however, is so
high up in the mountain that there are no
rivers or lakes such as Mammoth Cave fur-
nishes. Its special attraction is the beauty
of the stalactitic formations. Many of
them are so translucent, that, when your
lamp is held on the opposite side, they look
very much like a coal of lire, and every one
of them, big and little, gives forth these
musical notes.

When I got out of the cave I was ready
for the/rest of that spring water, corked up

THE PIPE-ORGAN OF MANITOU UKAND CAVKKN.

The concluding piece on the organ was an
imitation of the Swiss bell - ringers, and
some parts of it were almost complete. If
you shut your eyes you would imagine you
saw the performers as they threw their bells
on the table and picked up others during a
rapid performance ; and yet he does it all
with simply a couple of sticks, selecting the
proper stalactite from among the confused
group, just as nature has placed them.
I clapped my hands and stamped my feet,
but 1 felt that I was not able to do just-
ire to the occasion.

On our way out we passed the North
Star, which shone from the depths of a cav-
ern to which we could not well gain access.
The guide explained it as simply a drop of
water on the bottom of a stalactite. Then I

in the bottle. I also had another good look
through the telescope. Although the build-
ing is very securely made, right on the rock,
every footstep on the floor shook the instru-
ment so that Pike's Peak seemed toppling
as if they had an earthquake. When I
spoke about going to the top of it, the guide
said no one could get up there at that sea-
son of the year. The rocks and every thing
else were covered with ice, and it was in-
tensely cold. When I reminded him of the
smoke coming from the chimney, he said
the U. S. Signal Service requires a man to
stay there for the purpose of scientific ob-
servation. Down the mountain I started
again, and ere long I was at the foot of
Rainbow Falls. Now, although the sun
shone forth brightly, and the water poured

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

278

over the fall to my full satisfaction, not a
speck of a rainbow could I ?ee. Perhaps it
was not the right time of day.

Before ten o'clock I was down in the
town again. As I passed a livery stable I
asked them how low they could give me a
horse and buggy to drive over to the Gar-
den of the Gods. Their very best figures
were $3.00. When I expostulated a little
in regard to $3.00 for two hours' time,
they kindly consented to let me stay till
half-past twelve. That was the greatest
concession I could get. I remembered the
time when I saved a dollar an hour in walk-
ing home, when the train left me ; and just
now it occurred to me that I could make
more than a dollar an hour, and I did not
feel tired one bit. I started off on foot, and
alone— no, not alone, for with every step I
took in that strange weird place, I felt God's
•presence, his peace, and his love in my heart,
and I was exceedingly happy.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

ALL ABOUT RAISING SWEET-POTATO PLANTS; ALSO
VERY COMPLETE DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING
HOT-BEDS FOR STARTING VEGETABLE-
PLANTS OF ANY KIND.

IN answer to my inquiry, a short time
M ago, for a paper on raising sweet-potato
W plants, 32 very good papers were sent
A in. These were carefully read over,
and portions of a good many were used,
besides using some of the communications
entire, as you will observe. I aimed to give
all the valuable points communicated, and
at the same time avoid as much as possible
all repetition. As these papers come all the
way from as far south as Mississippi, and
clear up to Michigan in the North, it is
quite interesting to notice the varied meth-
ods adopted in consequence of the difference
in climate. We start out with a paper from
a friend in Michigan.

HOW TO GROW SWEET-POTATO PLANTS IN
MICHIGAN.

Friend Boot:— I have been growing- sweet-potato
plants more or less all my life, and here, for 24
years past, frequently 100,000 plants in a year. I
used to live in Southern Illinois, where we grew
plants readily without glass, using boards or any
kind of covering at night and in stormy days, and
leaving the beds open in day time when the weath-
er was fair. Of course, the time for bedding the
potatoes will need to be varied so as to suit each
man's locality.

Good seed potatoes are of the first importance;
and if not already on hand they should be ordered
of a reliable party, as near by as possible, so that
they need not be long in transit. Most reliable seeds-
men will furnish such potatoes as are best suit-
ed for bedding-out purposes; but on no condition
buy potatoes that have been exposed for sale in
the city markets, as they are liable to have been so
chilled as to cause them to rot, as they will not
safely bear a lower temperature than 38".

I usually bed sweet potatoes about April 15th to
20th, and order potatoes shipped a few days earlier,
so as to have them ready at the desired time. If
the weather is not favorable delay it a few days, as

exposure to cold in shipping is risky. Use fresh
horse manure for making the bed; that is, such as
has not already been heated and the heat expended.
It should be prepared a week or ten days before the
bed is wanted, by piling it up and moistening it, if
not already moist, so that the heat will become
thorough and uniform throughout the pile by the
desired time.

If the ground is porous, so that it will not hold
water, a pit may be dug, 18 in. or 2 ft. deep, into
which the manure should be evenly spread and
carefully packed down, so that it will not settle out
of shape, and so that the heat will be uniform as
possible. A frame of the desired size made of any
cheap lumber that will not warp badly, should be
set over the pit or bed of manure. This frame
should be about 9 inches deep in front, and 15 on
the back (the end pieces being sloped to match),
so that the sash will have pitch enough to shed wa-
ter. In this frame till three or four inches of good
fine soil, evenly spread directly on the manure;
then place the sash on the frame, and, after the
heat has become uniform, and is found to be all
right—usually in two or three days— the potatoes
should be placed evenly over the surface of the bed
—not quite touching each other, and covered with
two or three inches more of good fine soil that will
not bake— a sandy soil is preferred; then replace
the sash and keep a close watch that it does not be-
come hot enough to burn the potatoes. I have
never used a thermometer, but 1 judge of the tem-
perature by thrusting my fingers down^through the
soil in various places. Sweet potatoes require a
strong bottom heat at the start as they are liable to
rot. Just so it is safely below the burning-point is
all right.

I use sash 3x6 ft., and four of these sash will cov-
er a bed 6x12 ft., which will usually afford accom-
modation for one barrel of potatoes, if they are of
about an average size. If small, more room will
be required. I seldom split potatoes, as they are
more liable to rot; but if large, so as to require
splitting, the round side should be placed down.
One bushel of good seed sweet potatoes should give
5000 good plants, if every thing goes well, and the
plants are removed as fast as ready; sometimes
more than that number, but oftener less.

After the potatoes are placed in the bed, and the
sash are on, constant care must be exercised to see
that every thing goes right. The bed will require
airing more or less every day from 8 or 9 A. m.. to 4
or 5 p.m., especially if the sun shines; but they
should be closed during the night; and if it is cold
enough to freeze, the sash should be covered with
mats, old carpet, or any thing that will protect
from the cold during cold nights or stormy days.
As the season advances, and the weather becomes
warmer, the sash should be removed entirely dur-
ing the warm part of the day. If this is neglected,
the plants will become "drawn"— that is, tender
and worthless for planting. About a week after the
potatoes have been planted they will begin to
throw out roots and show signs of growth, at
which time the bed should be well sprinkled with
water, and this repeated as often as necessary to
keep the ground in good moist condition. As the
bed tills up with plants, a large amount of water
will be required, usually a pailful under each sash
every evening, if the weather is sunny and warm.
Good plants will usually be ready in three or four
weeks from the time of bedding the potatoes.

274

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

If the ground is such that a pit would hold water
better, make the bed entirely above ground, simply
banking up to preveut the escape of heat from the
sides of the bed, or a frame may be made deep
enough to contain both the manure and the soil un-
der and over the potatoes. D. G. Edmiston.

Adrian, Mich., Feb. 25, 1889.

KEEPING SWEET POTATOES FOR SEED AND FOR
PLANTS.

First, dig sweet potatoes, intended for seed or for
keeping, before any frost kills the vines. Dig on a
clear day, if possible, so the tubers may dry well;
after lying in the sunshine, remove to an out-room
and spread out to cure and evaporate superabun
dant moisture. Should quite cool weathercome on,
cover with old blankets or carpet. On no account
must the temperature of the tubers get down to 32°,
or you will not need a hot-bed for that lot of tubers.
On approach of freezing weather we pack in bar-
rels and remove to a room that is warmed so as to
not fall below about 40°, keeping the barrels open
to air. They are packed in the barrels as apples
are, with no packing between them. They should
be handled eo as to bruise as little as possible. We
remove our seed tubers to the sitting-room which is
warmed pretty regularly all winter, on the ap-
proach of severe weather. We generally keep
about two barrels of tubers over for seed, and sel-
dom lose more than \ bushel out of the lot. I have
repeatedly tried keeping tubers in my cellar, a very
nice dry warm one, but they invariably rotted be-
fore spring.

About the last week in March we get our hot-beds
ready, using forest-leaves and strawy manure,
principally leaves, as we have them in abundance
close at hand, and the process of fermentation and
heating goes on much slower, and lasts much long-
er, than with all straw manure. We tramp this
heating material down a foot deep at least, and
cover with about 5 inches of soil, composed of pure
sand, woods-earth, and coal-braes from old char-
coal-pits. I presume any good rich loam will an-
swer, the blacker the better, as it will absorb the
sun heat better. Put on sash and heat up; and as
soon as the ground is warm through, which can be
found out by running the hand down in the soil,
put in the tubers, sinking them at least 1!4 inches
below the surface. Give the beds all the sun heat
they can get, even until they fairly steam. Sweet
potatoes will not germinate well unless kept very
warm and moist. If plants come on too soon for
your market, pull off as soon as 5 or 6 inches long,
and " heel in" in nice fine earth, keeping shaded
and wetted for a few days until they strike root,
after which they are the best for transplanting.
Should they be kept too long in this condition they
will commence forming little tubers, after which
they are useless for planting, as they will not throw
out a second set of tubers. I would especially cau-
tion against using such plants. The large tubers
we place in the hot-beds by themselves to sprout;
and, as soon as started, we split them in two, plant
the cut side downward, so as not to have long dan-
gling plants. If large tubers are cut in halves be-
fore they begin to sprout they are liable to rot. I
would on no account cut them before. Tubers
should be 4 or 6 inches apart, so as not to crowd the
plants. Plants should all be pulled as soon as 5 or 6
inches high, as long plants are not desirable; and
to allow a new set to grow. We sometimes have

4000 to 6000 plants heeled in before a single plant is
sold, and grow from 20,000 to 10,000 per season.

The sweet potato is.a lover of heat; and if you
want a nice lot of plants, their bed must be kept
quite warm. Cloth shades are of no use; use only
sash with glass, and cover the sash at night with
old carpets, rugs, or matting, or even plank, to re-
tain the heat, much of which would be lost through
the glass.

r, To recapitulate : Tubers must be kept warm and
dry, and not fall below 40° in temperature. Hot-
beds must be made quite warm, and kept so, and
beds kept stripped of plants over 4 or 5 inches
above ground. Last season was very unfavorable
for hot-beds, as the weather was cloudy most of the
time, and surface heating was of little avail. We
could have sold 100.C00 plants had we had them, as
many beds failed to germinate, on account of a
lack of heat. We have been growing plants for
market for ten years. E. G. Kinsei.l,.

Green Spring Furnace, Md.

USING CLOTH TO COVER THE BEDS, ETC.

Friend Root:— I have been engaged in the busi-
ness to some extent for the past 20 years. The ma-
nure of which the bed is composed should be forked
over a time or two besides the handling it gets in
hauling from the stable and unloading where the
bed is to be constructed. About the first of April
(I write for my latitude) I find early enough to
build the bed. I use a pit about 12 inches deep, in
which 1 place about 15 inches of manure from the
horse-stable. Here I would say, that, should it con-
tain a great deal of straw, it will need more fork-
ing. The object of the extra forking is to get it
thoroughly mixed. 1 scatter over the bed, treading
down evenly and firmly. My beds are designed to
take a frame made of three 16-foot boards for the
sides, 12 inches wide, one board in front, two at the
back, with sloping end-pieces 5V£ or 6 feet long. The
bed, or pit, should be one foot larger every way
than the frame. The above size will hold about one
barrel or 2% bushels of potatoes as they should be
bedded. I place ribs, or cross-supports, about 254 or
3 feet apart, to support the canvas, which I make of
heavy unbleached sheeting, a yard wide, two widths
stitched together about 5 yards long, requiring 10 or
11 yards for one frame cover, costing 8 or 9 cents
per yard. Now, to avoid the trouble you speak of I
tack one of the long sides to a light straight piece
of board, usually 3 or 4 inches wide, one thick, the
other side and two ends being supplied with light
rings about V£ inch in diameter, sewed in loops on
the cover about 2 feet apart, which are to be hooked
over nails tacked in the frame to hold the cover on
the side on which the roller is attached (for such it
is) is also secured in a similar manner. When-
ever it is desired to give the bed an airing, unhook
and roll back as far as desired, not unhooking any
further back on the canvas than you wish to roll.
Of course, if the day is warm enough the end rings
can all be unhooked, and the cover quickly and
neatly rolled to one side, secure from any ordinary
Wind. I next place from 4 to 5 inches of soil on it.
Prom the 10th to the 20th of April is soon enough to
bed the potatoes. My experience leads me to say
more potatoes are ruined by being placed in a bed
too hot than one too cold. It is best, of course, to
avoid either extreme. It is to be understood, that
good sound seed is advised. Level the soil nicely,
free from lumps or clods; place the potatoes from

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

275

%, to 1 inch apart, parallel over the bed, not letting
them touch anywhere, splitting those that are V-A
inches or more in diameter, placing the split side
down. Cover about three inches deep, with good
mellow soil. After the plants appear, which will be
in 18 or 14 days, give water as needed. If placed
closer than above, it is a hard matter to remove the
plants without destroying too many young ones.
About 4 or 5 weeks from the time of bedding, the
plants will be ready to draw. As to varieties, Yel-
low Jersey and Yellow Nansemond seem to give the
best satisfaction here. I usually get from 6000 to
8000 plants from a bushel of seed from the above
varieties. I formerly tried saturating my canvas
with linseed oil, for the purpose of making it water-
proof, more transparent, nnd durable. I soon dis-
carded the practice, as I found it utterly useless,
as, after that time in the spring, we are not apt to
have very long-continued cold weather, and the bed
should be protected by shutters or plank to keep
out cold and heavy rains. In no case should it re-
ceive a heavy cold rain early in the season. The
oil has a tendency to rot and cause the canvas to
break, thus proving an injury instead of a benefit.

Any one who has had experience in making hot-
beds will soon learn that, the fresher the litter the
more violent the heat, and sooner it will need fork-
ing over to prevent fire fang, which will be in from
two to three days, four at most, from the time of
first hauling. W. H. Graves.

Duncan, Til., Feb. 18, 1889.

RAISING SWEET-POTATO PLANTS, ETC.

About twenty years ago I was a grower of the
plants quite largely, sending plants one sea
son into 23 different States. Greenhouses are
too damp; as a general thing Are heat other-
wise. At least I did not make a success of it,
though I believe it has been done on quite a large
scale. The simple hot-bed, that there has been
so much written about, yet no one ever made two
that were just exactly alike in all their workings—
too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, weather not
just to our liking, something the matter, that noth-
ing but the best judgment could get along with and
bring out the best results— as I was going to say,
the simple hot-bed is the best, just as you would
make it for any purpose, with three or four inches
of good compost on top; then take the potatoes, if
not over one inch in diameter, without cutting;
spread them over the bed about as far apart as the
size of the potatoes, keeping away from the edges
of the bed four to six inches; then cover one to two
inches with the same rich compost, screened so as
to be uniform in consistency, and of a material that
will not pack. Now cover the bed with boards (I
have seldom used either glass or cloth for sweet
potatoes); watch close; the temperature wants to
be just about the same as for tomatoes, cucumbers,
etc. As soon as the plants appear, which should be
in about ten or twelve days, add one to two inches
more of compost, so that the entire depth will be
three to four inches. Now you can commence to
give a little water— very seldom any is needed on
the bed until the plants appear. They must now
have plenty of air; and as the time is supposed to
be some time in May, they will need but little cov-
ering except nights.

The upuaT time for putting the potatoes in the
beds is from the 10th of April to the 1st of May;
and for setting the plants, from the 20th of May to

the 10th of June, in this climate. I have raised ex-
cellent plants in a very mild hot-bed on a sheltered
hillside slopiDg south, putting in the potatoes the
last days of April, without using any covering what-
ever over the bed, and had the plants ready for set-
ting the first das'S of June.

Potatoes larger than an inch in diameter 1 cut
lengthwise through the middle. They will bring
more plants, and quicker, than whole potatoes; but
there is more danger of their rotting in the bed
than whole potatoes. The rotting of the potatoes
is caused by cold-dampness, and lack of air when
the bed is too warm.

To keep the potatoes over winter, harvest care-
fully before frost kills the vines; spread in some
drj/ place a week or so, then pack quite tightly to-
gether in dry barrels— old flour or cracker barrels—
up to two inches of the top, then put on clean dry
sand that will shake in and cover the two inches
left; store in a </?•?/ place, and keep the temperature
at 60 to 65 all the time.

You know enough about the management of hot-
beds and every thing else, for that matter, to know
that no amount of instruction either written or
verbal will bring success. Nothing but experience
will bring- the needed knowledge, and that to a few
only. D. Cummins.

Conneaut, O., Feb. 18, 1889.

Friend Cummins also incloses a copy of
one of his old circulars. As it contains
much additional information, we give it be-
low :

CULTIVATION OF THE SWEET POTATO.

Light sandy or loamy soil is best, but heavy soil
well drained, with plenty of coarse manure well
worked in, will do very well. Plow and harrow
well; and if your land is poor, plow light furrows
about three and a half or four feet apart; scatter in
them a quantity of partly rotted manure, throw
two furrows together over the manure so as to
have the ridge quite high, and not- very broad on
top. Unless rain has fallen within twenty-four
hours, or the soil is quite wet, it will pay to water
when setting out, which may be done as follows:
Thrust the right hand into the ridge (a mason's or
garden trowel would be better), draw it toward
you, and with the left drop the roots at the back of
the hand or trowel; draw the soil around the roots;
pour in about half a pint of water, then All up with
soil so the plant will be an inch or so deeper than it
stood in the bed, so the stems of the lower leaves
will be covered, as then it will sprout again if cut
by frost or worms. Set the plants from fourteen
to sixteen inches apart; keep clean from weeds,
and the soil mellow with cultivator and hoe.
Raise the vines with rake or fork to prevent root-
ing at the joints; the more moist the weather, the
more frequently it will need be done. Dig if pos-
sible before severe frosts; store in a warm dry
place— a damp cellar will not answer. With good
cultivation the crop will average three hundred
bushels per acre. Plants will be ready by the 15th
of May, and can be set from that time until the 1st
of July. One year 1 set a small patch the 25th day
of June, in very rich soil, the yield of which was at
the rate of over six hundred bushels per acre. My
plants are grown entirely without glass, and are
very hardy; they will be carefully packed so as to
go hundreds of miles in good condition.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE FRIEND WHO TOLD

US HOW TO RAISE #10.80 WORTH OF GRAND

RAPIDS LETTUCK ON 12 FEET SQUARE

OF GROUND.

Raising sweet-potato plants for sale has been
right in my line of business for the past 14 years.
I have always raised them in hot-beds. My frames
are 6 feet wide by 12 long; front of frame, 8 inches
high; and back, 12 inches high, covered with four
3x6 sash. For heating material I use fresh horsp

276

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

manure, with considerable straw and forest-leaves
thoroughly mixed and thrown into a large heap to
heat. When it gets steaming hot I fork it over in-
to another heap to heat up again, by which time it
is ready for the bed or pit, for I dig a pit 2l/2 feet
deep and (5 inches larger every way than the frame.
Into this pit I shake the material, beinj;- careful to
get it in as evenly as possible, at the same time
treading it down solid and building it up 6 inches
above the level of the ground, banking up the out-
side with dirt to keep the heat from escaping side-
wise. I now set the frame on and put on the sash.
Now the bed will heat up the third time, and we
must wait a few days until it cools down; for if we
put the potatoes on while it is too hot they will
surely decay, and the whole thing will be a failure.
I watch it very closely with a thermometer, by
plunging it down deep into the bed; and when the
heat recedes to 90° or a little below, the bed is
ready. I now put on four inches of good rich gar-
den soil, and firm it down with a board, and put the
potatoes on as thick as they will conveniently lie
and not touch; then if one rots is will not affect the
rest. I cover with 2% inches of the same soil that
is under them, being careful to have it moist and
in good condition. Bank up the outside of the
frame a little higher than the dirt on the inside,
and raise the frame up so as to give the required
depth under the sash. Now on goes the sash, and
nothing remains to be done but to give it air on
sunny days. I never water until the plants come
through the ground. The above plan is for high
ground. If the ground is low and wet, the pit must
either be drained or the bed must be built on top
of the ground. Orson Terrell.

North Ridgeville, O., Feb. 23, 1889.

RAISING SWEET POTATOES AND SWEET POTATO
PLANTS IN RUTHERFORD Co., TENN.

Editor Gleaning*:— Thousand of bushels of sweet
potatoes are annually raised in this, Rutherford
County, and many persons make the production a
specialty, and several farmers raise nothing else to
sell, and depend solely on the potato as a money
crop. In our latitude, Middle Tennessee, about the
last of March or first of April they are bedded for
"slips." A variety known as the Southern Queen,
a white or rather light-pale yellow, is almost uni-
versally planted. A raised bed is to be preferred to
one even with or below the surface of the ground;
and if protected on the north by a plank or close
stake fence, the better. In bedding 40 or 50 bush-
els, a rich loose alluvial soil is selected, and plowed
or forked up to the depth of 10 inches; if deeper,
the better, and beds 4 feet wide are formed with
ditches or walks 12 or 14 inches wide between,
made by spading or shoveling the earth upon the
bed*. These walks give room for stepping around
in drawing the slips, without tramping the beds,
and also keep the beds well drained and free from
too much moisture and subsequent baking. This
plan is practiced by large producers for field culti-
vation, and the potato is not bedded until all dan-
ger from frost has passed^or the beds proteoted—
and enough is bedded to set the whole plantation at
the first drawing, which is generally about the first
of May,

If a great number of slips are desired from one
or a few bushels, make a raised hot-bed. In the ab-
senoo of cottonseed, which we have and use here,

fresh stable (horse) manure, well tramped to the

depth of 4 to 6 inches, is as good, and upon which
pour as much water as the manure will absorb;
then cover the manure with rich, well-pulverized
mold, to the depth of 2 inches, upon which place
the tubers as close together as you wish, then cov-
er with two or three inches of like rich mold, and
let the bed have all the sunshine it can get, but let
no water, and especially no cold rain, fall upon it;
it must be protected with boards, plank, canvas,
or glass, when first made, which can be removed
on warm sunshiny days. When the sprouts begin
to crack the ground, add 2 inches more of earth.
This will give the sprouts a long shank, and upon
which numerous lateral or fibrous roots appear,
and which assist the plant in keeping alive when
detached from the potato. When the plant begins
to come through this second layer of earth, give
the bed a good watering; if the weather is warm,
use pond water or well water that has stood several
hours in the sun, or, what is still better, the suds
from the wash-tub. Sometimes weeds and grass
start before the plants, which may be removed
with a sharp weeding-hoe.

When the plants are from 4 to 6 inches high they
can be removed from the bed, and set out; or, if too
cold, "heel" out, as nurserymen term it, in large
bunches, for a week or two, as they keep better
and produce more roots than if set out singly in
the garden or field. Before drawing the slips the
bed should be watered, which makes the drawing
easier, but do not use too much water, or enough
to make it muddy. The slips are drawn with the
right hand, and not too many at one pull, the left
hand pressing the potato, keeping it in place.
When but few are drawn at a time they break off
easily near the potato. If many are pulled at once,
the skin is broken and frequently a plug of the po-
tato comes with the slip, which materially diminish-
es the next supply. I have raised very nice pota-
toes from slips set out as late as the 1st of July.
The months of July, August, and September being
seasonable, potatoes may be harvested about the
1st of October.

If your potatoes are sound, and the weather fa-
vorable, in 8 days after removing the slips the bed
will again be full and ready for the second drawing.
The bed will allow several drawings before the po-
tato becomes exhausted and refuses to send out
more sprouts or slips, if kept well watered in dry
hot weather. The plants should not be set in the
field until the cold rains are over. They become
chilled, and are never afterward vigorous, and will
not produce good-sized tubers. The preparation of
the soil, planting out, cultivation, and subsequent
digging and housing of the crop, is reserved for a
future paper if desired. W. P. Henderson.

Murfreesboro, Tenn., Feb. 19, 1889.

THE KIND OE SOIL TO PUT OVER THE MANURE IN
THE HOT-BED.

On the hot-bed you use very sandy soil. I have
been in the habit of going down to the river (our
place has a long river-front of half a mile): along
this, sand is constantly deposited in time of fresh-
ets; the whole bank is made up of it. I take this
and put it on 4 to 1) inches deep, and lay the pota-
toes on the bed, almost touching each other, cover-
ing them over 2 or 3 inches. YOu are raising
cuttings really— you don't want food for plants.
What they want they can And in the sand, as there
is enough soil tq furnish alj they need. Inbreak.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

277

ing off the plants, be careful to put one hand on

the potato to keep it in place, and break off with

the other, so as to allow the younger ones to grow.

John L. Janenby.

105 West Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, Feb. 2, 1889.

HOW TO RAISE SWEET-POTATO PLANTS IN MIS-
SOURI.

I have been in the business for several years, and
I bed as many as 100 bushels. 1 dig my pits about
14 inches deep, 7Yi feet wide, and about 40 feet long,
as that makes as much sheeting as I can handle
easily. I board up the north side 3 feet high, and
slope my canvas to the south; pack in the manure
about 12 inches deep; when packed solid, use plenty
of straw, if you want it to heat well.

Skidmore, Mo., Feb. 23, 1889. James Parshalu.

USING CLOTH FOR A COVERING, AND HAVING IT
SLOPE BOTH WAYS.

If a large bed is wanted we sometimes make the
frame level six inches above ground; pnt a light
ridge-pole through the center, then draw the mus-
lin over like a house-roof, tucking the ends down at
the gables. In this way the length of the bed
should be north and south, giving the sun an equal
chance on both sides of the roof. Here in Central
Illinois we make our beds about April 15th.

Philo, 111., Feb. 21, 1889. M. L. Bremen.

USING WHEAT OR OAT STRAW TO CONFINE THE
HEAT OF THE MANURE.

On the manure place not less than 3 inches of
light soil, on which put your potatoes, and cover
about one inch deep; then over the whole bed place
wheat or oat straw about 6 or 8 inches deep, and
cover with boards to keep out rain. Be sure to feel
under the straw every morning early; and as soon
as the heat gets to the top, open the bed every day
and cover only with straw at night, and in about
two weeks the sprouts will be seen coming through
the ground, when two inches more dirt should be
put on the bed, and the straw removed entirely.
This plan gives me first-class plants in 5 weeks from
the time of planting, and they can then be drawn
every 8 or 9 days until July. E. P. Busick.

Church Creek, Md., Feb. 19, 1889.

USING STRAW OR LEAVES WITH MANURE IN OR-
DER THAT THE HEAT MAY BE LASTING.

I put in the trench about two feet of fresh stable
manure, and it should be about half straw or leaves,
otherwise it may get too hot and burn the potatoes.

If you use glass you want to be careful when the
sun shines very hot, or you will cook the whole
batch. The glass should be taken off when it is
very warm, and put on again at night.

I built a house 14x16, double walls, and filled in
with sawdust. I have kept my sweet potatoes and
honey in the same house, keeping the temperature
at 60° above; and if I haven't had well-ripened
honey, no one ever did. Jasper Smock.

Terre Haute, Ind., Feb. 25, 1889.

USING HAY AND BOARDS AS SUBSTITUTES FOR
GliASS.

Care should be taken that the manure be all heat-
ed alike throughout the whole bed when first put in.
Just as good plants can be grown without using
sash, by covering the bed to the depth of 12 or 15
inches with marsh hay, and using covers over this
made of H-inch boards. The bed must be watched

closely; and when the heat is likely to get too high,
air must be given by taking off the board covers,
and a part or all of the hay if need be. it the
plants are likely to get too large at top Lc l< ; o you
wish to set them in the field, mow the tops off.
Exeter, Pa., Feb. 26, 1889. P. Sutton.

The following is from a friend who gave
substantially the directions given by the
rest. He adds in conclusion :

I have tried this plan for several years, and it has
never failed. I sold nearly 30,000 plants last year,
and then did not have jenough. I also make my
beds for sprouting early cabbage, celery, pepper,
and tomatoes after the above plan, only I bank up
on the outside and cover with glass.

Darlington, Ind. Thos. N. Stokes.

forcing sweet-potato plants by means of
hot soapsuds.

We force potato-plants sometimes as follows:
On washdays, after the washwoman is done with
the warm suds we give our potato-beds a good bath,
and it makes the plants come right up.

Water Valley, Miss., Feb. 20, 1889. W. H. Embry.

A VISIT TO BEE CELLARS IN NORTH-
ERN OHIO.

The

ERNEST OFF ON A RAMBLE.

OR a long time I have contemplated
visiting II. R. Boardman and other
bee-keepers in the vicinity of Nor-
walk, O. This opportunity did not
come until the last week in February,
principal object I had in making this
visit was to study the comparative merits
of outdoor and indoor wintering. As you
are aware, for the past two years we have
had uniform success in wintering in chaff,
and as a matter of course incline toward
the outdoor method. H. R. Boardman has
been equally successful— perhaps more so
than we— in his winter repositories.

On the morning of the 26th of February,
I found myself in Norwalk. It is with this
place that many of our old readers will as-
sociate the name of our old friend S. F.
Newman, who for a good many years back
has been quite an extensive bee-keeper. At
one of the leading groceries I saw some very
nice honey, stamped with the name of the
man whom I wanted to see. The grocery-
man informed me that Newman's honey
always sells, and that he would buy no oth-
er. It was not long before 1 was introduc-
ed to the gentleman himself, whereupon 1
was invited into his office above the store.
He is an insurance agent, and. like a good
many other bee-keepers, has other business
in connection with bees. He employs a
clerk to do copying and general writing in
the office, and a competent man to take
care of his bees while he himself gives his
personal supervision to both departments of
the business. He has some three out-apia-
ries. After talking awhile, Mr. Newman
kindly invited me to visit his bee-cellar,
and. of course, I accepted. On our way
thither Mr. Newman said :

" I believe that Boardman has got tlte
way of wintering bees. Although I have

278

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

A imi.

had excellent results in wintering in chaff
hives, I believe I shall in time winter all my
colonies on his plan."

We arrived at Mr. Newman's house; and
after a welcome by the family I was con-
ducted to his bee-cellar — a back room par-
titioned off from the main cellar. In it he
has 127 colonies, all of which seemed to be
wintering nicely, with one or two excep-
tions.

" You see," said Mr. Newman, " I have
got tight bottom-boards ; but if I were to
get another lot of hives I would have the
bottoms loose ; and I would pile the hives
up in a repository just as Mr. Boardman
does, without bottom-boards, leaving the
latter on permanent stands."

Of course, there was the strong odor of
ordinary wintering repositories.

" From what source do you get your ven-
tilation V " said I.

'■ From no source at all."

"Don't you have an underground sub-
earth ventilator ? "

" No sub-earth ventilator. There is an
opening," said he, pointing to a small win-
dow in one corner, " that I used to use ; but
you see it is now plugged up tight."

" And your cellar-door is tight, is it ? "

In response he closed the door and left us
in absolute darkness, showing just the way
he left the bees. As we left the repository
Mr. Newman said :

''It is a mystery to me how that man
Boardman carries3 his hives into the cellar
without the bottom-boards. It seems to me
the bees would be dropping and flying out,
to the discomfort of the carrier."

" Yes, I should think so too ; but I am
going down to East Townsend to-morrow,
and I am going to find out just how he does
it."

Mr. Newman is quite enthusiastic on the
matter of out-apiaries.

" Why," said he, " last summer my bees
in the home yard had done little if any
thing. Things went on thus, even through
tbe summer. At my Bronson out apiary I
discovered that the bees were filling up on
something. This proved to be nectar from
the peavine clover, of which there were
large quantities in fields near by. They
not only filled up, but were actually storing
surplus. During this time my bees at home
were doing little if any thing."

" How much of this peavine clover honey
did you secure from this apiary V" I asked.

" Three thousand five hundred pounds,
nearly all of which was gathered after the
basswood season closed ; and it is the same
honey which you admired in the store when
we first met. I have noticed before," he
continued, t-that a difference of only a few
miles makes a considerable difference in
the secretion of nectar at times."

The swarms in the Bronson apiary were
hived upon empty frames, and so far Mr.
Newman is pleased with the plan.

After a pleasant chat with the family, I
left The following morning found me en
route for East Townsend, or, rather, Col-
lins, as the Railroad Guide has it. It seems
to me unfortunate that there should be one
name for the postoffice and another for the

railroad, both designating the same place.
As Collins is only a short distance east, I
am soon at the station. Upon inquiry I
find that I must go directly south— follow-
ing that long walk southward I saw yonder.
After going but a short distance I inquired
of a bright-looking school-boy, with books
under his arm, where I might find the resi-
dence of H. R. Boardman.

"Well, sir," said he, "you go straight
ahead until you come to the postoffice.
Then you turn to the right, and go down
that street until you find a whole lot of bee-
hives, and then you turn in."

" Thank you," said I, with assurance.
" It is the man with a t whole lot of hives1
whom I wish to see ; " and with such di-
rections I should certainly have no difficulty
in finding the place. A short walk brought
me to the postoffice ; and upon turning to
the right I saw a man who looked very
much like a bee-man I had seen a few times
at conventions. He was " the man who
never loses any bees." Although I had not
given my friend any warning of my expect-
ed visit, I could hardly have called upon
him at a more opportune time. He was on
his way to the postoffice, and, being a little
"under the weather," as he said, he was
rather yearning to see somebody to talk
with. On approaching his residence I
found no bee-hives, but a " whole lot of hive
bottoms."

" Then you do leave those out the year
round V " said I, as we were entering' the
house. The morning was a little chilly, and
the warm base-burner fire, which greeted
me as I sat down in an easy-chair, was
cheerful indeed.

Glancing about me while my host was dis-
posing of my coat and hat, I discovered
some beautiful specimens in taxidermy —
some 200 specimens I should guess. There
were stuffed birds and quadrupeds, as nat-
ural as life could be, from this and adjoin-
ing States. Among the number were some
quite rare specimens, all of which was the
work of friend Boardman during his spare
hours in winter or other times when his
bees did not demand his attention. He en-
joys it as a hobby, and well he may. He is,
without doubt, a close student of nature —
not only with the little busy bee, as I shall
presently try to show, but with all animate
creation.

While we were talking I could not help
noticing the affiliation between a cat and a
dog, lying at our feet, the former sleeping
quietly across the dog's paws, as affection-
ately as a— couple of lovers, although the
dog, when he observed that our attention
was directed toward them, did not seem to
regard the intrusion of his feline friend
with favor. A low growl announced that
he was seemingly ashamed to be seen in
such company. The cat gave no particular
heed, but, on the contrary, rubbed against
her companion as though she understood
him. I did not fail to notice the intelli-
gence of all the dumb animals around friend
Boardman. Even the horses were bright,
and seemed to know their master.

Continued April 15th,

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

279

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly .

JL.. X. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

ZMZEDia^r-a., ohio.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
*—•—}

For Glutting Sates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

IMIEIDIILT^, AFB. 1, 1889.

Ami 1 will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord;
and they shall he my people, and 1 will be their God; for they
shall return unto me with their whole heart.— Jer. 24: 7.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

The new dovetailed hive seems to be taking- well,
for orders are beginning- to pour in for it at a good
rate. At the solicitation of some practical bee-
keepers we have made the Dovetailed T super with
thick ends, thus throwing out the objectionable
loose boards to take up the waste space in the end.
The section-holder super is also made deep enough
to leave a full bee-space above the sections. W. Z.
Hutchinson, whose advice we have sought, says, in
a private note, " With the changes you have made
the hive is well nigh faultless." He prefers the new
Heddon hive, but next to it he says stands the
Dovetailed hive as we now make it. We are now
making some new engravings to illustrate it as
modified, and will give illustrations and further
particulars in our next.

Many questions come in to this effect: " Will the
Dovetailed hive take the Simplicity frame, and will
it take the Mi-depth wide frame?" It will take the
Simplicity or Langstrotb, to be sure; but the supers
will not take the half-depth wide frames. We can
make them deeper to take the half-depth wide
frames if desired, but we shall have to charge some
more.

MORE ABOUT SWEET-POTATO-PLANTS.

I hope the friends will not complain because we
have made this so much a sweet-potato number.
The principles that are taught by the many letters
apply not only to raising and starting plants of any
description, but they are valuable to anybody who
is interested in or who has any thing to do with the
garden or with agriculture; and I want to give you
two more letters that are furnished by R. M. Rey-
nolds, of East Springfield, O. The following was
from Waldo F. Brown, in the Ohio Farmer, some
years ago :

The great danger in sprouting is, that you get them too hot
and scald the potatoes. I lost a large part of my potatoes tor
several years from this cause. ... I found, finally, that,
when my bed had just the right degree of heat, a thick cover-
ing of straw cir corn-fodder would keep an even temperature,
so that it would not be chilled by cold nights, nor scalded by
the hot sun; and since I adopted this plan I have had little
trouble in sprouting snwi potatoes. Leave the bed open in
the middle of the day until it feels warm, and then cover
closely, and it is probable that your bed will need no more at-
tention until the plants begin to come through. . . . As thi'
straw will prevent evaporation, the bed will not need water-
ing until the sprouts appear, when it should be kept well wa-
tered until they are nearly large enough to set out. I think it
hardens the plants at this stage to let them get pretty dry.
but the bed should be thoroughly watered a few hours before
the plants are drawn.

And here is another, from Alfred Rose, of Yates
Co., N. Y.:

The potatoes should be covered with three inches of
line dry sand (sand is much preferable to loam, as it is
warmer and cleaner) ; then' will be a difference of a full
week or ten days between beds covered with sand or loam.
those covered with sand coming the earliest, After the sand,
then cover with as tine dry straw or hay as can be procured,
then the beds should be covered with boards in such a manner
as to shed rain.

THORBURN'S BUSH LIMA BEANS, ETC.

On page 209 of our last issue, I told you I had
written to Thorburn, asking him how many pack-
ets he had that he would let us have at 25 cts. each.
His reply was, that he was sold out. I then wrote
that we must have just a few, no matter what they
cost, to which he has made no reply. If no reader
of Gleanings can help us, I shall put an advertise-
ment in Popular Gardening and in American Garden :
and I feel sure that I can in some way strike one of
Thorburn's customers. I am going to offer their
weight in gold for a few of them, if I can not get
them otherwise. All I can find out about them is
given on page 209, March 1st. A bush lima beau
has been hunted up away out in Minnesota (adver-
tised by Northrup, Broslin, Goodwin & Co.. Minne-
apolis), but they are of a deep creamy yellow color,
and but little larger than Henderson's.

We have at this date, 8544 subscribers.

jSPEd/m pi0¥iCEg.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO.

If any subscriber has omitted to ask for his to-
mato seed, or if any one has failed to receive his
package, make application at once and it will be
mailed to you.

COLD-FRAME CABBAGE-PLANTS.

With the aid of our new cold greenhouse, we have
secured a splendid lot of H. A. March's cold-frame
Jersey Wakefield cabbage-plants. Price 10 cts. for
10; 80 cts. per 100; $6 00 per 1000. If wanted by mail,
add 5 cts. for 10, or 25 cts. for 100.

CLF.OME INTEGRIFOLIA, OR ROCKY-MOUNTAIN BEE-
PLANT— SEED WANTED.

Since Samuel Wilson's advertisement of this Cal-
ifornia honey-plant, notwithstanding our caution-
see page 148. a demand for the seed has sprung up
that has exhausted our supply. Now, then, if any
of the bee-friends in California or elsewhere have
some seed to spare, we should be glad to get it.
Please mail us a sample, and tell us how much you
have and what you want for it. My impression is,
that the demand will be short-lived. By the way,
we should be very glad indeed to get reports from
those who have tried the plant.

SEED POTATOES.

Our seed potatoes have wintered nicely, and are
not sprouted a particle at the present writing. Ear-
ly Ohio, Early Pearl, Lee's Favorite, and Empire
State, we offer at 75 cts. per bushel, or $2.00 for a
barrel of three bushels. Beauty of Hebron, and
Burbank, we offer at 50 cts. per bushel, or $1.25 for
a barrel of three bushels. In ordering potatoes we
will pack them in our new slatted potato-box for 10
cts. per bushel extra. The potato-box, you know, is
worth 16 cts.; but we make the above deduction be-
cause it saves providing some other package. The
box will be worth 10 cts. to almost anybody. Where
you are so far away that express and freight
charges are quite an item, we will send potato-eyes,
postpaid by mail, at 10c for 10; 80c per 100, or $0.00
per 1000, of any of the above varieties.

PRICE LISTS RECEIVED.

Since our last issue we have received price lists of queens,
bees. and apiarian supplies in general, from the following par
ties, who will be glad to furnish them to applicants. Those
marked with a star (*) also deal in line poultry.

A. E. Hanum, Bristol, vi.

J. M. Hvne. Bte warts ville, lnd. (closing out h i^ stock).

J. A. Nelson. JIuncie, Wyandotte Co., Kansas.

c i. Hoo-v it A ( !o.. Snvdertown, Northumberland Co.. Pa.

w. p. Beacti, Ovid, Clinton Co., Mich.

J. ('. Sayles. Hartford, Washington Co.. Wis.

Ransom & Culver. Quincy. .Mich.

Wakeman & Crocker, Lockport, N. V. (section-formers only).

280

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUltE.

Apr.

b

Plea:

1,$2.00; No. 2, SI. 75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife,
1, 1.25; No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, .65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
■ litest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood-
burning clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address

INGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.
••■ mention Gleanings. fitt'db

Jtforth-Shade Apiary.

Full colonies and nuclei at 50 cts. per comb, in
good 8 frame L. hives (no charge for hives). Tested
Italian queens, $2.00 each. No queens for sale, ex-
cept to go with bees. Will ship in light shipping-
boxes instead of hives when so ordered. My brood-
frames are Simplicity, L. size.

Discounts:— $25 to $3il, 10 per cent; $30 to $50,15
per cent; $50 to $75, 20 per cent; $75 to $100, or larg-
er orders, 25 per cent off from above prices.

Conditions:— All colonies will be well stocked
with brood and bees, all healthy and bright. De-
livered f. o. b. cars at Alamo, in the best possible
shipping order. No foul brood ever known near
here. Will fill all orders first week in May. Remit
by Am. Exp., money order, registered letter, draft
on New York or Chicago, or by P. O. money order
on Kalamazoo. Address

O. H. TOAVNSEND,
7d Alamo, Kalamazoo Co., Mich.

P. S. — 40 to 3110 acres of good land, located in Gra-
tiot County, Mich., for sale cheap. The best location
I know of for beekeeping. For further informa-
tion, address as above.

SUSPENDERS FOR BEE-KEEPERS.

A number of customers have requested us to get
a good suspender for bee-keepers, and a number of
kinds have been suggested. The one shown above,
called the "Foster," suits us as well as any we have
seen. If you notice carefully you will see that, by
the use of eveners, or equalizers, the strain on each
button is the same. We can furnish them made of
good white elastic web cotton ends, at 35 cts. per
pair; silk ends, 50 cts. By mail, postpaid, 5 cts. per
pair extra. In ordering please call them the "Fos-
ter." We can furnish very good white elastic sus-
penders, without the eveners, at 25 cts. per pair; by
mail, 5c extra. Adjustable elastic armlets, 10c per
pair, postpaid. A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

CGQS FOE HATCHING, from choice S. C. B. Leghorns;
*- can fill all orders promptly, great and small.
Circulars free. A few O. I. C. pigs for sale. 41-5d
Fillmore Decker, New Florence, Westm. Co., Pa.

With Love at the
helm, a successful
voyage may be ex-
pected. In the guid-
ance of our beauti-
ful little craft. "The
Bee - Keeper's Re-
view," Love sits su-
preme. In other
words, we are most
~ thoroughly in love
with our work. With
feelings akin to a
mother's, do we look
upon the numbers of
the Review. They are our mental children. It is
said, that, although all the children of a family re-
ceive affection in the same degree, there is always a
favorite child. This may not always be true; but cer-
tain it is, that every author of more than one book
looks with special pride upon some one of these
hooks. Reader, if you would be pleased to see the
number of the Review that comes the nearest to an
ideal, send for the March No. for 1889. It will be
sent free, and with it will be sent the May and June
issues for 1888. Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a
year. Back numbers furnished.

Tlie Production of" Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian, w. Z. HUTCHINSON,
613 Wood St. 7d Flint, Mich.

Eg"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Non-Swarming Queens

For sale at $1.00 each by April 15th. Safe arrival
guaranteed. Each queen shall be a daughter of a
queen that has refused to swarm for 3 years. I have
two of her daughters that also refused to swarm
last year. The chances are twenty to one that you
will get a purely mated queen. Sample of bees
sent, if desired. R. B. WILLIAMS,
7-8d Winchester, Tenu.

Eaton's Improved

SECTIOIV G^-SIE.

Bees and Queens. Send for
— ■J|.l7H free catalogue. Address
I HANK A. EATON,
5-16db HI iiH'loii, Ohio.

this advertisement mention Gleanings.

IN OLD BEE-BOOE EEVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

For the benefit of friends who have black or hybrid queens
which they want to dispose of, we will insert notices free of
charge, as below. We do this because there is hardly value
enough to these queens to pay for buying them up and keep-
ing them in stock; and yet it is oftentimes quite an accommo-
dation to those who can not afford higher-priced ones.

For Sale.— 30 black and 40 hybrids, which I will
sell after the 10th of April at the rate of 10 of each
kind each week, till all are sold. Price, black, 30 cts.;
hybrids, 50 cts. J. W. Poole, Russellville, Ark.

I have 8 or 10 hybrid queens that I will take 40 cts.
each for, or 4 for $ 1.50. Ready to ship now, or I will
take trade for queens. J. W. Taylor, Ozan, Ark.

I have two black queens, young and prolific,
which I should be glad to sell at 35 cts. each.

B. C. Griffith, Griffith, N. C.

Mismated Italian queens for sale a' 25 cts. each.
L. A. Ressler, Nappanee, Elkhart Co., Ind.

Brown queens, 25 cts. Italian hybrids, 30 to 40 cts.
Carniolan hybrids, 50 cts. each. F. C. Morrow,
Wallaceburg, Hempstead Co., Ark.

I have about 15 black and hybrid queens, ready
April 15. I will ship in Peet cage, at 40 and 50 cents
each, safe arrival guaranteed. R. H. Guthrie,
Powhatan, Lawrence Co., Ark.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

281

Italian Bees and Queens, Early !

After May 15
Imported Ital. (jueens (1888 imp. >.. .$5.50 $5.00

Tested '* fcfc . . 2.25 1.75

Untested " " $1 66; three, 2 75 2.60

One-frame nucleus, $125: 2-fr. nucl., $2.00; 10 or
more at a discount. Write for what you want.
Ready now to ship. Safe arrival guaranteed; lOper
cent discount on orders booked for 20 days.
Make money orders parable at Clifton. 3-8db

S. H. COLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co., Tex.

tyin responding to this advertisement tneini-iii i.i ka» '

Handel's Swarm Securing and
Hiving Funnel

Is warranted to give satisfaction if directions (which
go with it) are followed. With it you can bag a
swarm clustered 20 ft. or more from the ground, and
have them entering the hive in a minute.
Sample by mail, $1.00; by express, per doz., $6.00.
6d JOHN HANDEL, Savanna. 111.

JjS*"In responding to this advertise

n mention GLEANINGS.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu., $2.00; per i-bu., $1.25; per peck,
75cts.; 5lbs.,50cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

5-14db Bloomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

CEEOS CIVEN AWAY. ©

w P'k'g Mixed Flawer Seeds (500 kinds),
Guide, and lOct. Certificate for Seeds, your
choice, all for 2 stamps (4c). Flower lovers
delimited. T 11 all your friends.

C. W. PARK, Fannettsburg, Pa.

prompt. This offer will not appear again.

MELCHER'S

IMPROVED

EXTRACTORS

FOR S2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address

J.C.MELCHER,
y§i O'Quinn, Tex.
4-10db
t3"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings

D T I [I C. H. McFadden Still Works 111 I y

lit All Good work guaranteed. Send WVuA,
"knul forsample foundation and price """■
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax workinsr.
4-10db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

Sections by the Bushel !

My sections will hereafter be packed in bushel
boxes, so every one buying- 500 sections will get a box
worth 15c. Sections only $3.00 per M. Send for
price list. W. D. SOPER,

6-7d Box 1473, Jackson, Mich.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Sweet Potatoes for Seed.

Yellow Jersey stock. Sweet potatoes are low this
season. For prices address 6-7d

JASPER SMOCK, Terre Haute, Ind.

IF YOU WANT BEES,

Please Write tor Prices.

4-9db S. A. SHUCK, LIVERPOOL, ILL.

BEES.

Fnr Qolo Phoan The apiary (140 stands ot
rUr OdlC UllGd|J. bees, hives, etc.), belong-
ing to the estate of Dr. G. W. Young, deceased. A
rare opportunity. Address 5-6-7d

Albert G. Young, Adm'r, Lexington, Mo.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Out.

Select tested $4 00 f 3 75 $3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 1 75 1 60

Untested 125 100 1 Oil

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

12 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5 -'^ldb J. P. CALDWELL. San Marcos, Tex.

IC^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE REVISED LANGSTROTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

nOTATflrQ Four choice new varieties,
MUIHIUCO. SUMMIT, FEARNAUQ-HT, DELAWARE,
■ and POOTATUCK, 40 eyes of each, pos-tpaid $1.00.
I have mailed potato-eyes as far as Wash. Ter., and
never had a report of failure. A collection of RARE
SEEDS, postpaid, 30c. Send now for catalogue of
SEEDS, PLANTS, BEES, and Q.UEEN3. 5-6-7d

CHRISTIAN WECKESSER,
Marshalville, Wayne Co., Ohio.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.
IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS5 SUPPLIES,

Send tor our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

twin responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings,

^VIRGIN QUEENS.

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in " Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Canadian
Jit-r Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(either renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen (value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

tafln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaxings.

FOK SAMS.— 50 colonies of Italian bees, in Lang-
stroth hives, cheap. Write for prices.
6-7d J. Mattoon, Atwater, O.

IMnilCTDIAI Hives and Apiarian Supplies.
lllUUdiniHL pUre I. Queens, Bees, S. C. B.
Leghorns, Bronze Turkeys, Toulouse Geese, and
M. G. Carp. Free list. J. W. CLARK,

5 9db Clarksburg, Mo.

BEES FOR SALE !

Colonies, Nuclei,

^/ Queens (Tested and

]/Mj($\ Untested), at living

VHuli rates. Send for cir-'

[<l A f'^i't cular and price list to

\c. C.VAUGHN & CO.,
Columbia, Tenn.

C^in responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,,

282

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Al'R.

STRA"W

- GOOSE
RA.SP»

BERRIES

CURRANTS ■"> CRAPES.

ADA

Large. Late, Hardy, Prolitir,
Black lEAM'ltl i:iO. Latest ol
all in Ripening.

FIRST - CLASS * PLANTS * AT * LOW * RATES.
THEO. F. LONCENECKER.

Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdb Dayton, Ohio.

£3Hn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1&m HELLO! HELLO! 1&m

How are supplies selling? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't vou forget it.

<3?

lllllil

M\ E. Clnvh's Improved Hinge- Nozzle Quinby
Smoker. The Jiest Smoker Made.

oi-itkiiin .

3-14db

Oneida Co., - New York

%£F~ Mention Gleanings.

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
4J£x4J£ Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

C^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2. CO.

PATENTED

For putting- together one-piece sectious. Every
section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100
in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret
it. Send to your supply dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.
C^"In responding to this advertisement mention gleanings.

SAVE FREIGHT.

in-

V YOVll SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete Hue of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers. Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
Midi. Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

J3TJ.n responding to this advertisement mention gleanings.

THE • BEST • HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

If you need any hives don't fail to send for my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and think
1 have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
3tdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

I - In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HEREr

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bees, with
their queens, in 10 frame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well painted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, $7.00; 3 at one time, $13.00;
4, same, $24 00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. ( ffice. Ursa. 111. Lima, Adams Co., 111.
Mention Gleanings. 6-lldb

I HAVE COME

To say E. Baer will close out
the supplies he has on hand,
consisting of 100M. sections,
100 chaff hives, 2000 separa-
tors, 4 M. wide frames, far
helow cost. They are first-
class goods, the same as I
have sold in the past, and
must he sold. Please state
what goods you can use,
and I will quote you bottom prices. Also a few
choice tested Italian queens in June and July at 75c

eftdb EZRA BAER, Dixon, Lee Co., III.

ES"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Do You Want Knowledge?

Send a postal for price list of International Ency-
clopedia, 15 vols., royal 8vo, over 13,000 pages, with
maps and illustrations. It excels all in comprehen-
siveness, conciseness, lateness^of information, con-
venience, and cheapness, C. O. D. Liberal discount
for freight charges. A. H. VAN DOREN.

6-7-8d Moils, Bedford Co., Va.

l^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEES and QUEENST

H.©«,d.y- to SHiiio.

Friends, if you are in need of queens or bees to
replace in hives where they have been lost during
the winter, I can accommodate you at the following
low prices: Italian bees, -/2 lb..65cts.; 1 lb., $1.00.
Untested queens, $1.(0; tested, $1 50. Hybrid bees,
% lb., 50 cts.; 1 lb., 90 cts. Hybrid queens, 75 cts.
Prices by the quantity will be sent on application.
6-7 9-lld W. S. CAIITHEN,

Heatli Spring, Lancaster Co., S. C.
t^"In responding to '.liis ix'veitiseiiient mention Gleanings.

H0NEY,BEES' queens, SUPPLIES.

iiuiifc.il Catalogue Free. v,v" ' fc■,,-v»,

OLIVER FOSTER, NIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

2 STORY Langstroth B Hives, $1.00; 1-story Sim
plicity B-Hives, 45 cts. These hives have frames
and covers, all ready for bees, except they are
in flat. 6-7d T. A. GUNN, Tullahoma, Tenn.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR.

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN RITCK.ETS, REE-HI V EN,
HONEY-SECTIONS, drc., See.
PERFECTION COLD-RLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. P. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-oent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Eeepers." {Mention Gleanings.) Itfdp,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

2S7

Contents of this Number.

Alighting-boards — (Q. B.i
Amateur Expert's Letter.. -

Beans, Bush Lima

Vices and Fruit

Be

s Without Hive

Bees, Handling

Bee-keeping Alone

Binders of Safety-pins

Catalpa

i View Seeding

Cellars in Sand

Combs. Triple

Combs. Old, To Renew

Heath from Stings

Editorial

Entrances (Q. B.)

Ernest's Ramble

Exchange, Bee-keepers'. . .

Feeders

Flood in California

Frame-holder 313

Hetherington's History 302

Hive, Golden 308

Hive. Dovetailed 321

Hives Unpainted 301

Honey. Extracted 294

Honey by the Ton in 1857. . .308

Hybrids," Cross 306

Manitou 315

Manum's Picture 300

Mel Sapit Omnia 299

Notes and Queries 309

Out-apiaries 293

I'] in pics. To Remove 306

Ramble No. 14 295

Red Elm 313

Reports Encouraging 308

Sugar Stores 307

Tobacco Column 314

Transferring in Winter 305

Ventilation (Q. B.).310

Ttfoitoi 4,iaiSlte:o White P. Hock, W. Wyan-
dotte eggs, $150 per 13: L. Brahma, P. Rock,
L. Wyandotte. W. and B. Leghorn eggrs, $1.00
per 13. Italian Queens, reared on the Doolittle
plan, select tested, in May, $3.00; June, $2.50. War-
ranted, May, $1 25; June, $1.00.

€. H. WATSON,
7-12db Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa.

Wl i responding to thisudverM.-emeiit mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE.

Fifty colonies of Italian bees in 10-frame Lang-
Stroth hives, at $5.00 per stand; 10 per cent off for
more than one stand. John Grand,

7-1 ldb Batavia, Clermont Co., O.

E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkakinrs

Bll~HAriND^IlLS.

u

Most people who handle bees wear some kind of a
a veil, or bee-hat, as some call 'em. Above we show
the rig we prefer. The hat is one we have sold and
recommended for two years, and have used for five
or six. It is a light cloth hat. weighing only 1 oz.;
fits any head, the inside rim having a rubber cord
in it. The outside rim is held out in place by a
spring wire.

We make veils of four different qualities.

No. 1 is our best veil, made of grenadine and silk
brussels net, or tulle face.

No. 2 is the same without the tulle face, being all
of grenadine.

No. 3 is made of mosquito bar, with tulle face.

No. 4 is made of mosquito bar. without the tulle
face.

Price-

each.

10.

100.

No. 1, Best veil

$ 75

$6 00

$55 00

No. 2, Grenadine veil

60

4 75

45 00

No. 3, Tulle-face bar.

40

3 20

30 00

No. 4, Mosquito bar.

25

2 00

18 00

Bee-hat

20

1 60

15 00

Sent postpaid, or with other goods, on receipt of
price. Our veils are larger and more roomy than
those of other makes that we have seen. They
have a rubber cord in the top, to draw them tight
around the hat. as shown in cut. The lower edge is
bound with a blue ribbon, and is drawn under the
suspenderp, as shown. The grenadine veils will
wear much longer than mosquito-bar.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

If you are ever annoyed by the scraping and breaking of combs;
killing bees when setting a frame to one side, or hanging it in
(he hive; sagging at the bottom and getting waxed fast; shak-
ing about when moving a hive; in short, it you dislike to pry
and wrench your frames, break combs, and kill bees while
handling them, you will be pleased with this hive.
VERY CONVENIENT. AGENTS WANTED.
C For "1st Principles in Bee Culture." It tells how to Divide.
Transfer, Introduce'Queens, Feed, Unite, Stop Robbing, Ac,
Money returned upon return of book, if you are not satisfied
Mention Gleanings. 7-12db

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4Jix4i4 sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.

%W~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltf db

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

|E^"ln responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111. ; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O. ; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry -Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver. Colo. ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls. 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus. Neb. ; O.G.Collier,
Fairburv, Neb.: CD. Battev, Peterboro.EMadison
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
In nampl& in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

CHAS. DADANT & SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

tF"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

T7-k„ Qnln Barnes foot-power circular saw;
rUI OcUC. price, delivered to cars, $27.00;
with scroll-saw, $32.00. It is all in perfect order, as
pood as new. D. S. BASSETT,

7-8d Farnumsville, Worcester Co., Mass.

jjyin responding to this odvertisement mention Gleanings,

288

UL.EANLNGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exc«ed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
lepartmenl is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any tiling useful on a plantation.
2ltfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

3tfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED— To exchange, a first-class violin,
cheap at $50,00, for a foot-power lathe. It must
be iron, and in good order. D. S. Bassett,

7tfdb Farnunisville, Worcester Co., Mass.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange my new price list of
pure Italian bees and Poland-China swine for
your name and address written plainly on a postal
card. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co.,0. 5678d

WANTED.— To exchange Plym. Rock cockerels
from Sugar Grove thoroughbred-poultry farm,
Pitkin & Kilpatrick strain, at $1.50 each, for bees
by the pound. Correspondence solicited. 7-8d

W. H. Swigart, Dixon, 111.

WANTED. —To exchange Vanderwort foundation
for any quantity of nice yellow beeswax.
7-8d B. Chase, Earlville, Madison Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange new 4 H. P. horrizontal
engine for bees. Give me a call it must go. 7-8d
J. B. Overocker, Box 47, Melrose, Reus' Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange for books, wax, extract-
ed honey, or offers, new improved winter bee-
hives, or will sell at half cost.

C. H. Frasure, Sherburne, N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange all kinds of bee-keepers'
supplies and Cuthbert raspberry-plants for
bees. C. W. Costei,low,

8tfdb Waterboro, York Co., Me.

WANTED.— To exchange, barrel steamer for
cooking feed, T pipe complete, and Wilson
hand bone-mill, new, for extracted honey or any
thing of standard market value. 8-9d

H. L. Graham, Letts, Iowa.

WANTED.— A good workhand by the year, who
VV knows something about bees, competent to
manage a large farm and stock. G. J. Gray,
8-<td Dell, Malheur Co., Ore.

WANTED.— To exchange complete stencil outfit,
consisting of 3 sets of dies, 6 lbs. brass; 700
plates, hammer and block, etc., ready for work;
worth $23, for stem-winding watch or best offer
over $7.00. Have quit business. J. F. Kale.

Newton Falls, O.

WANTED.— To exchange P. Rock eggs, fine, for
Italian queens; Appleton's Cyclopedia for hon-
ey; and a price list for your name.

St. Joseph Apiary, St. Joe, Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat
and P. Rock eggs and Barnes improved circu-
lar saw, for bees by the pound, or young queens.
8d H. O. McElhany, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

WANTED.— Untested Italian queens, for which 1
wish to exchange eggs from choice pure-bred
P. Rocks, at the rate of nine eggs per queen. 7-8d
A. F. Loomis, Hartwellville, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange one ten-inch Root fdn.
mill; has been used but one year, also 30 feet of
0-inch rubber belt, for bees or bee-papers' supplies.
7tfdb Thomas Gedye, Kangley, LaSalle Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange 400 brood-combs in L.
frames, and 300 combs in half L. frames (half
depth), valued at 10 cts. each.
7-8d Miss Delly Reynolds, Sonora, Ky.

SC. B. Leghorns, S. L. Wyandotte, and P. duck,
. 15 eggs. $1.00, in exchange for bee-supplies,
raspberry and strawberry plants, or beeswax.
7-8d Geo. A. Wright, Glenwood, Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanrse buckwheat for
Pekin ducks, or eggs, Wyandotte eggs, bee-
supers for L. hive, and Italian queens. Address
7-8d A. J. Shepard, Walker, Linn Co., Iowa.

WANTED.— To exchange greenhouse and bed-
ding plants, or seeds, for a few colonies of
Italian bees. Send for large illustrated catalogue
to select from. L. Templin & Sons,

8d Florists and Seedsmen, Calla, O.

WANTED.— To exchange a " Little Daisy " garden
drill and cultivator combined, just new, for a
good honey-extractor to take the L. frame.

A. F. McAdams,
8d Columbus Grove, Putnam Co., O.

WANTED.— To exchange three-frame nuclei, at
$3.00 each. Tested queees, $1.25 each; untest-
ed, 75 cts. each; Italian albino, for Shropshire or
Hampshire sheep. I. R. Good.

8tfdb Nappanee, Ind.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

For the benefit of friends who have black or hybrid queens
which they want to dispose of, we will insert notices free of
charge, as below. We do this bee- use there is hardly value
enough to these queens to pay f«r buying them up and keep-
ing them in stock; and yet it. is oftentimes quite an accommo-
dation to those who can not afford higher -priced ones.

For Sale.— A few black and hvbrid queen6. 35 and
50c. Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla. 8910

I have about ten black queens which I will sell at
35 cts. each. A. J. Higgins,

Washington Mills, Dub. Co., Iowa.

I have four Italian queens, with a dash of Cypri-
an blood in them, that I will send by return mall
for 50 cts. each; were reared last year, and are
good layers. L. B. Smith.

Cross Timbers, Johnson Co., Tex.

I have 25 hybrid queens which I will sell for 25
cts. each. Stamps taken. H. H T. Kohlenberg.
New Braunfels, Comal Co., Tex.

I have a few hybrid queens to spare. Apply be-
fore May 1st. J. T. Wilson.
Little Hickman, Jessamine Co., Ky.

Four good hybrid queens for sale. They are one
year old, and I warrant safe arrival. One queen,
50 cts. or 4 for $1.75. D. D. Hammond.

Malone, Clinton Co., la.

CHEAP! To reduce my stock I will sell a few
full stocks of pure Italians, in new L. portico
hives, on six frames, for $5.00. C. G. FENN,
8d . Washington, Litchfield Co., Conn.

Rearing Queens in Colonies

having laying queens. Send your address on a

postal card. Circular free.

8-10d H. ALLEY, Wcnliam, Mass.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

289

LAWS A ME !

If I'd known that Doolittle's
man was goin' to be here too,
should a' fixed up— to be sure!
I'll say, A. P. Bright is selling
his Italian bees in new 10-frame
Simp, hives for $8.00 per colony.
Queens, 75c to $4.00 each. BROWN
LEGHORN eggs, $1.00 per 13; $1.50
per 26, and he guarantees safe
arrival and satisfaction. Circu-
lars, you can have one.
Address

A. F. BRIGHT,

7tfdb Mazeppa, Minn.

E^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

C- M. DIXON,

Parrish, Franklin Co., IJI.,
—MANUFACTURER OF—

BEE-JIIVE^ § $UPPME$

New shop and new machinery. Send for my
sixth annual price list, free. C. M. DIXON.

Mention Gleanings. 7-8-9d

Chas. A. Stockbridge, Port Wayne, Ind.

Manufacturer of and Dealer in

STOCKBRIDGE'S SIMPLICITY BEE HIVE,
Sections, Frames, Smokers, Comb Foundation, k

Mention f hi-- Paper. Send for Price List.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE!

After the 15th of May I will send strong 3-f rame
nuclei of Italian bees on L. wired frames, queen
and all, for $2.50 each. Safe arrival guaranteed.

7-8d DAN WHITE, New London, Ohio.

THREE-FRAME NUCLEI, with tested queen,
pure Italian, $3.50. Ready May 15th.
789d D. B. Lovett, Crestline, Crawford Co., O.

A CHEAP WAX - EXTRACTOR.

The Buffalo metallic sieve, as illustrated above,
is a most convenient household utensil. In addition
to its ordinary uses in the house, we have for years
been selling it in connection with our 10-qt. pieced
dishpan for a cheap wax-extractor, and they an-
swer the purpose nicely. Set in it the sieve filled
with comb, and add more comb as it melts.

AS A SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR.

It has just occurred to us that, by setting the pan
into a small box about one foot square inside, and
getting a pane of glass 12x12, it will make an excel-
lent solar extractor; and it is so cheap that you
could afford to have several located in different
parts of the apiary, into which you could throw
small pieces of comb while working among the
bees. Price of the sieve alone, 20c; by mail, 35e;
price of the sieve and pan, 35c; by mail, 70c; price
of the sieve and pan with box and glass, 50c.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

Apr. 1. For 60 Days. 1889.

We ha ve on hand a large stock of one-piece sec-
tions, which are first class. To reduce stock we
will name very low prices for the next 60 days, in
any size lots from 1000 to 100,000 or more. Save
money by letting us know what you want. Other
supplies to correspond in price. Price list free.
7tfdb SMITH A: SMITH,

Mention Oleanimjs. Kenton, Hardin Co., O.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, and DABANT'S FOUNBATION.
See advertisement in another column.

Tf Yflll W^T"ltFu11 value tor your money
11 •»■ vn tt ant y0U should see my catalogue
before purchasing. Japanese buckwheat, $1 75 per
bushel; 20 varieties of potatoes. Bees, queens, and
supplies at low rates. Chas. D. Duvall.

7tfdb Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

t3fln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $2.00, $1.50, and $1.25, in Apr., May and June.

One untested. May, $1.00; after Ju^e 1st, .75.

Three untested. May, $2.50; after June 1st, $2.00.

Three frame nuclei, with untested queen. May,
$3.50; June, $3 00; after, $2 60; with tested queen,
add 50 cts. For prices of 2-frame nuclei bees, per
lb. and V2 lb., full colonies, foundation, and bee-
keepers' supplies, write for price list. Address
6-lldb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

ft^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

-Hfe REMOVED ^

To Plattsraouth, Uebraslaca.

3-frame Nucleus Colonies a Specialty, $2.50 each.

7tfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

Fresh-Made Foundation !

I am still in the wax business, and will sell at
these prices :

Heavy foundation, per lb 32c

Thin " " " 42c

Wax worked— heavy, per lb 8c

" thin, " " 15c

7tfdb J. V. CALDWELL, Cambridge, 111.

t-Srln responding to this advertisement mention Hi ka:

BEES FOR SALE!

Colonies, Nuclei,
Queens (Tested and
Untested), at living
rates. Send for cir-
cular and price list to

C. C.VAUGHN 2c CO.,
Columbia, Tenn,

4-9db

fS^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

VIRGIN QUEENS.

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in " Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Canadian
lire .Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(either renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen (value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTABIO, CAN.

l-*nn responding to this advertisement mention Oi.k ixi

290

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

P0NEY 0@MWL

CITY MARKETS.

Chicago.— Honey.— The supply of white comb
honey is light, but so is the demand. Fancy brings
16@17 in small sections; sections averaging about
2 lbs., sell at 13@15. Dark comb is difficult to sell,
and considerable of it is offered. Prices very irreg-
ular, offers being accepted when made. Extracted,
6@8. Beeswax, 22. R. A. Burnett,

Apr. 8. 161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

Cincinnati. — Honey. — Demand is slow for all
kinds of honey, and prices are unchanged. Ex-
tracted brings 5@8 on arrival. Comb honey is nom-
inal at 12@15 in a jobbing way. Beeswax.— There is
a good demand at 2(i@22 for good to choice yellow
on arrival. Chas. F. Mltth & Son,

Apr. 9. Cincinnati, Ohio.

New York.— Honey.— Our market is sold out of
comb honey, with the exception of a few odd lots
off grades. We expect new Southern honey in a
few weeks, and shall have ready sale for it, as there
is a good demand for extracted, with nothing on
the market excepting foreign and California.

Beeswax is in good demand at 241/2@25.

Apr. 8. Hildreth Bros. & Segelken.

New York, N. Y.

Detroit.— Honey.— Best white comb honey con-
tinues to be quoted at 15®16 cts. Sales slow; sup-
ply decreasing. Extracted, 8@,9 in a small wav.

Beeswax, -22@23. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., April 8, 1889.

Albany.— Honey.— Market quiet, nothing doing;
very little stock; very little demand.

H. R. Wright,
Apr. 9. Albany, N. Y.

St. Louis —Honey.— We note a quiet market, with
occasional inquiries for barreled stock at 6y2@,l.
Cans selling at T'/i. Beeswax.— Prime, 21.

Apr. 8. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

St. Louis, Mo.

Boston. — Honey. — Sales of honey have been
checked a little on account of maple sugar and syr-
up being so plentiful. Prices remain just the same,
as the quantity in market is so small that it is sure
to be entirely closed out before new comes.

Apr. 8. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

New York— Honey.— There is no change in our
market, except in California extracted, of which
we quote light amber and white at ll/2@,S. Cuban,
in barrels, 68@,70c per gallon; decreased demand, and
we expect a decline in prices.

F. G. Strohmeyer & Co.,

Apr. 8. New York City.

Kansas City.— Honey.— We quote 1-lb. comb
white honey at 15(5 16; fall or amber, 12@,14. Ex-
tracted, 8c for white. Supply large, demand light.
Beeswax.— None in market.

Apr. 9. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Kansas City, Mo.

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leg-horns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
•r>tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

twin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

CHEAPER THiVIV 3E-VEH..

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

fc^Iu responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

JJorth-Shade Apiary.

Full colonies and nuclei at 50 cts. per comb, in
good 8-frame L. hives (no charge for hives). Tested
Italian queens, $2.00 each. No queens for sale, ex-
cept to go with hees. Will ship in light shipping-
boxes instead of hives when so ordered. My brood-
frames are Simplicity, L. size.

Discounts :— $25 to $3d, 10 per cent; $30 to $50, 15
per cent; $50 to $75, 20 per cent; $75 to $100, or larg-
er orders, 25 per cent off from above prices.

Conditions:— All colonies will be well stocked
with brood and bees, all healthy and bright. De-
livered f. o. b. cars at Alamo, in the best possible
shipping order. No foul brood ever known near
here. Will fill all orders first week in May. Remit
by Am. Exp., money order, registered letter, draft
on New York or Chicago, or by P. O. money order
on Kalamazoo. Address

O. H. TOWNSEND,
7d Alamo, Kalamazoo Co., Mich.

CsTIn responding: to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Minnesota Ahead!

We are selling L. hives with T supers for 55c, and
brood-frames for $1 .00 per hundred. Send for cir-
cular before ordering elsewhere. 7-10db
Wm. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn.

(3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

FOR ^Al F 25 <"0 MONIES OF BEES IN

I VHI OHLL. Langstroth hives. 10 frames, at

8d

.00 per colony.

JOHN CROMB1E,

Columbus, Wis.

1884.

1889.

TAR -HEEL APIARIES

Safe arrival —

bees, queens, and

nuclei. Warranted

queens, $1 each;

$5 for 6. Nuclei,

75c per L. frame.

No new list. Prices

same as for last

year. Selected breed- „
American Altao Italian ing Queens, $5. Worker

Sample Bees and Drones, 10 cts. Finest in the United States,
sil ABBOTT L. SWINSON, Goldsboro, N. C.

Siyin. responding to this udvi-rii einent mention Glkanings.

SO COLOITIES

<XG0LDEN + ITALIAN * BEESX>

for sale in L. hive or Simplicity at. $5.00 each. Hy-
brids. $4 .50 each Be< s are first-class.
8d J. R. REED. Milford, Jeff. Co., Wis.

lyin. responding to tliisni, vi i.i einent mention Glkanings.

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To every purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen at $1.50, 1 will give one L. frame nucleus;
tested queen, by mail. $1.25; untested, $1.10. Vir-
gin queen. aft< r June 1, 50 cts. My queens can not
be excelled in purity and beauty. Single-wall and
improved winter hives at half cost. Write for de-
scription. Send for circular and price list.

IVII^S. OLIVER COLE,
Sherl»«ir:r»e, Clien. Co., W. "ST.
Chenango Valley _/\.j ji;i i-j- . 8d

Egfln responding r.i 1 1 i. .-..'<■ -iiu-nf mention GLKANINGS.

FOR SALE.

Twelve colonies of Italian bees in American and
Eclectic hives, at $5.00 each, hive included.

Wm. J. Roeker, Washington, Warren Co., N. J.

'ABLY Untested Italian Queens, 75c. each.

» 8tfdb Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

A BARGAIN.

-j 00 COLONIES OF HYBRIDS, ITALIANS, AND
lu" black bees, in 8-frame L. and Simplicity or
Electric hives, wired combs. Call, or write bow
many colonies you want, and I will surprise you
with a low price. YV. L. COHOSH ALL,

8-0 lOd West Groton, N. Y.

G3TIn responding to tins advertisement mention GlkASINOS.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

291

This cut represents the " Construction of a Brood-
Nest." Change a word or two and it will be the
name of the special topic for April in the Bee-
Keepers' Review, viz., "•Contraction, of the
Brood-Nest." Tf you wish to know the views of
such men as Jas. Heddou, Dr. Miller, G. M. Doo-
little, R. L. Taylor, Jas. A. Green, P. H. Elwood,
and others, send for this number. It will be
sent free, and with it will be sent the May and June
issues for 1888. Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a
year. Back numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little hook of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613 Wood St. 7d Flint, Mich.

IE^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Non-Swarming Queens

For sale at $ 1.00 each by April 15th. Safe arrival
guaranteed. Each queen shall be a daughter of a
queen that has refused to swarm for 3 years. I have
two of her daughters that also refused to swarm
last year. The chances are twenty to one that you
will get a purely mated queen. Sample of bees
sent, if desired. R. It. WILLIAMS,
7-8d Winchester, Tenn.

Eaton's Improved
SECTION CASE.

Beks and Queens. Send for
free catalogue Address
FRANK A. EATON,

5-lildb Hluffton, Ohio.

fWIn responding: to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife,
No. 4, 1.25; No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, .65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bine-ham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood-
bnrning clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.
Please mention Gleanings. 6tfdb

Italian Bees and Queens, Early !

After May 15
Imported Ital. queens (1888 imp.). . .$5.50 $5.00

Tested " " 2.25 1.75

Untested " " $1.00; three, 2 75 2.60

One-frame nucleus, $1.25: 2-fr. nucl., $2.00; 10 or
more at a discount. Write for what you want.
Ready now to ship. Safe arrival guaranteed; 10 per
pent discount on orders booked for 20 days.
Make monev orders payable at Clifton. 3-8db

S. H. COLWICK, Norse, Bosque Co., Tex.

tyin responding to this advertisement r:enti n ';i.i <

Sections by the Bushel !

My sections will hereafter be packed in bushel

boxes, so every one buying 500 sections will get a box

worth 15c. Sections only $3.00 per M. Send for

price list. W. D. SOPER,

"tf" i. Box 1473, Jackson, Mich.

Handel's Swarm Securing and
Hiving Funnel

Is warranted to give satisfaction if directions (which
go with it) are followed. With it you can bag a
swarm clustered 2) ft. or more from the ground, and
have them entering the hive in a minute.
Sample by mail, $1.00; by express, per doz., $6.00.

6d JOHN HANDEL, Savanna, 111.

JU7"ln responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu.. $2.00; per i-bu., $1.25; per peck,
75 cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

5-Udb Bloomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

MELCHEES

IMPROVED

EXTRACTORS

FOR $2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address

J.C.MELCHER,

O'Quinn, Tex.

4-10db

twin responding to this advertisement mention Glkaninos.

n r I n C. H. mcFadden Still Works III 1 V
ntAU Good work guaranteed. Send WW A A,
■ ii-nisi f0r 8anlpie foundation and price ■■""■
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working.
4-10db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

BESS.

IF YOU WANT BEES,

Please Write for Prices.

4 9db S. A. 3HUCE, LIVERPOOL, ILL.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marco8, Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Oct.

Select tested $4 00 $3 75 $3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 175 150

Untested 125 100 100

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

12 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5-21db J. P. CALDWELL, San Marcos, Tex.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE REVISED LANGSTROTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS5 SUPPLIES,

Send lor our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME.

Shipping facilities good. Send for price list of
every thing needed in the apiary. 7tfdb

C. P. EISH, St. Joe Station, Butler Co., Fa.

292

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

200 COLONIES BEES FOR SALE,

IN ANY SHAPE TO SUIT PURCHASERS.

By the hive, by the pound, 2, 3. or more frames of
brood, with or without queens. Black, hybrid, dol-
lar, or pure Italians. Write for prices, stating what
you want. I must sell, so they will be cheaper than
the cheapest. <J. W. GATES,

8-9(1 Bartlett, Teiin.

m

EARLY * QUEENS

O

m

Apr. May.

1 untested queen $100 $1.00

3 " "... . 3 CO 2.50

I virgin " $6 per doz lid till

1 tested " 3.00 2.50

3 " " 7.50 6.00

2 and 3 fr. nuclei; special rates to dealers.
South Carolina is the best State in the

■"■South tor early queens. The climate is well

1 adapted to queen-rearing, and it takes but 4 fH
Hnr 5 days to send them through the mails to m
■jany part of the Northern States or Canada. J^
H Prompt shipment and safe arrival guaran- £^
-™teed. W.J.ELLISON, -^

|X| 6-8-9 Kid Ssateburg, Sumter Co., S. C. JJ1

C3TIn responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

>

1000 Lbs, Bees with Queens and Brood.

Bee Supplies, Honey, &c. Price List Free.
Oliver Foster, ITIt. Vernon, Linn €o., Iowa.

Mention Gleanings. 7-10db

CARNIOLAN QUEENS

From imported mothers. Untested queens, $1.00;
tested queens, #2.00. J. B. KLINE'S APIARY,

7-10db Topeka, Kansas.

HALF-PRICE!

SOMETHING FOR THE GOOD WIFE.

Any one sending us $3.50 for 1000 FIEST-OLASS SEC-
TIONS or $1.00 worth of other supplies mav have one
of our SELF-HEATINQ CHAECOAL SMOOTHING-IRONS for
$1.50, which is half-price. For description, send for
circular, or see adv't in Gleanings for Oct. 15, 1888.

SMITH & SMITH,
7tfdb Kenton, Hardin Co.. Ohio.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

pufeltuIianBee^Fo^uIe

Two-frame nuclei, $3.50; 3-frame, $4.00. Full col-
ony in A. I. Root's Simplicity hive, $7.00. Each
nucleus and full colony to contain a fine tested
queen, and plenty of bees and brood, all on wired
L. frames, combs drawn from foundation. To be
shipped in May. Safe arrival guaranteed. Hives
new, and every thing first-class. I shall do by all as
I would be done by. N.A.KNAPP,

7-10db ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

C^"In responding to tins advertisement mention Glkanings.

Minorcan Queens.

Very prolific, and tolerably docile. No foul brood
known. Will be sent from April to October, by
mail, on receipt of $2 greenback in certified letter.

F. C. ANDREU.

7-8-!)d Port Mahone, Minorca, Spain.

Italian Bees and Queens.

Tested queen, $1.50; untested, $1.25. Bees, per
Hi., #t.iin. Frame of brood, 50 cts.: 3-frame nucleus,
containing 2VJ lbs. of bees, 2 L. frames of brood and
tested queen, $1.50. Queens reared from imported
mother. Mismated queens, 50 cts. each. Send card
for price list. MISS A. M. TAILOR,

7 8d Box 77, Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.

In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Italian Rees and Queens for xale

Wishing to reduce my stock of bees, I otter 50
colonies of fine Italian bees at the following ex-
tremely low rates: Full strong colonies on L.
frames, put up in light shipping-boxes, f. o. b. at
my station, $5.00 per colony. Tested queens, $1.25
each. Satisfaction guaranteed.

A C BRUSH
8-iidb Susquehanna," Sus. Co.', Pa.

.. responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kaning ■.

Attention, Poultrymen !

Black Minorca, Langsban, R. C. B. Leghorn, Sil-
ver-spangled Hamburg, and Wyandotte eggs, $1.0J
per 13. Minorca fowls, $3.00 per pair.

E. P. ALDRIDCE,
8tfdb Franklin Square, Col. Co., O.

£^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

COMB FOUNDATION.

Brood, 32c; thin, 12c; 20 lbs. or more, 30 and 40c.
89d H. L. Gkah am, Letts, Iowa.

ACED and WHITE WYANDOTTES and PEEIN DUCK E3GS: 13
. for $1 50; 25, $2 50. J. H. Warn, Richards, O.

IF like begets like, then I know you will like my
weU-likcd Brown Leghorns. Eggs, $1.00 per 13;
$1.50 per 26. Price list free. A. F. Bright,

7tfdb Mazeppa, Minn.

IN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

PURE ITALIAN BEES & QUEENS.

Full colonies and nuclei, per frame, 60c. Tested
queens, $2 00; after June 1, $1.50. Untested queens,
$1.00; after June 1, 75c. Remit by postoftice money
order, registered letter, or draft on New York. For
any other information, address

C. W. JONES & CO.,
4-9db Itrj :i in Station, Maury Co., Tenii.

BUCKEYE SASH-LOCK IMPROVED,

Since we first' got hold of this most excellent
fastener we have sold over 60 gross of them. This
large sale shows how well they are liked. The last
lot we received from the manufacturer are some-
what improved. B3' comparing' the above cut with
the one in our advertisement on the first inside cov-
er page of this number, you will see that the change
is in the lever. The old pattern has a knob, while
the new has not. In most windows, as now made,
there is a strip on each side, between the upper and
lower sash, separating the grooves in which each
sash is worked up and down. Tho improved lock
can be fastened to the upper sash to press agrainst
this strip, and allow the lower sash, when raised, to
pass it; while with the old pattern the lower sash
would strike the knob on the lever. The lock as
improved is absolutely perfect for either upper or
lower sash. Price of the japanned, same as in the
adv't, 5c each; by mail. 8c; 50o per doz.: by mail,
75c; $4.00 per 100. We have them also made of solid
brass at 10c each ; $1.10 per doz ; $9.00 per 100.

A. I. KOOT, IUedina, Ohio

Vol. XVII.

APRIL 15, 1889.

No. 8.

CRMS: $1.00 Per Annum, IK Advance;") TFo+r, 7,7V oh orl y'vi 7 R 7 % { Clubs to different ;postoffices not li
>n>iv*U>r%lM)^forM.l^hUv-MM\\JiSt(LOLl/SrlGCU Wl lO / O . than Wots, eae h. Sent postpaid, in t
nr m on. 71 #-t« (.-ii.|i Sinn-le limn- I j U. S. and C anadas. To all other coi

t i ijjv . hlllfTlt Illim I PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY 1 tviiVor the rnivervi] Postal Union

r.5cts. Additions to clubs may be j _ . tnesoi ini uiiniinairioiuiuniuii

TERMS
2 Copie

LESS

the
conn-

\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. [^^S^T^^j^SSSSSL

OUT-APIAEIES-NO. V.

RENTING.

"Up FTBR settling- upon a location for an out-apia-
gflk ry, make sure to have a distinct understand-
jRw ing as to the rent you are to pay. If the
-^*- landlord says, " Oh ! never mind, we'll not
quarrel about that," leaving- the matter to
be settled some time in the future, don't leave it at
that. There is a chance for a very wide difference
of opinion as to what is right, and that difference
will probably never be any less than when you
start. Tndeed, unless you know your man well it
may be well to have every thing in writing. Per-
haps I ought to add, also, that your man should
know ytm well; and if you haven't already estab-
lished a reputation for being a thoroughly upright
man, I advise you to commence putting in 24 hours
of every day, seven days in the week, working at it.
It is difficult to give any advice about what rent
should be paid, as so much depends on circum-
stances. If land is worth $4.00 per acre, annual
rent, and the presence of the bees makes no trouble
whatever, I see no reason why the bee-keeper
should pay more than $4.00 per acre for the land he
holds from cultivation. A tenth of an acre is suffi-
cient ground on which to place 100 colonies, so that,
in the case supposed, 40 cents would be a fair an-
nual rent. But the flying bees may prevent horses
from working anywhere near the hiv^es, and thus,
practically, 1 he bees may occupy an acre or more of
ground. Besides, the farmer may dislike to have
the bees around, and $40 added to the 40 cents
would not reconcile him to their presence. Refer-
ence to page 946, Gleanings for Dec. 15th, 1887, will
show what a diversity there is in the views and
practices of some of our leading bee-keepers. Some

say the same price as the land could be rented for,
for other purposes. Some say it depends on cir-
cumstances, and wisely decline to set any figure.
Prof. Cook thinks the rent should be only nominal,
as the bees are a benefit to the farmer. Dr. Mason
says he can get plenty of places at $5.00; $8.00,
$10.00, $15.00 to $25.00, are mentioned by others,
while Mr. Wilkin, in California, thinks $100 is a
moderate rent for a good location where 300 or 400
colonies can be kept with exclusive control of the
bee-pasturage within a radius of three miles. Mr.
France pays 25 cents for each colony, spring count.
Dadant & Son pay one-fifth of the honey crop. This,
however, includes not only rent, but house-room
for extracting, for spare supers, boxes, crates, etc.,
and the board of men and team while at work.
Capt. Hetherington, who is probably the largest
out-apiarist in the world, pays uniformly $15 for
each apiary, and P. H. Elwood does the same.

From all this we learn that " circumstances alter
cases," and also that in actual practice bee-keepers
are very liberal in the rent they actually pay. I
think this is decidedly advisable. The matter of
rent forms a comparatively small part of the ex-
pense at any rate; and the good will of the family
where the bees are kept has a cash value of consid-
erable amount. I think I should always want to pay
a little more than the farmer thought actually right.
Be careful to manage so there shall be no annoy-
ance from the bees on account of carelessness on
j'our part. In my own practice I have never been
able to have my landlords agree to take any regu-
lar pay. In two places I have relatives, so that in
one case only was there a cold-blooded business
transaction, and in that case it was hardly so after
the first year, for Mrs. Belden insisted it was a
pleasure to see us come: and here I may as well

294

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr

own, that taking the women-folks along may make
some difference in my case, for they always insist
on having every thing picked up and in good shape
about the apiary, and I'm afraid I shouldn't always
be so neat.

In many little ways it is in your power to do
things that will be pleasant, and will be a pleasure
for you to do. If you've been reading a daily paper
as you drove to Mr. Jones's, leave it at the house,
and say you've read it and don't care for it. Mrs.
Jones is pretty sure to like flowers. Take her some
seeds or some slips. Unless you're a better bee-
keeper than I am, you will occasionally have some
of what I call " crooked honey," which the bees
have built where you didn't want it, or in shape
that you don't want, and you may as well leave it
with Mrs. Jones. Don't take it to her and say, "I
always like to be independent, and pay my way, so I
brought you some nice honey," but go and ask her
if she will lend you a plate or a milk-pan; then take
her the honey and say, " Here's some honey that
was in such shape I didn't want to leave it in the
hive, and I'll be obliged to you if you'll use it for
me. It will be a dauby sticky mess before I get it
home, and I'd like to get rid of it." I've said that
more than once, and told the truth too, and I'm
pretty sure the crooked honey was appreciated. It
would be a mutual pleasure, too, for you to go to
the house early in the harvest and say, " Mrs. Jones,
here's the first section of honey ever finished by
the bees on your place, and I want you to see what
nice work they make. Try it, and see if it won't be
a good medicine for Mr. Jones." I might add that,
although 1 pay no rent, I always make a point at
each apiary of leaving all the honey I think the
family need for a year. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M., your concluding paragraph
sounds so exactly like you that it seems to
me I hear the tones of your voice, and catch
the kindly look from your face as I read it.
You are surely right ; and the plan you give
will not only enable one to get along nicely
in establishing out-apiaries, but it will help
us in every kind of business in the world.
Nay, further : When the world's business
and the world's busy cares are done, it will
help you to lie down in peace, and be ready
for the " Well done, thou good and faithful
servant, " as he is ushered into that better
land.

WORKING FOR EXTRACTED HONEY.

FRIEND DOOLITTLE GIVES US SOME WISE HINTS
IN REGARD TO THE MATTER.

C||\ EFORE me lies a letter requesting that I give
IV in Gleanings an article on " how to man-
|Sfl age for extracted honey," saying, " Such a
^~ letter would be of great benefit to all nov-
ices." Of course, I desire to oblige and be a
" benefit to all novices," but I can hardly see how
the writer of this request knows that such an arti-
cle would be a benefit to "all novices," for it is my
opinion that the majority of them would not care a
cent for it. However, as the time is at hand to be-
gin to prepare for our season's work, it might be
well to see what should be done if we are to work
for extracted honey the coming summer. Just at
the present time there seems to be a "craze"
among bee-keepers on the subject of comb-honey

production, some of our bee-papers going so far as
to inquire seriously if the "extractor ought not to
go," claiming that it has been a damage to us as
apiarists. I fear this is not a wise policy, for it can
only result in soon lowering the price of comb
honey and advancing the price of extracted, thus
causing an expensive changing of fixtures a sec-
ond time. It seems to me that the well-balanced
apiarist should produce both comb and extracted
honey; and as he sees the tide swaying toward the
side of the one, he should go a little heavier in the
opposite direction, but not enough so as to throw
aside all his fixtures along the line the tide is
moving. As I have worked for years for both
comb and extracted honey, and believing that the
present time is favorable to the production of
more extracted honey and less comb, I will, in
brief, tell the readers of Gleanings how I proceed
to arrive at what seems to me the best results.

The first thing necessary in the production of ex-
tracted honey is a good queen to produce hosts of
workers in time for the harvest. But good queens are
of value only when we surround them with favorable
circumstances, thus getting large numbers of eggs
laid at the right time, and causing each egg to be
nourished to a perfect bee, so that we can have the
bees in our colonies by the tens of thousands at the
right time. Failing to do this, the flowers will
bloom in vain as far as filling our surplus combs
with honey ready for the extractor is concerned.
But, what are favorable circumstances? is asked, to
which I reply, an abundance of food and warmth.
The abundance of food is quite easily secured in
this day of bee-feeders, and especially so if the api-
arist has set aside, the previous season, as he should,
combs solid with honey, which are 'ready to be set
in the hive at any time. To secure the requisite
warmth in early spring, I know of nothing better
than chaff hives, such as I spoke of a month ago,
which, together with chaff dummies for the weaker
colonies, will give us the best thing possible along
this line. If we do not have the chaff hives, dry-
goods boxes or any thing made of rough boards to
set the single-walled hives in and hold the chaff is
better than no protection at all. Fixed in this way,
colonies will go right on breeding during cold days
and frosty nights where they would not think of
doing so were no such protection used. The
weaker colonies are to be confined to the comb.s
they can occupy till they are filled with brood,
when a frame of hatching brood is to be inserted in
such a colony, taken from one of the strongest.
Don't do this till they have the combs well filled
with brood, for I find that a weak colony can be
brought up to a condition ready to gather honey,
much sooner by leaving it till in the condition as
above, than it can by continual fussing with it in
early spring. In this way, now work till all hives
are filled with brood, which will be, if you have
succeeded as you should, a little in advance of the
honey harvest, or at about the time the main hon-
ey harvest is commencing.

If we wish no increase from our bees, no time is
now to be lost in putting on the surplus arranger
ment, otherwise the bees become crowded and may
get the swarming fever. For the extracting super
I prefer another hive of the size of the first, but
some prefer one of only one-half the depth. As to
results, there is probably no great difference, but 1
consider it quite an object to have all hives and
fraipes alike in the apiary. In putting on this sur-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

5495

plus arrangement I prefer to use empty combs, if
possible, instead of comb-foundation. I also prefer
to use two large or wide dummies, one at each side,
for a few days, so that half of the room is taken up,
which leads the bees along gradually instead of
thrusting a large amount of surplus room upon
them at once. As soon as the half of the hive given
them is partly filled with honey, the dummies are
taken out, the combs spread apart, and frames
tilled with foundation put between them. At this
stage I would just as soon have foundation as emp-
ty comb, for the bees are now ready to work upon
it, while before they were not. The time for taking
out the dummies is when you see the cells being
lengthened out with new comb built along the top-
bars of the frames. How you will proceed in the
future, depends upon whether you wish your hon-
ey ripened in the hive till the harvest is over, or
ripened in a warm room by evaporation. Some-
times I think that honey left on the hive through
the season is of better quality than that extracted
every week or so; then, again, I am not so sure
about it. Of one thing I am certain: More honey
can be secured with less hives and fixtures where
it is extracted when the bees first begin to seal it,
than can be gotten by the other method. As to la-
bor there is little difference, except that, when we
extract often, the labor comes at a time of year
when we are most crowded. To be sure, the opera-
tion is gone through with oftener; but to offset
this there is little or no uncapping to be done, while
the honey leaves the combs more clean with less
than one-half the labor in turning the extractor.
In my opinion the season has more to do with the
quality of the honey than the process of ripening.
If the season is hot and dry I would just as soon
have honey extracted as above, as that left on the
hive the season through. If damp and cool, I pre-
fer it ripened by the bees, and even then it is not
nearly ps good as that gathered in a hot dry season.
If you decide to leave all on to the end of the har-
vest, another story should be added just before the
first is filled : but if not, the one extra story will
probably be all you need.

In conclusion, I will say that the getting of multi-
tudes of bees, just at the right time, has more to do
with the successful working for honey than any
thing else; and when all realize this, and work for
the same to the fullest extent, one-half of the colo-
nies now employed will gather as much surplus as
the whole do under our present management.

Borodino, N. Y., Apr. 1, 1889. G. M. Doolittle.

I believe I have nothing to add, friend D.,
except that I heartily concur in almost
every point you make, and especially your
concluding sentence.

RAMBLE NO. 14.

ON A ( BEADING ) SPREE. THE RAMBLER DIS-
COURSES ON THE EVILS OP INTEMPERANCE.

T HAVE had bee-keepers come into my apiary
flf who were evidently on a spree from strong
Til drinks; and it is a deplorable thing to see a
"*■ man of intelligence and reason submit himself
to this demon. But intoxicating liquors do not
bring all the misery, and there are other sprees
that seem to be nearly as bad. And, not to judge
others harshly, the Rambler would commence with
himself, and say that he is many times subject to
sprees. Let him get hold of a good story, and day

and night it is pored over until finished; and what
is that but a reading-spree? The Rambler has no
doubt that others who read this will acknowledge
the same failing; and having in my rambles found
an extreme case of this sort of spree, I wish to
hold it up as a warning to those who may uncon-
sciously cultivate the habit, to their detriment, in-
stead of edification, and also to show that a reading-
spree will bring on nearly as bad results as the
slavish use of the intoxicating cup.

A MAN WHO NEGLECTS HIS FAMILY.

The man whom the Rambler found, not only de-
sired to read a book, but also to own it, so in the
course of a few years his hard earnings went into a
fine library of over 400 volumes, embracing works
of fiction, history, science, and medicine. On any
department of history he wished to post up; the
most expensive books were purchased; he essayed
to be a bee-keeper, purchased books and periodi-
cals, and a general study of the business was enter-
ed into. The theory of bee-keeping was at his fin-
gers' ends; but putting his knowledge into practice,
a failure was the result. Division and re-division
was made for rapid increase, with the usual result-
ruination to the swarms. And another trial led to
a failure in some other point.

The poultry business was taken up in the same
way, with the same results. Meanwhile he took to
himself a wife, and five children were born to them.
These children are as bright and active as children
will average, and, though living within five rods of
the district school, the oldest have never been to
school. Their education is neglected, to the carry-
ing-out of some fine-spun theory about education.
This man occupies a farm of 60 acres of good land
which has been left by will to his children; he can
not spend it, but can work it and support his family.
Instead of working it, it has been much injured by
successive renting; and at the present writing the
wife is sick and is not expected to live. The chil-
dren are in rags, except when clothed by kind neigh-
bors, and all are thrown on the town for support.
The father is Strong and hearty— aged about 35, in
the vigor of manhood. Is it any wonder that he is
threatened by White Caps? While passing the
house the Rambler and his traveling companion re-
marked that there was a house that looked as
though an inebriate lived within— general dilapida-
tion all around. The Rambler has found that, to
be thrifty, a man must not be a slave to whisky or
even to books. A book carefully and slowly read %
and, better, re-read and marked, will give much

296

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

lasting benefit. There is a great amount of time
thrown away upon even our daily and weekly pa-
pers. The Rambler reads many a paragraph before
dinner that he can not remember after dinner, and
he does not eat very hearty either. That we may
all lie free from frequent reading-sprees is the de-
sire of the Rambler.

Friend R., I have just been meditating on
the very point you make, and I am really
afraid that a good many of our young peo-
ple are reading too much and practicing too
little. The result of this kind of intemper-
ance—for intemperance it surely is— is an
ability to talk well on these subjects, and
oftentimes to write very fair essays for the
agricultural papers ; but when somebody
happens to pay a visit to the writer of these
articles, and finds that his home does not
correspond a bit with his preaching, it tends
to demoralize and disgust the whole fabric
of human society. Every one should read
the books and papers, and know what is
going on ; but to continue to read and raad,
without actual practice, is just what you put
it. In our own home we have a young lady
who reads books until almost eleven o'clock
at night, unless her parents interfere ard
make a fuss about it. As a result she is
not ready for breakfast next morning.
When I was her age I read pretty much
every tiling I could get hold of, but there
was not enough to be had to give me a
chance to be intemperate, as you put it. In
this age of abundant periodicals, private
and public libraries, etc., it does behoove us
to look well to our children, and see that
they do not acquire intemperate habits in
the use of books.

CELLAES AND WINTERING.

PROF. COOK GIVES US A FAVORABLE REPORT OF
HIS CELLAR DURING THE PAST WINTER.

R. EDITOR:— Our old cellar was in sand, en-
tirely below ground, and provided with good
sub-earth ventilation. A good stream of wa-
ter flowed into and out of that cellar con-
stantly. I never knew the thermometer to go
lower than 38° F., and I rarely knew it to go lower
than 40. The bees wintered well. Our present cel-
lar Is in regular Medina clay, and this winter the
thermometer has gone down to 35° F., repeatedly,
and once down to 30° F., so that water froze in the
cellar. I used an oil-stove repeatedly, and so kept
the temperature for the most part up to about 40°
F. My first point is, that a cellar in sand is better
for bees than one in clay. I should think that the
running water might have made the difference, ex-
cept one very dry winter when the stream dried up.
That winter was much colder than this winter has
been, and yet 38° F. was the lowest in the old cel-
lar. Again, the old cellar, or the house above it,
was protected by a barn and evergreens. The
present bee-house is on a bleak exposed hill. This
situation may aid the clay. Were I to build a bee-
hou.se again, and could have my choice, I should
select a sandy site. When the thermometer got
down to 30° F., the bees were quite uneasy. 1 don't
like such a low temperature in the cellar, so I was
uneasy. Accordingly, last Tuesday, being a warm
day, we concluded to give the bees a fly. We find
them usually strong and in good condition. As in

the two past winters, the Heddon hive is far ahead.
My assistant said every colony in the Heddon hives
is as strong as they were in the fall. Most of the
hives are covered only with aboard, and have the
entrances open. When set out, the covers were
dripping with water. We fed most of them sugar
syrup last autumn. I have never yet given just
my opinion of the new Heddon hive since using it.
I shall, with your kind permission, do it soon. It
will not be all praise, but I am fully persuaded that
the double brood-chamber, divided horizontally, is
an advantage in cellar wintering.

I believe that Mr. Doolittle, it I remember cor-
rectly, found, a few winters ago, that the use of his
oil-stove, to keep the cellar at the right tempera-
ture, was an expensive experiment. So I was
somewhat nervous this winter. I am glad to re-
port that our bees are bright, lively, with no smell
of disease about their persons, and yet they were
warmed by an oil-stove. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Apr. 1, 1889.

1 have for some time been much of the
opinion you express in the above, friend C,
that a sandy soil is much better for a bee-
cellar than cellars made in the damp cold
clay. I should ba glad to have a report
from you, favoring a double-brood chamber
divided horizontally. At this date, Apr. 11,
Ernest has not yet taken his Heddon hive
out of the cellar. He says he wants to wait
until a week or two after just the right time,
as Dr. Miller said at Columbus.

A QUESTION OF BREAD AND BUTTER.

SHALL WE COMBINE OTHER OCCUPATIONS WITH

BEE - KEEPING, WHEN IT NECESSITATES A

NEGLECT OF THE LATTER?

TTp ROUT a year ago there was some discussion

9M& as to whether it was better to market our

^w eggs all in one basket, figuratively speaking.

-*^- To give a little of my experience in the last

year is the task I undertake.

My crop of 18S7 was very small— the gross pro-
ceeds only a little over £126, or about $100 net.
You see, without some other resource I should
hardly have made a living that season. As it hap-
pened, I did not have to neglect my bees much dur-
ing that year. But this last season, the case was
different. My bees came out of winter well, but
shorter of stores than ever before. The spring was
so cold and cloudy that they hardly got three days'
work on fruit-blossoms. I managed to bring them
into summer in pretty good condition, however.
Then day after day passed, first into weeks, then
into months, as I looked anxiously. Was the fail-
ure an unmixed evil? I had other crops in, which
I had employed a hand to cultivate. But he failed
me early in the season. Then, owing to the
scarcity of laborers, and ill health on my own part,
those crops were all and more than I could attend
to properly. The season was favorable to the
growth of potatoes, corn, and— weeds. If I could
keep down the weeds I knew that corn and pota-
toes would yield me something, while the bees
did not promise any thing, as it appeared that
clover would not blossom at all. Should I peg
away at a certainty, save my other crops, and let
the doubtful bees go? I did that very thing, so far
as I was able. I knew most of them would get
along, although poorly. Some were in a starving

l88<)

GLEANTNGS IN BEE CULTURE.

297

condition; all were listless and inactive. The busy
roar of a honey season was never heard last sum-
mer. Twice I looked, to find a colony starving, and
ted them up. Two weak ones died. I raised one
batch of cells, but several queens never hatched.

But I will not detail all the losses from pure neg-
lect. The middle of August found the prospect as
bad as ever. About that time I undertook a job at
which I knew I could make wages. It assumed
larger proportions than I thought it would, and in
the midst of it the biggest now from heart's-ease I
have ever known, with perhaps one exception, set
in. I seldom get any surplus from fall flowers,
when the hives are already nearly full. I have been
so often disappointed that I had ceased to look for
any thing from those sources. Now, when a boom
had come, my bees were not in a condition to take
advantage of it. Very few of them would go into
surplus arrangements, and many were too weak to
carry much into the hive at all. By dint of bard
work I think I saved about all the bees could gath-
er. I realized only about 400 lbs., comb and ex-
tracted. All the latter was taken from the brood-
chamber; and when I came to prepare the bees for
winter, quite a number of colonies were so weak
that I had to unite them, and some others were
weaker than I generally put into winter quarters.
I have not half the extra combs in the honey-house
that 1 shall need to feed them nextspring, if the sea-
son is the most favorable. My stock has run down-
in spite of a few swarms— lower than it has been
for five years— nine colonies lower than a year ago.

Now, have I made or lost? Have I done right or
wrong? Is it best to get my eggs in more than one
basket, and thus have too many irons in the fire?
I believe 1 have done the best thing uneer the cir-
cumstances. I have lost in bee-stock, and made a
living. The loss will be felt in the future, that I
may have my victuals and clothes in the present.
If I could live without eating, and go barefoot, I
should be that much better off. But bread and
boots are necessities, and I must have them, even
at the expense of capital for future use. Forme,
then, situated as I am, it is better to have more
than the one resource (bees), even though that re-
source sometimes suffers by it. But if my situa-
tion were better— if I had a little surplus to help
me live for a season, it would be better for me to
stick to my bees through thick and thin. I should
certainly be better satisfied, for I like bee-keeping
better than any other occupation I have ever tried.

ARE QUEENS INJURED IN SHIPPING ? A TESTIMONY.

On page 22 Mr. Swinson revives that subject.
When I read Mr. Doolittle's article, page 749, 1888, I
thought, "That accounts for it." I bought an im-
ported queen of A. I. Root, in the summer of 1886.
She was still living and laying this fall; but never,
since I have had her, has she approached the aver-
age as a layer. In that respect she has been a per-
petual disappointment to me. I knew not what to
make of it until I read the article referred to.

Geo. F. Robbins.

Mechanicsburg, 111., Jan. 10, 1889.

Friend R., I do not believe that you
would be any happier than you are now, if
you could live without eating, and go bare-
foot, as you express it. I think it is well to
have more than one resource for a liveli-
hood ; but at the same time it behooves us
to watch keenly, so as to be sure to make
the best of both or all of our resources.— I

do not quite like your reasoning in regard
to that imported queen. You have good
proof, it is true, that imported queens are,
some of them, poor layers, like all other
queens ; but certainly the single instance
you mention does not go very far toward
proving that all queens that have crossed the
ocean are necessarily less prolific than oth-
ers. I believe that reports have been given
on these very pages, of queens that crossed
the ocean, and afterward took long trips by
mail, and yet furnished quantities of brood
that would compare with any home-reared
queen. Nearly half of the colonies in our
apiary are provided with imported mothers ;
and, as a rule, we have been in the habit of
expecting a little more of them in the way
of egg-laying, rather than less. Their
journey across the ocean certainly does not
permanently cripple them.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

SOMETHING IN REGARD TO BUSH LIMA BEANS IN
GENERAL, EROM PETER HENDERSON.

R. ROOT:— I notice your continued efforts
to get at the facts about the new Bush
lima, that have been questioned by two
or three of our disappointed contempo-
raries who feel annoyed about not be-
ing fortunate enough to get hold of such a good
thing. That is human nature, and I must admit
that 7 would have felt any thing but pleasant had
we been left behind in such an important race,
particularly if we had had the thing first in hand
and failed to see its merits, as one of your corres-
pondents admitted to me he bad. Still, had such
been our misfortune I hardly think we should have
been weak enough to show our chagrin by decrying
it when it was being sent out by a rival firm.

I notice what you say about having our Bush
lima cooked and tasted by your family, and that
you thought it had not got the lima flavor as much
as the pole limas. I am afraid you are in error
about that. We made a complete and exhaustive
test of it the other day. We had them mashed up
so that the size of the beans could not be seen, so
as to influence judgment. We numbered the sam-
ples, sent half a dozen of our clerks as tasters, and
the universal judgment was that there was no per-
ceptible difference, because dried limas of any kind
give but little of the rich lima flavor.

Now, I will give some of our contemporaries, who
are claiming to have the large lima in bush form, a
chance. I will pay one thousand dollars for a single
bushel, or seven cents each for 15,000 beans, on
proof that the seed will produce the large lima in
hush form, as is done by our new bush lima. That
it will yet be done is probable, for there is no reason
that the large lima should not " sport" to the bush
form as the small lima has done.

One of our near neighbors, William Elliott, one of
New York's well-known seedsmen, was sent about
a bushel and a half of large limas last fall, with a
dried specimen of the plant, which certainly showed
it in that condition to be a bush lima. I offered
him nearly $1000 for his bargain (?), but he laughed
me to scorn, for he thought there were many thou-
sands in it. But, alas! "the best-laid schemes of
mice and men gae aft agee." Mr. Elliott's " dwarf "

29S

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE*

Apr.

beans, all of them on trial, got to the top of the highest
poles. Somebody had "pinched back" the pole
lima to throw it into bush form, and sold, or tried
to sell, Mr. Elliott the product, because 1 believe he
was sharp enough not to bay for the seed until it
had been tested. Peter Henderson.

New York, April, 1889.

Many thanks, friend Henderson, for kind-
ly posting us in regard to this matter. I am
very glad indeed to see your offer for a Bush
lima that will furnish beans as large as our
pole lima beans. It seems to me that this
whole matter begins to look as if it might
usher in a new era. What I mean is this :
We have for years been breeding cattle,
horses, poultry, etc., to supply the demands
of the market; and almost as soon as it be-
gins to be evident that there is a demand
for a different animal from what we have
already on hand, straightway somebody
brings it out.

Now, friend Henderson has, in the above,
told us just what he wants in the way of a
lima bean, aud I am exceedingly glad to
hear him say he is ready to pay one thou-
sand dollars for it. I am much better
pleased to have such an offer as this than I
should be if somebody would offer a thou-
sand dollars for the best newspaper story,
because I think there is much greater need
of having boys and girls out in the open air,
developing nature's treasures— yes, raising
beans if yon choose — than there is to have
them crowd our newspapers and periodicals
with rejected manuscript. The concluding
sentence from Beter Henderson reminds us
that swindlers are already in the business,
and that we should look out before we pay
out our money. And this brings us to a
consideration of the Kumerle lima bean,
offered by Thorburn. I do not believe that
this is a humbug, because Thorburn's name
itself is a sufficient guarantee, only I wish
he would tell us more about it. Has Thor-
burn himself ever grown the bean itself, or
seen it growing V

Here is something in regard to Kumerle's
Dwarf lima bean, from another seedsman :

Mr. Boot:— 1 am acquainted, in a business way,
with the originator of Kumerle's Dwarf lima bean,
who supplied Thorburn & Co. He says, " It is a
sport from Dreer's improved lima bean, possessing
all the fine qualities of the parent; grows two feet
high, branches out in all directions, and should be
planted in good soil, in rows tiiree feet apart. It
does not require any poles. It has been grown for
three years, and has shown no tendency to run."
He sold it this season only in packets containing 13
beans, at 25 cents. I have one packet. I have writ-
ten him, and asked him to set a price on 100, 500, or
1000 beans; and if they can be got I will get his per-
mission to send you some for trial.

Isaac F. Tillinghast.

La Plume, Pa., April 4, 1889.

As we go to press we have nothing more
from friend Tillinghast, but hope to have
something favorable soon.

Here is a report from the Henderson Bush
lima, right near where it originated:

HENDERSON'S BUSH LIMA BEAN.

For two seasons past 1 have cultivated the Bush
lima bean. Having a wet season last year we found

it necessary to place brush close to the plants on
each side of the rows, to keep the pods from touch-
ing the wet earth, which speedily rotted them. The
beans are as large as the old Carolina or Sewee lima.
I obtained them of a party in Prince Edward Co.,
Va., where it seems they have been known for sever-
al years. During t he last six years I have grown an
onion that corresponds exactly to the description
given in the catalogue, of the so-called New Egyp-
tian. To my certain knowledge it has been raised
in Virginia for the last 20 years. A. S. Martin.
Roanoke, Va., March 13, 1889.

Thank you, friend M. We should be ex-
ceedingly obliged for any facts you can give
on the subject of the new lima beans. It is
quite likely that the onion you mention is
the New Egyptian. I have heard of it from
several localities, although it seems that
Gregory was the first to catalogue it and
bring it generally before the public.

THE CATALPA; IS IT A DESIRABLE TREE FOR OR-
NAMENTAL PURPOSES?

Some nuserymen are advertising the eatalpa as a
very hardy and desirable tree for ornamental plant-
ing. They state that plants the size of straws,
planted late in May, grow to be seven feet high, and
four or five inches in circumference, at the base.
Please tell us if it is grown in your locality; and if
so, with what success. Robt. H. Shipman.

Cannington, Ont, Can., Feb. 18, 1889.

Friend S., in California the eatalpa does
all you mention ; and I am inclined to think
that it does even more ; and, best of all,
when it is once started it will live right
through the long drouths, without any irri-
gation at all. It grows in our locality, and
makes a very rapid growth — 1 think not
much more rapid, however, than the soft
maples that adorn the streets of Medina,
and we think the maple the handsomer tree.
The eatalpa yields considerable honey some
seasons, but it comes exactly at the time of
the basswood flow, so that our bees seldom
pay much attention to it.

KEEPING CELERY-PLANTS FROM RUNNING TO SEED
IN THE SEED-BED.

If you don't want your celery-plants to go to
seed, don't let them ask twice for a drink, at any
stage of growth. M. Garrahan.

Kingston, Pa., Feb. 24, 1889.

I am well aware, friend G., that the
weather has a great deal to do with success-
ful celery culture ; but I hardly think that
lack of water explains all the difficulty. Al-
most every year when our celery-plants
stand in rows in the field, while cultivating
we find occasionally a stalk running up to
seed. These are pulled out as fast as notic-
ed. Aftfcr a certain stage we see no more of
it. It may be our Golden Dwarf celery that
started to run to seed in the seed-bed did so
on account of lack of moisture, at a critical
time. I am inclined to think that this is
the case, for at one time it seemed as if they
were all going to seed. After I pulled out
these and threw them away there was no
more of it during the season. Berhaps
the abundant rains accounted for the latter
fact.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CTJLTUKE.

299

MEL SAPIT ETTA..

JOTTINGS FROM AMATEUR EXPERT, OF ENGLAND.

"E have been holding the annual meeting of
the B. B. K. A. at Jermyn Street, London,
during the past few days, so I thought I
would send you a few particulars. Hither-
to no one has been eligible for election on
the managing committee unless he subscribed 10
shillings per annum. Each member was entitled to
one vote for every 5 shillings subscribed, and a life
member by paying £5 down was entitled to 4 votes
per annum as long as he (or she) lived. This may
seem strange rules to you, and I will not go into
the why and wherefore, but pass on with the re-
mark that these rules are common to similar socie-
ties in England. For three years we have tried to
alter this, and, inch by inch, we are fighting the
ground. This year we have carried the point that
all and any members are eligible for election on the
committee, whether they subscribe 5 shillings or
more. The one-man one vote we could not carry,
the rich subscribers having outvoted us. But we
shall sharpen our swords for another year, and re-
new the conflict. I may say all this is done without
party feeling; we manage to flght these battles and
not lose our tempers.

Manufacturers of and dealers in bee-appliances
are not eligible to act on the committee. How
would that suit you? Hitherto we have kept them
off by not voting for them, but now they must not
be nominated. I protested strongly against such a
rule being made, but it was, as the majority was
strong for it.

County associations affiliated to the B. B. K. A.
have hitherto sent a representative each to the
quarterly meetings of the B. B. K. A., but these
representatives have had no vote, and could only
make suggestions, which the committee of the B. B.
K. A. could please themselves about carrying out.
We have now made these couuty representatives
rx-officii) members of the committee of the B. B. K.
A., with full voting powers. I have enumerated
these points as you have recently been altering the
constitution of your N. A. B. K. A., and I thought
they might interest some at least of your readers.
There were several other matters considered at the
business meeting, after which we had a " conversa-
zione," and Mr. Cowan, who came over from Swit-
zerland to attend, read a paper on

THE BEST HIVE.

Of course, he was in favor of the hive he has so
long used, which bears his name, and is known as
the " Cowan " hive. It certainly is the best for our
climate and circumstances; but as I may say some-
thing about hives on a future occasion, I will pass
on, to say the discussion that followed was most in-
teresting. It is seldom that we get a subject so ru-
dimentary for discussion as this; and for myself I
am pleased that Mr. Cowan brought it on. Our usu-
al bill of fare is some abstract theory or scientific
problem that has some remote bearing on bee-keep-
ing, while practical bee-keeping is left out in the
cold to shiver, on such occasions.

WINTER AT LAST.

During the past month we have had a few cold
spells, with snow and sharp frosts. In the day
time on clear days the sun has shown out very
warm, and drawn out the bees for a fly. Stores are
getting very low in some of our hives, and breeding

has been carried on all winter, I believe, in many of
them. Many scores of colonies kept by the poor
are dying. One old lady, who is over 75 years old,
and has kept bees all her life, and her mother ana
grandmother before her, cried to me last week as
she told me all her bees were dead, and she had
never known such a thing as to be without bees, all
her life. She felt "quite lonely," she said. I fear
many will be in the same position before June 1st,
as bees went into winter quarters so very short of
stores.

LADY BEE-KEEPERS AND WRITERS.

We are getting an exchange of bee-writers, it
seems. Mrs. L. Harrison is to write for the B. B. J.
monthly, Mr. Cowan tells us. Her name seems so
familiar to us all on this side that she is counted
one of us, and does not come at all in the guise of a
stranger. We have several very successful lady
bee-keepers in England. I beg pardon— I mean the
United Kingdom. I must not forget that, especial-
ly as one from the Emerald Isle has recently sent
me a most flattering invitation to pay her a visit.
Would you like to hear something about our lady
bee-keepers? If so, I must get their consent and
go on a " ramble " and tell you what I may see
while on my rounds. I must first ask permission,
though; it is rare fun sometimes, let me tell you,
when I go to see my bee-keeping friends. They
will first say, "Well! is it A. E.?" If I say, "No,

only Mr. S ," (ah ! you thought I was going to

write it, did you?) they then know what is said is sa-
cred; but if I, on the contrary, say, " You had bet-
ter beware," then they are sure to look keenly in
the bee-papers. But our lady bee-keepers, allow
me to say, are not like yours. It is not that they
are more modest— the bare suggestion would rouse
a storm about my ears among your ladies— but un-
til very recently, at least, it has been the fashion
for our women to be kept out of any thing that
savors of publicity, and our customs are so deep-
rooted that very few indeed can be induced to step
out into the arena of criticism and tell us what they
know about bees, much less about themselves in
any other sphere. In

MRS. CHADDOCK

you have a contributor who is unique; her easy,
original style of dealing with personal matters is
very charming to English readers who are not over-
fastidious about conventionalities. But her cour-
age in fighting the " professors " and some of their
wild theories about evolution is especially charm-
ing to many of us who know how to rightly estimate
much of what has been written in the name of
science.

A BEAR-STORY.

I wonder how the grizzly bear knows where to
find honey, and whether he is led by color or scent.
Talking about bears and honey reminds me about a
tale I heard the other day from Central Asia. It
having been observed that several of the telegraph
poles were dug up, a watch was set to catch the
depredator, when it was found to be the work of a
bear. This lead to an inquiry as to the reason for
the bear wishing to lay the telegraph poles to the
ground. They were iron poles, and he could not
climb them; and hearing the humming noise made
by the wind in the glass insulators, it is supposed
he imagined there was a bees' nest on the top of
the pole, and so he dug the pole down to get at the
honey. Perhaps Mrs. Chaddock can say if that was
instinct or reason.

300

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

THOSE BIOGRAPHIES.

Well, before I close I wish to tell you how we like
your bee-keepers' biographies by Dr. Miller. It is
very interesting to read about all those whom we
have known so long by name. The portraits make
it doubly so. I was showing them to a friend the
other day, and when he came to the editor of
Gleanings he laughed aloud. On asking what was
the cause, he said, " What a dunce I am ! I see now
his name is Amos Ives Root. I always thought he
styled himself A. I. because he was a kind of
' double first,' j ust as the best steamships are class-
ed 'A I ' at Lloyd's shipping agency," and so he
laughed again at his own folly, and said, " But he is
A. I., for all that." Amateur Expert.

England, Feb. 35, 1889.

Eriend E., your bear-story is a very good
one — very ingenious the story is, whether it
be true or only fiction. And so you have
telegraph-poles made of iron, do you? That
is something I never knew before. And so
some of the friends across the water
thought A. I. Root was vain enough of him-
self to call himself " A 1." Why, the very
thought of it gives me pain. I feel glad and
proud of being one of the people— one of the
great mass of humanity ; but I never wish
to be considered anywhere or by anybody
any thing more than the commonplace indi-
vidual which I am. If I thought it possible
that anybody else might think so, I don't
know but that I should write out my full
name every time— Amos Ives Root. Thanks
for your friend's concluding remark.

A. E. MANUM.

the man who owns TOO colonies in 8 apiaries,
and who in 1885 produced 33 tons of

HONEY.

TTp UGUSTIN E. MANUM, whose picture is here-
5ilb| with presented, was born in Waitsfleld, Ver-
]$M mont, March 18, 1839, consequently he was
^*- fifty years old March 18, 1889. When Mr.
Manum was nine years of age his father
died, leaving him only the inheritance of a sound
mind in a sound body. At an early age he appren-
ticed himself to a harness-maker, and afterward
continued in the business in the village of Bristol,
Vermont, where his home now is, until he abandon-
ed it for the bee-business. In 1859 he married Miss
Rosilla M. Pierce, the beloved wife and kind moth-
er whose death a short time since casts a shade of
sadness over the home.

When the war broke out he enlisted in Co. G, 14th
Vermont regiment, as a nine-months' man. He
served at the battle of Gettysburg, where his com-
rades in line on either side were killed; his own
gun was shattered, and he was hit four times.

In March, 1870, a friend desired to lend him
"Quinby's Mysteries of Bee-keeping." Reading
the book, his enthusiasm upon the subject was
kindled, and he immediately purchased four colo-
nies of bees and began the study of apiculture.
Having a natural aptitude for the business, and a
love for the bees, he was successful from the first.
His apiary so rapidly increased, that, at the end of
four years, when he had 165 colonies, he sold out his
harness-business and began the pursuit as a special-
ist. At this time he was using a 4-lb. honey-box. Soon
came a demand for a smaller package; and as sup-

ply-dealers were scarce, he determined to manu-
facture them himself. In casting about him for
seasoned lumber of a proper thickness, he found,
to his great delight, a quantity of poplar plank.
The result was a lot of poplar sections, the first
ever made. Mr. A. I. Root was much pleased with
a sample sent him, and published a description of
them at the time in Gleanings. This notice
brought in inquiries and orders by the score, and
Manum the beekeeper became Manum the supply-
dealer. His first order for sections from out of the
State was from Mr. L. W. Baldwin, of Missouri, at
$11.00 per 1000. Soon the demand for these sections
became so great as to call for a more rapid method
of manufacture; and Mr. M., having purchased a
mill with abundant water-power, invented a ma-
chine working automatically, which sawed the sec-
tions accurately and so smoothly that many im-

A. E. MANUM.

agined them sandpapered. The supply-business
and the bee-business soou grew to such proportions
that it was impossible to personally manage both,
and the factory was, in 1884, sold to the present
proprietors, Messrs. Drake & Smith. Since this
time Mr. Manum has devoted all his energies to the
production of comb honey, increasing his plant un-
til his bees now number over 700 colonies in eight
apiaries. He always winters his bees out of doors,
packed in the "Bristol" chaff hive. For the eight
years previous to 1887, his average loss in winter-
ing for the entire time was only 3y2 per cent. He
uses exclusively a frame about 11% x 10 inches,
outside measure, which he considers the best for
practical purposes in his apiaries. His hive, the
"Bristol," is almost entirely his own invention, be-
ing specially adapted to the perfect working of the
system upon which his bees are managed. In 1885
his production was 44,000 lbs. of comb honey, an
average of 93^4 lbs. per colony, all made in twelve
days from basswood.

Because of the failure of the honey sources the
past season, about 14,000 lbs. of sugar syrup was

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

301

fed the bees to prepare them for winter. He still
has much faith in the pursuit, although the past
three successive poor honey years have told heavi-
ly upon his enthusiasm.

Mr. Manum has one son, a fine young man, just
of age, who promises soon to be a great relief to
the father in the management of his extensive
apiaries.

Mr. M. is of medium height, with dark complex-
ion, hair, and eyes. A kind friend, an upright
gentleman, and a thorough business man, he has
attained an enviable position among the bee-keep-
ers of Vermont, where he is so universally known.
His extensive operations, his uniform success, and
his practical writings, have also given him a na-
tional reputation. J. H. Larrabee.

Larrabee's Pt., Vt.

Friend L., I well remember when Ma-
nual's samples of Vermont white poplar
came into our office. We had been for some
time making sections then ourselves. This
white poplar " took the shine " off from any
thing in the line of basswood so completely
that at first I was inclined to feel a little bit
jealous ; but it did not take me long to de-
cide that I would tell our readers the truth
about it, no matter how much it hurt our
trade. I do not remember the exact words
of the editorial, but it was to the effect that
friend Manum's white poplar was nicer
than any thing we had ever made, and, I
believe I added, nicer than any thing we
could hope to make, unless we could get
that same white poplar. In a little circular
that came along with the sections, the
printers had put it "popular" instead of
poplar, and there was no little merriment
about friend Manum's white " popular "
sections ; and indeed they were " popular "
after my editorial went out. Years passed ;
and while attending the National Conven-
tion in Detroit, a large fine-looking man
came up and put out his hand, and said it
was a pity that, after all these years, he too
could not have the pleasure of shaking
hands with his benefactor. I asked him
what he meant by " benefactor." " Why,"
said he, " Bro. Boot, I am the man who
made those white-poplar sections to which
you gave such a boom by your kind editori-
al ; and now I want to say to you, that, al-
though I have not yet amounted to very
much, what little I have done I owe great-
ly to that kind and disinterested editorial."
And then there was a big laugh all round.
When I wrote it I had no acquaintance
whatever with friend M. I only knew that
the beautiful smooth pieces of wood that al-
most rivaled white paper in whiteness were,
both in workmanship and the quality of the
wood, beyond any thing I had ever seen be-
fore. White poplar, from its nature, is not
suitable for one-piece sections, therefore
they must always be made in four pieces ;
and as the material is somewhat scarce it is
not likely they will ever be furnished for
much less than double the price of the bass-
wood sections. The bee-keeping world,
however, owe a debt of gratitude to friend
Manum for furnishing the finest section, so
far as I know, that has ever been made any-
where. Dr. Tinker, I believe, finds on the
hills in his vicinity a kind of white poplar

that very nearly equals the Vermont poplar.
It may be well to say, also, that, if the doc-
tor's sections are lacking any in quality of
material, they excel in workmanship, per-
haps, any thing the world has yet produced.

BEE-FEEDERS.

FRIEND HEDDON'S COMMENTS ON SOME THINGS IN
MARCH 15TH ISSUE.

T NOTICE on page 216, in an illustration and trans-
jdp lation from a French bee-journal, something
W regarding feeders. Now, while I have had con-

"*• siderable experience with feeders, both in
feeding bees large quantities for wintering
and feeding back extracted honey to finish thou-
sands of pounds of sections, I wish to say to your
readers that I found a feeder based on the princi-
ple of the one shown in the cut as in many ways
unfitted to the instincts of the bee. In the first
place, the two little feed-troughs do not afford suffi-
cient space for the average colony of bees to do
the rapid work required. Then there is no need of
the wood feeder being lined with metal. Not one
in twenty, if properly made of wood, when con-
structed as they should be, will leak; and if one
does leak it will not leak outside the hive, but all
within, where the few drops will be picked up by
the bees and no robbing be incited. The only val-
uable principle I discover about this feeder is the
reservoir plan, wherein the bees rise up, rounding
over a lowered partition, taking the honey from
the top, the reservoir keeping the feeding-troughs
full, by force of gravity, the same as the stand-pipe
waterworks system. Let me say to your readers,
that it was not only " several years ago," but a good
many years ago, that I discovered this principle.
While I know it was original with me, I do not
know whether it was prior or not. I think it was,
for, so far as I have been able to discover, there is
nothing in print touching any of the principles un-
til after I had used it for several years, and also, I
believe, described it in bee-journals. With this
communication I inclose you an engraving and de-
scription of the feeder, and on the second page is
clearly outlined what I claim as my invention,
whether prior or not, not patented, I want you to
understand. After reading it, you will say in your
foot-notes what you believe concerning it.

UNPAINTED HIVES.

About fifteen years ago the same idea entered my
mind in regard to painting hives, which I find in
the article of G. M. Doolittle's, beginning on page
217. Upon the strength of my new supposition I
made between thirty and forty hives, leaving them
unpainted, and used them for several years, care-
fully nodng results. I had lost quite a per cent of
my bees with the winter disease known as bee-diar-
rhea (the only winter difficulty, in my mind, worthy
of mention). While I found, by actual experiment,
that omitting the paint allowed the hives to become
so dark in color that they drew the sun's rays, pil-
ing up the heat, making them very objection-
able in hot weather in summer, and that the
rain, so far as it could get at them, had caused
them to become rotted at the joints, I found no
difference whatever in regard to the successful
wintering of my bees. It is to me another of the
fine-looking theories which have to vamoose before
experience. It appeared to my mind, before it re-

302

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

ceived my more careful attention and experiments,
the same as it does to Mr. Doolittle's. In your foot-
notes you mention the success of the chaff hive.
Let me ask you to make this experiment: Take a
colony of bees that you have managed all summer
in Simplicity hives, along late in October, about a
week or so before the bees cease to fly, and set
them over into a chaff hive, and see how they win-
ter then, after that disturbance. I have repeatedly
noticed, that, when a hive is thus disturbed, espe-
cially after the brood-frames are opened and the
combs interchanged, late in the season, these bees
will not winter so well as those not disturbed. This
says to me, "Pack your bees early." I presume
you remember that I am radically an anti-chaff, or
tenement-hive, bee-keeper. During summer man-
agement, all my hives must be very light and most
readily movable, for I propose to work two hives
with the same expenditure of time and muscle that
is usually applied to one.

YOUR DOVETAILED HIVE.

Under this head, on page 234 I am pleased to learn
that you will use the honey-board single bee-space,
leaving it flat on one side, and the bee-space in the
brood-chamber at the top; and in order to make
this brood-chamber and the surplus receptacles
readily interchangeable, you have made a bottom-
board with a bee space in that. That is exactly like
my new hive. That is just what I did, as you will
see by the cut I inclose. You will also notice the
style of cleats I nailed on, which style furnishes a
more solid base, and gives a narrow bearing to
avoid crushing the bees. Now, if you had your
brood-chamber in two sections, each containing a
complete set of shallow frames, with side frames
tightly fitting the case, but reversible at will, you
would just have my new patented hive, if made
and used as and for the purposes specified. I fear,
friend Root, that your investigations and reason-
ings concerning hives will end up as it did with the
honey-board. You will first oppose, then tolerate,
and finally embrace the new hive in question.

Dowagiac, Mich., Mar. 22, 1889. James Heddon.

Thanks, friend H. Your first objection
to the Miller- Warner feeder (i. e., if you in-
cluded it with the one illustrated on page
216 of last issue) with us does not hold true
in practice. We fed several barrels of syrup
last fall, and. as a general rule, the bees
emptied the feeders in a single night, no
matter whether the feeders contained 5
pounds or 25 pounds of syrup. In some in-
stances we filled the feeders entirely full (a
capacity of 30 pounds) all of which was tak-
en down and deposited in the cells in less
than 12 hours. Is not this rapid enough
feeding for all practical purposes? It is
true, as you say, there is no need of lining
such a feeder with tin ; but if you will refer
to our descriptive remarks, and to the en-
graving on page 818, for 1888, you will see
that the feeder we manufacture is made en-
tirely of wood. The great point we urge in
favor of the Miller feeder is, that the pas-
sageway affording access to the feed is lo-
cated directly over the center of the brood-
nest, and this passageway is closed at the
top by a board, so as to confine the heat.
Accordingly feeding can be done in cold
weather comparatively. That this is not
mere theory, is evidenced by the fact that
we have had colonies, by way of experiment,

empty these feeders, during freezing weath-
er, in chaff hives.— As to the Dovetailed
hive, we are pleased that you like the
change which we have made in the matter
of the bee-space. We did not take the idea
of putting the bee-space on the bottom-
board by means of cleats, from your new
hive. We suppose you know it is an old
idea. Years ago, before we adopted the bev-
el on the Simplicity hive, we used such a
bottom-board. — In addition to what Ernest
says, I will add I objected to such a bottom-
board then and do now, because, if made in
that way, the bottom-board and cover will
not be exactly alike. The simple features
of the Simplicity hive are, that there are
only two pieces or two things to the hive — a
body and a cover. The body is an upper
story or a lower one, as you choose ; and the
cover is a bottom-board or a cover as you
choose. When you have a stock of one you
have a stock of the other.

THE UNITED STATES HONEY - PRO-
DUCERS' EXCHANGE.

THE BENEFITS OF THE STATISTICS.

fHE above association was organized under
the auspices of the New York State Bee-
Keepers' Association, in convention at Utica,
N. Y., Jan. 17, 18, and 19, 1888. Its object is
to furnish to its members prompt and relia-
ble information as to the honey crop throughout
the United States. Six or more reporters are ap-
pointed in every honey-producing State, who for-
ward their reports to the Secretary on the first day
of May, June, July, August, and September. The
Secretary compiles these reports from each State
(separately), and on the K>th of the month forwards
to each member of the "Exchange" the reports
from the whole United States. These statistics em-
brace the increased or diminished number of
swarms going into winter quarters, loss in winter
and spring, condition of bees at beginning of sea-
son, proportion of full crop of honey gathered, both
white and dark, comb and extracted, the quantity
of honey in the different markets remaining unsold,
with price, etc.

The advantage of this information is too apparent
to require any elaboration here. We would only
say, that if you know the honey crop the market is
yours, and you can secure prices in keeping with
the amount of honey which you know is on the
market. The "Exchange" has met with great fa-
vor among bee-keepers, several members present at
Syracuse (Dec. 11—13), and others from abroad,
among whom are many of the largest honey-pro-
ducers in the United States, stated that the infor-
mation furnished by the reports during the past
season had been worth many dollars to them in the
disposal of their honey, while other prominent bee-
keepers pronounced it the best thing that ever
came from an association of bee-men. Feeling as-
sured that you will wish to reap your share of the
benefits of these statistics, we extend a cordial in-
vitation to you to join the "Exchange" by for-
warding your membership foe to the Secretary, G. H.
Knickerharker, Pine Plains, N. Y., which will entitle
you to the reports for one year; and also, if you
can attend its meetings, to all the advantages of
membership in the New York State Bee-Keepers'

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

303

Association, without further expense. The fee is
one dollar per year, but it is hoped that enough bee-
keepers will join so that the dollar will cover the
cost of two years' reports, in which case you will re-
ceive the same for that length of time. Three or
four hundred new members are yet needed to
bring about this result. Each member will also re-
ceive, with the report sent out May 10th, a list giv-
ing the names and address of all the members and
reporters. These statistics will not be furnished to
the journals for publication, but will be sent to
members only. We could not meet our expenses
were we to make public our reports.

The " Exchange" has the indorsement and sup-
port of such well-known men as Dr. Miller, Dadant,
Grimm, Mauum, Crane, Cushman, Vandervort, Ma-
son, Tinker, Pond, Cary, Root, Hetherington, Cook,
Martin, Barber, Isham, Doolittle, Clark, Aspinwall,
Van Deusen, Heddon, Taylor, Hilton, Cutting, Val-
entine, Demaree, Shuck, Foster, Secor, VVilkins,
Muth-Kasmussen, and others equally well known.
P. H. Elwood, Prcs.,
I. L. Scofibld, Vice-Prcs.,
C. G. Dickinson, Treas.,
G. H. Knickerbocker, .Sec

We gladly give place to the above, and
hope the bee-keepers will not be slow to
give it their indorsement by way of sub-
scriptions.

m —

CAPT. HETHERINGTON

AS A BEE-KEEPER AND AS A SOLDIER.

gm APT. HETHERINGTON was one of the found-
Ir, ers of the Northeastern Bee-Keepers' Asso-
Kjjm ciation (now the New York State Associa-
*■* tion), one of the oldest if not the oldest or-
ganization of its kind in the country, and,
after the death of Mr. Quinby, its president. He
was also present at the organization of the Nation-
al society, and, later, elected president, but declin-
ed this honor on account of poor health. At one
time he was associated with Mr. Quinby in giving
addresses on bee-keeping before farmers' clubs in
some of the principal towns of Central New York.
He has a good command of language, and is a clear,
forcible writer and speaker; and it is to be regret-
ted that time and strength do not permit bim to
make a more free use of his gifts in this direction.

Socially, and as a host, he has no superior and
very few equals in the fraternity; and many who
read this will testify to the excellent treatment re-
ceived at the hands of himself and his accomplish-
ed wife. The captain enjoys his home life and as-
sociations better than the most of men; and while
he takes great pleasure in entertaining his bee-
keeping friends, he does not always feel reconciled
in having the privacy of his home invaded by the
professional tramp, who, as soon as he purchases a
swarm of bees, must hie away to the most celebrat-
ed authority for instruction instead of consulting
some ABC book of bee culture, written for his
benefit. Of late years Capt. Hetherington has
sought to remain unknown, and to avoid notoriety;
not, as he says, because he has nothing to com-
municate, but because it was necessary to econo-
mize in time and strength.

The captain is a regular attendant of the Presby-
terian church, of which his wife is a member. He
is also an officer and worker in the Sunday-school,
which his three children, two boys and a girl, at-

tend. He likes a religion of a practical, working
kind, that bears immediate fruit; that raises the
fallen, feeds the hungry, cares for the sick. At the
same time he believes there is a divine side to re-
ligion, with duties beyond those to our fellow-man,
and with privileges and enjoyments and helps not
found elsewhere. Capt. H. is an active temper-
ance worker, and has been for many years a mem-
ber of the Good Templar order. He also ranks well
up in the Masonic order, and has been several
times Master of Cherry Valley Lodge.

We must not fail to mention his splendid military
record. October 12, 1861, he enlisted in Company
D, 1st Regiment (J. S. Sharpshooters, Col. Berdan
commanding. It was from no boyish freak, but
from a deliberate sense of duty, that he left the
then most extensive bee-business in the land, and
entered the service of his country. The spare
time of the summer before had been spent in tar-
get-rifle practice, and his mother had made his un-
derclothing previous to enlistment. But war is an
easy thing to write about, but a terrible thing to
deal with. Before one year had expired, of nine
intimate friends from Cherry Valley who had en-
tered the army, four were dead, four discharged
for disability, and Captain Hetherington alone re-
mained in the service. General Sheridan says,
"Courage measures the power the mind has over
the body." The captain stood at his post in a most
dangerous branch of the service, when most men
would have been in the hospital, or discharged for
disability. His army surgeon has left on record
the following tribute to his bravery : " On the 12th
day of May, 1864, at Spottsylvania, he became very
much exhausted by reason of chronic diarrhea, but
declined being relieved from duty; and although
wounded in the head he heroically remained in
command of his company." And again, "On the
22d day of June, 1864, in action before Petersburg,
Va., he received a serious wound in the hand, which
disabled him from duty. At the time of receiving
said wound he was suffering from chronic diarrhea,
and was so weak and debilitated by it that he was
abetter subject for the hospital than the battle-
field." This was the wound received when his
sword was shattered by a bullet, and a piece of the
weapon was driven through his hand. The engrav-
ing shows this piece lying by the broken sword.

THE SWORD WHICH SAVED THE CAPTAIN'S LIFE.

The portrait shows the position of the sword and
hand. He had for the moment thrown his rubber
blanket* across the hilt of his sword, and that over
his shoulder, very much as a tramp would carry

*Before an engagement, an officer transfers^ to
his darkey or servant all luggage— retaining only
his rubber blanket and haversack, for use in case
the aforesaid gentleman fails to put in an appear-
ance after the fight. His blanket is made into a
small roll and tied at the ends, then carried across
his shoulder and breast as a sash is worn. In hot
weather this is oppressive; and for temporary relief,
although in the midst of a hard fight, the captain
had thrown his rubber across the hilt of his sword,
and that across his shoulder.

304

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

his pack. Providentially the bullet, so well direct-
ed, found a lodgment in his sword and hand in-
stead of his heart, which, you notice, lay just be-
neath. Major General Wilkenson, of the British
Army, on seeing this sword, said that he had seen
many of the heirlooms of prominent British fami-
lies, and the relics sent home from twenty years of
active service, and added, " Among them all there
are none that I consider as fine a personal relic as
this broken sword." The captain threw this away
as being of no further use to him; but it was pre-
served by his men. He also received a gunshot
wound in the shoulder, in the second battle of
Bull Run, Aug. 29, 1862. Entering the service a pri-
vate, he came out a captain, in that division of the
army when a captaincy meant [in some ways as

CAPTAIN HETHERINGTON DURING WAR TIMES ;

THE POSITION OF HAND AND SWORD WHEN

STRUCK BY THE BULEET.

much as the command of a whole regiment would
in some other branches of the service. A whole
regiment of sharpshooters was seldom posted to-
gether; but companies were used instead of regi-
ments. The sharpshooting service was a man-to-
man conflict, and it required great care and skill
in posting a company so that they would not be
picked off by the opposing riflemen. The captain
of Company D was killed in the battle of Gettys-
burg, July 3, 18&3, and Lieut. J. E. Hetherington
was recommended for promotion by Col. Berdan,
from the battle-field. At the close of the Gettys-
burg campaign, an order was sent to the command-
ing officers of the army, to report to the Secretary
of War the names of such officers and men as had
distinguished themselves for bravery and meritori.

ous conduct during the campaign. The name of
J. E. Hetherington appears in this list, and fur-
nishes the best of proof that his promotion was
well earned. While in the army the captain was in
all the principal battles of the Army of the Poto-
mac, besides many minor engagements which will
never be recorded. He was discharged from the
service, Sept. 20, 1861, by reason of disability from
wounds received in action. For two years after, it
was a question whether he would live; but he
gradually regained a larger part of his former vig-
or.

In personal appearance the captain is tall and
commanding, and looks every inch a soldier. Had
our army been more largely composed of such
men, the end would have come sooner, and general
pension bills would not now languish. With more
years, undoubtedly higher rank and greater hon-
ors had come to him. The beekeepers of this
country may feel honored that they have enrolled
in their ranks one who has performed so dis-
tinguished service in the great contest.

Starkville, N. Y. P. H. Elwood.

It was my good fortune to meet Captain
Hetherington at a bee-keepers' convention
in Cleveland, O., in December, 1871. This
was only one year after the National Con-
vention was started, and the bee-men of the
United States were, a good many of them,
comparatively slightly acquainted with each
other. The only time I ever met father
Quinby in person was at this convention. I
believe it was the first time I got acquaint-
ed with Prof. Cook. A. F. Moon was there ;
also W. F. Clarke, Dr. Bohrer, Dr. Hamlin,
Aaron Benedict, Gen. D. L. Adair, N. C.
Mitchell, Mrs. Tupper, Mrs. Savery, and
R. C. Otis. Rev. L. L. Langstroth was ab-
sent on account of illness, and so W. F.
Clarke occupied the chair. The memories
of that convention are very pleasant. Al-
though there were a few things that marred
the harmony, yet there were but a few.
H. A. King and R. C. Otis were at that
time having trouble about the Langstroth
patent. Among the exhibits of bee-hives,
Otis brought in an old weather - stained
American hive, and in an ironical way com-
menced to extol its merits. As a matter of
course, a part of the convention decided
with Otis and a part with King, and there
seemed to be great danger, for a time, of
hard feelings if not hard words during the
session of the convention. The president,
however, happily suggested that we close
the session by singing the doxology. The
effect of that simple hymn of praise acted
so like oil on troubled waters that I never
quite got over it. 1 was not a Christian at
the time, but I then got a glimpse of the
power of Christianity to subdue and con-
quer evil. I did not have a chance to get
much acquainted with Captain Hethering-
ton. I can only remember that, when the
essays were very long and dry, as you may
remember they used to be, he acted some-
what like a schoolboy under restraint ; and,
if I mistake not, he once started a little fun,
even during the reading of these essays. If
we could get him to attend the conventions
of the present time he would find a vast
change in them from what they were 18
years ago.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

305

FROM DIFFERENT FIELD

DO WE NOT MANIPULATE OUR BEES TOO MUCH ?

Y experience is, that most of us spend too
much unnecessary labor on our bees. My
plan of late years has been to have small
hives, 7 and 8 combed L. and 8-combed
Gallup (I use both kinds). Just as soon as
the hives are full of bees I put on one crate of sec-
tions and let them swarm naturally. I have plenty
of hives ready, and when I do not care for increase
1 double up two swarms to each hive, hiving
them on two crates of sections, with metal
queen-excluding board between the lower hive, fill-
ed with frames of foundation. In this way I al-
ways have good young- queens in my old colonies,
with plenty of stores for winter. Bee-keeping- at
the present low price of honey is like farming- in
the West — we must save all the labor possible.
When I first moved to Kansas, some years back, I
thought our Eastern mode of farming would do
there; but I soon found it was money out. I soon
changed, and followed the farming of the country
—at least, such as those followed who made a suc-
cess of it. So it is with bee-keeping— each section
of country has to be learned, and then they must
be run to suit. T. G. Ashmead.

Williamson, N. Y.

Friend A., perhaps almost all of us per-
form unnecessary labor with our bees ; and
I have sometimes thought a great deal of
hard laborious drudgery is constantly being
done when there is no reason for doing it at
all. Let me give you just one illustration.
We have on our grounds a movable pig-pen
or pig-yard, made of galvanized iron wire.
This pen is about 10 x 16 feet. When not
in use for pigs, one of our boys uses it to
confine sitting hens. A few days ago he
raised up one side of it to let a sitting hen
out that had been confined for a sufficient
length of time. As he stood near the open-
ing, she did not come out; therefore he
called a stout man from his work, a little
distance away, and asked him to hold up
one side of the pen while he flopped his
arms and " shooed " on the other side, to
make biddy go out. Either from stubborn-
ness or from lack of sense, however, biddy
did n 3t embrace the opportunity of regain-
ing her liberty. At that time I came up.

" Why, H., wiry didn't you put a stick
under the edge of the pen, and go about
your other work and leave the hen to go out
of her own accord, when she feels like it ? "

Both men went back to their work, with-
out making any reply whatever. Now, I
meet almost constantly with people who
are doing useless work — holding a heavy
burden, as in the above instance, where
nothing is accomplished at all, or, perhaps
better expressed, where the same result
might be attained without "taking time or
lifting heavy burdens at all. I sometimes
think that, if people were working for them-
selves, they would use their wits more ; but
when I see people who are working for
themselves, and working hard to make both
ends meet, I will find them using strength
and time,> great part of their time, where

a little thought would have saved both.
Applying this same thing to bees, we lose
by neglecting them at times ; and, again,
we disturb them when the same thing could
be accomplished without disturbing them
at all. Necessity is not only the mother of
invention, but it is a good school where we
are bright enough to be taught by it.

TRANSFERRING IN WINTER SUCCESSFULLY.

In Gleanings, Mar. 15, I find John Hobbs writes
about transferring in winter. I have had some ex-
perience in this line this winter. A neighbor of
mine gav,e me the bees from a box hive if I would
give him the honey— or, rather, take the honey for
him. I drove the bees into a soda-box and brought
them home. I weighed them when I got home, and
there were LZV2 lbs. of bees. I turned them loose on
4 combs of sealed honey and one comb without any
honey. This was done Dec. 11, 1888. Feb. 4, 1889,
the queen was laying well. At this time they are
breeding well. This colony is as strong in bees
now as any I have. My bees have wintered well,
and are building up well; are gathering some hon-
ey from peach-blossoms. B. C. Griffith.

Griffith, N. C, Mar. 25, 1889.

Why, friend G., as I understand it you
transferred only the bees and not the combs
of brood. This is a very simple matter, and
can be done at any season of the year ; and,
in fact, so can combs and brood be trans-
ferred if one is careful to observe all the
conditions.

REPORTED DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY, FROM A
BEE-STING, A MISTAKE.

In Notes and Queries, Dec. 1, you publish are-
port from an American journal, Old Homestead,
that would be apt to lead the readers of Gleanings
to believe that a young lady named Ella Baker was
stung to death by a bee. Now, you know I don't
say that you believe such a thing could take place.
I feel sure that you are of the same opinion as my-
self—that a single bee-sting could not possibly
cause death to a human being. The report is just
like a good many more (artificial section honey, for
instance); when they have gone the rounds of sev-
eral publications they don't lose much, but rather
the reverse. In the above case the bee-sting had
nothing whatever to do with the young lady's
death. Being a close neighbor, just a question of a
mile, and knowing the poor lady personally, also
having to report on the case for several journals, I
am somewhat of an authority. The doctor's cer-
tificate stated that death resulted from convulsions
and syncope— nothing about a bee-sting, you see.
Her sister died at about the same age, in exactly the
same manner, a few years ago. She was not stung.
Miss Ella Baker received a sting on the side of her
nose on a Friday morning, early. She did all her
household duties during the Friday and Saturday. I
myself saw her on Saturday morning. There was
just a little swelling, but hardly observable, and no
pain was felt beyond the first prick. On Saturday
evening, late (9 :30), she lay down on a sofa, and while
there was seized with convulsions, and died almost
instantaneously. She had been stung twice before,
but it had no more effect upon her than the last
time. There was no swelling observable after
death; the undertaker particularly noticed this,
and informed me of the same. This young lady
has frequently been present when I manipulated

306

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

their bees. 1 used to drive them for her father
when they wanted the honey, as they kept them in
what in England are called straw skeps. I think
the above facts ought to be known, as reports of
death from bee-stings are apt to discourage would-
be bee-keepers. It has also the effect of frighten-
ing one's neighbors inon-bee-keepers). I know that,
just when the above sad event happened, people
fought shy of my apiary for some time.

W. B. Webster.
Binfleld, Merks, Eng., Feb.. 1S89.

Friend W., we are exceedingly obliged to
you. The above incident brings out vividly
two important points ; the first is, how such
things increase as they travel from mouth
to mouth ; and the saddest part is, that the
newspapers are so ready to give credence,
or perhaps care so little whether a story be
true or false, providing it is sensational.
The second point is, that, through the agen-
cy of Gleanings, with the circulation it
now has, we may find somebody in almost
every neighborhood to give us a correct
statement in regard to such reports. I think,
friend W., you are a little too strong in say-
ing that no one was ever killed by the sting
of a single bee. We have had quite a few
reports indicating that this may at times
happen. In your own country, if I am cor-
rect, a man died, not long ago, from suffo-
cation caused by the swelling produced by
the sting of a single bee.

WINTERED WELL ; THE TEXAS STATE BEE-KEEP-
ERS' ASSOCIATION.

Bees have wintered well in this section. No loss
as yet. For the last two weeks we have had some
pretty spring-like days, and the bees were out in
full force, gathering pollen from the elms. The
horsemint failed last year, but the bees gathered an
unusual amount of honey from the cotton bloom.
As little as is said about it, the cotton is one of our
best honey-plants. The Texas State Bee-Keepers'
Association will meet at Greenville, Hunt Co., Tex-
as, at the apiary of W. R. Graham, May 1st, 1889.
Bro. Root will meet a hearty reception if he will
come. J. N. Hunter.

Celeste, Texas, Feb. 28, 1889.

A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO BIND BEE-
JOURNALS AND OTHER PERIODICALS.

I have a way of binding my bee-journals that
may lie new to some of the readers of Gleanings.
It was suggested to me by Mr. J. Y. Detwiler, of
Florida, when he was at the International Conven-
tion at Columbus last fall. Get common safety-
pins that are about an inch and a half long in the
clear, and run one of the pins through near each
end of the journal, and as far from the back as the
pin, when shut, will allow. The pins can be
bought for five cents per card, that has a dozen on.
I use an Emerson binder till the year is complete,
and then take the journals from the binder and put
in the safety-pins so as to have the binder to use
for the current year.

A REMEDY, BUT NOT ONE FROM A BOTTLE.

Another piece of information, though not relat-
ing to bee-keeping, may be of interest to young
bee-keepers, many of whom may be tormented in
" body (face) and mind " by pimples on the face, as
most young men are at times, when otherwise in
good health. After shaving, take a cotton or linen
oloth and dip it in water as hot as can possibly

be borne, and apply to the face, and hold it there
while it feels real warm, repeating three or four
times each time of shaving. Young ladies who are
similarly afflicted can try the remedy without
shaving, if they like, say two or three times a
week. Friend Root, this is a good medicine, and it
doesn't have to be taken from a bottle either, so
you needn't say any thing against it.
Auburndale, O., Feb. 28, 1889. A. B. Mason.

Friend M., please give our friend Detwi-
ler a vote of thanks. He is one of these odd
geniuses, and it is just like him to have
thought of a safety-pin to take the place of
a binder. I feel proud of your compliment,
doctor ; that is, to the effect that I am a lit-
tle suspicious of any thing that comes out of
a bottle.

A PECULIAR CASE OF COMB-BUILDING ; STEALING
HONEY FROM HIVES.

After extracting from both sides of a thick frame
of honey it was still very heavy, and I found a mid-
dle row of cells. I suppose it must have been built
all on one side, and then, in moving it, have been
given space on the hollow side.

"\

y

I am a good deal away from home, and some one
robs my bees. After cutting out the honey they
scatter the frames anywhere, so that I have only
three stands left, and expect to nnd those served
the same way. I had lots of good dogs, but they
are soon poisoned. I wish I knew how to catch
the villian.

I wonder whether any of your lady correspond-
ents have used a knitting-machine. Do they do
good work?

I had a catalogue from W. Hill & Co., 100 West
Madison St., Chicago, in which they quoted 20 cents
per dozen for Willimantic thread. I sent $2.40 for
12 dozen, and received a parcel on which I paid $1.40
express charges, and it contained a miscellaneous
lot of thread, but not one spool of Willimantic, and
all so rotten that it is useless. I have written twice,
and they do not reply. Geo. E. Hales.

Lytle, Tex., Feb. 6, 1889.

Very thick combs often have a middle
section, as in the diagram, friend II. — As
knitting-machines are rather out of our
line, I would advise those who kuow about
them to answer direct. We give the name of
the firm you mention, that others may not
lose money in the way you have done.

CROSS hybrids.
I have enjoyed your humorous sketches from
time to time, and especially the Dutchman's Mule.
If your artist could have seen me last spring trans-
ferring hybrid bees by drumming them from their
old box-hive home, he c^uld have had a sketch
equally humorous. I knew they were very cross,
so I fixed my smoker, as I thought, put on a veil
and gloves, tied my coat-sleeves tight around my
wrists, and, inverting the hive, placed the new one

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

307

on top, and commenced drumming'. I had done so
many a time with good results, but these were hy-
brids, and instead of going- up they came out mad
as hornets, and alighted on me until I was almost
coated with them, biting and stinging the woolen
coat 1 had on. I reached for my smoker, but, alas,
it had gone out in a short time, and now the bees
were finding a way under my coat, and stinging me
very much. I stomped, kicked, and brushed them,
but to no avail. They were flying around me furi-
ously. I ran off about fifty yards, and found mat-
ters getting worse. I opened my coat, threw it
back to discard it and bees together, forgetting it
was tied around my wrists. There I was, coat off
and behind me, hanging to my arms. If I had been
handcuffed it would not have been much worse; at
the same time, bees were stinging me about the
neck and body. I finally liberated myself by tear-
ing my sleeves badly, leaving the coat with many
angry bees on it. I have these bees yet, but they
are difficult to manage, even with the most precau-
tion. Geo. W. Geaslen.
Oakland Mills, Mdv Feb. 11, 1889.

Friend G., I can not understand, from
your account of the affair, that you first
smoked the bees thoroughly before invert-
ing the hive. If you did not do this, you
certainly ought to expect to be stung. ' In-
stead of waiting for the smoker to go out,
you should have smoked the bees until you
got them to fill themselves with honey be-
fore you did any thing with them at all. It
astonishes me to read accounts of people
being stung, much the way you were, just
because they omitted or neglected, or did
not know how to use the smoker. It is
next to sheer madness for anybody to stir
up a colony of bees first and then hope to
quiet them down with smoke afterward.
Of course, some colonies of bees at certain
times of the year will bear it.

WHEN TO RENEW OLD COMBS.

I see that your journal is still improving, and is
of vital interest to every one handling bees. I wish
you to give an article on when to clean out old hives
and start them anew. I have some in which the
brood-comb is so old and thick that bees do not
seem to want to raise brood in it, and will work
above. If I cut it all out in the spring, will they
make honey this season any more than a new
swarm? H. Kobehtsen.

Henderson, Tenn., Feb. 21, 1889.

Brood-comb can be used a great many
times, without being renewed ; and when
it must be renewed I would take out only
the heaviest and thickest, and that which
has many imperfect cells. To cut out all of
the old comb at once would be a great mis-
take. It would cripple your bees, and the
probability is that a great part of the old
comb would be much better for brood-rear-
ing than the new.

A COLONY OF BEES WITHOUT A HIVE, AND AT-
TACHED TO A LIMB IN .JANUARY.

Inclosed please find a newspaper article about a
swarm of bees in January. How is that for South-
ern Illinois? Bees had a fly almost every week this
winter. M. H. Kuehne.

Olmstead, 111., Feb. 11, 1889.

A few days ago, as Silas Coram was walking up
the river-bank on the opposite side of the river

from this place, he discovered a swarm of bees
hanging on the limbs of a bush on the brin', of the
river, about ten or fifteen feet above the water.
At first he was inclined to think his optics were de-
ceiving him; but on investigating the matter he
found a good sized swarm of bees apparently well
satisfied with their place of abode, and almost as
lively as if it were summer, or the mild days of
early autumn. When our young friend reached
home he reported his strange find to his father. A
day or two after, the father and son took a hive to
the place, and succeeded in hiving the whole swarm.
To their astonishment they found a great deal of
comb and considerable honey. The fact that there
was honey at the place, proved beyond a doubt that
they had been there several months. — Golconda
Enterprise, 111., Jan. 31, 1889.

There is nothing very strange in the
above. Bees cluster on the trees in Califor-
nia or in warm climates, and build combs
sometimes, and stay several years. They
also do it now and then all through the
Northern States ; and if they had plenty of
old tough comb it would be nothing strange
if they should winter over in such a locality.
As our winter was very mild until the first
of February, it is not surprising that they
were alive and well. Possibly with plenty
of stores every one would have come
through had they not been disturbed.

dysentery; not a serious case of.

I wrote to you some time ago about dysentery,
and now two other hives are a little daubed on the
front. They seem to be healthy, and look well.
Now, the thing is, 1 have been in the habit of going
to see them very often, and arousing them. Would
not that cause them to gorge themselves with hon-
ey, and cause them to come out and soil the outside
of the hive? or is it possible that they have got the
dysentery? The honey that they have was gather-
ed from the Spanish needle. Is not that good to
winter on? Warren Wright.

Ludington, Mich , March 18, 1889.

As nearly as we can judge from your let-
ter, we should say that you have been tin-
kering with your bees too much. The
stores they had were not necessarily bad.
If the hive is not soiled to any appreciable
extent inside, you do not need to be alarm-
ed. Bees in healthy condition will general-
ly, in early spring, soil the outside of the
hive to a slight extent.

that wintering problem, again ; SUGAR
stores versus bees.

I am obliged to friend Heddon for his reply to
my inquiry relative to the wintering' of bees. He
can winter a colony year in and year out as suc-
cessfully as he can his buggy-horse, but thinks at
too great a cost, and hopes that " I see the point."
Yes. I even feel the point and own the steel. Brief-
ly. Mr. Heddon, p. 9D, objects to extracting honey
which has a low value and slow sale, to feeding
sugar which has a cash value. If his object were
building up an apiary, would it not pay him even to
extract closely and feed sugar? One dollar's worth
of best sugar fed at the right time, bees carefully
hid away, ought to winter them, when they surely
ought to be worth five dollars in spring.

Beason, III. J. Hamilton.

You are right, friend H. It is very poor
policy indeed to let bees starve to death,
when, by investing in sugar to the extent of
one-fourth their value, or less, they could
be saved-

308

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

A FLOOD IN CALIFORNIA.

We have just had a flood, from March 16th to 17th;
10 inches of water fell at our house, making 22*4
inches to date. One mile further up the Sespe they
got 13 inches. Some houses were washed away in
Santa Paula. I suppose it was very disastrous in
Los Angeles. The trains are stopped on account of
washouts. The papers call the creek in front of
our house the " Raging Sespe." The name was not
appropriate when you were here; but if you could
have seen it on the 16th, bounding and roaring like
Niagara, you would not wonder at the Indians think-
ing there were " devils " in it. I am acting now on
the supposition that we 6hall get a honey crop this
season. J. F. M'Intyre.

Fillmore, Cal., March 18, 1889.

Rep@i^ ENceai^GiNG.

NO LOSS IN WINTER.

"1^ AST fall I had 42 good swarms. I packed part
l^j of them in fine oat straw and chaff, on their
cJ^T summer stands, and put part of them in my
•*" bee-cellar, which is in sandy soil, and proper-
ly ventilated. On the 18th inst. I took 5
swarms out of the cellar; on the 20th I took out 3,
and on the 22d I took out the rest of them ; and now
on this 23d day of March I have just 42 good
swarms, gathering pollen quite lively.
Coral, Mich. L. W. Itzenhouser.

You ought to see the bees working on the red-
maple bloom, getting honey and pollen.
Lincoln, Tenn., Mar. 13, 1889. T. P. Gillham.

ONLY ONE DEAD OUT OF SIXTY.

My bees, sixty swarms, have wintered well. Only
one is dead out of sixty. I had to move them out
of our village 2 years ago, away up on a side hill,
since which I have not done so well. J. E. Todd.

Unadilla, N. Y., March 15, 1889.

WINTERED WITHOUT LOSS.

Bees have wintered here well this time. I win-
tered 93 on summer stands, and have not lost any;
lost only 4 queens. Bees have been very busy on
soft maple and elm. Red-bud Is just bursting.

Alma, 111., Mar. 19, 1889. Richard Edmonds.

COLONIES NEVER WINTERED BETTER.

I am happy to say that our success in wintering
my bees has never been better. We went into win-
ter quarters with 48 colonies; and to-day, March 18,
45 are in good condition; 3 died of starvation, which
was my own fault. The bees are busy bringing in
natural pollen, and the prospects for the coming
season were never better. Fred Leininger.

Douglas, Ohio, Mar. 18, 1889.

EARLY POLLEN; THE GOLDEN BEE-HIVE.

Bees are gathering pollen now to some extent;
mine are all strong, or seem to be, from the way
they are at work; but I have not examined any of
my hives. I have only lifted the top and taken a
peep in. I am the only one who has any Italians in
this county, so far as I know. Some others use a
frame hive; it's a patent trap, and known to the
trade as the "Golden " bee-hive. I make my own
hives, and they are modeled after the Simplicity.
I have sold some of them to owners of the Golden
bee-hive after they paid $10.00 for a right for it.

Moltke, Tenn., March 22, 1889. S. L. Medlin.

WINTERED WITHOUT A LOSS.

My bees have wintered well. I have not lost any.
In examining them a few days ago I found brood in
all the hives, and plenty of food to do them until
they c:m gather new honey. They were taking in
pollen quite lively on Sunday, March 24.

Clachan, Ont. E. J. Purcell.

WINTERING AT THE AXTELLS'.

We have taken 30 colonies of bees out of the cel-
lar, because we had so many in the cellar we could
not keep it cool enough. Those taken out have
wintered finely— better than those out of doors.
They were gathering pollen nicely yesterday, the
19th, which is earlier than usual by two weeks.

Roseville, 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell.

WINTERED WELL; THE STRONG DRAWING FROM
THE WEAK.

I took bees out of cellar yesterday, 68 hives, one
dead; examined them all to-day. They are in the
best condition, cleanest and strongest I ever had
them. They gathered some pollen to-day. One
trouble is, that a good many hives catch bees that
do not belong to them, making themselves strong
at the expense of others. You may remember,
page 11, Jan. 1, 1889, that I wintered this time with
the heavy cloth mat removed, and only a piece of
burlap over the front half of the frames. It is a
perfect success this time, certainly.
Grinnell, la.. Mar. 20, 1889. J. F. Whitmore.

LOOKING FOR A " WHOPPER."

At this date my bees have wintered well. They
seem to be stronger than they were last fall. I went
into winter quarters with 29 stands; one starved;
another was queenless, and I united it with another
colony, so I have 27 stands yet. They have plenty
of stores, and are breeding rapidly. We have had
a very mild winter. I winter on the summer stands,
packed with chaff. My bees commenced gathering
pollen March 16th. The prospect for a " whopper "
this coming season is very flattering. There is an
immense crop of white clover, or will be, if the
season is favorable. It is looking fine at present.

Paris, 111., March 21, 1889. J. P. Adams.

FROM ONE WHO OWNS NEARLY 600 COLONIES, AND

WHO SHIPPED COMB HONEY BY THE TON

AS EARLY AS 1857.

The bees seem to be wintering well so far here.
Of course, it is too early in the season to make a
safe prediction as to the honey crop of the coming
summer. We only know that, so far, they have
wintered well. But it is in the next two months
that we meet with our greatest loss, especially
when cold bleak winds prevail during this time. I
speak somewhat from experience, this being the
thirty-sixth year of my experience in bee-keeping.
As early as 1857 I was shipping comb honey by the
ton. This was considered a large amount of honey
to be raised by one bee-keeper at that time; but
now it is not uncommon to ship many times that
amount. I went into winter quarters last Novem-
ber with over 550 colonies. They seem to be doing
well. For this I feel encouraged, and hope that
they will continue so to do.

We are naturally looking for and expect a good
season this year, from the fact that last season was
a very poor one, there being no basswood bloom in
this section of country, and the yield of clover anfl
other kinds was very light.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

309

Exclusive of the extracted, my comb honey
weighed but a little over five tons when it should
have been many more. As many of the writers for
the journals predict a great honey season this year
I will join, and say 1 hope their prophecy may
prove to be true. J. R. Tunnecliff.

Van Hornesville, N. Y.

]S[0¥ES fl^B QUEI^IE$.

We solicit tor this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

fHE 10 lbs. of Japanese buckwheat seed I got
from you last season gave me ltiy2 bushels,
measured. I had 4 acres of the silverhull,
and got only 25 bushels from it.

JOS. F. BlLDERBACH.

Rockwood, 111., March 29, 1889.

Please tell me where you put the tarred paper in
the chaff hives. Mrs. A. A. Simpson.

Swarts, Pa., Feb. 6, 1889.

[The tarred paper to our chaff hives is put be-
tween the bottom-hoard and the chaff. See further
particulars in our A B C of Bee Culture.]

How many bushels of chaff will it take to fill five
chaff hives? V. Buxser.

Justus, Ohio, March 14, 1889.

[We usually calculate on about three bushels of
loose chaff, not packed, to the two-story hive, and a
little over one bushel for the one-story hive.]

WHITE PAINT FOR HIVES.

I prefer white paint to any other color, and I have
tried several. Bro. Root, go on with your Home
talk, and may God's blessings rest with you and
yours. S. C. Frederick.

Arcadia, Kan., Jan. 24, 1889.

[The general testimony is with you in regard to
white paint for hives.]

MELISSA.

According to your description of melissa, it
grows sometimes to the height of 9 feet. I planted
a little last year, but it didn't attain the height of
one foot in good garden soil. Perhaps mine was a
small variety. The seed wasn't from you.

Chandler, Ind., Feb. 21, 1889. A. Heine.

IMPORTED CARNIOLANS SHOWING YELLOW BANDS.

We are expecting a fair honey crop this season,
from present indications. Our Carniolans are
booming; have had them three seasons, and find
them equal to the best. But our imported queen
from Benton shows many yellow workers.

Avon, Ind., March 18, 1889. A. A. Parsons.

SETTING OCT A SMALL APIARY.

I want to lay out an apiary for about 25 or 30 col-
onies, and set out grapevines. How near, and in
what position ought I to set them? I am building a
board fence on the north side of my lot. The bees
will be on the south side. J. Bills.

Southington, Conn., Mar. 23, 1889.

[The conclusion to the A B C of Bee Culture
gives you the plan which we prefer to arrange
hives, and also their entrances with reference to the
points of the compass. Six feet apart is the usual
distance from center to center. Some prefer eight
feet. The latter distance means just so much more
traveling to get through with a certain amount of
work.]

STIMULATING BROOD-REARING.

I wish to ask you if I may begin safelj t^ stimu-
late brood-rearing by means of the " Good " candy.

Dayton, O., March 5, 1889. T. B. Reynolds.

[You can stimulate brood-rearing with the (!ood
candy; but an easier way would be to give them
sugar syrup. Good candy is used, as a general
thing, for the purpose of shipping bees, and for
winter feeding, although it can be used for other
purposes.]

NO LOSS IN CHAFF HIVES ; DOUBLE-TIER WIDE
FRAMES.

I keep 50 colonies of bees. I winter on your plan,

and had no loss last winter nor this. I am getting

tired of double-tier wide frames. Can you suggest

a better arrangement for the chaff hive?

A. G. Mendenhall.
Economy, Ind., Feb. 23, 1889.

[Use single-tier wide frames, or the T super or
the section-holders described in Gleanings for
Mar. 1st.]

0HR QUEgTO]S[-Be&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 118.— a. How large an entrance do you
allow each col my when they begin to work in spring?
b. When do you enlarge this, and how much?

a. Four inches wide; b. I do not enlarge.

R. Wilkin.

a. About 1J4 inches wide by H high. b. I enlarge
as soon as the colonies get strong and weather
warm. Geo. Grimm.

It varies with strength of colony, but it is small.
Vary to suit size of colony. Make full size as col-
ony gets strong and nights warm. A. J. Cook.

a. 3x?8- b. As soon as the season becomes so
warm that they seem to need more ventilation, or as
soon as they begin active honey-gathering.

James A. Green.

I allow as large an entrance as the bees will use,
whether for one bee to enter at a time, or the full
width of the hive, and I'm not troubled with rob-
bers. A. B. Mason.

Three or four inches; we enlarge the space ac-
cording to the number of workers flying out. We
raise the hive 2 inches in front in the summer in
very hot weather. Dadant & Son.

No set size, but it depends on the strength of the
colony; usually as small as can be without danger
of clogging. We enlarge it accorging to increasing
strength of colony, and sometimes it is oue inch by
ten. P. H. Elwood.

When in spring I contract my brood-chambers in
order to stimulate breeding up, I contract the en-
trances to about an inch, and remove the blocks
after the colonies have become strong, and more
air is desirable. Chas. F. Muth.

a. Just as small an entrance as possible, without
retarding the bees while passing in and out. b. T
follow no special rule in this, as much depends on
the size of colony, weather, capacity, and style of
hive, kind of honey we are working for, etc.

O. O. POPPLETON.

H10

GLEANINGS IN BEE ClTLTlTKE.

A rn

In all strong- colonies, the full size of the entrance.
Contract the entrance to weak colonies only, and in
proportion to their strength at all times.

H. R. Boardman.

1 use the same entrance all the year round — %x32,
and in summer I have to raise the cap, for top ven-
tilation, otherwise bees cluster too much outside.

P. L. VlALLON.

I vary it according to the strength of the colony,
and enlarge it as the season advances. During the
best of the season I prefer them to have abundant
entrance. The whole width of the front of the
hive is desirable for the best stocks. L. C. Root.

a If the colony is weak, I put up both triangular
blocks, leaving about two inches of space, and if
the weather is cold and windy I do the same by the
strong ones, to prevent the wind from chilling the
young brood, b. As the season advances and the
weather gets warm. Mrs. L. Harrison.

a. Theoretically, just as small as they can use
without being crowded, but frequently )t happens
to be much larger. An opening two inches by one-
half is likely to be large enough for a strong colo-
ny, b. When the entrance appears crowded it is
enlarged perhaps once to double size, and when this
becomes crowded they are allowed full width.

C. C. Miller.

I use an entrance from % to lA inch high, and
clear across one' end of the brood-chamber. Icon-
tract with L. blocks, according to strength of colo-
nies; strength, not in relation to heat, however,
but to defense against robbers. As the tendency
toward robbing decreases and the colony becomes
strong, I give them the whole entrance.

James Heddon.

My hives have six J8 holes at the bottom of hive,
and a hole one and one-half inches half way up,
with a |-inch hole cut into the side of the large hole.
In the winter we leave all six of the lower holes
open and the small '^-inch hole up the side open.
When the weather gets warm, and the bees strong,
then we open the l'/Hnch hole, which is covered
with a button during the winter. E. France.

a. %x-'e for the very weakest, and from there up
to 3 inches by Ji for the strongest, b. Along as
they need it, which is told by their being crowded
for room to go in and out at the entrance, or when
they are crowded out in hot weather. In summer I
give the whole length of entrance, which is 13 inch-
es long by f high. With very large colonies, and at
times of extreme heat, I sometimes raise the front
of the hive an inch or more from the bottom-board.

G. M. DOOLLTTLE.

Sometimes I let a strong colony have the whole
doorway of %xW inches. Others are all the way
down from this to a little hole scarcely large enough
for two bees to pass each other. It is not absolute
time, but the weather, and the growth of the colo-
ny, that determine when to give more entrance. A
safe rule is to give the working bees room to pass
without delaying, and beyond that widen the door
only when you see some inclination on the part of
the indoor bees to remain outside. Sometimes a
colony gets weak in old bees just before a big batch
of brood comes out, and needs a decided closing-up
for a few days, if a cold spell comes. E. E. Hasty.

I watched the answers to the above, to
see if there were not somebody who had
come to the same conclusion we have, that,

unless the colony becomes weakened, the
entrance should be full size the year round,
especially for a protected hive like the chaff
hive. We once practiced contracting en-
trances in winter ; but by keeping a careful
record we proved unmistakably that colo-
nies with the entrance wide open fx8 win-
tered better than where we fussed to con-
tract them when the weather was severe.
Of late years we have not tried to winter a
colony so weak that it could not have full
entrance the year round, and I think losses
from wintering, and robbing too, would be
greatly lessened if something of the kind
were adopted ; namely, wintering none but
strong colonies, and these with entrances
full width the year round.

Question 119.— a. When bees ar< storing surplus,
do you give any ventilation besides at the entrance? l>.
If so, where ami how much?

No.
No.
a. Yes; raise the covers.

P. H. Elwood.

O. O. Poppleton.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

No. I do not wish any other. I believe it is a
damage. A. J. Cook.

No. A good shade-board besides the entrance is
ventilation enough. A. B. Mason.

No, unless I raise the hive in front, as spoken of
in No. 118. G. M. Doolittle.

I do not. I have tried it, and found more disad-
vantages than advantages by so doing.

James Heddon.

As stated in question 118, 1 use the same entrance,
but raise the cap about Y2 inch for top ventilation.

P. L. VlALLON.

In very hot weather 1 give ventilation around the
surplus arrangement, but the bees can get out only
at the entrance of the hive. Geo. Grimm.

In tiering up my hives I ventilate at the upper
entrance, as well as the lower. I secure comb hon-
ey in wide frames, in full hives, mostly.

H. R. Boardman.

a. Usually, b. At the top of the hive, back end-
about J4 inch the width of the hive. I think it helps
to keep down swarming, but it hinders work in the
back end of super. C. C. Miller.

We give no ventilation except our regular en-
trance. We have a H-inch hole half way up the side,
open in the summer, and the bees usually Hy right
into the hole; sometimes they catch on the side of
the hive, and then run in. E. France.

I consider no hive satisfactory without a good-
sized ventilator in the bottom - board. In the
warmest weather a ventilator 6x12 inches may be
left entirely drawn. I also consider upward venti-
lation advantageous at times. L. C. Root.

Not as a rule. If a colony seems to be sutfering
from the heat I raise the cover a little, the amount
of ventilation given being according to circum-
stances. Usuajly, though, when 1 give any I give
an abundance, often removing the whole cover.

Jamks A. Green.

When more air is necessary or desirable than bot-
tom ventilation gives, I break loose the covers of
the surplus boxes, scrape the bee-glue off, and put

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

8ll

them on again. Then I raise the cover about an
inch, on the back part of the hive, creating thereby
an air-passage over the surplus boxes.

C. F. Muth.

a. I do. b. When the weather becomes so hot as
to make bees lie out, or to endanger the melting of
combs, I fold the duck-cloth cover forward 2 or IS
inches, off the frames, and leave the rear end of the
board cover, that lies on it, elevated an inch or
more by placing a stone under it. R. "Wilkin.

When we think that our 8-inch entrance is not
sufficient, i. e., when the weather is warm and the
crop begun, we place a block to raise the hive from
its bottom in front. Besides, as our colonies are
very populous we push back the surplus box, so as
to get a current of air through the hive.

Dadant & Son.

Many of my hives have no provision for ventila-
tion of the super; but my accepted way of making
a hive is to have a crack a quarter of an inch wide
or more run clear around the hive between the
lower story and the super. To prevent the obvious
ill consequences of this arrangement the whole top
is covered with what I call a shirt, so the wind must
first filter through muslin before it can blow in.
Does the improvement increase the surplus? Well,
it's pretty clear that extra ventilation has a chance
to be of direct profit only when honey comes in so
rapidly that the bees find difficulty in evaporating
it fast enough. I am not quite settled in mind as to
how often this happens— rather seldom in my local-
ity, I judge. E. E. Hasty.

At one time I made many experiments in
regard to entrances ; and once I was very
strongly decided in favor of a two-inch au-
ger-hole in the front end of the hive. The
bees then could fly right in and alight di-
rectly on the combs; and I would stick to
the auger-holes now were it not that it hin-
ders brood-rearing for some distance around
the hole when the weather is severe. Other
experiments in this line made me feel sure
that the entrance should be at the bottom
of the hive. And then I was very strong
for a time in favor of having a large en-
trance right through the middle of the bot-
tom-board, and I would still stick to this
plan were it not for the difficulty of closing
the entrance when we wish. All things con-
sidered, I made a compromise by pushing
the Simplicity hive so as to project over the
bottom-board. This enables you to adjust
the entrance to the size of your colony, and
you can do it in an instant, without any
blocks or loose traps lying around. When
you come to ventilate, you can make the
bees go in the hive by giving them an en-
trance nearly half the size of the whole bot-
tom of the hive if you wish. When hiving
new swarms in hot weather I think this is
very much to be desired. The objection to
openings for ventilation, covered by wire
cloth, is that they invariably get waxed up
sooner or later.

Question 120.— a. What kind of an al ioliti no-hoard
do you prefer during the rush of incoming laden bees?
b. Does it pay to have a bare spot of ground near the
entrance, covered with sawdust or sand nicely patted
dovml

a. A board 10 or 12 inches wide. b. I guess not.
Mrs. L. Haruison.

I prefer a board from the ground to a level with
the alighting-board. C. F. Muth.

Any kind of board will do. Sawdust and sand are
not as good, and too much trouble. Geo. Grimm.

Simply have the ground kept clean and clear
about the entrance. It does pay.

H. R. Boardman.

a. A slanting alighting-board is best. I think
short grass is cooler than bare ground or sawdust.

P. H. Elwood.

a. A plain board projecting three or four inches.
Others may be as good. b. Probably, if easily ob-
tained. C. C. Miller.

a. Inclined wooden, b. I used to have it. 1 have
exchanged to smooth closely mown lawn. This
latter looks better, and is practically about as good.

A. J. Cook.

My entrances are all within 2 inches of the ground.
I keep it clean in front of the hives. In the honey
season the dry sandy soil can be graded up to the
entrance. R. Wilkin.

The alighting - board should be about one foot
wide, and as long as the width of the front of the
hive. This is sufficient if the grass and weeds are
kept down. L. C. Root.

a. Our bottom-board is at least six or eight inches,
or more, longer than the hive. b. We take care to
cut the weeds away in front of the hives, and, of
course, all around. Sand is very good with a slop-
ing apron. Dadant & Son.

Besides the detachable alighting-board I use a
slanting board from the ground to the alighting-
board or entrance. I find sawdust dangerous
around hives, as sparks from the smoker are liable
to set it on Are. Paul L. Viallon.

The only alighting-board my bees have is the pro-
jection of the bottom of the hive, 3i inches, and the
front is close to the ground, b. Perhaps it does,
but I like a closely cut lawn the best, after having
tried bare ground and sawdust. A. B. Mason.

a. Simply an extension of the bottom-board, the
same extending six inches in front, of the hive. b.
I lay a cleated board down in front to keep the
grass down, then when the lawn-mower is run in
front of the hive this board is taken out of the way,
so that all is smooth work. G. M. Doolittle.

I strongly prefer a level or slightly slanting board
of generous size, with arrangements so that bees
which fall to the ground can readily crawl up in.
b. I am willing to take considerable pains to secui-e
a clean dooryard for them. As to sawdust, I find
myself getting a little out of conceit with it.

E. E. Hasty.

I prefer to have the bottom-board enough longer
than the hive to form an alighting-board. I think
it pays to have not only the ground near the en-
trance, but all around the hive, bare. My apiary is
covered with slack coal, ashes, sand, etc., so thickly
that grass or weeds seldom struggle through.

James A. Green.

a. Any kind of wide board, so arranged as to
avoid having sharp corners or crevices to obstruct
the direct passage of bees into the hive. b. I pre-
fer a spot of bare ground to either sand or sawdust,
if there is some practicable way to keep it bare.
Who can tell us how to do that cheaply and easily?
O. O. Poppleton.

3i2

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Apr.

We don't use any kind of alighting-board; our
bees are nearly all located on pasture ground. The
stock keep the grass short about the hives. I don't
think I should like sand or dry dust at the entrance
of hives. E.France.

1 find it makes but little difference. I believe
that bees soon learn to use the most convenient
and natural places to alight, but I do not believe
that the laden bee prefers any other alighting-
place to a vertical surface. Watch them in a box
hive with a front hole part way up the front side.
See what a large proportion will alight on the side
of the hive. It makes no difference whether that
hole is at the top or bottom. As they come to the
hive laden, with their abdomen hanging down, they
delight to alight upon an upright surface. They
are built just right for it, you know. Yes, sir, I
always keep a bare spot on the ground in front of
the entrance. I use sawdust in conjunction with
the hoe. James Heddon.

Now, in view of my answer to 119 1 should
say the best alighting-board in the world is
a clean piece of ground, right round the en-
trance, covered with sand or sawdust. As
the sawdust is liable to catch fire from the
smoker, we have of late years adopted white
sand. But this white sand would not an-
swer at all unless you keep weeds from
growing in it ; therefore you want to make
your sand white with common salt, about
once a year, and then you have it. By no
manner of means can we afford to have our
bees knocked down and wearing their wings
into ragged strings by buzzing them against
grass and weeds when they are trying to get
into their hive. Some have argued that the
bees will get just as much honey, even if
they do have to crawl through the grass and
weeds. Please remember, friends, that a
bee gathers honey until his wings are worn
out ; and I shouldn't wonder if the life of a
worker were shortened almost half by buzz-
ing against the grass and weeds I have seen
in some apiaries, while trying to get into
the hive. I do not like a board, because it
warps under the influence of the sun and
rain. True, it can be cleated ; but even
then the sun will pull the nails out, and
toads and spiders, and may be snakes, will
get under the board. The sand and salt
make a clean job of it. Some experiments
have been made with cement ; and in Cali-
fornia, where they do not have any frost, I
think it would answer admirably. A nice
flat stone, with the bottom-board of the hive
lapping on the stone, so no grass or weeds
could get between the stone and the bottom-
board, would do splendidly. I am not sure
but that we could get pieces of sawed flag-
ging, one foot wide and fifteen inches long,
cheap enough so they would be worth all
they cost. You would have an entrance
and dooryard then that would last a life-
time. The cold stone might give the bees
the toothache on frosty mornings, unless it
be true that they never fly when the stone
would be cold enough to be disagreeable.
Friend Heddon's reasoning is good ; but I
do not like that hole in the front end of
the hive, because it chills the brood-nest ;
and when the same hive is used for an up-
per story, you have an entrance where you
do not want it.

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 81.00 to $1.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

BEES IN THE CELLAR DID THE BEST.

Last fall my pa packed 59 swarms of bees for win-
ter. He had 38 in the cellar and 21 outdoors. He
lost 2 of those that he left out. Pa says it seems as
if those he put in the cellar almost doubled. I have
a little brother. He will be 3 years old the 10th of
April. He is a dreadful little mischief. Sometimes
I help pa extract honey. The name of his extractor
is " Novice," and he says that means you. In the
spring of 188(i he bought 20 colonies of bees of Mr.
Hunt, of Bell Branch, Mich., and we commenced to
take Gleanings again, and I guess we always shall.
I like the little letters and your travels. Ma likes
Our Homes, and pa likes it all. That kite I got of
you is almost as good as new.

Starville, Mich. Mabel M. Cook, age 9.

THAT BABY SISTER.

Yesterday, Feb. 22, the bees had a good cleansing
flight. Papa says they have consumed more honey
this winter than ever he knew them to do before,
and it has been a mild winter too. Upon examin-
ing them yesterday he found a great many colo-
nies short of stores, and two had starved. Mr.
Root, the notes that you have given us in Glean-
ings of your trip to California have been very in-
teresting. Mamma reads Our Homes to us Sunday
evenings. I like to see the pictures of the bee-
keepers. Why not give the picture of your little
boy Huber? I should like to see him, and pinch his
little fat cheeks. I can remember him as I saw
him a little baby. He had just learned to walk. I
have a little sister, 26 months old to-day, and she
weighs 42 lbs. She is just as dear a darling as can
be. Gertrude Seabright, age 9.

Blaine, Belmont Co., O , Feb. 23, 1889.

HOW BEES PROTECT FRUIT, AS TOLD BY A LITTLE
GIRL.

My uncle has 30 swarms of bees, wintered in chaff
hives, doing well. He has mulberry-trees in the
yard with them, and they have berries on, and the
wild canary likes the berries as well as I. Uncle
has one tree among the bees, and the birds did not
touch them. It was full of berries, and from the
others we had to shoo the birds off. Auntie says
she is going to have uncle put a hive under every
tree, and that will be seven, and see if the bees will

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

3i8

keep them away as it has from that one. I go to
school. Auntie has a little dog. His name is Fido.
His wool is as white and long as that of Mary's
lamb; and everywhere I go he is sure to go. I tell
him the bees will sting him if he doesn't look out.
Ollie Ayers, age 8.
Wallaceburg, Ont., Mar. 23, 1889.

Very good, friend Ollie. I think Prof.
Cook can tell us something about bees
frightening the birds away, and this sugges-
tion of yours may prove to be of great value.

"OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN INTO THE FIRE."

My papa has between 50 and 75 swarms of bees.
He and I hive the bees in the summer when they
swarm. Last summer papa said he would give me
25 cents for every swarm I would hive without help.
I got between 3 and 4 dollars. I had a veil that I put
on sometimes when the bees were cross. My papa's
bees are Italians and Carniolans. He gave me a
swarm last summer, but it died. I like bees very
well when they do not sting me. Once I got a sting
on the elbow when I was up in the top of a large
cherry-tree shaking some bees off from a limb of
the Iree. I jumped, and landed in a bunch of brier
bushes. Charles H. Mason, age 12.

Mechanic Falls, Me.

Why, friend Charlie, we don't believe you
bettered yourself by jumping, especially
since you landed among the briers. A bee-
keeper must learn to "grin and bear it."

KEEPING THE BEES IN WITH SNOW.

Papa moved our house down on the road last
September, and our barn too. He did not get his
bees down here till the 27th of February. There
was some snow on the ground. Papa put some
snow in front of the hives where the bees came out.
It had begun to thaw, and the bees came out of the
hives after he brought them down here. Papa has
18 stands of bees. He has had but one stand of
bees die this winter so far, but it did not freeze to
death. It did not have enough honey. Papa had
good success last summer.

Bert Presnall, age 13.

Marion, Ind.. March 1, 1889.

But you don't tell us whether any of the
bees that got out went back. We should
presume that some of them, at least, must
have gone back to where they used to live,
and died there, because they hadn't any
hive to go into.

BEES WORKING ON RED ELM; MAKING THE RIGHT
KIND OF A START.

1 hope you will forgive a little boy for slipping a
note into papa's letter while he is out making a
hot-bed. I want to tell you about our bees. I was
out walking with brother Ernest (named after Mr.
Ernest Root) and mamma, when I heard such a
roaring and humming I stopped to listen and ask
mamma what it was. She told me to look at a large
red-elm tree just in front of us. It was in bloom,
and I think every bee out of papa's 30 stands was
on or around the tree. They were so high I could
not tell what they were gathering. My little broth-
er and I are going to try to be good men when we
are grown. We both say our prayers every night,
and try to mind what we are told.

Willie E. Barnes.

Hickman, Ky., March 14, 1889.

Bees do work on the elm, and it is quite a
sight to see them too. We are glad you and

your brother have started right. We hope
you will keep right on just so all your lives.
If more of the boys in the land were making
such a good beginning we shouldn't have so
many bad men, should we, Willie?

PAPA'S FRAME-HOLDER.

My papa, finding the necessity
of some kind of receptacle for
holding the brood-frames after
removing them out of the hives
in the fall, in prepariug them for
packing for winter, has invented
what he calls a Srame-reel, of
which I send you a drawing. He
has it in one corner of our honey-
house. It does not take up much
room. It consists of four up-
right posts and 16 side-bars for
the frames to rest on. The reel
revolves on two pivots, one on
the floor and the other in the
ceiling. Each tier holds 18 Sim-
plicity brood-frames, or 144 in all.
Chas. Seabright.

Blaine, O., Feb. 25, 1889.

. Your papa's device is very
ingenious, and we are sure
it will do nicely. It should be made strong,
so as to hold combs filled with honey. After
all, we should rather prefer to store the
combs away in Simplicity hives, stacked up.
Then if robbers should get into the honey-
room they can't get at the combs. Hive-
bodies are convenient; and whenever there
is a surplus of combs there is a surplus of
bodies.

JUVENILE poetry.
Oh ! here comes the honey-bee.

With rich and prudent air;
He has worked hard all summer.

Among the flowers fair,
And filled his hive with honey

From bottom to the top.
So that, when winter comes,

Then he starveth not.
But the winter is coming,

And he must be stored
In the nice warm cellar,

Away from the cold.
But he has prepared for it

All through the summer long,
And did not sit idle

As the lazy drone,
But went to work in earnest

Among the flowers fair,
That bloomed so freshly

With fragrance rich and rare,
So that when winter comes

With its wind and snow.
That he should be prepared

In the warm cellar to go.
The bee is very useful

In odd and different ways,
So then we should be thankful

While he with us stays. Katie M.

The poetry above is not entirely faultless
as to measure and meter; but as it bears
the stamp of originality of a little girl, we
gladly give it a place.

MA

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

T0B7ICC0 0®MOT.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO
STOP USING TOBACCO.
First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
Gleanings. Any subscriber may. however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to GLEANINGS, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regaiti to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

TOBACCO, AND ITS CLOSE CONNECTION WITH
WHISKY; A LETTER FROM ANNA B. QUILLIN.

R. ROOT:— Ever since I became acquainted
with Gleanings I have watched with a
great deal of interest your determined but
somewhat novel warfare against the use of
tobacco. It has always seemed strange to
me that so many people would indulge in the use of
it, when it is not only useless, but expensive and in-
jurious also. Many of those who are habitual
chewers make themselves positively repulsive by
their carelessness and utter disregard for cleanli-
ness, while many who smoke make themselves
equally disagreeable and offensive by puffing their
smoke into the faces of those who not only dislike
it, but are sickened by the odor. And did you ever
notice how tobacco and whisky go hand in hand, as
it were? Wherever intoxicating liquors are sold,
there you will always find cigars. When you see
men coming out of saloons, you generally see them
puffing at a pipe or cigar; and though a great many
good people indulge in tobacco and do not use in-
toxicants, yet those who are regular drinkers are
almost invariably slaves to tobacco. The old adage,
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure," might well be applied to this subject, for it
would certainly be much easier to avoid learning
the use of tobacco than to break off from the habit
after it has been acquired, for it is acquired. I have
heard many men give their experience on that
point, and they invariably agreed that they " had to
learn to like tobacco." But when the habit is once
formed, people generally become slaves to it; and
if the chains are ever broken, it is not until they
have had many a sharp and severe struggle for
their freedom. And the same may be said of those
who indulge in intoxicants. I think the great hope
for the future is to teach the young people and
children the injurious effects of tobacco and intox-
icants on the system, and thus help them to avoid
forming evil habits that are proving a curse to hu-
manity.

There is a little rhyme which may be new to some
of the readers of Gleanings; and though it is not
very elegant poetry, it contains a great deal of
truth. If T am not' mistaken, it was composed by
a Methodist minister; but at any rate the gentle-
man had an intense dislike for tobacco, as the fol-
lowing lines will demonstrate:

Tobacco is :i filthy weed,

And from the Devil did proceed.

It spoils your breath and soils your clothes.

And makes a chimney of your nose.

I know one district-school teacher who took pains
to teach those lines to every boy who went to school
to her, and I believe such teaching would not be
without some good results. When our bodies are

the houses we live in, should we not try to keep
them pure and clean, instead of polluting and de-
stroying them? " Know ye not that ye are the tem-
ple of God?" "Know ye not that your body is the
temple of the^Holy Ghost?" Anna B. Quiulin.
Ipava, 111., Mar. 12, 1889.

TOBACCO FORBIDDEN TO BOYS.

The 12th of the month is a little late to be reading
the last Gleanings, but I was reading Mrs. J. B.
Ratcliffe's letter, and I wanted to add my mite on
the subject. T say, abolish strong drink first, and to-
bacco very soon after. We have a law in our State,
forbidding the sale or gift of tobacco to boys under
16 years of age, under a penalty of $20 for each of-
fense; but it is poorly followed, I fear. I repre-
sented our town in the last meeting of supervisors,
when there was a bill of $3.50 for tobacco for the
use of the occupants of the poorhouse. The next
morning I offered a resolution forbidding it to be
furnished at the expense of the county. It car-
ried by a two-thirds vote, men voting for it who
were chewing and smoking when they voted. I
think it is one of the causes of pauperism, there-
fore we should not supply it to the poor. You can
enroll my name as one in the army to fight King
Alcohol and Prince Tobacco. We expect at this
session of the Legislature to get the privilege of
county option, and then we will free oiu- county of
the curse of strong drink.

Our bees were foraging for maple sap or any
thing in their line, this March 12th.

Philo, 111. M. L. Brewer,

an injury to health, and a disgusting habit.

A brother-in-law who had chewed tobacco for
many years was obliged to leave it off because he
came out with several cancers. He found, when
be tried in earnest, he could leave it off; since then
his health has greatly improved; but the cancers,
as soon as cured in one place, come out in another.

Another acquaintance of mine, when cutting
open a plug of tobacco, cut open a big tobacco-
worm that had been mashed in with the tobacco.

A few days since I called at a store, and the pro-
prietor had long whiskers, down which was driz-
zling tobacco-juice over at least one-third of his
entire lower whiskers. What a sight !

Roseville, 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell.

A USER OF TOBACCO FOR 30 YEARS QUIT.

I am glad to say, after over one month's experi-
ence, that, by the help of Christ, I have quit the
use of tobacco in every way after I had used it for
over thirty years. I can not say that I was in-
fluenced solely by Gleanings, but by seeing that
others were quitting. 1 made a strong resolution,
God helping me I would not only try, but I icoukl
quit. And I am surprised how easy it has been. I
believe that a nybody can quit who will lay it away
and ask God for his grace to aid and strengthen. I
will say here, that I am well convinced that, if I
had never used tobacco in any form, I should have
been a better man mentally, physically, and finan-
cially; and I advise everybody to quit the bad,
filthy, expensive habit. Now, Mr. Root, if you
think I am worthy of a smoker, if you will send
me one I will pledge myself that, if ever I use to-
bacco in any form I will pay you the price of the
smoker. I am a constant reader of Gleanings.
We have been very much interested in your report
of your travels. T. N. Stokes.

Darlington, Ind., Feb. 6, 1889.

188&

GEKANINGS IN BEE CPLTl'KE.

315

For as 1 passed by, and beheld your devotions, I
found an altar with this inscription. To the un-
known god. Whom therefore ye ignorantly wor-
ship, him declare I unto you.— Acts 17:215.

THE GARDEN OF THE GODS.

TT seems to me that the peculiar surround-
M ings at Manitou strongly tempt one to
W think that he is in many respects in an
"*• enchanted land. The strange, grotesque
rocks which I have already described,
the springs that bubble forth delicious,
sparkling, pungent, effervescing beverages ;
the sight of winter all around and a little
above you, while you stand in a valley of
perpetual summer, rather encourages the
idea. Wheu I started off on my walk that
morning I was watching anxiously every
foot of the way, to see glimpses indicating
my approach to the Garden of the Gods. I
do not quite like the name, for it sounds to
me a little irreverent ; but I can readily im-
agine that the discoverers of this strange

Arizona, of the work of the winds and water
in wearing away rock. Some convulsion of
nature during former ages had tipped the
stratified rock up edgewise; then the whole
had been covered with a debris of sand or
soil, until the rocks standing edgewise were
submerged. Now, if it were possible that
some spring or other agency should cause a
deposit of iron on the surface of this raised
soil, so as to form a capstone of a yellow
stratum, which became hard, and, after all
this had taken place, the winds and floods
should then wash away the soil so as to
leave these rocks, that were originally turn-
ed edgewise, standing up above the soil,
with the iron-ore deposit resting on their
points, 1 can readily imagine how Monu-
mental Park and the Garden of the Gods,
should be produced by Nature's workings.

The road is well traveled along here, for
excursions from Manitou go out to the Gar-
den of the Gods almost hourly, and there-
fore my road was an easy and pleasant one,
although it was a good deal up hill and
down. In turning abruptly through the ev-
ergreen-trees, which lined the road almost

"the happy family," monumental park.

locality felt as though they must have some
name for the strange objects that began to
meet my view. One of the first things that
attracted my attention was some queer rocks
sticking out of the ground, looking more or
less like monuments of some rude sort, or
tombstones of some former age. Pretty
soon, on the summit of a little knoll among
the bushes, I caught a glimpse of some of
these queer monuments actually capped.
See cut above.

As I came around a curve in the road, so
as to get a better view, I could hardly be-
lieve my eyes when I saw three of these
pedestals united by a cap that formed a
bridge from one to the other, as seen above.
The three seemed to be supporting on their
apex this piece of rock as if it were a log, or
may be a human body, suspended aloft. I
noticed at once that this log, and, in fact,
all of the cappings, were of a different-col-
ored stone, indicating that they were hard-
er ; and then I remembered my studies in

its whole length, I came suddenly upon
what is called the Balanced Rock, as seen
on next page.

As one lifts his eyes and gazes upon this
ponderous stone, as big as a small meeting-
house, he involuntarily starts back for feat-
it will tip over on him ; and it took me quite
a little time to gain assurance enough to
walk boldly up and take hold of the rock to
see if I could not tip it out of its place.
Perhaps I should remind our readers that
these pictures are true to life, for they were
all made from photographs, by the new Ives
process. As one sees the fleecy clouds float
along the sky above the tree-tops, and above
this rock, he is almost sure to imagine that
the rock is swaying one way and the other,
ready to roll on him and crush him to atoms.
In fact, those who are familiar with the ob-
jects here have a sly trick of telling people,
especially ladies, that this great rock sways
to and fro, as the wind blows light or strong.
After they have made many exclamations

31(5

GLEANINGS IN EEE CULTURE.

Apr.

of surprise, somebody begins to smile, and
then there is a big laugh all round, to think
how easily they have been humbugged. I
hardly need tell our readers that all the lift-
ing I could do did not disturb the great
stone from its poise where it has rested for
so many ages. The stones and rocks in this
vicinity are much like those in the region
of Mammoth Cave. They are more or less
soluble in water; and as the rain trickles
down it dissolves enough of them to give
the water a plain color, so a great many of
the streams are red, or yellow, on account of
the chemicals they have dissolved from the
rocks. This red, or vellow color, I believe,
is mostly owing to the salts of iron. The
Indian name for yellow is " ute," therefore
we have Ute Canvon, Ute Mountain, and
Ute Springs. The Ute Springs have enough

THE BALANCED ROCK, IN THE GARDEN' OF
THE GODS.

iron in them to give a slightly sour taste, not
unlike weak lemonade ; and the presence of
the carbonic acid, to make the water spar-
kle, and give it the delicious snap, makes
one almost ready to acknowledge, as the In-
dians used to have it, that the Great Spirit
had given mankind not only a delicious bev-
erage, bubbling up from the bowels of the
earth, but a beverage that heals diseases
while it refreshes. Now, Dr. Mason inti-
mates, somewhere in this issue, that I am
rather averse to any sort of healings that
come out of a bottle. I want to tell him
that I begin to have faith just at present in
the virtues of Manitou spring water, even
though we do have to bottle it up at the

springs and ship it by the carload to distant
places, where there is. demand for it. Be-
fore we go on, let us look back and say good-
by to our friend the Balanced Rock. The
monuments and pillars of the Garden of the
Gods are scattered over perhaps a mile or
two of ground. Some visitors have been
disappointed because nature did not arrange
them all in a group so they could be seen
without traveling. I confess, however, that
I rather like the idea of having them burst
upon my view as I climbed hills and de-
scended into valleys, one at a time.

The next thing was the Needle Rocks and
the 'adjacent spires, the names of which I
have forgotten— see next page.

The three rocks called the Needles are
seen on the left. They are thin Hat stones
thaU stand straight up,*perhaps a hundred
feet or more high. Some think there is
nothing to suggest needles. In fact, you
might think them one, instead of three
rocks ; but when you get along to just the
right point, as you look at them edgewise
toward the sky you will see that they are
entirely separated, clear to the ground, and
all you notice is three thin spires, so frail
you are tempted to think they must be sheet
iron or they would be broken off by the
wind. These three once composed a solid
rock, sticking up straight toward the sky.
As this rock, however, was composed of
strata of different degrees of hardness, the
wind and rain have dissolved out the soft
portions, leaving the needles, or leaves,
rather. Right back of the horse and buggy
you will notice another strange pile of rocks,
one of them reaching like a single tall spire
away up into the sky, almost. You can get
an idea of its height from the size of the
horse and buggy. At the left of this square
block, not unlike the ruins of some building,
is another of these queer bridges. In this
case, one of the spires has evidently broken
off and fallen on its neighbor. The rocks
a little further on, at the right hand of the
picture, are full of openings not unlike the
needles. In our next picture we have a
view of them from the other side. The horse
and buggy again give you something of an
idea of their height.

And now we stand right in the center of
the sacred ground. I say " sacred," because
it seems to me that almost any child of hu-
manity must feel like uncovering his head
as he looks in awe and wonder at these
strange and curious structures towering up
like mountains. The picture gives you a
faint glimpse of the roadways that have
been made here and there in the sand. As
you push your foot into the reddish-yellow
soil, or, rather, gravel, you are impressed
with the idea that these rocks, at some re-
mote time, must have been very much high-
er than they are now, and that the ruin of
their former greatness is what makes this
rocky gravel that covers the whole land-
scape all round about. A little distance
away is a hotel that is kept up in summer
time. At the time of my visit they did not
receive visitors. The lady who had the
place in charge kindly answered my ques-
tions, however, pointed out the places of in-
terest, and supplied me with the photo-

issft

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

51?

graphs I have given you on these pages.
Most of the rocks h;ive been named ; and
people imagine that these rocks bear like-
nesses to different animals. As the rocks
and cliffs are all variegated with different
colors, mostly red and yellow, various land-
scapes and pictures are pointed out. These,

er, horses, passengers on top and inside, and
luggage behind.1*

1 smiled somewhat as I turned back, and
now for the first time allowed my imagina-
tion to see in the coloring of the rocks what
she had described. I have from childhood
had a very vivid imagination, and can re-

NEBDLE HOCKS,

however, draw so strongly on the imagina-
tion that few people can see them until they
are " educated up to it," if I may use the
term ; and various maps and paintings
adorn the reception-room of this hotel, giv-
ing an exaggerated view of the paintings to
be seen on the rocks. For instance : Said
the lady, —

GARDEN OF THE GODS.

member as long as forty years ago of seeing
pictures in the clouds, and, in my mind's
eye, building up a romance that so absorbed
me it was like a fairy-tale or a story from
the Arabian Nights ; and when I found here
at the Garden of the Gods that they were
making a science, almost, of this matter of
seeing wonderful paintings where the ordi-

VIEW OF THE INTEItlOIt OK THE uAUDEN OF 'HIE GODS

" Can you see that stage-coach just on the
summit of yonder range of cliffs V "

I was obliged to confess that I could not
see any stage-coach at all — nothing like it.

"Well, now, turn around and look at the
picture up there on the wall. You see there
the old-fashioned stage-coach with its driv-

nary individual saw nothing at all, it made
me smile again. For the first time since my
long walk in the morning 1 began to feel
that it was dinner-time ; but my good friend
told me there was no remedy. They were
not prepared to give anybody a dinner, so I
had the prospect of two miles and a half be-

318

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Apr.

fore dinner. I asked my friend if I could
not shorten the distance by going crosslots.
She said she believed the traveled road was
considered the quickest and easiest in the
end. I, however, though tired and hungry,
rather preferred a new path. My wife has
scolded me over and over again' because I
always insist on going home by some other
route ; and even though former experience
has resulted in my getting lost, finding
bridges gone, getting the buggy muddy, and
things of that sort, she says experience with
me does not seem to amount to any thing. I
am up to the same okl trick whenever I get
rive miles or more from home. I saw an
opening through the rocky cliffs, right ahead
of that horse and buggy, and into it I push-
ed, with my photographs in my hand. Pret-
ty soon I had more climbing over the rocks
than I had counted on ; but I consoled my-
self by thinking it must be pretty soon down
hill instead of up. Yes, it was down hill,
but such a down hill as I never saw before.
I pushed ahead until I began to fear I
should fall into a chasm or be killed on the
points of the jagged rocks below me; and
then my imagination began picturing
Gleanings dressed in crape, and all its
readers saddened bv the intelligence that
its editor had been found crushed to death
at the bottom of a precipice. So I got back
to the beaten road, and, as soon as I could,
made for the railway track.

What a boon is a railway track, even to a
footsore and weary traveler ! I had been
saying to myself, that, if I just got on the
railway track there would be no more up hill
and down hill. But I soon had experience
of this queer optical illusion that I have
mentioned before, as the effect of the moun-
tains ; namely, you are sure you are going
down hill when in reality you are on the up
grade. I looked ahead on the track, and re-
joiced at the prospect of seeing a place
where it was so much down hill that I could
easily run clear clown to the town; but
when I got there I could hardly believe my
senses. It seemed to me as if some evil
sprite from the Garden of the Gods were
pulling and tugging at my coat-tails, and
trying to pull me up hill backward. It
seemed so unreal, that I turned square
round and walked the other way. Would
you believe it ? — it was a great deal easier '
walking up hill (at least my senses said it
was up hill) than to go clown hill toward
the town ! I looked around for a stream of
water. Sure enough ! I felt like the woman
who said, "There, it is just as I expected,
and I always thought it would be.'' That
contrary stream of water was running up
hill, just as plain as the nose on your face.
It seemed to be laughing and giggling to
think I was such a "greeny." By and by,
however, I readied my hotel ; and my good
friend who presides at the table had saved
out an extra nice dinner for me. It was
then only just half-past twelve o'clock.

Does some one wonder what all this story
lias to do with the text at the head of our
talk to-day ? Well, friends, it is this : Great
multitudes are thronging Manitou, especial-
ly during the hot weather of summer. If
they come here they put up at expensive

hotels, and then pay great prices for liveries
to visit these things I have told you about.
They do this to worship God through his
wrorks, some of them say. Now, they come
here for enjoyment and recreation, and in
order to get the very greatest amount of en-
joyment out of a certain sum of money or
for a certain number of days or weeks, and
they resort to various artifices to enhance
the attraction the place already possesses.
Expensive hotels furnish costly viands; and
the advertisements of their wonderful
springs unblushingly recommend Manitou
spring-water, combined with intoxicating
liquors ; and a good many people when they
go out to enjoy nature must have a bottle of
intoxicants along with them. I have some-
times wondered why one who loved whisky
could not get intoxicated just as well some-
where out of sight as to go to a picnic or ex-
cursion, or on a trip to some noted water-
ing-place. Many must have a cigar when
they are looking at the mountains, water-
falls, or nature"s caverns. Stumps of cigars
are scattered quite freely all through the
Garden of the Gods. I am told, also, that
the livery-stables do an immense business
on God's holy day. Now, then, friends,
with the above thought in mind let us read
our text :

As I passed by I beheld an altar with this inscrip-
tion: To the unknown god. Whom therefore ye
ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Now, let me tell you as Paul told the peo-
ple of Athens in olden time, " Him there-
fore whom ye ignorantly worship, declare I
unto you." I doubt whether any tourist
ever had more real enjoyment in Manitou
than I found. But I found it a little unex-
pectedly. It commenced in God's holy tem-
ple, among Christian people, in the house of
worship. You have heard my simple story,
which I have told as honestly and truthfully
as I knew how. Now, did any one, when
under the influence of the narcotic fumes of
tobacco, or through the intoxication of
strong drink, or even by the expenditure of
vast sums of money, ever find the happiness
that I have found V Did any Sabbath-
breaker ever enjoy himself so honestly and
thoroughly as I have done during this Mon-
day forenoon I have told you about? Per-
haps it is true that we are all seeking enjoy-
ment, myself among the rest ; but has not
Paul got it about right when he says,
"Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship,
him declare I unto you " V The Bible tells
us, " Great peace have they that love thy
law.'' My testimony is, that it is true,
every word of it, and there is no peace in the
whole wide universe to be compared with
that which comes to the faithful, honest,
earnest follower of Christ Jesus.

A VISIT TO BEE-CELLARS IN NORTH-
ERN OHIO.

ERNEST OFF ON A RAMBLE— CONTINUED.

fHE topic of our conversation gradually
merged into the wintering question.
Of course, I asked Mr. Boardman a
great manv questions about the re-
pository. To talk more understand-
ing^ we went out to look it over. Having

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTl RK.

319

taken along my camera, I was prepared to Stationing myself at the end door I), I

take some views, and I herewith present poised the camera and took the view shown

you an outside view of the building, looking below,
from the southeast.

BOARDMAN S HOME WINTER -REPOSITORY.

This is double- walled, 50 x 12 feet, one
story, with walls 14 inches thick. It is di-
vided into two compartments, each of which
is connected with an entryway 10x10 in the
center of the building ; consequently to en-
ter the building we enter by a door at C in
the diagram, not shown in cut. If desirable
the door can be closed after us, and we can
then enter the doors from the small entry-
way. The diagram below is my recollection

I w w

J_w_w_wJ

GROUND PLAN OF BUILDING.

of the plan of the building. A is the entry-
way ; B B the compartments ; C the door-
way to the entry ; and D D, etc., are doors
to the compartments B B, from each end of
the building. W, W, W, etc., are windows,
hinged in the middle in such a way that the
window can be revolved to a horizontal
plane, so as to allow the bees to escape. As
we approached the structure, I said, " I no-
tice that the door is open."

" It has been such an open winter that I
have been obliged to lower the temperature
by letting in the outside air. Besides, there
are more colonies in the repository than I
should prefer to have for such an open win-
ter as the present one."

" How many colonies have you in there
now?"

" I have 70 in one compartment and 100 in
the other. In continuous cold weather the 100
would have been about right. But, I find
that from 75 to SO colonies in each compart-
ment average best, all things considered.
During the past winter, the compartment
having the 70 did better than the one hav-
ing the 100. During a severe winter the re-
sults might have been reversed."

" I suppose, it will not be possible to get a
photographic view inside ; that is. it will
not be advisable to let in sufficient light to
enable me to take a picture."

"Oh, yes! I think there will be no trou-
ble ;" and so saying he opened the end door
at I) ; and not only that, he opened the
three windows so that it was as light as an
ordinary room.

" But, aren't you afraid that this light is
going to disturb your lees?"'

" For the length of time you require, it
will do no harm."

AN INSIDE VIEW OF BOARDMAN S WINTER

REPOSITORY, SHOWING FRONT ROW

OF HIVES.

As Mr. Boardman has already explained
in one of his articles, the bottom-boards are
left on their permanent stands, and the
hives, as you will notice by the engraving,
are piled up in such a way that the bottom
of one hive comes directly over the opening
between the two below. Instead of giving
full-width entrance, as most bee keepers do
who winter in repositories, he gives them
the benefit of a large portion of the bottom
of the hive. To the stronger colonies he
gives more bottom space ; to the weaker he
gives less. On the average there is an open-
ing at the bottom of each hive, 4 inches
wide, and the full length or width of the
hive. He does not then give them the full
bottom, as I had formerly supposed, and as
perhaps some of the rest of the readers like-
wise understood.

You will notice that friend Boardman dis-
penses with all stringers, shelving, or any
other support to hold the colonies in the re-
pository. They are simply piled up about 4
inches apart, one upon the other, break-
joint fashion.

"Now, then, friend Boardman, Mr. New-
man said he did not see how you could car-
ry hives about without bottom-boards, and
yet not have the bees dropping out and fly-
ing out to make the job any thing but pleas-
ant ; and, what is more, I do not see how
you do it myself."

" "Why, easy enough," said my friend. Go-
ing to one of the hives (they are cleated
clear around at the top, you will notice, the
cover resting telescopic fashion on this
cleat) he grasped its diagonally opposite cor-
ners. Leaning backward a little he let the
edge of the hive bear against his person,
carried the hive to the other end of the re-
pository, set it down, took it up and put it
back. He did likewise with a number of
other colonies. Each one he held up, turn-
ing it up so that I could see for myself the
condition of the bees, and how they appar*
ently regarded such kind of handling,

320

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aril.

While it looked real easy I could not be con-
tent until "I tried it too.

" To prevent the bees flying out when
about to remove them to their winter quar-
ters, I am particular," he said " not to jar
the hive unnecessarily, and then I prefer to
have the weather just cool enough at the
time so that the bees cluster a little closer
than usual.

" You see," he continued, "I letter each
row in the apiary, and number each individ-
ual stand. Now, when I get ready to carry
the bees out I take the first hive I come to,
which, in this case, proves to be F 18. Of
course, I know where the F row is ; and 18
I know to be somewhere about the middle
of the row : and with the hive in this fash-
ion " (holding it in the manner I have be-
fore explained) "I take a bee-line to the bot-
tom-board having the same marking as the
hive."

" But," I said, " do you think it makes
any great difference as to where the colo-
nies are put?"

"Not much, but it does some; and if I
can deposit each colony where it was last
fall, just as easily as not, I very much pre-
fer to do so rather than to set them out hap-
hazard. There is then no confusion among
the bees when they take their first flight ;
for some old bees will be sure to know
where their old stand used to be."

" 1 want to know what sort of a cover you
put over the frames in winter."

" All the bees have is the regular hive-
cover, and this they usually glue down
tight ; that is, I put the bees into the repos-
itory just as I find them on their summer
stands, alter I have satisfied myself as to
their strength and amount of stores."

Now. perhaps some of our readers will be-
gin to wonder whether those bees, during
all this time when the repository was light-
ed as light as any ordinary room, did not be-
come more or less disturbed, and fly out. I
expected to see them fly out a great deal
more than they did ; but only here and there
a bee would start out from its hive, and
strike for outdoors. Then 1 said to Mr.
Boardman, " You would not like to leave
this compartment lighted up like this all
day would you?"

" No, sir ; but for a short time it does no
particular harm. The few bees that fly out
are old ones, rather feeble, and are not of
much use to the colony. My colonies have
been rearing brood quite heavily, and there
is a large force of younger bees to take their
place."

Glancing down to the floor (concrete ce-
ment) I noticed there were a good many
dead bees. In some places, perhaps they
were an inch or so deep.

" Now, it seems to me you have got a good
many more dead bees as the result of your
indoor wintering than we have from our
chaff hives, on their summer stands."

"Yes; but," said he, " I think you will
find that the bees fly out from the chaff
hives in the same way. These, never re-
turning, are lost sight of, and of course do
not figure very largely in the eyes of the
bee-keeper, on the death-list."

Wh}le I admitted this, it did seem to me

there were more, perhaps, than we usually
lose in that way on summer stands. I say
" seem," because I am not sure about this.

The dinner-hour approaching, Mr. Board-
man closed up the windows, darkened them,
and closed all openings except the door to
the entry way A, shown in the diagram
above. As we stood before the building I
said to Mr. Boardman, " It is not yet quite
clear in my mind whether you open that
door to give ventilation or to lower the tem-
perature, or to do both."

" Bottom ventilation to the hive is all that
I regard as important. I open the door sim-
ply to lower the temperature of the reposi-
tory."

'"But," I said, "don't you have a sub-
earth ventilator of some kind to the build-
ing?"

"Ido not see what need I have of one.
As I only want to lower the temperature, I
can do it by a door or window a little better,
perhaps, than to let the air become warmed
under ground a little before entering the
compartment."

As we were entering the house, I told Mr.
Boardman that I should like to take the
noon train.

" Oh, no !" said my host. " You had bet-
ter take the evening train."

Having enjoyed my visit so far, it did not
take very much persuasion on his part and
that of his good wife to induce me to re-
main over a little longer. Besides, as he
had promised that he would take me out to
his out-apiaries I did not feel like resisting
very hard. Accordingly, after dinner we
went out to the barn, where Mr. Boardman
had three horses, one of them being a fami-
ly horse, and the other two devoted exclu-
sively to the bees, in going to and from the
out-apiaries. Very soon we were on our
way, on a brisk trot, to one of his east apia-
ries. After going about a mile and a half
we came to a piece of land belonging to Mr.
Boardman. An old schoolhouse on this
plot of ground had been converted into a
winter repository. Like the one at home, it
was an up-ground structure. The walls
were 14 inches thick, and frost-proof. This
building had only one compartment, which
communicated with an entryway, and the
latter to the outside. My friend then
brought something like a dozen colonies,
selected at random, out to the light, for my
inspection. They were all in most excellent
condition, and the weak ones seemed to be
doing about as well as the strong ones. As
before, I noticed dead bees on the floor, but
not to the extent that they seemed to be in
the winter repository at home. After clos-
ing the building we started lor an out-api-
ary some two or three miles further east.
Of course, we talked all the way. I asked
him if he preferred up-ground repositories
rather than a good cellar.

" I prefer them simply as a matter of con-
venience," he said, " in carrying bees in and
out. I do not know that the bees will win-
ter any better in one than in the other. We
are now going to one of my bee-cellars un-
der a farmhouse, where I think you will find
the bees wintering as well as in either of
the other repositories."

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

321

In a short time we arrived at the place in
question.

"This cellar," said Mr. Boardman, as he
opened the door, " is one that I partitioned
off."

As before, Mr. Boardman and I examined
the colonies at random, and found them to
be in good condition.

" Now," said he, " here is one colony that
I put in by way of experiment. I do not
know how' they will winter. It was very
weak, and I thought I would put it in just
to see how they would winter."

Turning the hive up we could detect no
signs of life. He set the hive down again
and lifted up the cover, and, lo ! every thing
was as still as death. When I came to ex-
amine the size of the colony I was not very
much surprised myself. There could not
have been very many more than 200 bees,
even at the outside, in the cluster; but the
evidence seemed to point to the fact that
they had only just died.

u Ordinarily," said my friend, " we unite
such weak ones ; but as a general thing we
can winter weak colonies— that is, if not too
weak — as well as we can strong ones." Aft-
er putting the hive back in its place, he con-
tinued, " You will notice the cellar is very
dry. Some bee - keepers claim that they
could winter bees in a cellar ' reeking with
dampness,' if only the food were right. I
am not so particular about the food, but I
am particular about a dry warm place."

All of Mr. Boardman1s bees, as he subse-
quently told me, were wintered on whatever
stores they happened to have in their hives.
If the food is well ripened, the colony not
too weak, and the cellar dry and warm, he
does not worry very much over probabilities.
While he can and has wintered bees on hon-
ey-dew he prefers the nectar of the flowers.
As we stepped out of the repository Mr.
Boardman said, " Here at this apiary I em-
ployed an inexperienced boy. I should have
had more money in my pocket had I paid
him the wages I did and had him stay at
home. He made enough muss and trouble
to more than offset all the good he did."

Mr. Boardman prefers a man grown— one
with sufficient maturity of judgment to do
what he is told to do.

To be Continued.

Recent Development

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.
THE DO VET AILED HIVE

1Tp GOOD many suggestions concerning
^Mk the new hive have come in. One or

0* two of the friends think that plain
-^*- ordinary box joints will answer all
practical purposes, and that the dove-
tailed corner is just so much more useless
exj tense. Having perfected special ma-
chinery, the item of dovetailing is a very
small one indeed in the construction of the
hive, and the attendant advantages are too
great to be ignored. To test the strength of
a dovetailed corner we drove one hive to-
gether without paint or vails, and found it
was nearly as rigid as a Simplicity nailed.
Again, we drove together the dovetailed

body, having previously dipped the dove-
tailed edges into some thin paint. The
hive was then allowed to become thoroughly
dry. To test its strength I then put my
whole weight, 150 pounds, upon it in such a
way that the pressure was exerted on the
diagonally opposite corners. I then pounc-
ed it upon the floor, balancing myself milk-
stool fashion. I presume that something
over 200 pounds upon the opposite corners
was exerted before I could hear any thing
crack. Mind you, all this was ivithout a sin-
gle nail. But on account of the daubiness
of paint, our man prefers to nail them to-
gether and then cross-nail. It is impossible
to cross-nail an ordinary box corner — that
is, where one board simply laps across
another. A cross-nail joint is very much
superior in point of strength and durability
to the plain box corner.

There are some people who will be sure
to get a hive together wrong if there is a
possibility of getting it so. Eor instance,
with a box or lap joint they will lap the end
across the end of the side, or vice versa,
when the opposite is intended. Carelessness
in this respect results in the wrong inside
dimensions of the hive as a matter of course.
With the Simplicity or with the dovetailed
corner, such a thing is impossible. You
may say that a man of ordinary common
sense ought not to do such a thing. Some
very foolish blunders are made, as we know
from experience, by some of our customers.

If there is any warp in a side or end, the
dovetail, when "driven together, will take it
out, and prevent any further trouble from
that source. No, sir, the dovetailed corner is
considerably better than a box joint.

As announced in our last issue, I here-
with present the modified engraving of the
Dovetailed hive as we now make it.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

The principal change noticeable on the
hive will be the changing of the bee-space
to the top of the brood-frames, instead of at
the bottom as before announced. You will
notice what a good-sized entrance we allow.
By the accompanying wood-engraving you
will see the construction of the bottom-
board. It is simply a
cover-board, hardly good
§ ( nough to be used for a
cover, eleated at both
ends like a cover, with a
quarter-inch strip nailed on each of its two
sides. One of the end cleats is leveled
down, so to speak, to allow an entrance-
way. This bottom-board can be used for a
cover, but the cover can not be used very
well as a bottom-board. In general, the
construction of the hive is now such that,
in whatever combination it may be made, a.

BOTTI IM-BOARD,

322

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

bee-space will always be between each sep-
arate compartment ; and if desired, the hon-
ey-board may be omitted, although I should
never advise it.

Some of the good friends think we are
making a mistake to leave out the tin rab-
bets. The new hive is intended for comb
honey and not for queen -rearing. Where
the frames are to be handled often, I would
recommend using the Simplicity hive with
the tin rabbets.

SECTION-HOLDERS.

There has been a large demand in the
last few days for the Dovetailed hive ; and
with scarcely an exception the section-hold-
er arrangement for surplus is chosen. For
the new hive I feel quite certain that it is
the better arrangement, although personal
experience this summer may modify my
views.

Right here I will make an extract from
a letter of our friend H. L. Jeffrey :

Those frames for the sections will do two things
for the boxes; first, keep them clean, and save, in
time of cleaning, more than the cost of the frames.
Second, by keeping the outer end of the sections of
a higher temperature than with only one thickness
of wood, and getting those sections filled out more
like the center ones, flush with the edge of the sec-
tion, the same result will be found by making your
crates with a division-board inside, with an 1|-inch
lag strip to give the section more space, and keep
up the evenness of the heat. That is what 10 years'
use of double sides has shown to be true. Mr. Al-
bian Ferriss has used those topless section frames
for years, and so have a score of others that I know
of. From what I have used of a similar fixture,
and seen by a score of others use, I am sure you are
putting out the best thing that you have had yet,
although it is a new combination to the public, of
old things. H. L. Jeffrey.

Marble Dale, Ct.

You will notice that Mr. Jeffrey says that
Mr. Ferriss and a score of others have used
these frames and like them ; and he, Mr.
Jeffrey, thinks we are putting out the best
thing that we have ever before advertised.

I also make an extract from our friend
Mr. Stachelhausen, who, it will be remem-
bered, produced 11,000 pounds of comb hon-
ey last year, when a great many others fail-
ed. He says :

The super is ingeniously constructed, and the sec-
tion-holder seems to me to be a noble arrangement.

Our section-holder super-shells are just
41 inches deep and 18* inches long, inside
measure, and this is too deep and too long
to accommodate 4i sections ; but by a little
calculation you will see that it is just right
for a T super to accommodate sections 4i
square, 1];: inches wide, which we regularly
keep in stock. I mention this fact, be-
cause some complain that the ii sections
are too small ; and while I would not advo-
cate changing to the larger size of section,
yet it' the purchaser adopts the section-hold-
er arrangement he can easily convert it into
a T super by using the 4A sections, as stat-
ed ; but if he orders the T-super arrange-
ment he c;in not change it to any thing else.

For those who desire to use the T super
and 4i sections, we make the ends thicker
and the holder-shell 4g inches deep.

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi-Monthly.

*0+~*O*— —

J±. I. EOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

J^EUUsT^., OHIO.

*o+~4o«

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

>» ♦-!

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

ZMIIEIDiaT^, ^IPIR,- 15, 1889.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment.— Mark 12: £0.

CAPTAIN HETHERINGTON'S ARMY LIFE.

In another column will be found an exceedingly-
interesting account of the army life of that bee-
keeper and soldier. Captain J. E. Hetherington. As
one who manages successfully some 3000 colonies, we
extend to him our hearty congratulations; and as a
soldier, we feel sure that the whole bee-keeping
fraternity may well feel proud of him, whether
North or South.

THE VIRGIN-QUEEN TRAFFIC.

The following, from the Review for March 10th,
is so exactly in line with our opinion and experi-
ence, that we think best to place it before our
readers :

Mr. Jones favors the traffic in virgin queens That they can
he furnished very cheaply, there is no question; but that they
are difficult to introduce, we know from experience. A newly
hatched queen is easily introduced. As the hours go by, the
probabilities of acceptance are lessened. With us, the per-
centage of loss has been great when the queens were three or
four days old. Then there is the risk of loss in mating; and,
unless the locality of the purchaser can furnish excellent
drones, the queens will find undesirable mates; and as pre-
potency is on the side of the male, there will be little " value
received."

IS THERE A BETTER BAKING POTATO THAN THE
SNOWFLAKE?

You may remember that, on page 19], I asked for
samples of the best baking potatoes known. Well,
I received from George Ebell, of Baker City, Ore-
gon, four Early Rose potatoes, by express. The
four potatoes weighed 8 pounds. They were very
good, but hardly equal in quality to the Snowflake.
He writes as follows:

I raised them on friend Terry's plan I have several thou-
sand pounds as large as the sample sent. 1 held 50 pounds in
one arm. George Ebell.

Baker City, Oregon, March 23, 1889.

Peter Henderson's Early Puritan comes so near
the Snowflake that it might almost be said to equal
it; and as it is said to be as early as the earliest, and
as productive as any of them, we are inclined to
consider it an acquisition. We are now planting it,
largely with a view of furnishing seed to our sub-
scribers next year.

THE EDITORIAL, "i" IN GLEANINGS.

I suppose that most of our readers are aware
that the coarse print on our pages is all written
either by Ernest or by A. T. Root. Well, now, al-
though Ernest and A. I. agree pretty nearly on
most points, it begins to be apparent that our opin-
ions do not always coincide exactly. The same is
true in regard to the ABC book. A large part of
the last edition was written by Ernest himself; and
if you should find that I express an opinion in one
place and Ernest gives a conflicting opinion some-
where else, please do not quote it as an illustration
of A. I. Root's inconsistency. In many things, espe-
cially those pertaining to the bees, Ernest has had

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

323

more experience at the present time than I have
had; and, in fact, when some one comes to me for
an opinion, I very often turn him over to Ernest
because I have more confidence in his decision than
I should have in my own. The matter of gardening
and raising crops is, however, more especially my
province.

CAPTAIN HETHERINGTON'S LOSS.

Just as we go to press, the following sad intelli-
gence comes to hand :

The readers of Gleanings will deeply sympathize with ('apt.
Hetherington and wife in the loss of their youngest son, John
Edwin, who died April 3d, aged i years and 3 months. Al-
though so young, many had observed that his remarkable in-
tellectual development, together with an unusual degree of
self-reliance and energy, gave promise of a life of great use-
fulness. P. H. Elwood.

Starkville, N. Y.. April 9, 1889.

We extend our sincere sympathy to the captain
and his wife.

ORANGE-BLOSSOM HONEY ; THE FIRST EXTRACTED
HONEY OF THE SEASON.

We are in receipt of a sample from Florida, with
the following letter:

Mr. Root:— We extracted our lirst honey March 21, taking
out Ave gallons of mixed honey, fair and good. Monday,
April 1, we extracted again, and got 20 gallons of as tine
orange-blossom honey as could be desired, a sample of which
I send you. We will extract again next Monday, and expect to
get 20 gallons more then, of the same honey, and that will
close orange-blossom for this year. We have 20 colonies. If
we have no disappointment, the season will last 3 months.
Our bees are on the St. John's River. John Craycraft.

Altoona, Fla., Apr. 3, 1889.

I am happy to say that the sample of orange-
blossom honey sent us is perfectly delicious, and
ought to bring as good a price as any of our clover
or basswood. I think I should place it at the head.
The flavor is quite similar to that furnished by the
Baldensperger Bros., of Jaffa, Syria, noticed in
these ptiges some two or three years ago. What
will you take for a barrel of it?

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

We have of late been receiving so many communi-
cations from people who have invested money in a
patent-right pruner, claiming to have purchased
the territory of our agent or agents, that we wish
it distinctly understood that we have no agents,
and never did have, for selling rights for any patent.
Whoever claims to be our agent, or to be authoriz-
ed by us to sell rights for any pruner, is a humbug
and a swindler, and we hope that all good men will
assist in putting down this fraud. In some cases
poor widows have scraped up their scanty earnings
to pay for a county right, only to be informed,
when they write to us, that their money is worse
than thrown away.

how good an illustrated home journal can be had
for $1.50 per annum can obtain a sample copy by
addressing T. G. Newman & Son, 9:23 West Madison
St., Chicago, 111.

LOOK OUT FOR HIM.

J. H. Brewer, physician and surgeon, Jackson,
Neb., wrote us as follows, Oct. 11, 1888:

Please send me one copy of your A B C of Bee
Culture and one of your best bee-smokers, by ex-
press, C. O. D. J. H. Brewer.

Jackson, Neb., Oct. 11, 1888.

Judging that the want of the goods was probably
more than the worth of them, we sent them right
along with above instructions. When notified they
were not taken from the office, we wrote the doctor;
and as he did not reply we wrote again, telling him
we should be $105 out of pocket if he did not take
the things from the express office according to
promise, the above amount being the express
charges both ways. We even wrote the third time,
telling him we had his plain order in black and
white, with his signature at the bottom; also tell-
ing him that we should feel it our duty to caution
others among the bee-fraternity against trusting
him in a similar way, if he did not respond. We
also took pains to find out that he was in his usual
good health, and abundantly able to answer letters,
even if he could not raise the small sum of $1.05.
As he makes no reply, we publish him as above.

THE ILLUSTRATED HOME JOURNAL.

The above is the title of a monthly periodical
published by T. G. Newman & Son, editors and pro-
prietors of the American Bee Journal. This new
journal was formerly known as the Chicago Illus-
trated Journal. After three volumes were issued, it
was voluntarily suspended for a time. An auspi-
cious time having arrived, the editors decided to re-
new its publication, changing its name slightly as
above. It is printed on nice calendered paper, and
contains 36 pages, including a tinted cover. It is
well illustrated, and the initial article is entitled
"One Hundred Years a Nation," by the editor.
Mr. Newman is a man acquainted with men and
with the times, and the article is comprehensive
and complete. We wish the publishers every suc-
cess. Those of our readers who would like to see

A BOOK ON BUCKWHEAT WANTED.

Since the advent of the new Japanese buckwheat,
the industry has assumed such proportions that it
is quite important that we have the fullest infor-
mation in regard to preparing the ground, sowing
the seed, use of fertilizers, harvesting, cleaning,
and, in short, every thing connected with the rais-
ing of buckwheat. The matter of getting another
crop in, after something else has come off, is also of
much moment. My experience with the articles on
sweet potatoes has opened my eyes to the fact that
the readers of Gleanings are able to furnish a val-
uable treatise on almost any new industry. Now,
friends, please tell us what you know about buck-
wheat, and we will have a "buckwheat issue" some
time before it is time to sow the seed. I will pay
for your communications what I think I can afford
to, as I did with the papers on sweet potatoes. We
want all the valuable facts and hints we can get.
If some of them do not occupy more than ten lines,
all right. Let us have them, and we will pay you
something for your trouble. Now, please remember
that we want facts from actual experience, and ex-
periment rather than flowery essays. If some one
of our readers has raised buckwheat to the extent
of a thousand bushels or more in a season, we
should like to have a pretty comprehensive article
from him; but as there will necessarily be much
repetition, most of you had better make yourselves
as brief and comprehensive as you can. We want
the facts boiled down. Where one raises only a
little patch, the question comes up about harvest-
ing. He can not afford to get a thrashing-machine.
Shall he then load it on wagons and draw it to some
machine already set up? or shall he thrash it with a
flail? Has anybody yet raised two crops in one sea-
son? and does it yield grain in any locality when
sown early in the spring, as soon as frost is out of
the way? How about the use of chemical fertili-
zers? Shall we sow it broadcast, or with a seed-
drill, etc.?

324

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllE.

Apr.

jSPEd/m ]\[otice;s. kind words from our customers.

HENDERSON'S EARLY PURITAN POTATO.

We have just purchased a barrel of these to
plant, and we will furnish eyes, by mail, at the fol-
lowing prices to those who want them: 10 eyes,
l.r)Cts. ; 100, 75 cts.

EARLY OHIO POTATOES FOR PLANTING, AT A BAR-
GAIN.

While our stock lasts we will furnish Early Ohio
potatoes at the same prices as Beauty of Hebron
and Burbank were offered last month; namely,
50 cents per bushel, or $1.25 for a barrel of three
bushels.

THE A B C OF CARP CULTURE.

The above booK is finally ready to mail. As it is
almost two years since the fore part of it was print-
ed, it ought to be well done. Our readers will un-
derstand that a great part of it is a reprint of
George Finley's book, entitled " German, or Euro-
pean Carp." Friend Fiuley accumulated material
for it for three or four years, and I then paid him
$200 for the right and title to the original book, to-
gether with wThat he had done on a new edition.
After I had worked on it for about a year I found
that my many cares made it almost out of the ques-
tion for me to sit down and sift the chaff from the
wheat as I felt ought to be done, and I therefore
put the whole thing into the hands of our good
friend Dr. C.C.Miller, who gave his whole time
and attention to it for several weeks. Altogether
we think it contains all that is valuable up to date
on carp culture. As with our other books we pro-
pose to add to it, in the way of an appendix, every
thing new as it comes up. The price of the book is
35 cents; by mail, 40 cents. The original book was
$1.00, and we have made it contain double the
amount of matter, and illustrated it with many fine
engravings, and yet sell it at only 35 cents.

Goods came to hand alio. K. Thanks for prompt-
ness. Thank you for Christmas gift, biographies.
Moltke, Tenn.. Jan. 14, 1889. S. L. Medein.

I have two plants of your white lettuce growing,
which I prize very highly. Mrs. A. A. Needham.
Sorrento, Fla., Jan. 17, 1889.

The seed 1 got of you last year were all satisfac-
tory; the cabbage, especially, headed uncommonly
well, and is a tine quality. Wm Schwaab. '

Nashotah, Wis., Feb. 16, 1889.

EXCELSIOR FLAT DUTCH CABBAGE.

When we started out with our seed catalogue, you
know we decided to have only a few of each kind of
vegetable. I think we had at first four kiuds of
cabbage. Our list has now, however, run up to sev-
en, and it does not seem as if we could drop any of
them. Worse still, there are several complaints
that we have not in our list a late flat Dutch cab-
bage; we have therefore added Excelsior Flat
Dutch. Five cents per packet ; 15 cts. per ounce, or
$2.00 per pound.

FIGWORT, OR SIMPSON HONEY-PLANT ROOTS.

In consequence of my absence in California last
season, our rich market-gardening ground was not
plowed in the fall, and, as a result, great numbers
of figwort plants came up and became strong
enough to winter over. If orders are sent in at
once we will furnish these roots as follows: 10
roots, 15 cts.; 100, 75 cts.; 1000, $5.00. If wanted by
mail, add 8 cts. for 10, or 50 cts. for 100, postpaid.
They are just as sure to grow as a potato or horse-
radish root, and will blossom profusely this present
season.

KJNOTUM TOMATOES.

It is probably now too late for most of you to sow
the seed and get plants to bear a crop. Now, we
can not give away the plants as we have done with
the seeds, but we will send you three nice plants,
packed in a wooden box, for 10 cents; or 10 for 25
cents, by mail, postpaid. By express the price will
be $2.00 per 100. We have now in our greenhouses
a splendid lot of vegetable-plants of all kinds. For
prices and particulars, see our spring catalogue of
plants and seeds, mailed on application. As a sam-
ple of our ability to send plants safely long dis-
tances, see the following:

Mr. Root :— I bought ten Mikado tomato-plants of you last

sprint;-: and. to say the least, they far exceeded my most san-
guine expectations. They were hot wilted in the least when 1
received them, and I realized between four and live bushels of
large, beautiful, thoroughly ripe tomatoes from the tin
plants. I raised three varieties of tomatoes last year, and the
Mikados were the only ones that ripened thoroughly. This
year I am going to buy fifty plants of Mikado from you. Will
von please let me know the price of the same!
Belmont, Wis., April 4, 1889. J. Hakkie MORRIS.

I am glad you are sending me Gleanings. I
used to think I could not afford to take it, but I
think I have lost a good bit by not taking it long
ago. Charles Chandler.

Pennsville, O., Feb. 9, 1889.

You "beat the Dutch" for promptness. The
goods I ordered of you on the 9th arrived on the
12th, and in fine condition. I did not expect them
before the 15th. My neighbors are well pleased
with their sweepers, Accept my thanks for your
promptness, also for your letter of advice.

Peachville, Pa., Mar. 23. 1889. C. A. Lewis.

MRS. HARRISON'S ORPHANS, AND THE STORY OF
THE BIBLE.

The orphans enjoy the Story of the Bible very
much indeed. Katie reads, while Lucy peeps over
her shoulder to see the angels. The style is simple
and easy, and real fascinating to young people.

Peoria, 111., Feb. 11, 18S9. Mrs. L. Harrison.

I would no more think of doing without Glean-
ings thau some other necessity. Your trip to Cali-
frnia did me more good than any other descrip-
tion of the country I ever read, because I know
you are truthful. W. McDougan.

Santee Agency, Neb., Jan. 15, 1889.

I wish to congratulate the editor on the improve-
ments made in Gleanings. It grows better and
more interesting with each issue. I hope the edit-
or may long continue in the good work, and be
well paid for it too. Prospects are good for anoth-
er year. J. B. Kiggens.

Swanton, Neb., Feb. 18, 1889.

I have received your ABC, and am proud and
happy to get such a beautiful book as a present
from the author. I have read most of it, and like
it better than any of the other bee-books 1 have
seen. You should be happy to be able to give so
much for so little mcney. I have your picture and
biography in the book with the others taken from
Gleanings. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal.. Jan. 7, 1889.

I am very much interested in your Notes by the
Way, especially that concerning David C. Cook.
We have used in our Sunday-school for about 15
years, his literature. I was very much surprised
at his prosperity, when I think of the difficulties he
had to surmount, in the way of other publishing
companies, etc. We think Gleanings the paper
any way. E. R. A. and B. Brainard.

Postville, la., Jan. 21, 1889.

Mr. Root:— At a meeting of the Peoria Scientific
Association held last evening, a very cordial and
unanimous vote of thanks was extended to you for
the beautiful and valuable volumes which found
their way to the museum last week, as well as for
the Feb. No. of Gleanings. I assure you we are
deeply grateful to you for these favors. The books
are of incomparable value to one who is interested
in the subject of bee-culture, and I shall take pleas-
ure in recommending- them to my friends.

Peoria, 111 , Feb. 9, 1889. M. Louise White.

gleanings and the travels.
Friend Root:—" Beeology " does not awaken the
same interest with me in winter when my bees are
at rest as in summer when their music is heard in
every quarter; yet Gleanings has always been a
welcome visitor at my "news-table" since I first
formed its acquaintance, and especially so for the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

325

past few months, as 1 read the description of your
journey to the Pacific coast. I am quite familiar
with the route you traveled. I took the same jour-
ney in 1882, but went much further, and did not stop
till I landed on a branch of the McKenzie River,
near the head waters of the Youcan.

J. F. Callbreath.
White Lake, N. Y., Jan. 21, 1889.

The bill of goods came to hand in fine shape, and
such a handy package! I would advise all ordering
small goods to have them rolled up in perforated
zinc. A. A. Parsons.

Avon, Ind., March 18, 1889.

The seeds and cutlery I ordered of you came all
right in due time. The plated knives and forks are
splendid— about a third cheaper than we could get
them here; and the pocket-knives are first-rate for
the money. Please accept thanks.

Morristown, Ind. Mad. Talbert.

GLEANINGS CONSTANTLY GROWING BRIGHTER.

Notes of /Travel prove very interesting reading.
Gleanings constantly grows brighter and better.
Its artistic beauty is a joy forever. Long live
Gleanings and its energetic editor.

Gallinas, Texas, Mar. 11, 1889. W. A. McPhail.

Strawberry-plants received all right. Many thanks
for your promptness. 1 do think they are the finest-
rooted plants I ever saw, and the best packed anl
put up. I showed them to a nurseryman, and he
said he had been shipping plants a good while, but
he never could put them up as those were.

Hickman, Ky., March 19, 1889. J. O. Barnes.

While kind words are pouring in to Gleanings
and its publisher, let me say a few words for one,
a supply - dealer brought before us by the help of
Gleanings— J. M. Jenkins, Wetumpka, Ala., a man
who not only tries to satisfy his customers, but
does it. S. C. Corwin.

Sara Sota, Fla., Feb. 28, 1889.

The new Langstroth is received; very creditable
to the reviewers. Though retaining the fine flavor
of the original work, all that was essential and
characteristic, it has much new matter, and is up
to the times, and worthy of a double star in your
catalogue— a remarkable production, with all the
attractiveness of a new book. D. F. Savage.

Hopkinsville, Ky., March 11, 1889.

PLEASED.

I received the goods you sent me, in good order.
The Little Detective scales is a beauty, and weighs
accurately. The 554 sections are good enough for
me. I ordered only 500. The foundation is the
best I ever saw. 1 want to say, also, that Glean-
ings is a welcome guest, and read with interest.
Our Homes is the best of all. Leave that and the
Tobacco Column out, and I don't think I would re-
new. W. A. Williamson.

Friendly, W. Va., Feb. 11, 1889.

THE NOTES OF TRAVEL.

I greatly enjoy the Notes of Travel. They give
me thej.California fever even more than I had it
when I went there to spend the winter of 1885. The
biographical sketches are also very entertaining.
It is a pleasure to see what a number of the best
bee-keepers are Christian people. The past season
has not been very good. I began the season with
182 colonies in three apiaries, and secured about
2500 lbs. of honey. Though this is little, my neigh-
boring bee-keeping friends did not do as well.

Edinburg, O., Jan. 23, 1889. C. R Bingham.

Through your kind indulgence I have enjoyed (I
should have said we have enjoyed) the visits of
Gleanings for about three-fourths of a year on
tick. But I have the money now, and I herewith
forward it to you. We have nearly decided not-
withstanding our bees do poorly, that we can't do
without Gleanings from other considerations— the
children say, especially if you take any more Cal-
ifornia trips. We like the tone and spirit of its
comments and editorials and— its sermons.

Fullerton, Neb., Jan. 20, 1889. J. E- Faucett.

OUR SOLAR-WAX EXTRACTOR, AND HOW IT
WORKS.

The goods ordered Jan. 16 came to hand Feb. 9,
all in good shape. I couldn't eat dinner till I saw
inside that wax-extractor, and then it fairly took
my appetite. 1 couldn't rest till I saw whether it
would melt wax, and so I set it out by the side of
the smoke-house, and put in some old tough combs,
and in a very few minutes they were melting into
the nicest wax I ever saw. It astonished even the
natives. Allen Bagley.

Siloam, Ark., Feb. 10, 1889.

THAT VISIT TO CALIFORNIA.

Friend Root:— I see on page 164, that Messrs. Os-
burn and Gilchrist have expressed their dissatisfac-
tion or disappointment, caused by your not making
them a visit while you were in California. 1 do not
think that you were altogether at fault, and 1
should not be surprised if there were many more
whom you missed, making such a flying trip as you
did. When you called on your humble servant he
was away from home, and you drove nine miles to
see him. Although we had but a two-hours' chat,
yet 1 shall never forget it. I am glad to know that
you are planning another journey, and that Mrs.
Root (and Huber) are coming with you. I wish you
to be sure to call and see me. This time I shall try
to be " at home," and have my " Dickens curiosity
shop " in a little better order, and perhaps have
something more inviting than " bachelor's hall,"
unless you come too quickly. W, W. Bliss.

Duarte, Cal., Mar. 19, 1889.

gleanings and its policy.

The seeds and sample squash-boxes, feeder, etc.,
came to hand, all right, and the express was only
$2.75, which was not more than I expected. I hope
1 shall get a few more subscribers for Gleanings,
for I think it not only a good bee-paper, but a ijood
paper to have around. In these days, when the " al-
mighty dollar" seems to take the first and almost
last place, in most people's minds, even Christians',
it is very refreshing to take up a business paper
that brings before the minds of its readers con-
stantly that whatever we do should be done in the
name of the Lord Jesus. To take up a fruit or bee
paper that taises up a large part of its space in
throwing dirt, or in private squabbles, is not edify-
ing or profitable; aud while 1 would express my
views and opinions as distinctly and impartially as
I could, I would also be willing they should do
the same; and if they did knock some of the cor-
ners off my pet hive, I would not think it necessary
to bite their heads off for doing so. I had begun to
think, before I got hold of Gleanings, that most
bee-men were about as waspish as their hybrids,
which are not a very charitable conclusion to ar-
rive at; but I must stop, forthisisyour "busy day."
I generally think of you as the busy man, till it
makes my head swim. Thomas Slack.

Waterloo, P. Q., Mar. 18, 1889.

PJRICE LISTS RECEIVED.

Since our last issue we have received price lists of
bees, and apiarian supplies in general, from the follow
ties, who will be glad to furnish them to applicants
marked with a star (*> also deal in tine poultry.

J. H. Lai rabee, Larrabee's Point, VI.

Berlin Fruit-Box Co., Berlin Heights, O.

W. K Clark, Oriskany, X. Y.

S. W. Morrison. Oxford, Pa.

J. W. Bittenbender, Knox vi lie. Iowa.

J. N. Colwick. Norse, Texas.

Martin & Mary. North Manchester, Ind.

We have just printed Cor Elijah Debusk, Friendship,
annual list of bees and supplies.

queens,
inK par-
. Those

J. W. K. gJOT § C0.,

Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

We have, ready for mailing, 100 large, light, test-
ed Italian queens, imported mother, Sept. and Oct.,
1888, rearing, very fine, at $1.50 each. Untested,
$1.00; per doz., $10.00. Send for circular. Money
orders, New Iberia, La. 7 8d

(t^'"in responding to $hjs advertisement mention Glkwjs-'.s

326

STRAW

BUACK

GOOSS

DEW

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Apr.

BERRIES

CURRANTS *' GRAPES.

ADA

Ir.trge. JLate, Hardy, Proline,
Black RAISPBERKY, Latest ot
all in Ripening.

FIRST - CLASS » PLANTS # AT *• LOW • RATES.
THEO. F. LONCENECKER,

Correspondence Solicited. 3tfdl> Dayton, Ohio.

(Win responding to this advertisement mention c;i. i:\mm.s.

ISm HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selliuR? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

W. E. Clark's Improved Binge-Nozzle Quinby

Smoker. The liest Smoker Made.
Ori^kany, - Oneida Co., - New York

3-14db %W Mention Gleanings.

rj7miller&go7,

NAPPANEE, IND„

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
414.\414 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
L000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

(EWIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

PATEN

For putting- together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to vour supply dealer or to 5-ltidb

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

twin responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

SAVE FUEIGHTT

BUY YOU It S d 1' PLIES NEAR HOME AND
SAVE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.35 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY &, CO.,
3-lldb Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

(SWIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE • BEST • HIVES

FOR THE LEAST MONEY.

BOTH SINGLE AND DOUBLE WALLED.

If you need any hives don't fail to send lor my
price list, as I make a specialty of hives, and tbink
1 have the best arranged hives on the market, at
bottom prices. My hives take the Simplicity frame.
3tdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

twin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE!

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bees, with
their queens, in 10-frame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well painted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, $ 7.00; 2 at one time, f 13.00;
4, same, $24.00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. office, Ursa, 111. Lima, Adams Co., 111.
Mention Gleanings. 6-lldb

IWTO MANAGriES;

OR, BEE-KEEPING FOR THE "MASSES."

Every farmer, and all beginners in bee-keeping,
as well as those more advanced, should have it, as it
is especially adapted to their wants. Fully up to
date. Price SI. 00, by mail. In beautiful paper cov-
ers. Illustrated. Address
8 6d W. S. VANDR UFF, Waynesburg, Pa.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Do You Want Knowledge?

Send a postal for price list of International Ency-
clopedia, 15 vols., royal 8vo, over 13,000 pages, with
maps and illustrations. It excels all in comprehen-
siveness, conciseness, lateness, of information, con-
venience, and cheapness, C. O. D. Liberal discount
for freight charges. A. H. VAN DOREN,

6 7-8d Moiis, Bedford Co., Va.

C.Win responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

H0HEY,BEES' queens, SUPPLIES.

ii v hi. i) Catalogue Free. vvt ' t»,ta*"

OLIVER FOSTER, WIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

MUTH'S

HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, KEK-111 VF.V
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, &c.
PERFECTION COLD-BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S. — Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers. " (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

Hives and Apiarian Supplies.

Pure I. Queens, Bees, S. C. B.
Leghorns, Bronze Turkeys, Toulouse Geese, and
M. G. Carp. Free list. J. W. CLARK,

5-9db Clarksburg, Mo.

INDUSTRIAL

T

HE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

ON 30 DAYS' TRIAL.

THIS NEW

IEUSTIG TRUSS

?Has a Pad different from all
others, is tup shape, with Self-
adjusting ball in center, adapts
"itself to all positions of the body, while
w thebal'inthe cup. presses back
—*&r the intestines Just as a per-

PhWrn^'M^^
LWIn responding to this advertisement mention ni.i.,,.s:N.;

1889

GLEANINGS IN MEK CULTURE.

Contents of this Number.

Absconding (Q. B.).3«2

Apiaries on the Nile 359

Bees, Moving 347

Bees on Same Stand 347

Bees nnil Sorghum 357

Beetle. Rhinoceros 345

Bee-stands 33(i

Blacks Carrying Pollen 360

Brood-chamber, Sixe of. 345,35!)

Buckwheat, Japanese 351

Cardinal Flower 351

Chaff from Timothy 360

Climbing Large Trees 354

Clover. 80 Acres 3C0

Comb, Wooden 353

Combs. Empty 337

Crate, Combined 373

Debt and Credit 341

Drones for Early Queens. . .356

Editorial 372

Ensilage, Raspberry 367

Entrance to Simplicity 357

Extracting in California 359

Forsythia 358

Foul Brood, Legislation on. 350

Foul Brood in Michigan 357

Heads of Grain 356

Hive. Dovetailed 363

Hives, Ruber 349

Hives, Fainting 353

Hiving Swarms (Q. B.).361

Hmiev, California 358

Honey-boards 358

Increase, To Control 357

i i alia ns and Pollen 360

Jumping .lacks 367

Kerosene on Trees 368

Kumerle's Bean 368

I, line for Insects 366

Manum's Directions 330

Notes and Queries 359

( h-ange-blossoms 355

Our Own Apiary 364

Out-apiaries 335

P ton.O.O 350

I'otatoes, Sweet 367

Quel us, Loss of. 356

Ramble No. 15 336

San LUego to Dehesa 348

Saws, Setting 359

Season. Commencing 352

Sections, To Fold Dry 359

Sections, Unfinished 3:<x

Sorghum 357

Spacing Colonies 356

Squash boxes 368

Storing at Top or Side 360

Supersedure 359

Swa-ree :'3i

Swarms (Q. B.).360

Tobacco Column 364

Tomato, lgnotum 367

] Visit to Boardman 371

Wasps 357

Weeds as Novelties. 366

Willow Herb 352

THE EASIEST WAY

TO GET YOUR GHAFF HIVES,

Is to sell a few for me to your neighbors, and make
profit enough to buy your own. Write for terms

at once;;tf(lb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

: I a responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.
-A. SPECIALTY.

BEES BY THE POUND, IN A L. FRAME.

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES.

GEO. D. KAUDENBUSH, 445 CHESTNUT ST., BEADING. PA.

Mention GLEANINGS. 9-10-lld

J. W. K. gfl/IW § 00.,

Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

All $1.50 queens are sold. We have warranted
queens, fine, light yellow, $1.00 each, 6 for $5.00.
Untested, 85 cts.; $9.00 per doz. Virgin queens. 3
for $1.00. Tested queens, each, $1.25, in May. All
imp. mothers. Postal orders on New Tberia, La.

Mention Gleanings. 9-lld

At Plattsmoutli,
Nebraska, to Sell

3-Frame Nucleus Colonies Italian Bees
with Queens, at $2.50 Each.

iitfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

WANTED!

THE BRICHTEST FOUR-BANDED

GOLDEN ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS,

AND THE REDDEST DRONES.

Price, select tested, $3.00; tested, $2.00. Untested,
in May, $1.25; Juue and alter, $1.00.

9-liidb L. L. HEARN, Frenchville, W. Va.

Syln responding to this advertisement n.ei.ii n '■

Choice Italian Queens !

Tested, $1.50; untested, $1.00. None but pure Ital-
ians in our apiary.

Brood Foundation 43 cts. per lb. Foundation
for sections, 55 cts. per lb. 7d

Misses S. & M. Barnes, Piketon, Ohio.

HaiiaHi&ii Queens ^ Bees

OR THEIR CROSSES,

Heady to Ship May 13th.

The crosses of these two races make the finest
bees I ever saw. They are large, very light colc-Hd,
and good workers. Will sell in any shape or quaflv
tity to suit purchaser. Send for price list, and rt\ v
cents for sample of bees.

9 -1.1 -13d A. Ii. K1LDOW, Sheffield, 111.

!T'l:i responding to this advertisement mention Gi.eanin<>s.

Apiarian Supplies.

V- GROOVE SECTIONS OF BASSWOOD,

SHIPPING-CASES OF BASSWOOD,
HIVES OF WHITE PINE COMPLETE.

Mlanufactured by

WARREN MFG. CO., Riverton, Virginia. .

I S*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

100 TONS OF COMB HONEY

Will undoubtedly be put on the market this season

in our

FOLDING PAPER BOXES.

Send for catalogue, 20 pages, free. Sample box, 5c.
Our prices defy competition.
9-20db A. 0. CEAWFOED, S. WE7M0UTH, MASS.

J3"In responding to tilis n-'vertisement mention Gleanings.

EGGS

FOR HATCHING. P. Rock, Light
Brahma, R. C. B. Leghorn, P. Duck,
$1 25 per nest; two settings. $3.00. W.
P. Rock, $1 50 per 13. Choice pure-bred stock. Cir-
cular free. S. P. YODEE, E. Lewistown, Mahoning Co., Ohio.

1889.

1884. TAR -HEEL APIARIES

Bees, $1. per lb. Safe arrival —

bees, queens, and
^ ''^itfes^JP jf* nuclei. Warranted .

queens, $1 each;

$5 for 6. Nuclei,

75c per L. frame.

No new list. Prices

same as for last

year. Selected creed-
American Albino Italian ing Queens, $5. Worker Bee.

Sample Bees and Drones, 10 cts. Finest in the United States.
8d ABBOTT L. SWINSON, Goldsboro, N. C.

0TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex.
able circumstances.

Reared under the most favor-
Will be sent by mail postpaid

at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Oct.

Select tested $4 00 $3 75 $3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 175 150

Untested 125 100 100

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

13 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5 -21d b J. P. CALDWELL, San Marcos, Tex.

SECTIONS, $2.50 PER M,

when cash accompanies order. Other goods pro-
portionally low. Send for sample section.
9-lld E. S.MILLER, Dryden, Mich.

"found at IastT^

How to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a year. Send
for particulars. DR. A. 15. MASON,

ft-Hdb Auburndale, Ohio.

332

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

IF. K. Clarh'8 Improved Hinge- Nozzle Quinby

Smoker. The Jiest Smoker Made!
Ori&kany, - Oneida €o., - New York

3-14db <&&~ Mention Gleanings.

Tltoiioi <. II IttC ll» White P. Kock, W.Wyan-
dotte eggs, $1.50 per 13; L. Brahma, P. Rock,
L. Wyandotte, W. and B. Leghorn eggs, $1.00
per 13. Italian Queens, reared on the Doolittle
plan, select tested, in May, $3.00; June, $2 50. War-
ranted, May, $ 1 25; June, $1.00.

C. H. WATSON,
7-12db Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Minnesota Ahead!

We are selling L. hives with T supers for 55c, and
brood-frames for $1.00 per hundred. Send for cir-
cular before ordering elsewhere. 7-10db
AVm. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn.

a> S. IXMcLE ANj

00 Will sell bees by the pound, Colonies, Nu- ^T

00 clei, and Queens, Cheap. Write for terms to ^r

^ 3 9d COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE. CD

IC^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEES FOR SALE!

Colonies, Nuclei,
Queens (Tested and
Untested), at living
rates. Send for cir-
cular and price list to

C. C.VAUGHN & CO.,
Columbia, Tenn.

VIRGIN QUEENS.

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in "Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Canadian
Jiee Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(either renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen (value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $2.00, $1.50, and $1.25, in Apr., May and June.

One untested, May, $1.00; after June 1st, .75.

Three untested, May, $2.50; after June 1st, $2.00.

Three frame nuclei, with untested queen, May,
$3.50; June, $3.00; after, $2 60; with tested queen,
add 50 cts. For prices of 2-frame nuclei bees, per
lb. and y% lb., full colonies, foundation, and bee-
keepers' supplies, write for price list. Address
6-lidb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

O^lu responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Apr. 1. For 60 Days. 1889.

We have'on'hand a large stock of one-piece sec-
tions, which are first class. To reduce stock we
will name very low prices for the next 60 days, in
any size lots from 1000 to 100,000 or more. Save
money by letting us know what you want. Other
supplies to correspond in price. Price list free.
7tfdb SMITH & SMITH,

Mmtion Oleanings. Kenton, Hardin Co., O.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

If Vrjll Vy^Ylt^11" vall,e lor \°ur money
11 I Ull VV dill yOU should see my catalogue
before purchasing Japanese buckwht at, $1 75 per
bushel; 20 varieties of potatoes. Bees, queens, and
supplies at low rates. Chas. D Duval.!.,.

7tfdb Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

lyin responding: to this advertisement mention f.LKANiKGS.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

t^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

COMB FOUNDATION.

Brood, 32c; thin, 42c; 20 lbs. or more. 30 and 40c.
-9d H. L. Gharam, L<?tts, Iowa.

IN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

PURE ITALIAN BEES & QUEENS.

C Full colonies and nuclei, per frame, 60c. Tested
queens, $2 00; after June 1. S1.50. Untested queens,
$1.00; after June I, 75c. Remit by postoflice money
order, registered letter, or draft on New York. For
any other information, address

C. W. JONES & CO.,
4-9db Bryant Station, Maury Co., Tenn.

E5Tln responding to this advertisement incut ion ("il.KA.\'lN': :.

The ABCof

Potato * Culture.

HOW TO 0-ROW THEM IN TEE LARGEST QUANTITY, AND
OF THE FINEST QUALITY, WITH THE LEAST EX-
PENDITURE OF TIME AND LABOR.
Carefully Considering all the Latest Improve*
ments in this Branch of Agriculture up to
the Present Date.
Written by T. B. TERRY, of Hudson, 0.
ILLUSTRATED BY TWENTY ENGRAVINGS.

Table of Contents : Soils, and their Preparation.—
Manures, and their Application.— When, and How
Far Apart Shall we Plant?— Shall we Plant Deep or
Shallow?— Shall we Plant in Hills or Drills?— How to
Make the Drills, and Fill Them.— Selection and Care
of Seed.— Cutting Seed to One Eye.— Planting Pota-
toes by Machinery.— Harrowing after Planting.—
Cultivating and Hoeing.— Handling the Bugs.— The
Use of Bushel Boxes.— A Top Box for the Wagon.—
Digging.— Storing.— What Varieties shall we Raise?
—Potato-growing as a Specialty.— Best Rotation
where Potatoes are made a Special Crop.— Cost of
Production, and Profits.

Besides the above, we have recently added an ap-
pendix of 8 pages, bringing the book up to the pres-
ent date, and containing an account of all the im-
provements made during the past two years.

PRICE 35 CTS.; BY MAIL., 38 CTS.
A. I. BOOT, Medina, O.

188&

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

833

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To ever? purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen at $1.50, 1 will give one L. frame nucleus;
tested queen, by mail. $1.25; untested, $1.00. Vir-
gin queen, after June 1, 50 cts. My queens can not
be excelled in purity and beauty. Single-wall and
improved winter hives at half cost. Write for de-
scription. Send for circular and price list.

MRS. OLIVER COLE,
Sherburne, Chen. Co., WT. Y.
Chenango Valley Apiary. 8tfdu

HTIn responding to t: is:«lv,- i win ni mention rJi.KAXiNOS.

Chas. A. Stockbridge, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Manufacturer of and Dealer in

STQCKBRIDGE'S SIMPLICITY BEE HIVE,

Seclioos, Frames, Smokers, Comb Foundation, k

Mention thie Paper. Send for Price List.

IE^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Eaton's Improved

SECTIOW CASS.

Bees and Queens. Send for
free catalogue. Address

FRANK A. EATON,
5-16d b Bl u ff to n , Ohio .

t3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife,
No. 4, 1.25; No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, .65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood-
huruing clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address
BINGHAM & HETHEKINGTON, Abronia, Mich.
Please mention Gleanings. 6tfdb

MELCHER'S

IMPROVED

EXTRACTORS

fr-N

FOR S2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address '<-*,

J.C.MELCHER, /^t
IP O'Quinn. Tex. / <L
4-10db -» — -

t^"In responding to this advevtisemem mention Gj.t

nrin c. H. ITIcFadden Still Works
[^rflll Good work guaranteed. Send

WAX

for sample foundation and price '

list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working.
4-10db Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

BEES.

IF YOU WANT BEES,

Please Write tor Prices.

4-9db S. A. SHUCK, LIVERPOOL, ILL.

CARNI0LAN QUEENS

From imported mothers,
tested queens, $2.00. J,

7-10db

Untested queens, $1.00;
B.KLINE'S APIARY,

Topeka, Kansas.

200 COLONIES BEES FOR SALE,

IN ANY SHAPE TO SUIT PURCHASERS.

By the hive, by the pound, 2, 3. or more frames of
brood, with or without queens. Black, hybrid, dol-
lar, or pure Italians. Write for prices, stating what
you want. I must sell, so they will be cheaper than
the cheapest. G. W. GATES,

8-9d Bartlett, Tenn.

LAWS A ME !

If I'd known that Doolittle's
man was goin' to be here too,
should a' fixed up— to be sure!
I'll say, A. F. Bright is selling
his Italian bees in new 10-frame
Simp, hives for $8.00 per colony.
Queens, 75c to $4.00 each. BROWN
LEGHORN eggs, $1.00 per 13; $1.50
per 26, and he guarantees safe
arrival and satisfaction. Circu-
lars, you can have one.
Address

A. F. BRIGHT,

7tfdb Mazeppa, Minn.

E^-In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

C- M. DIXON,

Farrish, JPranhlin Co., 111.,

—MANUFACTURER OF—

BEE-JiIYE$ % gUPPMES

New shop and new machinery. Send for my
sixth annual price list, free. C. NI. DIXON.

Mention Gleanings. 7-8-9d

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

OTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

CHEAPER THAN EVEH..

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

OTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

•ABLY Untested Italian Queens, 75c. each.

» 8tfdb Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

A BARGAIN.

4 AA COLONIES OF HYBRID ITALIANS, AND
1"" black bees, in 8-frame L. and Simplicity or
Electric hives, wired combs. Call, or write how
many colonies you want, and I will surprise you
with a low price. W. U. COGGSHALL,

8-9-10d West Groton, N. Y.

IHTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

T

HE REVISED LANGSTROTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

IF YOU ABE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS^ SUPPLIES,

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

IrTKlEPERnUPPLIES

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME.

Shipping facilities good. Send for price list of
every thing needed in the apiary. Ttfdb

C. P. EISH, St. Joe Station, Butler Co., Fa.

C&~ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

:!H4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Man

pe^EY CeMjirL

CITT MARKETS.

Kansas City.— Honey .— We quote white lib. sec-
tions, at 15@16c; fall or dark, at 12c; 2-lb. California
white. 13@U; amber, 11@12. Extracted, in 10-lb.
cans, white, 7l/«@8c; amber, 7@7'/2; barrels or kegs,
fi@6c. Beeswax, 18@20c. Our market is getting into
good shape lor the new crop.

Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

April 22. Kansas City, Mo.

Columbus.— Bum y — We have no strictly No. 1
honey on our market, and could find sale for some
fine white stock. We have a large amount of me-
dium and dark stock on hand, and scarcely any
market for same. Dark, 10@12; medium, 12@14;
white fine, 15@r7. Earl Clickenger,

April 19. Columbus, Ohio.

Boston.— Honey.— No change in prices on honey
or beeswax. Trade is using maple sugar and syrup.
Sales of honey very'slow. Blake'& Ripley,

April 23. Boston, Mass.

Detroit.— Hone;/.— The market is very slow. Best
white, in one-pound sections, quoted lJi@16c. There
are not many nice lots in the commission houses.
Extracted, 8c. Beeswax, quiet at 22(5)23.

Bell Branch, Mich., April 22. M. H. Hunt.

Albany.— Homy. — Market;is slow; very little call,
and very little stock. Will be in good shape for the
new crop. H. R. Wright,

April 23. __* Albany, N. Y.

St. Louis.— Honey— No change to ncte. Very
little trade. Beeswax, prime yellow, 22.

D. G. Tutt Grocer Co.,
April 22. St. Louis, Mo.

PBICE LISTS RECEIVED.

Since our last issue we have received price lists of queens,
bees, and apiarian supplies in general, from the following par-
ties, who will be glad to furnish them to applicants. Those
marked with a star (*) also deal in tine poultry.

li. \V. Turner, Medina, O.

J. B. Hains, Bedford, Cuyahoga Co., I >.

E. L. Goold & Co.. Brantford, Ontario. Canada.

C. W. Costellow. Waterboro, York Co., Maine.

(i. K. Hubbard, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

V. A. Salisbury, Syracuse, N. Y.

Joseph M. Hambaugb, Spring, Brown Co., 111.

C. A. Stockbridge. Ft. Wayne. Ind.

William H. Barr. WMgville, I >

Jerry A. Roe, Union City, Ind.

H. H\ Brown, Light Street. Pa.

N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co., O.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
met in the Court -bouse. Brantford. Canada, Dec. i, 5. 6. 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend. State and district bee-
keepers' societies are invited to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting will be given in due
time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, and receiving
the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding $1.00 to
iiu secretary. K. F. Holtkrmann, Sec'y.

Brantford, I int.. Can.

The second meeting of the York and Cumberland Bee-keep-
ers' Association will be held in Good Templar Hall. South Wa-
terboro, Me., May ir>, commencing at 9:30a.M. A cordial invi-
tation is extended to all to be present. Matters of interest will
be discussed. Bring your hive, or some useful implement for
exhibition. Hotel accommodations may be bail in the village
at reasonable rates. C. w. Costellow, Sec'v.

ITALIAN

m:i:s and queens. Tested

queens, $1.50. Untested, $1.00.

Bees, per ; lb., #1.00. Frame of
brood, r>0 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

!t-10d Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.

ijfln responding to this advertisement mention isiva>

CQ COLONIES OF BEES FOR SALE, IN ; LOTS
**** to suit purchaser; also Vandervort section fdn.
machine. WILL ELLIS, St. Davids, Ontario, Canada.

FOR SA1.E.— One Barnes combined circular
saw, with necessary gauges for making the S.
hive, o. b. c. Price 120.00, in good running order.
H-lOd W. T. ZINK, Nichols, Greene Co., Mo.

BEE -SUPPLIES.

OETE PIECE V GROOVE

WHITE BASSWOOD SECTIONS.
SURPRISE YOURSELF ON LOW PRICES BY
WRITING FOR FREE SAMPLE AND

PRICE LIST.

Goshen Bee-Supply Co.,

i*Tln responding to tnis advert:

Goshen, Ind.

Rlkanu

" v-A-IjIjEY ieva-hm: " apiary.

To reduce stock 1 will sell 5 to 10 colonies of Ital-
ian bees in Simp, hives. Queens were bred from
one of Mr. Doolittle's $4. 00 tested queens. Price $5
to $8. according to prolificness of queen, etc.

0. WIEDESHGLD, Yonkers, IT. 7. Opp. Dunwoodie Station.
Mention Gleanings. 9-io-Ud

Glass Honey Tumblers and Pails.

Glass Tumbler.

Nos. 788 and 780

Oaken Bucket Fail.

8.50 25(1 $5 30

8.00 200 5 20

5.26 200 9 00

:', .so 250 ; :mi

S.76 200 6.60

4 75 150 6.60

6 00 100 6.00

:i 75 200 6 60

4.30 150 6 10

Screw-top Pail.

Nos. 775 to 778.

Above we present our three staple styles of
glass honey-packages for this season. We are un-
able to get any more of the screw-top glass pails,
shown in our catalogue, such as we have been sell-
ing for a number of years, and we have substitut-
ed in its place the one shown in the center above.
We have this made specially for our trade, and no
one else handles it. The following revised table of
prices takes tbe place of those in our catalogue.
Please notice important changes, and please be
careful to be specific in telling what you want when
you order. Give the quantity, number, name, and
price, to avoid mistakes.

TABLE OF PRICES— NO CHARGE FOR PACKAGES.

Please aider by number and name, and give price.

Capac- Price. Barrels.

Number and Name. itv. Ea. 10. 100 No. Pr.

lb. tumbler jlOoz.

No. 780. one-pound tumbler 16 oz.

Nos. 788 and 789, nested

No. 775, '.-lb. screw-top ^'lass pail n oz.
No. 776, small pound screw-top pail II oz.
No. 777, large pound screw-top pail 17 oz.
No. 778, l'.-lb. screw top glass pail. 24 oz.
K-lb. oaken Bucket pall.. lOoz.
1-lb. Oaken Bucket pail 16 oz.

In lot of 5 barrels, any one or assorted kinds, 5%
discount. Please notice these points in the table
above.

1. The capacity as given is what each will hold,
well filled with honey of good consistency.

2. The price of one, 10, and 100 is given in the first
three columns; the fourth column gives the num-
ber in a barrel, and the oth column the price of a
barrel.

3. Notice that it is much the most economical to
buy them in barrel lots, if you can use so many.
The reason for this is, that all manufactures of
glassware have a uniform charge for packages,
and a barrel has the largest capacity for the price
of any thing used. Every barrel, large or small,
costs us 35 cts.; a box, holding only half as much,
costs the same. Thus by taking the largest barrels,
well filled, we can give you the most value for the
money.

4. We ran not break packages of 100 or barrels at the
pri<e of a full package.

5. The most skilled packers are employed, and
goods are delivered to transportation companies in
trood order; we will not, therefore, be responsible
for any breakage.

Send your orders early, while we have plenty of
stock and can maintain above prices.

A. I. ROOT, L£edi»a, O.

Vol. XVII.

MAY 1, 1889.

No. 9.

!: $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance; ") TT^+n A7v* o Zi n rJ -i-vi 1 SZ 7 % f Clubs to different postoffices. not less
stni$i.90;3for$2.75; ftforW.OO; \ J1/&VU/01/1/0 fl/6'U/ Vrb ±0 tO. | than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the

TERMS

2 Oopie:

10 or more, 75 ets. each. Single num- I

ber. Sets. Additions to chilis maybe f

made at club rates. 'Above are all

be sent to ONE l'OSTOFFICE.

PUBLISHED SEMI-MOXTHLT BY

ries of the Univ

to\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. {&ffi^^&2b2E8L

OUT-APIARIES-NO. VI.

ENGAGING SOME ONE TO HIVE SWARMS.

TF you expect some one of the farmer's family
jfflf at the out-apiary to hive swarms for you, the
W matter of compensation should be agreed on
•*■ in advance. As to what this should be, it is
just as hard to say as it is in the matter of
rent, On page 946, Gleanings, Dec. 15, 1887, are
answers to the question, varying from 10 to 75 cts.,
Dadant&Son paying the latter price for hiving
each swarm. Turn to page 9, Jan. 1, and read the
very interesting article from C. P. Dadant, after
which you will agree that, in their case at least,
they are not so far out of the way in paying such
high prices for rent and for hiving swarms. They
have very few swarms, and they expect them to
be hived by a man who has judgment to hive them
in good shape, so they consider it a matter of poli-
cy to pay a good price for the few that do come
out. If only one swarm comes out in a day or two
days, you can well afford to have them hived at a
cost of 75 cts. rather than have them go off. If,
however, you have an average of 6 swarms per day,
a man could make very fair wages at 25 cts. each,
or $1.50 per day, especially as the swarming does
not continue all day long. Another tiling that
might make a difference, is the surrounding tim-
ber. It is one thing to hive a swarm from a low
apple-tree, and quite another if the swarm hangs
on the top of a tall forest-tree. In some cases it
may be the better way to pay some one a fair price
by the month or week. There is, however, an ad-
vantage in paying by the swarm, for then the one
employed will be more sharply on the lookout not
to let a swarm get away. There are, however,
gome who are so faithful that they will keep just
£6 close watch, whether paid one way or the other.

In any case it is a good plan to pay so well that the
one employed may feel a pleasant interest in the
work.

If your queens are all clipped, then there may be
less labor: but if the swarms are hived, fully as
much intelligence is needed, but they may be man-
aged in such a way that no hiving will be needed.
I never had any one watch for swarms for me in an
out-apiary but one summer, and then I had a young
lady watcher, of little physical strength, but bright,
and exceedingly faithful. When a swarm issued
she immediately looked for the queen, which she
rarely failed to rind, caged it, and put it where the
bees of the colony could take care of it, then wrote
down in a memorandum-book the number of the
colony and the date of issue. When I came to the
apiary some time within every three to five days,
she submitted to me her memorandum and gave
me a full history of any thing unusual that had
occurred.

LAVING OUT THE APIARY.

After you have made such an agreement that
you think there will be no chance for any disagree-
ment in the future, look your ground over care-
fully and decide just where you will place your
hives, and it will be well to get every thing ready in
advance so far as you can, so that, when your bees
are brought on the ground, the hives can be set di-
rectly in their places. As I am trying to tell espe-
cially what is appropriate for those to know who
have had no experience in out-apiaries, it is per-
haps not appropriate for me to say much about the
matter of arranging apiaries, for my readers are
supposed to have experience in such things; but a
little in that line may do no harm. It is desirable,
if possible, to be able to drive quite close with a
wagon, so as to load and unload hives, etc., conve-
niently, and I should like to have the place for
driving up at the back of the hives, if it can easily

336

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

M A V

be so, in order that the flying bees may not find
your horse in their line of flight. Of course, if
your hives face in opposite directions, as is some-
times advisable, it may not be possible to get very
near without fretting- in the way of the bees.

RAMBLE NO. 15.

A SWA-REE.

(

L

I
J

CHEAP ARRANGEMENT FOR BEE-STANDS.

The lay of the land may have something to do
with the order in which the hives are placed; but
whatever the arrangement, let your distances be
accurately measured, and let every stand be leveled
in one direction with a spirit-level, so there shall be
no danger of combs hanging out of plumb. I like a
very cheap stand that can be easily leveled, costing
so little that I can afford to let it stand the year
round, and thus avoid measuring and leveling each
spring. Take two pieces of fence board or other
board, long enough to hold two hives (if you don't
want your hives in pairs let the boards be short
enough for a single hive); lay them parallel on the
ground, and level them, letting one be enough low-
er than the other (an inch or so) to allow the hive
the proper pitch forward; then lay, across these,
loose boards, that may be old, long enough to ac-
commodate the hives. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

I agree with you, friend Miller, that, after
a stand is once leveled up, and fixed as we
want it, we can not afford to move it and
have to go over the same thing again.
Now, in the stand you describe and illus-
trate you do not say that any part of it pro-
jects beyond the hive ; but I am afraid,
from the looks of the picture, that it does
project ; and one of the first things 1 decid-
ed vehemently in bee culture was, that no
bee-hive should ever stand on a board, stick,
or any thing else, that visitors might step
on. I need hardly tell you why. A great
many times in visiting apiaries— that is, api-
aries belonging to a certain class of people,
I would find the hive sitting on a board or
stick. After the grass has got so high as to
conceal the board from view, somebody
comes along and steps on one end of it, and
the hive is tilted. Of course, they will not
have presence of mind enough to get away
until the bees are out in force to resent the
insult. Another thing I decided on was,
that there should be no holes under the
stand where toads, spiders, snakes, or any
thing else, could hide. Our chaff hive has
no stand at all, as you know ; and the Sim-
plicity has none except the cover that is
used as a bottom-board, and this is set on
four half-bricks ; and may be your stand is
just as good as that everlasting Simplicity
top or bottom board. But I have had my
say about it, and the friends and yourself
and the readers of Gleanings can now fix
theirs as they have a mind to.

§EEING much, recently, in the journals about
I, We, Us & Co., the Rambler will say we after
this. Somebody has said that we meant him-
self and his wife. All I have i6 my pony Nig,
and Nig and I are together much of the time,
so we means the man and horse in our case.

A hardware merchant, an enthusiastic amateur
bee-keeper of Whitehall, had called upon the Ram-
bler many times, and, in answer to many pressing
invitations, one bright August afternoon found us
at Mr. McLachlin's home. Whitehall is at the head
of navigation on Lake Champlain, and also at the
head of the raging Champlain Canal. The village
presents the appearance of some of those Alpine
villages in Switzerland, which the Rambler has
visited (in his dreams). Streets run on terraces
above each other, and many a gorge and rocky
nook surprise the traveler. T found Mr. McL.'s
residence surrounded with outcropping rocks, and
in the rear of the house a rocky nook surrounded
with evergreens, and provided with rustic seats
and tables, which at the time seemed to lie
around in some confusion. Mr. McL. explained
that a swa-ree the evening previous had disarranged
things. The Rambler was upon the point of asking
what was the nature of a " swa-ree," when it occur-
red to him not to expose his ignorance before cul-
tivated people, thinking he would pick up from
conversation whether it meant swarming bees or
something to eat or drink. We were just so tickled
that we held our tongue (Nig and I), for Mrs. McL.
then and there suggested that we have a swa-ree
after tea. We (Nig and I) said we would help to the
best of our ability.

Mr. and Mrs. McL. had a fine family circle of chil-
dren, from a babe in the cradle to a boy eight or ten
years old, and we were pleased to note with what
care all questions were answered and correctly ex-
plained, and how bright and intelligent the children
were, and interested in every thing the parents
were. Church, Sunday-school, day-school, the bees,
poultry, the cow, horse, and flowers, were all sub-
jects of conversation. The careful answers to their
many questions led them to put implicit confidence
in the parents, and it was a beautiful home and
family, so much in contrast with many a sad home
in which the Rambler has been.

After tea, all prepared for the swa-ree; and the
Rambler was in a sweat of consternation to rind
that the leading part had been assigned to him. To
And relief we went out by the back door and inter-
viewed the hired girl. As a leading question, we
(Nig and I) asked her if she was fixing for the swa-
ree. Said she, "Arrah, now, mon! go along wid
yees. I niver shwore in my loife. It's a purty ques-
tion yees be axin me— me, a mimber of the Catholic
church, and to-morry the day of conflssion— out
wid yees!" Investigation didn't proceed further
in the direction of hired girls with handy dish-
cloths and broom-sticks. We went around the
house and found the whole family, including the
cat and dog and some of the neighbors, seated on
the lawn near the bee-hives, and Mr. McL. said he
wished me to conduct the swa-ree by explaining
various matters of interest in a bee-hive.

"Well," said we, mentally, "if that's a swa-ree,
the Rambler is at borne." We explained that ;|

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

337

was late in the day to examine bees, but we would
try not to rouse them too much. Mr. McL. sat
down on the wheelbarrow and said his bees were
very gentle, and told us to go ahead.

Upon opening the hive, it was evident, from the
way things were glued, that the combs were seldom
manipulated. A good amount of smoke enabled us
(Nig and I) to get out the frames, make various ex-
planations, and answer a whole volley of questions.
The queen was luckily soon found and exhibited;
also drones and drone comb, queen-cells, etc. It
was solid interest all around us. The baby crowed,
and the hired girl's opinion of us seemed to be on
the rise as she beamed on us around the corner of
the house.

The Rambler forgot he was the principal actor in
a swa-ree, when, owing to a defective stand, the
hive gave a lurch and slid partly to the ground,
grinding up a few bees and making the rest mad;
and from a vigorous remark from Mr. McL , as he
went over backward on the wheelbarrow, with dog
and boy mixed up with him, we judged the swa-ree
had just commenced in dead earnest. The Ram-
bler got his head into a grapevine, and secured a
position to view the scene. The shouting, running,
squalling, and kicking, " beggars description." Let
me give you a faint idea with the pencil. The Ram-
bler is now up on the swa-ree question, and is open
for engagements.

A SWA-REE.

After the field was clear, things were righ'ed and
all unanimously voted, that, next to dynamite
bombs, a swarm of bees could get up the liveliest
kind of a swa-ree.

I found many things Of interest with Mr. McL.
He was enthusiastic on button-ball honey. The
marshes on the lake, to the extent of thousands of
acres, are covered with this bush, and a great
amount of honey seems to be secreted. Quantities
of basswood are also near by, and bees work here
by moonlight when the flow is profuse.

Mr. McL.'s few colonies were wintered in a por-
tion of his barn. A room on the north side, under
the evergreens, was sawdust packed, and was a
success. The Rambler has noticed that, whenever
bees have been wintered in a room on the north
side of a building, be it barn or dwelling, they usu-
ally winter well. The temperature does not change
so much as when the exposure is to the south
and to the sun.

Our ramble soon came to an end with Mr. McL.
and his family; and as we bade them good-by we
(Nig and I) little thought we should see them no
more. A few months after, we regretted to Jearp

that they had all emigrated to Kansas. That so
many of our enterprising men and bright families
are leaving our midst for the West is many times
looked upon with regret by the Rambler.

Very good, friend Bambler ; but I have
a little fault to find with you this time,
as usual. Perhaps it is quite clear to the
rest of the brethren, but I confess I have
not caught on just yet so as to know what
" swa-ree " means, if it means a little talk
on bee culture, why do the folks call it
swa-ree? No wonder our good Catholic
friend thought it meant something about
swearing. It seems to me that friend McL.
is a little heedless about the stands to his
hives. I have heard certain folks tell about
people who were so awkward that they
would fall down while standing still ; but I
never heard of a bee-hive so badly perched
on its stand as to keel over. Why doesn't
he have stands made the way I have recom-
mended in my reply to Dr. Miller on the
preceding page? Another thing, you did
not show us in the picture any of the rocks
and terraces that you refer to.

THE VALUE OP EMPTY COMBS

DURING A RUSH OF NECTAR.

T WANT to tell the readers of Gleanings that I
M never realized the use of store combs as fully
W as last season. It will be long remembered by
■*• the bee-keepers of central Iowa as one of the
poorest seasons for many years. All through
June, July, and the fore part of August, when we
usually have our heaviest yield, in vain did the lit-
tle busy workers search from morning till night for
the coveted sweet. It was not to be found. About
the 15th of August the beekeepers in these parts
began to wear very long faces, and in their " visions
and dreams " they were haunted by the thoughts of
lean purses and unpaid grocery bills, and more espe-
cially by the thought of feeding a large amount of
high-priced sugar or see the bees starve. It was
about the 15th or 18th of August that I carried my
trouble to my good wife— a source from which I
very often get relief. Said I, "What in the world
am I to do? Here it is the middle of August, and
no honey. I am pretty sure we shall have to feed
all the bees in the fall to save them through the
winter."

Said she, " What can you do? I am sure it will not
help matters to worry; and, besides, we may have
some honey weather yet; but if not, we shall have
to submit."

Of course, I took this as being excellent advice;
but when I walked away I felt pretty sure it was too
late in the season for any surplus. Two days later
I was walking down the path in the direction of the
barn, expecting to assist a neighbor to thrash; but
when opposite the api;iry I heard a certain roaring
sound in the air that the experienced apiaribt at
once knows to mean a boom on honey. My olfac-
tories in the mean time also took in whiffs of the
exquisite aroma of the coveted nectar (of course,
that neighbor lost the use of one hand that day).
Instantly all hands were engaged in putting on top
hives and store combs to all colonies that seemed
strong enough to store surplus. In just 24 days
there was 1000 pounds put into the store combs,

3 18

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

One very strong- colony, that had not swarmed,
stored in the 24 days 150 lbs. of surplus, being 114
lbs. more than one other colony nearly as strong
that had built their comb and stored their honey in
section boxes with starters. So, now, I am more
than ever convinced of the value of store combs,
especially in a poor season. I had only 36 colonies,
as I had made sale of my bees two years before
that. D. E. Brubaker.

Maxwell, Story Co.. la., March 29, 1889.

P. S. 1 have taken the 3t> colonies out of the cel-
ar, without the loss of one. On the 20th of March
they were gathering pollen and honey from soft
maple. D. E. B.

Friend B., had your communication come
ten \ears ago, when we were having hot
discussions in regard to the value of surplus
empty combs when working for extracted
honey, we should have hailed it with cheers,
and 1 do not know but that we might hail it
with cheers even yet. Certain parties, and
I think that Mr. Doolittle was among them,
took pretty strong grounds, to the effect
that surplus empty combs were of no par-
ticular value. It was at the time when we
were claiming great advantages for the ex-
tractor, and I believe most of our discus-
sions in the matter have generally closed
with a decision something like this : We
get perhaps a half more honey by using
the extractor; some have said twice as
much. Some of the older friends may re-
member that I insisted that a proper use of
the extractor would give two or three times
the number of pounds of honey, compared
with our best appliances for getting honey
in the comb. Now, in the above experi-
ment, although it is not very conclusive, it
looks very much as if four times as many
pounds were secured by the use of empty
combs. Of course, the circumstances were
peculiar; but if such a thing happens again,
what are empty combs worth? Had we bet-
ter trade them off for Ave or ten cents
apiece, or get still less by melting them up
into beeswax, or shall we stick to them,
keeping them, of course, nicely protected
until the time comes when they will, be
needed?

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

WHEN Fir, LED, EQUAL TO THOSE FROM NEWLY
BUILT FOUNDATION.

T MANAGE to get as many unfinished sections
||f each year for use the next year as I can, and
W not interfere with the present crop. Let us

■*• look at a few points. First, the sections: Some
advocate cutting out the comb and using the
section again. Now, the only objection to the use
of unfinished sections is the section itself. The sec-
tion gets brown, or tanned, and propolis gets in the
fiber of the wood, that is difficult to clean out. If I
could throw away the wood with convenience, I
would do so. I would never save the section for its
value. I manage to keep the .wood in fair condi-
tion, and have never had any one object to them
when filled with white honey. Next

THE COMBS.

If they are made nice and white one year, they
will be just as nice and white the next. If they
have any honey in them, extract it and let the bees

clean them out and they can not be distinguished
from new combs when filled with white honey. In
fact, it may be whiter than a new comb, for I find
that sometimes they will not make quite as white
combs as at other times. I have seen them make
darker new comb by the side of white old combs. I
am very positive that no one can tell old combs
from new combs when they are ready for market,
by the looks of the combs alone.

THE HONEY.

The honey will be just as well ripened in the old
combs as in the new, or else the one who manages is
to blame, not the bees. G. M. Doolittle, in Glean-
ings for Feb. 1, 1888, has said all that is necessary
to say about ripening. Every one of those opposing
the use of old combs knows that, in a can of extract-
ed honey, the riper and heavier honey settles to the
bottom, while the greener and lighter rises to the
top. The same thing occurs in a cell of honey while
ripening. The riper settles to the bottom side of
the cell, and the thinner rises to the top of the cell.
If the cell is left as the bees make it, and not turned
topsy-turvy, the outer end is the higher, so that the
heavier honey goes to the lower and back end ; the
greener and lighter honey rises to the top and outer
end of the cell, so that bees can ripen it just as
thoroughly in old as in new combs. Reverse these
combs, new or old, and this action of honey is re-
versed. The thicker will come to the outer and
lower end, and the thinner will go to the higher and
inner end of the cell. I always keep the same edge
of the comb up when I put them back on the hive
that was up when they were made. I have no hon-
ey capped that is not well ripened, that I have dis-
covered.

THE APPEARANCE Of THE SECTIONS.

The old combs, when filled with honey, and cap-
ped over, have a rather better appearance than
new combs. The Dees will fill the sections out a
little fuller, and fasten the combs to the wood a
little better with old combs than with new. 1 have
had some experience and good opportunity to test
the matter, and there are few things I am more
positive of than that section honey is just as
good and of just as fine appearance, made on old
combs, as on new ones; and I am very positive that
no one can tell one from the other, except by the
wood of the section. I want to thank G. M. Doolit-
tle for stating the fact on page 79 of Gleanings for
1888, that the field bees do not place the nectar in
the cells themselves, but pass it to the nurse-bees
and those that do the housework, because I was
laughed at a year ago this last winter, and again
this last winter, at a bee-keepers' convention, for
making the same statement. Misery likes company,
you know. N. T. Phelps.

Kingsville, Ohio, March 12, 1888.

Friend P., we are glad to get this report,
but 1 do not gather from it that you have
carefully tried both ways ; that is, side by-
side with those mentioned. Have you placed
new sections with full sheets of foundation,
alongside of unfinished, to see which is filled
sooner, and which presents the better appear-
ance for the market ? Bern ember that so
good an authority as P. H. Elwood (and I
think he said that Capt. Hetherington had
so decided with him) says the honey they
produce from unfinished sections of the year
previous is usually or always sold as second,
rate.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

339

MANUM IN THE APIARY WITH HIS
MEN.

HOW HE DRILLS HIS BOYS TO MANAGE HIS OUT-
APIAKIES.

TTp PRIL 10.— Well, boys, this is going to be a nice
gflk day-just the day to look over the bees for
jR»f the first time after their long winter confine-
■^*- ment. Leslie, you and Fred may go to the
Monkton apiary. As Fred is to run that
apiary this year, 1 want him to go there with you;
and as you have worked for me six years you need
no instructions except to teach Fred all you can and
to look well to the stores and queens. I will take
Scott to the Mills apiary with me, as he is to run
that yard.

Well, Scott, here we are at the Mills yard. How
nicely the bees are flying! You may put the horse
in that barn there, while 1 light the smokers. Now,
inasmuch as this is your first season with me, I
think you had better look on a while and see me
work. You will learn much faster in this way than
to undertake to work by yourself, as I will try to
explain every thing as I go along. The first thing
is to remove the cushion. How much nicer it is to
use cushions than to have the packing all loose,
as I used to have it! There, you see I have the
brood-chamber covered with a sheet of heavy cot-
ton cloth, spread directly on the frames, and over
this you observe a sheet of enamel cloth which cov-
ers half of the brood-chamber. By so doing, the
bees can cluster under the enamel cloth whenever
they wish to. The other half is simply covered
with a cotton cloth and the cushion over all. By this
plan the moisture can pass up through the portion
not covered with enameled cloth, into and through
the cushion. I will now remove this covering and
give the bees a puff of smoke to keep them back.
Tbis is a fine colony, 8 spaces filled with bees, and
all dry and healthy. As they have only 10 combs,
we can not remove any yet and leave them honey
enough. As we shall probably not come here again
within 10 days, it is not safe to contract too much.
Out-apiaries can not be managed as closely as the
one at home, where we can look to them oftener.
There, about all we can do at this time is to see that
they have honey in plenly and a good queen, and to
see that the bottom-board and entrance are all
clear. Vou will notice that the combs are spread
further apart than they should be for summer. I
spread them 158 from center to center in winter;
but now we will have them only 13«, and during the
honey-flow only 1,V There, now, I follow up with
the division-board, return the cotton sheet, and cov-
er the whole top of the brood-chamber with enam-
eled cloth, because, as the bees can now fly nearly
every day, they require no upward ventilation, but
need all the warmth they can generate during the
parly spring breeding. Next I return the cushion
Over all. This swarm, you see, is now compact, and
well protected from cold frosty nights.

Well, here is a swarm that is much lighter— only
f> combs covered with bees. From this I can remove
jtwo combs— you may carry them to the honey-
house for safe keeping. As the bottom-board is
covered with dead bees, 1 open the entrance wide,
and with this paddle 1 scrape the dead bees out
through the entrance. Yes, this queen is all right,
and laying well. I will close the entrance again, as
\ do not allow them to have any larger entrance
ilu.ring the spring than 1 do \n winter, which is 3

inches long by a« wide, while the summer entrance
is 14 inches long by l1^ wide.

Here is a queenless stock, but it is quite strong.
We will remove three combs and clean them out,
as we may find a iight swarm with a queen that we
can unite with these. We shall then have a good
swarm out of the two poor ones. One good swarm
is worth more than a dozen poor ones.

Here is a light stook with a good queen. We will
remove all the unoccupied combs, which takes
them all but three. I will now take these three
combs and bees and set them in the queenless hive, "
there I will uncap this card of honey and place it
between the two lots of bees. It will serve as a
peace-maker. In a short time the queenless bees
will discover that a queen is near, and will soon be
making friends with her bees, and unite without
further trouble to us.

Here we have a hive that the cows turned over
when they broke in here. I presume they are all
dead. No, there are a few bees— about a teacupful.
The queen looks like a young one. Yes, the record
says she was hatched last July, and from No. 42, one
of my best breeding queens, so I will just cage her,
as we may want her in some other yard, or I may
have an order for a queen of this kind. There, you
see I mark the cage No. 1, as this is the flist queen
caged, and in my book I say, " Cage 1, queen one
year old, daughter of 42." Now, if I should send
this queen to any one, or use her myself, I shall
know who she is. As you see, I keep a record of all
my queens, so that I know their age and pedigree.

Here we have another of those strong colonies
full of bees and but little honey. Here, 1 remove
two empty combs, and in their place I put in two
cards of honey.

This finishes up this yard. You may get the horse
while I take a look through the yard to see that we
have not left combs out or neglected any thing.

You have now got an idea of what I want done
the first time we look the bees over. I shall let you
and Fred go to the Eaton yard to-morrow while
Leslie goes to Ferrisburgh.

APRIL 20.

Now, boys, we will start out again to-day and see
what the bees are doing. There is not much to do
to them, but it is best to go around and see to
them. One to a yard will be enough this time, as
all there is to be done is to see to the stores and
give more combs where needed. Should you find
any robbing going on, contract the entrance to
%x%, and put straw or hay in front of the hive, so
the robbers will be obliged to crawl through it.
That will discourage them as quick :as any thing.
Look to those we united, to see if the queens are all
right. Should you find any that are queenless, and
are strong in bees, give them a card of eggs and
larvre from some strong stock that has a pure
queen.

MAY 10.

Well, boys, we have been confined to the shop for
some time, and it will do us all good to get out
among the bees. Our foundation is all made, and
nearly all the sections filled with it. We can finish
them rainy days. We shall now spend the most of
our time in the apiaries, cleaning up and painting
hives, etc.

I will take Will with me to-day, as he has not
worked with me this spring. As the old bees have
all disappeared, and nothing but young bees are in
the hives, it is just the right time to clip the queens.

340

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

that were not clipped last fall. Here we are, Will,
at the Meack yard. These hives being all new, you
will not have much painting to do this year, except
to give the caps one coat. Now I will let you work
while L look on and tell you how to do it. This is a
good stock, with seven combs of brood. The record
says this is a last year's queen, hence she is one
year old. There she is! Now catch her by one wing
with your left hand; that's right. Now just let her
rest her feet on the lapel of your coat; that will
stop her fluttering. Now clip off half of one wing.
You see, it is a simple job. Let her go among the
bees agaia. This swarm should have one more
comb. Place it outside of the others. Some bee-
men would tell you to spread the brood-nest and
place it in the center; but I do not approve of it so
early in the season. It will do to spread the brood
during the honey-flow whenever we have occasion
to give a colony empty comb. Next replace the
sheets, both cotton and enamel cloth, and tuck
down the cushion all around so as to keep them
warm, as we now want to induce brood-rearing as
much as possible, because the eggs that are laid
now, and for the next 20 days, will produce the
bees that will gather our surplus; hence we should
do all we can to induce the queens to lay in every
comb.

Here is a swarm that is not very strong— only four
combs with brood in them. You may take out that
best card of honey and uncap half the honey on
one side, and place that side next to the bees. That
is one way of feeding to stimulate brood-rearing;
but you see in this case the queen is laying all the
eggs the bees can care for, hence the trouble with
this swarm is that they are short of bees, so we will
go to a very strong colony and take out a few
young bees and give to this colony. There, let me
show you. This colony is so strong we can take out
quite a few bees, and here is a card of nearly all
hatching brood, which is also well covered with
young bees. I will take it out and hold it in front
of the hive— so— and with my knife-handle rap on
the frame; that causes the old bees to fly off, leav-
ing only the young bees. Now I place comb and
bees in this light stock. Next I will go to that
strong stock on the next row, and get a few more
young bees on a comb, and this time shake the
bees off in the light stock and return the comb.
There, now you see I have helped this light stock
wonderfully. It will now come up very fast, and
perhaps the next time we are here we can give
them another comb of brood and what young bees
are adhering to it. By this method we shall be able
to work up this colony to a good strong one by the
time clover blooms, without damaging those from
which we take the brood and young bees.

Here is a good colony, but you will And them
queenless. How do I know? you ask. Well, I will
tell you how I know. You observe the bees are
more or less scattered all through the hive. They
appear uneasy— restless— and you notice they make
a peculiar mournful noise, and fluttering of their
wings. Yes, there are queen-cells capped, and not
an egg to be found anywhere.

Let's see: The reoord says she was two years old
last summer, hence she would be three years old
now. She has probably failed from exhaustion, or
perhaps by accident. You may cut out all their
queen-cells, and we will give them a card of eggs
and larvfe from some of our breeding stocks and
Jet them rear a few oells for us, as we may need

them the next time we are here. Now make a rec-
ord of this. Let me show you how I doit. There,
see:

queen; put in

May 10, 1889. No. 2. Q. p. 1. eggs from No. 16.
for Q. C.

queen-cells.

Here is a colony that seems to be very strong.
See how lively they are working, getting both pol-
len and honey. Yes, just as I expected, the hive is
full of bees and brood in 9 combs. These bees are
what are called leather-colored. They are almost
brown. There is the queen; how dark she is, and
how large and lively ! Do not clip her, as she is just
the kind Mr. Ira Barber likes; and as he has order-
ed a queen for breeding, I will send her to him next
week. By that time it will be time to be thinking
about getting queen-cells started, as we shall want
a few early queens in this yard; therefore we will
leave a record here in the honey-house, which will
show that the queen from No. 63 is to be taken out
for Mr. Barber, and the one in No. 28 for Mr. J. H.
Larrabee.

When j ou come here next week you will simply
have to see to the stores, because they are consum-
ing honey very fast now, and it won't do to let
them get short. You will alsj give those more
comb that are not already full. A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

To lie continued.

Why, friend M., you make me feel as if it
would be the nicest kind of fun to be one of
your boys. I wonder if you are always as
good-natured about it. Suppose some of
them should forget and leave a lot of combs
exposed, and they have a terrible time of
robbing, and some of your best queens are
lost. What would you do then? Tour idea
of having an enameled sheet to cover only
half of the brood-chamber, so bees can take
their choice, reminds me of my poultry-
house, where the roosts at each end run out
under an open shed. Just as soon as the
weather becomes mild, the fowls walk along
on the roosts out into the open shed ; but
when the nights are frosty and cold, they
come into the warm inner apartment. I do
like the idea of letting our bees and fowls
— ay, and horses and cattle also — please
themselves in regard to being outdoors or
in. My brother in California went to the
trouble of making good dry stables for his
horses and cattle. His neighbors laughed
at him. Thereupon he left the doors open
so the animals could please themselves. As
they all stayed outdoors in the rain in that
warm climate, rather than go into their
comfortable stables, he decided that the
neighbors were right— that there was no
particular need of stables in that locality.—
Your plan of uniting a queenless colony with
one weak in bees having a queen, is good. A
colony that has been some time queenless
will almost always take up with any bees
that have a queen. Hut your comb of honey,
with the cappings shaved off, I am pretty
sure, from what experience I have had in a
similar line, would make a pretty sure thing
of pleasant relations among the strangers.—
When you spoke about giving a comb of near-
ly hatching brood to a weak colony, I began
to question the wisdom of your course ; but
when you spoke furtherabout giving them a
few more youpg bees from a third colony,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

341

" There, " said I, "that fixes it exactly."
I often decide a colony to be queenless in
just the way you describe, and sometimes I
can teil by the actions of the bees around
the entrance.— Very likely Ira Barber will
be pleased with a dark-colored queen that
produces leather-colored bees ; but unless
you know your man when you send out such
a queen, you may get a letter from him that
will make things lively. The queen would
suit me, however, to a dot.

DEBT AND CREDIT.

OWE NO MAN ANY THING, BUT TO LOVE ONE
ANOTHER. — ROM. 13: 8.

fHE matter of doing business cash
down, and no credits, has been dis-
cussed over and over again ; and
many large enterprises are conduct-
ed, or at least they profess to be, on
the basis of cash in advance. The princi-
pal argument is, that no one can sell goods
at as close margins, and give credit, even
limited credit, as they can where they have
the cash in hand, before the things leave
the store. A good many of our supply-deal-
ers, I believe, have adopted this plan ; that
is, they do not ship any goods until the cash
is first at hand. Now, while this may be
every one's privilege, and while it may be
true that nobody has any right to find fault
if a man decides to do business in this way
(so as to give close margins), I do not think,
or at least it does not seem to me. as if it
were a Christianlike way of doing. One
who has a real love and kindly feeling for
his neighbors must be accommodating,
within the bounds of reason. Selling goods
on time, or lending money, if you choose, is
a e:ood deal like lending tools. The matter
of lending tools has been discussed some-
what in these pages already ; and I believe
the final decision has been that one must
lend his tools — at least to a certain extent, to
be considered a good neighbor, or, if you
choose, a Christian. A man who has built
up a beautiful place, and who has succeed-
ed in setting a beautiful farm, with all mod-
ern appliances, would, as a rule, be hated,
rather than loved, in his own community, if
he used every thing he owned, simply for
self, and entirely shut down on any sort of
accommodation to his neighbors. It is a
good deal so in selling goods.

At one time in my life I became so much
embarrassed with outstanding accounts that
could not be collected, that I decided I
would start in business again, and have it
all cash down or cash in advance. Two ob-
stacles stood in the way of carrying this out.
One was. that it seemed very hard and un-
friendly to refuse a little accommodation to
those who had for a long time paid cash in
advance, and with whom friendly acquaint-
ance had sprung up. Another thing, when
there came a boom in business we were oft-
entimes unable to send the goods as prompt-
ly as our customers had sent the cash. We
would not trust them 24 hours, but they in-
trusted us with their money, and even then
did not eet their goods for days and may be
weeks. Is this fair or Christian-like ? Sure-

ly not. At other times, somebody sent
money for goods without knowing just
what they would cost. Now, if a man
sends $9.00 for something that is worth
$10.00, is it right to hold his $9.00 and keep
him waiting until he sends the other dollar?
To be sure, it is not. If, then, it is the duty
of a Christian to give credit to a certain ex-
tent, who should have credit, and who
should not? Here is where the great trou-
ble comes in To send out goods right and
left, to everybody who asks for them, or
who makes promises, would be the height of
folly. Many of our young friends who have
gone into the suppiy-business have discov-
ered this to their sorrow. In the bee-busi-
ness, in the small-fruit business, in this
whole business of raising crops, it has been
well said that it is more work, as a rule, to
sell the product and get the money than it is
to raise the crop. Raising the crop is only
one part of the business ; and the great
trouble is, whom shall we trust, and how
shall we trust ? The thought that perhaps I
might be able to help some of the friends
who are studying on this problem has mov-
ed me to write this paper. In our business,
looking after accounts, and deciding whom
to trust and whom not to trust, has been the
most wearing and fatiguing, perhaps, of
any one branch of the business. It is this
branch of our business that has broken
down my health, perhaps, more than any
other one thing ; and when we finally de-
cided that I must delegate this serious
and difficult matter to somebody else, the
question came up as to who should under-
take it. We finally decided that our oldest
and most experienced book-keeper should
undertake this, under the advice of Mr.
Calvert and myself, when the case seemed a
difficult one to decide. As a matter of
course, when I let go of the " wheel," if I
may use the expression, and intrusted it to
somebody else, complaints came in, and it
became necessary to frame a set of rules for
the guidance of the book-keepers. These
rules were those that had been deduced
from long experience ; and after they were
framed they were tested. When we were
forced to conclude that we had trusted
somebody unwisely, the book-keepers were
asked to go back and see why this man was
deemed worthy of credit ; and if our rules
were unwisely framed, they were remodel-
ed.

To get the matter before us, let us sup-
pose, as I have done once before, that ob-
taining credit is like going to your neighbor
and borrowing a wheelbarrow. You com-
mence :

" Mr. A, I am a little ashamed to come
on such an errand ; but just now things are
in such a shape that the use of your new
Daisy wheelbarrow for half a day would
save the price of a good man. Now, if you
prefer not to lend it, say so without any
hesitation, and I assure you there will be
no unkind feelings ; or if you can not spare
it, that ends the matter."

In the above transaction the neighbor has
shown a fair, manly, Christian spirit ; and
if Mr. A decides he can not spare the wheel-
barrow, or decides that he can not lend it

342

GLEANINGS LN BEE CULTUltE.

Apr.

at all, it is his right, and neighbor B should
go home pleasantly without it, if his neigh-
bor so decides. It is true, that B might, as
he goes off home without the barrow, say to
himself :

" Well, I think he showed a mean, stingy
spirit. If he does not know me well enough
to know that I would return his wheelbar-
row exactly at the time I promised, and en-
tirely unharmed, he can keep it till it wears
out, and I will never ask him for it again."1

B might say this, but it would be a wrong,
unchristianlike spirit if he did say it. Now,
let us suppose that it is money that B want-
ed, instead of a wheelbarrow. Ought the
case to be materially different V Mr. B
agrees to pay for the use of the barrow. If
hie asks for money to be kept for any length
of time, he ought also to be just as willing
and just as anxious to pay for the use of the
money as to pay for the use of the wheel-
barrow. You may say that money is not
injured by being loaned. We have found to
our sorrow, however, that it is often " in-
jured.*' Sometimes it takes quite a part of
the principal to get it back again, and a
deal of hard, wearing, and fatiguing work.
Sometimes it never comes back. How
many of you can testify to this V Suppose,
now, the wheelbarrow came back all right,
but the owner has charged an exorbitant
price for it for just half a day. In this case
the fault is on both sides. There should
have been a plain understanding before the
wheelbarrow left its owner, as to what the
rent should be. You may say it looks little
and small ; but, my friends, it does not look
nearly so little and small as it does to have
a long standing quarrel because there was
no understanding at the outset. During
my recent travels I felt obliged to decide
not to stop at a hotel until I had first asked
what the charges were. Some of you may
think this looks little and small. 1 can not
help it if it does. After I knew what I was
to pay, I could be friendly and neighborly
with the landlord, and sometimes with the
whole family, without any fear they might
take advantage of my good nature.

We now come to another difficult matter.
Suppose that B finds it is going to require a
whole day instead of half a day. Must he go
half a mile in order to get permission to
keep it half a day longer V By no means.
Send the smallest boy over to A's, with a
scrap of paper containing something like
this :

" Neighbor A, it would be a very great
accommodation indeed if I could keep your
wheelbarrow half a day longer, and on the
same terms. Will it discommode you if I
do so ?"

If neighbor A scratches at the bottom of
the same paper, " Not in the least,1' it is just
as fair as if it were returned at the time
promised. The same thing applies to your
money. There is nothing out of the way, or
injurious to your standing or credit in keep-
ing money longer than the agreed time,
providing you get -permission of your neigh-
bor to keep it. In fact, you may get the
time of payment extended seven times, or
seventy times seven, for aught I know, pro-
viding you make an arrangement that is

agreeable to the neighbor who has loaned it
to you". To neglect to do any thing about
it, or to write any thing at all, however,
when the agreed time comes around, is
damaging to your credit, and it must be
damaging to any one's conscience. It is not
as bad, it is true, to say when the time
comes around, "Neighbor A, I have not
got the money, and can not get it just now,
and you will have to give me more time ; "
but it seems to me this is not quite the
thing after all. The money belongs to your
neighbor, just as the wheelbarrow belongs
to him, and you have not much more right
to keep it without permission than you
have to take property without permission.
You may not agree with me in regard to
this ; but if you want your name to be A
No. 1, and if you want all business men to
spring with alacrity to ship your goods,
whether you send the money with your or-
der or not, you must build up a reputation
for promptness and reliability.* If you
want to do this, be sure that some sort of
an arrangement is always made whereby
payment can be extended, and do this in
ample time before the money is due. Most
business men are willing, so far as my ex-
perience goes, to grant almost any thing,
provided they are notified beforehand.
Another thing that will help you greatly is
to be on hand promptly with the interest, if
you can not pay the principal. The record
of our ledgers shows that the man who pays
his interest promptly will sooner or later
pay the principal. f The man who com-
plains in regard to the amount of interest,
or w7ho maintains that he should not pay
any interest, or who neglects or refuse* to pay
interest, usually never pays any thing if he
can get out of it. Now, I do not say this
because I have a selfish motive in it, but be-
cause I think it will be helpful to you all.
Broken promises in paying debts are almost
as demoralizing as broken promises in sign-
ing the pledge. One gets conscience hard-
ened in a little time, if that is the right
term. First, he persuades himself that the
interest is altogether more than it ought to
be. The next is to decide that he ought
not to pay any interest at all ; and finally he
unblushingly repudiates all obligation, and
refuses to pay either interest or principal,
and goes along through life trying to be hap-
py, and trying to quell the remorse of a
guilty conscience. To come back to the
wheelbarrow again :

Suppose that B should keep the wheel-
barrow without saying a word until A could
not get along with his work any longer, and
went after' it. New, our ledger shows
abundance of instances where the result is
something like this : First, B says it will
cost him the price of the wiieelbarrow to
have to return it as he promised, therefore
he kept right on using it without saying
anything. Again, he says, " I got through
with it just as I agreed ; but neighbor C
wanted it, and he promised to get it around

*" A good name is rather to be chosen than great
riches."— Prov. 22: 1.

+ Our ledgers also phow that, as a rule, he who
answers promptly every statement in regard to hir
indebtedness, usually pays all up, sooner or laie>-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

343

to your place so quickly you would never
miss it at all. I am not in the least to
blame. The fault is all on Cs part." Quite
a good many stop right here, and stoutly in-
sist that they are in no way at fault, forget-
ting, apparently, that the barrow was loan-
ed to them and to nobody else, and that they
alone are responsible for its return or for its
value. Again, B will say, " The wheelbar-
row was in my barn, and the barn was
burned up. Surely you can not blame me
for it, for the bai n'was struck by lightning."
Sometimes B adds, " As I lost the whole
barn, with all there was in it, you surely
can bear the loss of the wheelbarrow." Per-
haps A suggests that, as B has had troubles
and misfortunes, he will not think of crowd-
ing him now, but it seems to him that some
time in the future, when B has caught up
from the loss of the barn, A thinks he ought
to have another wheelbarrow. Now, I have
known B to say, a great many times, before
they got through, " I wish you had never
loaned me the wheelbarrow at all. I never
used it a bit, and it did not do me a particle
of good."

Well, suppose A should say to himself (I
hope he is a gentleman, and will not say it
out loud), " I do believe neighbor B is right.
It would have been better for both of us if I
had refused to lend my bright new wheel-
barrow; and I declare, it has so often re-
sulted in just about this way, when I have
tried to accommodate and to do a friendly
act by loaning tools that it has been no ac-
commodation, and I have just made enemies
of my neighbors. I believe I will never lend
any more tools." Dear friends, the record
of bur ledgers has so often shown, in plain
black and white, that loaning a man money
(or what amounts to the same thing, letting
him have goods on time) has only resulted
in getting him into trouble without doing
him a particle of good, that I have been
tempted to decide we had better stop it al-
together. But a better spirit suggests,
"No, my friend, do not stop it altogether,
but be more careful in the future." Be
careful that the accommodation you feel in-
clined to grant is not going to bring trouble
on both sides.

Before dropping this point I want to say
that, of late, quite a few have censured me
rather severely for having trusted them.
Some of them have been so unkind as to
say that it was only a sharp plan of ours to
get them into a trap where they could not
help themselves. This has come up a good
many times when I have urged my right to
interest as well as principal. We simply
ask for the interest we are obliged to pay —
nothing more. When a good many friends
find themselves unable to pay at the time
they promised, or expected to, I have often
written back, il My friend, we are in great
need of the money, and really must have it ;
but to relieve you from your cramped posi-
tion, as you have stated it to me, I will, if
you wish, go to our bank and borrow the
money for our own needs, and you may, if
you choose, pay me exactly the interest I
have to pay at the bank." Now, it is true
that a great many— yes, by far the larger
part— have written me letters of earnest

thanks for relieving them from the necessity
of going out to borrow money, and they
have in due time paid interest and princi-
pal, saying they would never forget the
kindness I had done them. The larger part
have done this ; but still quite a good many
have failed to pay me back, even after 'I
have tried to help them, and have talked
hard besides.

Now, then, if we are to do a credit busi-
ness, whom shall we trust? Dear friends,
your nearest bank will answer the question
for you, and in a plain, common-sense way.
Some of you, I know, feel bitter toward our
banking institutions, and call them " mon-
eyed aristocrats," and such like things ; but,
my friends, this is all wrong. If you do
not like banks, it is your privilege not to
patronize them. But if you do patronize
them, and they accommodate you according
to business rules, treat them as friends and
neighbors. You may say that banks are
expensive ; but it is your privilege and duty
to give up the purchase of things you can
not well afford, without reflections on your
fellow - men or reflections on the great
Father in heaven for giving you only a hum-
ble station. Do you ask what the conditions
are for accommodation at the bank V Well.
I presume they will be something like this :

The cashier will say, " My friend, where
do you live, and what pronerty do you
own V "

If you reply that you own a farm or a
house and lot, or a store, the next question
is, " What do you consider your property
worth, and what incumbrance has it in the
way of mortgages, etc. V "

If your property is of a kind likely to
burn up, you will be asked if it is insured ;
and if insured, the summing-up will be, kt If
you should get sick, or die, or if your house
should burn up, or if a cyclone or flood
should come upon you, are you in such
shape that you would still be able to pay
back this money ?"

If you are unacquainted with the cashier,
he will ask you to call in some mutual ac-
quaintance—somebody to prove your identi-
ty, to attest to the truthfulness of your
statement — the postmaster, the station
agent, or the storekeeper, or people who are
known to the banker, and who know almost
everybody in the vicinity. Now, if you
have had difficulty with any of the above
three, or if you owe them money and can't
pay it, I shall have to admit that your
chances are slim for getting the accommo-
dation you ask. And here we see how im-
portant it is that you live according to the
spirit of the text at the head of this talk.
If you have not done so, you have no right to
complain.

Now, suppose you do not own any proper-
ty at all— you are renting a place. In that
case the cashier would be foolish if he gave
you credit unless you brought forward some-
body known to him— some man of means to
sign a note with you to go your security. A
great many of you will say right here, " I
am not going to ask anybody to sign with
me." Good ! A. I. Roof is one of that very
sort. But, my friend, if you say you are
not going to furnish a signer, you must not

344

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

May

complain if you can not get the accommoda-
tion you ask for. You must either get a
signer, or accumulate property enough to
make it easy for your wife to pay your (debts
if you die suddenly. If you can not do one
of "the two above things, it seems to me if
you are a good Christian you ought not to
complain because the world does not see fit
to give you credit.

The rules laid down for our book-keeper
are just in accordance with the above, only
we are a little more liberal than banks in
general. This book-keeper, of many years'
experience, is a Christian woman of good
judgment, and one who has a kindly love
for all humanity. In this very work of
which I have told you, it is her constant end
and aim to decide all these matters in a
Christianlike way. Mr. Calvert, her aid and
adviser, is also a thorough-working Chris-
tian—a man who asks God day by day to
help him to love his neighbor as himself.
Perhaps they make mistakes. They do not,
of course, know all the old friends of
Gleanings just as I do ; but I assure you
that we all stand ready to correct any mis-
take at once, as soon as we are informed of
it. I told you we were more liberal than
the banks. It is this way : We have quite a
few customers who are not men of property
—who have very little indeed to fall back
on in case of sickness, death, fire, cyclones,
floods, etc.; but this class have gained cred-
it by being prompt and careful about paying
all small balances. They are often quoted,
" Has always paid exactly according to
promise," and I tell you this one simple rec-
ord goes a great way. The man who has al-
ways been " faithful in small things," cer-
tainly will be faithful in larger ones ; but of
late a good many facts have come to light,
showing that it is sometimes a mistake and
an unkindness to even these friends to give
them too large a credit. Very often I pen •
cil on letters, " Why was this man trust-
ed?" The letter comes back to my special
box, marked something like this : " He was
always prompt, and fully up to promise in
small amounts, say from five cents up to
five dollars, until we decided to trust him
$25.00, then he had bad luck, and wrote us
once or twice about his misfortunes, and
now we can't get any answer from him at
all." Now, friends, the fault was ours. To
be kind and helpful to this individual, our
duty was to tell him that we did not feel
justified in trusting him to so large an
amount as S2-3.00, from what we could learn
of him, even though his past record had
been excellent. Very likely he would have
been greatly hurt and pained on receiving
this answer; but it would have been much
better for all parties, just as it was with the
wheelbarrow, had neighbor A stated kindly
but firmly that he preferred not to lend it ;
and, my friend, if you know the neighbor
who comes to borrow your wheelbarrow is
notorious for breaking and injuring and
keeping every tool he gets hold of, I think
the kindest act you can do is to tell him
pleasantly, that, if he will excuse you, you
would rather not lend it.

Some years ago I wanted accommodation
at our bank. The cashier questioned me,

and finally told me he did not see how they
could consistently let me have what I
wanted, especially as I objected to giving a
signer. I urged, however, and he finally
said that perhaps they could get around
their rules in some way. After a little re-
flection I decided, however, and spoke out
something as follows :

1,1 Look, here, my friend, I do not want to
be any exception to your regular rules. I
want just as good terms as you offer to any-
body else, but no better. If your rules are
as you have stated, I prefer to abide by
them; " and I went without the money I
wanted, and felt then a good deal hap-
pier, and have ever since. And you too,
my friend, will feel better and happier and
manlier to abide by the established rules
than to beg to be an exception because you
are a " near neighbor," or an " old friend,"
or something of that sort. I am sure a lit-
tle foolish pride often comes in here. Men
who are worth their thousands do not feel
hurt, nor object to being questioned ; and I
believe it is generally laid down that the
man who flares up and gets offended, or
shows anger because he is asked to submit
to the regular established business customs
in the way of debt and credit, is, as a rule,
found to be unworthy of any credit.

Some years ago a good friend of mine,
who is in the banking business, wrote me a
kind letter. After excusing himself for
taking the liberty, he said he would like to
urge upon me the importance of keeping a
little more ready cash ahead, so that I
might not be so often in cramped places.
He said it injured my standing, not only as
a man of business, but also my reputation as
a Christian, to have the world see that I
was cramped or pinched, or to be inquiring
here and there for money. Now, this friend
is not a Christian ; but from a business
standpoint he saw that I was dishonoring
Christ Jesus the Savior by continually pay-
ing out my money as fast as I got it, or a
little faster, so that I was every little while
crowded. I thanked him, and told him that
I would try to show him that his advice was
not thrown away. In a little time I had
quite a sum of money in the bank, saved up
for a "rainy day," as the expression goes;
and during that summer I was enabled to
take advantage of many opportunities in
the way of purchases, that I had never
been able to manage before ; and I resolv-
ed then that I would never more dishonor
the Master by want of ordinary business
prudence; and let me tell you, my friends,
that, although we like to do business, and
like to sell you goods, I would urge and
implore you, not only for your own good
and happiness, but for the sake of Christ
Jesus, not to be in such haste to make such
investments that you cramp and cripple
yourself. Read over again the little clause
in the fore part of our price list, about bor-
rowing money to buy goods.

A few have objected to 8 per cent inter-
est. Some have said they did not think we
were obliged to pay it ; and a few have said
that we are not very smart in business or
we would not pay 8 per cent interest. My
friends, we can get money at <> per cent by

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

345

keeping it a year or more, and by furnishing
a signer. As we do not get it at that rate
at present otherwise, I prefer to pay the 8
per cent, especially because, by so doing, I
can better fulfill the command of the little
text I started out with—" Owe no man any
thing, but to love one another."

THE SIZE OF BROOD-CHAMBER.

DADANT STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF LARGE-SIZED
FRAMES.

GREAT RHINOCEROS BEETLE.

NOT AN ENEMY, AFTER ALL,.

T HAVE the following- letter from E. Wetherold,
jfflf Bryantowu, Md.:

W Respected Friend: — I send you a beetle which
"iL is a curiosity to me, as I have never seen one
like it before. I wish you would describe, illus-
trate, and give a sketch of its mode of life and
habits for the readers of Gleanings. I am sure it
would interest all. It was found in a decayed
locust-tree which has been gradually dying for
some years. Are these insects the cause of the
death and decay of the trees? Locusts in this State
are seriously injured by what are called borers. I
have never seen these borers, but supposed them to
be quite different from this beetle.

GREAT RHINOCEROS BEETLE, NATURAL SIZE.

This beetle (see cut) is one of our most formidable-
looking insects. It is known as the great rhinoceros
beetle (Dynastes titi/us, Linn.). Irs form, size, and
markings are well shown in the excellent figure
which I inclose. It is greenish in color, often with
a yellowish tinge, with black dots. The ends of the
horns and the legs are black. It is reported that
some of them are uniformly brown, like our May
beetles. The lower horn can be moved so that, as
it comes against the upper, it might form quite a
formidable weapon of offense and defense. On each
side of the pro-thorax is a short horn, one of which
shows in the figure. Indeed, though perfectly
harmless it is about as startling in its appearance
as any Insect I know of. It is a Southern species,
and has been found from Maryland to Missouri, in
southern Indiana, and to the Gulf. The grubs feed
on decaying wood, and so this one does not destroy
the Maryland locusts. The beautiful locust-borer,
a trim, long-horned beetle, yellow and black in col-
or, is the real enemy, and it is a serious one all over
the United States. When the trees decay from the
attack of the locust-borers, then this rhinoceros
beetle finds in it a suitable nidus for its eggs. Thus
it is not strange that our friend Mr. Wetherold
found this one as he did. The female looks like the
male, but has only a tubercle in place of the long
horn. I should be very grateful if some Southern
friend would send me a female. I am very glad to
receive all such insects, and will gladly describe
them when sent to me. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

TN the answers on the number of brood-frames in
d|P the hives, page 224, we give the larger number,
W while Messrs. Doolittle, Hasty, and, I could add,
■*■ Gravenhorst, as per his article, page 210, use the
smallest-sized hives. Let me tell how I came to
the conclusion that large frames and capacious
hives give better results than small ones. When 1
arrived in this country, 26 years ago, I had never
seen shallow hives; so my first hives were made of
the same size as the Debeauvoys, 12J4 x 14, which
was about the same as the American, 9 frames to
the hive. A little later I tried the Quinby hanging
frame; then enlarged both kinds, to place at the
sides glassed surplus boxes, as per the idea of Mr.
Jasper Hazen. But seeing that bees were reluc-
tant to work In the side boxes I replaced them with
frames. My American was thus enlarged to 14
frames, and my Quinby to 13. But as my best
queens had too much room in these Quinby frames,
I reduced them to nine or ten, with one or two par-
tition-boards besides. Yet as I had begun to raise
bees for sale, and as most of my customers wanted
them in Langstroth ten-frame 1 lives, I had to com-
ply with their preferences, and introduced this size
In my apiaries, being thus enabled to experiment
on three different kinds of hives. I had begun, al-
so, to raise Italian queens for sale, using at first
small nuclei with combs 5x5 inches. But as I had
to cut my combs to give brood or honey to these
nuclei, I got the idea of dividing a few of my large
Quinby frames in two equal parts, which could be
taken apart or reunited at once. A small engrav-
ing of this device appeared in Gleanings for
March, 1874, page 28. I made 25 such nuclei, every
one of 11 half Quinby frames capacity. I used
these nuclei with the best results as long as I raised
queens for sale. It was an easy matter to keep
them strong and well provisioned by borrowing
from those of my hives in which I had introduced
some of these divisible frames.

In the latter part of summer, as fast as one of
these nuclei was deprived of its queen, its bees
were given to another, and so on till the eight or
ten left had a sufficient number of bees for a good
wintering. Yet, while these small hives wintered
perfectly, I have been unable to build them up in
spring to the strength of my large hives; for at the
beginning of June, while my Quinby had, on an
average, seven or eight combs full of brood, my
nuclei had hardly brood on eight or nine half-
combs.

Having narrated these facts lately in the Revue
Internationale, of February, 1889, its editor, Mr.
Bertrand, added in note:

"It is a similar observation, made about ten
years ago, which has definitively convinced us of
the superiority of the large frames. Supposing
that the keeper of one of our apiaries desired to
have bees of his own, we gave him a swarm and a
few hives, known under the name of Vaudoises,
and containing 13 frames 11 x 10 inches. This apia*
ry of our bee-keeper, placed on our own ground,
side by side with our own bees, increased in num-
ber with time, but these small Vaudoises have
never equaled, neither in population nor in prod-
uct, our large layer? " (14 to 16 frames, of the
American size).

346

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

May

There is in the A B C a very good explanation,
with engravings, of the causes why bees raise less
brood in the Gallup than in the Langstroth combs,
so we can easily understand why Messrs. Doolittle
and Gravenhorst think that a good queen can not
lay more than 2300 eggs daily, while I have often
noticed some laying over 4000 eggs for weeks.

The opinion of Berlepsch on this matter, as given
by Mr. Gravenhorst, is of very small account, for
the frames of the Berlepsch hive are of about the
same size as those of Mr. Gravenhorst. I may add,
that a great many comparisons have been made
in Europe between the 11-Quiuby-frame hives and
the Berlepsch, and the results were always wonder-
fully in favor of the large Quinby; in fact, they
showed from two to three times as much honey per
colony in the Quinby, in the same apiaries. No
doubt Mr. W. P. Root, your translator, has noticed
these reports in the Revue Internationale of Switzer-
land, and in the Apieoltorc of Milan, Italy. The jour-
nal of the Marches, Italy, I Api e i Fiori (The Bees
and the Flowers), was founded in view of spreading
the wide hive under the name of arnia march igiann.
But some bee-keepers, in this country, object to
large hives for comb honey. My first comparisons
were begun about 23 years ago. At that time I
used slatted honey-boards, on which my glassed
honey-boxes were placed; but after noticing that
bees were slow to ascend in the boxes, I dispensed
with honey-boards by inventing T supports made of
plasterers' laths, under the edge of which I nailed
tin strips above, 2 inches wide, to support my
boxes directly above the brood-frames.

When — twenty years ago — Adair invented his
sectional honey-box he sent me one for a pattern,
and I discarded the square glassed boxes. I had
an extractor; but as the people were reluctant to
buy extracted honey I produced more especially
comb honey till a part of the prejudice was over-
come. The size of my hives was far from being a
hindrance, for I took sometimes 150 lbs. of spring
comb honey from my best colonies, although our
spring crop is gathered on the white clover exclu-
sively, since we have very few lindens around
here.

As our queens have room to hiy from 60,000 to
80,000 eggs in 21 days, the population is so large
that we do not need to contract the brood-ehamber,
the workers being too happy to find their room en-
larged. We have had swarms containing 60,000
bees or more, if we estimate them by their weight,
while Mr. Gravenhorst speaks of uniting two of his
swarms to get 44,000 bees.

Our experiments are still continuing on the three
kinds— 11-frame Quinby, 10-frame Langstroth, and
14-frame American; not on two or three of each
kind, but on 5H or more. When we extract we be-
gin with one kind; and when it is done we figure
the result, dividing it b}r the number of colonies.
We do the same for the other kind, placed side by
side in the same apiary. Then when we say that
our large Quinby gives us better results we know
there is no mistake. To sum up the above we will
say that, according to our quarter-century's expe-
rience—

1. In a large hive the queen, in spring, begins to
lay earlier, and lays more than in a small one,
since the population wintered is larger.

2. At the beginning of the spring crop, the num-
ber of bees is so large that, as soon as the surplus

boxes are placed, the bees ascend into them with-
out needing contraction.

3. As the queen finds sufficient room to lay, she
goes upstairs so seldom that we dispense with
queen-excluders.

4. If the boxes are furnished with combs and
comb foundation, and more room is added before
being needed, all swarming will be prevented, ex-
cept when the bees replace their queens during the
honey crop. As we do not get more than two or
three per cent of swarms, we dispense with watch-
ing our bees closely.

5. As bees swarm but little in well conducted
large hives, not only the time and work of the bee-
keeper are spared, but the day of swarming is
more profitably used by bees in going to the fields
and getting, according to circumstances, from 5 to
20 lbs. more honey per colony.

6. The few swarms obtained are so large that
they need hives of full capacity, and one or two
surplus boxes, in which we sometimes harvested
1011 lbs. of honey or more.

7. As all the queens have a sufficient space to lay
to their utmost capacity, it is an easy matter to
breed from the most prolific, prolificuess being the
first qualification of a good queen.

8. As we leave about all the honey stored in the
brood-chamber, our bees have some spring honey
left for winter; and as this honey is of the be6t
quality they winter better on it, while we dispense
with the work of feeding.

9. As the laying of our queen is never restricted,
her large population has the best chances to reach
spring strong and healthy.

We desire to add, that none of the bee-keepers
who oppose large hives have ever tried them, and
act under the influence of preconceived ideas;
while ire speak with the authority that a long ex-
perience can give, and are backed by hundreds of
European and American bee-keepers who have
made the same comparisons that we did.

Hamilton, 111 , April, 1889. Chas. Dadant.

There, friends, we have a valuable article.
Now, although it should not seem prudent
for us all to adopt the large Quinby frame, I
do think it behooves us to think well before
we choose a smaller frame than the old
standard Langstroth. I have for years been
well satisfied that we could raise more bees
with a frame larger than Langstrotrfs, for
the reasons that Dadant has given ; but
when other things are taken into considera-
tion, especially the matter of securing comb
honey, and getting sections close to the
heart of the brood-nest, I think I would use
a frame a little shallower than would other-
wise be needed ; and then when we reflect
that most of us have the Langstroth frame
already, it seems to me very good policy to
let well enough alone. By the way, one can
not well avoid the conclusion that friend
Dadant has some extra-prolific queens, es-
pecially those that lay 4000 eggs in 24 hours,
and keep it up for weeks. I do not know
where he gets his stock to raise queens
from at present ; but I am inclined to think
that it was imported from Italy, not very
long ago. Will he please tell us about it?
I presume that it will, of course, be of no
use to have such large hives unless we also
have queens to match.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

347

MOVING BEES DURING THE SW ARM-
ING SEASON.

AliSO SOMETHING ABOUT SETTING BEES ON DIF-
FERENT STANDS WHEN TAKEN FROM THE
CELLAR.

@N page 165 friend Daniels speaks about moving
bees in and out of cellars like so many potato-
barrels " and not one word about losing bees
in all the years I have been reading bee-pa-
pers." Why, friend D., unless I'm very much
mistaken there has been a good deal said about it,
and I think that the majority of bee-keepers insist
that, when taken out of the cellar, each hive must
be put on the stand it occupied before going into
the cellar. Certainly I have no recollection of any
case where bees were taken out for a fly, put back
in the cellar again, and then, when taken out nexl
time, no care taken to put them on the same stands.
In all cases it is entirely safe to put a colony
back on its own stand. Sometimes, however, it is
not convenient. Take my own case. In my cellars
are now bees from four apiaries. Without much
trouble I could put all that belong in the home api-
ary on their owu stands. Even then if I had noth-
ing but these, and if a goodly number should die
in wintering, I believe I should rather have
the survivors fill out the rows solid as far as they
might go, rather than have vacancies. But those
colonies which come from the out-apiaries can not
be put back where they stood last fall without a
great deal of trouble. You see, it is not easy to
have regular places for them for the few days in
fall and spring that they stand near the cellar. But
after those bees have been in the cellar about five
months they don't seem to pay any attention to
their old location. I set them where it happens to
suit best, without paying any regard to their pre-
vious location.

Before going any further I want to advise you, if
you are a beginner, to set it down as a rule, that, if
you don't want to lose bees, you must be careful
not to change their location. You haven't a great
many colonies as yet, and you can easily place
them in spring where they stood the previous fall.
Experiment somewhat gingerly to fee what your
bees will do with your management before you risk
putting many on stands new to them.

Now I may go on to say that, in my own case,
even if they do mix up some I don't know that it is
any loss, although I should rather have each bee
stay in its own hive. If I should move bees as does
friend France (see page 81) I should rather expect
trouble; still, I can readily believe that he gets
along all right with it. But as to having a cluster
cling to the old stand when put on a new stand in
spring, I never had a single case. 1 can imagine that,
if I had very few colonies, or only a single colony,
and should give it a stand in the spring, a few rods
from the old place, a large number of the bees
miglit gather at the old stand and keep up such a
commotion there as not to hear the hum of the
bees at the hive, and so cling to the old stand.
But if a large number of colonies were in easy
hearing I have little fear but that the old stand
would be speedily deserted, and the bees would go
into hives most likely not their own; for on first be-
ing taken from the cellar, bees of different colonies
seem to mix peaceably. Another thing: If, during
the rush of the honey-flow, a colony with no others
near it should be moved half a mile, or, indeed, any

distance within the scope of its previous flight, I
should expect to see a cluster at the old stand.
Prom the headlong way in which a bee rushes from
the hive in a bee-line after a load of honey, one
can easily believe that it pays little attention to its
surroundings till it is some distance away. Now,
suppose this bee should be taken to a new location
two miles away. On going out to-morrow morning
it strikes within a few rods upon a linden-tree upon
which it had been at work the previous day. Even
if this tree is two miles from its old home, it knows
well the way back, and it doesn't know the way to
its new location. Is it not the most natural thing
for it to fly straight back to its old home? By the
way, is not this some proof that bees in general do
not fly so very far, for I think it is generally under-
stood that bees moved in the harvest two miles
from home, will never return? If that distance
was within the range of their previous flight, would
they not return?

Now, upon coming back to the old stand I should
expect to see a large cluster remain there. But if
another colony were within a very few feet, or a
number of colonies within a very few rods, I should
hardly expect to see a single bee remain for any
length of time on the old stand. I have often re-
moved a colony from its stand in the middle of
the harvest, and I don't believe a colony thus mov-
ed ever lost a dozen bees, or, rather, that a dozen
of such bees were ever entirely lost, for the whole
field force will fail to find the hive when thus
moved; but they will peaceably unite, when loaded
with honey, with one of the nearest colonies.

On page 81 you say, friend Root, " When they are
moved so far that they do not meet familiar objects
on their first flight, of course they will all go back
to the hive." Now, I am a little skeptical about
that, unless some modifying words are used. How
far will a bee in a strange place dart from its hive
before it recognizes that there are no familiar ob-
jects? I wish that some one who can, would an-
swer that question. 1 hardly think it awakens fully
to the situation till it is at least a number of feet
from the hive. When it does think about it, it
doesn't know where to go; and if other hives are
standing near, will it not be just as likely to go to
one of them? There is likely to be an unusual com-
motion at the hive which has been moved, and this
will probably prevent many from going wrong, but
I have for a long time had some suspicion that
when I moved bees to an out-apiary, there was
more or less mixing up. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Eriend M., I am well aware that bees do
mix up a great deal from one hive to the
other ; and especially is this the case when
they are first taken from the cellar. We can
tell exactly how much they mix by having a
part of our apiary Italians and the other
part pure blacks. We shall then find black
bees scattered among the Italians, and Ital-
ians scattered among the blacks. In regard
to your point about moving, so that they do
not meet familiar objects, the first colony of
bees I ever owned was very carefully
watched. I was down before the hive in
the morning before a bee had gone out, and
I have repeatedly watched bees from colo-
nies that had been brought in the night be-
fore ; that is, I would sit down by the hive
and see how the inmates behaved when they

348

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

M.^

first discovered they were in a strange
neighborhood. So far as I can recollect,
they always took their points. I do not re-
member to have seen a bee under such cir-
cumstances go right off to the fields without
noticing that the surroundings were dif-
ferent, and I have always supposed that the
minute they discover they are in a strange
neighborhood they take their bearings as
bees do from a newly hived swarm. In pur-
chasing bees from our neighbor Eice, about
10 miles away, I often watch them when the
wire cloth is taken from the entrance. Un-
der such circumstances they come out with
a rush— a great lot of them, while others
stand humming at the entrance, and, as a
general thing, Ithink almost every bee very
soon, and without going a great distance,
goes back to the hive he came from. Pret-
ty soon they sally out for another reconnoi-
sance, and within a couple of hours some of
them will return with pollen. Now, if
neighbor Eice lived within half a mile I
should expect these pollen-gatherers to go
to their old home with their loads ; but so
far as I can recollect, where they are moved
a mile there is not often much going back :
a mile and a half, almost none of it ; and
when you come to two miles, I never saw a
bee go back at all. When I brought the first
Italians into Medina County I watched this
matter very thoroughly. I do not believe
that our bees often fly more than two miles.
In the last issue, p. 308, J. F. Whitmore had
something to say on the same subject.

FROM SAN DIEGO TO DEHESA.

A RIDE THROUGH THE COUNTRY.

el.

H RIEND ROOT:— At 6 o'clock to-morrow morn-
2| ing you will takeji seat in my buggy, behind
W my messenger horse John. We will journey
to the east, for Dehesa is 25 miles away,
among the mountains, 1200 ft. above sea-lev-
Now, 1 am to do most of the talking; first, be-
cause I am older; second, because I know more of
the country than you do. There, we have left the
city behind; and at a glance over our shoulder we
can see a thousand little clouds of smoke, risiDg
from so many chimneys, where the busy wives are
preparing breakfast. Look just over those little
clouds of smoke, and you see San Diego Bay. How
peaceful and smooth it is! and when you open
your eye a little wider you see Coronado, with its
grand and imposing hotel (the largest in the
world).

But here we are, three miles out of town, and
what have we? Only a gravelly soil; low, gently
sloping hills, covered with brush. Why is this
land in this state of nature? Is it not good for any
thing? Yes, nature has bestowed upon this soil all
that is necessary to raise good grain, fruit, berries,
vegetables, nuts, and flowers; in fact, everything
that goes to make a prosperous and happy home.
Only one thing is lacking— water. Water is king in
this country. But, wait ! You shall see, as we go
further on, the source whence all this land shall
drink, whence all the dense population that shall
build for themselves homes upon this self-same
soil in this delightful climate, where old Jack Frost
oeldom if ever comes, and then only to nip the

tenderest flower or shrub. Goon, John; let's jog
along and show Mr. Root, at "five miles away."

Here we are. This is not a bad-looking place on
our right; fine house, fine barn, fine out-buildings,
and it looks nestled snug in that little canyon; the
hennery— that looks a good deal like home, does it
not? Look to the left, and you see the orange-or-
chard. Yes, the trees are small. You were not
with me one short year ago when John and I trav-
eled along here, much as we are doing now. Well,
then there was not a blow struck, the brush was
waving in the morning breeze, the jack rabbit
sported on hillside and valley. You ask, " How
comes this transformation in one short year?" I
tell you, money and Water (put the capital for Wa-
ter, for 'tis Mug). This man was more fortunate,
perhaps, than all would be, for he struck a big
flow at a reasonable depth; and with his 14-foot
windmill he hoists it to his tank, thence to the
thirsty earth about his ground and trees. But we
must hurry on.

Now you see the small house on the left; that is
the six-mile house, where Mr. Harbison used to
have his first out-apiary, now sold out and gone,
for the bees must go further back. You see but
little change in the face of the country. The same
undulating hills and valleys, the same sandy soil,
and brush and jack rabbits, but no houses ; no,
none. Two miles more, and here is the eight-mile
house where the greatest stock in trade is bad
whisky. Let's hurry.up, John, and get out of this
locality, for we are coming into America. Every
turn of the wheels brings us into a higher altitude;
and now if you will put on your glasses, over that
joint at the left you will see an oasis in this wilder-
ness of brush and low hills and gravelly soil. Here
is home again, wiih its comforts and two wind-
mills. We are now 700 feet above San Diego Bay,
and within a stone's throw of the first crossing of
the Cuyamaca & Eastern R. R. This word " Cuy-
amaca" would be spelled and pronounced in Eng-
lish (Quemahka). This road, that is now building
as fast as men and money can push it through, will
be one more through line from the great East to
the western shore; and the next time you visit San
Diego you will be hurled along at 40 miles an hour
over the very ground over which we now sit.

We have left the sage brush behind for a time,
and this newly turned-up soil on our right tells of
culture, thrift, progress, and the go-ahead spirit ot
the true American. Do you see that streak of newly
turned-up soil? Look at its meandering course,
over hill and valley, now to the right, now to the
left, but still on and on to the sea. That is the path
where lies hidden the great water-pipe from the
San Diego flume (but you shall hear more of that
when we get to it). The summit ! here we are, 11
miles from the city, and 900 feet up. You see no
more brush, but cultivated fields; and if you will
hold your breath for a little while, John will let us
down to the first crossing of the great flume and
the second of the Cuyamaca. Here they are to-
gether. While we contemplate the beauty of this
body of fresh mountain water, flowing so peaceful-
ly beneath us, we can not 'jut admire the skill and
energy of man that has hollowed out and cut this
path through the mountain-side for the locomotive,
for the wagon-road passes over them both at this
point. But on a few rods, and we will put on the
brake, while you feast your eyes upon the scene
below. This is the El Cajon Valley. " Cajon " in

1889

GLEANINGS^IN BEE CULTURE.

349

English would be spelled Cahone. Now what do you
see? You have come 14 miles to this lovely valley.
Spread out before you are thousands upon thou-
sands of acres of fruit and vines— a real paradise-
nothing fanciful about it, but real. Here you
find a soil rich, deep, and productive— no hillsides
here, no grade, no brush, nor jack rabbits. Beautiful,
is it not? Does man live here? Yes, 'tis the hand of
man that has turned this into real beauty. Get-up,
John! Past all this semi-tropical beauty we will
wend our way to the Southeast Pass, and toward
more beauty, or old Sweetwater, now Dehesa. Do
you look over my shoulder to the right, at that fine
house and grounds, with its young orange-orchard,
vineyard, and 200 acres of barley? Last March,
when I rode along here as we are doing now, the
house was not yet done; men were busy setting out
trees and vines; four plows were turning up the
virgin soil for the first time, all in 13 months. But,
halt! here we are, beneath this great flume; 82 ft.
above our heads flows 5000 miners' inches of water.
This trestle, that extends on either side of us, is
1232 ft. long; and what a splendid structure it is, so
solid, so strong! Now let's stop a moment and
think what a stupendous work is this, and what
does it mean to San Diego City and County. Pifty-
flve miles away, where the peaks of the Cuyamacas
penetrate the clouds, there is where this water
comes from. This enterprise cost over $1,000,000,
and this now is what 1 promised to tell you several
hours ago, when we were passing over the thirsty
land this side of the city. This is what is going to
give that land to drink, to make it bud and blos-
som, and to make plenty and contented homes all
over that now barren waste. On and on, for time
presses, 1000 feet now above the sea, and here is Mr.
Rose— not a bad house has he got either; and just
done. Do you see those ricks of baled hay, the or-
chard, and vineyard, where 18 months ago not a
blow was struck, and Uncle Sam was owner of the
land? 'tis true, every word of it. Brace yourself, for
John is letting us down the McParland grade.
Whoh there, now ! let your eyes do their best. The
eye can take it in, but the tongue can not express
the scene below. It is the Sweetwater Valley.
Look ! in yonder distance you see the sweet water
coming. It will not pass us. Turning to the right
it passes on and down to the great Sweetwater
Dam. Before you now is the valley, the land
where the celebrated Dehesa raisin of California is
raised. This, now, on the right, is Mr. Allen's and
Mr. Weddle's, all in one field, you say. Yea, 400
acres in one vineyard, besides fruit. We must cer-
tainly hurry on; and while we pass farm after
farm with their surroundings, think what will this
country we have come over to-day be and look like
ten years from now. Let the mind picture the con-
dition then. Here we are at the mouth of Harbi-
son Canyon; one mile up grade, and we are home.

A. W. Osbdrn.
Dehesa, San Diego Co., Cal., Mar. 14, 1889.

Well, old friend, you have given the read-
ers of Gleajnings one of the best pictures
of California that I have ever seen— that is,
the best pen-picture. It gave me a feeling
of pain all through, however, to think that
I bungled my trip in such a way that I did
not make the trip with you in reality. I
saw a great deal of what you mention ; and
I kept saying again and again to myself,
" What is to be the outcome of these won-

derful improvements in the next ten years
—yes, or even five years ? " My brother
Jesse and I visited El Cajon, and went
through one of the large raisin plantations.
That wonderful flume and those gigantic
trestles were to me an unceasing wonder.
In fact, I did not know, until I viewed that
trestle-work and the Sweetwater Dam, that
the combined skill of the mechanics of the
world could produce any thing so imposing
and grand in the shape of mechanical archi-
tecture. The work is not only a miracle
of strength, but it is to me a miracle of
beauty ; and the very idea of pouring pure
bright limpid water into those desert
wastes, and making the wilderness blossom
as the rose, fills me and thrills me with en-
thusiasm. Now, if I had had that buggy-
ride with you, before we had been together
many hours 1 should probably have given
you an exhortation, after my fashion, in the
way of praising God, ;t from whom all bless-
ings flow." May be you have done that
thousands of times, and are doing it every
day of your life. If you have not, then why
shouldn't you commence now V The very
sight of those mountains, especially with
the railroads, the great flumes, and dams,
contrasting and comparing man's work
with God's, seems to me should make any
human being feel that God's plans include
man's, and that his design was in the very
outset that there should be mutual love and
harmony between God and man. God loves
us, or he would not have taken all this
pains ; and it seems to me that the highest
and holiest and noblest thing that man can
do is to love God and look to him in thanks-
giving and praise very often ; and especial-
ly when beset by troubles, doubts, and un-
certainties does it behoove him to '' cling to
the rock that is higher than I."

HUBEE HIVES.

FOUL BROOD, ETC.

R. WM. C. BROWN, Otago, New Zealand,
sends me a frame by sample post which
he describes. He wishes me to give my
opinion of it in Gleanings. This is
really a Huber frame, like the Quinby,
Bingham, and new Heddon, only this is closed
above and on the sides. The idea is, that thei-e
should be no space between the comb and side of
the hive, nor any upward ventilation. Very likely
a valuable end is gained in the use of such frames.
We should judge so from the fact that they are
used by such persons as Captain Hetherington,
Bingham, etc. The only question is, Does the ad-
vantage gained cost too much? To close all open-
ings above would necessitate exclusive side-stor-
ing. I do not believe such a system advisable. No
one uses it in America, so far as I know. Indeed, I
do not believe it very important. The bees seal the
top of the hive very closely, and I can see no objec-
tion to a shallow space — bee-space — above the
frames. In fact, I like it. I have used several
hives of the Huber type— closed-end bars— and I
believe, after all, that, for the general bee-keeper,
the regular Laugstroth hive is yet the best. The
convenience is more than the slight advantage
gained by omitting the end space between (he

350

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

frame and hive. Indeed, I am not sure that,
even in wintering, the old box hive is superior to
the Langstroth, especially in wise hands.

Mr. Brown asks me if I think it wise to legislate
on foul brood. He asks if the same money and ef-
fort put into research will not accomplish more. In
reply, I will say that a somewhat similar malady
attacks the peach-trees in Michigan. A law was
passed requiring the immediate removal of diseas-
ed trees as soon as the malady was discovered.
That law has saved thousands of dollars to Michigan
peach-growers. It was enforced till people saw its
value. Now no law is needed. Why would not
or might not the same be true in case of foul brood?
We have a law in Michigan, but have never had to
use it more than once or twice, I think. The very
fact of the law seems to have brought the required
action without any legal proceedings. We under-
stand the disease pretty well now. One of Michi-
gan's best bee-keepers has had it for two or three
years. He told me last summer that he did not
fear it at all. He rather enjoyed dealing with it.
This man, however, has a big brain, and he knows
how to use it. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Friend Cook, this matter of closed-end
and closed-top frames, made in such a way
as to give them the advantage of the old box
hives, has been discussed for more than
twenty years through our bee-journals, and
I believe the general decision has been in
accordance with the views you give. I
think you are sound, also, on the matter of
legislation in regard to such things as foul
brood, the malady that threatens to ruin the
peach-trees, and other like matters. It is
not because people deliberately propose to
harm their neighbors, but it is the ever-
prevalent sin of neglect and procrastination.
In California, by efficient measures in Ven-
tura County, foul brood has been practically
extinguished ; but they were obliged to elect
some one as inspector, and have him visit
the apiaries, and decide what ought to be
done. In no case that I heard of did any
one dispute the justice of the law, or refuse
to do as the inspector directed. But without
the law, and the inspector to visit apiaries,
make examinations, and decide or advise, if
you choose to put it so, what is best to be
done, nothing would be accomplished. The
simple matter of letting people know that
such a law has been passed, is often all that
is needed to stir them up to a sense of duty.

O. O. POPPLETON.

A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE, BY HIS SISTER-IN-LAW.

80. POPPLETON was born near Green Springs,
Seneca Co., Ohio, June 8, 184:5. When four
years of age his parents removed to Napo-
• leon, Henry Co., Ohio, where, two years lat-
er, his father died, leaving his mother a
widow with two sons, in straitened circum-
stances. Two years later his mother married Mr.
Joseph George, of Clyde, O., and settled in Sandus-
ky Co. After living there a few years the great in-
ducements of the West influenced his step-father to
move to Northern Iowa, where they settled in
Chickasaw Co., when Mr. Poppleton was 12 years of

age. This was his home until two years ago, when
he removed to Florida on account of his health.

As Iowa was a very new country, Mr. Poppleton
had the full benefit of pioneer backwoods life. His
education was obtained in common schools, except
about two years at Oberlin, where he also took a
commercial course. When 16 and 17 years of age,
in company with an uncle of his he taught writing-
school at several places in Ohio— at Lithopolis, Ho-
mer, Washington C. H., and Springfield; at the lat-
ter place he also kept books for a short time in a
daily-paper office.

O. o. POPPLETON.

In October, 1861, he enlisted as a private in the 7th
Iowa Infantry, and re-enlisted as a veteran in 1863.
In February, 1864, he was promoted to a lieutenancy
in the 111th TJ. S. C. Inf., and a few months later he
was made regimental adjutant. It was while per-
forming the duties of this office, and also at the
same time those of post adjutant at Murfreesboro,
Tenn., that overwork resulted in the eye trouble
that has so seriously affected his health ever since,
and which compelled the refusal of an excellent
offer of employment at the time of mustering out.
He served his country faithfully for five years; and
though he received no scar upon his body, yet the
smell of smoke was strong^upon his garments. He
was in several hard-fought battles, and taken pris-
oner once, but was held only a few weeks, when he
was released or exchanged.

On leaving the service he settled down on a farm
adjoining his parents' in Iowa. He married a Miss
Groom, who died twelve years after, leaving him
two daughters. Mrs. Poppleton was a confirmed
invalid for nine years.

Dec. 6, 1881, he married Mrs. Mattie Herrick, of
Ft. Wayne, Ind., who is a sister of the writer of this
sketch. On account of poor health, and the very
severe winters of Iowa, they went to Florida to
spend the winter for several winters, where he
found the change of climate, with outdoor living,
greatly improved his health.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

351

Mr. Poppleton is a great sportsman, and takes
much pleasure in hunting and fishing; and as the
climate in Florida is just suited to that kind of
work, he enjoys living there, exceedingly. As his
wife also has poor health, they spend much time
camping out, which way of living seems to agree
with them, and they feel much stronger and better
than when living indoors. On their return home
from the South they brought a great many curiosi-
ties, some specimens of the beautiful Southern
birds, such as we do not see in the North.

When first married, his step-father gave him a
colony cf bees in a box hive. It so happened that,
in the winter of 1869, an acquaintance stopped over
night at his house, and among other papers he had
with him was the bee-paper that was at that time
published by H. A. King, at Nevada, Ohio, now the
Bre-Kerpers' Magazine. This he became very much
interested in during the evening, and immediately
afterward obtained all literature on bees he could
find, and made a study of the " busy bee." He soon
learned there was a better way of handling than in
a box hive. He transferred the two colonies he
then had into movuble-comb hives; obtained other
colonies, and in a year or so had quite an apiary,
which, in common with so many other apiaries in
the country, was almost destroyed by bad winter-
ing. But the use of chaff hives removed this trou-
ble for the future.

On account of having such poor health he made
no effort to do a large business, but confined him-
self to a simple apiary varying from 75 to 150 colo-
nies, spring count, and to the almost exclusive pro-
duction of extracted honey. For the last ten years
that he lived in Iowa, his annual crop of honey
averaged 110 lbs. per colony. His half - brother,
F. W. George, has had charge of his apiary since
his removal to Florida.

Some fourteen or fifteen years ago he discovered
the value of chaff as winter "protection for bees,
without knowing that any one else, notably Mr.
J. H. Townly, of Michigan, had previously made
the same discovery. He also invented the solar wax-
extractor about the same time. He was vice-presi-
dent for several years of the N. A. B. K. Society;
president of the Iowa State B. K. S., and honorary
member of the Michigan State B. K. S. Mr. Popple-
ton is a careful observer, doing1 his own thinking,
and adhering to plans which he has found success-
ful.

Mr. Poppleton is of spare figure, hardly up to me-
dium size. His very pleasant manner is only a fair
index of a genial and loving spirit that, in an un-
usual degree, strives to put the best construction
on the conduct and motives of every one.

Bowling Green, Iowa. Mrs. M. George.

And so it transpires that friend Poppleton
was first attracted to bees by H. A. King's
publications, from Nevada, Ohio. I myself
first got hold of Langstroth's book, but I
very soon came to King's text-book and a
circular in regard to the American hive.
These two last aroused my enthusiasm to
such a pitch that nothing would answer,
short of a hurried trip to Nevada. I found
friend King there, and got my first glimpse
of a real bee-hive factory. Every bee-keep-
er who has heard friend Poppleton talk at
our conventions must have been impressed
with his very thorough and earnest study of
every minute phase of our favorite industry.

'Even when I read his writings I am aston-
ished to see how closely and critically he
has looked into every obscure point and
corner; and his invariable success as a
honey-producer attests to the excellence of
his wisdom and judgment. We are greatly
indebted to him for the solar wax-extractor,
as well as for many other things. Perhaps
it would be well to say, that, since the writ-
er makes no mention of it, Mr. Poppleton is
now in Cuba, taking charge of some 600 or
700 colonies for M. Dussaq, Apartado 278,
Havana. Eriend Poppleton's experience
with bees not only covers the temperate cli-
mate, but Florida and the island of Cuba.
You will notice that he is one of the re-
spondents to our Question-Box, and he is
eminently well fitted to impart almost any
information in regard to bees.

THE JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

PROF. COOK ON THE CARDINAL, FLOWER, ETC.

fRIEND ROOT:— Last spring I purchased of you
four quarts of the Japanese buckwheat. I
sowed the same on new ground. It ripened
earlier than the common kind. The bees
worked on it from morning to night, but they
did the same on common buckwheat. This is an
uncommon occurrence here. I think it was due to
the moist, cloudy weather. The buckwheat filled
well, but I saved only two bushels of seed. We
had a week of warm, rainy weather immediately aft-
er it was cut, and it sprouted so badly that I saved
less than half the seed. But what I saved is nice.
I am convinced that it is ahead of the common kind.

THE CARDINAL FLOWER.

Prof. Cook's article on the cardinal flower inter-
ested me, as I am making a special study of bee-
botany. I know friend Cook is unprejudiced and
good-natured, and will not feel offended if I tell
him that there are some things in his article (see p.
926, Dec. 1, 1888) that are not clear to me. Without
doubt it is due to my ignorance, or else to my ob-
servation of the flower not having been thorough
enough. The tube formed by the filaments and an-
thers is two or three times the length of a bee's
tongue, and the nectar is secreted at the bottom of
the tube by glands which are on the ovary near the
base of the style. There is no opening into this
tube except at the top, after the stigma has pushed
its way up through the united anthers. Am I
not right, friend Cook? Now, the point which puz-
zles me is as to how the bee gets the nectar. Then
from the manner in which the bee must necessarily
alight on the flower, I can not see that she would
do much better work in fertilizing the flower than
those upper flowers which shed their pollen, when
the lower ones are most in need of it. To be sure,
it would be chance work, but I can not see that it
would be any more so than the work of the bee in
that line. If I'm in error, please correct me. I ad-
mit frankly that I am not as well acquainted with
the cardinal flower as I hope to be. The place
neighbor Hilton spoke of is only ten or twelve
miles from here, and I hope.to. visit there next sea-
son when the cardinal flower is in bloom. In this
immediate vicinity it is rare, and grows only in low
moist places.

Prof. Cook, you, an entomologist, tell us that the

3-52

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

honey-bees do not bite through the corolla tube of
flowers to get the nectar. Very good ! But on page
188 of the A B C (or 304 of the last edition) friend
Boot, a practical bee-keeper, tells us that they do
bite through at least one flower, and speculates on
the probable fate of the plant. Now, when learned
men disagree, what are we common fellows going
to do?

THE WILLOW HERB.

Last season I received most of my light honey
from the great willow herb, which grows here pro-
fusely. It thrives best on high ground, especially
where fire has run, hence the commonly known
name of purple flreweed. Those who do not know
the plant should not confound it with the flreweed
which blooms just before the fall frosts. The wil-
low herb is known by a great many names, such as
Indian wickopee, deer pink, Indian pink, and pur-
ple flreweed. It grows from 4 to 7 feet tall, without,
branches, and blooms in July and August. There
is a smaller variety, which grows on low wet
ground, whose stem branches.

Fremont, Mich. William E. Gould.

COMMENCING THE SEASON.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE HARVEST.

<^| UK first work after getting our bees out of
?| winter quarters is to know that each colony
^1 has honey enough to last them from two to
" four weeks, the latter being preferable to
the former. Unless bees have plenty of hon-
ey at this time of year, brood-rearing will go very
slow, for bees are very frugal when they think
there may be danger of starving in the near future;
and as brood-rearing requires much honey, it will
be seen why honey for four weeks ahead has an
important bearing on the honey crop which we
hope to obtain. The brood reared during this
month and the latter part of last month, consti-
tutes the working force which gathers honey from
white «lover, so if we are to get a crop from that
source we must leave no stone unturned which
looks toward that end. Looking toward this I go
over all of my colonies some cool morning, and all
which do not occupy six spaces between the combs,
with bees, are shut on to as many combs as they
have brood in, by means of a division-board, as
soon as it is warm enough to work with them. If
they are very small, so as to have brood in only one
or two combs, and small patches at that, I take
away all extra combs, so as to take precaution
against robbing; but if they are a fair colony, 1
leave the extra combs the other side of the divi-
sion-board, so the bees can carry the honey over as
they need it for brood-rearing. Contract the en-
trance to each colony as soon as they have their
first flight in the spring, to suit the size of the colo-
ny, giving the very strongest not more than three
inches in length of the entrance, while the weak-
est should be contracted so as to let out but one
bee at a time. If, after all precautions, the bees
get to robbing, 1 know of no better way than to
carry the colony, that does not protect its stores,
into the cellar, and leave it a week or so, or until
the bees are getting pollen freely, when they will
rarely ever attack them again unless they are so
weak as to be worthless. Having all of my bees
fixed as above suggested— that is, they all have

honey enough, and those occupying less than seven
spaces between the combs shut on to only as many
combs as contain brood, our next work is to in-
crease this brood as fast as possible. There is lit-
tle if any thing gained now by handling the bees,
only to supply them with honey, should any be
short; but as soon as it comes fairly settled warm
weather, I think a gain can be made by spreading
the brood to more than pay for the labor required.
When such weather comes, the way I work with the
strongest colonies, those not having any division-
boards, is to change the brood-nest right over;
that is, to place the central sheets of brood, or those
having the most brood in them, in place of the out-
side ones, or those having the least brood in, plac-
ing those having the least brood in the center.
Thus we get every frame full of brood that has any
brood in it at all. Frequently we will find all of the
brood in one end of the combs, the other end of the
frame having none in at all. When such is the
case I simply change ends with every alternate
frame, which brings about the same result as be-
fore. The next time over, or in about a week
more, I take one frame from the outside of the
brood and place it in the center, and so on till all of
the nine frames are filled with brood. Those that
are contracted with the division-boards are kept as
they are until they have every available cell for
brood filled with the same, when an empty comb is
placed in their brood-nest also.

If I wish to build all up to strong colonies, I take
from those having their hives full of brood a frame
of hatching bees, and give it to the strongest of the
weaker colonies, and place an empty comb in place
of the frame of hatching brood taken, and so on till
all are built up to strong colonies, each having a
hive full of brood; that means, have the brood so it
comes out to the side-bars of the frames; even the
cells bordering on the bars at both sides and top
should have brood in them, and do not stop short of
this. If you have queens that will not keep the
hives filled with brood like this during the month
of June, mark them, and as soon as convenient re-
place them with those that will. If you do not
wish as many colonies of bees as possible, I will tell
you of a plan of using those colonies that needed
a division-board: which has been very profitable
with me in the past.

As soon as those having five frames have them
tilled with brood, take from them a frame of hatch-
ing brood and give to the next strongest, say one
that has four frames, and put an empty comb in
the place it came from, and so keep working till
you have each hive contain five frames completely
crowded with brood. A queen that will not keep
five Gallup frames, or their equivalent, crowded
with brood is not worth keeping at all, and should
be superseded at once. If you succeed as you
should, all will have their Ave frames full about the
10th or 12th of June, in this locality. Now go to
No. 1 and open it, and look the frames over till you
find the queen; and when you have found her, set
the frame she is on to one side, then take the four
remaining frames and all the bees to No. 2. Spread
the five frames in No. 2 apart, so as to set the four
frames brought from No. 1 in each alternate space,
made by spreading the frames in No. 2. Close up
No. 2 now, and you will see that, in ten or fifteen
days, it will be one of the strongest colonies you
have in the yard. Beturning to No. 1, which we
left with the queen standing outside of the hive, we

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

353

place the frame in the hive close to one side; and
after putting in an empty frame next to it, the di-
vision-board is adjusted, when we have a nice nu-
cleus, to be used for any purpose we may desire. I
generally use it for building- worker comb or for
rearing queens according to my needs, and think
for either it can be made of more profit than to take
away the queen and unite all of the bees with No.
2, as some who have written me conclude is a better
way.

I have given the latter part of this article before;
but of late I have had to answer so many questions
regarding it, that I thought it best to give it again.
I hardly think it advisable to put on boxes, in this
locality, in May; but further south they should be
put on as soon as any of the hives are filled with
brood. Of course, each one can use the principle
described, whether north or south, and vary the
dates to suit their locality. The plan as above giv-
en is the best way to get the bees ready for the
harvest, in my opinion, after having tried multi-
tudes of other plans, none of which proved as good.
G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Apr. 13, 1889.

SHALL WE PAINT OUR HIVES?

NOTES ON DOOLITTLE'S ARTICLE, PAGE 217.

fNTIL I read Mr. Doolittle's article on page 217
I had never, I think, heard it claimed that
unpainted hives had any advantage over
painted ones. His experiment with a num-
ber of colonies in which those in the former
style of hive came out so much better than in the
latter is experience, and can hardly be gainsaid. I
have always claimed that the testimony of experi-
ence is worth entire volumes of reasoning. But,
did he have chaff cushions, or any kind of a good
absorbent over the frames? I feel certain that,
when that part of the matter is properly managed,
all trouble as to moisture will disappear. When I
prepare my bees for winter I put about two thick-
nesses of burlap over the frames, and above them
about four to six inches of chaff. The chaff is in
boxes, the sides of which are made of boards with a
burlap sheet tacked onto the bottom, and the top
left open. These chaff boxes rest upon the brood-
chamber in such a way as to more than completely
cover the frames, so that I think no heat is ever
lost. For experiment I have sometimes put on en-
ameled cloth in place of the burlap, in which case I
have found them dripping with water, and the
combs moldy. But when I use the absorbents, as
described above, I have no such thing. I often
find the ends of the sheets and chaff wet; but im-
mediately over the cluster, all is dry. It is very
little condensed vapor 1 ever find, and that in the
remotest end of the hive. I leave the winter pack-
ing above the frames on until the weather is warm
and the stocks are quite strong. I think my upper
absorbents are about as near perfection, so far as
they go, as can be obtained, and obviate all difficul-
ty concerning moisture. That done, I think it not
hard to establish the superiority of painted hives.
1 ;idmit I have not tried- unpainted hives very
much. I had one when I commenced bee-keeping,
and it, though not an old one, was all warped and
cracked, just like any other unpainted box when
exposed to the sun and weather. Judging from
that, and the characteristics of pine lumber in

general, I considered the matter settled, and went
to painting my new hives all white. In behalf of
paint, the point of perfection must be added to that
of durability. But those are not the most impor-
tant items in the case, after all, I think. White
does not absorb heat. It is as a shield from the
piercing rays of the summer sun that I want my
hives painted white, as many of my hives stand
right in the sun. Some bee-keepers, A. I. Root, for
one, have given us proofs that, when hives are
painted white, the interior is less affected by the
heat of the sun than those painted any other hue;
and the difference between white and unpainted
hives must be the same in kind if not in degree. *

One other point: If porous walls allow moisture
to pass out, must they not allow it to pass in like-
wise? I know that the interior of my painted
hives is much affected by the dryness or damp-
ness of the weather, while those in the sun are per-
ceptibly dryer than those in the shade. Must not
the unpainted (and consequently porous) hives be
even more sensibly affected? If I am wrong, I am
willing to be set right; but so far, I am satisfied
that it is better to adhere to painted hives.

Geo. F. Robbins.

Mechanicsburg, 111., Mar. 22, 1889.

Very likely, friend R., unpainted hives,
during a very wet, rainy time, would get
more damp and soggy than painted ones ;
but when the sun comes out I think they
will dry out, outside and inside, quicker. In
the early spring, when the bees need all the
beneht they can get from the sun, a black,
unpainted hive would certainly secure more
warmth; but when the great heat of tlie
summer sun becomes an objection, it would
be just the other way. A careful, enlight-
ened, intelligent bee-keeper will, as a rule,
have not only his bee-hives, but his imple-
ments and every thing else, including house
and barn, kept well painted, while the slip-
shod don't-care old fogy would be pretty
sure to have every thing' unpainted ; there-
fore paint indicates the character of the
man. I should hesitate some about want-
ing my hives to present such an appearance
as unpainted ones usually do.

WOODEN COMB.

PROF. COOK TELLS US THAT IT IS ALREADY IN
PRACTICAL USE.

R. EDITOR:— You, the publisher of a stan-
dard work on potato culture, and most
readers of Gleanings, will, at the mention
of Aspinwall, think of potato-planters. The
Aspinwall potato-planter is the invention of
Mr. Aspinwall, of Three Rivers, Mich. Mr. A. is not
only an inventor of high rank, but he is a refined
Christian gentleman, as every one who meets him
will at once believe upon looking into his face.
How much there is in a face! It is indeed the mir-
ror of the soul. I think, friend Root, you and I
once talked this over. In Tennyson's "Elaine,"
Launcelot, when first seen by the beautiful Elaine,
is thus described:
The great and guilty love he bare the queen,
Tn battle with the love he bare his lord,
Had marred his face, and marked it ere his time.
It seems as if nature had made it so for our pro-
tection. The evil heart is very often betrayed by
the face. So a clean, pure face ag surely indicates

354

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

a refined and manly heart. I felt drawn to Mr.
Aspinwall when I first met him, just as you and 1
did to our friend Mr. Cowan. 1 always feel richer
when I become acquainted with such people. Mr.
Aspinwall is also a practical bee-keeper, and this is
why I am writing of him. He uses a modified Quin-
by hive, and believes in it. Indeed, he knew Mr.
Quinby well, and, like all who knew this excellent
man, he can not speak in too high terms of him.

Mr. Aspinwall has invented, and put into practical
operation, wooden combs. These are simply boards
with round holes the size of brood-cells, cut from
opposite sides to the center. Mr. Aspinwall has
trTed these, and says they are accepted by the bees
both for storing and breeding. He puts these in
hot wax to soak, so they are covered with a very
thin coating of beeswax. He is going to send me a
hive fully stocked with these wooden combs, to try.
He is sure I will like it. As the partitions between
the cells are thick, the combs have to be larger or
more numerous in the hives than are natural combs.

THE ADVANTAGES.

Mr. Aspinwall claims that these are superior, as
they are strong, durable, inexpensive, perfectly un-
der our control, warm, and so better for winter.
As the size and depth are under our control, we can
make the combs worker, drone, or store combs, at
pleasure; and as the bees can not cut the cells
down, they must accept what we give them. Mr.
A. says that the queen can not lay in deep cells,
thus we can have cells of worker size, and yet they
will be only store combs. If combs are A of an
inch apart, then queen-cells can be made on the
edges only, and can be easily seen or found, as the
bees can not gnaw the comb away. Mr. Aspinwall
has secured a patent on this, which is surely his
right. If of no value, then we need not use it; if of
value, then we ought to pay him, as it is his inven-
tion; and without his thought and work we should
have known nothing of it.

I am principally interested in this wooden comb,
as I see in it a chance for some very interesting and
I think valuable experiments. For instance, our
friend Mr. S. Corneil thinks that bees can not live
on the carbo-hydrates alone. I believe Schonfeld
holds the same opinion, and argues that the nitro-
genous material may come from the larval excreta
and exuvia which collects in the cells in breeding.
From my experiments with very new clean comb
I have been led to the opposite opinion. With these
wooden combs we can demonstrate the truth or
falsity of the position held by the above-mentioned
gentlemen. We can use wooden combs in which no
brood has ever developed, and combs filled in the
upper story above the brood-nest, where no pollen
would be stored. Thus we shall have a clincher.
Now, I feel perfectly certain that bees thus winter-
ed will not only live but thrive. I think this is in
unison with physiological laws. True, all animals
need nitrogenous food. But in winter bees are so
quiet, and the functional activity so slight, that the
small amount of albuminoids needed is in the
blood. So with the almost pure carbonaceous food
—honey, or, better, pure sugar syrup— they are
strong and healthy. Of course, these combs will be
very heavy. They may not be practical or satisfac-
tory, but I shall be glad to try them for the sake of
experiment and curiosity, if for nothing more.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. COOK.

We are very glad indeed, friend Cook, to

know that Mr. Aspinwall, of whom we have
all heard more or less, is a bee-keeper as well
as an inventor. I heartily agree with your
remarks in regard to our faces being an in
dex to our character ; therefore if a man's
face is not a good one it is, at least to a large
extent, his own fault. I will try to keep it
in mind next time, when I feel inclined to
scowl and look cross. — If I am correct,
father Langstroth has the credit of being
the first one to suggest using combs made
by boring holes of the desired size and depth
close together, in a board. I have been too
busy to look it up, but 1 think that in one
of the earlier volumes of Gleanings the
suggestions were put in print. Such combs
have been tried by different ones, if I am
not mistaken ; but the decision was that
they were too heavy ; and without exceed-
ingly expensive machinery it would be im-
possible to get as many bees to the square
inch as nature does. More than ten years
ago, myself and Mr. Washburn discussed
how a machine would have to be made in
order to make these perforated boards so
rapidly they could be sold at a price within
the compass of the average bee-keeper's
pocket-book. We have combs with a wood-
en base now in our apiary ; the base was
embossed by running it through a founda-
tion-mill. One objection to it was, that it
took so much beeswax to soak up the wood.

BEE-HUNTING.

HOW TO CLIMB THE MONAKCHS OF THE FOREST.

R. ROOT:— By to-day's mail I send you a
photograph of a large poplar-tree, which I
climbed recently by means of spikes and
staples. To prevent the possibility of fall-
ing I put a belt under my arms. To this 1
attached two chains. At the end of each chain is a
snap. My method of climbing is as follows: After
ascending the ladder as far as I can go I drive into
the side of the tree a large bridge spike, far enough
into the wood to hold my weight. A little further
up I drive another spike. In between the spikes I
drive the first staple, and to this I attach the first
chain by means of the snap, and ascend by the
nails as far as the chain will allow me; I then drive
another staple, and attach the other chain, and
next loosen the lower snap. After driving in more
spikes, I again ascend as high as the chain will al-
low me, and attach the other chain to another sta-
ple. In this manner I can make my ascent with
perfect security.

The tree shown in the picture is T feet in diameter
at the foot. If you will follow all along up the
body of the tree, just above the crotch on the right
limb you will see your humble servant, ss feet from
the ground. The tree stands close to the Black
River, in a graveyard, and from it I obtained 5(1 lbs.
of honey. Your climbers are excellent for small
trees, say from two to three feet in diameter; but
the tree illustrated has suoh a rough and uneven
bark, and is so large, that it would be difficult to
climb it without the aid of spikes and the staples I
have mentioned. On account of the large knots it
would be impossible to use a rope, or something
similar, to hitch up by climbers, as described in the

] 889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

355

ABC

spikes

book. Knots are not in my way when I use
and staples.

Next summer or fall I am going: to climb what is
called the " Big- Bee-tree " that stands on t'ju bank
of the St. Francis River, down in the sunk lands.
This tree has 15 swarms in it. It is a cypress, 14
feet in diameter at the foot. The bees work in at
the body in a stream as large as a man's limb. I
shall burn brimstone in the tree, and so kill the
bees, as they are very bad. I have bees at home,
and do not care to save any of these.

Green Derrinoton.

Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., Mo.

Well, friend D., you have gone and done
it, and no mistake. If anybody thought you
were spinning a big yarn when you talked
about taking bees from a tree 88 feet from
the ground, they would give in when they
came to look at your picture, for the picture,
without question, is a genuine photograph
of an awful big tree, with a man perched
away up amid its limbs. With a harness
such as you describe, and myself securely
hooked fast, and held there by stout chains,
I do not know but I might consent to climb
such a tree ; for one could not very well fall,
even if he tried to, as you describe it. It
seems to me, however, it would take a good
deal of work and quite a little time to get
up that distance. Ernest suggests that the
load of spikes you are obliged to carry along
might pull down pretty heavily, especially
on the start. Did the 50 pounds of honey
pay for the time and money invested? Nev-
er mind, even if it didn't. You " got there "
and captured the bees, any way.

ORANGE-BLOSSOMS.

DO THEY PRODUCE HONEY.''

DERRINGTON'S DEVICE FOR CLIMB
ISEE-TREES.

« A VINO followed, with deep interest, the ac-
count of your interesting trip to California,
in which a great many things bring to my
mind what I see here every day, I should
like to say something about our orange-blos-
soms in Florida.

It is no surprise to me that, in California, orange-
blossoms give no honey, the land being so dry that
it has to be irrigated, and what little sweet there
might be on the flowers is carried off by the dry at-
mosphere. In our State, and especially where
orange-sroves are situated, there is a continuous
drainage of water, at a depth of two to five feet,
under the very roots, from lake to lake, all the lakes
being on different levels, and from these to rivers.
The lakes are very numerous all over. From my
house, on the veranda I can count and see four
lakes, one of them two miles long. Our orange-
trees being thus irrigated by the most wonderful
system of natural drainage, are fully supplied with
the water needed, and keep their blossoms so moist
with sweet nectar that there is actually a small
drop of honey in every bloom, which is eagerly
sought by the bees. The atmosphere, owing to our
proximity to seas and lakes, is always moist, and
thus prevents a too rapid evaporation of the sweets
on our blossoms. The yield seems to be continuous
from morn till eve, since Feb. 15th. I have seen
orange-trees, while blossoming, so covered with
bees that one might easily have thought there were
not one, but half a dozen swarms on one single tree.
Our bees swarm during the yield of orange-honey,
or, if increase is not desired, they can be worked

356

GLKAN1NG-S IN BEE CULTURE.

May

for producing what 1 call, after having- eaten honey
all over, the whitest, as well as the finest-flavored
honey in the world. J. B. LaMontagne.

Orlando, Florida.

What you tell us is surprising. Notwith-
standing all that has been said in regard to
Florida and the orange-orchards, I never
before heard anybody speak of seeing bees
in the orange-trees so that they made a noise
any thing as they do in our apple-trees Is it
not only during an occasional favorable sea-
son that you have reports like the one
above? One other thing : We have had two
samples of orange-blossom honey from Flor-
ida this spring ; and the last sample of
comb honey is certainly equal to the Cali-
fornia white sage, or to any thing else that
it has been my good fortune to taste, in the
way of honey. One of the friends sent us a
sample that was passed around among the
printers, and, if 1 am correct, they agree ex-
actly with me.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

PROPER DISTANCE IN SPACING COLONIES.

'HAT distance must separate two stocks of
different blood to keep them pure? If I
should remove the queen from a colony,
and after a few days should be compelled to
return the same one, is there any liability
that the bees would be hostile to her? Will feeding-
meal from a single vessel start robbing among the
bees? Will setting hives that are all exactly alike,
in a straight row six feet apart, be in any way a
disadvantage to the bees? Which is the best way to
arrange an apiary of less than fifty hives?
Muskegon, Mich. E. Hile.

Queens are apt to go beyond the immdei-
ate neighborhood of their own hives to be
fertilized. To keep the two races distinct
they should not be nearer than a mile and a
half. Two miles would be better. Feeding
meal will never cause robbing. It is not ex-
actly advisable to put hives in straight rows,
with the entrances all one way. It is apt to
result in some confusion to the bees, and
particularly so to young queens. Hives as
arranged in the A B C book make a very
good arrangement. See "Apiary,'1 in the
ABCbook.

LOSS OF QUEENS IN WINTER; LOSS OF COLONY;
WHICH MAKE THE BETTER WORKING COLO-
NIES, THE LARGE OR SMALL CONSUMERS
WHILE IN WINTER QUARTERS?

I have to chronicle the loss of all late fall-raised
queens. They hatched out the first week of Octo-
ber, and had ample chance of being fertilized. They
were produced in an easy, off-hand sort of way, and
they died after the same fashion. I knew they
were gone in January, but I had hopes that their
bees might live till I could re-queen them. All such
colonies died early in March. I do not wish to say
that queenless stocks will not winter, but T am cer-
tain that, had those queens lived and been mated, I
should not have lost one stock. Had all my queens
died in winter, all my bees would have been dead
now. All had dysentery alike, and all such died.
But my vigorous queens began laying in December,

and brood-rearing, less or more, was kept up; and
by the time all the old sickly bees were dead I had a
nice little batch of young healthy bees in each stock
when March came. Phenomenal weather did you
ever know the like? Natural pollen the 15th of
March, and brood in from one to three frames each.
What will be the outcome of all this? My sickly
bees consumed enormous quantities of honey.

I am surprised at some of the answers to Ques-
tion 111. Yet one thing is only fair to these gentle-
men; and when I reflect that their homes are scat-
tered throughout the States 1 am disposed to be
charitable. I am no bee-keeper in a scientific sense,
but I know enough to know that here in Logan Co.
(Central Illinois), the less stores an average colony
consumes during a four-months' repose, the health-
ier will such bees be in spring. Of course, all agree
that, after natural pollen begins to come in, the
more they consume the better. My bees ate fully
30 pounds each stock this winter, and I shall have
to feed; yet my report shows that they gorged
themselves to death. I bought, last fall, 4 miles
from here, a stock of black bees in a box hive. It
was a large hive, and would weigh, in November,
between 80 and 100 lbs. I went for it the last of
February. I was delighted. The stock was just
perceptibly lighter, packed full of bees, and actual-
ly not half a pint on the bottom stand. I looked
narrowly all around the hive, but no dead bees any-
where. 1 say this is perfect wintering.

Beason, 111. James Hamilton.

Friend H., it seems to me you are a little
hasty in your conclusions. I do not know
that I would advise trying to winter a col-
ony that raised a queen which failed to be
fertilized. You see, in such a case they
were some time queenless before winter
commenced. The circumstances are quite
different from that of a colony where a good
queen was taken out and sold, say in No-
vember. In the latter case I do not think
there would be a bit more danger of dysen-
tery than if the queen were left with them.
In fact, several observations seem to indi-
cate that such queenless colonies are less
liable to dysentery or spring dwindling.

DRONES FOR EARLY QUEEN-REARING.

We have seen mention made of securing drones
early, so as to commence queen-rearing earlier.
Bro. Doolittle can secure the drones early, but
not the queens, so he sends south for virgin queens.
We can get queens before we can get the drones in
this climate, so we send south for drones. We had
very fine weather the last two weeks in April, and
can commence for queen-rearing to have them
hatching by the 10th of May. We should have to
have drone eggs laid by the first of April, to have
drones to be of any service by the 15th of May. This
is impossible with us here. We have for the past
two years made arrangements with Mr. P. L. Vial-
Ion to furnish us by the 20th of April with a four-
frame nucleus made up of two frames of drone
brood, nearly ready to hatch; by this means we
have them in time. By getting drones from a relia-
ble person who will take pains to have them raised
from the best stock, we also get new blood in the
apiary, as well as early drones. We prefer to get
them in the brood state, but have not heard any
one so express themselves. Probably this is origi-
nal with us. In the March number of the Queen
Breeders' Journal, advice is given to purchase drones

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

357

by the pound, saying that they would likely be
worth $3.00 per lb. Getting drones by the pound
would be a handsome job for both parties, the send-
er to catch them and the receiver to save them
from being killed, as that many drones turned in
on a colony would not be agreeable. Our way of
managing a nucleus received with drones is to
make the nucleus queenless when putting them in
a new hive, and give them a frame of hatching
worker brood. They can be kept queenless quite a
while by giving young brood at times until plenty
of drones are hatching from other colonies in their
season. J no. Nebel & Son.

High Hill, Mo., March 28, 1889.

THE ENTRANCE TO THE SIMPLICITY.

I should like to ask if there is no need of an
alighting-board; and does not drawing the hive
forward on the bottom-board make too long an
opening, giving better chance for robbers, etc.?
Please tell me how you space the frames in the
hive. Is it not troublesome to change them about
till they are just right? E. Calvert.

Nashville, Tenn., Apr. 1, 1889.

When robbers are troublesome we would
use an alighting-board, as described in our
price list and in the ABC. With an alight-
ing-board you have the entrance more per-
fectly uuder control than in any other way I
know of For strong colonies no alighting-
board may be needed. We space the frames
in the Simplicity hives, simply by placing
the end of the fingers between the supports
at the ends ; and one who is in the habit of
doing it will do it without thinking of what
he is doing, and almost as rapidly as his
fingers can touch them.

A WASP'S NEST ; DO THE YOUNG LARVA) CAP
THEIR OWN CELLS?

Last summer there was a wasp's nest in my shop.
1 knocked it down and laid it away, and the larva?
capped themselves over. I uncapped them, and in
two or three days they were capped again. I un-
capped them four or five times, and they replaced
the capping. But each time the capping was thin-
ner and whiter. You will say that the old wasps
did it, but they didn't, for I shut the nest up in my
shop, and worked there every day. Will the larvae
of the honey-bee do the same? E. J. Shay.

Thornton, W. Va., Apr. 8, 1889.

Will Prof. Cook please answer?

BEES AND SORGHUM SYRUP.

In Gleanings for April 1 were some comments
upon feeding sorghum to bees, in lieu of honey, as
a support until the honey-flow should come in. I
can not conceive how any bee-man could success-
fully do this, unless in connection with other food;
bees will cluster around an empty sorghum-barrel
in which the staves have absorbed all the moisture,
and draw from the saturated wood, or will sip of
the fresh cane juice before any fermentation has
begun; but sorghum molasses they will pass by in
disdain, as it were. Last fall was very dry, and
honey very scarce. The mill was visited a little by
the bees. The fall of 1887 the season was extremely
dry, honey crop short, the crusher was thronged,
and thousands of bees were killed. Water was
so scarce that it was sold by the barrel. We made a
trip of four miles for all we used. Some hauled it ten
miles, in tanks holding four or five barrels. The bees

were compelled to drink the juice, yet they did not
disturb the new molasses. In my evaporating-
room the juice tank and buckets would be covered,
the interior part of the building was liKe the center
of a moving swarm, and yet they did not disturb the
condensed sweet.

You are aware that there is an acid principle in
sorghum that is quite plainly discernible to the
taste, and I think this is not relished by the bees;
and from the fact that I've been handling both bees
and sorghum for quite a number of years, and the
two not 200 feet apart, I am assured that bees would
come out in worse shape than Dr. Tanner in his 40-
days' fast, if any one should attempt feeding en-
tirely upon it. W. N. Root.

Assumption, 111, April 10, 1889.

While all you say is true, I have known
bees to take with avidity a very good article
of sorghnm syrup, and syrup made of a
pretty good article of brown sorghum sugar
is taken by the bees just as well as any
brown sugar, for all I can see. Of course,
they will not use it when they can get bet-
ter. Enough sorghum molasses has been
fed, however, to make it pretty clear that it
does not answer at all for winter stores.

HOW WE CURED FOUL BROOD.

You have not as yet (at least I have not seen it)
published the method by which you cured, or ex-
terminated foul brood from your apiary. Will you
please tell me how it was done? We have the dis-
ease here, and I want to exterminate it this spring.
I have the ABC plan, Cheshire's, McLain's, and
Kohnke's methods. Is there any other? Send me
Jones' cure and your own, please. H. Smith.

Ionia, Mich., Feb. 25, 1889.

The method by which we cured foul brood
is the one given in the ABC book. If you
have either the edition of 1887 or 1888 you
will find it under the head of Foul Brood.
The editions before 1887 do not contain the
plan ; not having had any experience prior
to that time, we simply gave two or three
methods of curing foul brood which were
said to be reliable. The only plan which we
could make work successfully is the one pre-
ferred by 1). A. Jones, so that the method
which we used differs in no important par-
ticular from that of Mr. Jones.

TO CONTROL INCREASE.

Would you advise controlling increase of bees, in
the following manner, taken from an article by
quite an experienced bee-keeper?

" Suppose colony No. 1 to send out a swarm. I
move hive No. 1 back from its old stand about 3 ft.,
and place an empty hive, filled with combs, where
No. 1 formerly stood. I hive the new colony in the
empty hive, filled with combs, where No. 1 stood.
Then shake all the bees from frames of No. 1 into the
new swarm. I shake the new bees, that hatch from
No. 1, into the new swarm every day, until another
colony sends out a new swarm, when I use hive No.
1 for an empty hive to receive the second new
swarm, and treat No. 2 the same as No. 1.

Ellsworth, O., March 26, 1889. L. B. B. Bingham.

The plan you give is one that has been
often recommended through the journals,
and answers very well, only I should not
want to shake the bees off those combs ev-
ery dav, as you suggest, for there would

358

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

May

then be none to take care of the brood, to
keep it from chilling and starving, until the
second new swarm came out. If you are
sure of having swarms every day, it might
answer; but otherwise you would lose all
the sealed brood left when colony No. 1
swarmed. When a natural swarm comes off,
there are always bees enough left in the
hive to take care of the brood. I think that
these bees had better be left there. Where
one has more bees than he wants, however,
and does not care if the brood does die, this
might answer, to get as much honey as pos-
sible, regardless of loss of bees.

THE SHRUB THAT BLOSSOMS THROUGH THE SNOW.

You inquire about forsythia. It is a cultivated
shrub that is referred to, I think, and it has been
known for at least 20 years to be a pollen-plant in
this State. Tt will be in bloom from April 1st to
May 1st, according to season. It is good; it looks
well with its load of rich yellow flowers on the bare
green twigs, and before any other shrub blooms.
Bees work on it well. Its abundant bloom is fine
too. I can send you a bundle of cuttings if you
want them. It is as handsome a shrub as a Japan
quince. H. L. Jeffrey.

New Milford, Conn., March 22, 1889.

Thank you, friend J.; but it now trans-
pires that we have the forsythia in our own
dooryard. We never knew it to blossom,
however, when the snow was ou the ground.
Its yellow flowers usually come out the last
of April or first of May. We should not
have recognized it, perhaps, had not one of
our subscribers sent us some twigs by mail,
directing us to put them in a tumbler of
water, saying they would soon blossom,
which they did, and I at once recognized it.
It does not seem to do well, however, very
much further north than we are. See the
following :

FORSYTHIA VIRIDISSIMA.

< >ver thirty years since, in a bale from Ellwanger
& Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., was one of the above-
named shrubs. It blossomed the next spring; that
is, a small part of it. In three or four years it was
increased to several, and each one would have a
little branch or two blossom every spring, just
enough so that one could imagine what a beauty
one would be in full bloom. I tried "protection"
and cellar " wintering" on them, but with no better
success; and after eight or ten years I became dis-
gusted, dug them up, and consigned them to the
flames. From 15 to 30° below zero was too much for
them. I kept bees, but never saw one on the blos-
soms. The shrub is probably kept in most nurser-
ies. Jas. H. Andrus.

Almont, Mich.

THAT FINE QUALITY OF CALIFORNIA HONEY;
MORE ABOUT IT.

Friend Root:— In company with the rest of the
urn isitcd Californians, 1 was somewhat disappoint-
ed in not seeing you while you were in the land of
booms. I had saved out about a ton of the X qual-
ity <>!' comb, of which I sent you a sample case last
fall. In acknowledging the receipt of the case you
spoke of the honey as the finest, both in taste and
color, that you had ever seen, and said that you
would give "considerable" to know what feed
would produce such honey. Well, it was gathered
from alfalfa blooms, pure and simple, all three

grades, the darkest during cooler nights, the light-
est during the warmest nights and hottest days (110°
in the shade). Remember, too, that this beautiful
white honey was produced in the San Joaquin (waw-
7.U /ii Valley, and not in the mountains, and that I
have taken the first premium whenever I have ex-
hibited in competition with the "white sage" and
other grades of California honey. Did you find any
thing superior to it, while on your pleasure-trip?

I hope that both yourself and Mrs. Root will find
time to visit us when you come to the State again.

Louis W. Burr.
Bakersfield, Cal., March 18, 1889.

Friend B., we have never seen any nicer
honey to look at, and, I think I may add,
finer to the taste, than the samples you
sent us ; and I am very glad indeed to know
that it came from alfalfa and nothing else.
But, strange to tell, when I inquired of bee-
men in California, near the great alfalfa
fields, I do not remember one of them who
told me they got any honey at all from it.
They seemed to treat the whole thing as a
sort of myth. Our older readers will re-
member that the alfalfa that we tested here
on our honey-farm did not yield enough
honey so that a bee was ever seen on it.
This matter is interesting, as quite a few
bee-keepers have been talking of sowing al-
falfa, mainly because it is a honey-plant.
Now, will vou tell us something about it in
your locality V Does it yield honey every
year ? and is it possible or probable that it
will amount to any thing for honey when
small patches are sown, the same way we
sow buckwheat for bees, for instance?

NOT IN FAVOR OF QUEEN-EXCLUDING HONEY-
BOARDS.

When I received your price list yesterday I look-
ed through it as soon as possible to Gee what you
had that was new and useful; but when I came to
the zinc honey-boards I stopped to consider (as Eli
Perkins used to say). Well, I have had considei-a-
ble experience with those things— about ten of them.
I can't call them honey-boards or queen-excluders,
or any thing very good. They were on the common
L. hives, and every brood-nest was above the queen-
excluder, and all were very weak— much weaker
than other hives in the same apiary. One of the
excluders was so full of dead drones that a common
bee could scarcely get through it. The poor fellows
were all hung by their necks; and when I lifted the
zinc up it looked more like a large brush than a
honey-board. A man ought to be taken up for cru-
elty to animals who would use such a thing. I use
the Heddon slatted honey-board. Friend Wilkin
says he don't believe you dare publish this; but I
don't care; that is just what 1 think of zinc honey-
boards. L. E. Mercer.

San Buena Ventura, Cal., Mar. 15. 1889.

Friend M., you tell our friend Wilkin
that he must scrape up a little more charity.
We not only dare, but we want facts, both
for and against every thing we advertise
and sell. In all that has been said for and
against the perforated zinc, we do not re-
member to have received a report like
yours. In the Alley drone-trap we have
seen a few drones caught in the manner
you describe ; but we concluded that the
poor fellows had worried so long to get
through that they died in the attempt, hang-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

359

ing, as you say, by their necks ; but we can
not understand why the brood-nest should
be above the honey-board. The new per-
forated zinc which we send out will exclude
queens. Some of the zinc which we sent
out two or three years ago was a little de-
fective, some of the dies having been
rlaked; but this we remedied by making
new dies and building a new machine. It
is possible that you have some of this old
zinc ; but we venture to say that you would
have no trouble with our new zinc. If, in
your next order, you will refer to this page
in Gleanings, we will send you ten new
zinc queen-excluding honey-boards, wood-
bound. We shall be pleased then to have
you report to us after trying it. Please re-
member that there are a great many good
bee-keepers — some quite extensive ones
too— who use and advocate perforated zinc.

LARGE OR SMALL BROOD-CHAMBERS.

I will crack Mr. S. A. Shuck's nut, in Gleanings
of April 1, page 259. Your frames were too shallow
for their length. A natural, good-sized brood-nest,
embraces a sphere of about 10 inches in diameter;
so if your frames were 10 x 10 or 11 x 11, you would
have had better success. I have used 10 x 10 frames
for several years, and like them very well; but for
a more northern latitude I think they would be
rather small, and think 11 x 11 the better size, or,
say, the Gallup size, HJi x 11^4, as that is already
largely in use, 1 think. J. C. Melcher.

O'Quinn, Tex., Apr. 10, 1889.

If your object were to raise bees, without
any regard to getting surplus honey in sec-
tions, no doubt a square frame would be
best ; but I think a perfectly round one, in
the form of a barrel-hoop, would be better
still ; but if the bee-keeper wants to get
every drop of honey possible into the sec-
tions, and does not care particularly for in-
crease, then I feel satisfied that he wants a
frame something like the one that father
Langstroth gave us years ago— a frame that
will permit the section boxes to come down
quite close to the heart of the brood-nest.
Some of the friends want them even shallow-
er than the Langstroth frame. The great
bee-keeping world seems to have so settled
down to something like the Langstroth
frame, especially where we want comb hon-
ey, that I think we might as well accept it
as the standard.

supersedure; and is there any previous indi-
cation OF IT?

1. How can you tell when Dees are going to super-
sede their queen? 2. If a worker bee— an imperfect
female loses its sting after using it, and its life,
why does not a queen a perfect female share the
same fate under similar circumstances?

Atlanta, Ga., April 8, 1889. T. E. Hanbury.

1. We do not know of any way to tell pos-
itively when bees are about to supersede
their queen ; but as a rule we may say that
queen-cells started at some other season
than swarming time rather indicate it. And
if at the same time the queen does not seem
to be producing very much brood, then we
have every reason to think she 's about to
be superseded. It is my opinion, however,
that queens are often superseded when
there is no apparent reason. 2. Worker bees,

when they sting each other, do not general-
ly lose their stings. The queen rarely ever
stings a human being ; almost the only occa-
sion when she uses her weapon is to sting a
rival. If the worker bee does not lose its
sting when it stings one of its fellows, it is
not at all likely that the queen would lose
her sting when she uses it upon another
queen.

SETTING SAWS ; HOW TO DO IT AND HOW NOT TO
DO IT.

I noticed in Gleanings for Feb. 15, an article by
William Young, inquiring how to set a circular
saw. Now, if he takes my advice he will use the
spread and spring set. Spread the teeth just
enough to keep the tooth full width, or a little
wider, as the saw will run lighter. Do not set them
with a hammer, as it will reduce the width of the
teeth, and it is liable to break them off. Spring
them by some other means. Joint your saw
carefully, and set evenly. When you file, you
want to file by ear; that is, get your ear used to it,
and you will get it right every time. This is my
way of doing it. I have been a sawyer for 20 years,
and have all kinds of saws. B. Baker.

Elyria, O., Mar. 1, 1889.

Your letter was shown to our foreman,
Mr. Warner, and he says what you say is
entirely orthodox.

pfeTEg Tip Queried

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTiONS.it accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

FLOATING APIARIES ON THE NILE.

f OUR remark at the bottom of "Floating Api-
aries in Egypt" quite amused me, about
your idea of the man in the stern smoking
his pipe. You should see the Arabs assem-
ble together and lie down flat on their
bellies, smoking or gaming, the laziest set of peo-
ple; but the hives on the boat are European
shaped, while I don't think they have any of the
kind, but as described in the article, and then there
were certainly much more than eight.

Ph. J. Baldensperger.
Jaffa, Syria, March :12, 1889.

TO FOLD DRY ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

I see considerable advice on bow to fold sections
without breaking when dry. There is no use to
carry them into the cellar over night to dampen.
Edge them up on a board and pour hot water
through the grooves; let them lie for 15 minutes.
Your readers will succeed every time, without
breaking them. M. B. Bekgey.

Souderton, Pa., Mar. 28, 1889.

EXTRACTING.IN CALIFORNIA.

One hundred miles from here, in California, they
are extracting, but I do not think they get quite
such tine white honey there, nor of the same flavor.
Our harvest will not commence until June, al-
though the bees are quite busy now on the blos-
soms, and lots of brood in the hives. I don't know
how I shall like the supers, but will let you know
which I prefer, in the fall. E. A. Moore,

Keno, Nev., Apr. 3, 1889.

360

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

May

Bees are booming- fully SO per cent better than
last year at this time. S. L. Klutts.

Clear Creek, N. C, April 12, 1889.

ENCOURAGING FOR CALIFORNIA.

There was 7 inches of rain three weeks since.
This makes every thing- boom. R. Wilkin.

Ventura, Cal., Apr. 1, 1889.

TRAT ABSCONDING SWARM OF MRS. CHADDOCK'S.

The queen that was left under the goblet belonged
to one of the swarms that absconded. The swarm
was not joined by any other swarm, but went off
alone. Generally bees do come back to the queen.
I clip all my queens' wings, but I do it early in the
season, and they might possibly have a new queen
by swarming time. The one mentioned had her
wing clipped. Mahala B. Chaddock.

Vermont, 111.

[I am quite sure, my friend, that your absconding
swarm did have a new queen. Where they got her
is another question.]

SIDE VS. TOP STORING.

I have 8 swarms of bees; 2 of them are in hives,
with sections at the sides of the hive. Do you not
think the bees would enter the sections quicker if
they were on top of the hive? W. C Marsh.

McLane, Pa., Mar. 27, 1889.

LThe bees will enter the sections quicker at the
sides, usually, than above: but the objection to
side storage is its inconvenience, and also the fact
tb;it there is not room sufficient for storage of a
very large amount of comb honey. Top storage is
now generally preferred.]

BLACKS AND ITALIANS.

Why is it that Italian bees do not carry any pol-
len? I have two colonies of blacks and one of Ital-
ians. The blacks are busy carrying pollen and
honey, while the Italians are bringing in honey
only, from maple bloom. R. I. Cromley.

Muncy, Pa., March 22, 1889.

[The Italians do carry pollen, and, as a general
thing, more than the blacks. If, however, honey
were to be had, I rather think the Italians would
put in their time on the honey while it lasted, and
depend on getting pollen when they could not get
any thing any better. Was it not so in your case?]

CHAFF FROM TIMOTHY SEED.

In March 15th Gleanings a friend asks about
packing bees with oat hulls. I packed mine with
chaff blown from timothy seed while cleaning ours.
1 think, so far as 1 have experimented, that it goes
far ahead of oat or wheat chaff. Has it been tried
before, and with what success? V. E. Freeman.

La Grange, O., March 23, 1889.

LI do not know why chaff from timothy seed would
not be exactly as good as that from oats or wheat.
1 suppose any thing of that sort which one happens
to have handy would answer about as well. I should
think, however, that, timothy chaff might be a little
more liable to pack down tight and get moldy.]

ON THE EDGE OF 80 ACRES OF CLOVER.

I have a good place for bees at the foot of the
Rockies, with plenty of clover, alfalfa, and wild
flowers all around me for miles. I intend to keep
my bees at the edge of a clover-field of 80 acres,
and in this section it blooms till snow flies, and the
flowers are in bloom from April till November.

Mrs. M. A. Depp.

Pueblo, Colorado, Mar. 25, 1889.

[I should think your place would be wonderful
for bees. We should be very glad indeed to have
you tell us what the crop is trom an apiary on the
edge of 80 acres of clover. I presume, of course, in
your locality you are obliged to irrigate, to keep
the clover from dying during the summer drouth.]

0a^ QaEgJFieN-Bex,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 121.— When a prime swarm clusters, it
hangs in the cluster for a certain lengtli of time; and
if not hived it goes off. a. What is Uielongest time
you ever knew a prime swarm to remain thus clustered
before going off 1 b. The shortest?

a. For 21 hours; b. 21 hours. O. O. Poppleton.
a. Half a day; b. ten minutes.

Mrs. L. Harrison.
a. Thirty-six hours; b. perhaps an hour.

James A. Green.
a. I have known them to remain over night, b. T
knew one not to alight at all. A. J. Cook.

Bees never do any thing invariably. I consider
it wholly a matter of circumstance.

H. R. Boardman.
I have had them remain 2 days. I have seen
them off in 10 or 15 minutes after clustering.

Paul L. Viallon.
I have had little experience with natural swarms.
We have always had our queens clipped, and have
made our increase by division. P. H. Elwood.

I do not remember more than two prime swarms
leaving me; one of them was an hour and a half,
the other T did not know when it came out.

R. Wilkin.

a. Over night, b. We have, as a rule, to hive the
swarms as soon as possible, and advise bee-keepers
not to defer the hiving, for no two swarms act the
same. Dadant & Son.

I never had a swarm cluster and then leave. Tn
fact, T never knew but one swarm to leave that had
clustered, and I don't know how long that had been
clustered. A. B. Mason.

a. For almost 2 day 8; b. an hour or two. I have
seen a first swarm settle for about 10 minutes, and
then leave for a hollow tree, in a bee-line. It had,
however, a virgin queen, to the best of my judg-
ment. Chas. F. Muth.

When they have alighted in a sheltered place at
the trunk of a tree, or upon a fence where a limb
or board protects them, I have known them to com-
mence building comb and remain until removed. I
have also seen them start to go away before all had
clustered. L. C Root.

a. I've known them to remain over night several
times, and I think some of them remained about 24
hours, and they might have remained longer if they
had not been hived, b. I think about three hours,
but I am not sure, and I never knew nlany swarms
to go off. C. C Miller.

1 have known a swarm to thus remain two days.
I always consider it somewhat risky to leave them
over ten or fifteen minutes. I can not answer the
second part of your question, for I never had a col-
ony leave their new home when I knew how long it
had been clustered, out of the many thousands I
have hived. James Heddon.

Oh! I don't know. Small second swarms I have
known to. hang to the limb of a tree in the grove
for several days, and even build comb; but large
swarms will usually decamp if not hived within a

1889

(MEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

361

few hours. For many years I have not had an op-
portunity to observe the time, nor have I taken
special pains to experiment in this direction.

Geo. Grimm.

a. From 2 p. M. to 10 a. m., when the weather was
pleasant. If a storm comes on during the night
they hang till they starve, or a pleasant day comes,
b. I have known of their going off without cluster-
ing at all. When they do cluster it is a rare thing
that they stay less than half an hour.

G. M. Doolittle.

T knew a swarm to settle on a gooseberry bush
and stay there until they had built combs and
hatched bees. They were then hived and worked
well in the hive. The queen's wing was not cut.
I have known a swarm to cluster and stay 24 hours,
and then go off. I have known swarms to go to the
woods, right from the hive, without clustering at
all. E. France.

What queer creatures we are! Notwithstanding
long experience with hundreds of swarms, I don't
know that T can answer either question precisely.
Bees which come out without being seen, I often
discover when they start to go off. This is often
the next morning, about the time it gets to be nije
and warm and dry. From the nature of the case,
the exact number of hours can not often be told.
And how am I to know but that in some cases they
may have huDg waiting for two nights? I think
three or four days has been reported. Sometimes
they stay always, and build comb, and continue
camping out until the winter kills them off ; but I
have never had such a case. As to b, I dimly re-
member a big swarm that alighted in the pear-tree
after I was tired and disgusted with swarms. I con-
tinued reading for a little while before going to at-
tend to them; and when 1 went, lo, they were gone!
If you will take the number of minutes a body
reads when he just reads a little while, and subtract
the number of minutes they had been gone when I
looked— why, that will save me the trouble. If we
take prime swarms inside of half an hour after they
become quiet we shall not lose many, I think.

E. E. Hasty.

One or two speak of swarms remaining
where they cluster, not only lor several
hours, but for days, weeks, and months. In
California it is very common for them to
build comb right where the swarm alights,
and stay there permanently ; but I believe
that Prof. Cook and E. France are the only
ones who say they have kuown a swarm not
to alight at all. Where they have selected a
location before swarming, I think quite a
good many go straight from the hive to the
hollow tree. The reason why so little is said
about cases of this kind is because nobody
sees them at all.

Question 122.— When do you prefer to hive a
swarm— as soon as possible niter it ixsue*, and before
nil hare clustered, or after all have fully settled, or some
time after, settling?

As soon as they have settled. E. France.

As soon as possible after it issues.

Geo. Grimm.
Just as soon as the majority are clustered.

P. L. VlALLON.

As soon as they have fully settled.

Mrs. L. Harrison.
Just as soon as possible after they issue.

H. R. Boardman.

I prefer to hive a swarm immediately after they
have fully settled. C. F. Muth.

The hiving succeeds both ways; but it is a little
easier after all the bees have settled.

Dadant & Son.

If not expecting other swarms, I prefer to allow
nearly all to cluster, but I do not consider this at all
material. O. O. Poppleton.

As soon as convenient, after all or nearly all have
clustered. Generally, though, I make them return
and hive themselves. James A. Green.

I have had so little experience that I don't know;
but I suspect it may be best to hive them just as
soon as they are fully settled. C. C. Miller.

I should prefer to hive a swarm as soon as possi-
ble after it issues. The most of my swarms cluster
in a hive on the old stand. I keep one wing of all
fertile queens clipped. A. B. Mason.

If I had a natural swarm I would secure them in
the hive as soon as I could after they had settled;
but I am not an advocate of natural swarming. If
I had a box hive I would practice a better method.

L. C. Root.

I prefer to catch the queen, whose wing is always
clipped, and let the bees hive themselves. They
usually come back in less than one hour, often in
ten or fifteen minutes. They rarely fail, however,
to cluster. A. J. Cook.

I prefer to hive a swarm after nearly all the bees
have clustered, under ordinary circumstances. The
kind of bees and the alighting-place have some-
thing to do with it; also your method of hiving;
just the right amount of fine sprinkling helps won-
derfully. James Heddon.

I aim to hive bees as soon as they have clustered
enough so that my working will not prevent their
settling; or, rather, I place my swarming-box
among the bees and let them enter so as to be car-
ried, as soon as settled, to the hive, thus lessening
the danger of other swarms joining them.

R. Wilkin.

When I get ready. As all of my queens have
their wings clipped, I can hold them in the cluster
as long as I please. I have many times had them
get tired of my motions, uncluster, and go off,
leaving the queen banging in a large wire-cloth
cage to a limb or swarming-pole; but they soon
came back and clustered with the queen again.
If I did not clip my queens I should hive the swarm
as soon as two-thirds of the bees had clustered, if I
could get to it as soon as this. G. M. Doolittle.

Don't try to make beds before people get up, nor
to hive bees before they have had their flurry out.
It would probably be a little better to keep them
waiting awhile; but the difference is so trifling, and
the danger of losing them so serious, that no time
should be lost after all are quiet. In my own prac-
tice I often make them wait until nearly sundown
before they are hived, when so many swarms come
out that I have not time to attend to them. This I
can readily do, as I always keep a plenty of little
pits in the ground handy by, into which I can chuck
them; and the baskets in which 1 take swarms all
have legs tacked on to them. When things work
just right, most of the swarm alights on the basket
in the first instance, and never on the limb at all.

E. E. Hasty.

Quite unanimous. Friend Hasty, how-
ever, says, " Don't be in a hurry."" I have

362

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

May

seen so many swarms go off, however, be-
cause we had not got quite ready to take
them down, that I would get a comb of
brood among them just as soon as it could
he done ; and this brings us to 12H.

Question 123.— Wlmt special means, if any, do you
use to prevent llh absconding o) a swarm after it is
hived?

Give it a frame of unsealed brood.

C. C. Miller.

Give a frame of brood and shade.

A. B. Mason.

I usually give the swarm a comb of unsealed
brood. R. Wilkin.

I use no other means than to give them a clean
cool hive. C. F. Muth.

Only make them comfortable by giving shade if
the weather is hot. H. K. Boardman.

T keep my queens' wings clipped; and if one
should become dissatisfied I give it a comb of
young brood. Geo. Grimm.

I put in brood, in all stages. Notwithstanding
the assertion of some of our best bee-keepers, I am
fully persuaded that it does good. A. J. Cook.

By putting a frame of uncapped brood, it is very
rare that a swarm will leave the hive. I use a
frame of brood and one of honey.

P. L. Viallon.

Usually none, except to place the hive in the
shade if the weather is warm. On some special oc-
casions, with peculiar or cranky swarms, I have giv-
en a frame of brood. Mas. L. Harrison.

Of late I have used none, but think I shall return
to the old plan of giving a frame of unsealed brood,
as last summer I had to hive some swarms several
times a day for nearly a week. Of course,! keep
my queens' wings clipped. James A. Green.

Clip the queen's wing; then if they try to go off ,
the queen can not go, and the bees will return to
her. Then if I were there, or had an assistant
there at the time, I would cage the queen for a
week, and leave her in the hive, of course near the
tops of the frames. E. France.

1. Avoid having any natural swarms to hive. 2.
Hive them in a clean cool hive, and be sure to give
it proper shade. A comb of brood placed in the
hive will also induce them to stay. If the wing of
the queen be clipped, the bees will not go to the
woods without her. L. C. Root.

First swarms do not abscond except when some-
thing is offensive to bees in the hive, or when the
bee-keeper before hiving has given them comb, con-
tinuing or smelling of honey, which has attracted
robbers. Second swarms sometimes leave the
hive, to follow the young queen in her mating-trip.
If you desire to be secure, give them a comb of
young brood, after (not before) hiving.

Dadant & Son.

As I have never had more than two or three
swarms, during all my twenty years of bee-keeping,
leave their home after being hived, I find it un-
profitable to take any precautions against it. When
they do start out, do not expect them to alight, but
get after them with double force, with the Whit-
man fountain pump, and, nine chances out of ten,
they are yours. After re-hiving you might slip in
a comb of young hatching brood.

James Heddon.

Ordinarily I give the new swarm a frame of brood,
but not always. I am, however, very particular in
having the hive well shaded, for two or three days
at least. As I have never had a swarm abscond
after being hived, my knowledge of what is neces-
sary to prevent their doing so is theoretical only.
O. O. Poppleton.

I do not find any special measures needful, if the
bees are entirely unmixed with others. I have no
especial spite against a frame of brood; but as a
minute in "pudding time" may be incalculably
precious, 1 do not usually take pains to give brood.
Mixed bees are, with me, very apt to kill all the
queens; and, of course, they must have brood
given them in every case. To be entirely sure of
badly mixed messes it is necessary to imprison
them, hive and all, in a pit for several days after
hiving. E. E. Hasty.

Swarms having clipped wings do not abscond;
and as 1 keep my queens' wings clipped, none go
away; or, in other words, I have not lost a swarm
by their going away during the last 18 years, hav-
ing allowed natural swarming all of the time. I do
not allow second, or after-swarms. If I did, the
case might be different, for such queens must have
their wings till they get to laying. Some put a
strip of perforated metal before the entrance of all
prime swarms, after they are hived, which is a sure
preventive, as the queen can not go with the ab-
sconding bees. G. M. Doolittle.

1 am glad to see so many friends support
me in my oft-repeated instructions to put
some unsealed brood with every cluster of
bees, under all possible circumstances,
whenever they are removed from one place
and put in another. We are not always sure
they have a queen, and, of course, they will
scatter around and get lost very soon in the
absence of a queen. The unsealed brood
fixes every thing sure in any event, and in-
dicates in a very few hours the want of a
queen when such is the case. How often
we hear novices worrying about their bees,
and saying, " I am afraid they have no
queen."' Sometimes I reply, " Why, you
might as well say you are afraid you have no
horse, and keep looking at the outside of
the barn, without even opening the stable
door." I often reply, further, " Why, look
and see." Then the answer comes, " Well,
I can't find any queen; and, in fact, I
should not know her if I did find her." I
should not wonder if there were hundreds
of the readers of Gleanings who are in
just that predicament now. Well, my
friend, you can tell, even if you do not know
a queen. If you put in that frame of un-
sealed brood we have been talking about,
you can tell in a very few hours whether
there is a queen in the hive, even if you
know almost nothing at all about bees.
Just learn to watch for queen-cells, and
then this comb of unsealed brood is like the
steam-gauge to the engineer, lie glances at
the gauge, and he knows when every thing
is all right. I want some unsealed brood
with every colony of bees in the apiary,
queen or no queen, new swarm or old swarm,
nucleus or full colony. So far as my experi-
ence goes, it never does any harm, and it is
pretty sure to do some good under all cir-
cumstances.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

:;i;;;

Ia'ecep' Development

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

DOVETAILED HIVES IN THE FLAT

fllE feature of dovetail ing on the new
hives enables us to send them out in
the flat for less money than we should
otherwise be able to do. The expense
of crating is almost nothing compared
with crating ordinary hives. To crate 20
sides or 20 ends (enough for 10 bodies), all we
use is four strips of wood I inch square, and
in length equal to the height of the pile of
sides or ends, as the case may be. The
dovetailing is just I inch wide. Into the
outside groove, at each of the four corners,
we drive one of these strips A single nail
driven through the end of each one of these
strips into the top board and bottom board
secures the strip. Four of these strips hold
the pile of sides or ends perfectly rigid
without other crating. The accompanying
engraving will make the idea plain.

TWENTY DOVETAILED SIDES CIIATED TO-
GETHER.

The two light strips of wood in the per-
pendicular groove in each corner show howr
the cleats are secured. Whatever little ad-
ditional expense there may be attached to
dovetailing, it is entirely made up by the
cheapness of the crating of the Fides and
ends. Even the super sides or super ends
can be slid in among the hive sides or ends,
and make one complete and whole package.
Our foreman says that we have now made
something like 1200 hives ; of this number
sent out, not one report has been received of
this sort of package breaking. Just think
of it ! Four strips of wood and eight nails
make the entire crating for 20 sides.

The small amount of crating not only re-
duces the expense of putting up these hives
for shipment (a saving to the purchaser), but
it reduces the weight, and, of course, the
freight charges. When these hives are to
be sent by express, the reduction in charges
will be considerable. Can any one now say
that the dovetailing is a useless expense ?

HOW TO NAIL TOGETHER THE ONE-STORY
CHAFF HIVE.

A good share of our customers who buy
the chaff hive have trouble in getting it to-
gether right; and for their benefit I append
these directions. First put together the out-
side shell. Nail the four pieces of siding to one
pair of corner posts, beginning at the top,
and making each one to reach clear up into
the corner. After having nailed together
the other side in like manner, then nail in
the siding for the ends, the latter abutting

against the four sides as shown in the en-
graving. Be sure to observe this point, or
the dimensions of the outside shell will be
wrong. The inside box, or brood-chamber

ONE-STORY CHAFF HIVE, AND HOW TO PUT
IT TOGETHER.

proper, is then to be nailed together. As
the side pieces are rabbeted, no mistake can
be made by getting them together wrongly.
One of the bottom-boards to the inside box
projects far enough to make a doorstep, as it
were. On each side of this lay one of the f
in. square short strips. Upon these lay one
of the 2x9 boards, and a similar board is to
be placed on the under side of the doorstep
to strengthen it, Then nail the whole to-
gether and you have an entrance or passage-
way much like that shown in the engraving
above. See B in diagram below.

Now, instead of setting this shell down
inside of the other, first nail on top of each
side of the inside box the two side rim pieces,
shown in the cut above, Set the inner box
down into the outer shell and adjust to po-
sition. Having made the inside entrance
match with the outside, nail the two side
rims to the four corner posts, after which
insert the two end rims, and nail to the inside
and the outer shells. After having done
this, slide four little pieces of tin, beveled
slightly, into a groove which you will find in
the miter between the end and side rims.
Having made sure that the entrance rnatch-

CROSS-SECTION OF CHAFF HIVE.

es with the side board shown in front, nail
fast. The little three-cornered piece lying
in front is to be nailed just below the slot-

«64

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

ted entrance. The hive is now complete
except packing with chaff. To do this, in-
vert the hive, pack with chaff, preferably
the wheat chaff. Tamp it well down until
full. Lay in a couple of cross-strips as per
diagram J J, and nail to the two opposite
bottom side pieces. Level up with chaff,
cover with the tarred paper, and last of all
put in the bottom-boards and nail to the
strips J J.

0[[R 0wn TIpiwy

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

HOW THE BEES WINTERED.

BUT of a little less than 200 colonies, we
lost two— making a percentage of only
one per cent. These two colonies had
plenty of stores in the hive, though
none on the combs on which they were
clustered. A good deal of brood was start-
ed in one side of the hive. A cold snap of
weather coming on, and the bees refusing to
leave the brood, starved, leaving a couple of
combs filled with capped stores on the op-
posite side of the brood-nest. This some-
times happens with us, but not often.

DISPENSING WITH LOOSE CHAFF IN WIN-
TERING, AND ITS RESULTS.

This year we left off all loose chaff in
packing our colonies, and used nothing but
an ample burlap chaff cushion. In years
gone by we have used two or three inches
of chaff between the cushion and the burlap
sheet ; but every time it became necessary
to examine the colonies so packed we were
obliged to gather together the corners of the
burlap, lift it out with its load of loose chaff
very carefully, and deposit it on the ground
where it would be subject to every little
eddy of wind. Using as much care as we
could, we continually spilled considerable
chaff among the bees, and of course this
meant, the next spring, scooping out and
perhaps turning the hive bottom upward, to
clean it. Aside from the inconvenience in
making examinations, it is considerable
trouble to put it on in the fall and remove it
in the spring. I accordingly decided last
fall, that we would use large baggy cushions
instead of loose chaff and small cushions,
and the result has been just as good as any
year we have wintered bees. We formerly
thought it was necessary to use the loose
chaff to prevent the bees from coming up ;
but if the cushion is tucked carefully in the
corners there will be no trouble. Perhaps I
should add, in this connection, that the
cushion should be filled very loosely with
chaff, and should be a little larger than the
upper story of the hive, so as to fit snug and
prevent all possibility of currents circulat-
ing down to and from the brood-nest. In
another column it will be seen that our
friend A. E. Manum has likewise abandon-
ed the loose chaff, and he speaks of the very
great convenience he finds in dispensing
with it. It is just fun to make examina-
tions compared to what it has been during
early spring.

NEW HONEY.

Some discussion has arisen as to whether
bees gather honey from maples. I feel
pretty sure that our bees gathered largely
from this source this year, because there
was little if any thing else in bloom. When
going over the colonies we noticed a great
many combs containing some unsealed raw
nectar. Into several of the combs I punch-
ed my finger, and transferred the same to
my mouth. The flavor was not unlike that
of new maple syrup. You may say that I
stretched my imagination a little bit. 1 do
not think I did, because the flavor was very
distinct. The stronger colonies must have
obtained an average of two or three pounds;
and, as may be imagined, it had a stimulat-
ing effect on brood-rearing.

T©B^CC@ C^Mffl.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS To TERSONS WHO
STOP USING TOBACCO.

First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, nroviding he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

RUM AND TOBACCO, AND THEIR BIG FAMILY OF
CHILDREN.

C^| KO. ROOT: I send you a short article on to-

Wt bacco. I do feel that, as Christians and re-

fj^n nned an(* enlightened people, we should

■*■"' come out boldly on this awful evil. I tell

you, it's one of the greatest causes of greater

sins and poverty. People here are too poor to

hardly get their salt, and yet pay $5 to $30 per year

for this worse than useless weed, besides the awful

example. I have reasons to denounce it, for it has

about ruined one precious boy of mine. 1 speak

plainly. Rum is the Devil, and Tobacco his wife,

and they have a big family of children, both old and

young.

Since reading Mrs. Ratcliffe's valuable article on
the evils of tobacco, I have felt like shouting.
Thank God, she dares speak out for the good of the
world. I have proposed a tobacco pledge in the
temperance pledge, but I have met such opposition
by tobacco-users that it is of but little use. I am
convinced that the appetite for rum is stronger by
using tobacco (though I never used either), but—
eyes can see. We have a new law here, forbidding
its sale to boys under 16, but the desire to sell and
the desire to use are so strong it will go about the
same. The use of it is on the gain, and will be till
the whole people take hold to put it down. But
very few dare speak against it, and yet many users
are honest enough to denounce it; but, by their
fruits they are known.

Isn't it one reason of the cause of Christ being so
slow, our church people indulging in this soul
and body depressing, useless weed? I won't judge
any one, but it seems to me this is a great appear-
ance of evil; and is it not leading our precious

1889

GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTLKK.

366

young boys— yes, and girls, astray? You know the
best are always chosen as examples when one means
to excuse a sin or bad habit. Such and such per-
sons are sighted; thus such are far more responsi-
ble than those who do not profess better things.
Tt's a sad sight to see 7-year old boys, with a sicken-
ing cigar, walking the streets. Who can come up
and say it's all good? and who is going to chide
these for so doing? Not the ones who sell it— no,
for they tell us there is a big profit on tobacco, and
that they couldn't do business if they didn't sell it.
Doesn't the rum-seller say the very same thing?
Are we as human beings willing to succumb to such
ruinous courses? How easily the sale of this poison
has crept into all or nearly all the grocery stores,
and Christian traders too. Well, many come up
and assert, that, if they dou't sell it others will. I
may say if I didn't rob some one, some other per-
son would. Oh! I ask again, isn't it late enough al-
ready for even a few to fight this evil, and be a
crank or a fool for Chi-ist's sake?

Hallowell, Me. E. P. Churchill.

What you say is excellent, but I think all
of us will have to be a little briefer, as we
say in the prayer meetings, to make more
room for the new converts. Just listen to
them now, and see if you do not agree with
me that their testimony is more inspiring
than whole sermons from our most learned
divines.

I need a new smoker, and I have decided to quit
the use of tobacco entirely. If you will send me a
smoker, if I ever use tobacco again I will pay you
for the smoker. Chas. Craning.

Courter, Ind.

Please And two more claims for the bee smoker.
Mrs. Fannie Bitticks says she has been using tobac-
co for 20 years. I gave her a few copies of your
journal, and she read the same; and when she
came to the Tobacco Column she said she would
quit too for a smoker, and she quit. If you will
send her the smoker I will see that she keeps her
pledge; and if she does use it again I will send you
75 cts. for the smoker. Also please send a smoker
to Mrs. Bill Ealey, Hickory Creek, Ark. She, seeing
your offer, has quit the use of tobacco for a smoker.
I will see that she keeps her promise.

Ozan, Ark. J. W. Taylor.

May the Lord bless you, friend T., for
your labors, especially as you have made
such a start among the women-folks. If
" the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand
that moves the world," just think what the
result of your labors may be, in view of fu-
ture generations. We notice still another
convert of yours in Anthony Clark, a little
further on.

PAYS FOR THE SMOKER, BUT HAS QUIT THE USE
OF TOBACCO AGAIN.

Please find inclosed 38 cts. for Terry's A B C of
Potato Culture, and 70 cts. for the smoker I got on
the tobacco pledge. 1 broke it, but I have quit
again, and I hope I shall succeed this time, but I
shall pay for the broken pledge.

Lynnhaven, Va. G. W. Reader.

Well, well, friend R., so you paid up for
the broken pledge, and started out on a new
one. May the Lord bless and sustain you,
not only in giving up tobacco, but in being
honest, and true to your word. If anybody

should ask me which is the worse of the
two evils, to tell lies or chew tobacco, I
should say that telling lies is, by all odds.

WHAT A TOBACCO-DEALER THINKS OK THE USE OF
THE WEED.

Though I am still in the cigar business, and have
been for many years, I think you are right in dis-
couraging the use of tobacco in any form, with all
your might. If tobacco and whisky could be en-
tirely eradicated, the world would be benefited al-
most incalculably. S. F. Herman.

Tuscaloosa, Ala , Jan. 16, 1889.

Why, may the good Father help you,
friend II., to go a little further and prac-
tice what you preach. I do not really see
how you can hand over cigars, with a clear
conscience, after giving such testimony as
you have above. I am sure you can not do
it very long. My impression is, that the
cigar business will be given up before these
words reach your eyes. Please drop us a
postal card and tell me if I have not guessed
light.

I read Gleanings at Bro. Taylor's; and with the
influence of your offer, and that of Bro. Taylor's, I
quit chewing tobacco. Now send Bro. J. W. Taylor
the smoker, and if I ever use it again I will pay you
for two smokers, and Bro. Taylor will go my securi-
ty. Anthony Clark.

Ozan, Ark., Feb. 14, 1889.

Three cheers for Bro. Taylor, friend C. ! I
believe in that kind of signing for your
neighbors, every time, for it is a signing for
Christ's sake.

ONE WHO HAS USED TOBACCO 27 YEARS.

A brother-in-law of mine, A. W. Banebrake, of
this place, has quit the use of tobacco after being a
slave to its use for 27 years. He has not used it
since the 5th day of November last. He is a begin-
ner with bees ; has 5 or 6 colonies. He says if you
think he is entitled to a smoker, send him one; and
if he ever uses the weed again he will pay you for
it. I will also go surety for him. F. M. Shell.

Yeddo, Ind.

And may God bless you both, friend S.,
for your practical way of working together.
We gladly send the smoker.

I received your letter, stating that you would
have to put my name in Gleanings in order to
send my brother a smoker. I am perfectly willing
you should do so; and if he ever uses tobacco again
I will pay you for the smoker. Chas. A. Pray.

East Lebanon, Maine.

Why, friend P., it seems to me as if God
were opening up a new work for us in this
issue— going security for a brother.

HAS COMMENCED TOBACCO AGAIN, BUT PAYS FOR
THE SMOKER.

Inclosed please find 75 cts. for a smoker, which I
got from you nearly three years ago for my son to
quit the use of tobacco. He has since commenced
to use it again. Henry L. Weiss.

Berkeley Springs, W. Va.

That is a good testimony too, friend W.
Set the example before the younger ones, of
promptly paying up according to promise,
for such testimonies are valuable, as well
as the words from those who first take
the pledge.

m

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Ma\

Fn reply to your Letter about the smoker, I would
say that my friend would not let me send his name
lor publication, saying- he did not want it published
to the world that he had stopped using tobacco. I
do not know that it was entirely through Glean-
im;s that be stopped, but I have lent him numbers
to read, and I suppose the3- influenced him. I did
not know that you required the name of the person
making the pledge, if he was not a subscriber. As
he will not let me send his name, and that is the
rule, I would by no means send him a smoker. He
iloes not deserve it, he is so cowardly.

East Sydney, N. V. Lester Judson.

Do not be too severe on yonr friend. Our
clerks, it seems, have been a little at fault.
Your friend need not give his name at all
unless he chooses (although I do think it a
much better way), providing somebody like
yourself will give his own name and go se-
curity for his friend. This Tobacco Column
seems to be pretty much all in line of w: I am
my brother's keeper.'"

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

A1K-SLACKED LIME, APPLIED TO THE SOIL,
AN AN INSECTICIDE.

|H N page 235 of our issue for March 15,
rj I mentioned the use of air-slacked
|U lime as a preventive of club-root in
^* cabbages, and I also made mention of
its property of killing angleworms,
etc. I believe it has been well known to
gardeners, that lime-water, even a good deal
diluted, is sure death to angleworms in pots ;
and I have found that, say, ten barrels to
the acre will kill almost if not all of the an-
gleworms in very rich, highly manured
ground for market-gardening or for straw-
berries. Now, friends, I am pretty sure
there is something better still, right along
in this line. This spring our plant-beds
were all treated to a pretty liberal applica-
tion of guano and lime. They were sifted
on to the ground, and raked in, while the
mixture gave off a strong smell of ammonia.
Well, so far this spring we have not seen a
single specimen, on these beds, of the little
'Mumping jack,1' or cabbage-beetle. It is
the same insect that damaged the Rural
New-Yorker folks in their potato experi-
ments ; and we have pretty good authority
for saying that the larva? of this same insect
causes the club-root in cabbages, and spoils
our radishes. Who has not tried to raise
radishes, and found them so scarred and
disfigured, and even eaten up with minute
maggots, that the crop was a failure? Well,
radishes raised on our plant-beds have per-
fectly bright, smooth leaves, with not a scar
from the jumping jack, and the roots cor-
respond exactly. There is no such pest in
our plant-bed grounds; but up in our
swamp, where we sowed some radishes in
the peat, the jumping jacks are just as bad
as they ever were, and more than half of
the radishes are eaten up outright. Now,
if air-slacked lime, put on strong enough,
kills the larva?, and thereby banishes the

mature insert, why will not the lime, if used
strong enough, destroy all the bugs and in-
sects that harbor in the ground? Prof.
Cook will have to help me out here ; but I
am pretty sure that the striped melon-bug,
and perhaps our potato-beetles, may be
greatly injured if not banished by using
plenty of lime. I know they come out of
the ground, because I have seen them come
up under my plant-boxes. The office of the
lime, in liberating ammonia from any heav-
ily manured ground, I think will recom-
pense all it costs. Our plan is to spread the
lime with a manure-spreader, after the
ground is plowed and harrowed, and then
harrow it again, to mix up with the soil.
We have never seen plants injured by lime,
no matter how strong we put it on— that is,
where it is thoroughly pulverized and raked
into the soil to a considerable extent. I
want Prof. Cook, and W. J. Green, of our
Experiment Station, to tell me if I am not
at least partly right in this matter.

SENDING OUT COMMON WEEDS As NOVEL-
TIBS.

While I am exceedingly glad to notiee the
energy and zeal with which our seedsmen
bring out and have tested every thing
new and valuable in the vegetable world, I
do feel like uttering a venement protest
against the dissemination of weeds, espe-
cially where they are of little or no value.
1 have just now in mind the " upland water-
cress,"' advertised in many of our seed cat-
alogues. As we have not a running spring
suitable for water-cress, I hailed the advent
of an upland cress with much joy. They
were started in the greenhouse, and a long
row, put out in my best ground, only to
find, when they arrived at maturity, that
they are exactly the same thing as a weed
that is found all over this vicinity, and has
been for years. It sesms to be a sort of
cross between horseradish and wild mus-
tard. It tastes more like horseradish leaves
than any thing else. The leaf is rounder, more
like mustard. The root has no flavor like
the horseradish at all, and I have never
found anybody who cared to eat the tops at
any -stage, as a substitute for water-cress.
If you ask what seedsmen I am driving at,
my reply is, every seedsman who advertises
the upland cress. You may say that he
doubtless supposed it was all right. Well,
my friend, I do not think that any seeds-
man has any business to advertise any thing
he has not first tested on his own grounds.
If he has not any grounds to test things on,
then I should say he has no business being
a seedsman.

QUESTIONS ON CARP-KAISING, ETC.

What is the commercial value of carp, if any?
How many can be raised in a pond covering one
acre, if well cared for? Will they smother in win-
ter from ponds freezing? The same questions in
regard to catfish, if you can.

Is Japanese buckwheat honey-producing-?

Topeka, Kan. H. G. Lyons.

Our new book gives you all the informa-
tion we have in regard to the ponds you
mention ; but I might answer briefly, by

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

307

saying that you can certainly raise as many
pounds of carp on an acre as you could of
chickens j and they are worth in the mar-
ket certainly as much for food. At present
I believe they bring a little more. The carp
will not require any thing like the amount
of care that chickens do ; and I think I am
correct in saying nothing like the amount of
food. They will not smother in winter from
ponds freezing over. We can not answer in
regard to catfish. — Japanese buckwheat
produces probably just as much honey, if
not more, than the common kind. You
must remember that all varieties of buck-
wheat, as well as every thing else, for that
matter, that yields honey, are liable, under
certain conditions, to give none at all, even
though the fields be white with bloom.

RASPBERRIES AND POULTRY, IN CONNECTION WITH
BEE CULTURE.

I send you a sample of ensilage from a kegful
that I packed for my poultry. I had been wanting
to save something of the kind for years for the long
winter season, so as to help make a variety for
them. The article I saw in Gleanings, about en-
silage, last summer, stimulated me so that I put
the idea in practice. I often wanted to save cut-
tings from a lawn, for they looked so sweet, and
are about the right size for a mouthful for a hen.
I shall try saving some next year. What I send
you is raspberry leaves stripped from the cuttings
of my bushes in the fall. They have a very sweet-
smelling flavor, and I hope there will be a little left
in the sample I inclose, after the journey, so that
you will know how sweet they are. I made only
one kegf ul for an experiment. It was a honey-keg
capable of holding 200 lbs. I stripped the leaves off
in the garden into a bushel basket. I must have
put fully 15 bushels into it. I kept a weight of
about 150 lbs. on them ;is I packed them. This
weight kept me filling up a little every day for a
few days, and they were pressed so tightly that
they excluded the air, which I believe is all that is
necessary for their preservation. Some of the
leaves were half dry with the sun, while others
were quite green. I was careful, however, not to
put any in while there was any rain or dew on them.
They were a little musty on top, but I believe that
the rest of the keg is as sweet and nice as the sam-
ple sent. I usually scald it, putting a handful or
two in the water that I boil or scald the ground feed
with. I do not know of any thing better that cau
be combined with poultry than bees and raspber-
ries. The best raspberries 1 ever had were picked
from bushes where poultry had been allowed to run
until the fruit was nearly ripe. They keep down the
suckers, and the strength seems to go all to fruit.

Manistee, Mich., Jan. 12, 1889. Walter Harmer.

The raspberry ensilage came to hand in
nice shape, and is just as you describe it. I
know that it is very important that poultry
have some sort of green feed in the winter
time ; and I do not know why your ensilage
will not fill the bill exactly.

placing a layer of earth l/s inch or one-inch, as the
case may be, on the lower end, making ii smooth
and even; then lay a row of plants any desired dis-
tance apart on this, pressing them in with the left
thumb to make them stick; then another course of
earth, etc. At the last, begin at one side and bring
the single row across. I can spread the roots, put
them any depth desired, do it quicker, and I think
nicer, than with the dibber.

ANOTHER WAY OF BANISHING THE "JUMPING

• JACK."

To prevent jumping jack from eating the first
leaves of cabbage, turnip, etc., put about a table-
spoonful of spirits of turpentine to 1 lb. of seed,
stirring it well so that all seeds come in contact
with it. As a farmer, who used it in turnip-grow-
ing, said, after they are up, pinch them between
the thumb and finger and they smell quite strong.
It seems quite reasonable, too, as the seed of this
forms the first pair of leaves. I have not tried it,
as it was too late last year when I heard of it.

Minesing, Ont., Mar. 22, 1889. Thos. Stokks.

The turpentine may answer, but I believe
I would rather take my chances by raking
into the soil a good lot of quicklime, as I
have already mentioned.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO, AGAIN.

Your articles in regard to the Ignotum tomato, 1
read with great interest, as I have 4fio seeds of the
same kind. When our State fair was at Jackson
last fall I noticed a beautiful plate of fine tomatoes
in the exhibit of the Agricultural College. I was
informed by the manager of the exhibit that they
were originated at the State Farm; and, being
deeply interested in the different garden plants,
and especially in tomatoes, I asked the gentleman
for one so I could have about the first plants out-
side of the original ; but T see you have the start of
me, and I guess you and I are the only ones now
who have any seed direct from the stock grown at
the Farm. By the time this reaches you I shall
have part of mine planted for extra-early plants.

A. I). D. WOOD.

Rives, Jackson Co., Mich., Dec. 31, 188K.

And so it transpires, friend W., that some-
body besides myself has the Ignotum. Well,
it will probably be pretty thoroughly intro-
duced another year, for we have "already
given away several thousand packages to
the readers of Gleanings.

ANOTHER WAY OF PRICKING OUT CABBAGE-PLANTS,
ETC.

My way of prioking out cabbage, tomato, and cel-
ery plants from the seed-boxes into others ;i little
apart, is to tilt the one end toward me on some
blook, at an apg).e of about 45°, and commence by

SWEET POTATOES, LEVEL CULTURE.

While the sweet-potato topic is up, 1 rise to state
that, on loose prairie soil, it is labor worse than
wasted to ridge up the ground for planting sweet
potatoes. Level culture for corn, Irish and sweet
potatoes, is the successful practice here, where hot
dry weather can be depended upon. The sweet po-
tatoes do not grow so long, but are larger, every
time. M. S. Benedict.

Crete, Neb., April 6, 1889.

I think the above depends both on the
soil and season. In our locality, especially
when we have as much rain as we have had
for the two past seasons, the hilling-up
seems to answer hetter for almost every
thing; that is, where the hill has a broad
top. This top th-n catches all the rain that
is needed, while the furrow lets the surplus
water off before our clay soil settles down
so hard that it bakes like a brick.

368

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

THE " BUSH LIMA BEAN"" BUSINESS.

At the present writing I have not been
able to secure even a single paper of the
Kumerle bush lima bean. Very likely some-
body has forestalled me. I am going to
have a few, however— see if I don't— even if
they do cost " awful." The yellow bush
lima bean, mentioned in our last issue, page
279, as coming from Minnesota, proves to be,
when cooked— that is, in a dry state— just
like common bush beans — no lima taste
about them. It is simply a yellow bean, a
little flattened in shape. Perhaps when
green, however, they will taste much differ-
ent—we hope so. We are going to plant
largely of Henderson's bush lima bean.
This, it seems to me, is certainly an acquisi-
tion ; and until we can get a big one we had
better make the most of this. Very likely
it is earlier because of being so small, and
quite likely more productive — that is, it will
yield more bushels to the acre. A 25-cent
package of these beans will be mailed to ev-
ery subscriber of Gleanings who pays up
all past dues to the present time, and sends
us a dollar for a year ahead. Please make
arrangements during the present month, if
you want them, for we expect to plant every
bean left in the 1000 papers, by July 1.

WHAT IS THE BEST LAND FOR ONIONS V

What is the best kind of land for raising- onions?
Will salt, sowu on land before sowing onion seed, be
useful? If so, how much would you advise me to
sow to the acre? I. Jackson.

Eau Clair, Wis., Feb. 19, 1889.

Friend J., almost any land will raise on-
ions, providing it is made fine enough and
rich enough. On some soils, salt seems to
be o* some benefit ; but I would by no
means think of investing heavily in salt un-
til you have tried it on small patches,
enough to be sure that it does good. 1
think you had better invest in our book on
onion-raising.

THE KEROSENE EMULSION FOR APPLE-TREE
BARK-LICE.

In regard to the bark-louse, I tie bits of soap on
the limbs, and the water and snow wash the soap
down over the insects gradually. Dr. Martin.

Mercersburg, Pa., Jan. 29, 1889.

Friend M., tying pieces of soap in the
trees would be a comparatively easy matter ;
and it seems to me quite likely it might
answer the purpose. I presume all you
need to do is to put some soap on the limbs
you find visited by the bark-lice, taking
pains to have the soap higher up than the
insects have yet made their way.

SQUASH-BOXES ; TKANSPLANT1NG-TUBES, ETC.

I am a farmer and apiarist, and pride myself on
having a good garden. We need in this climate an
extra-early tomato and watermelon. I succeeded
last year, when my neighbors failed, by using the
squash-boxes which you described in your seed-cata-
logue. They also saved my pie-plant and aspara-
gus from a late freeze. The way I get early toma-
toes and cabbage in the last transplanting, I put
them into an old tomato-can; and when ready to set
out I out the bottom out and set can and plant in
the ground. This also protects the plant from cut-
worms. N. P. ASPINWALL,

JiarrjBon. Minn., Mar. §4, 1889.

0a^ H©mes.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disci-
ples, if ye have love one to another.— John 13: 35.

ITp FTEP dinner it occurred to me that I
3|I| had better go and have my boot
j^K mended. You may be a little sur-
*^~ prised to think that I had been off
all that forenoon, wearing a boot
with that great gash. Well, to tell the
truth, I was in such a hurry to get off into
the fields and mountains that morning, I
did not think much about my boot. It did
not gape open quite so wide on Monday
morning as it did on Sunday afternoon.
The fact is, I rather forgot about it. When
Satan suggested that it looked awful, and
that I really must go and get a shoemaker,
and insist on his doing so much work on
Sunday as a case of necessity, it looked very
bad— in fact, exceedingly bad. But when I
turned squarely around and shook my fist
at him (not the shoemaker, but Satan) and
said with energy, " Get thee behind me, Sa-
tan," he went away and did not trouble me
any more. But I did think, before I started
to travel on the cars again, the boot must be
mended. I found a very pleasant-faced, el-
derly man, surrounded by his lasts and awls,
right across the coiner from that little stone
Congregational church. I thought at first I
would sit down and talk with him while he
mended the boot. Then I began to think I
wanted one more drink from those effer-
vescing springs. The shoemaker kindly
loaned me his shoes, which were a great
deal too large, and I started for the spring I
first drank from the day before. The water
was very much improved — at least it seemed
so, and I liked the people and the surround-
ings better too. When I got back, my boot
was ueatly finished. When I remarked that
I had been up to the Ute iron spring, the
people at the shop thought it incredible.

" Why, mister," said the man of the lasts,
" it's almost a mile, and you have not been
gone over fifteen or twenty minutes."

I then told him of my tramp of the fore-
noon ; but I did not tell him how awkward
and inconvenient his great big shoes were
on that last tramp. A bystander remarked,
tl Why, he is almost a match for Jim ."

" What feat did Jim do, pray, in the

way of walking?" said I.

I don't remember exactly what it was,
but the landlord told me of a young man
who one summer went to the top of Pike's
Peak on foot in one day, and came back
down in the same evening, 26 miles in all.
My boot was mended very neatly, and the
charge was only 15 cents.

" Why, look here, my good friend, you
must be a Christian to do as nice a piece of
work as that, and charge only 15 cents,"
said I.

" You are mistaken, stranger. I try to do
my work well, and to charge just about
what I should like to pay if somebody else
did the same work for me. But I have not
been inside of any church for more than
twenty years."

He said it, I thought, a little sadly, and

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

360

yet there was that beautiful little Congrega-
tional church right across the corner. I
told him, in my poor way, that one who was
trying to do by his fellow-men as he would
be done by, as he had expressed it, I felt
sure would rejoice in being among Chris-
tian people. 1 told him, too, that I had felt
hurt and pained when the livery-man close
by told me he wanted $2.50 for a horse and
buggy for only two hours. Now, perhaps I
am a little uncharitable toward livery-men,
and may he toward some of the hotel-keep-
ers. It is said, that, in the winter time,
when they have but little custom, they have
to charge large prices for what they do get,
in order to pay the expenses of keeping up
an establishment ; and I believe it is true,
as a rule, that livery-men and those who
run conveyances to and from pleasure-
resorts are seldom God-fearing people. It
would seem as if il were the most proper
thing in the world to find God-fearing men
and women to wait on those who come to
view, visit, or enjoy nature's wonders in the
way of mountain scenery, rivers, lakes, cav-
erns, and the like. In regard to this matter
of having nothing to do in winter, the prob-
lem is much like the one bee-keepers are
obliged to solve ; and I think it would be-
hoove the hotel-keepers and the livery-men,
who minister to tourists and pleasure-seekers
in summer time, to make some other ar-
rangements for men and horses during the
rest of the year, and thus make prices mod-
erate. Our rural friends, manv of them,
feel as if they had been outraged when they
are asked to pay a dollar for a meal of vict-
uals while potatoes bring only 20 cents a
bushel.

Now, before bidding good-by to Manitou
I want to ask my good friend the Congrega-
tional minister to make a friendly call on
my friend the shoemaker ; and may be he
can take him a bee-journal if he thinks
best. I wish he would also have a little
friendly talk with the boys who board at the
Mountain View Hotel, and may be they will
be interested in looking over what I have
written. I would suggest that he get on a
friendly footing with the folks in the livery-
stable. May be, however, it would not be
best to give them a bee-journal, for it be-
gins to occur to me that perhaps I have
been a little uncharitable toward them ; but
when Christian people prefer not to pay the
prices charged them when traveling, it is
certainly their privilege to eo on foot, as
did your humble servant. Yes, I am not
sure but we can perhaps go on our way
afoot, with more genuine earnestness and
zeal, than in the finest equipage. Now, we
must be careful about a want of charity
again right here, for it is not every one who
has been blessed with strong limb's and en-
ergy to do it, as does your friend A. I. Root.
If you do enjoy walking, dear reader, and
are equal to the task of walking several
miles on a stretch, then go this minute, if
you have never done so before, and thank
God that he has blessed you in this way.

Dec. I8.~^lt almost makes me feel sad to
think the mountains are behind us, and I
am told we shall see them no more. To-
day, through Nebraska we have little be-

sides mammoth corntields, and corn-cribs to
match— the latter piled full of corn, but no
roofs. Huge piles of corn are also seen in
the fields.

What an uncertain thing " daily bread "
is, in traveling ! uncertain in expense, I
mean. Last evening I thought to save ex-
pense by going to the lunch counter ; but a
turkey-leg, cup of coffee, and a piece of pie
was 45 cents ; and as I felt hungry still, 1
afterward, at another place, got a dish of
oysters and a glass of lemonade, 45 cents
more, or 90 cents in all, when the regular
supper would have been only 75. Economy
on the wrong side. At Wymore, Nebraska,
I decided to patronize a one-armed soldier,
and, taking a lesson from yesterday's experi-
ence, I ordered only a dish of baked beans,
and coffee. He dished out so many beans,
however, that I mentally figured that I was
out about 45 cents, or pretty near it. again ;
but to my great surprise, it was only ten.
cents for the whole dinner. This man has a
dinner-gong that goes by clockwork, while
he, with one arm, waits on a dozen custom-
ers. I gave him some words of encourage-
ment. What a field is here for practical
Christianity! In the large city of Denver,
in their large tine depot dining-hall, they
charge only 50 cents for a meal. Why can
not smaller towns on the railroad do as
well? Another thing pleased me : Adjoin-
ing this tine dining-room, and in a conspic-
uous place, was a fine bath-room, close by
where trains stop and start out, so passen-
gers, while waiting for a train, can wash
thoroughly all over, for only 25 cents. Good
for Denver !

Near Burchard, Neb., the corn-cribs are
several hundred feet long, and the heaps in
the field are immense. Thousands of stacks
of hay are also scattered over the fields.
I am very sorry to notice a good many
mowers and horse -rakes also. Loads of corn,
and still larger corn-cribs, are now seen.
A man says they get only 20 cents a bushel
at the stations, and a lady says some are
burning it for fuel. It makes a very hot
fire, and one man melted his stove down
and burned up his house by firing up too
strong with corn.

Near Kansas City we strike the Missouri
River. It is by all odds the largest river I
have seen in my travels xoest — that is, rivers
with water in them. I have seen plenty of
immense rivers in the great West, but they
lacked water when I saw them. Erorn Jef-
ferson City to St. Louis, the broad Missouri
River occupies and covers a vast extent of
land ; but it seems to be, like a meadow
brook, continually washing away the bank,
first on one side and then on the other. The
consequence is. that sometimes miles of
drifting sand are interspersed with bushes
and clumps of willows, indicating where the
river has been at some time, while the run-
ning water may be found to have a channel
less than a quarter of a mile wide. Judg-
ing from the growth of willows and weeds,
this bottom land must be wonderfully fer-
tile. It is probably, however, so liable to
overllow or wash that nothing has been
done with it. If this great sluggish river
could be made to take a straight line, and

wo

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

keep within bounds, vast tracts of the finest
land in the world, it seemed to me, might be
brought under cultivation. It makes one
sad to look over the great barren wastes.
Very often the river divides so as to leave
islands of large extent in the middle of its
bed. It made me think of the great Yellow
River in China, that has, by depositing its
sediment, and washing one way and then
the other, made such havoc with human life.
It seems to me one of the greatest things
that the world needs at this present time is
engineers who are capable of managing our
great rivers. I am sure the money could be
easily brought forward if we had men with
brains, to expend it in the right way.

I am now nearing home, after almost six
weeks' absence. Again and again have 1
dreamed of being back with the loved ones.
Once, especially, the rejoicings of the whole
family, little and big, were so like a reality
that I felt troubled, and assured them there
was some mistake.

" What mistake, and how?" asked my
wife.

• Why, 1 am sure this is a dream, for I
have not finished my visit. I am still in
California.1'

At this there was a shout of merriment
from all. As it closed she replied :

" But, who is dreaming, my dear husband
— you or ourselves?"

" Why, I think it must be yon, for I know
I am in California."

Then they all laughed louder and harder.

"We, then, are only 'phantoms of the
night,' are we, while you are all right? Look
here, sir!" and in a saucy way she came
close up to me. " Am I ' thin air?1 Am I not
a tlesh-and-blood reality ? "

Of course, I put my arms about her while
I replied :

" Yes, you are, and always have been a
blessed 'reality ' to me ;" and then while the
children applauded, evidently considering it
a line tableau, commenced one of nature's
" dissolving views." My home began to
grow dim, and fade away ; and faster than
railroad cars— yes, faster than even the
lightning can travel— I was borne over des-
ert and mountain, setting thousands of
miles at naught, until I rested again in my
bed in that cozy room on the mountain-side.
But, hold on ! One part of that Medina
home did not dissolve, for I hear the chil-
dren's merriment even now.

I raised myself a little in bed. By the
dim light of the moon I recognized my sur-
roundings, and remembered going to bed
the night before— yes, and even got a
glimpse of the little Bible that I was read-
ing in the last thing before I went to bed,
as it lay there on the pretty little stand ;
and vividly the text, "But whosoever shall
drink of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst,*' came back to my mind.
I am here in California, just as I declared I
was ; but what in the world can it mean —
this sound of merriment and laughter that
greets my ears even now — yes, merriment
because I so stoutly insisted that I was in
California and not at home? Have the real
and the unreal become so mixed up that I
can not tell positively whether I am asleep

or awake, or has that old fancy that has
haunted me in my dreams from childhood,
of setting time and space at naught, come
true? After I had rubbed my eyes a little
more, and after I had listened a little more
intently to the sounds of the voices, I dis-
covered that it was not Ernest and Maud
and Connie and Caddie and Iluber, after all.
It was the children I had talked with the
night before, in this mountain home. As
the good mamma of the household wras
obliged to get up before daylight, they,
childrenlike. wanted to get up too, and had
been having their fun while I was sound
asleep and dreaming of home.

At the breakfast-table, as I related the
above, one of the friends remarked :

"Well, you came out ahead. You, after
all, an in California." And I hereby give
my wife, and all the rest of them, notice,
that I was right and they were all wrong.

Dec. 19. — How good it seems to see fenced
rields again, and to see every one occupied
with something! Outside of Kansas City,
toward St. Louis, even the small towns
seem full of thrift and enterprise. The tall
chimneys are sending out clouds of smoke,
and little engines, scattered in the suburbs
of the towns, commence early in the morning
to send out puffs of steam. This is what I
longed to see in many of the California
towns. The houses along all through Mis-
souri are well built, substantial, and pleas-
ing in appearance, and this is true of coun-
try as well as town.

Dear readers of Gleanings, my long trip
is ended. Those six weeks, even though
away from home and friends, were s'x of
the "happiest weeks I ever spent in my lite.
One thing that specially contributed to
make them happy, was that it was my priv-
ilege to have you enjoy them writh me. I
know you have done so, because of the
great numbers of kind letters that have
come from you in regard to those travels. I
prayed as I started out, that God might
help me to make the trip profitable for " Our
Homes" and " Our Neighbors," and I feel
like thanking you, for it was through your
kind support that I have been enabled to
make such a trip. Several months before 1
started, I felt that God was calling me to
that kind of work. I told my wife I knewr I
should enjoy it, for it was, in one sense, a
duty. Do you ask, why not go again, and
inform my readers in regard to other coun-
tries and other localities? Providence per-
mitting, I expect to go again after a while ;
but just now I am needed here. Yes, at
this season of the year there ought to be
two or three A. I. Roots instead of only one.
In another part of this number I have been
trying to tell you why I am needed at home
just now. Many kind words are written to
me, to which I can not reply ; yes, and quite
a few complaints that my" old friends have
not had exactly the kind of treatment they
have a right to expect from me are unan-
swered. Others who are taking my place
have answered them as best they could;
and yet I know very well, that, at least for
some time to come, no one can understand
these friends I have known and loved for
years, as I understand the?n myself. But

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

371

be patient, friends, for John and Ernest are
every day learning more and more to take
my place, and to know yon as I have known
you. It is not altogether things that dollars
and cents will make right ; but when you
feel as if you had been neglected and ig-
nored, do not, I pray you, feel uncharitable.
At this season of the year I have steadily
refused to go anywhere, even for a single
day. 1 have even refused to talk and visit
with my intimate friends and relatives, in
order that 1 may use all the strength I have,
to do by you as I would be done by. Some-
times I long to give up business, and not try
to look after things as I do at this season of
the year. But this feeling is wrong, I am
sure. Sometimes I am told that I won't last
long at this rate. So far as I am concerned,
I do not know that I care so very much about
a long life ; but if by prolonging my life I can
be of service to my fellows, then I want to
live. If I can contribute to your happiness
by living, and if I can, by influence and ex-
ample, or by working when I am tired and
fatigued, be able to lead some soul to "drink
of the waters1" I have been telling you
about, then I am glad to live and glad to
work.

During those six weeks while I was away.
I felt remarkably free from temptation of
any sort. No one vexed me, that I know of,
and I did not feel tried with humanity, as I
often do here at home. I met wickedness
and sin ; but God helped me to meet it with
more calmness and courage than I do here.
It would not be right or well, however, if I
should spend much of my time in a life so
free from care.' The thought that I had
earned my vacation and holiday helped to
make me happy ; but real life must be, for
the most part, in the busy throng. When
Jesus prayed for his disciples, just before
he was about to leave them, his prayer was,
lt I pray not that thou shouldst take them
out of the world, but that thou shouldst
keep them from the evil.'* And so it is
with us all. Christ's followers are all need-
ed in the world. Where humanity throngs
thickest and busiest, there they are needed
most. " Ye are the salt of the earth •" and
therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us
be content to labor on, especially while it is
not for sellish ends that we are bearing
toil and care and sorrow, but for humanity's
sake and for Christ's sake.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disci-
ples, if ye have love one to another.

A VISIT TO BEE-CELLARS IN NORTH-
ERN OHIO.

EKNEST OFF ON A RAMBLE— CONCLUDED.

R. BOARDMAN,like a good many
other prominent bee-keepers, uses a
square frame, the dimensions of
which, if I remember correctly, are
4f inches inside measure, square,
this size being adapted to nine 1} sections.

" Then you think you prefer the square
frame?" said I.

" I do, sir, on account of the compactness
of the brood-nest, both for brood-rearing
and for the concentration of warmth while

in winter quarters. And then, again, when
two of these hives are tiered up, the upper
set of frames is just right to handle in a
standing posture. With your Simplicity or
Langstroth frame you are obliged to stoop a
little more in the manipulation of the
frames."

" YeSj that is true," I replied. " But then,
for comb honey don't you think you lose
some advantage in not having a shallow
frame— that is, shallow enough to bring the
brood nearer the surplus apartment?"

" Yes, there is something in this ; but I
think this is more than offset by the advan-
tages of the cubical brood-nest in winter."

I noticed that, when he turned up some of
the hives, the frames being so deep, some of
the bottom-bars touched together, while a
wide space was left between the adjoining
bottom-bars. Mr. Boardman admitted that
this was true too, but he did not seem to
think that it made very much trouble.

On our way homeward we talked about
contraction. Mr. Boardman's method of
contraction is not to reduce the number of
brood-frames, but to cut out the combs. To
prevent the bees from storing honey in the
brood-chamber he leaves on an inch or so of
comb attached to the top-bar. As the bees
build this downward, the queen fills them
with eggs, and, as a matter of course, the
honey goes into the sections. With most
bee-keepers this would be considerable of a
job, I imagine ; but as Mr. Boardman uses a
side -opening hive, he simply removes the
loose side, slices off the combs, replaces the
side without removing the cover or surplus
arrangement. The plan is quite similar to
the one outlined by Samuel Simmins, and
later by W. Z. Hutchinson. Mr. Boardman
has practiced this method of contraction for
several years, and he thinks it is by all odds
the best method. After supper that even-
ing we fcot so interested in conversation,
the special topic of which I do not now rec-
ollect, that, before we were aware of it,
the train which I had intended to take came
in, and I half a mile away, enjoying the
hospitality of my friend. Well, there was
no help for it, and so I waited till morning,
and then Mr. Boardman kindly drove me
back to Norwalk with one of his out-apiary
horses, where I joined the junior Mrs. Root,
or, putting aside stiff conventionalities,
Elizabef/i. Be sure to put the accent strong
on the last syllable, if you want to get my
method of pronouncing it. I regret now
that she could not have made the acquain-
tance of the genial Mrs. Boardman, who,
by the way, is not only a bee-keeper's wife,
but a bee-keeper herself.

I feel now more than ever the importance
of getting out and knocking off the corners.
I discover in our correspondence that a
great many bee-keepers have set notions.
To stay at home with some of us means to
get into old ruts. One of the benefits of
conventions and of personal visits, as I re-
gard it, is the breaking-down of old preju-
dices. I believe I am a broader man — cer-
tainly a broader bee-keeper — since visiting
friend Boardman. While I do not feel con-
vinced that indoor wintering would be bet-
ter for ug. or that the square frame would

372

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

be better adapted for the majority of bee-
keepers, I see more of their merits than
ever before. I mean to try his plan of win-
tering this year, and shall try it alongside of
the chaff hives for comparison of results.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi-Monthly.

-&.. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

MEDIlsTA, OHIO.

»»*~»o«

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
i» ♦ »]

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Reading Matter.

fowls. Altogether we think the change is an im-
provement, and we trust that the added subscrip-
tions from poultry-fanciers will more than pay for
the extra expense of getting out the journal. Suc-
cess to you, brother Jones, in your new venture.

n^zEDDiiisr^, j^ljl.it i, less.

Henceforth I call you not servants; tor the servant know-
eth not what his lord doeth: but 1 have railed you friends;
for all things that 1 have heard of my Father (have made
known unto you. — John 15: 15.

GIVING THE PLACE OF PUBLICATION.

Several of our correspondents, in sending us
clippings from other papers in regard to the alleged
adulteration of honey, have failed to give us the
address and the date of the papers copying such
extracts. We are glad to have these clippings sent
in to us, but we can not do very much unless we
know the address and the date of the paper.

THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD.

I will give their weight in gold for an ounce
of Kumerle's lima beans, such as were advertised
and sold by J. B. Thorburn & Co. They must be in
Thorburn's envelopes, or I must have satisfactory
proof that they are exactly the same that Thorburn
sold. I purchased one package before his supply
was exhausted, so I think I am prepared to know
the genuine when I see it.

200 TONS OF HONEY SOLD.

Commission firms in California handle a great
deal of honey. One of them, Messrs. Lacy, BaiJa-
hache & Co., of San Diego, Cal., write us that they
shipped, during 1887 and 1888, over 200 tons of honey ;
but as the two years preceding were poor ones
their sales are usually much larger. They are mak-
ing an effort to get bee-keepers to adopt the one-
pound section, as they say the demand is strongly
in favor of that size.

ISRAEL'S POEM— SEE PAGE 2.r)4.

By an error of the compositor in the misplace-
ment of the pages, some of the lines of the poem
entitled ''The Starving Colony " were a little out of
their regular order. To get the connection right,
read the first ten lines; skip eight lines; read eight
lines more, then go back aDd read the eight lines
skipped. We say this in justice to Mr. Israel. Our
more critical readers may have noticed the appar-
ent disconneciion.

THE CANADIAN HEE JOURNAL AND POULTRY
WEEKLY.

Vol. V. No. 5 of the Canadian Bee Journal has
shed its tinted cover, and added in its stead eight
extra pages. Half of the journal is devoted to bees,
and the other half to poultry— the latter depart-
ment being edited by W C. Peter, an extensive
breeder, and authority on all matters pertaining to

DOVETAILED HIVES POPULAR.

The new hive seems to be filling a "long-felt
want," as the fellow said. Orders for tens and
twenties are coming in at a rapid rate; and it is
really surprising what a wonderful demand has
sprung up in the short time they have been adver-
tised. Messrs. Schlichter Bros. & Co., of Burnside,
Lapeer Co., Mich., have ordered 300 No. 2 Dovetailed
hives in one order. We have already used up one
carload of lumber for these hives alone, and have
ordered another. This hive, it should be remember-
ed, is not a new thing, but an old one that has been
in use by practical bee-keepers for a good many
years. The times being ripe, it has met with a
hearty reception.

SWEET-POTATO PLANTS RAISED ACCORDING TO A
"MULTITUDE OF COUNSELORS."

Well, friends, our bed is just splendid. It was
built exactly according to directions; and as we did
not have spare sash it has had no covering so far,
except shutters; but as there have been several
cold stormy days, rendering it necessary to keep
the shutters on, the plants were getting too white
to suit me; therefore we borrowed some sash from
one of the greenhouses, and under the influence of
more light they began to be more healthy looking.
Very likely, however, shutters would have an-
swered every purpose had the plants been started
a little later ; and, in fact, we now have plants
big enough to set out, while it would hardly be safe
to put them in the open ground for at least a couple
of weeks yet; therefore I think that, in our locality,
there is no very particular need of having any glass
at all to raise good sweet-potato plants.

WHO IS TO HAVE A PACKAGE OF HENDERSON'S
BUSH LIMA BEANS FREE?

Well, in the first place I said that any subscriber
who sent us one new name; then I said that, if it
were too much trouble, send us a dollar for another
year, after your subscription was out. Pretty soon
the subscription clerk informed me that people
were asking for lima beans, just because they sent
a dollar to pay up or to renew. And then quite a
few asked for the lima beans who did not pay up at
all; therefore I think we shall have to put it this
way: The lima beans are for those who send us the
name of a new subscriber. If you can not get a
new name handy, pay up all you are owing on
Gleanings, and send us a dollar for a year ahead.
If you have already paid up till next January, then
send us a dollar now for Gleanings for 1889; or
send us 25 cts. for one packet, or $1.00 for five pack-
ets, or $2.00 for a dozen.

CALIFORNIA HONEY.

Our friend J. F. Mclntyre sends us the following
note, accompanied by the three samples of the
honey he mentions:

Mr. ROOT: I send you a little block containing three sam-
ples of honey. The darkest is fresh ttlaree honey. If I have
not forgotten the flavor of suit maple, it tastes a little like it,
and it takes the place of soft maple here. The clearest sample
i^ sage honey evaporated in the bip tank, and represents one
grade of last season's crop. The other was evaporated by the
Bees. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., April 15, 1889.

The darkest, or fllaree honey, was very fair. The
flavor of the clearest sample of sage honey— that

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

378

evaporated in the big tank was very fine, with the
exception that there was an after pungent taste in
the throat not exactly pleasant to us. The flavor of
the other sample of sage honey, that evaporated by
the bees, was the finest of the three— the pungent
taste mentioned in the artificially evaporated sam-
ple having been entirely eliminated. To see what
others would think of it, we handed the three sam-
ples to three of our printers, not telling them which
we thought best. We marked them so we could
tell which were which. Two of the printers imme-
diately decided just as we had, and another one did
on further deliberation. There has been a good
deal of discussion as to whether honey evaporated
artificially is equal to that evaporated by the bees.
If the test above made means any thing, it would
seem to indicate that bees have got the art down a
little finer than we have. To make the test a true
one, the two samples should be put side by side.

THE COMBINED CRATE, IMPROVED.

We have just changed the combined crate, which
we have sold for a good many years, so that it may
be manipulated in every respect the same as the T
super; i. e., it can be tiered up inside of a Simplicity
body; can be used with or without tin separators,
and can be emptied of its sections en masse. Unlike
the T super, it is so constructed that the bee-space
may be used either above or below the sections.
Although we do not recommend it, the honey-board
may be dispensed with, in which case the bee-space
should be put below the sections. It will also take
in open-side sections, which the T super will not
satisfactorily. While retaining all the old features
of merit, it is now made much more valuable than
before. We make this statement so that all those
who order the old combined crate may be advised
of the change. The price of the combined crate
will be the same as formerly.

a "fish story" and a bait for novices.

For several days back, correspondents have been
forwarding- on to us circulars from F. Andrews, 328
West Madison St., Chicago. The circular bears the
stamp of a " fish 6tory." It advertises a new hive
that will prevent swarming, that will set every idle
bee to work, and that will store twiei' as much honey
as any other hive made. Mr. A. further claims that
it will cost nothing to keep bees, as they feed them-
selves; that a single colony will net from $25.00 to
$60.00 per season. It closes up by offering to sell a
book, entitled, " Secrets of Bee-keeping," for 15
cents. Bro. Newman, of the American Bee Journal,
of course, was prompt to find out whether there
was any such individual. In his last issue he says
they have made four trips to the address of Mr.
Andrews, but that he was "out" each time. A
woman in an adjoining room said he was there only
a few minutes each day, and that he expected to
make a trip to California in May. Mr. Newman
cracks his editorial whip over Mr. Andrews' shoul-
ders in his following characteristic way. He says:

It is useless for us to caution any one. for our
readers do not send " a nickel and a dime" for any
" secrets " of bee-keeping. They know better. It
is the " novices" he is after. The circulars seem
to have been sent to postmasters, and bv them dis-
tributed into the "boxes," to catch the unwary,
and many $3.00 and "nickels and dimes "for Mr.
Andrews to go on a " trip around the world."

P. S.— Since the above was in type, we have the
following from friend Newman:

Friend Root :— After some six special tri|>s to Mr. Andrews'
advertised place I have got a copy of his pamphlet, and mail it
to you to-day. His hive is a Mitchell, and the extractor a Mc-

Dougall. In fact, the whole pamphlet is mainly a copy of
McDougall's, published in Indianapolis twelve years ago. He

told the person I sent that he had no hives on hand had sold
none this year, and said it would take 10 days to get one made
He is doing nothing. T. G. Newman.

The book kindly forwarded us, as above, is a pret-
ty fair bee-book for only 15 cents, only it does not
fill the bill at all, according to the circular. The
principal illustration is one used years ago by N. C.
Mitchell. Mr. Andrews, however, has dug out the
" N. C. Mitchell," giving the hive a botched appear-
ance. From the back cover we learn that Mr. A.
sells patent medicines, etc. The engraving of the
extractor is one made for us years ago by Stillman
& Co., of Cincinnati, O. The word " Novice " is got
rid of by some means.

We have, at this date, 8626 subscribers.

gPECITm ]\_0¥ICEg.

GOOD SHEARS AT A LOW PRICE.

If any of our readers are in want of a good pair
of shears at a low price they will do well to exam-
ine our advertisement in another column. We have
sold in the past 6 years about 150 dozen, and have
just put in stock as many more. The last lot are
much nicer than the former stock.

ADVANCE IN PRICE OF SUGAR.

Of course, at the present state of the sugar mar-
ket we can not sell at the prices in our catalogue.
At present writing the price is 2c higher, and liable
to go still higher. Jt will doubtless be another cent
higher before it goes any lower. This, of course,
does not apply to maple sugar, but we hav'n't very
much stock of this.

EXTRACTED HONEY FOR SALE.

Now that sugars are so high is a good time to
close out old honey at good prices. We have just
received a lot of 20 kegs of very choice basswood
honey, which we offer at $4.50 per keg of 50 lbs.
This is about as nice basswood honey as we ever
had, much of it containing some clover, and the
price is lc lower than we have offered for over a
year. We have also some basswood honey in 60-lb.
square cans, two in a case, that we offer for 9!4c
per lb. .

CUTHBERT RASPBERRY PLANTS AT LOW FIGURES.

Perhaps we have no better honey-plant than the
Cuthbert raspberry— at least there is no other plant
on which the bees seem to be so busy; and when
we consider that Cuthbert raspberries are never
without a purchaser-at least they never have been
in our locality — it seems to me it is a dood deal more
rational to put out raspberries than to waste time
and money on plants for honey and nothing else.
Last year we sold every quart of our Cuthberts, at
a price not less than 14 cents; and a great many of
them, when they first ripened, brought 10 cents a
pint. Now, for immediate orders, before the young
plants are torn up by the cultivator, we will fill or-
ders at the following rates: 10 plants. 15c; 100, $1.0(1;
1000, $7 50. If wanted by mail, add 5c for 10, or 25c
for 100, for postage. It will be noticed that the
above prices are less than half those given in our
seed latalogue.

CHANGE IN SCREW-TOP GLASS PAILS.

We call the attention of our customers to the
fact that we are compelled to chancre the pattern of
our screw-top glass honey-pails. Those shown on
page 22 of our catalogue are no longer made. The
manufacturers have discontinued making- them,
and have destroyed the molds. We have been for-
tunate enough, however, to find another to take its
place. See cut and prices in our advertisement on
another page. There are now 4 sizes, and pricefi
are somewhat changed. While on this subject I
might also state that there is every prospect for an-
other general strike among glass-blowers, which is
bound to run prices up again, the- same as a few
years ago. At present the prices on this class of
goods are as low as we have ever known them, and
are sure to go no lower- The probabilities pojnt

374

(JLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

M A Y

toward advanced prices. It will be policy to antici-
pate your needs and get yourselves supplied. We
arc laying in a large stock, and hope to hold our
prices through the season, but we maybe compelled
to advance. Prices in our ad. will hold till further
notice.

GLEANINGS ENLARGED.

You will notice that we have added 16 extra pages
to this number. We do this to enable us to utilize
some of the valuable articles which have been
waiting their turn.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

can't part with old friends.

Of course, continue Gleanings. It has been the
friend of my ignorance in the management of bees
too long for me to discontinue it now. It is an old
and true friend. Send it on

Home, La. W. F. Roberts, M. D.

The goods ordered of you some time ago came to
hand all right, every thing in good shape. Nothing
was missing. Thanks for your promptness.

Matthias Schneider, Jr.

Mclvor, Mich , Mar. 18, 1889.

Goods came in fine order. I have not had time to
examine them thoroughly. Strawberry-plants were
very fine. I have not had time to count the sepa-
rators, as I have just returned from the gold-mines
in Lower Califoruia. W. G. Baker.

San Diego, Cal., April 4, 1889.

SENDING TOMATO-PLANTS UV MAIL.

Those tomato-planis came to-day by mail, and are
as nice and fresh as though they had just been tak-
en from the bed. You told in Gleanings that you
would send 10 for 10 cts., but I have made more out
of them the wav we count here. G. A. Hoffman.
Riverside, Wash. Co., la.

The lawn-mower and barometer came promptly
on the 13th inst. Freight $1.48. The mower is an
excellent " institution." It does the nicest and best
work, with the least labor, of any thing I ever
handled. S. L. Greer.

Disco, Tenn , \pril 1 i, 1889.

I am very much pleased with Gleanings, and
think it a very valuable paper. I am very much in-
terested in Mr. Root's travels to California, and
think the whole of the bee literature is developing
and becoming more interesting.

Horace F. Gressman.

Water Valley, Erie Co., N. Y.

OUR new sewing-machine.

The sewing-machine came all right; freight, 60
cts. It sews as nicely as any Singer sewing-machine
in this place, and is as good as their $40 machines,
and is as nicely finished. D. C. McLeod.

Pana, 111., Feb. 4, 1889.

pleased customers.

I received my goods to-day, shipped the 8th. They
are all in fine shape. I can not say too much in
their praise. It is no wonder you have a big trade,
if your goods are always packed with the same
care that I always find mine. I never looked over
so manj' pails before, without finding some cuts.
These are all perfect. My wife says that the honey-
knife and extractor are very nice. E. A. Pratt.

Mvrtle, Pa., April 22, 1889.

stop my advertisement.

Friend Roof;— Will you please stop my advertise-
ment in Gleanings? Ail my stock is engaged. I
have used only Gleanings and Popular Gardening
in advertising this spring, and am better satisfied
with the results from both than with any papers I
have heretofore used. Theo. F. Longenecker.

Dayton, Ohio, April 18, 1889.

I Your advertisement was exceedingly well gotten
up, and was very attractive. I noticed it at the
time, and I think that those who write advertise^-
merits wilj do wejl to study yours a little.]

THE LAST NUMBER ,1UST SPLENDID.

The last number (April l> of Gleanings is just
splendid. 1 was sick when it came, and thought I
would only glance through it; but I could not lay it
down till I had read most that was in it.

Mahala B. Chaddock.

Vermont, III., April 14, 1889.

Dear Sir:— The $1.15 worth of seeds came by mail
promptly, and through the customs without any
duty; and by figuring the same up at catalogue
rates from the Canadian house where I had hither-
to dealt it amounted to $1.90 so in that transaction I
nearly saved the price of Gleanings.

Minesing, Ont., March 22, 1889. Thos. Stokes.

BROTHERLY LOVE.

I enjoy your talks in Our Homes very much.
Your description of the spirit of brotherly love
which you say is characteristic of Long Beach is
but a good illustration of the text, "By this ye
know that ye have passed from death unto life, be-
cause ye love the brethren." L. A. Duggan.

Cuthbert, Ga., Feb. 11, 1889.

[Friend D., what impressed me at Long Beach
was, that in a family where the husband was a Bap-
tist and the wife a Methodist, they both joined in
insisting that I must see one of the "very best
women in the world," who lived in their town; and
this "best woman in the world " was a Congrega-
tionalist; and it really seemed as if that spirit per-
vaded Long Beach. The members of all the dif-
ferent churches seemed to exhibit just that spirit
toward one another. The consequence was, that
when a union meeting was held it contained pretty
much all of the people in the town— men, women,
and children. In fact, it was a wonder how so
small a place could possibly furnish such a taber-
nacle full of pejple.]

GET ACQUAINTED.

We don't believe there's a reader of Gleanings
that wouldn't subscribe for the BEE-KEEPEES' EEVIEW,
to the mutual advantage of readers and EEVIEW,
if only all these readers were acquainted with the
EEVIEW and its merits. We are willing to do all in
our power to bring about an acquaintance. We
shall be glad to send free, to all applicants, three
numbers of the EEVIEW; and we will send those that
are seasonable, too. The perusal of these will give
a fair idea of what the EEVIEW is like. Also allow
us to suggest that it is not necessary to wait until
the beginning of the year to subscribe, as we have
a big stack of back numbers, and can supply them
even from the first issue. The discussions of last
year are fully as valuable as those of the present
year. Price of the EEVIEW, 50 cts. a year.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either TJ. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613 wood St. 9d Flint, Mich.

|yin responding to tlii.s advertisement mention Gleanings.

CARNIOLAN QUEENS.

Now booking orders for June. Tested, $4.00; un-
tested, $1.00, or $5.00 per V2 doz.

SEND POSTAL FOR CIRCULAR.
9-10d S. W. MOHKISOy, M. I).. Oxford, I'd.

JEND 2-ct. stamp for valuable Poultry Hand-Hook.
> C. D. Senseman, 126 S. 2d St., Philadelphia, Pa.

rESTED Italian queens, limited number, $1 25 each.
Frank Benton's imp. queens, $4 00 each.
9d S. F. REED, N. Dorchester, N. H.

R. C. Brown Leghorns, JEgf' *1()0 per J

PEAIEIE FAEM.

per 30.

GEO. L. FEEEIS, FIVE COENEES, N. ?.

I WILL SELL FULL COLONIES OF BEES, IN
( eight-frame Langstroth hives, at $4.00 per colony,
in lots of five or more.
9-10d H. C G 1LSON, Burr Oak, Mich,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

375

FOUNDATION.

I MANUFACTURE COMB FOUNDATION. I have the

latest improved machinery, and large experience.
I think I can please von with quality of work. Cir-
cular free. J. I. PARENT, Birchton, Saratoga Co., N. Y. 9-10d

Green "Wire Cloth,

FOR

Window Screens and Shipping Bees,

AT

GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.

The following lot of wire cloth is a job lot of rem-
nants, and full rolls direct from the factory, that
are FIRST QUALITY, and the pieces are of such varie-
ty of size as to furnish any thing- you want. Price
1% cts. per sq. foot, for full pieces. If we have to
cut the size you want, 2 cts. per sq. ft.

When you order a piece, and somebody else has
got it ahead of you, we will substitute a piece the
nearest in size to the one ordered, unless you speci-
fy in your order that you do not want us to substi-
tute. The figures on the left indicate the width.

8 | 10 rolls, 67 sq. ft. each : 1 each of 06, 65, 64, 63, 63, 62, 54, 40, 27,

I 22, and 4 sq. ft.
12 | 29 rolls of 100 sq. ft. each; 4 of 98. and 1 each of 102, 97, 92, 75,

| and 44 sq. ft.
16 | 4 rolls of 133 sq. ft. ; and 1 eacli of 132, and 130 sq. ft.
18 | 12 rolls. 160 sq. ft.
24 I 13 rolls of 200 sq. ft. each.

26 I 79 rolls of 216 sq. ft. each, and 1 each of 215, 210, and 204 sq. ft.
28 | 43 rolls of 233; 3of224; 1 of 257 sq. ft.
30 | 10 rolls. 250 sq. ft.
34 | 6 rolls of 283 sq. ft.
38 9 rolls, 316 sq.ft.

I 1 roll, 42 inches, of 350 sq. ft. ; 2 of 44 in.. 366 sq. ft.

THE FOLLOWING CLOTH IS BLACK.

40 | 4 rolls, 333 sq. ft each.
42 | 7 rolls, 350 sq. ft. each.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O

THE BEST WAY TO GET COMB HONEY

is to get some of C. E. Jones's Southern bees. I
handle more Southern bees than any other man in
the North. Sometimes 1 get three lots in one week.
I have ordered as many as fifty colonies at one
time. I have men in the South that raise bees for
me only, and the bees are pure Italians, and healthy.
I have tried three years, and found one colony of
young bees in May, from the South, are worth two
that winter here. One L. frame nucleus, $2.f>0; :.'
frame, $3.00. New swarms, five frames, 3 lbs. bees,
in shipping-case, just from the South, $6.00.
9d C. E. JONES, Delaware, Ohio.

CSMn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Sections in bushel boxes, No. 1, $3.00 per M. Jap-
anese buckwheat: a complete S. orL. hive for comb
honey, 75c; shipping crates, and all kinds of sup-
plies cheap. Price list free,
iitfdb W. I). SOPBR, Jackson, Mich.

JOB LOT OF POULTRY-NETTING,

Small Pieces at same Bate as full Rolls— f ct.
per Square Foot.

Five or more pieces, 5 per cent off; ten or more, 10
per cent discount.

By dividing the number of square feet in this col-
umn by the width in the first column, you can ascer-
tain the length of each piece. These figures give the
number of square feet in each piece.

u

Si

-

-

p

V-

si

o

i o

■■'.

•A
119

2

IK

2

19

495, 445, 335, 330, 325, 280, 220, 166.

720! 672, 636, 618, 558, 438, 270, 252, 222. 168, 162, 166, 156, 48.

We know of nothing nicer or better for a trellis for creeping
vines than the above netting. A. I. ROOT, Medina. O.

NICKEL-PLATED -LEADER" SHEARS.

Elegantly Nickel-Plated Steel Shears

At Less than Half the Usual Price.

TABLE OF PRICES.

-Prices-

Postage.

Name.

I One. |

10

100

liVi-inch nickel Leader Shears.

7

m " •' " » .

8

«V4 '

9 " " ■«

10 "

$ 20

$1 90

25

2 30

30

2 70 !

35

3 00

40

3 40 ;

45

3 80

50

4 20

$18 50
22 50
26 00
29 00
33 00
37 00
41 00

The above are all what are known as straight trimmers, as shown in the cut, except the 9 and 10 inch.
Part of these are straight, but most of them are bent trimmers; that is, the bottom of the shear, or bot-
tom blade, is on a level with the bottom of handle. Such large shears are generally used for cutting on a
table, and this shape is preferable. We have also a few dozen 9-inch barber shears that will be put in at
the same price. These shears are made near here, and we have been in the factory, and have seen them
in process of making. The blades are steel laid, and all is handsomely nickel plated. Now you will want
to know how we can sell them so cheap. In welding the steel plate on to the blades there will sometimes
be a little Haw that can not be all taken out in polishing. These slight blemishes do not injure the shears
a particle for actual service, but still they don't like to put them among the first grade of perfect goods.
They are kept by themselves, and sold at a lower price. Of course, these goods are not regular stock,
and are not advertised by the makers. Therefore whoever takes the lot as they come can get them very
low. Having bought so large a quantity, 150 dozen, we got them at our own price, and it is for that reason
that we are able to offer the above bargains. Some of the shears are perfect in every respect, except
that they lack a full nickel plate all over, and some are so near perfect that you can not see any thing at
all the matter with them, and they are all just A ROOT" lVT F» f~] 1 n Pi O

as good for service as the very best grade. -**- • 1- i»-V_-/v_y x , J.v J. c; ka. i 1 i ex , v_y .

376

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

EARLY + QUEENS

W Apr. May. ^

■» I untested queen $1 00 $1.00 F*

^ 3 - " 3 00 2.50 f1

^"* 1 virgin " $0 per doz 60 60

f* 1 tested " 3.00 2.50 -T*

*^ 3 " " 7.50 6.00

^J :.' and ;i fr. nuclei; special rates to dealers, rj
South Carolina is the best State in the r^
H South for early queens. The climate is well ^
^j adapted to queen-rearing-, and it takes but 4 ^H
Hor 5 days to send them through the mails to i— i
j any part of the Northern States or Canada. ^
UPrompt shipment and safe arrival guaran- 5^

Hteed. W.J. ELLISON, ^

6-8-9-10d Stateburg, Sumter Co., S. C. XJ1

tJTIn responding- to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1000 Lbs, Bees with Queens and Brood,

Bee Supplies, Honey, &c. Price List Free.
Oliver Foster, Jtlt. Vernon, l.in n Co., Iowa.

Mention Gleanings. 7-10db

Dufe Italian Beeg For" {Sale

Two-frame nuclei, $3.50; 3-frame, $4.00. Full col-
ony in A. I. Root's Simplicity hive, $7.00. Each
nucleus and full colony to contain a fine tested
queen, and plenty of bees and brood, all on wired
L. frames, combs drawn from foundation. To be
shipped in Mar. Safe arrival guaranteed. Hives
new, and every thing first-class. I shall do by all as
I would be done by. N. A. KNAPP,

7-10db ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

ClTIii responding to this advei-tiseini in mention Gleanings.

Minorcan Queens.

Very prolific, and tolerably docile. No foul brood
known. Will be sent from April to October, by
mail, on receipt of $2 greenback in certified letter.

F. C. ANDREU.
7 8 9d Port Mahon, Minorca, Spain.

LOOK HERE!

A complete hive for comb honey, $1.30. No. 1
V-groove one-piece sections, $3.50 per M. Price
list free. J. M. K I VS. 1 1<:,

3tfd Rochester, Oakland Co., Midi.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

NqilAREGLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, «fcc, Ac.
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Ree-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

T

HE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

ON 30 DAYS' TRIAL.

THIS NEW

jEUSTIC truss

I Has a Pad different from all
others, is enp shape, with Self-
adjusting Ball in center, adapts
"itsel f to all positions of the body, while
thobaHi" the cup. presses back
the intestines Just as a per-
son does with the finger. Withlight pressure
the Hernia is held securely day and night, and a radical
curecertain. Itiseasy, durabloami cheap. SentbynmU
Circulars tree. EGGLESTOS TRUSS CO. , Chicago, Ilk

STlii responding to this advertisement mention Gleaning

Italian Rees and Queens for xale

Wishing- to reduce my stock of bees, I offer 50
colonies of fine Italian bees at the following ex-
tremely low rates: Full strong colonies on L.
frames, put up in light shipping-boxes, f. o. b. at
my station. $5.00 per colony. Tested queens, $1.25
each. Satisfaction guaranteed.

A. C. BRUSH,
8-lldb Susquehanna, Sus. Co., Pa.

.,. responding to this advertisement mention Gleaning;.

Attention, Poultrymen !

Black Minorca, Langsban, R. C. B. Leghorn, Sil-
ver-spangled Hamburg, and Wyandotte eggs, $1.00
per 13. Minorca fowls, $3.00 per pair.

E. P. ALDRIDCE,
8tfdb Franklin Square, Col. Co., O.

jyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2. GO.

For putting together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to vour supplv dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

t^In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
414x4k Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

C3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUT TOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME: AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3-i4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

WHAT TO DO,

—AND—

How to Be Happy While Doing It.

The above book, by A. I. Root, is a compilation of
papers published in Gleanings in 1886, '7, and 8.
It is intended to solve the problem of finding occu-
pation for those scattered over our land, out of em-
ployment. The suggestions are principally about
finding- employment around your own homes. The
book is mainly upon market-gardening, fruit cul-
ture, poultry-raising, etc. T think the book will be
well worth the price, not only to those out of em-
ployment, but to any one who loves home and rural
industries. Price in paper covers. 50 cts.; cloth. 75
cts. If wanted by mail, add 8 and 10c respectively.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

(iLEANINGS IN HUE CULTURE.

3?7

J. C. SAYLES,

HARTFORD, WIS.,

Manufactures Apiarian Sapp lies of "Every

Description. Cdtalogue Free to All.
;jtfd Send lour Address.

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best bee hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering1 our choicest white one-piece
4^x454 sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

%W™ Parties wanting- more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2 00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

l^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR THE SEASON OF 1889.

Headquarters in the South.

ELEVENTH ANNUAL CATALOGUE NOW READY.

A steam- factory exclusively for the manufacture
of Bee-Keepers' Supplies.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, ready in March. Untested, by April 1st.
Contracts taken with dealers for the delivery of a
certain number of queens per week, at special
figures.

FOUR-FRAME NUCLEUS,

with pure Italian queen, containing 3 pounds of
bees when secured — iu April and May, $4.00; after,
25 cts. less. Safe arrival and satisfaction guaran-
teed on all queens and nuclei.

For more particulars, send for Eleventh Annual
Catalogue.

P. L. VIALLON,

Bayou Coula, Iberville Parish, La.

HONEY, BEfMUEENs, SUPPLIES.

OLIVER FOSTER, KIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F.L.Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va.; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Fails, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis. ; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohiov Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo. ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb.. E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus. Neb. ; O.G.Collier,
Fairburv, Neb.; CD. Battev, Peterboro,' Madison
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation e,<jua\
In sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of 1 he new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

(HAS. DADANT & SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinoift.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS,

DOOUTTLE

says that if you wish any of those nice Italian bees,
at $7.00 a colony, you must speak quick, for they
are going fast. The reason that they go so fast is
because each colony contains a nice $4.00 queen.
See page 245 of Gcranings for April 1st.

G. M. DOOLITTLE, Borodino, Onon. Co., N. Y.
L^Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

If you are ever annoyed by the scraping and breaking of combs;
killing bees when setting a frame to one side, or hanging it in
the hive; sagging at the bottom and getting waxed last; shak-
ing about when moving a hive; in short, it you dislike to pry
and wrench your frames, break combs, and kill bees while
handling them, you will be pleased with this hive.
VERY CONVENIENT. AGENTS WANTED.
C For"lst Prineiplesin Bee Culture." Ittellshow to Divide,
Transfer, Introduce'Queens, Feed, Unite, Stop Robbing, Ac
Moneyreturned upon return of book, if you are not satisfied
Mention Gleanings. 7-12db

LOOK HERE!

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bees, with
their queens, in 10 frame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well painted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, 17.00; 3 at one time, $13.00;
4, same, $24.00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. office, Ursa, 111. Lima, Adams Co., 111.
Mention Gleanings. 6-lldb

50 Colonies of Bees for Sale.

In order to reduce my stocks. Same are Italians,
in L. hives, with combs built on foundation mostly
wired. Price $5.00 per colony. Will ship as early
as weather will permit, and guarantee safe arrival.
ADOLPH VANDEREIKE,
7d Lake Mills, Jefferson Co., Wis.

THE ABC OF

CARP CULTURE

A COMPLETE TREATISE

Upon the Food Carp and its Culture.

INCLUDING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, AND FULLEST

INSTRUCTIONS FOE THE CONSTBUCTION OF PONDS,

AND EVEEY THING- PERTAINING TO THE

BUSINESS OF RAISING CAEP FOE FOOD.

Illustrated by Many Fine Engravings.

By A. I. Root and George Finley.

PRICE: 33Cts.; toy aiail, -iC> Clh-

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

;:7s

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must 8AT you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn
eggs and cockerels (Todd strain) for any thing
useful. Write first. A. F. Bright,

Htfdb Mazeppa, Wabasha Co., Minn.

WANTED.— You to send for my new price list of
Imported and American Italian queens. Can
ship as early as the earliest. R. H. Campbell,
3tfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
itfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

llfANTED. To exchange all kinds of bee-keepers'
}} supplies and Cuthbert raspberry-plants for
bees. C. W. Costellow,

8tfdb Waterboro, York Co., Me.

WANTED.— To exchange, barrel steamer for
cooking feed, T pipe complete, and Wilson
hand bone-mill, new, for extracted honey or any
thing of standard market value. 8-9d

H. L. Gkaham, Letts, Iowa.

WANTED.— A good workhand by the year, who
TT knows something about bees, competent to
manage a large farm and stock. G. J. Gray,
8-9d Dell, Malheur Co., Ore.

WANTED.— To exchange three-frame nuclei, at
13.00 each. Tested queees, $1.25 each; untest-
ed, 75 cts. each; Italian albino, for Shropshire or
Hampshire sheep. I. K. Good.

Ntfdb Nappanee, Ind.

WANTED.— To exchange power buzz saw (iron
frame, wood table, with two 12i-n. saws) for a
16 in. or 18 in. planer. Write, describing what you
have got. E. M. Tennant, Willett, Cort. Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— By a graduate of one of the best
commercial colleges of America, to teach a
few young men or ladies a thorough course in
book-keeping, by mail, in exchange for thorough-
bred sheep, swine, or buckwheat. Best references.
Finis A. Wootton, Skilesville, Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange a magic lantern, 12
views, cost $12, for a watch. 9-10d

E. B. Hughes, Pipestem, Summers Co., W. Va.

WANTED.— To exchange a Barnes foot - power
saw combined. Also a first-class violin, cheap
at $15.00, for Italian bees on L. frames.

J. E. Henderson, Roney's Point, W. Va.

WANTED.— To exchang a 3 horsepower engine
and boiler for a good horse; also 1000 sections
for two bushels of Japanese buckwheat.

W. S. Wright, Battle Creek, Mich.

WANTED. —To exchange Japanese buckwheat
and P. Rock eggs, and Barnes improved circu-
lar saw, for bees by the pound, young queens, and
reliable strawberry-plants. H. O. McElhany,
0-12db Cedar Rapids, la.

WANTED.— To exchange bees by the pound, for
buckwheat (Japanese preferred), Poland China
brood sow, or thoroughbred pigs. 9d

F. A. Wootton, Skilesville, Ky.

Wilson's No. 1 Bone-Mill,

FOK I.KIMHM. DRY BONKS, SHELLS,

<.i: \l\. AND ANY THING I l.si: YOl'

WANT TO GRIND.

Who has not want-
ed a mill of some
kind, to grind up
things? The coffee-
mill is all right as
far as it goes; but
it is slow; and if
you don't look out
it will break. The
mill shown in the
accompanying pic-
ture will not only-
grind all sorts of
grain for the chick-
ens, but it will also break it up coarsely for table
use. Cracked wheat and cracked corn are not to be
despised for a change in the bill of fare, I tell you,
especially when you have nice honey or maple mo-
lasses to fix with it. Well, this mill will do more
too. It will grind oyster-shells so as to give the
hens material for egg-shells. It will also grind bones;
yes, broken crockery, broken flower-pots, or any
thing else. Well, by the latter operation you kill
two birds with one stone — you get it out of the
door-yard, and furnish the biddies just exactly what
they need for grinding up the grain in their crops.
If you do not believe it is better than gravel, just
give the fowls a chance to tell you which they like
best. The usual price of this mill is $5.00; but you
may have the mill and Gleanings too a whole
year, for $5.50. If you have already paid for Glean-
ings for a year, you may have the mill for $4.50.
The sieve attachment for taking out the tine dust,
when crushing shells, or to take out fine meal, when
cracking corn, will be furnished for 60 cents extra.
A. I- ROOT, Medina, O.

IGN0TUM TOMATO-PLANTS.

A great lot of them, transplanted and well rooted,
ready to go off by first mail. Prices, 3 for 10 cents;
10 for 25 cents, prepaid by mail. By express, $2.00
per 100. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

EGGS FOK HATCHING, from pure - bred
Langshans, L. Brahmas, and Wyandottes; $1.25
per 13; 26 for $2 00; eatisf action guaranteed.
9d J. W. & L. J. RAY, Xenia, Ohio.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

Oflfl HALF -STORY WIDE FRAMES, AND 300
u\j\j wide frames with tin, all as good as new, Sim-
plicity sizes, will be sold to the highest bidder.
0-10d W. L. COGGSHALL, West Groton, N. Y.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

For the benefit of friends who have black or hybrid queens
which they want to dispose of, we will insert notices free of
charge, as below. We do this because there is hardly value
enough to these queens to pay for buying them up and keep-
ing them in stock; and yet it is oftentimes quite an accommo-
dation to those who can not afford higher-priced ones.

I have 12 black queens for sale, at 25 cts each.
W. P. W. Duke, Nettleborough, Clarke Co., Ala.

I will mail Italian hybrid queens for the next 60
days; three for $1.00, or one for 35 cts.

W. P. Davis, Hyatt, Anson Co., N. C.

For Sale.— 20 hybrid queens at 50 cts. each, ship-
ped in Peet cage; safe arrival guaranteed.

H. L. Fisher, Milford, Kosciusko Co., Ind.

I have a few mismated Italian queens which I will
sell for 30 cts. each; four for one dollar. Warrant-
ed good layers. J. T. Van Petten,

Linn, Wash. Co., Kan.

I have about 20 hybrid queens, and will take 35
ents each, or 3 for $1.00. E. S. Vickery,

Hartwell, Hart Co., Ga.

18S9

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

383

Contents of this Number.

Bees and Pollen 109

Bees, Flight of 401

Bees, Setting- Out 392

Bee-cellar, Green's 393

Bee-stings in Bees 413

Black Belt of Alabama 393

Buckwheat Letters 395

Caution to Parents 422

Combs, Movable 409

Death from Honey 410

Denmark, Apiculture in 107

Doolittle's Book 423

Doubling- in 10 Days 402

Drone Comb 405

Drones. Superseding- 405

Dwindling, Cause of 410

Kditorial 423

Feeding in Cellar 418

Flight of Bees 401

Frames, Closed-end 387, 388

Frames. Fi xed 387

Golden Hive 408

Heads of Grain 408

Hill Device, New 413

Hilton's Letter 408

Hives, Ornamental 406

Hives. Heddon on 390

Hive-eart 410

Hive-opener 414

Hive on Scales 401

Honey, Poison 410

Huber, Francis 388

Manum's Rules 391

Mason's Statistics 399

Miller's Hive-stand 409

Mites 404

Moths, To Kill 414

Muck 418

Orange-Blossoms 409

Out-apiaries 385

Parthenogenesis 386

Pigeons vs. Bees 101

Potatoes in Illinois 417

Pumpkin, Early 418

Queens Hatched in 11 Days 410

Ramble No. 16 103

Reports Encouraging 413

Stings and Rheumatism . . .409

Swarming (Q. B.) .412

Swarming Impulse. (Q. B.)411
Swarms, Hiving ....(Q. B.).4H

Swarming— Two Acts 414

Tarred Paper for Moths . . .391

Turnips, Winter 418

Wintering, Cellar 406

Yellow Jessamine 410

FRESH-MADE FOUNDATION

I am still in the wax business, and will sell at the
following prices:

Heavy foundation, per lb 35c

Light, for boxes " " 45c

Wax taken in exchange.
10d II. CHASE, Ea rl \ ill. -, \ . V.

tSPIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

2000 LBS. BEES

READY TO SHIP BY RETURN MAIL;

Also 1000 lbs. Comb Foundation, and all kinds of
supplies. R. E. SMITH,

Box 72. Tilbury Center, Ontario, Can.

tS*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Chas. A. Stockbridge, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Manufacturer of and Dealer in

STQCKBRIDGE'S SIMPLICITY BEE HIVE,

Sections, Frames, Smokers, Comb Foundation, k

Mention thi» Paper.

Send for Price List.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

S44IARF CL\SS HONEY-J Alts.

TIN KIJCKETS, REE-HM KV

HONEY-SECTIONS, Ac, dec.

PERFECTION (OLD-BLAST SIVIOKEHS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers" (Mention Gleaning*.) itfrlb

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY &. CO.,
3-l4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ANTED.— Jan. 1, 1887, number of Gleanings.
Will pay 10c each. A. I. Root, Medina, O.

MY 21ST ANNUAL CATALOGUE OF ITALIAN,
CYPRIAN, and HOLY-LAND BEES, QUEENS,
NUCLEI. COLONIES, and SUPPLIES; also EGGS
FOR HATCHING, can be had by sending me your
address. H. H. BROWN, Light Street, Col. Co., Pa.
Mention Gleanings. lu-lld

1000 Lbs, Bees with Queens and Brood,

Bee Supplies, Honey, &c. Price List Free.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Veruon, Linn Co., Iowa.

Mention Gleanings. 7-10db

W

THE REVISED LANQSTEOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

0AA HALF -STORY WIDE FRAMES, AND 300
a\J\J wije frames with tin, all as good as new, Sim-
plicity sizes, will be sold to the highest bidder.
9-10d W. L. COGGSHALL, West Groton, N. Y.

tSTltt responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

" FOUNDATION.

I MANUFACTURE COMB FOUNDATION. I have the

latest improved machinery, and large experience.
I think I can please you with quality of work. Cir-
cular free. J. I. PARENT, Birchton, Saratoga Co., N. 7. 9-10d
t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention (.leanings.

CARNIOLAN aUEENS

From imported mothers. Untested queens, $1.00;
tested queens, $2.00. j. B. KLINE'S APIARY,

7-10db Topeka, Kansas.

WE ARE NOW READY TO SUPPLY
ITALIAN QUEENS to any person who wants
as good as the best in the U. S. Reared from
the egg, in full colonies. Tested, $2.00; untested,
$1.00; 6 for $5.00. Mismated, 50 cts. Remit by Reg-
istered Letter or Money Order on New Market, Ala.
R. H. TONEY A CO.,
Padgett, Jackson Co., Alabama.
tyin responding to tills advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE!

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bee6, with
their queens, in 10-frame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well paiuted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, $7.00; 2 at one time, $13.00;
4, same, $24.00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. office, Ursa, 111. Lima, Adams Co., 111.
Mention Gleanings. 6-lldb

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS.
414x414 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Minorcan Queens.

Very prolific, and tolerably docile. No foul brood
known. Will be sent from April to October, by
mail, on receipt of $2 greenback in certified letter.

F. C. ANDREU.

7-8-9d Port Mahon, Minorca, Spain.

tyin responding t.. t..i.; uxlven isomer* mention Gleanings.

|ghotum Tomato Plant}}

A great lot of them, transplanted and well rooted,
ready to go off by first mail. Prices, 3 for 10 cents;
10 for 25 cents, prepaid by mail. By express, $2.00
per 100. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

3S4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

JI0JSIEY C6MJIN.

CITY MARKETS.

Chicago.— Honey.— The offerings are light, but
there is practically no demand. Vegetables and
small fruit being abundant, furnishes variety suffi-
cient for the table. Beeswax, 22.

May 11. R. A. Hurnett,

161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

Albany.— How, i/. —Market quiet, with very little
if any stock on this market now; never knew the
market to clean out so close as this vear.

May 10. H. K. Wright,

Albany, N. Y.

Boston.- Hoiiet/.— Best white, 1-lh., 18@20; same,
2-lb., I7(c"18. Extracted, white, 8@9. Sales very slow.
May 13. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Our honey market is in
good shape for the new crop. We quote lib. comb,
white, 15@16; lib. dark, 10@12; 2-lb. California
white, 11®12; 2-lb. amber, 10@11, Extracted, white,
7@8; extracted, dark. 5@6. Beeswax, 20.

Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

May 11. Kansas City, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— Best comb honey in one-
pound sections. 14(5)15; few sales. Beeswax, 23(524.
Bell Branch. Mich., May 11. M. H. Hunt.

St. Louis.— Hone y. —Good demand for barreled
goods. We quote choice bright, <oVz@§3.{, ," dark, 54@,
6. Beeswetx.— Prime, 22. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

May 11. St. Louis, Mo.

For Sale.— I have several hundred pounds of
amber honey, extracted, kept over from season ol
1887. I should like to dispose of a part of it.

C. L Hill, Box 120. Dennison, Tusc. Co., Ohio.

KEYSTONE APIARY.

Imported and Alley Queen-Mothers

Tested, June $3.00; July to October.... $2 50

Fertile, " ...... 150; 1. 00

Virgin, " to October 50c

Alley drone and queen traps at regular prices.
Send for circular. W. J. ROW,

Mention Gleanings. 10-15db €Jreensbnrj>', Pa.

THREE - FRAME NUdRIIS,

with one-year-old queen, Heddon's improved strain,
$1.50. Frames 12^x9^ outside. 10 1113d

H. L. FISHER, Milford, Kosciusko Co., Ind.

FOR SALE.

Fifty colonies of Italian bees in 10-frame Lang-
stroth hives, at $5.00 per stand; 10 per cent off for
more than one stand. John Grant,

7-lldb Batavia, Clermont Co.. O.

V

I ICI.I \ ITALIAN QUEENS one day old, 20c
each. Safe delivery guaranteed.

J. C. CAPEHART, Geigerville, Ky.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu., $2.00; per i-bu., $1.25; per peck,
75cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts ; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

5 -l4db Bloomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

espondinp: to this advertisement mention Gleanings.
" VALLEY :F*-A.:EIM " _A.f I_A.:EtY.

To reduce stock 1 will sell 5 to 10 colonies of Ital-
ian bees in Simp, hives Queens were bred from
one of Mr. Doolittle'8 $4.00 tested queens. Price $5
to $H, according to proliflcness of queen, etc.

3. WIEDERHOLD, Yonkers, N. Y. Opp. Dunwoodie Station.
Mention ih.k hongs. 9 in I Id '

A CHOICE

TESTED QUEEN

For $1.00. For further particulars, see REE-
KEEPERS' REVIEW for May. This number
discusses " The Management and Control of In-
crease." It will be sent free, and with it will be sent
the May and July numbers for 1888. Price of the
REVIEW, 50 cts. a year. Back numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little book of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For $1.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,

613 Wood St. Flint, Nlich.

t3?*ln responding to Ulis advertisement mention Gi.eaninks.

m

O

m

EARLY * QUEENS

Apr.

May.

$1.00

2.50

60

2.50

6.00

>

1 untested queen $1.00

3 " " 3 00

1 virgin " $ 6 per doz 60

1 tested " 3.00

3 " " 7.50

2 and 3 fr. nuclei; special rates to dealers. ^
South Carolina is the best State- in the r^

HSouth for early queens. The climate is well J^
m T adapted to queen-rearing, and it takes but 4 fH
Hor 5 days to send them through the mails to >— t
^jany part of the Northern States or Canada. J^
UPrompt shipment and safe arrival guaran- C^

Hteed. W. J. ELLISON, ^

6-8-0 Hid Stateburg, Sumter Co., S. C. C/3

£^*In responding to tins advertisement mention Oi.kaninon.

1889.

1889.

Italian Queens.

Select tested, in May, $2.50;
June, $2.00; July 1 to Nov. 1, $1.50.
Queens warranted purely mated,
$1.00; 6 for $5.00. Will commence
shipping Moy 1, and ship as book-
ed. Make money orders payable
at Nicholasville. Send for circu-
lar. J. T. WILSON,

Little Hickman, Jess. Co.,
10-11tfd Ky.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

PATEHTE

For putting together one-piece sections. Every.

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to your supplv dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockporl, N. Y.

ItWln responding to tins advertisement mention Gleaninok.

I"OH- SALW.

Sections in bushel boxes, No. 1, $3.00 per M. Jap-
anese buckwheat; a complete S. or L. hive for comb
honey, 75c; shipping-crates, and all kinds of sup-
pi ies cheap. Price list free.
9tfdb W. D. SOPER, Jackson. Mich.

BEES AND UI EENS. Tested
queens, $1.50. Untested, $1.00.
Bees, per lb., $1.00. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

9-10d Box 77. Mulberry <i rove, Bond Co., 111.

( VI.) responding to this advertisement mention < >i I \- ■

DC An '* " T,< ' «<>«><•» StUJ ^VurkMiiiay
mLALI Cood work guaranteed. Send WflA.
" forsample foundation and price ,,rwl1
list of Italian bees, queens, and wax working-.
4-lodb Clarksburg, Moniteau Co., Mo.

Vol. XYII.

MAY 15, 1889.

No. 10.

TERMS: 81.00 Per Annum, IN Advance; I Tpc+n h7y o h o rl -tin 7 R 7" ? f Clubs to different postoffices, not less
2Copiesfor81.90;3for$2.75;5for$4.00; \ IL&TCLOII/& flVU; LJl J. O JO. than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the

j U. S. and Canada*. To all other eoun-

1 tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18

per year extra. To all countries

10 or more, 75cts. each. Single num- 1
ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be '
made at club rates. Above are all to
be sent to one postoffice.

PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

, not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES-NO. VII.

HAUIilNG bees; management of horses among

BEES.

T HAVE hauled a good many loads of bees— so
!|P many that I probably shall never get much
W more used to it than I am now; but I con-
■*• fess to you that I give a sigh of relief every
spring when the last load is hauled, and the
same thing happens in the fall. I'd like to impress
this on your mind pretty strongly; for if you are
not very careful you may get into such trouble that
you will wish you had never had any thing to do
with bees. I mean trouble in getting horses stung,
for you need anticipate no special trouble if you
move your bees by rail. I think I would rather not
have a very fractious horse to haul bees, although
if no bee ever gets out in any way, there is no more
danger than in hauling so many boxes of potatoes.
But I never expect to become such an adept at the
business that occasionally a bee will not sting my
horse, and I am not sure whether a horse becomes
used to bees so that, after being stung a few times,
he will care less for them, or whether he becomes
more nervous about hearing them fly around him
after experiencing their sting. I am more inclined
to the latter view; so at such times I am quite will-
ing to endure a horse that is lazy and not easily
stirred up.

I am not sure whether all horses need the same
treatment when attacked by the bees; but I sus-
pect they do, from what little I have learned about
others, and the experience I have had with two of
my own. A bee attacks a horse at the head oftener
than anywhere else, and his first impulse is to get
to some post or tree where he can rub his head. A
careless observer, seeing a bee attack a horse which
is hitched to a wagon, would say that the first im-
pulse of the horse is to run; but I think he tries to

run for the sake of getting to some object where he
can rub his head. So when a bee stings a horse on
the head, or even annoys it by flying about it, the
first thing is to run to his head, and, with one or
both hands and forearms, rub his head all over, un-
less you know where the sting is, and then you
will do better to devote your attention to that par-
ticular spot. You say that a sting only pains worse
to rub it. Never mind; we're not trying to save
the horse pain, but to save him from running and
smashing things. Let me caution you to look out
that the horse does not knock you over with his
head, for in trying to rub his head he will strike
against you. If you are driving on the road, and
a hive springs a leak, unhitch your hor§e as lively
as you can ; get him to a safe distance, and hitch
him till you get every thing secure. I once had an
old hive break so badly on the road, that the only
thing 1 could do was to unhitch and take the team
some distance ahead, unload the hive, and leave it
on the roadside (till next morning), then draw the
wagon a short distance by hand before hitching on.
You know how persistently a cross bee will some-
times follow you around. Now, don't go near a
horse till you have got rid of such a bee, even if
you have to make a detour a long way around.

I have learned to be cautious with a horse, even
if there is not a hive in the apiary. One fall, after
all the colonies had been hauled home from the
Wilson apiary, we went over to bring home the last
load of empty supers. My wife and her sister were
loading on the supers, and I was occupied at some
distance when I was surprised to hear them calling
out that the horse was being stung. Charlie had haul-
ed home the last load of bees alone, and in an emp-
ty or nearly empty super that he had taken off one
of the hives, there were a pint or so of bees. The
horse was hitched with his head close to the pile of
supers; and when this super was slig-htly lilted,

386

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURES

May

one or more bees came out, and the super was im-
mediately shut down. But the horse began to
plunge, and knocked the pile of supers over, when
the bees poured out upon the horse. By the time I
got there he was rearing and plunging, the bees all
over him. Failing to untie him I took out my
knife and cut him loose, when he threw himself
Hat on his side, fortunatelj breaking nothing, and
refused to stir for my kicking. I stuck my sharp-
pointed knife into his side, which perhaps he took
for an unusually bad sting. At any rate, he sprang
to bis feet and started for a lively trip around the
orchard, I hanging on by the bits, ardently wishing
something might stop us, but pretty soon we stop-
ped ourselves, pretty well tired out; and while I
hung on, the others unhitched him from the wagon
and I let him make a few circuits of the orchard,
when I caught him and led him into the barn, very
tired, very wet, and probably very sore, his head
hanging down as if meditating on the uncertainties
of piles of empty supers. 1 was in my bare head,
and got one of the worst stingiugs I ever had. All
this is told to try to make you careful about bees
and horses. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

I am real glad that you have touched
upon this matter of what to do with horses
when they are stung by bees.. I do not
know but that I am wicked enough to feel
glad that you got pulled around the orchard
bareheaded, devoutly wishing that some-
thing might t- stop us." It never occurred
to me before that a horse, when stung by a
bee, wants to rub his head against some-
thing ; but since you mention it, I have over
and over again seen horses act in just that
way. Poor fellows ! They have not any
hands to grab the vicious bee, and all they
can do is to rub their heads against some-
thing to keep the bee off. Yesterday I got
quite vexed with old Charlie because he
pushed his collar against the limbs of the
apple-trees when he was cultivating. I
liually surmised that his neck was warm
and sweaty, and very likely he wanted to
scratch, and he reasoned with horse sense
that the limbs of our young apple-trees
would do the scratching about as cheap as
anybody. Poor fellows ! I often feel a great
deal of sympathy for them. They are har-
nessed up and made to go. They can not
tell when they feel bad and uncomfortable.
In fact, if they should undertake to tell, in
any of the ways that dumb folks talk, they
would get a sharp scolding, and may be a
whipping. I shall certainly try to rub a
horse's "head whenever 1 see one stung
again. In fact, I have often seen Meg,
when a vicious fly got on her head, stop
light in the road and turn around, and by
means of vigorous nods fairly beg to have
somebody get out of the buggy and kill the
fly. I don't think it would make the sting
hurt any worse on a horse to rub it. I have
often felt impatient with drivers of horses
because I could not get them to move lively
when bees were in dangerous proximity.
( )nce while harrowing close to the apiary
a swarm of bees acted very much as if they
were going to settle somewhere on the $400
team. I yelled out to the driver to get his
team out of the way with all possible dis-
patch. He first stopped to ask two or three

times what I wanted. Then he began lei-
surely to move the lever so as to lift the Ac-
me harrow on to the wheels. By that time I
got pretty much in earnest. I yelled out to
him to start up his team and make tracks if
he knew what was good for him. One
second more, and there would have been
trouble. The bees followed the team a little
way; but when he got under way, the horses
took him to a place of safety pretty rapidly.
I have sometimes wished we had some ar-
rangement to let the horses entirely loose
from the vehicle by pulling a single lever.
If we could get the horse loose from the wag-
on, there is not much trouble in getting him
away from the bees, usually. Ernest here
informs me that our friend A. E. Manum is
a harness- maker, and that he already has
something touching on this very matter,
forthcoming shortly. Yes, friend M., we
are all going to try to be more careful when
we have horses among the bees. We thank
you for your timely warning.

PARTHENOGENESIS.

PROF. COOK TELLS US HOW WE KNOW IT IS TRUE.

SEAR MR. EDITOR:— I have long known of
Ulivi's views in regard to parthenogenesis,
as stated by your correspondent, F. C. An-
drew; and as he and you request, I will glad-
ly give my reasons for thinking him mistaken.
First, for the younger bee-keepers, let me say
that parthenogenesis, or agamic reproduction,
means genesis or reproduction without males.
That is, a female that has never met a male can
produce young. This is illustrated in coral ani-
mals, where each alternate generation produces
without males, and we call it then alternation of
generations. Among insects it prevails in all the
summer broods of apbidi s, or plant-lice. This any
one can easily demonstrate. We have only to take
a young louse, as soon as it is born— the eggs hatch
within the mother-louse— and isolate it— that is, put
it on a plant all alone. It will grow, mature, and
produce many young lice. This louse has never
seen any other louse, male or female, except its
own mother, and that only for a brief natal mo-
ment. It would have been the same had we left it
on its food plant undisturbed; for at this season-
midsummer— there are no males at all. The sep-
aration was simply to demonstrate that partheno-
genesis is a truth. Incase of bees, parthenogene-
sis extends only to the produclion of the males, or
drones; that is, if an unmated queen lays an egg,
or if any queen lays an unimpregnated egg, that
egg hatches, and a drone is the invariable result.

Now, I am sure that this is true science, and not
mere theory. First, because such noted bee-keep-
ers as Dzierzon and Berlepsch, and such able scien-
tists as Siebold and Leuckart, in Germany, and
such Americans as Langstroth and Leidy proved it.
Again. I have also proved it. T have several times
clipped a queen's wing so she could not fly, as soon
as she came from the cell, and in no case but one
did I ever secure any thing but a drone-laying
queen. In many cases these queens were in hives
or nuclei with no drones, and so guarded that the
drones could not enter or the queens go forth. So
Ulivi's statement, that they were impregnated in
the hive, could not be true. But I have stronger

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

387

proof. It is very easy to tell with the microscope
whether or not a queen has met a drone. If so, the
very active sperm-cells are easily found. I have
dissected these drone-laying queens repeatedly,
and always failed to find the spermatozoa. They
were not there. So 1 am positively sure that the
queens never mated; and yet they produced drones,
hence I know that parthenogenesis is true.

Again I have dissected fertile workers— several
of them— and though they laid eggs, I even found
eggs in their ovaries; yet all produced drones.
Moreover, they had no spermatheca. True, the
little rudiment, small and functionally imperfect,
was present, but no sign of an active spermatheca.
TJlivi says these are real queens, and have mated.
It will be difficult to convince such apiarists as
Viallon, of Louisiana, who sent nie several fertile
workers at one time, that these are queens. They
have the form and general structure of workers
throughout, except that they are fertile. From
dissection I know they never had met, nor was it
possible for them to meet a drone. They were not
sufficiently developed. Many other insects, like
ants and wasps, illustrate this law as exemplified
in bees; while other insects, even as high as moths,
have been known to produce eggs that hatched,
and yet the moth had never been near a male.

The statement of TJlivi, that this theory is an-
nounced to favor breeders of queens, is not wor-
thy of notice, certainly in America. Many, I think
most of our queen-breeders, are men of high char-
acter, who would despise to misrepresent or de-
ceive. To say that Dzierzon and Berlepsch pro-
posed this theory with fraudulent purpose or in-
tent, is very unkind and uncalled for. Both were
grand men who would scorn such a thought even
—men who thought no evil. Such insinuations
need no refutation. Our bee-keepers are too in-
telligent to heed them for one moment.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

FIXED FRAMES.

FRIEND HKDDON CONSIDERS THEIK ADVANTAGES.

T WAS deeply interested in reading the answers
jfflf to Query 117, which is as follows: "If you use
^ll all-wood frames, do you prefer to have them
A hung on metal rabbets or on a plain wood bear-
ing, in the production of honey?"
1 believe all who answered this question, did so
honestly from their experience as honey-producers.
A few years ago I should have answered it the
same as the majority of them did, because I should
have answered it from my standpoint of knowledge
and experience at that time. Brother C. C. Miller
says, "On a plain wood bearing. Then they are al-
ways ready to haul without fastening the frames."
Prother Geo. Grimm says, "I use all-wood frames
hung on wood bearings. Metal rabbets are a
source of constant annoyance to me, and the few
fhat I had I have discarded."

Now, friend Root, I am going to attack your
foot-notes next, for you are also one of those fel-
lows who pitch in among the answers. You say
that a few have been bold enough to discard frames
altogether, having a shallow brood-oase something
like Heddon's, and letting the ponjbs be built in
solid. Yes, sir, that was the very idea I had years
ago, when I wrote an article for which you call-
ed me a box-hjve bee - keeper, ftnd made a box-

hive department, fully expecting that 1 would
have that department to dance around in all by
myself. That kind of a hive would have one
splendid advantage. Having no bottom-bars in the
way, how easily you could look into every thing !
But you see with my new hive I have a § bottom
and top bar, so 1 could get nearly as great an ad-
vantage in that direction. Weil, by experimenting
carefully with this and various other styles, I
found I really did want the frames, especially
where full sheets of foundation are used.

Nearly all of those who have answered this
question contemplate pulling the frames out and
in, very frequently. None of them contemplate a
hive with which nearly every bit of the useful
manipulation, such as the practical honey-produc-
er desires, can be done without ever removing a
frame. Another thing: The close-fitting frame,
which they all have in their mind's eye, works up-
on an entirely different plan from the manner in
which I use it. When father Langstroth visited
me and practically handled my hive, he would not
believe, before he had put it to the test, that he
himself could handle eight of these close-fitting
frames quicker than he or any one else could han-
dle the suspended frame; but he found he could.
He found an arrangement or adjustment of which
he had not hitherto conceived. Let me give you
the exact words of the grand old benefactor whose
mind and conception of mechanics seems to be as
bright as ever it could be. I quote from his arti-
cle in the American Bee Journal:

1. Before I saw the easy working of his frames

(EVEN IN HIVES WHICH HAD BEEN OCCUPIED FOR

several years by bees), with close-fitting up-
rights (I prefer this French term to our word ends),
I could not conceive how they could possibly be
handled as rapidly or safely as the Langstroth
frames. The propolis trouble alone seemed to for-
bid this. Judge of my surprise, then, to And, that,
by leaving no space for bees to get between the up-
rights and the cases holding the frames, and by
keeping the touching surfaces of the uprights so
closely pressed together by the thumb-screws as to
leave no joint open wide enough for bee-glue, he
had actually reduced the propolizing propensity of
bees to a minimum.

My knowledge of the trouble and delay in manip-
ulating all the previous styles of close-fitting up-
rights, led me to think that it would be quite diffi-
cult to handle the Heddon frames. To find that 1
was mistaken on this point, was a greater surprise
than the way in which the propolis difficulty was
met. In handling Langstroth frames of the stan-
dard depth (and still more with deeper frames),
bees are often hurt between the uprights and case
a thing impossible with the Heddon arrangement,
while at the same time the uprights of his case— as
they go down into the hive, when a frame is put
back— only push the hees away instead of pinching
them between their closing surfaces. When the
Langstroth frames are put back, even by experts,
it often happens that they must re-adjust the spac-
ing, to get room for the last frame; whereas the
Heddon frames always go to their proper places.
As a matter of fact, then, the Heddon frames can
be safely handled with more rapidity than any in
previous use; thus securing all the advantages of
close-fitting uprights without their old inconven-
iences.

It seems to me, friend Root, that the whole
thing is summed up in this way: Bee-keepers who
have educated themselves to the constant handling
of combs, prefer the hives arranged as are tene-
ments, and they want the metal rests, and laterally
movable frames; but those who have found them-
selves compelled to handle 200 colonies of bees in
the same length of time they used to handle 100,
have found they must handle the hives more, and
not open them so much. This iB lust what I found,

388

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

and what led me to the invention and construction
of a hive with which I could accomplish all that the
practical, successful honey-producer needed, and
that, too, almost instantly, with scarcely ever need-
ing- to remove a single frame. That accomplish-
ment meant closed-end frames; and when Dr. Mil-
ler and George Grimm mention the advantages of
"hauling" hives of bees, and the "constant an-
noyance" of haviag frames rattling round, they
have no idea what a comfort it is to use a hive with
shallow, straight combs, with which the usual ad-
vantage of lateral movement plays no part. The
hives can be carried in and out of winter reposito-
ries, as well as being handled every way with that
security, safety, and convenience with which only
fixed frames can be handled, and at the same time,
when desired, each frame can be handled quicker
than the suspended frames can be operated.

I am this day in receipt of a letter from M. M.
Baldridge, which is only a sample of many others
received, telling how much better his bees winter-
ed in extremely shallow frames than in those of
the Langstroth depth, or deeper. That is just my
experience. The very shallow frames are the best
for wintering, likewise for early spring breeding.
The reasons for these facts are obvious; but this
article is getting too long, so I will close by saying
that, since the invention of comb foundation, and
the arrangement and adjustment of frames as de-
scribed above, the suspended frame has had its
day, and will soon oecome obsolete with the practi-
cal honey-producer who feels himself compelled to
produce his crop with the least possible outlay of
labor, which is the main factor connected with the
cost of honey production. Jambs Heddon.

Dowagiac, Mich., Apr. 9, 1889.

CLOSED-END FRAMES.

SOME GOOD ARGUMENTS IN THEIR FAVOR.

fRIEND KOOT:— I am glad to see you admit,
in your comments on Questions 116 and 117,
that there are good reasons why a honey-
producer should prefer closed-end frames.
No doubt it seems a wide departure from the
metal-cornered frame hanging on metal rabbets,
and it probably is difficult for one who has used
only such frames to believe that an all-wood frame,
with the ends jammed up close together, to be
propolized by the bees, can be as readily handled.
I remember when we were at the Chicago conven-
tion, in 1887, you asked me what kind of hive I pre-
ferred; and when I answered that I did not exactly
know, only that 1 was sure of two things— that I
wanted a shallow hive and one with the frames at
fixed distances, a curious, half-doubting smile
spread over your face as if you would say that you
were afraid I was making a mistake. Well, I am
very much of the same opinion yet. While I am
sure that 1 want shallow, closed-end frames, I am
not yet quite certain as to the best kind of a hive to
make them into. I have experimented, and am
still experimenting largely. As a result I am now
using several different kinds of hives and frames,
which is not so inconvenient as you may suppose,
as the hives are all interchangeable in their parts;
and when I decide which kind I like best, the oth-
ers can all be changed to that with but very little
trouble.
One advantage the closed-end frame has over the

hanging frame, as regards the time required to
handle them is, that you waste no time or labor in
spacing them; and another is, that fewer brace-
combs are built between them, as the distance be-
tween comb surfaces is seldom varied.

I have known, ever since I have kept bees in
these shallow fixed-frame hives, that my bees win-
tered better in them than in the deeper hanging
frame; but I had always laid it to other reasons,
for the most part. Since reading the answer of
L. C. Root to Question 116 I am convinced that
the closed-end frame deserves more credit for this
than I had supposed.

You know 1 have always argued against upward
ventilation in the winter and spring. This morn-
ing 1 was examining some of my colonies, just
brought from the cellar, aud it gave me great satis-
faction to be able to stand the hives on end, or
turn them upside down, thus learning all I wanted
to know of their condition, without removing the
cover or making any crevices around the top of
the hive. I believe that, in the spring, when the
weather is cold and propolis scarce, the less plaster-
ing we make the bees do, the better.

Of 116 colonies put into winter quarters, 31 of
them in a cellar, the rest outside, all are at present
in good condition but two, one queenless and one
so weak it was united. J.A.Green.

Dayton, 111., Apr. 10, 1889.

FRANCIS HUBER.

HIS LIFE AND SERVICES TO THE BEE-KEEPING
WORLD.

E take the following very interesting
sketch from Gravenhorst's Illustrated
Bee Journal. It was written by Mr.
T. Kellen, of Luxemburg. The trans-
lation is furnished by W. P. Root.

Francis Hube ', by his investigations and research-
es in apiculture, did more to promote this science
than all his predecessors who had employed them-
selves in the study of this interesting insect. It is
his discoveries alone that marked that golden age
in the history of apiculture which is destined to re-
main for all ages. Huber's observations are not
only of the greatest importance of themselves, but
wonderful for the manner in which they were
made; for Huber was blind.

This distinguished man was born in Geneva, July
2, 1750. He was the son of a prosperous and respect-
able family, which as early as the 17th century were
celebrated for their knowledge of the arts and sci-
ences. His father, John Huber (born in 1722, died
1790), was well known on account of his attachment
to the celebrated French philosopher Voltaire.

From his earliest youth Huber showed a passion-
ate predilection for natural history, and he applied
himself to study with such zeal as to endanger his
health, so that at the age of fifteen the reflection of
blinding snow destroyed his sight. If ever a man
bitterly deplored the loss of eyesight, that man was
Huber. But his misfortune did not hinder him
from applying himself to the study of those insects
for which he had an especial liking; namely, the
bees. It was this little insect that turned the dark-
ness of the investigator into day; for Huber was
the first to see clearly into that domain which to
the best eyes had previously remained in darkness.

Huber did not lose his vigor of mind, for he went

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CITLTUUK.

389

forward in the study of bees; but he could do this
only by the help of his wife, Marie-Aim6e Lullin;
his neiee, Miss Jurine, and, above all, his servant
Burnens. He himself manifested the most untir-
ing perseverance and the greatest ingenuity, so
that, by Burnens' sagacity, all of Huber's experi-
ments with bees were practically demonstrated.
Miss Jurine, who loved natural history above all
else, supplemented Huber's work all she could,
fearing not to take up the dissecting-knife and mi-
croscope in bis aid. She was the first after Swam-
merdam to demonstrate that worker-bees are fe-
males. She it was, too, who, with Huber, established
the principles on which the sages of our century
grounded the doctrine of parthenogenesis. Besides
that, Miss Jurine was Huber's secretary, full of
willingness and self-devotion. Every day she noted
down the results of the new investigations, and she
also wrote the letters which Huber dictated to
Charles Bonnet and his friends, and imparted to
him the results of his labors, and directed their at-
tention to numerous questions relating to bees.

FRANCIS HUBEK.

Huber's interest in bees was greatly enhanced by
the researches and writings of Swammerdam, Reau-
mur, Schirach, and probably also of the celebrated
Swiss bee-keeper, Duchet de Remauffens, and the
Messrs. Gelieu. As a conclusion to the investiga-
tions of these men, it was possible for him, in spite
of his unfortunate surroundings, to add greatly to
the realm of apiculture; hence we may not forget
that he everywhere encouraged and helped others
by the nobility of his life.

In his later days he lived retired, but in peace, at
Lausanne, where he died Dec. 22, 1832, at the age
of 83.

Huber's discoveries are known to scholars through
his letters to Charles Bonnet; and they made his
name so celebrated in all Europe, and even in
America, that for many years he was recognized as
the greatest apicultural genius; and even yet Ha-
met calls him the greatest of the lovers of bees (le
plus grand lies apiphiles). It was in 1196 that his first
epoch-making work was brought to light, bearing
the title, Nouvelles Observations sur Jes Abeilles (New
Observations on Bees). His son, Peter Huber, in

1814 issued the work in two editions, and added
thereto an appendix in regard to the origin of wax.

Huber's work is, not only on account- of its con-
tents, but for the peculiar circumstances under
which it was first brought to light, entirely without
parallel in scientific literature. The recognition
which it received was universal, so that, after the
first appearance of the work, Huber was received
into the French Academy of Sciences, and other
scientific bodies.

The New Observations were translated into near-
ly every European tongue. The Saxon commissari-
at Riem, in Dresden, translated it into German in
1798, and Pastor Kleine, of Luethorst, translated it
again in 1856, and published another edition in 1869,
with notes.

Huber, by his observations on the secrets of bee-
life, made clear what the most sagacious and
learned observers from the time of Aristotle and
Aristomachus down to Swammerdam and Reaumur
had sought for in vain; and it is to be the more re-
gretted that some German bee-keepers of great
influence, such as, for instance, Spitzner and Ma-
tuschka, gave him no recognition.

He gave interesting explanations in regard to the
habits of bees, their respiration, the origin of wax,
the construction of comb, etc. He confirmed Schi-
rach's proposition, that, by a change in the mode
of treatment and food of larval bees, queens could
be reared from worker eggs, and showed, likewise,
the influence which the cell exerted on the insects.
He showed further, that not only the queen but a
certain species of worker-bee could lay fertile eggs,
and showed, likewise, the function of drones. In
opposition to Braw, Hattorf, Contardi, Reaumur,
and others, who held very peculiar opinions in re-
gard to the fertilization of queens, Huber showed
that the" fertilization takes place outside of the
hive, at the same time that drones are flying, and
that the union is effected in the air, and that the
queen, on her return from the flight, has adhering
to her body the evidences of fertilization, and that
egg-laying takes place about 46 hours afterward.
These and numerous other experiments he often
proved in his works with the utmost exactness;
and especially did he lay down the most important
and interesting information in regard to feeding
bees, their method of building, the leaf-hive, foul
brood, etc., in his letters to an eminent apiculturist
in Switzerland, Mr. C. F. P. Dubied. These eighteen
very long letters of Huber, the first of which was
dated Oct. 12, 1800, and the last Aug. 12, 1814, were
written partly by Huber himself, partly by his wife
or daughter, to whom he dictated. So far as I
know, this correspondence has never been translat-
ed into German, which is greatly to be regretted.

When one reads Huber's observations, it becomes
evident that the author interested himself in bees,
from a scientific standpoint only. In one of his
letters to a friend, he writes that he never realized
any material benefit from bees. This is easy to un-
derstand when we consider that his experiments
with them lasted the entire year through, and were
conducted only for the sake of science; and one
naturally inquires how he found bees enough to
carry out his numerous experiments.

Mr. Kellen here gives a picture of Huber's
leaf -hive, which we will describe briefly in
our own words, simply basing our figures
on his.

Take, for instance, ten single-pane win-

390

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

dow-sash, about 13x20 inches. Stand them
up the long way, one touching the other.
Only the two outside frames have glass in
them. Fasten the frames together with
small cleats, putting a small screw through
the end of each cleat. The screw penetrates
the edge of only the outside frames, or those
that are glassed ; otherwise the inside frames
could not be removed for the purposes of
observation. Provide an entrance and put
on a roof, and there you have the hive that
Huber used. Sometimes, however, these
frames were hinged at the back, and then
they could be opened at one side like the
leaves of a book. Mr. Kellen says :

It will he seen that this leaf-hive was the fore-
runner of the Dzierzon frame. In fact, at first the
frames turned outward, while the movable frames
are inside. Such was the service rendered by this
blind investigator, who in apicultural science, at
least for his time, made true the little legend of his
native city, Past tenebras lux— light after darkness.

In the above interesting account of Hu-
bert work, it seems a little significant that
two of his most valued helpers were women
—his wife and Miss Jurine. Woman's place
in the industries, inventions, and progress
of the world, was beginning to be felt, even
in the time of Huber ; and oftentimes as I
sit in the office and listen to the click of the
type- writers (there are four of them now),
and see how much of the brains and head-
work of our establishment is in the hands of
womankind, 1 deeply ponder. In a great
many ways in these latter days, God seems
to be choosing the weak ones of the world to
confound the mighty.

HIVES.

CLOSED-END FRAMES, ETC.

fHIS being the subject I have studied the most,
my enthusiasm leads me to say a few words
regarding Prof. Cook's article on pages 349
and 350. The professor asks if the advantage
gained by the use of close-fitting frames
doesn't cost too much. By this I apprehend he
must mean to ask if we are not losing more than
we gain by parting with the lateral movement of
suspended frames. Now, I wish to say that all de-
pends upon the construction of the closed frames.
Mr. Langstroth said, and truly too, that the one
main objection to all close-fitting frames of the
past was the danger of pinching bees when they
were put up together sidewise. Well, now, with
my arrangement of the tight-fitting frames they
are not put up together in that way, and do you
not see that I can put a frame down into the hive
and take it up much more rapidly, and not only
that, but with no danger of pinching or mashing
the bees, than we could when using the Langstroth
frame? Heretofore the frames have been put to-
gether sidewise because they could not be shoved
down, pushing them through all the way from top
to bottom, removing the possibility of pinching a
bee, because they were liable to slide sidewise; but
with my arrangement there is no such thing as
pinching a bee, either between the uprights op
each side or between them and the case. However
many bees may be there, they must be pushed out

frame? You know that, unless nerve and time are
expended, you are liable, by a little sidewise mo-
tion, to pinch bees— not mash them, but pinch them
between the uprights of the frames and the case.
You hardly notice anything out of the way; and
when you get a jab on the hand or nose by the pain-
producing javelin of this bee, you hardly know
why it comes. You can not imagine how much
less stinging we have, and how much more amia-
ble our bees seem to be, when handling them in the
new hive, from whence we seldom move a frame,
being able to accomplish all that the practical suc-
cessful honey-producer could possibly ask without
such removal. I mention the foregoing, because
friend Cook really makes a mistake in classing my
new hive with the Huber and other close-fitting
frames. The shallowness of my frames, especially
since the adoption of wired foundation, making
good, straight, regular combs, the lateral movement
of the frames is almost useless.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

On page 363 I notice what you say about the
popularity of the Dovetailed hive; and so far as the
dovetailing is concerned, or, more correctly speak-
ing, the notching, if you make it as accurate and
even as the box-factories, certainly your patrons
will like it, all of which I studied on and talked
about to my students several years ago when we
came near putting in machinery for the purpose;
but after all, friend Root, when I remember how
many such practical bee-keepers as Prof. Cook,
Hutchinson, and scores of others I might meution,
feel in regard to my modification of the Langstroth
hive as against the Simplicity, I feel very certain
that it is the changing from the one to the other
that gives your customers such satisfaction. I
have made my modification of the Langstroth hive,
with loose bottom-board with the cleats tacked on,
the same as I use with my new hive, and sold them
in that shape for about two years; and you will see
that the Simplicity will be rapidly superseded by
what I suppose I may call the Heddon-Langstroth.
In a foot-note to a former article you call my atten-
tion to the fact that using cleats to make a bee-
space on the bottom-board was prior to my inven-
tion of it. Certainly it was. I willingly admit that;
but that arrangement is no part of my patent, ex-
cept when used in combination with a divisible
brood-chamber, etc. I think I can agree with the
several customers you mention, in saying that you
will undoubtedly find this the best and most practi-
cal hive you have ever sold, and I really wish I had
one to look over as a sample. I am mainly inter-
ested in the quality of your workmanship all over
the hive, and especially in the notching at the cor-
ners. I inclose order for a sample hive.
Dowagiac, Mich. James Heddon.

Although I am favorable to the closed-end
frames, I must say that I can not manipulate
and examine in the same time as much comb
surface in a divisible Heddon hive as in the
old-style full-depth Langstroth. Perhaps it
is because practice has not made perfect in
my case. I have also tried, several times,
shaking bees out of the brood-sections ; but,
my ! how the bees did boil all over the bot-
tom-board, in the grass, and — up my trow-
sers legs ! Perhaps I have not yet quite got
hold of the knack of it. We shall take great
pleasure in sending you a Dovetailed hive,

of the way. how is it when you lift a suspended Test the strength of the corner. Ernest.

1S8!)

(JLKAN1NGS IN BEE CULTURE.

391

HOW TO DRIVE ANTS OUT OP BEE-
HIVES-MANUM'S METHOD.

HOW TO USE THE MANUM SWARM-CATCHER.

^UNE 1.— "Mr. Manum, what shall wo work at

I today? We have got the sections all filled
■f^l with foundation, the new hives nailed and
^ painted, and I can't think of anything more
to do here."

" Well, Leslie, I have heard you and the other
boys talking about going trout-fishing when you
got the work done. It is now done, and I propose
we all go to-day. While Fred and I are hunting up
the fish-tackling, you boys may get the bait; and
to-morrow we will work at the bees."
JUNE 2.

" Here we are, Will. To-day we are to see that the
queens are all laying well; and where we find any
with only 10 or 11 combs we will give them more, as
1 think they are all strong enough now to cover the
12 combs. However, if you find any that are not,
we will run them through the season with what
they have, unless we give them a card of brood
from a very strong colony that is liable to swarm
before we come here again; also see that they have
honey enough to last a week or ten days. Be sure
not to forget that, because this is the trying time
with the bees, it being the period between fruit and
raspberry bloom. The bees are rearing so much
brood now that they use up stores very fast, and
the bees that will hatch in the next 20 days are just
the bees we want to gather our surplus; hence it
won't do to starve them now. We will now fill
these carrying boxes with combs containing honey,
and take them along with us to save steps."

" Here, Mr. Manum, I wish you would look into
this hive."

"oh! ants! and a lot of them too! Well, just
wait a moment while I go to the honey-house.
There, I will put some of this tarred paper in the
hive, and by to-morrow every ant will be gone.
This is the simplest remedy I ever tried. Now, as
there are no more combs with honey in we shall
have to put on sections partly filled with honey, left
over from last fall, wherever they need feeding.
It makes it pretty handy to have these partly filled
sections on hand. We will just uncap the honey,
and by the time we are here again the honey will
all be below, and then the sections can be taken
off."

JUNE 6.

" Now, boys, I noticed yesterday that the rasp-
berries were beginning to blossom, and I. think it is
time you should go to your respective yards. Fred
will lake two of you to your yards. Leslie will go
to his by the railroad, and I will go with Scott to his
yard. (Henry has a family, and lives near his
yard.) Here we are, Scott. You will board with
Mr. Smith while here."

Scott says, "Mr. Manum, I wish you would lay
out some work for me to do while I am waiting for
swarming."

"Work! you will find there is work enough be-
fore the season is over. In the first place you
should examine every swarm, to if see any of them
need any thing. You may find some that have lost
their queen, as there are a few three - year - old
queens in this yard; and you know some of them
are not full of comb; and where you find such, if
they are pretty strong, and the queen laying well,
you can spread the brood-nest and insert a comb in

the center. It will be safe to spread now at this
season."

" What shall I do if I find any that are queen-
less?"

" You will find that such colonies have queen-
cells, and if the bees are pure and large, with long
wings; and the stripes— or bands instead of being
light yellow are of a yellowish-brown, you may
leave one to hatch; but if they are not pure Ital-
ians, or if the bands are ol & bright yellow, or if the
bees are small-bodied and short-winged, you may
cut the cells out and give them eggs from one of
those hives we have marked to breed from.

"Light-yellow bees may answer in the South,
where the climate is more mild than here; but here
in the North I find that the dark, or leather-colored
bees, are preferable, hence I do not breed from
very light-colored queens.

" Now, when you give such a colony a card of
eggs for queen-cells you should cut holes in the
comb the shape of an inverted A, or, more proper-
ly, an equilateral triangle, with the point upward."

"Mr. Manum," says Scott, " the books nearly all
say that a long slit should be cut In the combs.
Why is this triangle shape better? "

"Because it does not weaken the combs so much
as a long slit does; and, besides, I think the bees
prefer to build cells on a nearly perpendicular edge
rather than on a horizontal one. Probably by the
time these cells are old enough to transfer, you
may need queen-cells in some other hive, or you can
use them in your queen-rearing nuclei.

"After you have looked the bees over, the next
thing to do will be to level up all the hives, as they
are liable to get out of level during the winter. It
is important that they be perfectly level; for un-
less they are, you will be bothered to get straight
combs in the sections.

" When you have done that you will want to clean
up the yard. Here is a rake, a hoe, a shovel, and a
basket. I like to see a yard kept clean, during the
working season at least. You can then mix some
paint, and paint such hives as need it. Should
there be a rainy day you can fasten foundation in
the brood-frames. I don't like to fasten it in at
home, as it is apt to break down when transporting
it over our rough roads; and, besides, I want work
for the boys to do rainy days, or you would get
lonesome."

" Well, Mr. Manum " says Scott, "you were right
when you said I should have work enough to do. I
think I shall not have time to get lonesome— ha, ha!"

"Now I must go. 1 shall call on you in three or
four days; and alter you have learned how to hive
bees after my method, I shall come only once a
week. I aim to visit each yard once a week, hence
I have to visit two some days, as I have eight yards,
and there are only seven days in one of our Ver-
mont weeks. Now, if I should happen to be obliged
to visit you on Sunday, please don't ever mention
it so Mr. Hoot will hear of it, for he would surely
give me a talking-to, and I know I could never
stand his reprimand. Good-by."

JUNE 15, AT CATON AP1ARV.

"Good-morning, Will! How are the bees doing
here?"

"Pretty well for the last two days. Yesterday
the scale-hive gained 6 lbs."

" If that is the ease, some of the hives must be
ready for the boxes. Let us open some and see.
Yes, this one ought to have boxes on at once. You

392

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

A PH.

see, every comb is full of brood or pollen, and
some honey; and, as you see, every cell from which
a bee has hatched is full of new honey and bits of
new comb built on the upper edges of the frames.
This indicates that more room is needed. You may
get a clamp of sections for this hive; also a sheet
of enameled cloth to cover it with."

"One of your clamps, Mr. Manum, will not cover

the brood-chamber; do you not want two clamps?"

" No, I put on only one clamp at first; and after

four or five days, if the honey continues to come

in, you may put on another. "

" Do you like such small clamps as well as whole
clamps that cover the whole hive? "

" Yes, for several reasons. First, they are much
nicer to handle in the apiary and in the honey-
house. In the next place, if I used large clamps
holding 32 one-pound sections instead of clamps
that hold only 16 sections, they would be larger
than the bees ought to have at this time. It would
be giving too much room at first; and, again, at the
close of the honey season I find it very convenient
to taper off with these small clamps. There, I
place it on the further side of the hive from me;
now cover the clamp with the enameled cloth,
black side down, and lay the half honey - board
under the hive where it will be out of the way un-
til it is wanted after the honey season is over.
There is a swarm coming out! "
"WHere?"

"From No. 60; get me the swarm-catcher and
I will show you how I do it. There, open the catch-
er-cage and hold it to the entrance and catch as
many bees as you can and close it; lay it down and
watch for the queen; as she is clipped sbe can't fly.
There she is. Now I take her and put her in this
little round pocket-cage that has a small wire hook
to it, and hang this cage outside the catcher. It
would be as well to put the queen right in the
catcher; but in doing so some of the bees would es-
cape; and, besides, by having the queen in this
small cage she can be handled better than in the
large catcher-cage. Now I see the swarm is cir-
cling over the north side of the yard. I take the
catcher and set it up directly under the swarm,
and leave them to themselves and go about putting
on boxes as before, at the same time keeping an
eye on the swarm. As I have explained to you
how to hive the bees, it is not necessary that I re-
peat it, for I see you hived those six swarms yes-
terday all right. The next time I come I will show
you about tiering up the clamps, preventing sec-
ond swarms, contracting, etc.

" Now one word before I go. Be sure to keep a
close lookout for swarms, because it is much easier
to get the queen as she comes out of the hive than
to hunt for her if she gets in the grass; and, be-
sides, the sooner you get the catcher set up, the
more likely you will be to catch the swarm and
prevent their clustering in a tree or returning to
the hive. Hence when you see a swarm coming
out, hurry to it at once. Yes, run if you are a slow
walker." A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vermont.

There is one thing I don't like about the
above. You let the boys all go trout-fishing,
and then you did not take even one line to
tell what luck you had, nor whether the
trout were good, etc. Now, when I get my
vacation to go up your way, I am going
trout-fishing, and I am going to tell the

readers of Gleanings all about it. Proba-
bly a great many of them never saw a speck-
eled trout at all, and more of them never
tasted one. You folks away up in Vermont
need not think you are going to monopolize
all the good things.— Your plan of driving
out ants is unique. Why, just think of it !
Tear off a piece of tarred paper, and toss it
into the hive. Mrs. S., down in the lunch-
room, just told me that the ants were get-
ting into the granulated sugar. I guess I'll
" holler " to her to throw in a piece of tarred
paper. The packers are using lots of it in
the adjoining room. There is another rea-
son for favoring clamps holdiug 16 sections
instead of 32. A good many people would
buy a clamp of 16 when they would not buy
32— that is, if you sell them in the clamp.—
By all means, run when swarms are out. If
you can not get up enthusiasm enough to
run in swarming time, you will never suc-
ceed as a bee-keeper.

SETTING BEES OUT.

SHALL WE PUT THEM ON THEIR OLD STANDS,
OR SET THEM OUT AS CONVENIENCE DIC-
TATES ?

T CAN see that some of our best authorities differ
||f on questions of vital importance to bee-keep-
W ers; and while this shows independence of
A thought, and perhaps, in some instances, a
variation of circumstances which we do not
take into consideration, yet there is one point
which, so far as I can now see, there is a variation
of opinion upon, which must be largely due to an
expression of opinion without careful observation.
The question is as to whether bees locate them-
selves afresh after being in winter quarters, or if,
after months of confinement, they simply fly out;
and if the hive has been on a new stand they re-
turn to the old location. I see no less an authority
than "Langstroth on the Honey-Bee," revised by
Dadant, considers it important to have them
placed upon their old stands. Now, I have been
taught to the contrary, and always preached to
the contrary, but I could not say who was correct.
Considering the question a somewhat important
one, especially if a part only of the bees would be
set out each day, I observed closely this spring.
The bees were not placed upon their old stands
when taken out, and they were set out partially
oneday and more later; half of them were moved
to an entirely new yard, three-fourths of a mile
away, and I can say with certainty that the bees
did not fly out and return to the old stands, in those
instances at least. Now, I claim there is enough
to attend to that requires all our time and energies;
therefore if there is nothing to be gained by ob-
serving and marking the place and hive of each
colony, let us not do it. I would substitute the
weighing of every colony at the close of the honey
season; again when going into winter quarters;
again when issuing from the winter repository, and
again after the colony has had a cleansing flight.
I believe an extensive test of this kind would give
us information of value, and would prevent the loss
of many colonies. My bees consumed an average
of about 6 lbs. per colony in the front row, proba-
bly 11 lbs. in the back row, and the lowest consump-
tion was 3 lbs.; the highest, I believe, 19 lbs., which

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

393

shows me the necessity of having not less than 20
lbs. of stores to go into winter quarters with.

A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.

I have thought a good deal this winter of the
prospect for 188(1 for a honey harvest. You know
the past two seasons have been none too good.
The last year, in fact, as an occupation alone,
meant starvation to many. Now, if the farmer
had such a failure of crops, we should have pray-
ed all over the land, asking Ood for a bountiful
harvest. Now, I know you and many of us have
faith in prayer; why, then, should we not "ask in
faith, nothing wavering" ? Of course, we know in
this, as in all temporal matters, we should say,
" God willing." R. F. Holtermann.

Brantford, Canada.

I believe I agree with you — or at least
pretty nearly so. When bees are moved to
an out-apiary— say for three or four weeks
— they will certainly remember their old
stand and make trouble if you don't put
them back on their old stand when you get
back; but after having been in the same
place for three or four months I am of the
opinion that there will not be enough going
back to make it worth our while to be very
precise about it.

MY BEB-CELLAB AND WINTERING
REPORT.

SAVING STOKES BY UNDERGROUND WINTERING.

fBRHAPS it is getting a little late to talk about
wintering, but I think a record of my experi-
ence last winter may be of interest to some.
Previous to last winter I had always winter-
ed out of doors, except for a couple of small
experiments with cellar wintering under unfavor-
able circumstances. But although I had never had
auy serious losses, and had usually had the best of
success in outdoor wintering, I have long wanted
to try wintering in the cellar, provided I could
make a cellar I considered satisfactory. I did not
want to be obliged to fuss with hard-coal fires, oil-
stoves, sub-earth ventilators, etc., to keep the tem-
perature up or down. 1 thought a cellar ought to
take care of itself, and such a cellar I now have.

My apiary is situated just on the edge of a bluff
about 70 feet high. At the bottom of this bluff is a
vein of coal, scarcely thick enough to be profitably
worked, yet mined to some extent. A year ago last
winter I set two men at work to run a "drift" di-
rectly under my apiary. When completed as far as
I cared to have it, it was a hole from three to four
feet square, running HO feet straight into the bluff,
then at right angles to form a chamber. This was
my wintering-cellar. Well drained, propped, and
secured, it cost me nothing. Sixty feet away from
the outside air in any direction, changes of temper-
ature outside could scarcely affect it, hardly a ray
of daylight could ever come, and no sound or
shock ever came from the outside world, except
the very faiut rumble of a train passing near by on
the bluff above.

Between Nov. 24 and Dec. 4 I put into this cellar
31 colonies of beee. Until Jan. 10 the mouth of the
mine was left entirely open, the temperature in-
side ranging from 45 to 50°. I then put in a rough
board door, having numerous cracks through and
around it, but no other provision for ventilation.

The temperature now rose to 52°, never going be-
low 51, and only once rising to 55, after long-con-
tinued warm weather, 70° outside, in the shade. I
had feared that the cellar would be rather damp;
but it did not prove so, and very few combs showed
any mold. The bees were quiet all through the
winter; and when removed, most of them Apr. 10,
they were clean, dry, and slim-bodied, only two
showing any signs of diarrhea. All were alive,
though two queenless colonies had to be united.

I have just examined all thoroughly; and in
amount of brood and bees they compare very fa-
vorably with those wintered out of doors. The
saving of honey was very marked. I am sorry
that I did not weigh each and keep a record ; but to
the best of my belief and judgment there was an
average saving of six pounds of honey per colony.

1 make this report, not simply because it is a suc-
cessful instance of cellar wintering, but to show
that bees will live, keep quiet, and thrive, in a cel-
lar much warmer than is usually considered prop-
er. !£ may, too, give a hint on cellar construction
to some.

Of 85 colonies wintered out of doors, all were
alive, but two were queenless, and were according-
ly united, which 1 think closes the list of my win-
ter losses. J. A. Green.

Dayton, 111., Apr. 27, 1889.

Well, friend Green, you have a bee -cellar
that is all right, I should think, if anybody
has, unless, indeed, from 50 to 55 is too
warm. Why not leave the openings unob-
structed, so as to reduce it from 45 to 50 ?
You say tt cost you nothing. Surely run-
ning a drift 60 feet must have cost quite a
little sum of money. I am curious about
the matter, because I think I can get a
spring for irrigating by running a tunnel
horizontally into a side-hill ; and I wish that
somebody would tell me the cheapest way
to do it. I suppose a 4 to 6 inch tile would
answer just as well as a tunnel, if large
enough for a man to crawl in. But how am
I to run a tile, say 200 or 300 feet into the
hillside V Some of the readers of Glean-
ings who are used to coal-mining can per-
haps tell me how to do it cheapest. I very
much prefer tile to a wooden tunnel So
far as I know, wood seems to be the only
material used for running into a hill.

THE ALABAMA "BLACK BELT."

FRIEND CURTIS SUGGESTS EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR
LEISURE HOURS.

fRIEND ROOT:— It is a long time since my
name has appeared in Gleanings; but our
work among the f reedmen, in which I have
been engaged for the last ten years, is too
taxing on time and strength to allow much
writing on outside subjects. I generally manage,
however, to glance through Gleanings, especially
"Our Homes;" and your California notes, and the
Question-box, have intensely interested and greatly
profited me.

The answers to Question 104, about the employ-
ment of our leisure hours, have particularly re-
joiced me. Can any other secular profession show
so many earnest Christian workers? The fact so

3«4

GLEANINGS LN BEE Cl'LTUKE.

May

often exemplified in Gleanings, that very many of
our most prominent and successful bee-keepers are
deeply interested in all Christian work, encourages
me to tell a little about our work of " spreading the
knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus." As broth-
er Hasty says, it is trw great business; and with us
only leisure hours can be spent among our little
golden workers, much as I love them.

For many years 1 have been deeply impressed
with the terrible destitution of our country dis-
tricts in the South— especially in the seventeen
counties of what is called the "Black Belt of Ala-
bama." This is a belt of rich agricultural lands,
mostly black in color, containing magnificent bee
pasturage, by the way, and running from southeast
to northwest across the State into Mississippi.
Here were the great slave-plantations before the
war, and here the freedmen and their descendants
have remained and increased until they outnumber
the whites five to one. As the vast majority of the
whites are in the cities and larger villages, the
country population is almost wholly black. There
are perhaps 3J,000 colored people in the cities and
villages of this Black Belt, where they have good
schools and churches, and are improving rapidly;
but at least 450,000 are on the plantations, where no
missionary work is being done to any extent, and
the public-school fund is so deplorably inadequate,
and so poorly administered, that the statistics show
that there are actually many more illiterates now
than there were 30 years ago; i. e., the State has
not nearly begun to educate the increase. The
dense ignorance, superstition, immorality, and pov-
erty of these thickly populated country districts can
scarcely be imagined until seen. The country
preachers, who wield great influence among these
people, are in many instances worse than the peo-
ple themselves. I have had five preachers at work
for me at one time, who could not read a word of
the Scriptures. They pretend to expound or write
their names, and one has just been convicted of
hog-stealing in an aggravated form. 1 have heard
two preachers maintain in public that they were
better preachers because they could not read a
word, and therefore had to be taught by direct in-
spiration of the Holy Ghost. Another, a woman,
claimed to be a great prophet. She had killed a wo-
man b}- order of the Almighty, and raised her to
life again, she said, and the people swallowed it all
without a protest.

Some years ago, in our Selma ministers' meeting,
the question of the evangelization of these country
districts was raised. Brother Woodsmall, a Bap-
tist missionary who had spent many years in the
South, travelling extensively among the colored
churches, said that it was his opinion, that, in the
thickly settled cotton districts, the people were
growing worse instead of better. A presiding elder
of the A. M. B. Church (colored) followed in a sim-
ilar strain with some terrible illustrations from his
observation. I then proposed a plan for a self-
supporting missionary and educational work,
which, after much thought and prayer, and years
of careful observation and experiment, is now be-
ing successfully carried out by the Industrial Mis-
sionary Association of Alabama. This is a stock
company, organized under the laws of Alabama,
with the purpose of buying plantations, renting
them out to the colored people, and using the rents
and income to supplement the public-school fund,
and aid the people in supporting a more enlighten-

ed ministry. Many of these plantations can be
bought at such low prices, on account of the rapid-
ly increasing numerical preponderance of the col-
ored people making it unpleasant for the whites to
remain, that the rents will pay from 15 to 41) per
cent on the purchase money, making quite an in-
come for missionary work.

The negroes have been made and kept poor in
very many instances, not so much by excessive
rents, which are cheaper here than in the North, as
by the excessive and often fraudulent " advances,"
which eat up the crop before it is made, and the ig-
norance and unskillful management of the tenant
himself. Justice, fair dealing, advice, and instruc-
tion in improved methods of agriculture, and in
household economies, together with improved
schools and churches, will do wonders toward help-
ing the colored man to help himself; and as soon as
possible we mean to sell to each renter his home-
stead, invest the money in other plantations, and
thus turn it over and over, and keep it working for
the Lord and his people. This is not a new experi-
ment. For four years we have been trying it, with
very limited means, to be sure; yet we have two
churches and schools under our auspices, and feel
more than ever confident that this is the most ef-
ficient method and practical plan of reaching
these, the most destitute regions in all our land. If
we could command the means we could do more in
this way to help solve the vexed " negro problem,"
which is attracting so much attention and discus-
sion of late, than by any other plan that has been
proposed. We have now decided to appeal to the
public for help to extend our work, hence the in-
corporation of our association, in which we cordial-
ly invite all our friends and all who desire to sec
this "open sore " of our land healed, to take stock.
Rev. J. W. Dill, of Selma, is the treasurer of the as-
sociation, to whom all contributions and subscrip-
tions for stock should be sent; and 1 shall be only
too happy to give any further information, or
answer any question, either through Gleanings or
privately, as may be desired. It seems to me that
we owe this people whom we enfranchised without
educating, and who, on account of their ignorance,
are in far greater danger and distress now, both
from the white people and themselves, than if they
had never had the right of citizenship, something
more than an occasional thought or prayer. We
owe them our best help, and what better way to help
than this? I feel sure our bee-keeping fraternity
will not be behind in this matter. C. B. Curtis.

Selma, Ala., Feb. 8, 1889.

Why, old friend, you have gone and taken
hold of and grappled with one of the great-
est problems that stand before the people of
the United States of America. One is re-
minded of David and his pebbles from the
brook, when he went out to meet Goliah.
Never mind, brother. The Lord God is
with you, even if you are contending with
fearful odds.

Since the above was written, Bro. Curtis
has been with us, and we learn that he has
been for ten years connected with the work
of the American Missionary Association in
the Southern States. Right here our stenog-
rapher suggests that, even if a great many
of us do not know much about these things,
the probability is that we shall have to
know, whether we want to or not, very soon.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE 'CULTURE.

395

HOW TO RAISE BUCKWHEAT.

"IN the multitude of counselors there is

WISDOM."

N answer to our call for articles on buck-
wheat culture, the following have been
received up to date. In most localities
I presume it will reach our readers in
ample time to prepare the ground and
get in a crop. As communications are con-
stantly coming in, we shall have a continu-
ation of the matter in our next issue.

BUCKWHEAT IN NEW JERSEY.

Buckwheat, like rye, is a grain which will yield a
fair crop on poor ground, though of course a bet-
ter one on good ground. Still, it is not advisable to
manure it very highly, as it is very apt to " lodge."
I doubt if the increased yield of grain would pay
for the use of chemical fertilizers, while doubt-
less the lodging tendency would be increased.
With us it is generally sown on rough, stony, or out-
of-the-way fields, where a drill could not be used,
and for this reason it is usually sown broadcast,
using about three pecks of seed per acre. Buck-
wheat seems to do best on "new" ground— ground
recently cleared of wood; and it is especially val-
uable in taming or subduing such land. Old mead-
ows, and reclaimed lands generally, that are too
"sour" to produce crops of corn are sown with
buckwheat with this taming idea.

A favorite rotation for re-seeding, with grass,
heavy clay lowlands, is buckwheat one year, oats
the next, and grass without grain following oats,
the same year. Buckwheat not being sown until
the fore part of July, this allows ample time for
getting heavy clay lowlands in shape for sowing.
I say the fore part of July, but it is almost a super-
stition here to sow buckwheat " the Fourth of July,
wet or dry."

I never heard of buckwheat making two crops in
a single seasou here, but it is of ten sown early in
spring, to be plowed under, and the land sown to
buckwheat in July.

Much diversity of opinion exists about plowing
buckwheat under, some claiming that it is a posi-
tive injury to the land. 1 think that trouble has
arisen out of the practice, only when the buck-
wheat was plowed under while in full blossom.
Avoid doing this, and you are all right. The
ground should be well prepared for buckwheat.
If it can be plowed some time before the grain is
to be sown, at seeding time, the buckwheat sown
on the plowed land, cross-plowed in and well har-
rowed, the chances for a good crop are enormously
increased.

In harvesting, buckwheat is commonly cradled,
before frost if possible, and preferably in the
morning, while the dew is on, or on a damp day, as
the grain shatters easily. As it is hard to dry the
straw sufficiently for thrashing, it should be left in
swaths for three or four days, then raked in
bunches or gavels (again preferably while the dew
is on), and set on end, unbound. It should be
thrashed on a dry windy day, and should be clean-
ed from the chaff at once or it may heat. Even
the grain, if in large quantities, may require Shov-
eling over in the bins to prevent heating. In large
amounts, or if slightly damp, thrashing by ma-
chine is the easiest way; if quite dry, it is easily
thrashed by hand, two men thrashing it about as

fast as two horses can haul it to the barn; or if the
barn-floor is reasonably large, the buckwheat may
be spread thickly on it in a circle, and horses driv-
en around over it. This latter method will give
the cleanest grain and smallest proportion of
cracked kernels. But use the machine every time
unless the buckwheat is dry-

The straw is useless for litter, but it is the best
thing obtainable for the bottom of the barn-yard,
coming up from the ground so clean in the spring
that very little scraping is necessary.

The new Japanese buckwheat, introduced here
some three years ago, is growing rapidly in favor.
It produces much more grain to the acre, and more
and better flour to the bushel, then any of the old
kinds. With no previous intimation, I detected
the superior flavor of the Japanese flour the first
morning we had cakes made from it. We had im-
mediately before been u-sing silverhull flour.

Bees gathered very little honey here from com-
mon buckwheat last season, but they worked freely
on the Japanese. R. A. Learned.

Newton, N. J., May, 1889.

BUCKWHEAT IN CANADA.

To prepare the' ground lor buckwheat, if stubble
land, plow in the fall, then in spring stir the
ground frequently, to make weed seeds germinate,
and to destroy them in turn when started. If the
field needs manure, and you have it to spare, put it
on and plow, say about ten days before sowing the
seed, and drag down again. This will cause an im-
mense lot of noxious seeds to germinate; drag
again to kill these and start more, and now the
process of putting in the seed will kill these. If
not underdrained, and if the soil is of a clay nature,
open water-furrows, and roll; and I feel pretty
sure you will feel happy every time you take a look
at that buckwheat field. A crop of any kind of
grain growing luxuriantly upon nice, clean, well-
pulverized soil, can not fail to give pleasure, and
make one think of God and his goodness. If a
piece of sod be fixed upon, I would plow it about 12
to 14 days before sowing, and drag frequently. A
roller should follow' the seed. A drill covers the
seed better than a drag can cover that sown by
hand.

Some cut their buckwheat in the old way— with a
cradle; others use a reaper. I really don't think
there is much difference in the final results, if
hands be plentiful and hiring has to be done all
round. Buckwheat is now mostly thrashed with a
machine; however, all counted, with from one to
four acres it can be thrashed more economically, I
think, with flail or with horses. When the crop is
ready you can go right at it, and no waiting for a
machine until it rains again.

To thrash with horses, you want two teams— one
with a couple of smart boys to draw to the barn.
Put on just enough for one flooring. The other
team, with a couple of good men, will thrash it and
shake the straw off while the boys get another load.
If you put on the wagon more than one flooring at
a load it will get damp from the sappy straw, and
thrash very tough. Proper care should be taken
to have the grain dry when grinding time comes.

Some object to this crop because of its persisten-
cy in growing the following summer in the suc-
ceeding crop. Well, I always got over that difficul-
ty by sowing oats or planting corn on the stubble
land. We never sow it early in the spring, like oth-

396

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

er grain. The hot summer sun would destroy the
crop, very likely nineteen times out of twenty.

A HYBRID.

Some years ago I mixed some silverhull and com-
mon buckwheat, and sowed the two kinds together..
The third year the grain was nicely blended, re-
sembling both varieties, and I fancied yielded a
better crop than either of the others.

BEES AND BUCKWHEAT.

These thrive well together. With me the latter
never failed to yield nectar, and always produced,
I am fully persuaded, better crops because of the
frequent visits of the bees.

DOES BUCKWHEAT PAV?

To the man who keeps many bees in a section of
country where it is pretty sure to produce honey, I
would say I certainly think it pays well, if properly
handled all the way through— all depends upon
that. S. T. Pettit.

Belmont, Ont., Can., May 1, 1889.

BUCKWHEAT IN KENTUCKY.

The ground for buckwheat should be thoroughly
well prepared before the seed is ever sown, as, in
fact, this is necessary for the successful growth of
about any crop. Of course, the richer the ground,
other things being equal, the greater will be the
yield. Tolerably high bottom ground, second year's
new ground, or any soil good for oats or wheat, will
do for buckwheat. G round that has been in clover,
and followed with corn, is suitable, for the reason
that the thorough cultivation required by corn
keeps down the weeds and grass. It is not an easy
matter to kill weeds after the buckwheat is up,
hence the preparation of the ground the previous
season is of much importance.

The ground should be broken early in the spring,
before the weeds and graste begin to grow; then
again when you wish to sow. It is somewhat owing
to the locality and the purpose for which you are
growing buckwheat as to the proper time for sow-
ing. About the 20th of May or first of June I think
is the average time, and three pecks of buckwheat
is the amount usually sown on an acre. Just be-
fore sowing, the soil should be thoroughly pulver-
ized, and leveled by harrowing.

The seed-bed should not only be deep but fine. In
fact, the pulverization of the soil should be the
main object; and the finer and more complete it is,
the better the growth of the crop. Some practice
drilling the seed and fertilizer together, but I be-
lieve the fertilizer should be applied broadcast, as
it is more evenly distributed over the ground. If
stable manure be used it should be well rotted, and
thoroughly mingled with the soil, in order to give
the field uniformity of growth. About 300 lbs. of
guano to the acre should be sown, unless the
ground is rich enough naturally.

When most of the seed is ripe it should be cut,
and tied up in bundles. After it is thoroughly dry
it should be hauled and piled or stacked in a tight-
floored barn. It is also very necessary that the
wagon-bed have a tight bottom, so that the shatter-
ed grain may be saved. I believe, where a person
grows only a few bushels for his own use it is
cheaper and easier to thrash it out, with the flail.
It would be much the best, when a person has much
of the grain to clean, to get a separator to come to
the barn and thrash it out. In this neighoorhood
the cost would not be over seven cents per bushel,
even if the thrashing season were over.

1 will only add, in conclusion, that T believe one
of the best uses to which buckwheat can be put is
that of feeding to hogs. By having different fields
to mature at different times, we can turn our hogs
into the fields from July till October.

Skilesville, Ky. Finis A. Wootton.

BUCKWHEAT IN KANSAS.

As you call for reports in regard to buckwheat, I
will send you mine. Last year I raised 116 bushels
—85 of Japanese and 31 of silverhull. I think the
Japanese quite a bonanza. The beauty of it all is,
that I was just 116 bushels ahead of nothing. As
soon as my oats were off, my son plowed the stub-
ble under. I sowed the seed broadcast. I also
sowed one acre of my wheat stubble, after he had
turned it under. On this I sowed '5 pecks, and se-
cured 28 bushels of Japanese, and then lost at
least 5 bushels of it in cutting.

HARVESTING BUCKWHEAT.

I cut mine with a mower. I had three hands-
boys will do— to follow right after the machine,
with four-tined forks. They gathered it in bunch-
es, just as large as would dry through nicely.
These bunches they lifted out of the way of the
machine by the time it came around. I tried the
self-rake, but I prefer the mowing-machine. The
buckwheat should be cut while the dew is on. If
necessary, cut all night, if you have much to cut.
I hired a man to flail it out. To do this, make a
platform up about two feet from the ground, of
rails, and thrash it on that. I then put mine
through the fanning-mill twice. Right here is the
best part of the whole matter. That acre of wheat
stubble on which I sowed buckwheat looks as well
to-day as any of the rest of the 20 acres of wheat.
The wheat is almost knee-high. When we were
done sowing the other, I said to my son, " I am go-
ing to try an experiment." Ours is a Havana
press-drill. The buckwheat stubble was so mellow
that I just put the drill right in on the stubble. T
now intend, as soon as the wheat is off, to have the
wheat stubble of the whole 30 acres turned under
and sown to Japanese buckwheat. But whether to
sow the buckwheat with the drill or not, 1 should
like to know, without experimenting very much.
I had thought that, perhaps, if we would sow half
that amount one way and then cross it with the
other half of the seed, it might do. You know the
old saying is, " Sow your buckwheat so that an old
sheep and her lamb can lie down between the
stalks;" but my idea in sowing wheat or oats is,
if you want grain you must sow liberally. For
buckwheat I sow about 3 pecks per acre. From
our buckwheat we took off 300 lbs. of nice honey,
and had all the nice buckwheat cakes and honey
we wanted. J. H. Kennedy.

Quenemo, Osage Co., Kan., Apr. 25, 1889.

THE PROPER WAY TO RAISE BUCKWHEAT IN A

DRY SEASON; HOW IT MAY BE USED TO

GET RID OF THISTLES.

Having had 20 years' experience in raising buck-
wheat, 1 will give you a few pointers. First and
most important of all, is to plow the ground early.
Plow immediately after sowing oats or planting
corn, or, in other words, one month before sowing.
To kill "quack-grass," plow twice, and thorough-
ly harrow in with a spring-tooth harrow. Under no
other conditions would I allow buckwheat ground
to be plowed twice. You can kill thistles every
time with buckwheat. Wait till the thistles are 15

1SS9

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

897

or 20 inches high. You can then plow them entire-
ly under by fastening- a log-chain to the plow-beam
and to the wbiffietree of the horse that walks in the
furrow. That way it will form a loop that will pull
the tops in the furrow; and by having the loop just
right it will cover every one. I have plowed them
under when they were so large that the horses
would not walk in the thistles without having
leathers on their legs to prevent them from prick-
ing them.

Buckwheat requires a great deal of moisture;
and by plowing early the ground gets settled, and
holds the moisture; and the result is, it will fill bet-
ter.

Japanese buckwheat is 8 or 10 days later than the
silverhull with me, so T sow a little earlier. On
good land, 2 pecks is enough; on thin soil, 3 pecks
per acre. You can increase the yield a third on
thin soil by using 50 lbs. of phosphate and 50 lbs. of
plaster, mixed and drilled in. I drill here between
the 15th of June and the 1st of July.

Buckwheat is one of the best crops to subdue
rough land. It always leaves the soil in excellent
condition for potatoes or oats, or almost any crop
except corn. I never could raise good corn after
buckwheat— that is, until the ground was re-seeded.
I raised 45 bushels of Japanese buckwheat from
one bushel, sowing on 1% of an acre. Let me say
right here, that the black bees will store just as
much buckwheat honey as the Italians, and, in fact,
I should prefer the black. J would rather have
buckwheat honey to winter bees on than basswood
honey. In 1887 I extracted 75 bbls. of buckwheat
honey; 10 lbs. per colony is the lightest yield that I
ever got from buckwheat, on an average.

W. L. COGGSHALL.

West Groton, N. Y., May, 1889.

other crops. It always gives some honey, and some-
times large yields, and of good quality for the bees
to winter on. J. M. France.

Auburn Corners, Pa., April 29, 1889.

ITEMS FROM ONE WHO HAS RAISED SY2 TONS OF
BUCKWHEAT FLOUR IN A SEASON.

I have been a farmer for 38 years, and sowed buck-
wheat every year, more or less, each year, from 5
acres to 30 acres in a season. I have not been able
to quite come up to the thousand bushels, but have
had enough to make 8'2 tons of tiour of one year's
crop, besides saving for our own use, and seed for
next year.

The best way to prepare the ground for a good
crop, according to my experience, is to plow, early
in the season, good sod land; and, just before sow-
ing, plow again. Drag and pulverize the soil well,
and sow broadcast, and drag in the seed well.
About three pecks of seed to the acre has given me
best results in yields to the acre— from 25 to 40 bush-
els. 1 have sown as early as the 2uth of June, and
as late as July 17th. The largest yield has been
from sowing from the first of July to the 8th. Lo-
cation may have something to do as to time of sow-
ing. As to risk of frost, we must be our own judge.

HARVESTING.

Cut when the grain is nearly all turned brown.
When partly cured, rake and set up; twist a few
straws around the top; that keeps it standing up
better, if exposed to storms during time of curing
out. When dry, so as to shell easily, we haul to the
barn, and thrash with a machine. We have one
standing in the barn, always ready for use. When
thrashed we clean it up at leisure, mostly on stormy
days.

The farmers in our county grow buckwheat quite
extensively without fertilizers, and believe it to be
an average paying crop to grow in rotation with

BUCKWHEAT AS A SUBDUER OF MARSH GRASS.

I have had considerable experience in the last
few years in breaking up and subduing reclaimed
swales, pond-holes, and marshes. I have found
that buckwheat has done as much toward subduing
the tougli marsh grass as has the plow; and, in
fact, there is nothing that can be sown which will
yield a crop, and at the same time so effectually
subdue such places as this grain. My plan is to
plow these places, as well as possible, late in the
fall, so as to let the winter's freezing and thawing
operate upon the roots of the tough bog grass; and
in the spring 1 harrow it down as soon as I can get
upon it, and continue harrowing every two or three
weeks until sowing time, which is about the 15th or
20th of June. The buckwheat should be sown earli-
er upon such places, for the frost is more apt to cut
it than if sown upon higher ground. I sow about
three pecks to the acre, in order that the ground
may be well covered with the growing plant. Not-
withstanding the plowing, harrowing, and cultivat-
ing, considerable of the marsh grass manages to be
in a flourishing condition at the time of sowing;
but the buckwheat so effectually covers the ground
that the grass is killed, the weed choked, and the
sod rotted nicely. In the fall, the once tough marsh
sod is found to be light nice soil. If I can, I put the
same piece into buckwheat the next season. Of
course, when sown on such places it does not yield
as much as when sown on better ground; but it
pays well nevertheless. I' prefer the Japanese to
all other kinds. F. N. Hilton.

Pontiac, Mich., May 4, 1889.

TWO CROPS OF BUCKWHEAT IN A SEASON.

As you may remember, I had quite a crop last
season, of the Japanese variety. I also raised two
crops last season from the same seed, which I for-
got to mention. The first was sown some time in
April. I remember it was chilled a little by two
frosts after it came up, but it came on and filled
well, and I gathered some of the seed as soon as
ripe, and I sowed a small patch for a second crop,
just enough for a test of raising two crops in one
season from the same seed. It grew and ripened
before the frosts of fall. The early part of the sea-
son was favorable for buckwheat. It might not do
as well every year; if it would it would be of great
advantage to know that fact. That early crop of
buckwheat was quite a surprise to some old buck-
wheat-growers. I would sow with a drill. Drill in
with chemical fertilizer, unless the soil is already
very good. Load it on to a wagon, and haul to a
thrasher in the neighborhood, if too small a crop to
pay to employ a machine expressly for the purpose,
and cut with reaper and binder, without tying.

H. R. Boardman.

East Townsend, O., April 19, 1889.

BUCKWHEAT GROWING WHEN EVERY THING ELSE
IS DESTROYED BY INSECTS.

To make a success in raising buckwheat requires
moderately rich soil; if too rich it is apt to grow too
rank, and lodge down. Fresh-plowed land, harrow-
ed down fine and mellow, is needed. In this latitude
we sow from the loth to the 20th of June. Sow V/i
bushels lo the acre, on rich land, or 3.t bushel on
sandy land. Cut with a cradle, self-rake, reaper, or

398

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

self-binder. Cut when the dew is on, or a little
d;irap, as it shells less. Set it up, one bundle in a
place, to cure. When thoroughly dry, haul direct
to the machine, and thrash, as every time you han-
dle it it will shell some. I have sown early, for the
bees to work on, and one year we had cool weather
when it was filling, and the yield was good. But
early sowing is not advisable, as buckwheat will not
till well in hot sultry weather. There is a large
quantity raised here every year, and it is considered
a paying crop. We often get a crop of this grain,
when the insects destroy all other kinds.
Eau Claire, Wis., April 19, 1889. C. 15. Jackson.

BUCKWHEAT A FAVORITE CROP FOR BRUSHY LAND.

I see in Gleanings you ask about buckwheat.
I have lived in a buckwheat country all my life,
and know something about it. It is a favorite crop
for brushy land, the crop growing so rank as to
subdue briers and brush. We sow from the first to
the 12th of July; if earlier, the sun burns it; if lat-
er, the frost is apt to catch it. Ground which is
too light for corn will raise good buckwheat. No
crop will better respond to a good fertilizer. We
gather tons of honey from it. It can be thrashed
readily by hand if dry, but it is impossible if damp.
We always thrash by machine.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF
CORN.

The Japanese buckwheat I got from you beats
any I ever saw. If it continues as well it will sure-
ly take the place of corn, to a great extent.

Meshoppen. Pa., Apr. 27, 1889. C. A. Dean.

BUCKWHEAT IN TH E " CORN-BELT ; " BUCKWHEAT
TO EXTERMINATE WEEDS.

In this latitude, or, rather, in this corn-belt, 1
think the best results are generally obtained by
sowing about the first week in June. Land should
be plowed a week or two beforehand, to give weeds
a chance to start; then work thoroughly, and sow
V2 bushel, or a little more, per acre. I sow broad-
cast. Land which is so soddy as to be almost use-
less to plow in fall or early spring for other crops,
can be subdued with buckwheat; and it is good to
sow in a young orchard which is to be cultivated.

Speaking of corn-belts, one might be surprised at
the crookedness of isothermal lines. A very good
corn-belt map, showing mean temperature during
the growing season, can be found in the seed cata-
logue of J. C. Vaughn, Chicago.

HARVESTING.

If you do not use a grain-cradle, it can be mown
carefully with a scythe. If not convenient to draw
it to a thrashing-machine, a good way is to build an
open rack of slats across a wagon-box. Some put
the box on a sled, so as to have it low down. Drive
into the field, and pitch a few forkfuls of buck-
wheat on to the rack, and hit it a few sharp blows
with the pitchfork. The grain will rattle down into
the box, when the straw can be pushed off, and a
new supply put on. Two men can do this rapidly,
and I have heard of good-sized fields of buckwheat
being thrashed in this way. B. HASSETT,

Howard Center, Howard Co., la.

EARLY AND SELF SOWN BUCKWHEAT.

I have never sown buckwheat in April or May,
but this 1 know: Buckwheat that comes up from
last year's crop always fills well in this latitude.
Only last week I was talking with James Malary
(a successful farmer) upon this very point, and he

said he never knew self-sown buckwheat fail to
fill well, and that last year (a very dry one) he had
a patch that would have made quite a crop had it
been left to mature. I also find that many are
more successful in seeding with buckwheat than
oats or wheat. As I expect to sow 20 acres of Jap-
anese buckwheat this season, at different periods,
from early to late, I may know more about it next
fall than now. Geo. E. Hilton.

Fremont, Mich.

The above articles cover the whole
ground, pretty nearly. Friend Kennedy, it
I understand him correctly, suggests a plan
of getting a crop of buckwheat without any
extra expense, except the cost of the seed,
and drilling it in ; that is, the ground is pre-
pared for wheat in July instead of at the
usual time. Then after the crop of buck-
wheat is removed, the wheat is drilled in,
without any further preparation of the soil.
While such a course might occasionally give
us as good a crop of wheat as if no buck-
wheat had been on the ground, I can hard-
ly think it possible that it would invariably
turn out in this way. It is true, buck-
wheat may take little or nothing from the
soil that would be wanted for the wheat
crop. Unless, however, the season were
one where rains were very plentiful, I
should feel quite certain that the buckwheat
would rob the ground of some of the moist-
ure needed by the wheat ; at least, my expe-
rience has been that a crop of almost any
kind takes the moisture from the soil to a
much greater extent than where the ground
is harrowed frequently, without allowing it
to bear any crop at all. I once plowed un-
der a heavy turf of very hard stiff wild
grass. After turning over the sod 1 raised
a tolerable crop of buckwheat. Thinking
the sod was rotted and the grass dead, after
the buckwheat was taken off I turned it
over again, to put on rye. To my great as-
tonishment, the grass that had been turned
over more than two months before, started
to grow almost all over the field ; and after
letting it lie all winter, and turning it over
again, I had a hard time in breaking the
sod up in the spring. From this I judged
that a crop of buckwheat might be taken
from the ground without the roots going
down more than a few inches, and also
without taking very much if any thing from
the fertility of the soil.

Some allusion has been made in the arti-
cles above, in regard to breaking the grain
in thrashing; and several have stated that
a machine breaks the grain much more than
thrashing by hand. Where it is tramped
out by horses on a barn floor, much of the
grain will be crushed if you are not very
careful. I strongly favor the idea of raising
the grain up from the floor by rails, or some-
thing of the sort, letting the grain rattle
down through where it will not suffer in-
jury by walking over the floor. I am in-
clined to think, also, that flails will do bet-
ter execution when the grain is raised up on
rails.

I think it is quite true, that black bees
take to buckwheat honey rather more than
the Italians do. Our best colonies for gath-
ering buckwheat honey for several different
seasons seemed to be hybrids.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUHE.

:;;»!»

DR. MASON STANDS UP AND EX-
PLAINS.

CAREFUL STATISTICS ON THE AVERAGE CONSUMP-
TION OF STORES DURING WINTER.

'ELL, friend Root, 1 don't understand why
you should single me out, and "order me
around " as you have on page 61, where
you say, " Doctor, stand up and tell us
what you mean by such a statement as
that." And you are reminded "of the man who
brought home two stoves," etc. I can't see the re-
lation my statement has to " two stoves." Perhaps
it was pretty cold weather when you were bossing
me around, or my statement may have had a cool-
ing effect upon you. At any rate, I don't see why I
should be ordered to explain.

Prof. Cook reports the average consumption of
stores by his bees at less than mine, and then, as
usual, you come out ahead, for you say, " Come to
think of it, T have done even better than that."
Perhaps I have done better than you ; but -as you
don't tell just how much " a very small amount " is,
you have a chance to come out ahead yet. 1 too
"have seen a weak colony consume only a very
small amount of stores during winter," and not be
profitable during the following season. I have also
had a fair colony consume but 3^4 pounds in win-
tering, and be a right royal one the next season,
making as good returns as any. I have also had a
good colony consume 20 pounds in the cellar, and
starve to death before it came time to set them out
in the spring. 1 am not the only one who gives two
weights as the average consumption of stores, and
just notice the difference !

H. R Boardman, 25 to 30 lbs., indoors.

Mrs. L. Harrison, 9 to 10 lbs., in cellar.
" " " 18 to 20 lbs., outdoors.

Dr. Miller, 20 lbs., in cellar; dead bees included.

Geo. Grimm, 15 to 20 lbs., in cellar.

C. P. Muth, 15 to 25 lbs., outdoors.

Mr. Elwood, 12 to 14 lbs., in cellar.

James A. Green, 18 lbs., outdoors.

G. M. Doolittle, 14 lbs., outdoors; 10 lbs., in cellar.

Prof. Cook, 7 lbs., in cellar; 14 lbs., outdoors.

James Heddon, 20 lbs., outdoors; 10 lbs., indoors.

A. B. Mason, 6 to 11 lbs., in cellar.

Muth, Green, Doolittle, Cook, and Heddon, out-
doors? And Dr. Miller's colonies consumed as
much or more in the cellar than did those of the
others outdoors; for if Mr. Muth's figures were re-
duced to one number it would be 20 lbs., outdoors.

I believe Mr. Boardman knew just what he was
saying when he said from 25 to 30 lbs., and I've been
wondering if the others were not guessing.

Undoubtedly Mr. Boardman answered the question,
from October to May. My answer was for the time
the colonies were in the cellar, and I presume Prof.
Cook's was also, as may have been some of the
others. The question (102), asked in brief, is,
" What is your average consumption of stores per
colony from October to May r State whether for
outdoor or cellar."

Messrs. Boardman, Green, and Muth, take less
than a line to answer the question, and Messrs. L. C.
Root, Dadant & Son, Grimm, and myself, take a
line; Mr. Doolittle, a little over a line; Mrs. Harri-
son nearly two lines, and so on up; Mr. Heddon oc-
cupies eight lines. Now, friend Heddon, if this
meets your vigilant eye, please just keep still, for
I've got trouble enough on hand now, and don't
want you to get after me; and if you will let me
alone I'll give Rambler a blackboard exercise
next spring on the "Pollen Theory" (if I feel like
it). And, friend Root, if you won't let any one
"pitch into me" after all this rambling, I'll tell you
what I meant by my answer. It is this: Some win-
ters the average consumption of stores by my colo-
nies, while in the cellar, has been as low as 6 lbs.,
and sometimes as high as 11 lbs., and all the way
between; but seldom over 9 lbs., and usually less
than 8. Now, perhaps some "smart Elick" will
want to know how I know what my colonies have
done, and, just as likely as not, I may have so trod-
den on your toes, Mr. Editor, as to set you to asking
me some foolish questions, and ordering me around
some more, but I'll just take the snap out of you
by answering, before any of you ask, by giving you
a sample sheet of my book-keeping; and let me say
it is no small job to keep such a record; but "it is
lots of fun," and comes right handy when such
questions are asked, and "Ramblers" are to be
educated. Remember, friend Root, I am to be let
alone. Here is the sample.

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A hive weighs 23 lbs.

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lax i;

Now, all the above names, except the last one, are
among those of our most reliable bee-keepers. I
can't imagine why you should question the truth-
fulness of my statement. Prof. Cook's average is
less than mine. Why not ask him to " stand up"
and explain? My average would be 8i4 lbs.; and
Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Doolittle, and Mr. Heddon give
only \y2 lbs. more than I do, as their average.

If indoor wintering is such a saving, why not ask
Mr. Boardman to " stand up" and explain how it
comes that his colonies indoors consume more
stores than do those of Mrs. Harrison, Messrs.

Average No. of frames per colony 7%

Average No. of pounds of bees 31-

Average No. of pounds of stores Oct. 10 '.i',

Average No. of pounds of stores led Oct. 7. 8, y 6

Average No. of pounds of stores there should be Oct. 10 '.'"'i

Average No. of pounds of stores there was Oct. 10 l'.'\

Average No. of pounds of stores Nov. 13 17

Average No. of pounds !.»st in feeding 1)4

A\ erage No. of pounds los( from Oct. 10 to Nov. 13 \%

Average No. of pounds of stoics lost in wintering 8

Average loss of bees in \\ intering 2 oz.

I don't give this as a model way of keeping track
of wintering, but as my way, and to show that I
knew just what I was talking about when I gave my
answer. There is one item more that I wish I had
kept, and that is the gain in bees in each colony

400

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

May

while in winter quarters. One item I have not
transferred from my record, and that is the " Pollen
Theory," for I may want to put that on my black-
board in the spring- for " Rambler " to look at.

The record from which this is taken is of 42 colo-
nies, and 1 have given some of the footings to show
how I do it. The figures given are for pounds and
ounces; as, in first left-hand column, to the right of
colony No. 1 the 38-4 means 38 lbs. 4 oz. In the
sixth column from the right can be seen -1, -1-4,

1-, which means that colony No. 1 lost, or was
minus, 1 lb.; No. 26 lost, or was minus, 1 lb. and 4
oz. ; and No. 35 gained, or was plus, 1 lb. In the
second column from the right is shown that colony
No. 1 had as many bees when taken out March 30 as
when put in Nov. 13. Not but that there was a loss
of bees from the hive in winter quarters, for there
was, but there had been enough raised to supply
the loss, for they were breeding nicely when set out.
No. 26 was - (minus) 4 lbs. of bees and 20 lbs. of hon-
ey; had a slight touch of diarrhea, and brood dead
in the cells before hatching. No. 35 was (minus) 8
oz. of bees. My hives are the eight-frame Lang-
stroth size, and 11 of them were put in winter quar-
ters with 9 frames in each, aud had bees in all
the spaces.

Eleven had s frames in each, and bees in all the spaces.

Seven had 7 " " " "

Seven had 6

Four had 5

One had 4

One had 3 " " " "

So you will see that they were not small colonies
by any means.

Now, if your illustration of the two stoves saving
all the wood will apply in wintering bees, so that, if
one cellar saves half the feed, two will save it all,
just send me another cellar, and send on your bees,
and T'll winter them for you; and if you'll remove
all the "bee bread " (sometimes called pollen) they
sha'n't have diarrhea either. It seems the height
of folly to winter outdoors when it takes, as you
say, 30 to 40 lbs., and it takes from 6 to 15 lbs. to win-
ter in a cellar or specially prepared repository-
Look at our friend H. R. Board man, whom you call
"the man who winters his bees without loss," and
justly too. He's got too much sense to winter his
hundreds of colonies outdoors. And there is the
Hon. R. L. Taylor, too, with his hundreds of colo-
nies, who has too much of that same desirable
commodity to practice outdoor wintering. And I
might name scores of large and small bee-keepers
who winter in the same way as do Messrs. Board-
man and Taylor, and with equal success; and in
this connection don't forget to include your hum-
ble servant.

I want to explain why I sometimes have so little
stores in hives for wintering. It is enough to carry
the bees through, and saves feeding sugar syr-
up, or good honey, and the honey I have on hand
I don't like to risk to winter on; but as soon as set
out in spring, the honey of poor quality can be fed
in abundance.

Another thing: I believe it is pretty generally
conceded, that an abundance of stores— that is.
more than will in all probability be needed, con-
duces to breeding; and a goodly majority who have
expressed themselves don't want their bees to com-
mence rearing brood till set out of winter quarters.
I have not been in the habit of putting bees in win-
ter quarters before about Nov. 10, and have taken
them out usually in March, or the first of April, so
Messrs. J. Nebel & Son are right when, on page 127,

they say that I " may be correct also; likely not,
from October to May."

I don't just exactly like your way of putting your
question in your closing remarks on Question 102.
You say, "Another question arises— Which is the
more profitable— colonies that require from 20 to 25
lbs. to carry them through, or those that will get
along on from 5 to 10 lbs.? Why not say, "Or those
that require from 5 to 10 lbs.," etc., instead of " that
will get along on 5 to 10 lbs." ? I have had some ex-
perience in this matter, and am satisfied, that, with
me, it is not the amount of stores consumed that
tells how profitable a colony will prove to be. Colo-
ny No. 22, whose record is in the table, a part of
which is given above, was a good average colony,
and consumed only 5 lbs. of stores, and was as good
a colony as I had in 1887. No. 13 was equally strong,
and had bl/2 lbs. more in stores, and consumed 15
lbs. of stores, and was one of the poorest colonies I
had the following season, and I could give plenty of
such contrasts from the same table. J. Nebel &
Son, above referred to, give about the same aver-
age I did, and add, " We think those numbers would
be very near an average for ours. Only one colony
consumed less than 6 lbs., and that one consumed
only 3 lbs., and was a strong colony. Said colony
did as well as any that season, 1886."

Now, friend Root, if there is any thing else you
want me to "stand up" for, just "give me the
wink " and I'll be on my feet as soon as possible.

Auburndale, Ohio. A. B. Mason.

There, there, doctor, I will own up and
apologize, and take back every thing I said.
I supposed that you were going to leave me
at least a little bit of a corner wherein to
defend myself, and argue the point. Your
array of figures, however, covering several
years as they do, reminds me of the witness,
who, when asked how far he stood from the
fight, replied, " Just 14 feet 11 inches.'1
There was a smile at his intense accuracy ;
and when asked how he came to be able to
give the figures just to an inch, he replied
that he expected that some blundering fool
of a lawyer might ask that very question,
therefore he took out his rule and measured
it. To get right down to the real facts, we
are exceedingly obliged to you ; and I do
not know but that we shall have to admit
that there is certainly a great saving in #
stores by wintering in a repository, whether
there is a saving of bees or not. It takes
some pains and care to accomplish this sav-
ing in stores, it is true. Then the question
arises, "How many of us are there who
are willing to take this pains?" or, per-
haps, '' How many can succeed as well as
you and friend Boardman do?" At present
1 prefer to have our bees on their summer
stands— at least where they winter as safe-
ly as they have been doing for years past.
Ernest may, however, conclude to adopt
some other way. He seems to have manag-
ed nicely with one colony during this past
winter, and it has been one of the mildest I
have ever known. We are glad to know,
too, that you have proved pretty conclusive-
ly that a good strong colony of bees may
winter on a very small amount of stores —
even so little as five pounds. Thank you,
doctor ; the " wink " will be forthcoming
before a great many days, you may be pret-
ty sure.

1SS!)

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

401

RATE OF PLIGHT OF BEES.

AN INTERESTING QUESTION.

fkROP. COOK'S articles on entomology are very
' interesting- to me. I believe he is doing- a
work for bee-keepers that no one else can do,
and we owe him well-deserved gratitude.
1 see that in his article on the wings of in-
sects, in Gleanings for April 1, he speaks of the
rate of flight of bees, and says, "The bee hies often
twenty miles an hour." 1 should like to have him
dwell a little more upon this special point, as it has
been a hobby of mine, and I have devoted consider-
able time during the last four seasons to experi-
ments upon this very point. I have found the aver-
age rate of flight of bees to be twelve miles per
hour, on trips of less than two miles: further than
that, about ten miles per hour. Viewed from what
data I have, I should say that the professor put the
rate of flight too high. But perhaps he meant that
bees often fly for short distances at that rate. I am
well aware that the out-going bee flies swifter than
the incoming, loaded bee, but as yet I have not been
successful in finding the difference of speed. My
experiments have been confined to flight from bait,
and of course included the round trip.

William E. Gould.
Fremont, Mich., Apr. 5, 1889.

Your rate of speed must be very low,
friend G. Prof. Cook's rate of flight, as re-
corded in his article, would seem to be rather
an under-estimate than an over-statement,
judging by the account of the experiment
below. If Mr. Saunders1 experiments were
carefully conducted, then a bee can fly, un-
der favorable conditions, 45 miles per hour
—over twice Prof. Cook's rate, and four
times yours. In experiments of this kind,
the factor of wind, if blowing, and its direc-
tion with reference to the flight of the bees,
should be taken into account. To make the
experiment accurate, the air should be per-
fectly still. Will Mr. Saunders tell us the
condition of the atmosphere at the time of
his experiment V We presume, however, it
was quiet, as it was toward evening.

ANOTHER RACE BETWEEN BEES AND CARRIEH-PIG-
EONS ; THE BEE DECLARED THE WINNER

AGAIN.

In Gleanings for March 15 are a few remarks on
bees vs. pigeons. I have some very fine carrier-
pigeons; some of them have flown 400 miles in 12
hours, and many times have my birds been liberat-
ed in New York city, and reached Gloversville at
noon, same day. In June of last year I sent to
Johnstown, which is situated about four miles, air-
line, or as a bird would fly, to Gloversville, six bees
— four drones and two workers, and six of my best
selected birds. They were all liberated at the
same time, at five o'clock sharp, in the afternoon.
The first bee arrived six minutes after five; first
pigeon, ten seconds later; second bee, eight min-
utes past; after that, pigeons and bees came in so
quickly one after the other that it was impossible
to get correct time. The bees, on being liberated,
took a perfectly straight course, as far as the eye
could follow them; the pigeons circled in the air
twice before they could see their home. This
proves that bees fly more by instinct than sight,
and pigeons by sight and observation.

I wish you would make Gleanings a weekly

journal. It is enjoyed much by us, and we are
going to have it bound and put in our library.

A. C. Saunders.
Gloversville, N. Y., Mar. 35, 1889.

The account of your experiment is ex-
tremely interesting ; especially so as it sub-
stantiates the results of a similar experi-
ment tried in Germany. From your experi-
ment it is evident that a bee can keep up
with the average passenger train, but it
would seem not with the fastest-running
train (i. e., at a speed of a mile a minute). —
Thanks for your kind words ; but if we
were to make the journal a weekly, we
could hardly illustrate or get it up in the
style we now do.

In addition to what Ernest says, I wish to
express my surprise that the bees got home
at all, after having been carried four miles.
In bee-hunting I have frequently carried
bees with the bait so far from their home
that they scattered, one in one direction and
another in another, and seemed to be entire-
ly lost as to the direction they should take,
and we did not carry them four miles either.
I should be glad to hear from others who
have had experience in bee-hunting— any
who may have made the experiment in car-
rying bees dusted with flour, or painted,
some distance from their hives, in order to
let them go back. Very likely friend S. had
his bees so well marked there was no possi-
bility of a mistake. If so, he succeeded
better than I should have expected.

A BEE-HIVE ON SCALES.

HOW IT MAY BE OF BENEFIT TO THE BEE-KEEPEK.
TABLES OF HONEY YIELDS.

fllE following excellent article from the
pen of A. E. Manum, we take plea-
sure in copying from that spicy little
journal the Bee Hive :

How many pounds of honey will a swarm of
bees gather in one day? is a question that has often
been asked. With your permission. Mr. Editor, I
will endeavor to give the public my experience,
through the columns of your practical little Bee
Hive. For fifteen years I have kept a swarm of
bees on scales in each of my apiaries, during the
summer. Not only for the purpose of knowing
how much honey a single colony can store in one
day, but to assist in determining just what the bees
are doing, from day to day, I deem it very essential
that 1 should know just how much honey is being
gathered each day, not so much for the pleasure of
having a record to refer to in the future, but to
serve as a guide by which to govern my operations
during the honey-harvest.

Those who have never kept a hive on scales can
not estimate the advantages to be derived by such
a practice. We not only have a brief record to re-
fer to in after years, but we are enabled to judge
very correctly every day what the bees are doing,
and also know, to a certainty, when the honey -flow
begins, when it is at its height, and when it is draw-
ing to a close. The amount of honey that a colony-
will gather in one day, I find to vary greatly in dif-
ferent localities. I find that apiaries located only
three miles apart vary in the amount of honey
stored in each. The condition of the weather has
much to do with the amount of honey that will be
gathered each day, as a few hours of unfavorable
weather in the middle of the day will make quite a
difference with our scale-hive record. Hence the
apiarist must take the condition of the weather in-
to account, and be governed accordingly in making
his calculations. I have observed that, in a seasou
when the atmosphere is well charged with electric-
ity, and when electric shocks are frequent, honey

402

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

will be much more abundant than when electric
shocks are less frequent.

When the lightnings flash and threaten our lives.

The bees « ill be sure to till up ! heir hives.

By the use of scales we are enabled to ascertain
the'value of the different plants from which come
our surplus. 1 deem it very essential that we
should know this, as I find there is a great variation
in the amount of nectar secreted by honey-plants in
different localities. For instance: Clover may yield
abundantly near the home apiary, when three miles
away, but little honey will be gathered from that
source, although the bees in the out-apiary may ap-
pear to be working lively; when, by consulting- the
scales, we discover that but very little is being-
stored there, when if we had no scales to indicate
to us the scarcity of honey in that vicinity, we
should be at a loss to know why the sections are
not being filled as fast at this out apiary as at home.
It is but very little trouble to prepare a scale hive.
Simply set the scales level both ways and place the
hive on them, and prevent swarming if possible;
and every morning, early, balance the scales and
record the gain, or loss, for the past twenty-four
hours. I use common cheap platform scales, that
cost but $3.50 each. It will be seen that there are
many advantages to be derived by the use of scales
in the apiary. I would not think of running an api-
ary without having a colony on scales; and if I had
twenty apiaries, I would have twenty sets of scales,
one set for each apiary. I give the records of two
seasons, to show the difference in the length of
time bees have to gather a surplus here in Vermont.

RECORD FOR 1875. RECORD FOR 1885.

Date. Lbs. Date. Lbs.

June 17 5J4 June 15 ... 1

18.... 4 16.... 2

19 .... 5 ort , i^

20.... 6 u 20--- 1 g

21.... 554 g 22.... 3 $

26 •••• r> S. 28.... lA 5

27.. ..13 5 1 a

28.... 8 29 ... 0 —

29.... 9 July 10.... 5

30.... 9 _ 11 12

July 1....12 .„ 1R

2.... 8 6 1-J.-..18

3 ... 9 g 13. ...21

*•■•■ m I 14... 27

6 ••• 2 m 15. ...30

7.'.'.'. 7 — 16 ...33i/2

8.,-K 17. ...30

9...19J4 „ ql «

10 ..18 18.... 31 o

11... 20 19.... 28 %

12 20 21) 18 S

1Q 0111/ • «U .. lo (g

14 .. 17 O 21.... 8 pq

15. ...17 % 22.. Vs

16 • -.15 g> Season closed.

17 11 03

is.... 9 m

19.... 5

20.... 4

21.... 2

22.... 0

Season closed.

It will be seen that in 1875 there were 31 days in
which there was a surplus, while in 1885 there were
but 18 days in which there was any gain, though in
1885 my surplus was all gathered in 12 days, the rest
being stored in the brood-combs. A. E. Manum.
Bristol, Vt.

There is one thing that surprises me in
the above report, and I am still more sur-
prised that neither yourself nor the editor
of the Bee Hive seems to think it any thing
remarkable. In 1875 your best yield in a
single day was 20* lbs. This is remarkable ;
but when we read that, ten years later, one
colony made 33^ lbs., in a single day, we be-
gin to think your bees must have gained
skill and wisdom, as well as yourself, dur-
ing the ten years past. May be I have for-
gotten, but I do not remember any such re-
port of one hive in one day since the time of
friend Hosmer. You must have a wonder-
ful basswood pasturage in your vicinity. I

think I might almost promise to make a
trip to Vermont to sit down beside a hive
of bees and see them " lug in " even 30 lbs.
of honey between daylight and dark. Please
tell us, will you not? something about your
wonderful basswood pasturage. I once had
a colony that made me a clean 10 lbs. on
clover during one day, and that day was
Sunday too, so I could watch them a great
part of the time— at least 1 did in those
days, years ago. In 1885, however, the
best that clover could do was 3 lbs. We hope
clover has improved with you since then.
If using white poplar for sections in your
vicinity has been the means of sparing the
basswood, you have still another reason to
thank God for white poplar. Your figures
above teach us another lesson : If basswood
is to be cut down, and no more be planted,
at the rate it is now going it will be almost
the ruin of bee culture. How much profit
would you have had during the two years
given above, without basswood? Is any-
body planting basswood orchards but my-
self? Ours is big enough now so that Er-
nest is talking of locating an apiary right
near the basswood orchard. He has bought
a pony already, to ride back and forth— so
much toward the enterprise.

DOUBLING IN TEN DAYS.

THE MERRY HUM OF SWARMING AND OF INCOMING
LADEN BEES; THE BOY BEE-KEEPER, AGAIN.

E had almost drifted out of the brotherhood
since leaving the merry hum of a hundred
colonies of golden Italians at the old home-
stead in romantic Georgia; but this season
finds us again in the ring. In addition to
our individual interests, a near neighbor with four
colonies of good Italians insisted on turning the
same, as they stood, into our hands. These bees
were in single-story Langstroth hives, and stood on
their winter stands, without having been so much
as examined this spring, when we took charge, and
one had swarmed and fled to the woods. Ten days
thereafter we had increased, without the use of
foundation, to eight colonies; and to-night, at the
end of the thirteenth day, we have here nine full
colonies and two two-frame nuclei with queens.
We have taken about 25 pounds of comb honey,
and some of the hives are literally packed with
honey to overflowing, as was one of the original
colonies when the tender comb fell down and two-
thirds of the bees were drowned in the honey. In
consequence of this disaster this colony has played
little part in our increase. To begin with, we made
an artificial swarm from one colony, giving three
frames of brood and six empty frames on the old
stand; in ten days they sent out a good swarm from
a full hive, and retained a lively young queen. Of
course, these bees had plenty of brood and workers
to commence with; but they have "got there, Eli,"
at a lively rate, and it takes our best to keep tbem
in the hives, as they have the swarming mania
worse than any thing. The " Boy Bee-keeper " is
again with the ABC class; but when it comes to a
spring run and a big honey-flow, just pass us the
cake. We think some of Bro. Root's colonies could
score 100 pounds in any ten days this spring, if he'd
just send 'em down here. Charlie R. Mitchel.
Ocala, Fla., Mar. 30, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

403

EAMBLE NO. 16.

THE RAMBLER TELLS SOME CURIOUS THINGS; US-
ING A VIOLIN TO liRING DOWN SWARMS.

fS HE inauguration of a new president, and the
I)" retirement of President Cleveland, reminds
i the Rambler of a very pleasant visit with
Mr. David Cleveland, of Pawlet, Vt., a dis-
tant relative of the ex-president. A large
transferring job was to be done; the Rambler's aid
was solicited, and iu ;i day of lively work nearly 30
swarms were changed from old box hives to the
regular Langstroth, and Bro. Cleveland was made
happy. Mr. C.'s apiary is located among the splen-
did hills where a never-failing supply of honey is
sure to be secreted. We found him to be a man on
the shady side of 60, and a mason by trade. The
usual hardships of life had given him a stooping
form and a more aged appearance than he rightly
should assume. We found that one of his crosses
was a bed-ridden daughter, who seemed to be a
counterpart of Anna Quillin. Miss Cleveland had
not been from her bed for several years. Physi-
cians said her disease was incurable; but the advo-
cates of the Faith cure gave him hope again, and,
behold, in due time she arose and walked the earth
again. All hoped that she would become perma-
nently strong; but, like the most of such cures (?)
that have come to the Rambler's notice, it was not
permanent; and after a few weeks of freedom she
was again doomed to the narrow limits of a bed.

We here first learned of the existence of a "shut-iu
society," or a society of invalids who keep up a sys-
tem of correspondence and exchanges. We were
surprised to find specimens of rare plants from the
tropics, and many things curious and instructive
from remote parts of the country. We rejoiced
with the invalid for that splendid institution, Uncle
Sam's mail-hags.

Mr. C. gave us interesting facts in relation to oth-
er bee-keepers in his vicinity; and thinking a holi-
day among them would recreate him as well as in-
terest the Rambler, later in the season we called
upon Mr. C. It was at the twilight hour, and we
found him mounting guard% A portion of his
grounds are set out to grapevines. The boys from

NIGHT VIGIL AT THE GRAPEVINES.

a neighboring village are so immoral as to steal our
friend's grapes. To protect them while ripening,
for several nights he guards thetn with shot-gun in
hand. His intentions, however, were not blood-
thirsty, as he meant only to scare the intruder.
The next day we called upon several bee-keepers,

and among the most extensive was Mr. Cross Lin-
coln, of Rupert, Vt. The first thing we noticed
about Mr. L. was his very pleasant appearance,
giving a direct contradiction to those who have
given him the name Cross. It beats all what mis-
nomers people will tack on to a fellow sometimes.
At the time of our visit, Mr. L. had nearly 300 colo-
nies, and his honey-house was filled with as nice an
exhibit of comb honey as the eye of a bee-keeper
could look upon. Here for the first and only time
in our life we saw :S000 lbs. of comb honey in half-
pound sections, all crated and ready to ship to the
Boston market. Mr. L. claimed that just as much
honey could be obtained in these small sections as
in larger ones, and that 2 cents per lb. more could
be obtained for honey in this shape. They looked
so fascinating that the Rambler wanted toget right
home and prepare to run all of his colonies for
half-pounds; but in correspondence with Mr. L.
since, our ardor is dampened somewhat by his say-
ing that he will return to the use of one-pound sec-
tions. Mr. L. combines potato-buying with bee-
keeping. The potato-trade coming in the fall and
spring, it does not interfere with the bee-business.
His bees are wintered in a small cellar. The space
is packed as full as it will hold, and the tempera-
ture must necessarily be very high. The only ven-
tilation is a tube through the cellar window.

It seems to run in the Lincoln family to keep bees.
An older brother, we believe Mr. Homer L., has the
honor to belong to the fraternity, and his combina-
tion of other business is quite novel. Besides bees
he gives his attention to fox-hunting and fiddling.
During the winter months his violin is heard upon
many a festive occasion, far and near. During the
swarming season, when the bees are upon his mind,
his violin, we are credibly informed, is used to a
great extent. It is said, that with a violin you can
strike a key-note that will vibrate down an iron
bridge. It is also said that
the walls of Jericho fell from
this striking of a key-note
between the rams' horns and
the wall. So in this case,
Mr. L. with his violin strikes
the key-note of the swarm,
and every bee drops to the
ground. It is better, howev-
er, not to bring them all
down at once. Some slow
tune like " Old Dan Tucker,"
where the key-note is often
struck, will cause them to
alight in short order; and
Mr. L. loses no swarms by
absconding, so he says. The
Rambler never saw Mr. L. do
this wonderful feat; but if striking the key-
any violinist has doubts note of a swarm.
about it, let him try it next swarming time.

After a very pleasant day, which Mr. Cleveland
also seemed to greatly enjoy, the Rambler set his
face toward the spot where the sun went down;
and after a few hours' drive he arrived at the Resi-
dence of Stephen Carpenter, the Quaker giant bee-
keeper of Granville. The Rambler.

Friend R., please have plenty of charity
for the advocates of the Faith cure. The
inspiration and excitement attendant upon
almost any thing which is novel, especially
if it arouses the interest and enthusiasm of

404

GLEANINGS LN BEE CULTURE.

May

the patient, is pretty sure to have a benefi-
cial effect. If this interest and enthusiasm
is also in a line with something good and
praiseworthy, I think the chances are much
better for success, and we should by no
manner of means ignore the fact that a lov-
ing faith in the strong arm of the Almighty
can never be a mistake. Mrs. Axtell's won-
derful recovery was the result of faith in
God, her love for the honey-bees, and a new
ambition and enthusiasm that helped her as
nothing else could, perhaps, to get out into
the sunshine and open air. If Miss Cleve-
land has not had an account of this through
Gleanings, we want you, friend 11., to see
that she does get it. — I have often heard
that a violin would shake an iron bridge,
but I never had an auricular demonstration
of the phenomenon until I heard that roar
in the Moniteau grand cavern I told you
about.

THE ITCH AND FACE MITES.

PROF. COOK TELLS US SOME IMPORTANT FACTS
ABOUT SOME "INTIMATE ACQUAINTANCES."

T AM requested by a subscriber to Gleanings to
/jjf illustrate and describe these hateful pests. As
W these detestable miners practice no nice dis-
A crimination that causes them to leave bee-
keepers out of question in their quest for
forage, every bee-keeper is interested in their
structure, natural history, and mode of life.

Mites belong- to the spider— sub-class Arachnoidea
—and so have eight legs, simple eyes, well-develop-
ed mouth-organs, but no antenna?. They belong
to the mite and tick order, Acwrina, and so area
mere sack with legs and mouth-organs appended
(see figures). That is, unlike true spiders and scor-
pions, they have really only one part to the body-
no distinct head or head-thorax. Mites are also
peculiar in having six legs at first and eight when
mature. All others of this sub-class have eight legs
from first to last.

This mite order is a very extensive one, and the
species included are very variable in their habits.
Thus we have the cheese-mite and the sugar and
flour mite, named from the substances which they
infest. These mites are mere specks, though when
very numerous they make these important food
articles quite lively. As they are small — so small
that they are usually overlooked, yet often the
sharp-eyed housewife discovers them, and is very
much disgusted; for howsoever pleased she may be
to see her flour "rise," she is not pleased to see it
walking off.

House-mites are black and red species— mere
specks— which often gather on windows and under
carpets in such prodigious numbers as to be incal-
culable. These are often seen, and I have received
inquiries regarding them many times, and from
many States. They are harmless, except for the
discomfort arising from the presence of such vital
specks in our homes. Many mites prey upon in-
sects, which they destroy. Thus we are freed by
mites from some of our worst insect-enemies. Oth-
er mites prey upon poultry, and do great mischief.
Free use of an ointment made of kerosene and
lard soon frees the poultry-house of these annoying
pests.
The red spider is another kind of njite which

works in greenhouses, and, when the atmosphere is
dry, on outdoor plants. Plenty of water sprayed
upon affected plants quickly puts these vegetable-
destroying mites to rout.

The phytoptus mites are a very minute, long,
slim, four-legged species that also attack leaves of
trees like maples, bass wood, etc. These form teat-
like galls on the top of the leaves, and were de-
scribed and illustrated by me in Gleanings two or
three years ago. So far as I have observed, they
do no very serious harm. A silver-leaf maple in
our old apiary was covered with these phytoptus
galls for years, yet the tree continued vigorous and
healthy, and made exceptionally rapid growth each
year. Wood and cattle ticks are gigantic mites that
often do serious harm, as horses are sometimes
killed by their attacks. I will illustrate and de-
scribe these jumbo mites at some future time.

The itch - mite
(Sarcoptes srahei)
as seen in Fig. 1
is very small,
really microsco-
pic, and has a
disgusting habit
of burrowing
under the skin
in the angles at
the bases of the
fingers, where it
causes disgust-
ing pustules.
The irritation
causes an itch-
ing sensation

FIG. 1. ITCH-MITE GREATLY MAG- which gives rise
NIFIED; VENTRAL VIEW. tQ tfae name

"itch," applied to the disease caused by these mi-
croscopic mites. The old name, seven-year itch,
shows how hard it was in old times to exterminate
this enemy. Nor do I need to say old times, for
within a short time a young man came into my lab-
oratory with very suspicious - looking hands. He
was a nice, neat young man too. I said, "What
ails your hands?" He ^replied, " I wish you could
tell me. I have had this trouble for four years" —
more than one-half of seven— "and have consulted
two or three physicians. Not one can tell the trou-
ble or help me." I took a scalpel, picked away a
moment at one of the pustules, placed my "find "
under the microscope, and showed him a plump
itch-mite. He was ready to dance with joy when I
told him that a little mercurial ointment, or an oint-
ment made of lard and kerosene, would at once rid
him of this plague. Isn't it a sorry compliment to
our physicians that they can not rightly diagnose
and cure this itch-plague? Or, rather, is it a com-
pliment, perhaps, to our civilization, that itch is so
scarce that our "M. D.'s" have no chance to study
the malady, and little occasion to examine and
treat it?

The face, or pimple ^JtfUfc&dC

mite, Demodex falling ^gy^p, ^^.ffl^^^^p)
larum (Pig. 3) is a long ~J~~~2~1~^.QiyQ^&

slim mite that bores

.. , . . FIG. 2. PIMPLE OR FACE

into the skin, causing M1TE GREATLY MAQNI.
pimples. This mite is nified; under side.
even smaller than the itch mite, -1,, of an inch long,
and burrows in the hair-glands. It finds a favorite
lurking-place and feeding-ground along the nose.
It has been said, that one person in every ten bar-

1889

GLEANINGS IN LEE CULTURE.

405

bors these pimple mites. They are hard to exter-
minate, but, fortunately, they do little harm except
to mar the fair face of beauty. Possibly in hum-
bling pride they may be a disguised blessing, prov-
ing Shakespeare's paradox : " Sweet are the uses of
adversity."

These two mites, if we except the old wood-ticks,
are all that attack man. In another article I will
describe the Texas cattle or pony tick, and then
speak more fully of the old wood-tick which for-
merly, before the forests were cleared away, were
far more numerous than now. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Well, I declare, friend Cook, entomology
did do good service for once, didn't it? 1
wish I could have seen your face when you
demonstrated by science the problem the
doctors could not grapple. Now, I tell you
I believe in that sort of medical education.
When we learn to chase out disease as we
would chase out rats and mice, we are at
work with a solid rock under our feet. I
am a little surprised to know that live ani-
mals really burrow in the skin of the face.
I have heard this contradicted so ably that I
had decided it was only a piece of supersti-
tion. I trust they are not very common.
How about pyrethrum for these minute an-
imals? If one had the itch, would not py-
rethrum, rubbed thoroughly into the skin,
have the effect it does on all other kinds of
insects? I have heard my father tell about
wood-ticks when he used to work in the
clearing around our log house in the wilder-
ness, and therefore I am much interested.

SUPERSEDING DRONES, AND DRONE
COMB.

DR. C. C. MILLER TELLS US SOMETHING OF SOME
SENSIBLE METHODS OF DOING IT.

TP there is no interference on the part of the bee-
|jf keeper, an unprofitable number of drones will
W be raised. It is supposed by some, that, for
"*■ the best success, each colony should be allowed
to raise some drones. I never saw any reason
given for thi*, and I suspect there is no kind of
need for any drones, except as many as a single
colony will raise, even in a good-sized apiary. Per-
haps if the matter could be fully controlled, the
best way would be to have not a single drone raised,
except in one colony, and that the best in the apia-
ry, and to raise no queens from that colony. But
with all the pains that may be taken, there are like-
ly to be drones raised in nearly every colony. Even
if you fill a hive with worker foundation, the bees
will build some drone-cells. Not many, however,
but from year to year the amount of drone comb
is likely to increase on account of the bees filling
up with drone comb any hole made by mice or in
any other way. It will pay to look this matter up
annually, and make the effort to prevent drone
comb in all but the one colony.

A good time for this is in the spring, when the
combs contain the least honey. If you find holes in
the combs you may be pretty sure that, if left to
their own sweet will, the bees will fill it with drone
comb. To prevent this, till it yourself with worker
comb or worker foundation. Take one of the combs
that has in it a good deal of drone comb, and cut it
out of the frame to patch other combs with. Then
cut the drone comb out of another frame; lay this

frame over the comb to be used for patching; mark
with your knife the shape of the hole on the under
comb, then cut out the piece and crowd it in the
hole and the bees will do the rest. If the frames
are wired it may be better to use foundation. Cut
away the cells around one side of the hole, so that
the s«ptum shall be bared about the margin for per-
haps a fourth of an inch, and press on this a patch
of foundation, preferably somewhat warm. Let me
remind you, that, if left alone, the combs will grad-
ually have a larger and larger percentage of drone
comb, and that it is not likely any hole will ever be
filled by the bees with worker comb, and that every
square inch of drone brood not only takes the place
of a larger amount of honey, but that these drones,
when hatched out, make heavy drafts on the stores
brought in by the workers. I think Cheshire has
estimated that each drone raised means the loss of
about three times its weight of honey; but I may
be wrong about this.

While you are at it, let me call your attention to
another thing to notice, as you look over the combs.
I do not remember to have ever seen it mentioned,
and it is quite possible some of the veterans may be
glad to have their attention called to it. When ex-
tracting our honey, if the emptied comb is ex-
amined there will very often be found cells a
quarter, an eighth, or even a sixteenth of an inch
deep— possibly a patch of several square inches of
such cells. They have been made in this way: In
moving the combs they have been so placed that
two sealed surfaces have been placed together, but
so far apart that, when the bees have been increas-
ing their store room, they have built cells on top of
the capping; and when the comb was taken from
the extractor, the honey still remained under the
lower surface of the capping. So far you have no-
ticed this. Now, did you ever notice that the bees
never uncap this lower capping? Even if rudimen-
tary cells have bec^n begun on top of the capping, in
which not a drop of honey has ever been put, nor
could be put— so shallow, indeed, that ordinarily it
would hardly be noticed— all the honey that is under
the capping in such a place might just as well be so
much lead so far as the bees are concerned. I put
a comb containing such honey, last fall, out in the
open air, at a time when the bees were inclined 1o
rob. Not a drop of honey was taken from it. If,
in the course of time, as much as a quarter of a
pound of honey should thus accumulate in each
comb, it would be a matter of some moment. So
whenever you see these shallow cells, punch a hole
in the bottom, which was originally the capping,
and the bees will tear out this false bottom. If t he
surface of such cells is considerable, cut away and
uncap it. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M., I have done exactly all you
mention, and have observed all you speak
of, and I believe that my conclusions were
just about the same as yours. I never saw
very'much honey left in the comb, however,
because of this intermediate capping, and
the robbers m our vicinity would certainly
have found it in time. I have known them
to chew up a comb and pack it on their legs
and carry that off too. The chaps that car-
ried off the comb, however, might not have
been positive robbers. I have seen colonies
get along apparently well, even after I had
removed every cell of drone comb ; and it

40H

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

M a v

certainly makes a very great difference in
the yield of honey, this getting rid of drones
entirely, when none are wanted.

ORNAMENTAL HIVES.

STOVER S TENEMENT HIVE, AND HOW IT
LOOKS AFTER COMPLETION.

§INCE the publication of the sketch of the ten-
ement hive, March 1, 1887, I was frequently
reminded that other bee-keepers were inter-
ested in ornamental hives, as I received let-
ters from different parts of the country,
asking- for further description. For the benefit of
other bee-keepers who have time or taste for the
ornamental part of bee-keeping, I send you a pho-
tograph of the hive. There are four colonies of
bees in it, doing well, but not any better than in
single hives. The spire is fastened with hinges,
and is used to store chaff cushions in the summer.
For :i contrast, the straw skep was placed in the
foreground while taking the picture. It was made
by my father, 64 years ago, when 19 years old. He
is still living, and also keeping bees. He has had
from two to twenty colonies since his boyhood, but
his bees are still governed by a " king."
Brookville, O., April 25, 1889. Levi Stover.

SIXTY YEARS AQO AND NOW, SIDE RY SIDE.

CELLAR WINTERING.

FRIEND DOOLITTLE THINKS DAMPNESS AND CLAY
SOILS NOT NECESSARILY DELETERIOUS.

TF this article is a little out of season, I hope the
OS: readers of Gleanings will excuse, for I feared
W that, if I did not give it now while it is fresh

**■ in my mind, it would never see light at all. I
see, on page 296, that Prof. Cook thinks that a
bee-cellar in sandy soil is better to winter bees in
than one in clay soil, and that you, Mr. Editor,
agree in the same thought. Well, this maybe so;
but I wish to say that no one need be debarred
from wintering bis bees perfectly in a cellar, even
if the soil is the worst kind of a clay. The soil
where my bee-cellar is situated is of a mixture of
clay and what we call "hard-pan," the same hold-
ing water even more tenaciously than all clay, if
possible, yet my bees have all come out in the very
best condition possible. There has been so much
moisture in the cellar the past winter that it has
stood in drops all over the roof on the inside near-
ly all the time; while on the door, which is painted,
it has run down so as to stand in puddles at the
bottom. Besides this, mold has formed about the
.sides, so that some handsome specimens have
reached the length of two inches in the center,
while the base of some of the largest patches is six
or more inches in diameter. Now, I feel almost
like asserting that dryness or dampness, ventila-
tion or no ventilation (except that which will pass
through the surrounding surface), has nothing to
do with the bees wintering well, but that the whole
thing rests on the right temperature. I can not
see bow the professor's cellar should be so cold un-
less he has a room above it.

Nov. 5th I commenced to place my bees in the
cellar, putting in a few each day till the 11th, when
all were in. A week after this, the temperature in
the cellar stood at 45°. It very gradually lowered,
till, on the middle of January, it stood at 42'4°.
Here it stood till about the middle of March, when it
gradually rose, so that, on the 10th of April, it.
stood at 45° again. On the 15th of April I com-
menced to put the bees out, putting a few out each
day when the weather outside was right, till the
24th, when all but eight were out. It now came on
rainy and cool, so that, as I write, the eight are
still in the cellar. Although we have had the mer-
cury as high as 82° in the shade during this month,
and I have had the doors open to a certain extent
while carrying the bees out, still the thermometer
has not been above 45° in the cellar after the same
had been closed an hour after setting bees out. I
have just been to the cellar, and find all just as I
have described above, with the bees in the eight
hives still remaining as quiet as they were last De-
cember, and occupying from five to eight ranges
between the combs. In one colony, nearly a pint
of bees hang below the combs; and after watching
them quite a while I failed to see one of them stir
a single bit till I breathed on them, when they
readily told me that they were all alive. As these
colonies that are still in the cellar are those that
were set in first, it will be seen that, when five
more days pass by, it will be just six months since
they saw the light of day; and yet if damp and
moisture are detrimental to bees wintering, and if
they can not winter without special ventilation,
they should have been dead long ago. An exam-
ination of those set out of the cellar shows thaj

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

407

they have not consumed half of their stores, and al-
so that scarcely a bit of brood has been reared, al-
though all colonies have a few eggs when first
brought out. One or two had some hatching
brood, but so far I have found no larva in a single
hive. Some of the colonies first set out now have
brood in all stages possible for the length of time
they have been out, being fully up to the best colo-
nies wintered outdoors along this line; and I sus-
pect that those that are in the cellar would have
been better off had they been set out when the
first were, yet I can tell better about this when the
basswood comes to blossom.

While Prof. Cook reports that he has had to keep
an oil-stove in bis cellar to keep it warm enough, I
see many reports where the unusually mild winter
has caused bees in cellars to become uneasy and
winter poorly, besides making the owner a " thou-
sand sight "of work opening windows and doors
nights to keep the temperature down. The profess-
or speaks of my loss when using an oil-stove as if
he does not know how to account for it. Well, the
difference was, that, while he maintained the tem-
perature in his cellar at 40° as near as might be, I
kept mine that season at 50° and above. Some
have claimed that the oil-stove caused the trouble
with me, but I have always claimed that it was the
high temperature.

I now wish to say a word or two in regard to hi-
bernation. As all will see by what I have written
above, my bees that were in the cellar " hibernat-
ed "the past winter, if bees ever do such a thing,
and that they are at it yet as much as they have been
at any time, in the case of the eight colonies now
in the cellar.

Well, some of the hives placed in the cellar were
chaff hives, and in one or two of these hives those
large black ants, which have been seen by nearly
all in old partially decayed trees had made a home
during the past season. One of the hives infested
with these ants chanced to go into the cellar, from
which I had laken the sawdust cushion, and I look-
ed at the bees at least half a dozen times during
the winter, I not knowing that there were any ants
in the hive, or, rather, in the chaff packing. On the
18th of April I noticed that these ants were out
around the hives that were outdoors, which were
the first I had seen for the season. On the eve-
ning of the 30th I went into the cellar to fix for
carrying more bees out the next day, and I heard a
continual " zeep, zeep, " from the bees in a certain
part of the cellar, which was something I had nev-
er heard before in that place. By listening I soon
found the hive it came from, and upon raising the
sawdust cushion I saw twenty or more of those
large ants, with their heads under the quilt over
the bees, trying to catch hold of the bees which
were uttering these notes, and trying to drive the
ants away. Now, the question is, as the tempera-
ture of the cellar had not changed in the least for
several days previous, and but very little during
the whole winter, how did these ants know when to
wake up at the same time those did which were
outdoors, and why were the bees in all of the other
hives as quiet as they ever were, being so still in
the eight hives which remain? All know that I do
not believe that bees hibernate, while I know that
this species of ants do; yet it would seem that the
temperature has little to do with the hibernation of
these insects, while it has all to do with the quiet-
ude of the bees. Who can tell us more about this

strange suspension of life, and the power of taking
it up again at will ? G. M. Doolitti,k.

Borodino, N. Y., Apr. 30, 1889.

In regard to the ants, friend D., I hav?,
seen them frequently in their dormant
state ; but they always came out of it when
the temperature was raised sufficiently. I
do not know whether disturbing ever rous-
ed them up without lowering the tempera-
ture or not. Perhaps Prof. Cook can tell us.
Now, bees at a certain temperature, where
they have rest and quiet, assume a state ap-
parently much like that of the ants; but
they are roused by a jar, or even by breath-
ing on them, as you mention, and that, too,
without any change in the temperature.
Another thing, the ants, while in their dor-
mant state, consume no food at all — at least
I suppose they do not, and I presume they
may remain in that dormant state for six
months— may be longer. So far as I know,
bees consume food— at least it is my im-
pression they go to the stores and till up
once in, say, three or four days. To tell the
truth, however, I do not know very much
about it positively. Who does V When a
bee is once tilled with honey, how long can
it live if the temperature remains favora-
ble ?

^ ■ -^—

MRS. HARRISON'S LETTER.

BEE CULTURE IN DENMARK.

fOR a fortnight past I have been visiting some
nephews and nieces, lately bereft, in the vil-
lage of Granville, 111. While there I visited
Peter Dahl, a Danish bee-keeper, born on the
island of Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea. This
island is about thirty miles long, and from sixteen
to eighteen miles wide. It furnished us a number
of hardy soldiers during the rebellion, among them
the subject of this sketch. In answer to my inqui-
ries, with reference to bee-keeping on his native
heath, he said there were no bees kept in towns and
villages when he lived there, but all the farmers
had some, with very few exceptions— hardly any
but that had bees. The house, stable, and out-
buildings were all built around a square, and this
yard was paved with stones. These farm-build-
ings were so constructed, being built of stone
and long rye straw, pounded down and covered
with pitch, as to last for hundreds of years. On
each side of the door that opened into this paved
yard were two benches for bee-hives, right under
the windows. There was a stone fence built around
these benches. When the bees swarmed they were
put into a straw skep and placed upon the bench.
Then they were plastered around the bottom with
mortar made of clay, leaving only a very small en-
trance for the bees. This was done to keep out a
beetle with two pincers, and had a tail. Mr. Dahl
has never seen any in this country, and does not
know what harm these creatures did to the bees or
honey; but the plastering was done to keep them
out. In the fall the hives were all lifted, and the
very heavy and light ones taken up, while the me-
dium ones were preserved for another year; never
more than four were kept over. There was no ar-
rangement for securing surplus, and no comb hon-
ey was used. The honey was pressed out; and if
any was sold it was by quart measure.
Bees gathered honey from the bloom of apples

40S

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

and pears, which did well there; from white and
red clover, flax, mustard, and heather. There
was a sandy tract in the center of the island, which
belonged to the king, and here is where the heather
grew, sind every family was allowed one load of it
to kindle fires.

Mr. Dahl showed me a bee-book in the Danish
language, but all I could interpret was occasionally
the name of Dzierzon. He says he knows one per-
son on the island who now uses frame hives.

Peoria, 111. Mrs. L. Harrison.
^ — ■♦ — ^

MRS. HILTON'S LETTER

( U.1FORNIA, AND SOME THINGS IN GLEANINGS.

T FELT sure that you would not feel satisfied with
,a|? the short visit that you made to our beautiful
W laud, so I was not surprised to read that you
"*■ were coming again. You would have enjoyed
a visit with Uncle James Gilchrist, at Monteci-
to. 1 know 1 did when we were at his place, and
may be we then can have the pleasure of seeing
you and your wife. I did not expect you on this
last trip, for I felt that you would have to be more
than mortal to see half you ought to in the short
time you allowed yourself. Don't leave Huber be-
hind when you come. When Mr. H. read that piece
where you quote "Beulah Land," I had to smile,
for that is what 1 sing when upon a mountain. It is
so appropriate, I find myself singing it before I
think. I do not see how that man killed those tar-
antulas with chloroform, for I tried my best one
time to dispose of one so as to have a fine dead
specimen. J put a tumbler over it, wet a large
piece of cloth with good chloroform, and shoved it
under the tumbler with a knife, and left it all night.
The next morning Mr. T. was as lively as ever.
Then I wet the cloth three or four times during the
day, but it would not give up, so I had to kill it an-
other way.

Did you ever have your credit too good? Ours is,
or was this spring, any way. We wrote to a dealer
in San Francisco to know if there were any sweet
potatoes in market, and at what price, as we want-
ed 1U0 ibs. for seed. In a week our station agent in-
formed us that there was a sack of sweets at the
depot, waiting for us. Now, we had been sold once
before on sweet potatoes by having them shipped
in a sack, after paying a fancy price for them,
and we did not have any hot-bed ready for them; so
imagine our feelings. Of course, they were badly
bruised and rotting; so if we get 100 plants under
the circumstances, we shall think we are lucky.
The dealer thought he was doing us a favor to send
them immediately, and we shall not let him know
any thing to the contrary. But what I want to
make out after this long preamble is, don't ship
sweet potatoes in any thing that they will get bruis-
ed in, or customers will pay dear for their seed.
We enjoy the agricultural department of Glean-
ings very much, also Rambler's letters, and— but,
what is the use of specifying, for we read the whole
thing from beginning to end, and think each one
better than the other? Of course, you know by the
large list of subscribers that you furnish a good
article; but may be you are like our minister. I
thanked him for the excellent sermon he save us
last Sunday. He looked at me in surprise a mo-
ment, and then said, after drawing a long breath,
" Did you like it? Well, I am like one of our bish-
ops. He said he bad to have a word of praise once

in a while, to keep going." I had to laugh a little,
as it is hardly decorous to clap our hands in the
Lord's house when the minister gives a good
thought. I have always felt that we should give a
word of praise after the sermon. But I, as well as
others, am something like the little girl that was
chided by her mamma for not saying " thank you "
for something she had received. She said, " I did
say thank you." "Why, no, my child; I did not
hear you." " Well, I said it, any way, down in my
heart." Mrs. J. Hilton.

Los Alamos, Cal., April 11, 1889.

Yes, Mrs. H., we have had considerable
of such experience as you mention, with the
sweet potatoes. Where a dealer is over-
stocked, and very anxious to get rid of his
stuff, he sometimes ships it to parties who
simply make inquiries. He should, how-
ever, always state that the goods are sent
on approval, and if, in so doing, any thing
is not perfectly satisfactory, he will make it
so. I think you should have told him just
the state of affairs, and let him bear at least
a part of the loss. We have sometimes
sent goods in that way, when customers
mentioned that they were greatly in need
of them ; but where goods are sent without
a positive order it very often makes trouble.
—I think your minister is exactly right in
the point he makes. It is words of encour-
agement that stimulate us to try still hard-
er in speaking or writing ; and without that,
I doubt if anybody could do his best.
When the work is in the line of bringing
souls to Christ, kind words act like inspira-
tion. I am glad you like " Beulah Land."

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

HUMBUGS AND SWINDLES.

fHE Golden bee-hive man took in this county
last winter, and sold the right to two gentle-
men for $100, who, hearing I was interested
in bees, came to see me. It was a terrible
old box. I told them I should like to have
some to set hens in. They had a lot of circulars
and testimonials, among others one from Prof. A.
J. Cook, saying he had taken, if I remember right,
200 lbs of honey from a Golden hive, which I told
him I did not believe. Of course, I did not blame
these gentlemen. They were persuaded to buy the
right, and knew nothing of bee culture or bee-
hives. I think they told me they had never seen a
bee-journal. I gave them the names of several.
The man who duped them was a Tennessean. I
have forgotten his name. A. R Killingsworth.
Red Lick, Miss., April 16, 1889.

Friend K., if you will look in Glean-
ings for Sept. 15, 1888, p. 693, you will find
that we published an extract from the cir-
cular you mention ; and at a later date, see
page 767, Oct. 1, 1888, you will notice Prof.
Cook's statement that he never used the
(Jolden hive, and never wrote any such
statement. It is a point-blank forgery, and
the men who go around distributing such
circulars should be arrested. I hope you
will show them the numbers of Gleanings
that I have referred to, as well as this one.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

409

We will send them wherever you direct,
free of charge.

C. C. MILLER DISCOURSES FURTHER ON THAT HIVE-
STAND ; A CORRECTION.

I'm sorry the picture in May 1st Gleanings
shows the bottom-boards of my stands projecting.
I'm not good at making pictures, and didn't know
how else to show where the boards were. But there
is no need of my stands projecting beyond the hive,
and, as a matter of fact, they do not. Sand or saw-
dust closes up every thing about your stands, and
that feature I like. I know no reason why it could
not be applied just as well to mine, and then I don't
know of any advantage yours has, while mine has
the advantage that the stands can be more cheaply
made, leveled in less than half the time (because
double), and will stay level better; and if a board
rots it can be replaced separately without renewing
the whole stand. As a matter of magnanimity on
my part, however, I'll let you continue to use yours.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

Bees have wintered well in thisl'section. There
will be a good deal of Japanese buckwheat raised
here this year, as the test last season was so favor-
able. I think its introduction worth an immense
sum of money to the country, if it does as well in
the future as it promises so far. I raised 21 bushels
from the peck I got of you last year, on poor
ground, and one of my neighbors raised 81 bushels
from the same amount bought of you.

Volney White.

Findley's Lake, N. Y., April 29, 1889.

HOW BEES GATHER POLLEN.

Under the head <of " Pollen," in your ABC book,
you say the bee "sweeps] his tongue among the
grains of pollen." I have peeped around them,
and spied about them and under them till my neck
was tired, but I have never seen him " sweep his
tongue " yet. Last spring I mixed meal and flour,
and put it into a shallow box, as a substitute for
pollen. One day in passing by I observed a bee in
the bottom of the box, digging away with his fore
legs among the meal that had gathered in the top.
Holding my breath that 1 might 'peep closer, I dis-
covered that, with his front legs, he flirted the fine
meal or flour among those bristles, hairs, or feath-
ers, on his chest. When he has sufficient, he rises
on the wing and then "sweeps his tongue among
the grains of pollen," places it on his hind legs, and
is ready to get another batch. When gathering
from flowers he does the same way. The bumble-
bee gathers the same way, except that he sings
while flirting the pollen among his feathers.

Smithville, Mo., April 18, 1889. J. M. Aker.

I confess, my friend, that I never could
get a bee to work slowly enough so that I
could be satisfied just exactly as to how he
did it. Where they work on meal, however,
I am quite certain that the tongue furnish-
es diluted honey, or something equivalent,
to enable the bee to pack meal like dough,
and thus form pollen masses. Its tongue is
certainly a very important tool; but I am not
even now satisfied what office it performs.

combs be built in solid." Now, that is just the
hive I am using, not from choice, but from necessi-
ty. There are some difficulties which, if I can not
overcome, will compel me to buy a saw and make
frame hives.

How can I prevent swarming, especially after-
swarms? I wish friend Hetherington would give
us a few dots on that line. How about finding out
the condition of the hive as to stores, brood, queen-
cells, etc.? It seems that they are much more lia-
ble to leave the hive after they are hived thau if
they had a frame of brood or even frames with start-
ers. 1 think it would be a good idea to make the
inside of the chaff hive of the thick paper used
sometimes for ceiling houses, but without the var-
nish which is put on it. That would give porosity,
ventilation, lightness, and warmth.

Cuthbert, Ga , Apr. 6, issy. L. A. Duggan.

Friend D., you can not very well prevent
swarming absolutely, even with movable-
comb hives ; but if your boxes are shallow
enough you can, by holding them up to the
light, see the queen-cells, and cut them out
with a long slim-bladed knife from either
one side or the other. You can also, in the
same way, judge of the stores. If they
need feeding, instead of giving them an ex-
tra comb give them an extra section of
combs. You might, with some trouble,
give them unsealed brood, to keep them
from absconding. Very likely, thick paper
or straw-board would answer nicely for the
inside of chaff hives.

THAT ORANGE-BLOSSOM HONEY.

Your kind nocice of our orange-blossom honey is
very greatly appreciated. We have sold about 20
gallons of it, and have left about that amount on
hand. We receive for it here, in five-gallon cans,
10 cents per lb. We got about 40 gallons, same as
sample, and have taken since (on Saturday, April 20)
15 gallons, a shade darker, mostly from a laurel
bush. The next extracting will be from that also;
then palmetto and basswood come together so
close I fear we shall be unable to separate them as
distinctly as I should desire. I will send you a sam-
ple whenever I get any that will be worthy of it.

Altoona, Fla., Apr. 22, 1889. John Craycrakt.

HIVES WITH MOVABLE COMBS OR NOT.

Friend Boot:— In commenting on Question 117 you
say, "A few have been bold enough to say there is
no particular need that wo should have frames at
all— just have a shallow brood-chamber, and let the

BEE-STINGS A CURE FOR RHEUMATISM.

Last summer I began bee-keeping, and up till
then I had been troubled with rheumatic pains; but
during the time I was stung by bees I never felt
any pain from rheumatism. The poison from the
stings seemed to cure the complaint. Do you
think there is any thing in it? F. Brown.

Uttoxeter, England, Mar. 20, 1889.

It has been pretty well demonstrated that
rheumatic pains do give way, at least to
some extent, when the sufferer is stung fre-
quently by the bees. It just now occurs to
me, however, that taking a good sweat
every day in the open air, out in the sun-
shine, might of itself have a beneficial ef-
fect on the rheumatism. We have plenty
of instances where people have been greatly
improved in health by taking up bee-keep-
ing or gardening, or any other like out-
door pursuit ; but I do not now remember
that we have had positive proof that the
patient would have been relieved by sitting
in his room and having the bees brought to
him so as to give him a sting, say half a

410

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

dozen times a day. Perhaps it would be
well to commence with one sting a day,
and then give him more as he could bear it.
I should be very glad indeed to know that
the latter plan has succeeded, but I am
quite anxious that sunshine and outdoor
exercise have their full due. When the
days are so warm that 1 get real sweaty out
in the fields, my aches and paios and ner-
vousness almost invariably give way more
or less, so I believe in living outdoors a good
deal.

VEI.LOW .jessamine; a case of honey-poison-
ing, AGAIN.

Inclosed you will find a clipping from our county
paper, thai may be of some interest to you. 1 am
not acquainted with any of the parties, but I have
no doubt of the correctness of the statement.
Whether the death was caused by the poison of
honey may be questioned. J. C. Grayson.

Wyloe, Ark., April 10, 1889.

A SAD DEATH

Mr. and Mrs. Birchfleld, with their 5 or H children,
had a bee-tree cutting near here last Saturday
evening. They all ate of the honey except one
child, and were all soon attacked with blind dizzi-
ness, and went to the house. Maud, their little 12-
year-old daughter, was taken very ill, and died in a
few minutes. The rest of the family soon recover-
ed and are now safe. Jessamine poison is suppos-
ed to be the cause. The bereaved family have the
heartfelt sympathies of the Locust Bayou vicinity.

J. W. Hollis.

Locust Bayou, Ark., April :.', 1889.

Friend G., I wish you would give us the
full facts in this matter. If you will go and
visit the family, and find out all you can
about it, I will pay you for your time and
expense.

CAN A QUEEN HATCH IN 11 DAYS FROM THE EGG?

1 inclose a circular from Mr. Wallace, of Clayton,
III., containing a statement that queens may hatch
in 11 days from the egg. The statement I call in
question, reads as follows:

One very curious freak in nature is, that the egg
laid to hatch a worker bee can be changed to a
queen, and be made to hatch in elrvai days: but if
to hatch a worker it would take twenty -two days.

In fact, at the convention at Clayton last October
he claimed to usually get queens in 11 days, but he
failed to convince either my friend Spencer or my-
self that the bees started his cells from eggs. All
the books I have examined on queen-raising state
the time as 16 days. Are there any exceptions ex-
ceeding, say, two days either more or lees than the
16 days given as the usual time? Mr. Wallace cer-
tainly has some very nice-colored bees, and very
gentle ones; but we could not tell anything about
their working qualities, for in his region there was
no crop of honey last season, nor for one or two
previous ones. Daniel E. Bobbins.

Payson, 111., April 5, 1889.

I think you are correct ; in fact, any text-
book on bee culture should settle this mat-
ter. The queen may possibly hatch 15 days
from the egg ; but as a rule it is fully 16.
Your friend, without doubt, gave the bees
both eggs and larva?, and the queens were
hatched from larva? which was five or six
days old.

WHAT MAKES BEES DWINDLE?

About a week ago a cold northeast wind brought
a couple of chilly days. On the coldest of these
flays we were away from home. Throughout the

day the sun either shone hazily or was thinly
clouded. When we got home we found bees in the
water-tubs, bees in the chicken-troughs, bees in the
buttermilk, bees in the grass, bees on the walks,
bees on the pump, bees everywhere, benumbed, and
unable to get home. That is what I find always
dwindles bees— chilly, cloudy, damp weather. Of
course, bees that are least healthy and rugged are
least able to stand such weather, and, of course,
the colony that is situated and packed so as to be
dryest and warmest will be the healthiest. High-
pressure methods of stimulation, very early in the
spring, also drive bees out to perish, often tearing
down faster than building up. Geo. F. Bobbins.
Mechanicsburg, 111., April 19, 1889.

I think, friend R., that you are exactly
right in the matter; and we should endeav-
or to have the bees stay in their hives dur-
ing such weather, if there is any way to
manage it.

HART'S HIVE-CART.

Jn moving hives, both single and double, I have
often w ished for some means of moving other than
by hand. It has occurred to me several times that
a two-wheeled skeleton barrow would fill the bill,
the axle being cranked as shown in the accompany-
ing drawing. From the cross-bar, two pieces of
stiff wire or light iron rods could be hung, as shown
on each side. To pick up a hive it would be neces-
sary only to run the machine up to the back or front
of the hive, and tilt the handles up until the hooks
are on a level with the ground. Now slip the hook-
ed wires under the floor-board of the hive. When

the machine is brought level, the hive will be lifted
from the ground and will swing level into place,
and could be easily moved anywhere, with this ad-
vantage—that one person could easily move either
a two or three stor3r hive, and it could also be easily
adapted to weigh the hives, and also for an ordina-
ry wheelbarrow by laying boards across.

There, friends, you who have to move your hives
in and out of winter quarters, I think you will be
glad if you could develop the idea into shape.

Avery, Iberia Par., La. H. F. Hart.

I judge from your description, friend H.,
that you have not yet made such a cart, and
I think the principal trouble would be that
a hive would swing on the bearings above,
like a pendulum. It is true, this could be
stopped by fastening two of the arms to the
adjoining shafts; but then they would not
have the feature to take up and let down
the hive. If some device could be fixed,
either to let them swing or fasten them rig-
idly, quickly and simply, it might answer a
very good purpose.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

411

0a^ QaEgJFi0js[.B0&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 124.— Upon what do you Mve a swarm—
foundation, empty frames, or what?

Foundation or combs. Geo. Grimm.

Usually on foundation. O. O. Poppleton.

Empty frames, and contract. A. J. Cook.

Combs, if I have them; if not, foundation.

C. C. Miller.

Upon full sheets of foundation in wired frames.

James A. Green.

If you make a swarm without brood, foundation

is better than empty frames. P. H. Elwood.

I use frames filled with foundation or empty
comb, but never empty frames. L. C. Root.

On frames with wired foundation, always putting
one frame of brood and one of honey.

P. L. VlALLON.

Sometimes upon foundation, sometimes upon
comb, sometimes upon empty frames.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

Principally on foundation, except when I am
overstocked with brood-combs that need protec-
tion; then I use combs. R. Wilkin.

Upon empty combs, if I have them; and if not,
upon foundation; and if I should have none of the
latter, then upon empty frames. C. F. Muth.

Full frames of foundation, to avoid the building'
of drone comb, or full frames of worker comb (in
preference) when we have them. Dadant & Son.

Empty combs, if I have a supply; or if not
enough, use some foundation; and if no combs,
use full sheets of wired foundation, made by my-
self on a Given press. A. B. Mason.

Empty frames, with 2 inches of foundation in
each frame; give them one or two frames filled
with brood in all stages of development. We hive
but very few natural swarms. We make nearly all
our increase by divisions. E. France.

Six Gallup frames filled with comb, as a rule, with
sections from the parent colony placed over them.
Otherwise I use five frames having foundation
starters in them, the sections placed over the
swarm as before. G. M. Doolittle.

Upon empty combs, if I have them; if not, upon
full sheets of foundation, every time. It has been
many years since I have hived a colony in empty
frames or frames with guides, except some for ex-
periment. James Heddon.

Upon good combs, if I have them, if early in the
season, and honey is coming in too slowly to secure
any surplus; upon empty frames after the bees
have commenced storing suplus and building new
comb; not any more upon full sheets of foundation
at any time. H. R. Boardman.

I prefer five frames of comb and two empty
frames— putting the latter near the center, but not
both together. As second choice, I use one frame
of comb in the center and six frames with starters
of foundation in them. If my bees would make

foundation as readily as they make comb I would
have them make it for sale, instead of buying it for
them. For cool weather and a small swarm, I use,
of course, a less number of frames than seven.

E. E. Hasty.
I rather expected some of the brethren to
recommend hiving bees on empty frames,
according to the plan recommended by
Hutchinson, in his book on comb honey;
but not even Heddon makes a suggestion in
that direction. Neither does Doolittle ; but
friend Boardman rather hints that way, and
Prof. Cook may have it in mind, but his an-
swer is too brief for us to be very sure.

Question 135. — Does Hie swarming impulse come
from the queen or workers?

A. B. Mason.

O. O. Poppleton.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

P. H. Elwood.

I guess so.

I don't know.

From the workers.

From both, I think.

It comes from the workers, in my judgment.

James Heddon.

Probably from the dissatisfaction experienced by
both. Dadant & Son.

I do not know. Who does? I think, from the
workers. James A. Green.

From the workers, but is instigated by the queen
or queens. H. R. Boardman.

I do not know, but I guess, as in all well-regulat-
ed families, there is an agreement. A. J. Cook.

I think from the workers; and possibly from the
fact that there is no one watching them.

Geo. Grimm.

First natural swarm, from the workers; second,
or after-swarms, with virgin queen, from the
queen. P. L. Viallon.

I guess both, and perhaps the drones too. I nev-
er knew any of them to be " backward in coming
forward." L. C. Root.

I think the impulse is simultaneous; just as the
bees keep cells prepared for eggs as fast as the
queen needs them, each inspires the other.

R. Wilkin.

It is hard to tell; but I never knew a swarm to
come oft unless there was a queen in the hive. But
I have known them to swarm when the queen was
caged in the hive. The bees returned to the hive.

E. France.

If blossoms yield, and bees are short of room to
store honey, then the queen generally becomes also
cramped for the want of cells to deposit her eggs.
In such case (and they are in the majority) the
workers start the swarming impulse, aud the queen
is among the last to leave the hive. C. F. Muth.

From the whole colony, in obedience to the com-
mand of the Creator, who said, "Go forth, multiply,
and replenish the earth." All hands are interested
in this matter when the time of swarming arrives,
and work in harmony with nature's laws to accom-
plish the object whereunto they were sent.

G. M. Doolittle.

I don't know. Workers without a queen will nev-
er start the swarming fever, but that does not
prove that the queen does. I once had a swarm
issue whose queen I had taken an hour or more be-
fore, so that the presence of a queen is not neces-

412

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

sary at the immediate time of swarming'; and what-
ever originates the swarming fever, T feel pretty
sure the workers can have it. C. C. Milller.

The swarming impulse is the general restlessness
of prosperity and enterprise, and the consciousness
of powers within which are not being fully occu-
pied. It affects both queen and workers— some-
times the queen the most, sometimes the workers
the most. In proof of this we have the following
facts: In a weak nucleus, during hot weather the
queen often swarms out when no bees will follow
her. She flies around for awhile, and then goes
back— or very often intentionally enters some other
hive. On the other hand, a prime swarm, when it
first comes out, often goes back without clustering,
but comes out and clusters all right next day.
There is probably more than one cause for this;
but I think it sometimes is because the queen, in
the first instance, would not come out. That is to
say, she had plenty of room to lay, and had no
gravel in her shoe at all, and saw no reason for
swarming. After-swarming is evidently caused
mainly by the endless row the young queen kicks
up because she is not allowed to destroy her rivals.

E. E. Hasty.

I presume that many of the friends will
remember that I have, in the A B C book,
mentioned an instance where a queen de-
serted an artificial colony and went to her
old home, taking all the bees with her. In
that case the queen certainly started the
work, and took the bees along with her.
Other facts, however, seem to indicate just
as strongly that the matter was all in the
hands of the worker-bees ; so I am inclined
to think that it is sometimes by mutual
agreement ; at other times, by the queen
alone, and still other times by the bees
alone.

Question 126.— What are thr necessary conditions
tn induce swarming?

Warm weather, and honey, or honey prospects.
Mrs. L. Harrison.
Abundance of bees, scarcity of room, a generous
How of honey, and fair weather. R. Wii.kin.

A slight flow of honey, if the colony is strong, has
some drones and plenty of brood.

Paul L. Viallon.

Discontent, extreme discontent. There, I believe
that covers the ground, if I understand the ques-
tion. H. R. Boardman.

With a well-filled brood-nest at the swarming sea-
son, a prime swarm usually issues the first pleasant
day after a queen-cell is sealed over.

P. H. Elwood.

A colony of sufficient strength, and an assurance
that the flowers will give the swarm something to
subsist on till combs can be built, and stored with
honey. G. M. Doolittle.

Usually a strong colony of bees, combs filled with
brood, no room for the queen to lay. So far as my
experience goes, bees seldom swarm unless there is
a good flow of honey. E. France.

A prolific queen in a hive too small to allow her
to use her whole laying capacity, and a crop of hon-
ey which crowds her even more. The smaller the
hive the more numerous the swarms.

Dadant & Son.

I don't know. A full strong colony and a honey-
harvest certainly tend to do it. There may be oth-
er causes. A. J. Cook.

A populous colony, scanty ventilation, and lack
of room for the bees to store honey, and for the
queen to deposit eggs. L. C. Root.

Ordinarily strength of colony and a moderate
flow of honey. But sometimes no conditions are
necessary— they'll swarm any way. Geo. Grimm.

A hive full of bees, warm weather, a good honey-
flow, and lack of room to store honey or raise
brood, are conditions which induce swarming; but
bees will sometimes swarm in the absence of any
one or two of these, and perhaps lacking them all.

James A. Green.

The necessary conditions are different with dif-
ferent colonies. Sometimes swarming occurs when
there is plenty of room for the bees, brood, and
honey. Sometimes it will not occur, even when the
hive is crowded with bees, brood, and honey. Usu-
ally a crowded condition of the colony, fair weath-
er, and a flow of honey, will induce swarming.

A. B. Mason.

I'd give a good deal to know. I think some of the
necessary conditions are, abundance of bees— at
least for a prime swarm. When I commenced I
supposed I could reel off several, but I confess I'm
not sure of another one, and I feel just a little
shaky about that one. Heat, lack of room, etc.,
may induce swarming; but they are not necessary.
T know even less about it than I supposed I did.

C. C. Mieeer.

The flowers yielding nectar, and a crowded con-
dition in the hive; crowded for the want of room to
store or to breed, or both; the instinct of propaga-
tion. The above are the ordinary inducements to
swarming. But there are extraordinary induce-
ments, such as the hatching of several young
queens when the old one is superseded. In such
case a swarm may issue at any time.

Chas. F. Muth.

The conditions which induce swarming may be
divided into two classes, which may, though per-
haps incorrectly, be dubbed as natural and artifi-
cial. The natural causes of swarming are, season,
suitable temperature, proper honey-flow, strength
of the bees, and the general animal impulse to mul-
tiply the species. The artificial causes, if we may
call them so, are lack of room, excessive heat, and
a quarrel among a new batch of queens.

James Heddon.

The absolutely necessary conditions are few —
probably only one— a turgid condition of the vessels
in the bee anatomy in which are stored the supplies
for future brood-rearing. Abundance of food is usu-
ally a condition; but sometimes bees will certain-
ly swarm when, as Mrs. Chaddock expresses it, they
have scarcely three days' rations ahead. Crowding
is usually a condition; but my colony that inhabit-
ed a hole in the ground, twice as big as they could
occupy, swarmed like other bees, to my great dis-
gust. If what is wanted is practical directions for
making a reluctant colony swarm, I should say,
crowd them, boom them by giving them sealed
brood from other colomes, stir them up by looking
them over every day or two, annoy them by de-
stroying their drone brood. A proper combination
of these stimulants will make almost any colony
swarm, I think. It is worth remembering, that

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

418

the non-swarming bees that we occasionally hear of
are mostly bees that have been totally let alone for
years. E. E. Hasty.

I expected friend Hasty to say that they
swarmed because they got the swarming
mania, even when buried in the ground. I
do not believe that I exactly agree with
friend Boardman when he says extreme dis-
content. If ever a bee is happy it is when
there is a great abundance of honey and pol-
len coming in ; and I think they are happy
when they get the swarming mania. They
seem to behave a good deal as the younger
ones do during a Fourth-of-July parade.
They are full of enthusiasm and patriotism,
even if they are not big enough to know
what it all means. If friend Boardman
means that they are getting too happy and
too important to remain longer in cramped-
up quarters, then I think I agree with him.

^EP6IW$ ENC©0^6IN6.

FROM 37 TO 60, AND 1600 LBS. OF HONEY.

(T UNE 1, 1888, I had 37 stands in Simplicity hives,
_ ijp all in very good condition. I secured 1600 lbs.
«|l of honey in 1-lb. sections; average, 43 lbs. to
^ the colony. The season was a poor one. I in-
creased to 60 stands; these I put in the cellar
about the middle of November. I took them out
April Oth to 11th. All are in splendid condition, ex-
cept one that had no bees in it. I think they had
lost their queen and went into the hive by the side
of it. My last year's crop of honey has all been dis-
posed of except about 200 pounds. I got lf> to 2u
cents per pound. C. Abraham.

Fayette, Wis., April 27, 1889.

HONEY COMING IN FAST.

Bees are doing fine. Pollen has been coming in
steadily since March 15 (except on rainy days), and
the honey is coming in so fast to-day that it can be
plainly smelled at the entrance. Box-elder and
willow are in bloom now. We use chaff hives. We
will not remove the chaff from above the bees till
fruit-bloom, which is in about a week. Do you
think 100 drones are sufficient for queen-rearing?
We have about that many pure ones, and there are
no blacks out yet. S. P. Trego.

Swedona, 111., April 32, 1889.

It depends altogether on how many hives
of bees you have. If there are no other
drones in an apiary of, say, 100 colonies, I
should think that 100 drones might answer.

NO LOSS.

Our bees wintered well, no loss. Through the fa-
vor of a kind Providence we have never lost a colo-
ny yet. I have been an A B C scholar for about
three years; commenced with one old hive. T now
have eight in Root's chaff hives. I winter on sum-
mer stands. John Langley.

Widnoon, Pa., April 25, 1889.

I never saw a finer yield or nicer honey than or-
ange honey this season. I have 15 gallons from
three hives. J. W. Shearer.

Micanopy, Fla., April 18, 1889.

Bees wintered well in cellar, and are now strong
and healthy. 1 lost one out of forty colonies.
Falls City, Neb. Geo. W. Schock.

Every boy or girl, under 16 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive
one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from SI. 00 to SI. 50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off, Silver Keys, The (iiant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the ahove
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

THE PECAN-NUT OF TEXAS.

I have not finished up the pecans. The pecan is
divided in halves like the hickory-nuts that grow in
Ohio. There is a hickory-nut in Southern Texas
not like that of Ohio. A pecan-tree raises a differ-
ent pecan from that of its neighboring tree, either
rounder, longer, or larger. A pecan-tree raises the
same shape of pecan every year, and the same size.

Belton, Texas. Wm. Morgan.

papa's hill device.

We have 32 colonies. One died, and one is very
weak. 1 will tell you the way
papa makes his Hill device.'
First he takes the hoops of a^
sugar or salt barrel, cuts two^^
pieces 15'/4 inches long, and
one 8y2 inches long, and nails them on a little block
as the drawing shows. I made the picture.

Westphalia, Ind. Freddie Graeper, age 10.
Very good; but why nail the hoops on
the blocks? If they are nailed together in
the middle and clinched without the blocks
they ought to hold and be a little better be-
sides.

wintering in chaff.

I thought 1 would try to get the picture of your
own apiary, and tell you how pa winters his bees.
He does it in chaff hives. He packs the bees where
they were through the summer.
He has 50 colonies, which he win-
ters in chaff hives. 1 have drawn
a picture of one. Pa generally un-
packs his bees in the month of May.
I have two colonies of my own; and my little broth-
er, who is four years old, has one which pa gave
him. I think the hive that I drew is drawn pretty
nicely. The hives that pa has take the L. frame.
I am 1~ years old, and go to school.

Cambridgeboro, Pa. Alton Harmon.

Yes, friend Alton, your drawing was real-
ly a better picture than our engravers have
reproduced above.

DO BEES EVER LEAVE THEIR STINGS IN EACH
OTHER?

I am a little boy 9 years old. Pa keeps bees. He
has 15 colonies. He gets his supplies from you.
Pa reads Gleanings, and likes it very much. 1

414

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

love to read the children's department. I find by
Question 108 that your correspondents, including
Prof. Cook, have never seen a worker-bee sting an-
other and leave its sting, in combat. This morning
I found one stung to death, and left dead on the
alighting-board, with the sting of the other left fast
to it. I will send the bee to you in this letter, as an
answer to your foot-note to the question.
Bnola, Ark., March :i, 1SS9. W. O. Dalton.

Yes, the bee has got the sting left fast to
him. If you will turn again to pp. 138 and
139 you will see that we say, under certain
circumstances bees do sometimes leave their
stiugs in each other.

HOW PAPA WATERS HIS BEES.

I will tell you how my papa waters his bees. First
he takes a block, one cubic foot large, and makes
little cracks in the middle of it.
Then he takes a glass, puts it
over the can, then turns the can
over so that the water runs in the
little cracks, and the bees come -
and drink. Papa has 32 swarms P
of bees. One is dead, and one is
very weak. Papa had to feed his
bees this winter. In winter he
feeds them with powdered sugar and honey, mixed.
Papa is making an incubator. I thank you very
much for the nice writing-paper you sent me the
other time. I will try to make a picture of how the
block and can look. Emma Graeper, age 9.

Westphalia, Ind.

Your drawing is a very good one. While
it is not quite so finished as the engraving
which we have made, it represents the idea
just as well. We have given colonies water
in this way for a good many years. For the
last two or three years we have added a little
salt to the water, and hnd that the bees will
take the water much more readily.

A DEVICE TO SEPARATE SIMPLICITY HIVES GUM-
MED TOGETHER.

On page 90, Gleanings for Feb. 1, we noticed
Mrs. Chaddock and her husband had trouble in re-
moving the top story from the Simplicity hives.
We will try to help them out of it by telling about
the machine we use for that purpose. The accom-
panying drawing represents our idea. The post, B,

which is about 3 in. wide and % of an inch thick,
extends from the hand-hole below, where a piece of
iron, A, is joined on at right angles to the post.
This iron fits into the hand-hole of the brood-cham-
ber. The post is joined to the lever, C, by a hinge,
about 3 in. from the end. The lever should be 18 or
20 in. long, and flattened off at the top to lit into the
hand-hole of the upper story. With this machine,
which is not patented, father has no trouble in sep-
arating hives, no matter how tight they may be

glued. It should be made of hard wood. A com-
mon door-hinge will do to join the post to the lever.
Galena, 111. Hallett Bros.

HOW PAPA GETS RID OP THE CODLIN MOTH.

I thought I would tell you how my pa catches cod-
lin moths, and other moths and bugs. When fruit-
trees are coming into bloom he gets molasses-bar-
rels just emptied, and puts water in them. Then
he takes wire cloth and makes it in the shape of a
funnel, with a hole in the little end. Then he drops
it, small end first, into the barrel and fastens it to
the top of the barrel by bending the edge of the big
end of the funnel over the chime of the barrel. In
the morning he skims out the moths and uses them
for fertilizer for his fruit-trees. He covers it in day
time to keep out bees. George Hobbs, age 12.

Middleport, O., Mar. 9, 1889.

PAPA'S BEST HELPERS.

I herewith inclose you a drawing which I made
with one of your polished cedar rubber-tipped pen-
cils. These scenes were enacted last summer in
my father's apiary, about the time P. Benson went
west. We were talking about what became of him
just as I was about to bend the little tree over (as
seen in first scene), in order that it might be reach-
ed and pulled over so that the swarm of bees that
had clustered near the top might be shaken down
in front of the hive. As I was creeping out a little
further, the tree broke, and down came tree-top,
bees, and all, in a bunch together, without a sting.
Father remarked, "That is what became of P.
Benson."

SWARMING AND HIVING, IN TWO ACTS.

Father says that his best helpers in the bee-yard
are the fountain-pump and my little sister Ella,
who may be seen in the drawing. The fountain-
pump is used to bring down the swarm, and sister
Ella brings the bee-veil and brush when needed.
Father adds, that every scientist should have these
helpers in the bee-yard, and a copy of Pilgrim's
Progress in the home. Walter A. Chapman.

River Falls, Wis.

Your drawings were very good, and we
have tried to reproduce them as nearly as
we could. It is a little remarkable that you
were not stung nor hurt, and we are all very
glad of the happy result. An accident from
which no great harm results is often the
best kind of a warning against the repeti-
tion of another, the result of which might be
tenfold worse. It is not safe to risk our
bodies on limbs of questionable strength,
particularly when after a swarm, for angry
bees may add to a broken arm hundreds of
stings.

1889

({LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

415

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

MARKET-OAlJDENINU AT THIS DATE.

fplll E present year, 188!), just now seems
T to bid fair to give the working classes
£ every thing in the way of garden and
farm produce at lower prices than
have been seen before for a long time.
We have had an abundance of almost every
thing all winter. Apples sold until the first
of May for from 25 to 40 cents a bushel. Ex-
cellent dry beans sold lower than for many
years, and we have bad beautiful eclipse
beets on our wagon all winter at only 15
cents a peck ; and this 7th of May I should
be very glad indeed to sell 100 bushels at 15
cents a bushel. We have had nice cabbage
all winter long for about a cent a pound.
Toward the first of May good solid heads
ran up to 5 cents a pound. We have beauti-
ful solid heads of red cabbage, even now ;
and I wonder if anybody else has noticed
that red cabbage keeps perfectly sound bet-
ter than any of the white kinds. I should
consider it an acquisition if 1 could have a
white cabbage as hard and solid as the red,
and that would keep so until the following
May. We also have carrots on our wagon
that were raised last year. Celery has been
sold at 10 cents a pound all winter, and we
have some now growing in the greenhouse.
We have sold lettuce every day in the year.
There is a very fair demand for it now at 15
cents a pound. Onions have been a drug,
and there are said to be 1000 bushels in our
vicinity now, without a purchaser. We
have sold parsnips every day all winter un-
til up to the first of May, and now we are
lugging them out of the cellar and feeding
them to the Jersey cow. Potatoes, 1 am
told, are given away in our vicinity. We
now get 30 cents a' bushel for Snowflakes,
with the sprouts broken off. Salsify has
been about like parsnips, only we get 5 cents
a pound for it where we got only one for
parsnips. Spinach still brings 10 cents a
pound, and we have for the first time suc-
ceded in wintering it over nicely. It was
sown so early last fall that it was fit to use
before winter set in. We have sold it all
winter ; and although it had no mulching
at all, the injury done by frost was very lit-
tle. Just now the wintered - over plants
have made a large fleshy stalk just above
the root. In gathering it we cut it just be-
low the ground, then wash it and place it in
the basket with the root part uppermost ;
and the reddish pink of the root and stalk
makes it very attractive. This fleshy part
is also very rich and delicious. Spinach
has found a permanent place in our Medina
markets. We succeeded in having good
winter squashes until sometime in February.
Tomatoes of our own canning sell very well
the year round. We save our tomato seed
from the tomatoes that are canned ; that is,
we pick the choicest specimens of fruit, pre-
pare them just as we do for canning, then
scrape out all the seeds, saving them, and
canning toe other part. By this means we
kill two birds with one stone. The seeds
give us a profit, and the tomato sells for

enough to pay the expense of canning and
gathering the fruit. The great canning
factories, however, have reduced the cost of
canning to so low a figure, that, were it not
for the seeds we save, I am not sure that we
could compete with them. Turnips are also
on our wagon, but they sell pretty slowly.

Nowr during this season of great plenty
there are three things of which we have not
had enough, and that have brought and
still bring excellent prices. These three
things are asparagus, radishes, and lettuce.
Last spring, for the first time we sowed
some seeds of the Palmetto asparagus with
a view of selling plants. We have had a
good trade in the plants, and I am greatly
surprised to find them sending up remarka-
bly strong shoots even before our oldest as-
paragus. In fact, I had decided that, if one
did not care any thing about the vigor of the
plants, lie might have asparagus for the ta-
ble from the seed sown the season before.
Well, in the Orchard and Garden for May I
find the following :

"I have sold good average asparagus, one year
from the sowing of the seed."

Of course, the ground must be up to the
highest state of fertility. Our seed was
sown on a strip of ground that I had manur-
ed up specially for strawberries. It was a
sandy loam on the creek bottom. What
made me think it would raise good aspara-
gus was that some remarkably fine shoots
came up along the creek before the ground
was cleared up at all. I do not know that I
ever saw or heard of asparagus being a drug
in any market. Very likely it will be, how-
ever, very soon, especially after what 1 have
said here about it.

The finest radishes we ever raised were
from seed purchased of Stokes & Johnson,
of Philadelphia. It was Wood's Early
Frame. Every seed produced a nice-shaped
radish. The seed was planted in the open
air, in a spot protected by our buildings. I
think it was sown about the middle of March
All insects were kept from troubling by the
use of lime and guano, as mentioned last
month.

To supply the demand for lettuce, we are
obliged to gather our Boston Market a little
before it makes any nice head.

We find the following in the Orchard, and
Garden, in regard to Henderson's dwarf
lima bean :

WTe have already spoken highly of the new dwarf
lima bean. We did not speak by the catalogue, but
by practical experience, for it was grown here last
year. Its chief merit, aside from its bush habit, is
its earliness, and almost its only drawback the
small size of the beans themselves. In quality
they are not a whit behind the old sort, but are iii
fact rather better. Having secured the habit in the
earliness, two important points for Northern cul-
ture, our cultivators will not be long in gaining size
for it.

It seems we are going to have at least a
few of Kumerle's dwarf lima beans, as the
following note from our jovial friend Liv-
ingston (the man who has given us so
many nice new tomatoes) indicates :

Mr. Root:— Have you found any one to reduce
your surplus of gold by sending you that ounce of
Kumerle's dwarf lima beans? If not, we may ac-
commodate you if our grower has not already
sprouted the beans. We were fortunate enough to

416

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

secure early a very few packets. We prize them,
but might divide " for gold."

A. W. Livingston's Sons.
Columbus, Ohio, May 3, 1889.

Some years ago I purchased half a peck of
what is called Dreer's Improved lima bean.
The beans were excellent, and they were
packed so close in the pods that they
squeezed the ends of many of the beans so
as to be square, unlike an ordinary lima
bean. In flavor they equaled if not excel-
led, any thing in the way of lima beans we
have had on our table. I dropped them be-
cause I thought they did not yield as many
bushels per acre as the common limas.
Well, when I first saw Kumerle 's lima bean
they struck me at once as being remarkably
like Dreer's Improved lima ; and now it
transpires that they are a sport from the
latter. Those who have seen them growing
say they grow about two feet high. I
should think they would be liable to be
blown over during fierce storms of wind and
rain. We will give you a photograph of the
plant in a few months, nothing preventing.
Those who have not a paper of Henderson's
Improved lima bean will have to send in
their orders now very soon, for we shall
have them all in the ground that are not
sold, certainly as soon as June first.

Just one thing more in regard to Ku-
merle's lima bean : If the seed is now worth
its iveight in yold, we can not well afford to
wait till 1890 to get a new crop. As Glean-
tnus makes its way to localities where the
sun shines at midnight, possibly it reaches
some one who could take the beans as soon
as they ripen here, plant them, and get a
new crop ready to plant by the first of next
June. Perhaps friend Doppleton, away
down in Cuba, could manage it. If any one
else whose eyes rest on these pages lives
where lima beans may be raised in the win-
ter time, will he please communicate with
us?

.Later.— Well, we have got them at last.
Six packets of the Kumerle lima beans-
each packet containing 25 beans. But to get
them we were obliged to balance them with
gold coin, and the 1 50 beans cost us just
$78.00, or a little over 50 cts. a bean. Never
mind. If it is not wrong to "count chick-
ens before they are hatched," we might
speculate that each bean should raise us 50
more beans.* Then in the fall I should
have, from my 150, 7500, which will proba-
bly give one bean to each subscriber, who
cares about bush lima beans, for the year
1890. Now, some of you may think that this
is awful, to pay S78.00 for a handful of
beans ; but there is something I rather like
about it. Along in my talks about what to
do, I told you a gardener or fruit-raiser had
a perfect right to get all he could for his
product. If he can produce strawberries
under glass so as to have them when nobody
else has any, he has a right to have a dollar
a quart if he can get it. And in the same
way, if you can produce a crop of any thing
when everybody else fails, it is perfectly right
that you should have just as much as any-
body will pay you for it; and if you have

* If they give Kid or more, f shan't complain.

sole control of some new and valuable vari-
ety of vegetable, for which there is universal
want and demand, I am glad to see 50 cents
—yes, or even a dollar— offered for a single
seed. There are doubtless more of these
Kumerle beans in the hands of seedsmen ;
but very likely they are not to be bought—
no, not even for their weight in gold.

Later.— Here comes a bush lima bean
from Nebraska :

Friend Root:— I see you are very much interested
in bush lima beans, so I will send you a sample of
some from Nebraska. How do they compare with
Henderson's, Landreth's, and other bush limas?
Please let me know what you think of these Ne-
braska limas. If you desire, I wili tell you all I
know about them. S. H. Beaver.

Tamora, Neb., May 6, 1889.

Why, friend B., your sample of beans
looks exactly like Henderson's, only they
are considerably larger. If some one had
picked the very largest beans they could
find, out of a good lot, they would be exact-
ly like those sent, as near as I can tell. By
all means tell us all you know about them,
and tell us how many beans you can get
hold of.

May 9. — We have been having the most
beautiful May weather for four or five days.
The sun rises away up in the north, and
pours its genial rays from half-past five in
the morning until seven at night. I do not
know that 1 ever enjoyed any thing in the
line of God's gifts more than I have the
sunshine and the open air this morning.
The apple-trees are in their bloom, and the
bees were tumbling before their hives with
great loads of apple honey, before the sun
was up. I do not know that I ever noticed
this before. It is, perhaps, owing to the
fact that we have had no dew for four or
five nights now in succession ; but as the
ground was soaking wet before this warm
spell came on, nothing seems to mind the
scorching rays, even at noonday, unless it
is our newly transplanted cabbage and cel-
ery plants from the seed-bed to the plant-
garden. We have to water them and shade
them, or else they would soon ''go dead."
Well, 1 have been down in the creek bot-
tom, planting our novelties. You see, we
sent for almost all of the novelties adver-
tised in the catalogues. Then it is a nice
little task, I tell you, to plant them careful-
ly, and label them. We think it is almost
as important to tell whom the seed came
from as to tell what it is ; and we also want
the stake at the head of each row to tell
what the seedsman claimed for it. For in-
stance, Burpee has a new black wax bean.
The seeds were twice as large as our old
black wax. He claims that they are a great
deal earlier, have larger pods, and are more
productive. Now, when the beans begin to
get ready to gather, I do not want to be
obliged to lug a great lot of catalogues
down into the field to see what the introduc-
er claimed for them when we made our se-
lection of seeds last winter. Well, Burpee
has fixed it all nicely for us. His seeds are
put in paper so stout that it is almost like
cloth ; and all he claims for the contents is
plainly printed on this same stout paper ;

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

41?

therefore, all we have to do is, when we are
ready to plant, to pour the seeds out of the
package into a little shallow tin basin.
Then the empty paper is wrapped rouud a
stout stake, and fastened by four tacks.
This was my part of the business. The
stake was then driven into the ground so
far that even a smoothing-harrow would not
break it off nor pull it up. Then the basin
of seeds was set down against the stake.
One of the men then followed and put the
seeds in, covering them with nice mellow
dirt. Our ground was first prepared by
plowing, harrowing, and rolling; then with
the seed-drill we sowed phosphate over the
whole surface. Lastly it was marked with
our disk marker. This puts the whole field
in regular order ; and all kinds of seeds can
be planted rapidly and systematically. The
ground was marked over all the same. The
melons, squashes, cucumbers, etc., were put
in only every other row. Sweet corn, peas,
and the regular crop of beans, are sown
with the seed-drill, at the same time that
we sow the phosphate.

Now, there is one more thing that makes
our creek-bottom ground very pleasant. It
is that spring that I have told you so much
about. During these hot days, pure limpid
water is constantly pouring over the sides
of the sewer-pipe that is set over the spring.
To keep the sun from shining directly on
the surface of the water, a tin hood covers
the sewer-pipe. This hood is painted, so it
does not look unsightly. It also keeps
grass, weeds, and dust, from blowing into
the spring. The hood opens on the north
side. Some steps go down to the spring,
and a tin dipper hangs on a little bush right
beside it. When one is tired as well as
thirsty he can sit down on the lowermost
step as he dips the water from the spring,
and drink leisurely. How deliciously cool
it is ! If one's hands and face are sweaty
and dusty, there is nothing to hinder dash-
ing the cool water over both. If there is
any thing in this world that fits the little
line,

" A thing- of beauty is a joy for ever,"

it is that spring. It is almost in the center
of the grounds, so that the workmen have
but a little way to travel whenever they
need a drink. We do not have any jugs nor
tin pails to lug around and get lost. You
will remember that we should never have
known of this spring at all had we not
searched diligently for it ; and I think that
you too might have a spring of water right
out in the lots if you would only hunt it up.
" Seek, and ye shall find," the Scripture
says.

Yesterday in the afternoon, when the
weather was so hot, I raised the lid of the
well by the windmill. Sure enough, that
faithful and untiring worker had pumped
the water out, clear to the bottom, and
another beautiful little spring was seen
down at the bottom of the well, bubbling
and gurgling as it ran out of the rocks and
between the bricks, down into that little
central basin where the pump was sipping it
up as fast as it could run in there ; and off
in the lot adjoining, the Jersey cow was en-
joying herself in sipping the water from her

tub. Then as the tub overflows into the
carp-pond, the carp were probably enjoying
their share of the water tliat pours, winter
and summer, into that, to make up for
evaporation and seeping. Thus you see, if
you can not have a spring on the top of the
ground, you can have one down at the bot-
tom of the well ; and I think you want a
windmill to pump the water out so as to
keep the stream running, if you want to
have it nice. The windmill has been going
for almost two years, and I do not remem-
ber that it has ever yet disappointed us for
one hour. Of course, there have been some
days when the mill did not run very much ;
but there has always been water enough
ahead. Only last evening my wife remark-
ed that the* windmill was running slowly,
when scarcely a breath of air could be per-
ceived. It turned fast enough, however, to
keep a slender stream of water running.

HOW WE RAISE POTATOES IN TIIE AMERICAN
BOTTOM.

Lest some of the readers of Gleanings are not
acquainted with the location, I will say that the
"American bottom" is on the east side of the Miss-
issippi, opposite St. Louis, and extends north to
\lton and south to Chester, and has a depth, back
from the river, of from 5 to 14 miles. The soil chos-
en for potatoes is usually the dark sandy loam.
Very late fall plowing' is the rule for at least half of
the potato crop. The fall-plowed ground is used
for the very early planting. The planting here be-
gins just as soon as the frost is out of the ground
(sometimes in February). A word about seed. With
very few exceptions the farmers of the bottom
never plant potatoes for seed that they have raised.
They buy seed from the North, or of farmers on
the bluff who raise their potatoes under straw. Our
own potatoes do not make as strong- u growth as
the imported ones. Our standard potato here is the
Early Ohio, and next comes the Early Rose and
Beauty of Hebron. For late potatoes we have the
Mammoth Pearl and the Peerless.

On account of the rapid and continued growth of
weeds, the potatoes are always planted in checks
and cultivated each way. They are still dropped
and covered by hand. As soon as the potatoes are
up enough so that the row can be followed they are
gone over with the bar-plows, and two light fur-
rows of dirt are thrown on each row. The ridges
are then dragged over with a rail, and partially lev-
eled down. This destroys all the weeds, and at the
same time seems to benefit the potato. The second
and third cultivating is done with the one-hoi'se cul-
tivators; the fourth with the bar-plows; and to lay
them by we use a large single shovel and run once
between the rows. Hut before the time of the last
plowing the bugs will claim some attention or claim
the crop. The only way we have been able to cir-
cumvent their ravages is by poisoning them. One
teaspoonful of Paris green to two gallons of water,
sprinkled over the vines as often as necessary will
do the work. It would be quite a large undertaking
for a man to hire the bugs picked off from a fifty-
acre patch. The potatoes are now laid by, and the
next process is the digging. We still rely on the
hoe, the digger being paid by the barrel, 3 bushels,
at from 8% to 2(1 cts., according- to cireutnstances.
The digging begins about the middle of June, and

418

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

continues until late in the fall, digging at whatever
season they can do so most profitably.
Venice, III. G. W. T. Reynolds.

GOD'S GIFTS.

I agree with what John Craycraft says, Oct. 15,
1888— give us the "garden sass." This makes me
think, T can raise seed of certain vegetables here to
Rood advantage without their mixing, if I could sell
it after I have raised it. 1 have been, the past three
years, using muck in privy and hen-house, as men-
tinned in your book. What to Do, and find it the
best and cheapest absorbent (except road dust) I
ever used. I am usiny it this winter behind my two
cows. A Rood panful, sprinkled on the plank after
cleaning' out each day, keeps the stable clean and
sweet. I draw it out in August, when the water is
low, pile it up, and let it freeze one winter, then dry
it, then put in boxes or barrels up off the ground,
and under cover. When it is dried and ground fine,
like sawdust, it is a great thing to keep out frost. I
have about two acres on my ten-acre farm (one of
God's gifts), of peat and muck land, all the way
from li4to3feet deep, which is easily drained, is
perfectly level except for bogs, and covered with
grass. KB. Kidder.

Columbus, Wis.

THE TURNIP THAT STANDS IX THE GROUND
ALL WINTEK, WITHOUT HA KM.

Our raiders may remember that Abbott
L. Swinson, of Goklsboro, N. G, sent me
some of the seeds of this, last fall. The
turnip is a cross between our well-known
seven-top tttrnip, which has been raised so
largely for bees and greens, and one of our
other varieties producing a bulb. Well, I
am happy to tell you that this turnip is a
success. They stood in the ground all win-
ter, apparently without injury; and now
they are furnishing just as many blossoms
for the bees as I ever saw in the seven-top
turnip. The bees are humming on them
now, this 11th day of May. We propose to
save the seed from the whole crop.

AN EARLY PUMPKIN FOR TIES.

In response to my inquiry, 13 friends sent
me seeds of an early pumpkin. That they
were not all the same thing, is pretty evi-
dent from the seeds. In fact, the seeds
seem to indicate that scarcely two of them
were alike. We have planted one hill of
each, labeling it with the mime of the per-
son sending it, and in due time we propose
making our report.

FEEDING IN THE CELLAR.

CAItllYING BEES THROUGH SUCCESSFULLY, WITH
NO STORES AT ALL TO START WITH.

HAVE a little report tj make, which may be of
advantage to others who get caught in a tight
Dlace. We have had in this locality two very
bad years for honey; ls87 found us in the fall
with plenty of bees and nearly empty hives, so
far as honey was concerned. I fed up and brought
my bees through the winter on a mixture of honey
they had in the hives, and syrup. Spring came, and
opened out well. Every thing was lovely till the
first of June, when the fad dawned on us that
there was no white clover in the country, and the
alsike had no honey in it. July arrived, and a little
basewood came in. None, however, was stored in

the surplus apartment. A few, say 5 or 6 out of 23,
swarmed. When the last of September came, the
hives were full of old bees, no pollen, and very little
honey. I divided it equally among them, after
doubling the lighter ones up, till I had only 20
swarms left. I was very busy with my practice
and building, which occupied my time, and I saw
little of them till a warm day, the Gth of November,
when they were having- a good fly. I looked them
over to see how they stood for provender. To my
surprise I found they had already eaten up 75 per
cent of what I had allowed them <> weeks before. I
went to work and took all the honey in the apiary,
and gave it to six hives and put them up in chaff
hives for winter. The rest, fourteen in number, 1
carried to a north room in the cellar, darkened the
windows, and made up my mind, contrary to all
rules, to save my swarms. I took off the supers,
and cloth off the top of frames, laid one frame Hat
on the rest, and once a week I opened the doors
from the furnace into the rest of the cellar; and
when the heat got up to about 65 I went in and fed
them, giving each hive less than a teacupful of
syrup. The next morning I shut off the heat by
shutting the doors, and let them alone a week.
Temperature during the week stood at about 50°.
This I kept up till April 15th, when I saw pollen
coming into the hives outdoors. I brought them
from the cellar. I had concluded they were very
light in bees. Two of the fourteen were; the rest
are good average swarms, covering, when in clus
ter, from four to seven Heddon improved Lang-
stroth frames. On the whole they are not as well,
as strong in bees, nor as far advanced, as those I
left out in chaff hives.

Honey is now coming- in from the soft maple.
One hive I examined this afternoon had several
combs, outside of those with eggs, tilled with nec-
tar, and the margin of seven frames that had eggs
and larvae in the center were completely filled. I
would not advise a novice, nor, in fact, any one, to
try the experiment. I had every advantage. I
could heat their room as I liked, and as often as I
liked. Another thing T proved, too, was the fact
that light is no detriment. I happened to be going
by the door once in day time, and observed that the
sodding I had up at the basement windows had set-
tled 254 or :? inches, by the frost having gone out,
making it as light as day. As the sun was pouring
in this opening, to my surprise the bees were as
quiet as in the darkness of the night, with no cloth
over them, and the thermometer at 4t'>°. I always
took a light, a common lamp turned up, and set it
down in the middle of the room, and there was sel-
dom a bee that left the hive; never more than two
or three during any time I was feeding them.

Dr. A. E. Hakvev.
Wyoming, Ont., April 18, 1889.

Friend II., with a furnace in the cellar to
dry it off and warm it up, it is not any won-
der that you succeeded ; and in regard to
the matter of light, when bees are in a state
of perfect health I do not know why they
would be any more likely to lly out at a tem-
perature of' -46 in the cellar, titan if they
were outdoors. Bees in health seldom go
out of their hives unless the temperature of
the air runs to about 55. If the sun shines,
they often go out in sunny nooks ; but it is
because the sun raises the temperature, and
not because the light entices them.

18S9

(JLEANLNUS IN UEE 01LLTU11E.

410

PYgELF /ip JxiY JSIEIGPBB^.

I know that my Redeemer liveth.— Job 19:25.

8 EAR friends, I have thought best to
submit to you to-day a sermon that
was preached in our pulpit a few
weeks ago. I have decided to do this
because the question has come up so
often, " How shall I know that I am a
Christian V"

CHRISTIAN ASSURANCE; SERMON BY REVEREND
NORMAN PLASS.

Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith;
prove your own selves.— II. Cor. 13: 5.

A question that is often asked is this: "Can I
know ivlnllur I nut a Christian or notV Itis vari-
ously answered. One will tell us that he has an
abiding and biessed assurance that he is a child of
God; another will say that he is confident of it at
times, while again the light of his hope grows dim
and he is left in doubt. Still another will say that
he has never experienced an assurance that his
name is written in the Lamb's book of life. The
first confidently exclaims with Paul: "I know
whom I have believed." The second, while at times
appropriating these words, is at the next moment
ready to exclaim with Thomas, " We know not."
The third is like the heroine of " Mis* Toosey's Mis-
sion," who, although a sincere Christian, yet when
iu time of revival the presiding clergyman " invit-
ed all those who were conscious of conversion to
remain, and the rest to leave, without a moment's
hesitation went out, and found her way home, sob-
bing and broken-hearted."

Were the question, "J>< I know whether 1 am a
Christian?" it would be thus variously answered.
But it is a question of possibility and privilege—
"(V(/i 1 know?" As thus asked, we can best an-
swer it by considering some of the conditions
we have to fulfill in order that we may be Chris-
tians, and by deciding whether or not we can
know that those conditions are fulfilled. I hold
that it is the privilege of every believer to know
whether or not he is saved— and not only the privi-
lege, but the diitu, for the words of our text come to
us in the form of a command: " Examiue your-
selves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your
own selves."

The basis of the Christian life is a belief— not a
mere intellectual belief, implying simply assent to a
proposition or truth, but a belief that tmplit s a sur-
render of tin in,'. It is such a belief as the wife
has in her husband— a belief not merely in his in-
tegrity and sincerity, but a belief that leads her to
surrender herself, to a large extent, to liis care and
(Unci inn. Not only is it the privilege of the wife to
know whether she thus believes in her husband, it
is her duti/ to know before she makes the surrender.
In like manner it is our own privilege and our
duty to know whether we exercise self-surrendt ring
belief in Christ. Why can we not know just as well
as the wife whether we exercise such a belief or
not? This implies a surrender of the affections,
What would you think of a woman who should say
that she didn't know whether she loved her hus-
band or not? It's her duty to know, even before
she becomes his wife. Should not, then, Christians,
who as a body are called "the bride "of Christ, know
Whether they love Christ or not?

We speak.luf " a change of b,eart," or " th.e new

birth." What is the change of heart? Simply a
change of affections. A person says: "I don't real-
ize that I have had a change of heart, so I don't be-
lieve I could have had, for I should know it if 1 had,
wouldn't I?" That depends entirely upon what
you make the standard of your judgment. If you
have expected to feel your fleshy heart gradually
passing away and another heart taking its place,
you no doubt have failed to witness the change. If
you expect a great upheaval of your emotional na-
ture, followed by a great influx of feeling and un-
told joy, you will no doubt be disappointed, and
conclude that the change has not come. Such an
overflow of feeling results only upon a great
change iu belief and life; and with most of us, when
we become Christians, there is a change neither in
belief nor in life, but only in the point of surrendt r.
A young man who was troubled at this point
came to his pastor. After a few words the pastor
asked, "What do you understand the heart to be?"

"The affections," replied the youth.

"That is correct. Now, are you sure that your
affections have not changed? Did you love to pray
a month ago?"

"No! I was accustomed to pray, but it was a
mere formal duty."

" Is prayer a pleasure to you now?"

"It is, decidedly."

"Did you enjoy association with Christians then?"

"No! not at all. I shunned them."

" Do you shun them now?"

"No! I like to be with them."

" Do you love to read the Bible?"

" Very much."

" Did you a month ago?"

" I can't say that I did."

"And can't you think of several things that you
used to And pleasure in that you don't care lor
now?"

"Oh, yes! very many."

" Can't you see, then, that you have met with a
change of heart? If by the heart is meant the af-
fections, and your affections are changed from
what you once loved to what you once hated, so
that now you care not for the former and hate the
latter, you have certainly experienced a great
change'of heart."

Here was a clear case. All that young man need-
ed was to understand himself. Whoever can an-
swer those questions as be did, has. certainly been
born again. With some of you, there may be but a
aini/le indication of the change that you can now
discern. You may enjoy the prayer meeting njw,
whereas you didn't before. A young man who is
seeking Christ, but who doesn't think he has found
him yet, said to me a few evenings ago, after the
prayer-meeting, " I never enjoyed a meeting like
that before." Is not that an indication that he has
found Christ? You may like to be with Christians
now, whereas you shunned them before. Take
these new affections as indications that you have
been born again.

Hut a person says to me: "I have always Itad tin s<
feelings. I never thought that I hated God. 1 al-
ways liked to read the Bible. I always loved to as-
sociate with Christians, Yet I never felt that I
was a Christian." But if your affections are upon
these things, you arc <t Christian.

"What!" you exclaim, "could I be a Christian
and not know it?"

Yes, 1 think you could. You cau't bo & full-grown

120

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

May

man without knowing it, nor can you be a, fully de-
veloped christian without a knowledge ol' the fact.
But you can be a child in Christ, and hnoir nothing of
it. You spent many months of your life before you
realized your existence in this world, and came to
the consciousness that you were a child. So it is
possible for a person to have been born again a
long time before he has awakened to a conscious-
ness of the fact. Do not call in question the possi-
bility of your being a Christian because you can
not trace the beginning of the Christian life, any
more than you would question your physical exis-
tence because you can not trace the early months
of your life, or can not remember when you were
born. There are a great many people, recognized
as earnest and sincere Christians, and themselves
conscious of a change of heart, who are compelled
to confess that they c;in not mention a time when
they gave their hearts to Christ. What a great
many need is to realize that they arc already Chris-
tians, because they love God and the things of God;
and all that they need further is to come out and
confess Christ before the world. A gentleman of
my acquaintance was very ill, and not expected to
live. For two weeks he seemed at the point of
death, fie had heen a godless man, and during
that time I spoke frequently with him regarding
Christ. He seemed to make a complete surren-
der, and told his friends that he had found Christ.
At length he grew better, and then we discovered
that he could not remember a single event of those
two weeks— not a single call, not a circumstance,
not a word spoken, could he recall. Yet, when he
came to himself, it was with the joyous conscious-
ness that he had found Christ. The weeks them-
selves were blanks, yet in those weeks he had been
born again, and afterward the consciousness of
that fact was his. Is it not true of us, that in one
event of life or another, we sometimes unconscious-
ly yield up the point that separates between us and
God, so that we become truly his, and all that we
need is to come to ourselves and realize it?

We spend too much time in examining our own
hearts. We might conceive of a crazy man cut-
ting out a friend's heart and dissecting it to discov-
er whether or not the friend loved him. Would he
ever find out in that way? Yet in much the same
way do we often go about examining our own
hearts to discover whether or not we love God.
While the seat of the affections is in the heart, we
might spend a lifetime in examining it, and yet
never And the affections. Don't let us stop and
look at our hearts to see whether they are old or
new, but let us look out toward God and ask wheth-
er we want to please him by doing his will; and if
we do, then are we friends of God; and if friends of
God, then surely we have been born again. We
know whether we believe in Christ with the belief
of self-surrender, and if we do, that's enough-
let us go on and do what he would have us,
and leave the matter of a new heart with Him who
created and whose it is to re-create. If we have
thus done our part, we can have the assurance that
God icill iId his part toward making Die heart ru ir.
There may be no wonderful transformation, there
may be no sudden change, there may be no great
revelation of light, but we have simply to deoide
the point of self-surrender to Christ, leave the rest
wjtlj God, and go straight ahead.

We sometimes call the Christian life a vocation.
Can we not know whether we have entered upon

that vocation or not? That is not a question hard
to decide in other vocations— why can we not de-
cide it here? In a little book entitled, " Being a
Christian," by Dr. Gladden, I find this illustration:
"Ask a man what his business is, and he will ans-
wer promptly enough, 'I am a carpenter,' or, '1
am a lawyer,' or, ' I am a druggist,' or, ' 1 am a ma-
chinest,' as the case maybe. The carpenter does
not say to you, in a sad, uncertain tone of voice,
'7 don't know; I have been trying for five, ten, or
forty years, to be a carpenter, and I have some-
times hoped that I was one; indeed, there have
been seasons when I felt quite sure of it; but I am
often in great doubt. He may say, indeed, ' I am
not so good a carpenter as I might be; I have seen
nicer workmen; but I can do a pretty fair job, and
I am not ashamed of my trade. It is one that I
freely chose, and that I have done my best to
learn; and I shall work at it as long as I live, if I
can find employment.' Surely there is nothing
presumptuous in saying as much as that. A man
who did not have his mind made up about such a
matter, and who did not know his own mind, would
never accomplish much in this world." Why, then,
is it not just as possible and just as essential that a
person should know that he has chosen the Chris-
tum professon, that he has entered upon the heaven-
ly calling, even though as yet he may be only an
apprentice at the trade? If uncertainty seems
strange in the one case, why not as unaccountable
in the other? If we have chosen the Christian
calling, and are workiug at it every day, trying to
improve and perfect ourselves in every way possi-
ble, we certainly ought to know the fact. One rea-
son for so much uncertainty, just in the line of
this comparison, is because we don't clearly under-
stand what we are about when we set out in the
Christian life— we don't comprehend that we are
choosing a life calling, and hence should know our
choice. Another source of uncertainty, here sug-
gested, is portrayed in the boy's remark, when ask-
ed whether his father was a Christian. " Yes," he
replied, " he's a Christian, but he a'n't workiug at
it much." We don't work at our trade constantly
enough to keep our zeal up. A man who didn't
work at the carpenter's trade more than half a day
a week might well question sometimes whether he
were really a carpenter or not. A carpenter who
never did, and never tried to do, a good job, might
well be declared by his fellow-men to be no carpen-
ter at all. How, then, about professing Christians
who are only half-hearted in their work? Can they
be called Christians at all? If not, how about their
assurance of the fact? Another source of uncer-
tainty is because, when we fail at some point,
we conclude that we were mistaken and are not
Christians at all. But when our purposes are good
and our endeavors earnest, are not our failures ex-
cusable, just as the carpenter is 'excusable when he
does the best he can, although he may not do quite
as good a job as another carpenter? We should
know that we have chosen the Christian calling;
we should steadily persevere in it; and when mis-
takes occur, rise superior to them and press reso-
lutely on " toward the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus."

Can we not tell whether or not we &re spiritually
blind —whether we have received spiritual sight!
Think you that any blind man whom Christ healed
would be uncertain of that healiug? Are we told
of any who said he didn't know whether he coujd.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

421

see or not? irou recii.ll one whom the rulers of the
Jews attempted to confuse, telling him that Christ
was a sinner and could not be divine, threatening
to excommunicate him, accusing him of forsaking
Moses, to all of which declarations and accusations
he replied : " Whether he be a sinner or no, I know
not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind,
now I see." Can't we know that much, however
many points of theology we may be uncertain of?
Possibly we are more like the man whose eyes
Christ touched, and then asked if he saw aught.
To which he responded: " I see men as trees walk-
ing." Then Christ again touched his eyes, and he
saw "every man clearly." If we have even a little
spiritual sight, can't we know it? If our vision
is fully restored, how can we help understanding
it?

Have we not ground for believing that we can
know whether we are called or not, in the very
character of Christ? For illustration, suppose that
Dr. Pasteur's theory of inoculation to prevent hy-
drophobia were found to be an assured success,
and that, having never fully declared the secret of
the cure, Pasteur should decide to make it known
to the world, so that any who had need could at
once apply the remedy. But he declares the se-
cret in words so technical, or so indefinite, or so un-
meaning, that not one in a thousand can compre-
hend what he means. A poor fellow has been bit-
ten by a mad dog, and is trembling in fear of ap-
proaching death, and knows that here a sure cure
is spoken of, but he can't understand just what to
do. He does as he thinks he is directed, but can't
be sure, and waits in dread anticipation to see
whether the rabies will seize upon him. Rather
than extol Pasteur as a benefactor, would you not
rather condemn him because he made known the
remedy in such uncertain terms that men can not
know whether they have properly applied it or not?
What, then, would you think of the " great Physi-
cian " if he should set out to declare to the world a
remedy for the malady of sin, and should be so in-
definite in his declarations that those who feel the
dread poison coursing through their veins, and are
crying out to be saved, could not understand what
the remedy was, and could not know till death be-
gan to creep upon them that they had failed to com-
ply with those conditions? The very character of
Christ compels us to conclude that we can know
whether or not we have fulfilled the conditions of
eternal life. We find the directions very explicit
— " Whosoever heliewth— shall not perish, but have
everlasting life;" "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation, but is passed from death unto
life " — no future translation—" is passed," even nine
new life is coursing through his vein6; " Hath ever-
lasting life," not, "shall have," or, "man have,"
but "hath "—a present possession, a present reality,
and should be a present assurance.

The Bible reveals to us a number of tests, by
which we can know whether we are Christ's or not.

I. John 3: 14. — " We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we love the breth-
ren."

Rom. 8: iff.— ."The Spirit heareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God."

I". John 5: 10— 12— '* He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself— and the witness
is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this

life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life;
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life "—so
reads the Revised Version. Note, the change in the
words underscored— "nm/ this is the record," of the
A. V., is changed to "the witness is this," in the
R. V. We are not compelled to probe our hearts
for the witness. We have the " witness within our-
selves," to be sure; but, likewise, " The witness is
this, God hath given to us eternal life— He thai hath
the Son hath life." Hare you the Son? That's the
question. If you have received the Son, you have
life. "These things," adds John (v. 13), "have I
written unto you, that ye may know that yehavr
life." Just take your Bible and read the whole of
this First Epistle of John if you want to know wheth-
er you are Christ's or not. When you have finish-
ed, I am confident that you will exclaim with Paul:
" I know whom I have believed, and am confident
that he is able to keep that which 1 have committed
to him against that day."

Now, don't be discouraged if you have not this
assurance. Do not therefore conclude that you
are not a Christian. Only know that it is your
blessed privilege to have itj and be not content till
it is yours. "Give diligence to make your calling
and election sure," " Examine yourselves, wheth-
er ye be in the faith." It is your duty to know.
Of course, you may be a Christian without this as-
surance. A letter may be written, and yet remain
unsealed. A child may be heir to a large estate,
and yet not have the full enjoyment of it,. A weak
faith saves, though it may not give the assurance
of salvation. Many noted Christians have never
experienced this blessed assurance. Some one
spoke to Archbishop Leighton of his assurance.
" No, truly," he said, " I have only a tjood hope, and
a great desire to see what they are doing on the oth-
er side."

" You have your feet upon the Rock," said a
friend to Wilberforce.

" I do not venture to speak so positively," re-
plied the philanthropist, "but I hope I have."

But is it notour privilege to know whether we
stand upon the Rock or not? " Whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them," says Christ,
"I will liken him unto a wise man which built his
house upon a rock." Can't we know whether we
hear the commandments of Christ, and, as best we
can, d<> them? When Philip de Morray was asked,
in old age, if he had a hope of future bliss, he re-
plied: " I am as confident of it from the incontesti-
ble evidence of the Spirit of God, as I ever was of
any mathematical truth from all the demonstra-
tions of Euclid." Can we not at least attain to a
degree of confidence such as this?

Sometimes this comforting ray from the eternal
Sun of Righteousness is brighter than at others.
Our physical condition sometimes causes despair,
as it did to Elijah when he reclined exhausted be-
neath the juniper bush in the desert, and request-
ed that he might die. The state of one's health,
even the weather, often determines whether our
view of heaven is bright or dark. Try as I may, I
can never feel as cheerful upon a cloudy day as
when the sun shines upon the earth. Dr. Alex-
ander, an eminent theological teacher at Prince-
ton, who wag depressed by the raw ocean air, when
once asked by a student whether he always had a
full assurance of faith, replied, " Yes, except when
the wind blows from the east."

Defective views of the atoning work of Christ be-

122

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

cloud our vision of heaven. Cherished sin, or idle-
ness in the Master's service, causes us to doubt.
We must watch out for all these depressing causes.
1 don't believe in thrashing one boy for what an-
other has done, neither do I believe in pommeling
ih< soul because of doubts, when often our frail
bodies or the " spring fever " or our stubborn wills
or our perverse natures are to blame. Let us at all
times keep our assurance of sonship bright and
clear. It my observation is worth any thing, assur-
ance makes the holiest Christians, the happiest
Christians, the most active Christians, the firmest
Christians. Let us pray God that that assurance
may be ours.

I want to add just a few words concern-
ing a single sentence toward the close of the
above. The sentence is this : " Cherished
sin, or idleness in the Master's service,
causes us to doubt.'1 My experience would
indicate that cherished sin is the cause of
more doubts than any thing else in this
world. One who allows his inclinations to
persuade him to do that which he knows is
wrong, can never enjoy the peace that
Christ gives, aud can never feel satisfied
with his Christian experience. A man signs
the pledge, and stands up publicly before
his fellow-men, and promises, God helping
him, to break away from the sinful habit.
As time passes, the old appetite asserts it-
self so strongly that he turns from his Sav-
ior and listens to Satan while he intimates
that perhaps it is not well to break off all of
a sudden, or something like that. Then he
takes just a little, and then tries to hold up
his head before Christian people, and to
make the world believe that he is enjoying
the peace that Christian people ought to en-
joy. Poor, foolish, sinful man ! He may
deceive his fellow-men, but he can not de-
ceive God. It is of no use for him to pray,
for we are told in God's holy word-
it I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not
hear me.— Psalm 6ti: 18.

Of course, there is no if about it in such a
case, for the sinning one knows he is not a
Christian. In the same way, one loses his
faith in the Savior by just a little dallying
with sin, or a little departure from the nar-
row and straight path of duty. One quickly
loses his peace of mind to a certain extent,
and opens the way for doubts and unbelief,
by simply letting his mind dwell on the
forbidden thing.' Probably we are all of
beset by temptations, more or less ; but if
we wish to have a bright, clear faith in the
Lord Jesus, it behooves us to bestir our-
selves when temptation comes, and to turn
our backs at once, with the prayer I have so
often told you about, " Lord, help,1' at the
same time keep saying, " Get thee behind
me, Satan." The sin of idleness will also
bring these very doubts, as I know by per-
sonal experience. The true Christian has
too many responsibilities pressing on him to
waste a moment. May the Lord bless these
words to every reader of Gleanings who
has speculated within his own heart as to
whether or not he is a Christian. When I
am busy, and when I am cherishing no
thoughts of sin in any shape or form, then is
my faith brightest, and at such times I am
always ready to say, with faith and happi-

ness, the words that 1 started out with, " I
know that my Redeemer liveth.''

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Mont lily.

JL.. I. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

2v£EDi:£T.fi>-, OHIO.
»»♦ ♦>»

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
1» » •;

For Cluboing Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.— Mark 10:45.

In another column will be found some testimoni-
als in favor of the new Dovetailed hive and its
combinations. Not one word of complaint has yd
been received from our customers so far.

GLEANINGS ENLARGED.

You will notice that not only the last issue, lint
the present one, has been enlarged to 5;.' pages, or
16 pages larger than usual. With the great lot of
good matter awaiting insertion, we felt obliged to
enlarge Gleanings, at least temporarily. What
troubles us now is that, even with its present en-
largement, there is still a great deal of valuable
matter still unused ; and, worse still, it may never
be used. As we have said before, it is not always
the best matter that finds its way into Gleanings
print. We have on hand several communications
in type, and one or two have been waiting for a
considerable time in this shape.

ytJEEN-KEAKING IN PULL COLONIES ALREADY
HAVING A REIGNING QUEEN.

The American Apiculturist for May contains a
supplement of s pages, the special feature of whieli
is the rearing ol queens in full colonies, without
depriving the bees of their queen. This result is
accomplished by inducing the swarming impulse
artificially, ft is a well-known fact, that bees will
rear cells when possessed of a reigning queen, dur-
ing the swarming season. In order to make them
build cells at other times, friend Alley produces
the result artificially by feeding, and bringing the
colony into a condition of unusual prosperity. It
rather strikes us that the process would be more
work than depriving the colony of the queen; but
possibly he secures better queens. For full partic-
ulars, you are referred toH. Alley, Wenham, Mass.

A CAUTION TO MAMMAS AND PAPAS.

I think the following deserves a place as a warn-
ing:

our little four-year-old boy, Harry Huber (named after your
own little boy and the blind naturalist), had gone with hi*
mother, sistn. and two older brothers, on a visit to " grand-
pa's" \ i >ii I 4 1 it . Theboyshad gone down on the hillside, not
far from the house, to play and Inml rabbits as they said.
The woods had been burned the night before; andin playing
around an old log that was still burning, Harry's dress caught

fire and burned off be i help could reach him. I was sum

in. .n.-c i iiv i' -ii -i-ai'ii : but « hen I arrived his spirit had depart
ed and the bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks of my little bee
keeper were parched and charred in death. s. s. i.awino.

Henderson, Mo., Ma> 9, 1889;

May the Lord sustain you and your poor afflicted
wife, friend L. Perhaps it is not possible to avoid
such accidents entirely; but it is. well for parents

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

423

to bear in mind, when the children are playing out
of sight, where there may be fire about, that such
things are happening every little while. It seems
a terrible thing indeed for such a little one, who
did not know what to do, or the danger he was in
to suffer in that way. Our children are very fond
of playing with fire; and their mamma frequently
allows them to do so when they have on woolen
clothing that can not very readily burn, and are lo-
cated where there is nothing to take Are; but even
then she keeps a careful eye over them. May be
your warning may save the loved ones in some oth-
er household, dear friends; and we hope and trust
that you are looking to the only solid Rock that can
give comfort and consolation during a trial like
this.

ENCOURAGING FOR CALIFORNIA.

The following has come to hand from a large
commission house in San Diego, Cal. They say:

We estimate the honey crop of San Diego County this year
at from one and a half to two million pounds, provided every
thing remains as favorable through the rest of the season as
it has been up to the present time. Lacey, B.ulhache & Co.

San Diego, Cal., May 7, 1889.

HONEY STATISTICS FOR JUNE 1ST.

Some inquiries have come in, asking whether we
are going to stop our department of Honey Statis-
tics. Not a bit of it. Blanks have already been
sent out, and the statistical reports will be pub-
lished in our issue for June 1. So far the prospects
indicated by the reports are very flattering, and
success in wintering has been exceptionally good.
We hope that this will jog the memory of those
who have so far failed to send in their blanks filled
out.

THE WESTERN APIARIAN.

The above is the title of a new 20-page monthly
bee-journal, to enter upon its apicultural career
June 1. The size of the pages is to be 6 x 9, and the
price is to be 50 cts. per annum. The publishers,
Watkins & McCallum, of Placerville, Cal., think
that an appropriate time has arrived for the publi-
cation of a magazine devoted to bee culture in the
Pacific and Western States. A6 California is the
greatest bee-country in the world, it doubtless will
be represented by a good live bee-journal. We
wish it success.

DOOLITTLE ON QUEEN-REARING.

A neat litle work of 1H0 pages, bearing the
above title, fresh from the publishers' hands,
Messrs. T. G. Newman & Son, has just come to hand.
The work is well printed, and, as usual, comes up
to the standard of Messrs. Newmans' publications.
In chapter 3, friend Doolittle discusses nature's
ways versus man's ways. We must confess we
fail to see wherein the author proves that the
swarming queens are better than queens produced
by a skilled breeder, when the cells are reared in
full colonies. Doolittle may be right; but when
"artificial" queens, as he would call them, will
give from three to four years of good service,
keeping a colony populous and well supplied with
brood, we can hardly see what more can be desired.
Doolittle says that, when bees are not tampered
with by man, they produce queens by only oue of
two ways; namely, queens produced under the
swarming impulse, and queens produced when bees
supersede their queen naturally— the old queen
having served her best days; but friend Doolittle
deviates considerably from nature when he makes
artificial oells, fills tbem with royal jelly, and final-

ly deposits therein an egg or larva. We dn not de-
ny but that first-class queens and good queens can
be produced in this way; but is it altogether in ac-
cordance with nature's way?

Do we not sometimes make a mistake when, in
speaking of " natures's way," we leave out of our
calculations the human mind? True, no co-opera-
tion of the human mind with nature could produce
a better Fnowflakc or sunbeam than we get directly
from above; but can not the human mind produce
more marvelous results with the sunbeam than were
ever produced by natural laws without human aid?

Allusion is made above to Doolittle's artificial
cells. Chapter 7 (around which all the rest seem
to center) discusses the new method of rearing
queens, and how these cells may be made artificial-
ly. On page 50 is a nice engraving representing a
lamp, above which is a small tin vat for holding
melted wax. Beside the lamp is a cup of water.
Three little sticks of wood (old rake teeth), are
lying upon a little block of wood. These teeth are
taken from a common bay-rake, the teeth being
whittled and sandpapered so as to be as near the
shape of the inside of the queen-cell as possible.
Three of these sticks are dipped successively into a
little of the melted wax, above the lamp. The film
is cooled in the cup of water, and is then dipped
again. The operation is repeated a number of
times until the cell of wax has the proper thick-
ness, when it is slipped off from the end of the rake-
tooth, and more cells are made in like manner.
After a sufficient number have been made, the end
of the cell, or the end opposite from which the
queen hatches, is stuck on to a little strip of wood
by means of melted wax. After a dozen cells are
fixed, this strip of wood is fastened horizontally in-
to an old comb, the space below the strip being cut
out so as to allow plenty of room for the cells. On
page 56 is a nice engraving showing the cells when
fully capped over by the bees. For full particu-
lars, as also a discussion of many important mat-
ters connected with queen-rearing, we will refer
you to the work itself. The book is full of valuable
hints, and will be worth all it costs to any queen-
breeder. Price $1.00 by mail; 6 cents less if sent
with other goods by express or freight. It can be
sent from this office.

{Specie ^ice^.

SWEET-POTATO PLANTS.

Our sweet-potato bed has turned out so much
better than we expected, that, aside from supply-
ing our local demand, we shall have several thou-
sand to send off by mail or express. Prices will be
the same as our cabbage and celery plants; name-
ly, 5 cts. for 10; 40 cts. for 100, or $3.00 per 1000. If
wanted by mail, add 5 cts. additional for 10 plants,
or 25 cts. for 100. For list of all the plants and
strawberries we now have ready for shipment,
send for our seed and plant catalogue for May.

GEKMAN-61LVER THIMBLES.

Perhaps many of you have noticed the very high
praise we give our five-cent German-silver thim-
ble in our price list. Well, when I was away in
California our clerks got out of certain sizes, and
lost the record of where they were to be purchased.
But to keep business going they bought some of
somebody else that looked a good deal njcer, until —
the wash wore off! As a consequence quite a few
of our good friends have received hraxs thimbles,
when they paid for and had a right to expect an ex-
tra-nice German-silver one. Some of the clerks
suggested that it was only a " five-pent deal, any

m

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

way;" but I tell you, a five-cent deal ought to be as
straight and square as a deal of $5001). Yes, they
had worse work than selling brass for German sil-
ver. Our " boss of the counter store" (Eliza as we
called her) went and got married last fall; and aft-
er that, things got sort o' mixed, and one or two, at
least, got brass thimbles in place of coin silver. By
way of apology for the blunder, it was urged that
the brass ones, when t>rand nru\ were really hand-
somer than the silver ones. There is one thing that
pleases me, however, in the above: Not one of the
friends, so far as I can remember, accused us of
purposely sending out a brass thimble; at least, all
have been polite enough to suggest that somebody
had made a blunder somewhere, when the outside
came to be worn off. Well, what I wanted to say is,
that we have got a splendid stock of all sorts and
sizes, closed end and open end, even the big ones,
of genuine first-class German silver, the very best
that can be found, and they are only 5 cents apiece.
If wanted by mail, add 2 cts. extra for postage and
packing.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

Smokers received. I like the large blast-tube
very much. J. Gregg.

Visalia, Cal., May 7, 1889.

The 10 Dovetailed hives that I ordered of you are
at hand. I have put a part of them together. I am
pleased with them. R. Bostwick.

Bedding, Cal., April 19, 1889.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE LONG WANTED.

1 am more than pleased with the Dovetailed hive.
It is the hive I long have wanted, and in the future
I shall use only that. F. P. Strager.

Bremen, O., Apr. 8, 1889.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE EASY TO PUT TOGETHER.

The Dovetailed hives came to-day. They are so
simple I can put them together easily, although 1
am not a carpenter. Your new ABC book is splen-
did. B. J. Thompson.

Waverly, Wis., Apr. 36, 1889.

COULD NOT BETTER THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

1 think you could not better the Dovetailed hive,
especially the surplus arrangement, which will
save much time and labor in handling and cleaning
boxes. The lawn-mower is a first-class machine; it
docs excellent work, and much cheaper than I
could have purchased one here for.

Brink Hill, Pa., May 13, 1889. O. S. Rogers.

WHAT C. C. MILLER SAYS OF THE WORKMANSHIP
OF THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

1 have received and carefully inspected the Dove-
tailed hive; and if it is a fair specimen of the work
you will send out, then the Dovetailed hive is a real
acquisition. It does me good, just to look at it— so
close and exact— no chance to get together any way
but the right way. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111., May 1, 1889.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE THE NEAREST TO PERFEC-
TION ; .A SUGGESTION.

Eureka! The Dovetailed hive is the nearest to
perfection you have struck, including fixtures.
Now make the brood apartment the same size as
section cases, with open-top section-holders, and
you will have every part the same size, and inter-
changeable. Bees work as well and winter bettrr
in a double brood-chamber than in a single cham-
ber with solid comb full depth. The passageway
of % inch in the middle of the brood-nest is appar-
ently just what the colony needs to shift about
without going around outside. My bees came out
stronger and better in spring in double brood-
chambers than in single, wintered chaff packed out
of doors. The double brood-chamber makes a large
hive to breed up in in the spring, and can be re-
tained its full size if large brood hives are prefer-
red. Try the Uniform hive, and I am sure you will
find it more simpie than the Simplicity, and better
than the best. E. E. Ewing.

Rising Sun, Md.

The hive material and other goods came in nice
order. I was never better pleased with hive mate-
rial. Mrs. W. says that the tinware and the mold-
ing-board beat any thing she ever knew of for the
money. J. C. Wheeler.

Piano, 111., Apr. 29, 1889.

We think the carpet-sweeper very nice. My wife
says she is almost sorry (not quite) that we got it;
for now when she is sewing she will have no excuse
for leaving little bits of clippings around on the
carpet, they arc so easily picked up with the sweep-
er. John Langley.

Widnoon, Pa., April 25, 1889.

The Waterbury watch you sent in place of the
one I told you would not run, I received. I would
have sent back the first one; but since I wrote it
runs all right. 1 have two now, and both run very
well. 1 don't know which one to send back, and so
I think I will keep both of them. C. Hofmann.

Harrisburg, Ark.

Brother Root:—] call you brother, as I am trying
to serve the same Lord and Master. I can not tell
you how much your sermons have helped me the
past year, and I hope and pray that you may be
spared to continue doing good. L. L. Howe.

Harrisville, N. H.

Friend Root: — I most heartily agree with you in
your concluding sentence in " Myself and Neigh-
bors," for April 15th. May your God-inspired papers
be instrumental in bringing hundreds— yes, thou-
sands—to God's heavenly throne, is my earnest and
prayerful wish. W. M. Barnum.

Angelica, N. Y., April 23, 1889.

About five years ago I saw one of your adver-
tisements in some paper I now forget, which induc-
ed me to raise bees, and to this day I have had no rea-
son to regret the step, not only on account of the
bees that afford me pleasure as well as profit, but
princially because I was induced to have dealings
with a man strictly honest, who wishes to be meas-
ured to by the same measure he gives to otheis. I
would not hesitate to pay 11.00 out of my pocket for
Gleanings, when I sometimes read one article
worth the price. I always read Gleanings from
first to last, though 1 take five other papers, and
have ray hands full besides. W. W. Jones.

Hubbardston, Vt , April 21, 1889.

god's work and man's work.

That 28 cents my due. you may apply on my re-
newal, if you please. I had forgotten it. Now,
brother Root. I believe God made you au honest
man. and I will tell you when I think he did it. 1
think somewhere about 43 vears ago.

Mulliken, Mich., Feb. 15, 1889. H. M. Brown.

LFriend B., God made us all honest, There is cer-
tainly no fault on his part. The dishonesty comes
because we resist not, but give way to selfish im-
pulses. I was vividly reminded of this yesterday
when mamma had a long pull with our six-year-old
Huber. He did not want to go to church nor to Sun-
day-school. Mamma pulled him through, however,
and after Sunday-school was over he came up to
me saying, "Papa, I am awful glad I was a good
boy, and went to Sunday-school. I feel ever so
much better now."]

WHAT AN ADVERTISEMENT IN GLEANINGS WILL
DO SOMETIMES.

I just got myself in business when I put that ad-
vertisement in Gleanings. Letters come from all
directions. Some come personally to see me, and I
think I shall have no trouble in finding- the right
man; and, by the way, they were neailyall Chris-
tians, and temperate, and anti-tobacco. Bio. Root,
I think your readers are the best crowd 1 ever
came across. I see now how much I have missed
by dropping out of their company.

Geo. M. Kellogg.

Pleasant Hill, Mo., March 13, 1889.

[Thanks for the compliment you pay us all, friend
K. I have sometimes wondered if it were not true
that godly and temperate people were rallying
around Gleanings. If so. then we, perhaps, in
our separate neighborhoods, may be the means of
influencing a good many, who are standing unde-
cided by the way, to turn the scale in the right
direction.]

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

425

FRIEND JONES'S IGNOTUM TOMATO SEEDS, AND
HIS MISHAP.

1 received those tomato seeds (Ignotum), planted
them in a large pan, and about 20 came up and were
growing nicely. I set the pan in the sun on the
banister of the porch; after a while, along came a
Brown Leghorn hen and concluded to make an ex-
amination, and the result was she upset the pan
and left me floundering with blasted hopes. Now,
you see I am like the calculating milkmaid — visions
of delicious tomatoes sliced in vinegar made my
mouth water; but now mirab He dictu! I am un-
done. Rev. L. S. Jones.

Sonora, O., April 15th, 1889.

[Friend J., here is another paper; and as the Igno-
tum ripens quite early— at least a part of them— I
think you may have some tomatoes sliced in vine-
gar after all, and from your own vines.]

ADVERTISING IN GLEANINGS.

My bees wintered well; I lost 3 colonies out of 75;
some, however, were not very strong; and as 1
work chiefly for comb honey I concluded to unite
until I had disposed of my mismated queens (as I
wish to have none but purely mated). Thinking it
more prudent to sell cheap than to kill them, I had
an advertisement inserted in Apr. 1st Gleanings.
To my surprise, orders came in so rapidly that I
could not half All them all. I knew not what to do
but to refund the money. I feel sorry about it,
knowing that many of the friends were anxiously
awaiting their queen, when, lo! their letter comes
in her place. If any who ordered a queen of me
did not receive her or the money in her stead, they
will please let me know, and I will correct all mis-
takes. Some had written their address so poorly
that I am not sure that I addressed them correctly
each time. I make it a rule to fill an order fork
queen as soon as I receive it, but as I live a dis-
tance from the postofhce 1 do not get my mail
daily; so those who must have a queen "at once"
had better not order of me. L. A. Ressler.

Nappanee, Ind.

THE SIMPLICITY NOT SIMPLE AFTER ALL.

We have built the largest tunnels on the Cincin-
nati Southern Railway; have run sawmill after
sawmill, cleaned clocks, watches, etc., too numerous
too mention, and were always successful; and now
in old age we must admit that a Simplicity bee-hive
is too much for us; therefore find inclosed $3.00,
for which send me a No. 5 two-story Simp, hive com-
plete, put up, ready for use, to use as a pattern to
enable us to use the stuff on hand. I also in-
close 70 cts. for two iron gauge-frames, for hive-
making. Please send an rxact copy of those you
shipped us. ready for the bees, inside and out. We
are greenhorns in the business, therefore please
excuse our apparent ignorance. We can't help it.
God made us just that way.

Robbins, Tenn. Mrs. E. B. Robbins.

LWhy, my good friend, do women build tunnels
and sawmills, and clean clocks and watches, down
your way? or do you mean that you and your good
husband are 60 emphatically one that whatsoever
work he is engaged in you know all about? That is
just the sort of union that I believe in. I think,
however, you will smile when you see a Simplicity
hive made up, and see how extremely simple it is.]

OUR GARDEN-SEEDS, ETC.

The seeds came duly to hand, but what packets!
eight or ten times as much as we get in the store.
I never knew seeds to come so quickly. The beets

were up in nine days. I got some of 's seeds.

A packet of early cabbage proved to be four or five
different sorts. All came up badly, some not at all.
I am sorry to say that the birds took all my white
lettuce, my first sowing of Grand Rapids lettuce,
all my Ignotum tomatoes but three, and several
plantings of beets. They came on to the window-
sill to get them. They take every thing as fast as
it comes up.

The particulars of your journey to California
were very interesting. I worked on the bridges,
etc., along those rock cuts on the Rio Grande. I
wish I had kuown, when you were going through
San Antonio. I should have been pleased to meet
you. Geo. E. Hailes.

Lytle, Texas, April 4, 1889.

[Several have made mention of the large amount
of seeds we give for 5 cents. We try to put then?

up in the way the shoemaker charged for mending
my boot. We charge about what we should i.ke to
have other folks charge us. We are pretty sure
that our seeds will all grow, because we are con-
stantly planting them— yes, a great many of them,
every month in the year, and we think they are
pretty true to name.]

NONSWARMERS.

I have a nice lot of these fine queens now for *1.00
each. Safe arrival guaranteed; also satisfaction
given in size and color. With me the old queen and
her progeny positively refuse to swarm under the
most favorable circumstances.

R. B. U I I.I.I \ Ms,
lOd Winchester, Franklin Co., Tenn.

Cg"ln rosiiondint; to this advertisement mention Gi.kaninijs.

I AH A LBS* OF ITALIAN HI is FOR
UUU SAIjK \T 7'. CENTS Pl.lt I.K.

www Three-frame nuclei, with tested Italian
queen, $3.00 each. Tested Italian queens, $1 each.
Untested, 75 cts. each or three for $3.
lOtfdb I. R. GOOD. Nappanee, Ind.

LOOK HERE!

STRONG THREE-FRAME NUCLEI,

WITH QUEEN FROM IMPORTED

ITALIAN MOTHER, FOR $2.50.

Safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed.

Address G. W. GILLETT, Wellington, Ohio,
10-ll-12d or M. W. SHEPHERD, Rochester, Ohio.
EF"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To every purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen, in June and after, for $1 50, I will give one
L. frame nucleus, 50 cts.. for each added frame of
brood and bees. Tested queens, $1.25; untested,
$1.03. Send for price list.

MRS. OLIVER COIjUt

Sherburne, Chen. Co., W. Y .
Chenango "Valley Apiary. lOtfdh

.BTIn responding to tin . .n!v,T, i count mention Ulkanings.

I FARM Tfl WRITE your own name well

LLHnll I U II nil L by sending 20 cts. to F. A.
Wootton, Penman, Skilesville, Ky., for 13 beautiful
cards with your name finely written in different
combinations. Various styles of cards, alphabets,
etc., fresh from the pen. Best references. 10-lld

100 COLONIES OF

ITALIAN£HYBRID BEES FOR SALE

All 8trougand healiln ; .ilsn Japanese buckwheat.
Write for our low prices.

A. J.&E. HATFIELD, South Bend, Ind.
THE ABC OP

CARP CULTURE

A COMPLETE TREATISE

Upon the Food Carp and its Culture.

INCLUDING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS, AND FULLEST

INSTRUCTIONS FOE THE CONSTRUCTION OF PONDS,

AND EVERY THING PERTAINING TO THE

BUSINESS OF RAISING CARP FOR FOOD.

Illustrated by Many Fine Engravings.

By A. I. Root and George Finley.

3E»0E|.IC?U5 33 Cts.) toy Mail, -40 Cts,

A. 1. ROOT, Medina, O,

426

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this bead at one-half onr
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must 8AT yo\i wnnt your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you arenrdine to >>ur i-eioilnr rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this hend For sneh our reg-
ular rates of 20cts. a line will be <*h'irged and tiny will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, tor
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
2Itfdh Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To sell x>r exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4t Idb No. 150 Military Ave , Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a magic lantern, 12
views, cost *12. for a watch. 9-10d

E B. Hughes, Pipestem, Summers Co., W. Va.

WANTED. —To exchange Japanese buckwheat
and P. Rock eg-ps. and Barnes improved circu-
lar saw, for bees by the pound, young queens, and
reliable strawberry-plants. H. O. McElhany,
il-12db Cedar Rapids. la

WANTED.— To exchange 400 brood-combs in L.
Iranies, and 300 combs in half L. frames (half
depth), valued at 10 cts. each.
9d Miss Delly Reynolds, Sonora, Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange farm stock, and tools,
or trade, for Southern or Western property.
lOd Oscar W. Jefferson,

Acme, Grand Traverse Co., Mich.

WANTED —To exchange untested Italian queens,
reared from select queens, under swarming
impulse, for Wyandotte or Golden Pheasant eerps.
lOd G. F. Tyler, Honey Grove, Tex.

WANTED —To exchange my price list of Italian
bees and queens for your address on a postal
card. R W. Turnek,
lOttdh Medina, Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange brijrht yellow Italian
queens for comb foundation. For furtht r par-
ticulars address James F. Wood,
10d North Prescott, Mass.

ANTED.— To exchange V-groove sections for
empty combs. J.B.Murray, Ada, Hard. Co , O.

w

WANTED —To sell or exchange 25 L hives, 10
frame, with (rood combs; only 20 have top-story:
1200 sections in flat: 50 T supers, for cash, honey, or
best offer inside 30 days. E. A. Eastman,

lOd Birnamwood, Shawano Co., Wis.

WANTED.— To exchange one single barrel breech-
loading shot-gun, 12 bore, hammerless, cost
new, $14 00; 200 brood-frames in flat, all wood, 30 T
supers in flat, one solar wax extractor, one 96 in.
roll perforated zinc, 10 zinc honey-boards, for offers
of bees by the pound, with and without queens, or
any thing useful
lOtfdb C. L. Hill, Dennison, Tusc. Co., Ohio.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

About one dozen black and hybrid queens for
sale, at 30 cts. apiece. E. R. Miller,

Garden City, Cass Co., Mo.

For Sale.— Another lot of those hybrid queens,
one year old, good layers, at 50 ots. each, in Peet
pages, at sender's risk.

H. L Fishek, Milford, Kosciusko Co., Ind.

mESTED ITALIAN QUEENS, $2.00.

A UNTESTED, AFTER JUNE 1, $1.00,

~EICE USX FEES;. R- W. TURNER, Medina. (J.

Price of Sections Reduced.

I will sell No. I white basswood V-jrroove sections
at $3 00 per M. No. 2, $2.00 per M. Price list free.

j. »i. k i v/.u:,

10-14db Rochester, Oakland Co., Midi.

t3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Cleanings.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

i)AA LANGSTROTH and SIMPLICITY HIVES,
4' *U some new and in the flat: a lot of empty
comb, a Novice extractor, and other bee-fixtures,
which I will sell cheap. Write for particulars.
Reasons for s<llinsr. I am out of the business.
lOd W. J. FRANCISCO, Marshall, Mich.

CF"In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, and DABANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

MELCHER'S

IMPROVED

EXTRACTORS

FOR $2.50.

Territorial rights
for sale very cheap
Address

J.C.MELCHER,
iji O'Quinn, Tex.
4-10db

LS*In responding to tliis advertisement mention Gl.KANlNfis.

JAPANESE * BUCKWHEAT,

%

w

i

At the present time, the new Japanese buckwheat
is by all odds further in advance than all other
kinds. This is the third senson that it has been be-
fore the public; and the reports to the agricultural
press and bee-journals place it far ahead of the stl-
verhull, gray, or common. The grain is larger in
size, and it gives a very much larger yield of grain.
It is fully equal in quality of flour to any of our old
kinds, and very much ahead of them in quantity.
The reports for honey are somewhat conflicting, but
I believe it yields fully as much honey as any other
buckwheat known. The price of the Japanese is as
follows: Per bushel, $2O0; 'i bush , $1.25; per peck,
75c; 1 lb., 10c. If wanted by mail, add !>c for postage.

In lots of 5 bushels or more, SI-T5 per bush. Our
seed is going rapidly. Would advise you to order
early before we are sold out. See reports in anoth-
er part of this issue.

A, I. ROOT. Medina, Ohio,

1889

GLEAttlKGS LSr £EE CULTURE.

427

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Select tested Italian queens, $1.00. Standard
breeding queens, $'3.00. Imported, fine and pro-
line, #6.00. R. H. CAMPBELL,

Madison, Morgan Co., Ca.

Il-sTIii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

5 LBS. of bees, in one lot, $4.00; 4 lbs., 83.25. Add
price of queen, if one is wanted. See ad. in this
number. MISS A. M. TAYLOR.

Kid Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., III.

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL.

Tested Queens, $1.25 ; - Untested, $1.00.

lotfdb I. GOOD, SPAETA, WHITE CO., TENNESSEE.

Glass Honey Tumblers and Pails.

Screw-top Pail.

Oaken Bucket Pail.

Glass Tumbler.

Nos. 788 and 789.

Above we present our three staple styles of
glass honey-packages for this season. We are un-
able to get any more of the screw-top glass pails,
shown in our catalogue, such as we have been sell-
ing for a number of years, and we have substitut-
ed in its place the one shown in the center above.
We have this made specially for our trade, and no
one else handles it. The following revised table of
prices takes the place of those in our catalogue.
Please notice important changes, and please be
careful to be specific in telling what you want when
you order. Give the quantity, number, name, and
price, to avoid mistakes.

TABLE OP PRICES— NO CHARGE FOR PACKAGES.

Pleane. order inj number and name, and give price.

Capae- Price. Barrels.

Number and Name. ity. Ea. 10. 100 No. Pr.

No. 788, ^-lb. tumbler ilOoz. 3 28 i 2.50 :250 $5.30

No. 789. one-pound tumbler 16 oz. 3 30 3.00 200 5 20

Nos. 788 and 789, nested 6 57 ! 5.25 ]200 9 00

No. 775, %-lb. screw-top glass pail.. 11 oz. 5 40 ! 3.50 |250 7 30

No. 776. small pound screw-top pail 1 14 oz. 5 42 3.75 200 6.60

No. 777, large pound screw-top pail 17 oz. 6 52 i 4.75 1150 6.60

No. 778, 1^-lb. screw-top glass pail. 24 oz. 7 65 ! 6.00 100 6.00

Hll>. Oaken Bucket pail. 10 oz. 5 42 3 75 200 6 60

lib. Oaken Bucket pail 16 oz. 5 45 I 4.30 150 6.10

In lot of 5 barrels, any one or assorted kinds, 5%
discount. Please notice these points in the table
above.

1. The capacity as given is what each will hold,
well rilled with honey of good consistency.

~. The price of one, 10, and 100 is given in the first
three columns; the fourth column gives the num-
ber in a barrel, and the 5th column the price of a
barrel.

3. Notice that it is much the most economical to
buy them in barrel lots, if you can use so many.
The reason for this is, that all manufactures of
glassware have a uniform charge for packages,
and a barrel has the largest capacity for the price
of any thing used. Every barrel, large or small,
costs us 35 cts ; a box, holding only half as much,
costs the same. Thus by taking the largest barrels,
well filled, we can give you the most value for the
money.

4. We tan not hreak packages of 100 or liarrels at the
price of a full package.

5. The most skilled packers are employed, and
goods are delivered to transportation companies in
good order; we will not, therefore, be responsible
for any breakage.

Send your orders early, while we have plenty of
stock and can maintain above prices.

A- Z. ROOT, l£edixia, O.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

If you are ever annoyed bv tbe scraping and breaking of combs;
killing bees wben setting a frame to one side, or hanging it in
the hive; sagging at tbe bottom and getting waxed last; shak-
ing about wben moving a hive; in sbort, it' you dislike to pry
and wrench your frames, break combs, and kill bees while
handling therii, vou will be pleased with this hive.
VERY CONVENIENT. ACENTS WANTED.
C For"lst Principles in Bee Culture." It tells how to Divide,
Transfer. Introduce Queens, Kced, Unite, Stop Robbing, Ac
Money returned upon return of book, if you are not satisfied
Mention Gleanings. 7-12db

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4>ix4>i sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

15P~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, S2 00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. Itfdh

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

I3rin respoiii,;..B . • this advertisement mention Gleanings.

HONEY, BEE^ouEENS, SUppUESi

OLIVER FOSTER, MT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

C^"ln responding to tills adyorl i.cment mention GLEANINGS.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee. Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. K. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.: G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio. Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb. ; E. C. Eagles-
field, Berlin, Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
to sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

(HAN. DA WANT A SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., IHIiioIm.

(#"In responding to this advertisement mention gleanings.

428

.-

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

1889, HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

,~Hqw are s.upplies selling'? You send for W. E.
^C*>4Kk's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom

ft»r all supplies, and d^n't you forget it

a:7i.

IV. E. Clark's Improved Hinge-Nozzle Quinby

Smoker. 2 he liest Smoker Made.
Ori&kany, - Oneida Co., - New York

3-14db %ST"Mention Gleanings.

Minnesota Ahead!

We are selling L. hives with T supers for 55c, and
brood-frames for $ LOU per hundred. Send for cir-
cular before ordering elsewhere. 7-10db
Ww. H. Bright, Mazeppa, Minn.

VIRGIN QUEENS.

The bulk of the traffic in queens in the near fu-
ture will probably be in " Virgins." Every per-
son sending direct to the office of the Canadian
Bee Journal one dollar for one year's subscription
(either renewal or new), in advance, will receive a
beautiful virgin queen (value 60 cents), as soon as
possible, in the season of 1889. Queens will be sent
in the same rotation as each is received. American
currency, stamps, and money orders received at
par. THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTAEIO, CAN.

tafln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $2.00, $1.50, and $1.25, in Apr., May and June.

One untested, May, $1.00; after Jur?e 1st, .75.

Three untested. May, $2.50; after June 1st, $2.00.

Three-frame nuclei, with untested queen, May,
$3.50; June, $3 00; after, $2.60; with tested queen,
add 50 cts. For prices of 2 frame nuclei bees, per
lb. and Vi lb., full colonies, foundation, and bee-
keepers' supplies, write for price list. Address
6-lldb JNO. NEBEL &, SON, High Hill, Mo.

tL^Mii responding to this

in fluent mention Gleanings.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife,
No. 4, 1.25; No. 5, l.OO; No. 6, .65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood-
burning clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.
Please mention Gleanings. 6tfdb

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

onoE-A-iEVErEt. than ihjvieh.
Sections Only $3. Healers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

tSTIn responding- to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

" \ It l.\ Untested Italian Queens, 75c. each.

» Stfdb Young G. Lee, Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

Apr. 1. For 60 Days. 1889.

We have on hand a large stock of one-piece sec-
tions, which are first class. To reduce stock we
will name very low prices for the next 60 days, in
any size lots from 1000 to 100,000 or more. Save
money by letting us know what you want. Other
supplies to correspond in price. Price list free.
7tfdb SMITH & SMITH,

Mention Gleanings. Kenton, Hardin Co., O.

Tf Vfti, Want111111 va,ue for your money
XI x \jw YY dii L you should see my catalogue
before purchasing. Japanese buckwheat, $1.75 per
bushel; 20 varieties of potatoes. Bees, queens, and
supplies at low rates. Chas. D. Duvall,

7tfdb Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP,

BASSWOOD V-GKOOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

t3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ale

Italian Rees and Queens for S

Wishing to reduce my stock of bees, I offer 50
colonies of fine Italian bees at the following ex-
tremely low rates: Full Strong colonies on L.
frames, put up in light shipping-boxes, f. o. b. at
my station, $5.00 per colony. Tested queens, $1.25
each. Satisfaction guaranteed.

A. C. BRUSH,
8-lidb Susquehanna, Sus. Co., Pa.

1 .,i responding to this advertisement mention Gleaning;.

SUSPENDERS FOR BEE-KEEPERS.

A number of customers have requested us to get
a good suspender for bee-keepers, and a number of
kinds have been suggested. The one shown above,
called the " Foster," suits us as well as any we have
seen. If you notice carefully you will see that, by
the use of eveners, or equalizers, the strain on each
button is the same. We can furnish them made of
good white elastic web cotton ends, at 35 cts. per
pair; silk ends, 50 cts. By mail, postpaid, 5 cts. per
pair extra, in ordering please call them the " Fos-
ter." We can furnish very good white elastic sus-
penders, without the eveners, at 25 cts. per pair; by
mail, 5c extra. Adjustable elastic armlets, 10c per
pair, postpaid. A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

P. S.—Ha/ve just received some suspenders to sell for
10c that have never been sold before for less than ISc.
Elastic web throughout; only tOc; by mall, 14c.

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices: —

Mar. Apr.

Select tested #4 00 $3 75

Tested 3 00 2 75

Untested 125

6 Untested 5 50

12 Untested 9 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5-21db J. P. CALDWELL. San Marcos, Tex.

£3~ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOUND AT LAST!

How to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a year. Send
for particulars. DR. A. B. MASON,

it 14db Auburndale, Ohio.

June

May.

to Oct

$3 25

$2 75

1 75

1 50

1 00

1 00

5 00

4 50

9 00

8 50

THE EASIEST WAY

TO GET YOUR CHAFF HIVES,

Is to sell a few for me to your neighbors, and make
profit enough to buy your own. Write for terms

at once3tfdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

i —In responding to tnis aavertisement mention Gleanings.

HOLY- LAND QUEENS

JV SPECIALTY.

BEES BY THE POUND, IN A L. FRAME.
BEE-KEEPERS SUPPLIES.

GEO. D. KAUDENBUSH, 445 CHESTNUT ST., BEADING. PA.

Mention GLEANINGS. 9-10-lld

WANTED!

At Plattsmoiitli,
Nebraska, to Sell

3-Frame Nucleus Colonies Italian Bees
with Queens, at $2.50 Each.

Otfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

THE BRICHTEST FOUR-BANDED

GOLDEN ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS,

AND THE REDDEST DRONES.

Price, select tested, $3.00; tested, $2.00. Untested,
in May, tl.25; June and after, $1 00.

9-12db L. L. HEARN, Frenchville, W. Va.

t^"In responding to this advertisement nienii'in i.i.i a

IN OLD BEE-BOOK EEVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

100 TONS OF

Will undoubtedly be put on1

in ou

FOLDING PAP

Send for catalogue, 20 pages,
Our prices defy competition.
9-20db A. 0. CRAWFORD, S

SSTln responding to this ■••'vei-iixeimtiil

tWI

Eaton's Improved

SrEGTIOiWr CASH.

Bees and Queens. Send for
-'— Jwjl tree catalogue. Address
1 K A Mi A. EATON,
5-16db Itlutt'ton, Ohio.

sponding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THOROUGHBRED White P. Kock, W. Wyan-
dotte eggs, $1.50 per 13; L. Brahma, P. Rock.
L. Wyandotte. W. and B. Leghorn eggrs, #1.00
per 13. Italian Queens, reared on the Dnolittle
plan, select tested, in Mav. #3.00; June, #2.50. War-
ranted, May, #1 25; June, #1.00.

€. H. WATSON,
7-12db Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa.

EGGS

FOR HATCHING. P. Rock, Light
Brahma, R. C. B. Leghorn, P. Duck,
#1 25 per nest; two settings, #2.00. W.
P. Rock, $1 50 per 13 Choice pure-bred stock. Cir-
cular free. S. P. YODER, E. Lewistown, Mahoning Co., Ohio.

Rearing Queens in Colonies

having- laying queens. Send your address on a

postal card. Circular free.

8-10d H. ALLEY, Wenliam, Mass.

I WILL SELL FULL COLONIES OP BEES, IN
L eight-frame Langstroth hives, at #4.00 per colony,
in lots of five or more.
9-1 Od H. C. G1LSON, Burr Oak, Mich.

HOW TO MANAGE BEES;

OR, BEE-KEEPING POR THE "MASSES."

Every farmer, and all beginners in bee-keeping,
as well as those more advanced, should have it, as it
is especially adapted to their wants. Fully up to
date. Price #1.00, by mail. In beautiful paper cov-
ers. Illustrated. Address
8 6d W. S. VANDRUFF, Wayiiesbnrg., Pa.

I ?"lu responding to this advertisement mention Ri.kanin<;s.

BEE HAT AND VEILS.

Most people who handle bees wear some kii d of a
a veil, or bee-hat, as some call 'em. Above we show
the rig we prefer. The hat is one we have sold and
recommended for two years, and have used for five
or six. It is a light cloth hat. weighing onlyloz.;
fits any head, the inside rim having a rubber cord
in it. The outside rim is held out in place by a
spring wire.

We make veils of four different qualities.

No. 1 is our best veil, made of grenadine and silk
brussels net, or tulle face.

No. 2 is the same without the tulle face, being all
of grenadine.

No. 3 is made of mosquito bar, with tulle face.

No. 4 is made of mosquito bar. without the tulle
face.

Price— each.

No. 1. Best veil # 75

No. 2, Grenadine veil 60
No. 3. Tulle-face bar. 40
No. 4, Mosquito bar.. 25
Bee-hat... 20

Sent postpaid, or with other goods, on receipt of
price. Our veils are larger and more roomy than
those of other makes that we have seen. They
have a rubber cord in the top, to draw them tight
around the hat. as shown in cut. The lower edge is
bound with a blue ribbon, and is drawn under the
suspenders, as shown. The grenadine veils will
wear much longer than mosquito-bar.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

10.

100.

#0 Oil

#55 00

4 75

45 00

3 20

30 00

2 00

18 00

1 60

15 00

430

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

CARNIOLAN QUEENS.

Now booking- orders for June. Tested, $4. 00; un-
tested, $1.00, or $5.00 per lA doz.

SEND POSTAL FOR CIRCULAR.
9-10d S. H . MO liHISOX, M. D., Oxford, Pa.

j3Tln responding to tTijjt advertisement mention Glkanings.

1889. 19tlk Year in Queen^Rearin^ 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

tSTIn responding to lliis advertisement mention Gleanings.

IF VOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkamm.-s.

BEEIEEPERS' SUPPLIES

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUI YOIB MI'FLIES NEAR HOME.

Shipping facilities good. Send for price list of
every thing needed in the apiary. 7tfdb

C. P. EISH, St. Joe Station, Butler Co., Fa.

CiTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kanings.

A BARGAIN.

4(\(\ COLONIES OF HYBRID ITALIANS, AND
A"u black bees, in 8-frame L. and Simplicity or
Electric hives, wired combs. Call, or write how
many colonies you want, and 1 will surprise you
with a low price. W. Ii. COGGSHALL,

8-9-I0d West Groton, N. V.

tSTln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

Dupe Mian Bees For1 j&Ie

Two-frame nuclei, $3.50; 3-frame, $4.00. Full col-
ony in A. I. Boot's Simplicity hive, $7.00. Each
nucleus and full colony to contain a fine tested
queen, and plenty of bees and brood, all on wired
L. frames, combs drawn from foundation. To be
shipped in May. Safe arrival guaranteed. Hives
new, and every thing first-class. I shall do by all as
I would be done by. N. A. KNAPP,

7-10db ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., 0EI0.

{j^In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

WHAT TO DO,

—AND—

How to Be Happy While Doing It.

The above book, by A. 1. Boot, is a compilation of
papers published in Gleanings in 1886, '7, and 8.
It is intended to solve the problem of finding occu-
pation for those scattered over our land, out of em-
ployment. The suggestions are principally about
finding employment around your own homes. The
book is mainly upon market-gardening, fruit cul-
ture, poultry-raising, etc. 1 think the book will be
well worth the price, not only to those out of em-
ployment, but to any one who loves home and rural
industries. Price in paper covers, 50 cts.; cloth, 75
ctB. If wanted by mail, add 8 and 10c respectively.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

NICKEL-PLATED "LEADER" SHEARS.

Elegantly Nickel-Plated Steel Shears

At Less than Half the Usual Price.

TABLE OF PRKES.

-Prices-

Postage.

Name.

I One. |

10

I 100

5

ii'4-

inch

nickel

Leader Shears

5

7

"

»'

** "

!>

7 ! •

"

"

" "

5

8

"

"

*• "

6

8'/,

"

"

" "

S

9

"

"

" "

III

III

"

"

" "

$ 20

$1 90

25

2 30

30

2 70

35

3 00

40

3 40

45

3 80

50

4 20

$18 50
22 50
26 00
29 00
33 00
37 00
41 00

The above are all what are known as straight trimmers, as shown in the cut, except the 9 and 10 inch.
Part of these are straight, but most of them are bent trimmers; that is, the bottom of the shear, or bot-
tom blade, is on a level with the bottom of handle. Such large shears are generally used for cutting on a
table, and this shape is preferable. We have also a few dozen 9-inch barber shears that will be put in at
the same price. These shears are made near here, and we have been in the factory, and have seen them
in process of making. The blades are steel laid, and all is handsomely nickel plated. Now you will want
to know how we can sell them so cheap. In welding the steel plate on to the blades there will sometimes
be a little flaw that can not be all taken out in polishing. These slight blemishes do not injure the shears
a particle for actual service, but still they don't like to put them among the first grade of perfect goods.
They are kept by themselves, and sold at a lower price. Of course, these goods are not regular stock,
and are not advertised by the makers. Therefore whoever takes the lot as they come can get them very
low. Having bought so large a quantity, 150 dozen, we got them at our own price, and it is for that reason
that we are able to offer the above bargains. Some of the shears are perfect in every respect, except
that they lack a full nickel plate all over, and some are so near perfect that you can not see any thing at
all the matter with them, and they are all just A ROOT" lVT^Hirifl O

as good for service as the very best grade. -"-• L- A x w ^ x ' ^cuuia, ks .

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

435

Contents of this Number.

Alsike a Hyhrid 457

Basswood in South Carol'a.459

Basswood in Vermont ui

BaBBWOOd in Wisconsin 412

Bees, Solitary 456

Bees. To (Jet in Sections ... .447

Bee-dress, Cogsrshall's 448

Bluebirds and Hccs 459

Boardman's Contraction.. .458

Buckwheat, Letters 450

Butcher Bird 448

Cave, Wet 458

Chaff, Timothy 443

Devol, W. S 459

Drones Carried Out 459

Editorial 469

False Statements 443

Heads . >f Grai n 456

Honey Statistics 453

Honey per Acre 458

Honey, Old, in Tree 457

Honey. Chunk 457

Insects, Fighting 467

Martins and Bees 459

Missouri River 455

Mosaic, Apiarian 440

Newman on Wintering 458

Notes and Queries 459

Orange Honey 459

Orange-trees 442

Our Own Apiary 468

Out-apiaries No. 8 439

Pyrethrum 446

Queens. Two in a Hive 458

Questions, Answering 470

Recent Developments 466

Sections, Unfinished 449

Sugar v. Natural Stores 456

Swarming, Prime. . . (Q. B.) .460
Swarming, Second.. (Q. B.i.461

Swarm . Why Do Bees ! 444

Swarms. Non-clustering . . . 4M»

Tarred Paper 441

Trout 441

Uneapping-cans 458

Wax-press, Hatch's 452

Wintering Outdoors 445

Zinc, Perforated 441

BEES FOR SALE CHEAP.

Seventy colonies of bees in Langstroth hives.
They are all in first-class order. Hives and bees for
$2.50 apiece. Reason for selling-, have not time to
take care of them. LEROY MAIN,

ll-12d Slingerland, Albany Co., N. Y.

<EjF"ln respondingto this advertisement m.i.ti m i.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested. $ 1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts.;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

THOROUGHBRED White P. Kock, W. Wyan-
dotte eggs, $1.50 per 13; L. Brahma, P. Rock,
L. Wyandotte, W. and B. Leghorn eggs, $1.00
per 13. Italian Queens, reared on the Doolittle
plan, select tested, in May. $3.00; June, $2.50. War-
ranted, May, $1.25; June, $1.00.

C. H. WATSON,
7-12db Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa.

Chas. A. Stockbridge, Port Wayne, Ind.

Manufacturer of and Dealer in

STOCKBRIDGE'S SIMPLICITY BEE HIVE,

Sections, Frames, Smokers, Comb Foundation, fe

Mention thi» Paper.

Send for Price List.

CHEAPEST EVER KNOWN.

One pure 1888 Italian queen, with ya lb. bees, all
for $1.00. I will sell at this price June and July
only. C. E. PRICE,

I ttfdb Smithtown Branch, Suffolk Co., L. I.

1889.

1889.

Italian Queens.

Select tested, in May, $2.50;
June, $2.00; July 1 to Nov. 1, $1.50.
Queens warranted purely mated,
$1.00; 6 for $5.00. Will commence
shipping Moy 1, and ship as book-
ed. Make money orders payable
at Nicholas ville. Send for circu-
lar. J. T. WILSON,

Little Hickman, Jess. Co.,
10-lltfd Ky.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUT YOVR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3i4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

£j?"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

llaliaHllio Ms* Bees

OR THEIR CROSSES,

Heady to Ship May lSth.

The crosses of these two races make the finest
bees I ever saw. They are large, very light colored,
and good workers. Will sell in any shape or quan-
tity to suit purchaser. Send for price list, and five
cents for sample of bees.

91113d A. L. K1LDOW, Sheffield, 111.

tSTIii responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

Apiarian Supplies.

V- GROOVE SECTIONS OF BASSWOOD,

SHIPPING-CASES OF BASSWOOD,
HIVES OF WHITE PINE COMPLETE.

Manufactured by

ftl WARREN MFG. CO., Riverton, Virginia.

t§"in respondingto this advertisement mention Gleanings.

J. P. MOORE

Takes this means of informing his many bee-keep-
ing friends that he is again rearing queens from his
choice strain of Italians, at the following prices:

Warranted queens, $1.00 each; 3 for $2.50; 6 for
$5.00. Safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed.
Circular free. J. P. MOORE,

lid Morgan, Pendleton Co., Ky.

HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTH.

FACTORY OF BEE-HIVES, ETC.

From now on I will sell my 4-frame nuclei, with
Italian queen, at $3.75. In lots of 5, at $3.50 each.
Untested queens at $9.00 per dozen in June, $8.00
per dozen in July. Satisfaction and safe arrival
guaranteed. Eleventh annual catalogue,
lltfd P. I>. VIALLON, Bayou Goula, La.

;_;-''in responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE CHEAP.

QAA LANGSTROTH and SIMPLICITY HIVES,
&\J\) some new and in the flat; a lot of empty
comb, a Novice extractor, and other bee-fixtures,
which I will sell cheap. Write for particulars.
Reasons for selling, I am out of the business.
lltfdb W. J. FBANCISCO, Marshall, Mich.

(E^*In respondingto this advertisement mention Gleanings.

I EARN Tfl IA/DITC your own name well

LLHnll I U Tin I I L by sending 20 cts. to F. A.
Wootton, Penman, Skilesville, Ky., for 12 beautiful
cards with your name finely written in different
combinations. Various styles of cards, alphabets,
etc., fresh from the pen. Best reference*. 10-lld

[HE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

IAAA \AiS. OF ITALIAN BEES FOIC
J SALE AT 75 CENTS PEB L«.

■www Three-frame nuclei, with tested Italian
queen, $3.00 each. Tested Italian queens, $1 each.
Untested, 75 cts. each or three'for $2.
lOtfdb I. B. GOOD,' Nappanee, Ind.

A Four-Color Label for Only 75
Cts Per Thousand !

Just think of it! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either " comb " or " extract-
ed " before the word " honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand; 50 cts. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is 2V2 x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and
many other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

436

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept tor sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman Ac
Son, Chicago, 111. ; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich. ; F. L. Dougherty, Indian-
apolis, Ind.; B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va.; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis. ; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon. Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo. ; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb. ; E. C. Eagles-
field, Berlin, Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
In sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK

Edition of 1889.

3tfdb

CHAS. DADANT A SON,
! 9a mi I ton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

tW In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

This is a picture of a
rabbit. It is an animal
of this species that is
, overrunning Australia.
JThe rapidity with which
increases is some-
thing wonderful. Such
rapid increase is not al-
ways desirable, let it be
among the rabbits of
Australia or among
colonies in the apiary.
And this brings ustothe
point where we can say
that the BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW for May discuss-
es " The Management and Control of Increase," and
that we should be delighted to be allowed to send a
copy to any reader of Gleanings. It will be sent
free, and with it will be sent the May and July
numbers for 1888. Price of the REVIEW, 50 cts. a
year. Back numbers furnished.

The Production of Comb Honey is a neat
little hook of 45 pages; price 25 cts. This book and
the REVIEW one year for 65 cts. For 11.00 the RE-
VIEW will be sent two years, and the book
"thrown in." Stamps taken, either U. S. or Cana-
dian. W. Z. HUTCHINSON,
613 Wood St. Flint, Mich.

t3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To every purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen, in June and after, for $1.50, I will give one
L. frame nucleus, 50 cts., for each added frame of
brood and bees. Tested queens, $1.25; untested,
si. oi. Send for price list.

JVIIIS. OLITEB. COLK,
Sherburne, Chen. Co., 3V. Y.
Chenango Valley -A-jcnciry. lOtfdh

|E^"Iii responding to t hi : udvi-ii i fluent menl ion Ri.KANINGS.

THE BRICHTEST FOUR-BANDED

GOLDEN ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS,

AND THE REDDEST DRONES.

Price, select tested, $3.00; tested. $2.00. Untested,
in May, $1.25; June and after, $l.oo.

9-12db L. L. HEARN, Frenchville, W. Va.

Bingham & Hetherington' s Honey-knife. Patented 1879.

Bingham Smokers and Bingham & Hetherington
Honey-knives are staple tools, and have been used
ten years without complaint. The smokers last,
work easily, throw a stream of smoke ten feet, and
save time, stings, and money. Send card for de-
scriptive circular of the cheapest and best tools in
use— free.

THIE3Y LAST.

Addison, Vt.— Have one of
your smokers, good yet, used
6 years. E. J. Smith.

Silver Creek, Ky.—I have
had one of your smokers 3
years, and it is as good as
new. T. W. Hudgens.

Patented 1S79. Elm Grove, Mass.— Have

one I have used six seasons, good yet.

F. M. Taintor.
Austin, Texas. Apr. 24, 1880 .— Goods came throu'
in good order. We are glad we can show our cus-
tomers a lull line of solid comfort.

Fraternally, J. W. Taylor.
Farina, III., Mar. 23, 1889.— Those who see me
use jour smoker can tiot be persuaded to buy any
other. They stand the test and do the work every
time. Respectfully, M. D. Hewett.

1'itK j:s.

By mail, postpaid.

Doctor smoker (wide shield) 3(4 inch $2 (Hi

Conqueror smoker (wide shield) 3 " 175

Large smoker (wide shield) 2% " 1 50

Extra smoker (wide shield) 2 " 1 25

Plain smoker 2 " .... 1 oo

Little Wonder smoker l3i " 65

Bingham & Hetherington Honey-knife 115

TO SELL AGAIN, apply for dozen or half-dozen
rates. Address T. F. BINGHAM, or

ll-16db BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,

Mention Gi^ranings. Abronia, Mich.

" v.a.IjIj:ey :e*.a.3E*.:m: " _a.de* xa:«.y.

To reduce stock I will sell 5 to 10 colonies of Ital-
ian bees in Simp, hives. Queens were bred from
one of Mr. Doolittle's $4.00 tested queens. Price $5
to $8. accord ins: to prolificness of queen, etc.

CI. WIEDEEHOLD, Yonkers, N. Y. Opp. Dnnwoodie Station.

He

ition Gleanings.

9-10-lld

MY 21ST ANNUAL CATALOGUE OF ITALIAN,
CYPRIAN, and HOLY-LAND BEES, QUEENS,
NUCLEI. COLONIES, and SUPPLIES; also EGGS
FOR HATCHING, can be had by sending me your
address. H. H. DROWN, Light Street, Col. Co., Pa.

Mention Gleanings. 10-lld

TESTED ITALIAN QUEENS, $2.00.
UNTESTED, AFTER JUNE 1, $1.00.

PSIOE LIST FEEE. It. »'. TURNER, Medina, O.

CARNIOLAN QUEENS

From imported mothers. Untested queens, $1.00;
tested queens, $2.00. j. B. KLINE'S APIARY,

7-10db Topeka, Kansas.

J.C7SAYLES ,

HARTFORD, WIS.,

Ma nit /'art it res Apiarian Supplies of' Every

Description. Catalogue Free to All.
3tfd Send lour Address.

J i?"Ih responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

FOR SALE.

Fifty colonies of Italian bees in 10-frame Lang-
stroth hives, at $5.00 per stand; 10 per cent off for
more than one stand. John Grant,

7-lldb Batavia, Clermont Co., O.

THREE - FRAME NUCURUS,

with one-year-old queen. Heddon's improved strain,
$1.50. Frames 12i4.\9i4 outside. 10-ll-12d

H. L. FISHER, Milford, Kosciusko Co., Ind.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

437

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

PATENTED

°W-YI2. 1887

For putting- together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to your supply dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

tWIn responding to this advertisement mention gleanings.

FOR SALE.

Sections in bushel boxes, No. 1, $3.00 per M. Jap-
anese buckwheat; a complete S. orL. hive for comb
honey, 75c; shipping-crates, and all kinds of sup-
plies cheap. Price list free.
9tfdb W. D. SOPER, Jackson, Mich.

■ Til IIU BEES AND QUEENS. Tested

I ALIAN queens, $1.50. Untested, $l.i».

■ ■ ^fci^l* Bees, per lb., $1.00. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,
9-10tfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention (ii.K.vxi"

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex.
able circumstances.

Reared under the most favor-
Will be sent by mail postpaid

at the following prices: —

Mar.

Select tested $4 00

Tested 3 00

Untested

6 Untested

12 Untested

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5-21db J. P. CALDWELL, San Marcos, Tex.

K^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

June

Apr.

May.

to Oct.

$3 75

$3 25

$2 75

2 75

1 75

1 50

1 25

1 00

1 00

5 50

5 00

4 50

9 50

9 00

8 50

FOUND AT LAST!

Send

How to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a vear.
for particulars. DR. A. B. MASON,

9-14db Auburndale, Ohio.

THE EASIEST WAY

TO GET YOUR CHAFF HIVES,

Is to sell a few for me to your neighbors, and make
profit enough to buy your own. Write for terms

at once3tfdb J. A. ROE, Union City, Ind.

l ."In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Wants or Exchange Department.

W J\. 1\ 1 L II ! Nebraska, to Sell

3-Frame Nucleus Colonies Italian Bees
with Queens, at $2.50 Each.

9tfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

AN OLD BEE-BOOS EEVISEP, and PAPANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-hair our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Klbinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

Eaton's Improved
SIEOTICMV 0-A.S33.

Bees and Queens. Send for
free catalogue. Address

FRANK A. EATON,
5-1 i'Mb Bluffton, Ohio.

f3T In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

WANTED.— To exchange nice box machine with
tongue and groover, swing saw, Root 4 piece
section-machine, belts, hangers, boxes, shafting, pul-
leys, fancy poultry, for a nice young sound carriage-
bo se. Address J. B. Mason, Mechanic Falls, Me.

WANTED.— To exchange a new foot-power saw
for extracted honey; the machine to be ship-
ped now, but the honey after the honey-harvest.
lid W. S. Wright, Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Mich.

WHO wants to exchange a bicycle or a com-
pound microscope for bees or a magic lan-
tern? L. Heine. Bellmore, Queens Co., N. Y. lid

WANTED.— To exchange Crystal City strawberry-
plants, earliest kind, for extracted honey, lid
I. Lanz, Joelton. Davidson Co., Tenn.

WANTED.— To exchange for 1 colony of bees, or 2
VV nuclei, 3 frames, one S. Collie (bitch) 6 mo. old;
its dame direct from Scotland; also pure B. L.
eggs, for bees. Robt. Golfing,

lid Chase, Lake Co., Mich.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

I have a few hybrid queens for sale. For prices
address Mrs. L. C. Axtell, Roseville, 111.

Ten hybrid queens for sale at 25 and 50 cts. each.
Louis Werner, Edwardsville, 111.

For Sale.— 10 hybrid queens, reared last fall, at
25 cts. each, by return mail. G. D. Black,

Brandon, Iowa.

Four hybrids for sale at 25 cts. each.

J. B. Kline, Topeka, Kan.

Black and hybrid queens for sale. 30 and 50 cts.
respectively. J. A. Kime, Fairfield, Pa.

Hybrid queens by return mail— 1, 35 cts.; 3 for #1.

Geo. L. Ferris, Five Corners, N. Y.
Prairie Farm Apiary.

I have about 50 or 75 hybrid queens for sale.
Price 50 cts. each, or $5 per dozen. They are all
last year's queens, and they are daughters of a pure
CarnioI.au queen which has mated with an Italian
drone. They are large and prolific queens, and
their progeny make splendid honey-gatherers. The
reason for selling is, I want all pure Carniolans.
Speak quick if you want a nice queen for a little
money. W. W. Lockhart,

Box 103, Lake George, N. Y.

UNTESED QUEENS AT A. I. ROOT'S PRICES.

D. A. McCord, Oxford, Butler Co., Ohio. 11-21 '89
*J. Mattoon, Atwater, Portage Co., Ohio. 13tfd89
S. R. Roddy, Mechanicstown, Fred. Co., Md. U-13d

438

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

pepY OaMjiN.

cirr alar^ets.

New York.- Honey.— Our market is bare of comb
honey. All cleaned out; in first-class sbape for
new crop. Same with extracted; no white clover,
basswood, or buckwheat on hand. New Southern
honey is coming' in fast; a good fair article brings
from 6o@70c per gallon. Fine new orange-bloom
from 7%@8, on arrival. Beeswax scarce; good de-
mand. Will bring from 261/4@,271/4. according tc col-
or. Hildreth Bros. & Seoelken,

May 25. 28 & 30 West Broadway, New York.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— The new feature is plenti-
ful arrivals of new comb and ext'd honey from the
Southern States, where the season bad a most pros-
perous beginning. Demand is fair. Extracted hon-
ey brings 5(^8 on arrival. Comb honey, 11@16 in a
.iobbing way. Beeswax is in good demand, and
prices have advanced. It brings 22@24 for good to
choice yellow. Chas. P. Muth & Son,

May 31. Cincinnati, O.

St. Louis.- Honey.— Choice white clover honey
in 1-lb. sections, single-layer boxes, in good demand
at 15. Extracted honey, slow sales at former quota-
tions. Beeswax, in good demand, 23. Prospect for
much larger yield of honev in 1889 than in 1888.
Think fully % better. W. B. Westcott & Co.,

May 23. St. Louis, Mo.

New York— Honey.— Stocks of comb as well as
extracted are pretty well cleaned out; some ship-
ments from Florida have arrived, which bring fair
prices, owing to its fine quality, and scarcity of oth-
er grades. Beeswax is scarce; we quote 26@27 for
good stock. F. G. Strohmeyer,

May 21. New York.

St. Louis.— Honey.— We quote bright, good-fla-
vored, strained and extracted, in barrels, 6y2@,6%;
dark, 5%@6. Demand good. Beeswax, prime, 23,
and scarce. D. G. Tutt Grocer Co.,

May 22. St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit. — Honey.— Best white comb honey in
one-pound sections is selling at 14@15; market very
quiet. Beeswax, firm at 23@24. M.H.Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., May 22.

Albany.— Honey.— Market unchanged. Out of
season; nothing selling, and none to sell.
May 22. H.R.Wright,

Albany, N. Y.

Kansas City.— Honey.— No change to report in
our honey market since our last quotations.
Clemons, Cloon & Co.,
May 23. Kansas City, Mo.

New York.— Honey.— Comb honey, no demand.
Beeswax, in good demand at 27@29. We shall have
a clean stock for the new. C. H. Kilmer,

May 21. New York.

Boston.— Honey.
very slow.
May 22.

-No change in prices. Sales
Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Carniolan % Bees.

I'LEASANTEST BEES IN THE WOULD.
HARDIEST TO WINTER.

BEST HONE Y- ii A TH KRERS.

IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE NOT ONLY THE
BEES BUT OUR PAPER,

"THE advance,"

We otter to any one who will send us $1.25, a copy
of our paper and a nice Carniolan queen. The
queen alone is worth $2.00. Address
" THE ADVANCE," Mechanic Falls, Me.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

WARRANTED * QUEENS

AT REDUCED PRICES,

We have a number of young queens, bred by the

^JilOjST IMPROVED PETfleD^

as good as when bred by the swarming impulse,
which we will warrant at 80 cts. each, or $9 00 a doz.
Money orders, New Iberia, La.

J. W. K. SHAW & CO.,
lid Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

t$Tln responding to this sdveftisenioni rnwition Glkanings,

Carniolan Queens.

Importing and bi
demand for them
postal forcirculai
doz.; Jo for Bentoi

ling this race exclusively since 1884; the
has more than doubled eaeh season. (Send
, or $1 for choice untested queen; $5 per ha Il-
l's best grade imported queen. lltfdb

S. W. MORRISON, Oxford, Chester Co., Pa.

t3?"lM responding to this adverts

u mention GLEANING

|». Y^Qixltr»y

oultry
A oTJLltry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
21 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying1 in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a live-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
TEE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.
C5T1H responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BY RETURN MAIL.

After June 8, 100 of J. F. Wood's warranted Ital-
ian queens, at $8.00 per dozen. If less than one
dozen are wanted, 75 cts. each is my price. I wish
to call special attention to the fact that I have con-
trol of all bees within three miles of my apiary, and
can largely control the mating of my queens with
the drones I choose. I did not have one per cent of
my queens mismate last season, hence I am able to
warrant every queen without extra charge. Every
queen that proves to be mismated will be replaced
by a select tested queen, suitable for a mother-bee.
Safe arrival guaranteed, and queens warranted to
be as good as those of any first-class breeder. All
letters will receive my personal attention as soon as
received. JAS. F. WOOD,

ll-12d North Prescott, Mass.

lt^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kanim. -.

jOMTfOUNDATIOH flDVANCED

FIVE CTS. PER POUND.

We are compelled to make this advance on ac-
count of the scarcity and raise in price of wax.
Please take notice.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

LOOK HERE! cM0Ugh

Full colonies of pure Italian bees in A. I. Root's
Simplicity hive, only $4.00 each. Now ready to
ship. Frames, wired combs drawn from i'dn , every-
thing first-class. Write tor prices of Poland China
swine, White and Brown Leghorn chickens, and
Mallard ducks. Eggs tor hatching. Also white
and black ferrets. Address N. A.KNAPP,
Hftdb EOCHESTEE, LOEAIN CO., OHIO,

(tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gi.kaninos

Vol. XTII.

JUNE 1, 1889.

No. 11.

rAnnto, in Advance;*) T? <>+ rtT^ln el> o rl 7"W 1 R'J '% f Clubs to different postoffices, not less
;31or$2.75;5foi$t.00 JliSlCLOlJ/S iKyCb l/Tl ±0 I O . than OOcts. each. Sent postpaid in tin
fon^eKia'yX P™«™ semi-monthly by j ^8. .»*»«${£ Jo another eo,,,,

)A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER

2 Copies for$1.90

10 or more, 75 et:

ber. 6cts. Addition:

made at club rates. Above are all to

be sent to one i-ostoffice

year extra. 10 all eouutri
not of the U. P. V., 42cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES-NO. VIII.

RIGGING A WAGON FOR HAULING BEES.

fHE first moving of bees of which I have any
recollection was done in a very primitive
manner. The bees were in a box hive. The
hive was set right side up (the bottom, of
course, open), on a sheet. The four corners
of the sheet were tied together over the top of the
hive; a pole was thrust through and carried on the
shoulders of two men a distance of about two
miles, at night. When I commenced hauling my
own bees I had a common one-horse wagon, the
box of which was about 8 ft. long and 3 ft. wide, in-
side measure. My hives were Langstroth, with
cleats on the sides, making them so wide that two
would not sit in the wagon side by side, so T could
get only four in the wagon, using one for a seat.
T increased the load to seven by putting three on
top of the hindmost three. If simply placed on
top without fastening, the upper hive would slip
off. I made a pair of sticks to place between the
upper and lower hive so there could be no sliding.
The sticks were as long as the tops of the hives,
about au inch wide, and one-fourth inch thick.
Near each end, several common big-headed tacks
were driven through from each side.

^

4-^4-

T+-K

r

^

STICK WITH TACKS TO HOLD ONE;HIVE ON
ANOTHER.

The bottom hive was placed on the wagon; one
of these sticks was pressed on top on each side,
then the other hive was placed on it, and there was
about as much security [ from slipping as if tb,e
hives were nailed together.

But one horse could easily haul more than seven,
over good roads. I then made a sort of rack to put
on the wagon-box. It is made of fence-boards.
Two side-boards rest on the side-boards of the wag-
on-box, and at or near each end two pieces arc nail-
ed in, forming au open box without top or bottom.

HACK ON WAGON-BOX, FOR HAULING BEES.

Then five cross-pieces are nailed on top, and blocks
nailed on these to hold the hives in place. Two
pieces are nailed on each side (as seen in the cut),
which slip down on the wagon-box and keep the
rack from slipping off. A loose board in front ans-
wers for a seat. The hind end of the rack is prop-
ped up, at time of loading, till 3 hives are slid under
from behind, then the rack is let down, and the 8
hives loaded on, making 11 hives for the full load.
I have a similar rack, only larger, to fit Jack Wil-
son's milk-wagon, on which, drawn by two horses,
I can haul 17 hives. Jack is one of the brothers-in-
law worth having, lor generally about the time I
want to haul bees he seems to have things happen
so as to say that he has an idle team that I can have
just as well as not. Thus I can take 28 colonies
each trip. These are both spring wagons, and., a]-

140

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

though not absolutely necessary, I like springs, tor
then you don't need to drive so carefully. A com-
mon hay-rack answers very well to haul bees on.
Some use a hay-rack witb a considerable depth of
hay or straw on it, say a quarter of a ton. This
acts much the same as springs. It adds to the
weight, however, and has the disadvantage that the
hives don't sit down flat and regular, but are likely
to be in all sorts of shapes. I have used with en-
tire satisfaction a common lumber or farm wag-
on, with a hay-rack on it, without hay and without
springs. Possibly on very rough roads this might
not answer so well; but with careful driving I think
I would risk it anywhere. I put on a few extra
boards and blocks to fit the rack for holding hives.
I have seen hives piled on wagons and tied on with
ropes, and with some kinds of hives this will ans-
wer very well. Indeed, the kind of hives may have
much to do with the arrangement for hauling.
Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

When we moved our bees to the basswood

really friend Root brings you and me squarely face
to face as antagonists, and then asks the old ques-
tion as to procedure when doctors disagree. I am
glad that, in this case, my opponent is so warm a
friend. Now, I do not speak ex nithrdra. I do not
say that honey-bees never cut into flower-tubes;
but I feel very positive that this is the case. 1 pre-
sume friend Root simply quoted in this case. I
have often seen this statement in print. Larger
wild bees certainly cut into flowers, and honey-bees
certainly avail themselves of such openings. I
know this, for I have seen it repeatedly. I have
watched very carefully to see honey-bees do the
same, and always without success; so both from
observation and the habits of bees— they go to open
vessels, not closed ones, for their nectar— I feel per-
suaded that in this case brother Root is wrong.
How is it, dear brother? did you write from person-
al knowledge or from hearsay?

In reply to E. J. Shay, p. 357, I would state that al
larval wasps do cap their cells; so do bees. The

orchard the boys borrowed our wagon, made larval bee first caps the cell, and later the imago, or

specially for carrying fruit and vegetables ; adult bees, add a second or wax cap. In many

and it answered the purpose SO nicely that I families of wasps there is but the one cover to the

think we Shall have to give you an engrav- larva-its cocoon. In the paper-makers, the larva

ing of it, perhaps in the next issue.

APIARIAN MOSAIC.

PKOF. COOK SETS US RIGHT IN SEVERAL MATTERS.

J«\ EAR MR. EDITOR:— I dub this article a "mo-
ffl pi saic," as I shall speak of several matters and
|jg| say but little of each.

■^^ I was very much interested in the article
from A. E. Manum, p. 340. The clear de-
scription, simple, clear style, and familiarity with
the subject in hand, are each and all most admira-
ble. How easy it is to tell, simply by reading an ar-
ticle, whether the writer knows what he is talking
about! As Mr. Langstroth once said to me, in
speaking of Virgil and Columella, "Virgil," said
he, " writes as a poet who gleaned his facts at sec-
ond hand; Columella as one who had handled the ment you pay me in calling me a " warm
things of which he wrote." friend," for I hope and verily believe that

in reference to the cardinal flower, as I said be- we shall be warm friends, no matter what
fore, I never saw a bee on this species of lobelia, may transpire or come up, while God sees
though I have often seen them on the blue species, fit to let US both live. Your quotation from
it came to me as a fact from friend Hilton, that father Langstroth sounds exactly like him ;

bees did really work on it and gathered much fine and I have a great mind to feel hurt, be-

honey from this source, it seemed to me that cause, right in the next sentence or two,
there could be no doubt in the matter. The fact you ask if I did not write from " hearsay."
granted, then, to quote President Cleveland, " we It revived the matter in another column in

spins its cocoon just as the larval bee does; only in
this case the cocoon is thick, and serves exclusively
for capping the cell. In the large paper nests, the
capped cells will be seen, and, as all know who have
observed them, they are very white, and so con-
trast strongly with the gray of the paper cells.
The fine fibrous silk of the larva is white, while the
coarse pulpy paper is gray. The mud-wasps cap
their cells with mud before the eggs hatch. Yet
even here the larvse spin a cocoon of silk which
surrounds them all through the pupa state.

Our bees have been roaring on the fruit-bloom
for three or four days. They commence work be-
fore it is fully light, before four o'clock. The flow-
ers are being well fertilized, and we may expect a
good crop. A.J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Thank you, friend Cook, for the cornpli-

were confronted with a condition, not a theory."
True, as friend Gould says, the corolla-tube of this
beautiful flower is long; yet the very fact of the
brilliancy of the flower makes it clear that it se-
cretes much nectar. Is it not probable, then, that
the nectar may, in times very favorable to secre-
tion, rise up so as to be in easy reach of the honey-
bee? I take it that this is just the explanation.
Usually there is not enough nectar so that the bees

regard to what the Enci/clof>edia Brittanica
has said from hearsay. Now, old friend, I
do not believe it is one of my failings to
make statements in print from hearsay. I
love nature too well to take the statement
of somebody else, when the bees and the
flowers are accessible to me almost every
day of my life. When I discovered that the
article on the cardinal flower had gone into
print, and that I had made no reply what-

can reach it; occasionally, as in the case mention- eveTi t felt a little sad about it ; but I am

ed, it rises up so that it gives a bountiful harvest to very glad you have straightened it all out.

Like you I have seen the bees sucking nec-
tar through holes in the tube, or, rather, lit-
tle horn, of different kinds of flowers, and I
took it for granted that the Italians them-
selves made the holes. I do not think that
anybody ever told me so. As you state it,

the bee

I also believe that fertilization by some bird or
insect is quite necessary. True, the wind might
bear the pollen to the waiting stigma, but the
chance of failure would be too great by far. Aided
by insects there is scarcely a chance for failure.

Mr. G. asks about bees eating jntq flowers, and however, I think that my fault was in draw

1889

(JI.KANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

441

ing conclusions hastily. 1 never smo a bee
bite one of the holes ; but I have seen them
bite and gnaw wood and enameled sheets,
and other things much more substantial.
Unless something further comes to light in
regard to this matter, the A B C will be
changed in the next edition. Your ex-
planation in regard to the capping made by
larva? agrees exactly with my own observa-
tion. I am glad, friend Cook, that you en-
joy, as I do, seeing the bees commence work
on the fruit-trees before four o'clock in the
morning.

A. E. MANUM EXPLAINS.

TARRED PAPER TO KEEP AWAY ANTS; LARGE
BASSWOOD YIELDS, ETC.

6 LEANINGS of May 15 is just at hand; and
while I was writing something to appear in
its columns for June 15, Mr. Scott (one of my
men) was feasting on the good things it con-
tains. When he came to me and asked the
privilege of reading me your comments on the use
of tarred paper to keep ants at a proper distance,
I at once dropped that subject and took up this one
in answer to your comments, in order to have it go
in the morning's mail.

I do not use the paper in the brood-chamber, but
outside of it, and inside the outer case. My hives
are all chaff hives. Tell " Mrs. S., down in the
lunch-room," to get a strong man to lift the sugar-
barrel (as I suppose it is full, as all are liable to be
when near a cook-room) while she slips a large
piece of the tarred paper under it. The paper
should be larger than the bottom of the barrel. Do
not throw the paper into the barrel, as you pro-
pose. If that does not keep them away, tell her to
sprinkle tine salt around the barrel.

SPECKLED TROUT.

I did write one page, telling all about our trout-
fishing, but finally left it out, as you had requested
me to be as brief as possible. I find it difficult to
tell your readers all I wish to in the space you allow
me.

VERMONT BASSWOOD; LAHGE YIELDS PER COLONY.

You ask on page 402, about our bass wood range.
1 do not think that my location is one of the best
for basswood honey, and it is one of the poorest for
clover of any that I know of in Vermont; yet in a
favorable season it is not uncommon, in the height
of clover-bloom, for our scale hives to register 8, 10,
and 15 lbs. per day for a very few days. Rut re-
member, we aim to have large swarms; we work
hard from early spring up to clover bloom to in-
duce queens to lay a large number of eggs. Our
basswoods are principally at the base of our moun-
tains, and not as far up on the mountains as Bro.
Doolittle's are, hence our basswood seasons are not
as prolonged as his are. There are a goodly num-
ber of basswoods scattered among other timber in
the valleys and over the foot-hills; but this is being
cut off very fast. One factory here in our town
bought last winter over 300,000 feet of basswood
logs. All were cut within range of my bees, hence
I may not be able to report 33!^ lbs. per day this
season, although I shall try hard to secure 50 lbs. in
one day. If I do succeed in reaching 50 lbs. I will
tell you how it is done. It is all to be gathered by
one queen's progeny,
lihope, Mr. Root, fyou will some day favor us

Vermonters with your presence; and if you should
visit us in the trout season I assure you we will try
to give you a feast on ppockled trout, and will try
to till your pockets with spruce gum to take home
to the children. And 1 now invite you and yours to
make us a visit whenever you can spare the time.
Bristol, Vt., May 21, 1889. A. E. Manum.

Thanks, friend M., for your kind invita-
tion. Possibly 1 may be able to call on my
friends up your way next season. This fall,
you know I am to look over Wisconsin and
the adjacent territory. In regard to bass-
wood-trees, I do not feel satisfied, because
there are so few planting them. Our trees
are now looking very handsome, and Ernest
has got into pretty fair running order what
we call the "Basswood" apiary. My
dreams of 17 years ago, we expect are to be
realized this season ; i. e., seeing bees store
honey from trees over their own hives, and
said trees to be of my own planting. Un-
less we do plant basswood groves, bee-
keeping, to a large extent, must go down.
Now, brethren, please remember that these
are the words of Uncle Amos.

A BIG TESTIMONIAL IN FAVOR OF
PERFORATED ZINC.

SHALL WE DESTROY GOOD DRONE COMB, OR USE IT
WITH PERFORATED ZINC?

TTp FTER reading what my neighbor L. E. Mercer
2ll|, said (see page 358) about zinc honey-boards,
jRif I started for the apiary to see how the one I
-^*- got from you by mail this spring was doing.
I put it on over a rather small but prolific
queen, and filled the super with part drone and
part worker comb, and this is what I found: The
super was about half full of honey. The drone-
cells were empty, and cleaned up for the queen to
lay in. The brood-chamber of 8 combs was full of
brood to the top-bar, and one outside comb was
half full. There were about two dozen drones. I
vote the queen-excluder economical and humane.
If the queen had been allowed to go above, they
would have wasted many pounds of honey in rais-
ing thousands of drones; and after extracting the
honey I should have shaved the heads off those
drones, which is a cruel and expensive practice. I
was afraid they would make the bees swarm more,
but now I think different; for the super gives
plenty of room for all the bees that can be raised
in the brood-chamber. My hives are ten-frame
Langstroth, and the bees usually fill 8 combs in the
brood-chamber and the lower half of the combs in
the upper story with brood before extracting com-
mences; but the queen is soon crowded out of the
super combs by the honey. This is contraction,
but I sometimes wish the brood-combs were as deep
as the Quinby frame, so the queens would not need
to go above for room. This might do if all the
super combs were built on foundation; but in buy-
ing bees 1 have got a lot of nice straight drone-
combs which are splendid to extract from, if the
queen could not get to them. Now, the great ques-
tion with me (and I wish you would pop It to the
vettrans this season) is, whether to melt up all
those drone combs, perhaps 2000, and put founda-
tion in the frames, or put a queen-excluder over the
brood-chambers and keep the drone-comb.

412

GLEANINGS IN J3EE CULTURE.

UNE

TITOSE OKAKGE-TRBE8 ! TI1K MiNOTUM TOMATO.

I have just sold that little patch of seedling
orange-trees that you were admiring when here—
1000 trees grown one year in the seed-bed and one
year in nursery rows, for $175, and have enough
seed planted to raise from 10,000 to 15,000 more. I
received 33 Ignotum tomato-seeds, and have 133 nice
plants, transplanted and growing in the garden.
That seed is good. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., May 10, 1889.

I am very glad indeed, friend M., that the
perforated zinc honey-board works so well
in your hands. I think I should use the
drone comb, by all means ; in fact, a good
many prefer drone comb to worker for ex-
tracting. I am inclined to think that the
bees can store honey faster in drone comb
than in worker comb; and I also believe
that the honey is thrown out more easily
with the extractor. The only objection that
1 know of is the liability of gettting drone
brood ; but the perforated zinc board ought
to remedy this entirely.— I am glad to get
your report from the orange-trees. Now,
this is one of the mysteries that I can not
understand. The demand for orange-trees is
large, and yet the prices are what I should
call away up. Now, notwithstanding this,
thousands of people are found all over Cali-
fornia, wanting something to do ; in fact, I
am afraid that a great many of them went
to California just on purpose to get a job, as
they could not get one at home. I think
my talk on the subject in our last issue pret-
ty nearly solves the problem.— If you got
33 tomato-plants from that little paper of
seed, I think that you too, friend M., must
be an adept in making seeds grow. May be
your good wife kept an eye on them. Give
my respects to the little girl who climbed
the mountain with her doll-baby, a good
deal faster than I could do it with both
hands and feet, and all my strength.

FROM DECEMBER TILL MAY.

A REPORT FROM THE GREAT BASSWOOD REGION
OF WISCONSIN.

f O-DAY is about the first day that it has rained
this season to prevent work, so it gives us
opportunity to make a short report at this
end of the route. May 18th, and 80 colonies
• not looked over yet this spring to crop
queens or regulate frames. How is that for a mod-
ern bee-keeper who takes five bee-papers, and
keeps 300 colonies of bees? I am aware that it is a
good plan for a bee-man to look over his bees every
month or two. 1 have tried to do so, but in an evil
hour I listened to the advice of those who counsel a
bee-keeper to have some other business to fall back
on, that, in the event of his bees failing during off
years, he would have some other string to pull, or
some other source of income to provide for his
family and keep the wolf from the door. Had I tak-
en the advice of A. I. Root on this point, which
was given somewhere in Gleanings, all would
have been well. His advice was, to put money in
the bank, where we could have it handy to draw on
to tide us over during poor years. Instead of act-
ing on this sensible plan, after considerable thought
I went iuto the nursery business on a small scale,
adding a small orchard, grapevines, small fruits,

etc. Now be it known that this nursery business
will take the cake for keeping a man employed 13
months out of the year. To explain how it gets in
13 months, I will say that he can hoe all summer,
graft all winter, and in the months of spring and
fall when he delivers his stock he will have to do
two months' work in one, so that will make the 13
months. The above will explain why 1 have neg-
lected my bees until this late date. Customers had
to have their trees, vines, and plants, at the right
time, so bees had to take their chances. Now. if
any dissatistied bee-keeper wants to exchange his
bees for nursery stock let him come forward, for I
am anxious to have one job or hand, and have the
satisfaction of having things done in time. 1 was
unable to visit my bees previous to last week, ex-
cepting two or three times, giving them a hasty
examination, and feed where necessary to prevent
starvation, being all the care they got since taking
them out of cellars March 19th and 20tb, excepting
60 colonies that were left in six days longer. I see
no perceptible difference between those taken out
first and those last. Bees have wintered well in
this county generally. Mine were too warm all
winter. The Sextonville lot, 219 colonies, would
have made a good hot-bed if we could have utiliz-
ed the heat. They were so warm that they dried up
all of the moisture on the walls, and would proba-
bly have dried the sand on tho bottom of the cellar
if it had not been covered with dead bees. T don't
see how Mr. Barber keeps his bees at a temperature
of 70 or 80. Mine at 55 to 65 came out poorly. Many
colonies were weak when set out, and quite a num-
ber worthless; but they had no spring dwindling.
All that were good when taken out are so yet, show-
ing that a high temperature will not hurt bees in a
winter repository, if they will stay in the hive.

Up to date I have 318 colonies with queens, out of
350 put in winter quarters. They average better
than last year. They have used honey rapidly this
spring. We have fed several hundred pounds of re-
served comb honey, in going over them this our
first time. If they should need feeding again be-
fore clover, I shall have to resort to extracted hon-
ey, of which we have 1200 lbs.

The prospect here has been rather poor for clo-
ver, as previous droughts have caused a light
stand; but the present rains may bring forth to ad-
vantage all there is of it. In all of my experience
with bees, over 30 years, I have never known bees
to swarm in April but twice. Last April was one of
them. Several swarms were i-eported the last of
the month in this county. My first and last swarms
were the 4th of May. We bad after that a cold and
windy time of ten days duration, which checked all
inclination to swarm. I see by reports from all
parts of the country that a booming season for bees
is confidently" expected. Bees are in splendid order;
white clover is coming on finely; and being the full
year for basswood, a large honey-yield is anticipat-
ed. If it comes in as well as predicted, where shall
we sell our honey? Judging from the way the small
crop of last year filled the market, where can we
find an outlet for a large and general crop? It looks,
as though a large crop in 1889 would put the price,
down where poor folks could eat it. For one I am
not disposed to sell mine cheap until I see it-
Eleven years ago, 1878, bees swarmed in April. They
had wintered as well or better than last winter. It
looked as though we were going to have an excep
tionaljy fine season; but.up to September \st, bees

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

443

in this location had not gathered enough stores ot
winter on; but afterward they got a little run,
which gave most colonies enough to winter on.
It is too early to predict as to basswood and mint.
I will report later. S. I. Freeborn.

Ithaca, Wis., May 15, 1889.

Judging from the above, friend F., bass-
wood doe? not always yield, even in your fa-
vored locality. In our locality, the weather
during fruit-bloom was more favorable than
I remember to have ever seen it before. 1
am looking forward with considerable inter-
est to my visit when your basswoods are do-
ing their best.

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As a protection to ourbee-keeping population, we propose in
this department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

THE SAME OLD STORY.

PRIEND ROOT:— Inclosed I send you an article
which adorned (or darkened) the columns of
the St. Louis Christian Advocate of May 15.
O my brother! how long is this great wrong
to continue unrestrained? Not only is it
damaging to us as bee-keepers, but it is ruinous to
our influence as Christian people. Is there no way
by which this iniquitous tide of envy, malice, and
hatred may be checked, and we as a God-loving and
God-fearing people be allowed to quietly engage in
a pursuit which is in every way calculated to lift
up, elevate, and ennoble those who engage in it?
Sarah E. Duncan.
Lineville, la., May 17, 1889.

I think exactly as you do about it, my
good friend. The way such falsehoods are
passed around looks bad for the community
in general. There is a great deal too much
' flunking evil." I will explain to our
readers, that the paragraph sent us, alluded
to in the above, is exactly the same thing as
is found on page si of our issue for Feb. 1.
It does seem sad indeed, that two such pa-
llets as the Lutheran Observer and the St.
Louis Christian Advocate should be guilty of
such wrong and injustice. If it were a
blunder, why can they not for Christianity's
sake, if for nothing else, set their readers
right with a suitable apology V

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, AND ITS MANU-
FACTURED COMB HONEY.

I have just received my third volume of "1mm'-
cam Supplement" to the Cyclopedia Brita/nnica. By
accident I first opened the book at the word "glu-
cose," page 537. Beginning in the left-hand col-
umn, 21st line from the top, I read as follows: " Glu-
cose is used chiefly in the manufacture of table
syrups and confectionery, in the brewing of ale
and beer, and to some extent as food for bees and
in the making of artificial honey. No reliable sta-
tistics can be had as to the quantity used in brew-
ing, since brewers seek to conceal the fact of its
employment. When it is fed to bees, the honey
yielded by the bees is almost pure glucose. In arti-
ficial honey-making, the comb is made of paraffine
and filled with pure glucose by machinery. For
whiteness and beauty it rivals the best white clo-
ver honey, and can be sold at less than half the

price. Its one defect is, that it is not honey."
Chas. Morris, of the Philadelphia Academy of Sci-
ences, is the accredited author of the above state-
ments. After reading the article, my opinion of
the Britannica's accuracy was lowered about 100
per cent, and I certainly would never have pur-
chased it had I read the above sooner; for, if con-
taining such strikingly erroneous statements on
this subject it could not be thought reliable on any
other, unless further examination proved to the
contrary. C. Nysewander, M. D.

Des Moines, la., May 12, 1889.

Why, friend N, it is absolutely awful to
hear that this false slander that you men-
tion on our industry has got into a cyclope-
dia. The address of the publishers is J. M.
Stoddart Co., Limited, Philadelphia, Pa.
We shall write to them at once, sending
them this statement, together with other
facts in the matter, and our card offering
$1000 reward, etc.; and I heartily wish that
we could persuade every bee-keeper in the
land to write them a protest. Have it scat-
tered far and wide ; and, if it is a possible
thing, make them paste some slips of paper,
setting forth the truth, over this paragraph,
in every volume published. Besides doing
this, the publisher should s?,nd a circular to
every one who has purchased a volume. I
do not believe in " boycotting, " as the term
is generally understood ; but I do believe in
putting a stop to this matter of publishing
hearsay as science. If somebody should
step on your corns you could forgive him,
because he did not mean to do it ; but if he
continued to blunder in this awkward way,
day by day, he should be fined, and, if need
be, imprisoned until he learned to be care-
ful. Now, then, let us wake up and make
ourselves heard. Had we not for years
been at work in the matter, there would be
a more reasonable excuse for the Britannica
folks to say they did not know any better.
If the man who writes about bees, for an
encyclopedia, has not enterprise enough to
hunt up some genuine bee-men among his
acquaintances, iu bis vicinity, he deserves to
suffer.

SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS FROM
PRIEND POFPLETON.

TIMOTHY CHAFF VEKSUS MANY OTHER KINDS, ETC.

fRIEND ROOT:— The contents of May 1st
Gleanings suggests a few ideas, most or all
of which are old ones, but seem to be new to
some of your readers. On page 340, friend
Manum advises against spreading the brood
as early as May 10, but thinks it well to do so during
the honey season. My idea is exactly the reverse
of this. We want all the bees raised that is possible
before the honey-flow, and as few as possible dur-
ing the flow. I have followed this practice nearly
ever since commencing bee-keeping, and have
found it good. I am in thorough accord with what
friend Doolittle says on this subject, on page 352.

On page 364, Ernest tells of starved bees on ac-
count of a cold snap. 1 > I « 1 this occur in your chart
hives? If so, you have had an experience that T
never had in my dozen years' use of such hives. 1
have frequently contended that chaff hives are
worth all their extra cost, for this feature alone.

444

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

1 was surprised to see on the same page that you
and others have only just dispensed with loose chaff
over your bees. I supposed I had called your at-
tention to this point years ago, in the columns of
Gleanings, but I may have overlooked doing so.
Don't make the cushion a little but a good deal
larger than the top of the brood cbamper, and a
clear space should always be left between the top
of the cushion and cover of the hive. This pre-
vents accumulation of moisture.

On page 360, friend Freeman asks some questions
about timothy chaff being suitable for packing
bees, and in your foot-note you say you " suppose
any thing of that sort will do about as well," and
you "think timothy chaff might be a little more apt
to pack down tight and get moldy." Please excuse
mo if I say that' you are decidedly wrong in both of
those ideas. You will find a column article from
me on this very subject in Gleanings for 1882,
page 326. During the first years of experience wit h
chaff hives 1 tested all the different materials for
packing that I could get conveniently, and found
them of value in the following order. 1. Timothy
chaff; 2. Fine sawdust from dry pine; 3. Wheat
chaff; 4. Oat chaff; 5. Buckwheat chaff. I never
tested ground cork, but I think that would be supe-
rior to all other material. I found that timothy
chaff, freed from straws and other coarser materi-
als, would remain dryer during winter than any of
the other materials would, showing that it gave
better protection from the cold than did other
materials. Oat chaff seemed to have a wonderful
affinity for moisture. 1 presume that many fail-
ures in the use of chaff hives have resulted from
the use of improper materials, or from not using a
sufficient quantity of packing. To be successful in
the use of chaff hives requires the use of proper
materials, of skill, care, and judgement, the same
as does the use of any other method of wintering.

In your notes to question 121 you speak of so few
saying any thing about seeing swarms go off with-
out clustering at all. The question gave no sugges-
tion of this point, or more could have mentioned it.
I knew at least two instances of such in my own
apiary. One of them, a prime swarm, commenced
to issue while I was standing close by the hive, and
I saw it start directly for the woods. It spent no
time fooling around in the air, as swarms usually
do before clustering.

On page 355, friend La Montagne tells of a large
flow of honey from orange-bloom. I have spent
four springs in Florida and two in Cuba; have
watched the orange-blossoms very closely; have
made many inquiries, but have never seen, and
this is the first I have ever heard, of such a flow of
honey from orange-blossoms. They yield more or
less honey, of course; but I judge much less than
is done by fruit-blossoms in the North. It would
not be wise for any one to commence bee-keeping
anywhere on the strength of large expectations of
honey from orange-flowers. O. O. Poppleton.

Havana, Cuba, May 15, 1889.

I felt pretty certain, as you say, that hon-
ey from orange-blossoms is rather an ex-
ception than the rule. When our attention
was first called to the matter of bee-keep-
ing in Florida, there was considerable said
about orange-blossom honey ; but as years
passed, and no considerable quantity was
reported we began to think it was a mis-
take. When friends Baldensperger, how-

ever, on the Mediterranean , gave their re-
port we were forced to conclude that the
orange-trees on the Mediterranean pro-
duced honey, whether the rest did or not;
and now we are glad to know that pure
orange-blossom honey is a reality and not a
myth. I think, however, that, on account
of its rarity and excellence, it ought to com-
mand an extra price. We are going to try
to get an extra price for what we purchase,
if we can. If we can't, why. I suppose de-
mand and supply will have to fix the price.
—In regard to the starved bees spoken of by
me (Ernest), 1 would say that the colonies
in question were in regular two-story chaff
hives. As I stated on page 364, the bees
and brood were on one side of the brood -
chamber, and the honey on the other. The
colonies were average in size. They had
reared so much brood that all the bees were
required to cover it ; and during a cold snap
of weather they refused to abandon it. We
have had this thing happen repeatedly,
though the loss from this source is com-
paratively slight. I can not explain why
you never had such an experience ; but, as
usual, 1 shall have to lay it. in the absence
of any tiling better, to the door of " Locali-
ty." Our proof-reader says, that the next
time we must lay up to lt electrical condi-
tions.'" In regard to the timothy chaff and
dispensing with loose chaff, you doubtless
called our attention to the matter, but, like
many other good things, it " got overlook-
ed'"in some way. Even editors can't re-
member all that has been said and done in
times gone by, but they are glad to have
good friends remind them.

WHY DO BEES SWARM?

WHAT SHAM

WK DO TO MAKE THEM LESS
TO SWARM?

T WAS interested to an unusual degree in read-
||P ing the replies to questions 125 and 126. Years
W ago many were asking, " How can I get the most
-*■ increase from my bees?" Lately, the matter
of prevrnliny increase has been much discussed.
Some have gone beyond that, and care little to
know how to prevent increase, but are very anx-
ious for au answer to the question, " How can I
best prevent swarming? " I think you will find this
question coming very prominently to the front in
the near future, especially if out-apiaries continue
to increase. Now, questions 125 and 126 have a
bearing on prevention of swarming; for if we knew
exactly where the swarming impulse originated,
and the necessary conditions to induce swarming,
we might the better know how to avoid those con-
ditions. I know very well that there is a common
belief that better results can be obtained by allow-
ing swarming, and that no other colony works with
the same vigor as one newly hived. Whilst this
nut u be true, I don't believe it is. At least. I think
it possible that we may learn to prevent swarming,
and at the same time get just as much surplus.
But, you say, swarming is natural, and we must fol-
low nature. I believe in following nature, proba-
bly, about as far as any one; but even those who cry
out most loudly for nature, don't let every thing
follow its natural course. Ltt's see: " It's natural
for bees to swarm, so we must let them swarm."

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

445

All right, my friend; but it's just as natural for the
swarm to go off, so we must let it go off. At any rate,
I think I would give more to find out the best possi-
ble way to prevent swarming than to find out any
other one thing connected with bee-keeping. In the
answers given to the two questions, there is consid-
erable agreement. Only in the last answer, Hasty
starts off on a track all by himself, and says that
there is probably only one necessary condition to
induce swarming— " a turgid condition of the ves-
sels in the bee anatomy in which are stored the
supplies for future brood-rearing." Is the man
crazy, or only a natural born fool, to fly off in that
sort of style? Well, if you take Hasty for a fool
you are altogether too hasty. 1 confess I had never
thought of just the reason that he gives for swarm-
ing, but I had thought about some things closely
connected therewith. I think generally, if not al-
ways, the hive from which a swarm has issued for
me, has been found to have an unusually large
quantity of its brood sealed. Have others found
this to be generally true? If so, Hasty's theory
would say, "The bees have been feeding a large
quantity of brood, and somewhat suddenly they
find the brood all sealed, little young brood to feed,
and no place to dispose of the food they have se-
creted in such abundance for the larva1. So, in
some way, this engorgement leads to the swarming
fever." I once had a colony swarm when put on
nothing but foundation, leaving nothing in the way
of brood except one egg in the queen-cell. They
had been baffled several times in the attempt to
swarm, each time having a part of their combs tak-
en away. Perhaps Hasty's theory, if 1 have inter-
preted it correctly, might apply to this. It is com-
monly believed that a young queen is much less
likely to swarm than an old one. Try Hasty's theory
on this. If a queen from old age should suddenly
drop off in her laying, the nurse-bees are checked in
their feeding, and engorgement occurs. But I have
had a young queen swarm before she had been
laying a week. Say No. 1 with an old queen swarms
and is returned to the hive, and the queen replaced
by a queen taken from No. 2, this latter queen
having just commenced laying. If the swarm is-
sued because the cells were filled with sealed brood,
a change of queens does not make any difference in
the condition of the turgid vessels, and this young
queen comes out next day with the swarm; where-
as if she had been left in No. 2 she would not have
swarmed that year. As a general rule, a young
queen is not so apt to swarm; but is it not because,
commencing later in the season, there is never that
condition of affairs in the brood-chamber that pre-
vents the nurses from disposing of all the food they
have prepared? Here's an experiment that might
be worth trying: From a colony that has just
swarmed, take away its frames of sealed brood and
give it frames of unsealed brood, either before or
after the swarm with its queen has been returned,
and see whether it will swarm again. I have failed
so many times in trying to thwart a swarming colo-
ny, that I am not sanguine about the success of
this experiment. Indeed, I'm not sanguine about
ever knowing how to successfully prevent swarm-
ing; but I'm anxious to learn all I can about it.
Marengo, 111., May 22, 18s«.i. (J. C. Miller.

Friend M., I once gave you quite a talk-
ing-to for using rough language when you
were in fun, and I feel just like scolding
you now. I remember very well indeed

that queer expression of Hasty's. I said to
myself, " Well, what does the fellow mean,
any way ?" but I afterward reflected that
Hasty is by no means one of the kind who
purposely mystify. I did not follow the
idea very much, but I did have a dim im-
pression something in the line you have in-
terpreted it ; and I believe you have got it
about right. The bees swarm because they
are in the right condition, and all loaded up,
as one might say, to raise great quantities
of brood, and, lo and behold, there is not
any brood except that which is sealed ; and
oftentimes there are not any cells to clean
out, that the queen may start some more.
At this crisis the house is too small ; the ac-
commodations are altogether too limited,
and without relief in some direction the
great business of populating the world with
their own kind must come to a standstill.
Nature herself has made provision, as she
always does, by a sort of safety-valve. When
the pressure gets up to the proper limit,
open goes the valve, and off goes the steam
in the shape of myriads of bees pouring out
over the hives with a great jubilee, all
hands eager for the new enterprise. Now,
good friend Hasty, I beg pardon for taking
the matter out of your own hands, and put-
ting my own interpretation on it ; but I
have done so. taking it for granted you
would supply the missing links, and set me
right where I am wrong. Now you have the
floor.- If Dr. Miller says any more saucy
words, I will scold him some more.

WINTERING BEES OUTDOORS.

PLENTY OF STORES, AND PROTECTION FROM WIND,
PRIME ESSENTIALS.

WILL mention a few things that I think we
must have, to insure success. We want some

I sort of a windbreak, such as a good grove of
timber or high hills, or a high board fence. It
is hard on the bees to have a strong wind blow-
ing into the hives in cold weather. In the spring
time, when the bees come out for a fly they should
be protected from the wind as much as possible.
Then for me I want a quadruple hive, chaff lined all
around the sides and over the bees. Putting four
hives together is a great help to save heat and keep
the little folks comfortable.

But the most essential of all things is an abun-
dance of something good to eat. Good honey is
good enough, if there is enough of it. I am satisfied
that we have lost more bees (since I commenced
keeping bees) by scarcity of honey to winter on
than from all other causes combined. Our motto
from this on will be, that a great deal too much
honey is just enough. There is nothing lost by let-
ting them have more than they will use up. If it is
not all used up before we start the extractor, the
next year we will get it then. Bees won't breed up
fast in the spring if they are short of feed. They
may pull through in a weak condition, but be of no
use as far as gathering surplus is concerned ; when
if they had had plenty of feed in the spring they
would have built up strong and been a profit to
their owner. Now, I believe in feeding during the
spring months, if I have to, to save the bees and
build them up for business; but I don't like to be
obliged to do it. I don't like to be feeding bees in

446

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUIIE.

JUNE

the spring of the year. I want the hive to contain
feed in the fall— enough to last them until white
clover will give them a living the next summer.
The best time to get the honey in the hive is when
the bees are gathering it from the flowers. We
have to give our bees their winter supply from the
basswood, as, after that, our location will give
them only enough for their living, and sometimes
not that. Now, to extract all the honey we can,
and at the same time not take too much and leave
the bees short, is a nice point to decide.

We sometimes get caught on account of rainy
weather at the clo^e of the basswood season, and
have to feed back, if we find the bees are short of
winter stores. The earlier we feed back, the bet-
ter. During the last of August or first of Septem-
ber it is better to give the bees more than we think
they will use; for we can not tell what kind of a
winter we are preparing for, but give them enough.
It won't do any hurt if they have more than they
can use. If they don't use it up we shall get it the
following spring. Bees will stand a great amount
of cold, if they are out of the wind and have plenty
of feed over them. I want my bees to cluster on
empty combs below the honey. They will follow
the honey up as they use it.

During the fall of 1887. about the first of Septem-
ber we looked over our bees to see if they had
plenty to carry them through the winter. We
found one yard ol 70 colonies, that did not have as
much honey as we wished they had, but concluded
they would do until spring, and then feed if we had
to. We missed it, for that yard came through the
poorest of any we had. The bees were weak, and
had but very little brood. The honey was scarce,
and we fed 5C0 lbs. As a result, the bees got into
good working condition late, and that yard gave
the poorest returns of any we had. Better fed in
the fall. E. France.

Platteville, Wis.

I quite agree with you. I have never seen
any bad result follow from having too many
bees or too much stores ; and I am confident
that bees base their calculations, and go to
work somewhat in accordance with the
amount of stores they have to back them up.
In our locality, like yourself we seldom have
any thing of any account after basswood
closes.— Windbreaks are of very great im-
portance, not only for bees, but for farm
stock and plants and crops.

PYRETHEUM AS AN INSECTICIDE,
ETC.

BEING CAREFUL TO SAY, "I DON'T KNOW,'' WHEN
IT OUGHT TO BE SAID.

R. EDITOR:— You ask if pyrethrum would
not kill the itch-mite; and you add that it
kills all kinds of insects. This is a mistake.
Pyrethrum does not kill many bugs and
beetles. I have tried repeatedly to kill the
squash-bug with buhach, or California pyrethrum,
but with no success. Buhach, in that it is entirely
non-poisonous to higher animals, is one of our best
insecticides; in that it does not always kill the in-
sects, it is objectionable. I should hope that it
would be fatal to the itch-mites; but they are so

concealed that possibly it would not molest them
at all. It is very quickly fatal to higher insects,
like bees, auts, wasps, flies, and moths and butter-
flies.

CAHE IN GIVING STATISTICS.

Some time ago a report from the Department of
Agriculture stated that the chinch-bug had done seri-
ous damage in Ave counties in Michigan. I did not
believe this was true. In all my collecting I never
yet took a chineh-bug in our State. In one of these
counties I had lived, and I was certain there was an
error. So I wrote to the Department, and learned
the names of the reporters. I at once addressed
each a letter as follows: "Do you know the chineh-
bug? Do you personally know that it ha? ever
worked in your county? Why did you report rav-
ages from this insect in your county to the Depart-
ment of Agriculture?" Three of the persons an-
swered. The other two paid no attention to my in-
quiry. The three reported that they did not know
the insect ; that they had no personal knowledge on
the subject, and did not know that they had so re-
ported.

What are statistics worth, if we are to have
such reports? If we don't know enough to answer
any question, why not say so? It seems to me that
such answers are seriously mischievous. Now, I
was reminded of this in reading answers to Query
125, p. 411, Gleanings: "Does the swarming im-
pulse come from the queen or workers?" I like the
two first answers: "I guess so." We should know
that our humorous friend from Toledo got that off,
and spontaneously too. The next writer says, " I
don't know." Of course, he doesn't. No one does.
One says, "From the workers;" another says,
" Fii-st swarm from 'workers, second, etc., from
queen." Now, I don't like these answers. Why-
say just how, when no one knows? I believe friend
Doolittle answers correctly, but I don't see how he
can speak so positively.

Now, I do not wish to criticise, only to suggest
that we all say, " T don't know," or "I think," in all
cases where we have not positive knowledge. In
such cases as the above we can at best only give
opinions. A. .1. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Friend C, I am exceedingly obliged to
you for both pieces of information. It has
been so repeatedly said, especially by adver-
tisers, that pyrethrum kills all insects, that
I had somehow taken it for granted ; and
yet I ought to know that it does not kill
Hea-beetles nor the striped squash-bug ; but
1 supposed it was because I could not give
them enough of it. Where flies, mosqui-
toes, moths, and every insect I have found
in our rooms, were treated with the dust-
bellows, they always died promptly, and I
thought that perhaps these other fellows
would also die if we could get them shut up
in a room. — In regard to your remarks about
saying we don't know, I am going to try to
profit by it. But let me suggest that some
of the brethren thought they knew. As an
illustration, I once thought I proved beyond
question that the queen leads out the
swarm; but pretty soon I had just as plain
proof that bees lead out the swarm. First,
I Jcncw; and then alter a while I didn't
know. Perhaps it will be well to say we
think we know, and then give our reasons.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

447

GETTING BEES TO WORK IN SEC-
TIONS.

SOME TIMELY HINTS FHOM FRIEND DOOLITTLE IN
REGARD TO THE MATTER.

ip CORRESPONDENT from Pennsylvania wishes
k to know how he win get his bees to work in
ft sections when they refuse to do so, and asks,
*■ "When the bees refuse to work in sections,
and crowd the queen by placing too much
honey in the brood combs, can they be made to go
into the sections and work, by placing uncapped
honey in the brood-nest? " As this question of get-
ting the bees to work in the sections is an impor-
tant one, and thinking an answer to it might be of
interest to the readers of Gleanings just at this
time, when we of the North are about putting on
sections, I will answer the correspondent through
your columns, Mr. Editor, with your permission, as
the correspondent says he is a subscriber to your
paper.

Of late years the idea has prevailed, in some
minds, that all that is necessary to get the bees into
the sections, is to reverse the combs in the hive so
as to get the honey which is generally in the tops of
the frames, at the bottom, so that the bees would
uncap the same and carry it up into the sections;
and I presume that this is in part what gave our
correspondent the idea he has of placing unsealed
honey in the brood-chamber. I have had very lit-
tle experience with reversing frames, that little be-
ing against the process, except so far as the getting
of the combs built out to the frames all around was
concerned, but 1 have tried several times to get the
bees to work in sections sooner than they other-
wise would, by uncapping the honey which was in
the hive and changing the fullest combs to the cen-
ter of the hive. One year I had three very strong
colonies at the beginning of the honey harvest,
which had more honey in the brood-chamber than I
thought they should have; and being anxious to se-
cure as much honey as possible in sections, I
thought to make them take this honey from the
brood-combs into the sections by the plan suggest-
ed by our correspondent. So I went to work and
uncapped all of the honey in one of the hives, at
the same time taking away twocombs of brood, and
placing, instead, two frames which were full of
honey, after uncapping it. Not to be badly caught,
1 thought I would do this a day or two before I
served the others in the same way, to see how the
plan worked. In less than an hour the most of the
bees were on the outside of the hive, badly daubed
with honey, as the weather was quite warm at the
time. The next morning the most of the bees were
in the hive again, but there was no work being
done in the sections; only a few bees loafing about
there. The third day I opened the hive to see what
had become of the honey, and, behold, quite a share
of it was being sealed up again, and nothing in the
boxes, the bees having changed it about only a lit-
tle to get it in the part of the hive where they want-
ed it. Thus failing to accomplish what I desired to,
I went to one or two colonies which had commenc-
ed to work in sections nicely, and took two boxes of
sections, bees and all, and placed them on top of
each of these hives, and, to my delight, oomb-build-
ing was commenced in the other boxes within
twenty-four hours, which work soon spread to the
whole part of the sections. When the sections
were two-thirds f ull;I examined the hives, and, to

my surprise, I found that the bees had unsealed
and carried to the sections one-half of the honey
below, and in place of it there were plenty of eggs
and larvse. Thus I learned that bees could be
coaxed into sections more easily than they could
be driven. Although this was several years ago,
yet in every trial which I have conducted along
this line, the results have been fully as unsatisfac-
tory where I tried to compel the bees to carry un-
sealed honey from the brood-chamber into the sec-
tions.

One other thing which I learned, atid a thing
which later experience has confirmed, is, that when
bees are at work nicely in sections there is no dan-
ger of the queen being crowded with honey in the
brood-nest. Now, suppose I had extracted the hon-
ey from the brood-nest, as some would have us do
when bees refuse to work in the sections, what
would have been the result? They would have sim-
ply filled the space again, not going into the sec-
tions at all, for the simple reason that there was no
need of working in the sections as long as there
was plenty of room to store honey below. I have
so far failed entirely to get extracted honey and
section honey from the same colony of bees at the
same time; and if any one can succeed in doing
this, I confess I do not know how it is done. This
extracting from the brood-chamber when working
for section honey is very much like trying to secure
section honey from a very large brood-chamber
from whose combs the bees have consumed the
most of the honey the winter previous. In this
case the bees would begin to store honey largely at
the beginning of the harvest in the empty comb
still in the lower part of the hive, and there would
be four chances out of five in favor of their con-
tinuing to do so till they had nearly crowded all
brood-rearing from the hive, resulting in no sec-
tion honey and a very small colony for winter.
The extracting of honey works in the same way so
far as the sections are concerned, but it gives a
good colony for winter. Sometimes a colony will
not work in sections by giving bees and partly filled
sections as above; b*ut there is one plan that I have
never known to fail: In obstinate cases, get some
drone brood and fit it into one or two of the sec-
tions, placing them in the center of the section
cases; and if honey is coming in from the fields,
and your colony is in a condition to work in boxes,
you will see them start on either side of this brood
at once. After the brood hatches, the bees will
store the comb with honey, which will have to be
sold as second quality; or you can extract the hon-
ey and throw the comb into the wax-extractor as
you please. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y.

The results of my experiments in this line
agree almost exactly with your own. When-
ever we used to find a section of drone brood
in it, instead of lamenting we used to re-
gard it as a prize, because by meaus of it we
could readily coax the bees up above, from
almost any colony. In fact, 1 have by such
means coaxed them above when they really
had neither bees nor honey enough to war-
rant their going above at all. Perhaps re-
versing the combs, in connection with some
sections that had been worked on, from
some other hive, might answer. It certain^
lv is of great importance that bees be in-
duced to commence in the sections when

4ls

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jink

honey begins to come in. A little stubborn-
ness at such a time may result in a big loss
to the owner of the apiary.

BEE-DRESS.

w. L. loggshall's bee-dress.

c"|pTO\V much better it is to have things right,

*§jm| and how much pleasanter it is to use them,

1^1 and how much more we can accomplish in a

day! I know we are creatures of habit. We

all have a way to do any particular thing,

and always (so we think) a better way than any one

else. If any of you who read this will suggest any

improvement, it will be very thankfully received,

and you will be recompensed for so doing.

My idea of a bee-veil
is shown in the accom-
panying photograph.
It is simply a wide-
rimmed straw or leg-
horn hat, with a stiff
rim (I right here went
and got my hat to give
you measurements).
The rim of the hat is 4
inches wide; the length
of veil, up and down,
18 inches, and the ma-
terial is bobinetor mil-
linet, black. I sew the
veil on the under side
*jJiL of the rim of the hat, 2
inches from the outer
edge of the rim, thus
giving a 2 inch projec-
tion to shade the veil,
so that I can see at
any time; for if the
H sun strikes the veil, I

can not see eggs in the

g cell*. I use|a flat shoe-
string for a shir, or
take-up, "J around the
coggs hall's bee-dress, neck, and ..have all of
the gathering in the sides and back of the veil. 1
sew the veil fast to the string. The shoestring is
long enough to tie under the collar, so it is impos-
sible for a bee to get to your face. There is not
much gathering in front to obstruct the vision.

When I am not in the bee-yard, or going from one
apiary to another, I untie and tuck it in the crown
of the hat, and it is out of the way, and all ready at
a moment's notice, which we all know is very con-
venient sometimes.

For hand gear or false sleeves I use colored shirt-
ing. After they are made, dip them in linseed oil;
hang them in the sun till dry, then the bees can not
sting through them. I have a rubber elastic in the
upper end above the elbow, also the one that is
around the hand; have a thumb-hole worked in
above the elastic, so that the hand is all covered,
except the thumb and fingers dike a mit), only the
ringers are all together. With sleeves made in that
way, bees do not crawl up my arms and make me
uncomfortable, and give me pain.

W. L. Coogshall.
West Groton, N. Y., April 21, 1889.

Now, friend C, although we are very
much obliged indeed for the sketch you give

us above, we do not like it a bit because you
did not say any thing about that broom. If
I recollect right, you told me at Utica that
you had a variety of soft broom corn, and
that you made soft brooms for the sole pur-
pose of brushing bees off from the combs ;
that yon preferred them to the yucca brush-
es, the Davis bee-brush, or any thing else
that had ever been brought out. You see
our engraver has made the broom quite a
prominent object. We also wanted to know
something about that thing in your other
hand. Is it a smoker, or what is it? Tell
us about these two implements, with all the
particulars, just as you have about the veil
and the sleeves.

THE BUTCHER BIRD.

HARD-HEARTED AND BLOODTHIRSTY
OF THE FEATHERED TRIBES.

K. J VIA US JOHANNSEN, Port Clinton, Ohio,
writes me in effect as follows:

I send you two black insects (crickets),
which, as you will see, are impaled on the
short sharp twigs. I took them from my
quince-trees. There are many such impris-
oned, or, rather, pinned to the tree. Some are
dried up, though the two I send you were alive
when I found them; and when I severed the twigs
from the trees I supposed at first that their im-
palement was the result of accident; but as I find
so many I conclude that some enemy (of the vic-
tims) has done this. I have watched closely to dis-
cover this jailer, but so far in vain. I think ho
must work at night, as early in the morning I find
most of the fresh victims alive.

To-day I found the large insect (a dragon-fly)
hanging to a quince twig. I thought him the one
that sticks the others on the spines. As I caught
him he dropped a j-ellow mass which I suppose was
made up of eggs, as I find it on the impaled insects.
Now, " kind friend," this is quite likely a law of na-
ture that you are entirely familiar with; but it is a
great mystery to me, and is doubtless the same to
most readers of Gleanings; so will you explain
the matter in that journal?

Again, are these insects in any way connected
with the borers with which my quinces are badly
infested?

Oh yes, friend J., I am well acquainted with this
curious freak of nature. There is much humor-
many jokes— often cruel ones like this of which
you write— in nature. And it is this humor, togeth-
er with the many strange methods by which na-
ture does her work, that gives this study its rare
and irresistible fascination.

The cruel persecutor in this case is the well-
known butcher bird (CoUyrio borealis). This bird is
also known as the "great northern shrike." It is
about the size of the robin, light blue in cjlor, with
black tail and wings, and a short biack line from
the bill through the eye to the base of the neck. It
is white beneath. It is slim, strong, and, although
a song bird, or percher, yet in its strong feet and
hooked bill it reminds us of the birds of prey— the
hawks and owls.

In habits this bird is a cruel joker. It catches in-
sects, and even mice, frogs, and birds, and hangs
them up on sharp twigs and thorns. Now, if this
were simply a provident habit, saving up for times
of scarcity, we could forgive his birdship— we cer-
tainly could if he would kill his victims before he
hangs them up in this excruciating style. But in
all my observation I have never seen him take and
use any of his victims after they were impaled. It
would seem a sort of fiendish sport, and we can
hardly doubt but that this bird is a most fit subject

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

II'. i

to report to Rergh, :is worthy prosecution for cruel-
ty to animals. Yet so long as we see horses, poor,
lame, and starved, and yet forced to hard labor un-
der the spur of the cruel lash, we must not berate
these birds too severely. It is a very sad fact, that
cruelty is not limited to the lower ranks of animal
life. It is posible that the shrike may, upon occa-
sion, take and feed upon his impaled victims; but
he is so industrious that he can usually obtain
enough fresh material for his mate and fledglings.
In the rare cases when his hunts are fruitless he
repairs to his thorn-bush larder— and so his young
are still provided for.

The large dragon-fly found by Mr. J. had no rela-
tion to the impaled insects. The dropping from
this insect was fecal, not eggs. The darning-needle
lays its eggs in water, not in trees nor on other in-
sects. The borers which infest Mr. J.'s quince-
trees are in no way related to the insects sent.
There are three kinds of beetles that bore or tun-
nel the quince. These can be kept off by the use of
the soap and carbolic-acid mixture, as previously
described. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

Friend Cook, your statement is, to me,
astounding. Were it not as you say, that
entomologists are agreed in this matter, I
should stick to it pretty stubbornly that you
had made a mistake. That a bird should
take live animals, and impale them on sharp
thorns simply for amusement, is something
to me unheard of ; and it appears from
friend Johnson's statement that the vicious
bird actually puts them on while they are
alive, and leaves them squirming in agony —
that is, if insects suffer as we do. Ernest
suggests that the phenomenon may be
something akin to the way cats play with
mice before they kill them finally.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

IIOIIU KEASONS WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED.

UCH has been written in Gleanings of late
in favor of using sections filled with comb
left over from the preceding season.
Some of the writers have contented them-
selves with simple argument. Others speak
from a knowledge born of indefinite experience,
while some point triumphantly to two or three ex-
periments which to their minds settle the whole
thing. A question of this kind can never be settled
by mere argument. Practical experience alone can
decide, and I do not remember a single experiment
quoted in favor of their use which was carried on
in such a way as to be at all conclusive. To really
prove any thing, an experiment must be made on a
scale large enough to overcome individual varia-
tions and under varying conditions. It proves noth-
ing to say that you put a case of unfinished sec-
tions on one hive and a case of new sections filled
with foundation on another, and that the first case
was tilled sooner than the other, or that it looked
just as well. I used one year about 500 sections
filled with comb that were of an altogether differ-
ent make from those filled with foundation. These
partly finished sections were scattered all through
the apiary, taking pains to have them impartially
distributed, not only in every hive but in near-
ly every wide frame which I then used. On ap-

count of the difference in sections, every box of
honey built on these combs could be distinguished
wherever it was seen, from those built on founda-
tion. The result showed that, on an average, the
sections containing foundation were finished soon-
er than those containing comb, and were moreover
much nicer in appearance. This experiment, I
think it will be admitted, was fairly conclusive.
Still, thinking that the variation of seasons might
change results, I have tried substantially the same
thing every season since, and always with the same
results. I shall try it again this season, in the
chance of learning something more on the subject,
and I hope all who wish to learn for themselves, or
are at all skeptical on this point, will do the same.
Let every case of sections you prepare for the sea-
son's use contain a certain definite number of part-
ly finished sections, placed in a certain part of the
case. Compare these sections in their growth and
completion with those in the corresponding part of
the same case, and average the results. When you
take the honey from the cases, put that stored in
old combs by itself. If you can not make a distinc-
tion, before the honey is sold, between that in new
and that in old combs, why, then your experience
will be very different from that of mine. My ex-
perience has been each year, that it not only costs
more to have honey stored in unfinished sections,
but that the honey, when finished, is not worth as
much. Nearly all such honey must be graded as
No. 2, which with me brings usually two cents per
pound less than No. 1. Of course, if all the cells
must be lengthened out much, the outside is new
comb, and will look well enough ; but it is very sel-
dom that a section fitted with comb will make a real-
ly nice section of honey.

Some claim that it is a great advantage to have
at least one or two sections of comb in every case
at the beginning of the season, as " bait combs," to
attract the bees into the supers. This may be of
use at times, though I have seldom seen the need
of it. However, for other reasons, I prefer to have
the bees store their first honey in extracting-combs,
so I have been in the habit of placing a shallow set
of combs over each hive and removing it as soon as
they were well at work in them. Not having
enough of these cases to go around, I have this
year made extracting-frames which interchange
with the section-holders in a case like that of your
Dovetailed hive. They are so made that combs cut
from unfinished sections will fit in nicely, fastened
with rosin and wax, or twine. One of these will be
placed in each super. When filled, the honey will
be extracted and the combs stored away by the
superful ready for a sudden honey-flow; and as the
end of the season approaches, they will be return-
ed to the hives in such a way as to largely lessen
the number of sections left unfinished. In this
way I kill several birds with one stone.

Dayton, 111., May 10, 1889. J. A. Green.

I am very glad indeed that you have
brought this matter up. It has seemed
somewhat of late as if the whole thing were
to be abandoned as a mistake ; but I can
not see how it is possible, when we had so
m;iny direct testimonies from practical hon-
ey-producers, at conventions held winter be-
fore last. I had supposed, however, that it
was generally agreed that one or two sec-
tions, partly rilled with comb from the year
previous would certainly be an inducement

4-50

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

June

for the bees to make a start at the com-
mencement of the season. Now, can we
not have a good many experiments made
during the coming season, and made exact-
ly in the way you have mapped out.

HOW TO RAISE BUCKWHEAT.

BUCKWHEAT IN ILLINOIS.

T^ VER since keeping bees I have raised from 5
bB| to 16 acres of buckwheat; and the amount
|PV per acre, as near as I can remember, has
■^™ been 10 bushels. In this locality, which is
the western part of Central Illinois, we want
to sow about the 4th of July; if sown later, it is in
danger of being cut off by the frost. I usually sow
three pecks per acre, and get best crops from land
plowed shallow in the spring, and then broken
deeper just before sowing. About one year out of
three it pays better than any other crop on the
farm, and about one year out of five is a complete
failure. When I get the largest crop of grain we
usually get the largest amount of honey from the
flowers.

For four years now, I have been sowing rye in
the fall. Immediately after the crop is matured
and taken off, I put the ground to buckwheat. I
am not quite so certain of getting a good yield, but
two crops a year of grain and one of honey will
more than overbalance the difference in the yield.
If I wait the thrashing of my other grain until
buckwheat is ready, the other grain is liable to
spoil in the stack. Sometimes I have thrashed the
other grain when it was ready, and thrashed the
buckwheat when it was ripe; but that necessitated
getting up two sets of hands, which I found expen-
sive; so, year before last I tried thrashing it with
flails, myself and two hands, which I found much
cheaper, but quite tedious, as it can not be flailed
out unless very dry, which in a wet year might oc-
casion quite a loss. Last year I bought the cylin-
der, and the frame on which it runs, of an old
thrashing-machine (for a trifle), which I used as an
old-fashioned chaff piler. I just threw the belt
from my two-horse tread-power on to the pulley of
the cylinder, and with it I could thrash as fast as a
hand could pitch it on the table of the machine,
which is the best arrangement I have found, and
the most satisfactory. Of course, the buckwheat
was not cleaned, but it could be stored in the barn,
and cleaned some rainy day, or at a leisure time.
I expect to raise none but the Japanese buckwheat
this year, as I think it pays far better than the gray
or silverhull. I have several times tried breaking
my oat ground, and putting in buckwheat; but it
usually gets caught by the frost, and so late flows
do not seem to yield much honey. Some complain
that buckwheat injures the ground, but I do not
find it so; neither does it bother by coming up
where I do not want it. I think this section of
country is not so well adapted to buckwheat cul-
ture as is Pennsylvania and some other States fur-
ther east. L. C. Axtell.
Roseville, 111., Apr. 20, 1889.

BUCKWHEAT IN NEW YORK.

Buckwheat is a grain that possesses many fea-
tures valuable to the farmer, of which many have
failed to take advantage. It is a grain credited
with the ability to grow on any soil, no matter how
poor, and produce a paying crop. The fact i?, there

is none of our grains that will better repay sowing
on good soil. Buckwheat is very sens-Rive to cli-
matic changes, and especially so to an east wind
and hot burning sun during the time the grain is
forming. An extra crop can not be raised if the
climatic conditions are not favorable; but there
has not been a complete failure of the crop in this
section since I can remember.

Buckwheat should be sown on a loose mellow soil;
and a clover sod turned under is the best. It should
be sown while the ground is dry and dusty, and
never immediately after a rain. T believe that I
lost over 10 bushels per acre by sowing too soon
after a rain. Roll the ground immediately after
sowing, as the grain sprouts quick, and is some-
times out of the ground in less than four days.

The silverhull variety yields the best with me.
When first introduced here a neighbor sowed half a
bushel per acre on eight acres, and harvested 200
bushels. In 1887 I plowed under a year-old clover
sod, and drilled six bushels on four acres. It came
up very thick, grew tall and strong, smothering all
weeds, and I harvested 160 bushels, 50 lbs. to the
bushel. In this section the bulk of the crop is sown
between June 15th and 25th. The fourth-of-July
men have had frosted grain of late years. I have
known of some fair crops that were sown in May.

Buckwheat should be cut with a self-rake reaper,
and tied and set up by hand. Some use a self-binder
here, but I have never seen one that did the work
satisfactorily to me. Some never tie their buck-
wheat; but last year, owing to its standing up bet-
ter, that which was tied was ready to thrash earlier,
and brought 75 cts. per bushel, while much that
was beaten down by rain brought later ouly 45 to 50.
Buckwheat being a fast grower, it requires a suf-
ficient amount of plant-food near the surface. If
the soil is deficient it can be supplied with commer-
cial fertilizer. It must be remembered, that a
sufficient amount of moisture must be present for
a chemical fertilizer to help any'crop. If this kind
of fertilizer is used it should be drilled with the
grain. I shall drill at the rate of 200 lbs. per acre on
one field this year. Every one must be bis own
judge as to the amount required, but I would never
use less than 100 lbs. per acre, of a standard brand.
One rich in potash gives the best results with me.
A large grower told me that, with chemical fertil-
izer, and depth of soil enough to cover the seed, he
could raise a paying crop.

Buckwheat ';is mostly thrashed here now at the
rate of three cents per bushel with the steam-
thrasher, the farmer getting the grain to the ma-
chine, and furnishing coal for the engine. A small
crop can be thrashed to advantage with the flail, or
trodden out by horses, on the barn floor. It can be
thrashed when drawing in the barn, or, if work is
pressing, left until freezing weather. A neighbor
thrashed over one acre last winter with his horses,
rather than be to the trouble of getting a machine.
Buckwheat straw has a low feeding value, but it
can be made to help out a ration by mixing with
bran and oil-meal. It will be eaten readily by
horses, cattle, and sheep, for a change. If not used
for feed, it should be saved and used as an absorb-
ent in stable and yard. The fattening properties of
the grain are well known to most horse-jockeys;
but the fat is of a soft nature. We fed a flock of
lambs, for grain feed, a mixture of buckwheat and
corn; and the result was satisfactory, both in wool
and t\\e gain in flesh. I believe it is worth one pent

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

45l

per pound as a feed for sheep and poultry. We can
buy the middlings at $14 per ton, so the grain is
sold and the middlings fed.

BUCKWHEAT AS A HONEY-PRODUCER.

T have said nothing about the honey-producing
qualities of this plant, leaving it to the close-observ-
ing specialist to state how many pounds one acre
will secrete. Buckwheat has never failed to give
us a good jield of honey here, sometimes an aver-
age of 50 lbs. surplus comb per colony. Some years
this comb honey has sold as low as six cents per
pound.

Buckwheat has a use besides producing honey,
grain, and straw. It will, if sown rather thick, sub-
due almost any of our common and troublesome
weeds; and, if sown for a succession of years on
the same piece, completely eradicate them. To
raise a profitable crop of buckwheat, as well as any
thing else, requires some brains as well as good
soil. Chas. Chapman.

Watkins, N. Y.

HINTS FROM ONE WHO HAS GROWN IT FOR 40
YEARS.

1 have been growing buckwheat for forty years,
on a small scale. I plow and drag the ground a
month or more previous to seeding, which is, in
our latitude, from the first to the middle of July.
If the land is clean, sow the seed one heaping half-
bushel per acre of the common varieties (I have
not had sufficient experience in the Japanese to
say how much seed per acre), cultivate it in, and
thoroughly harrow. If it should be wet it won't
matter whether the cultivating is done before or
after. This cultivating is a new idea taken from
an article of yours in Gleanings, on plowing in
turnips. As buckwheat is sown about the same
time, when the ground is usually dry and hot, I
have no doubt but that is the way to do it. I put
mine in that way last year, and I raised about three
times as much per acre as my neighbors who har-
rowed in. The ground must be put in good con-
dition, to insure a good crop. The time for sowing,
no one can tell. It wants to be sown as late as
possible, to escape frost.

NOT PAYING TO SOW EARLY.

My experience in sowing early for bees is that it
doesn't pay. It is out of the proper season ; blooms
in the heat of summer; bees get but little out of it,
and it doesn't make grain enough to pay expenses.

TO THRASH IT.

If the crop is small, lay boards on the ground;
build a rail pen two or three feet high; cover over
with rails; beat out with forks. I got my Japanese
almost ruined last year in thrashing with a ma-
chine. It cracked the grains of the Japanese, but
did not damage the other varieties. The most of
the broken grains can be taken out with a sand-
sieve, but I didn't find it out until I had nearly
sold out. R. Robinson.

Laclede, Fayette Co., 111., May 6, 1889.

RAISING BUCKWHEAT IN TEXAS; THE OLD SET-
TLER AND THE LAWYER.

As Gleanings finds its way clear off into parts
where some of the readers have never seen cotton
grow, it may be equally interesting to them to know
that it finds its way into parts where we have never
seen buckwheat grow. I planted some a few weeks
ago; and the other day, when I was busy with my
hoe, weeding it out, an old settler (been in Texas 52
years) leaned over the fence and called out to me:

" Risien, what's the matter with your cotton ? it's
not getting off right somehow."

When I told him that it was buckwheat, he said it
was the flr6t he ever saw. You see that, when
buckwheat first comes up— in fact, till it commences
to bloom— it looks like cotton. This circumstance
reminded me of two of our good citizens (one a law-
yer and the other a merchant) who became enthusi-
astic about farming. Each one bought a large
farm. The merchant planted him a little patch of
buckwheat broadcast; so when it was up well, so as
to attract the attention of the lawyer, " Well," says
the lawyer, " you may as well give it up right now ;
who ever heard tell of planting cotton broadcast?"
I am real glad that you have asked your readers
for further information about it. I was just on the
eve of suggesting it to you. E. E. Risien.

San Saba, Tex., May 13, 1889.

TWO CROPS OF BUCKWHEAT IN A SEASON IN KAN-
SAS.

I have raised several acres of nice buckwheat
every year for my bees, for quite a number of
years. I generally sow my seed about the first of
May. By the 10th or 15th of July it is ripe. After
it is cut and out of the way 1 cultivate and harrow
the ground thoroughly, but do not sow any seed,
for what is shelled out from the first crop will be
plenty for seed. I have sown broadcast, and drill-
ed in with a two-horse drill. I prefer the drill. As
to harvesting, a self-rake machine is the best to cut
it with. To cut with a mower, and rake it up,
wastes too much. Last year I took my self-binder,
left off the elevator canvases, and put on the bot-
tom canvas; then I took out the roller that runs
the lower elevator canvas; that let the buckwheat
run off on the ground without elevating it. I had
it in swaths six feet apart; that worked to perfec-
tion. If I had a small quantity I would thrash it
it out with a flail, fork, or a stick; if I had a large
quantity I would have it thrashed with a machine.
This year I shall put in 12 acres after the fall wheat
is cut. I can not see any difference in yield here,
between the first and second crop. C. Gehring.

Barnes, Washington Co., Kan., May 8, 1889.

BUCKWHEAT MORE FOR THE HONEY THAN SEED.

We scarcely ever sow a large crop of buckwheat,
but we expect to sow a larger crop this season. We
have been in the habit of sowing more for the hon-
ey than for the seed. We generally sow our seed
the first of July, then the seed has ample time to
get ripe before frost catches it. When the seed is
ripe we cut it down and let it dry, then we drive
along with a wagon that has a tight bed, and it is
piled on the wagon, flailed out, and the straw is
piled out on the field; it is then taken to a fan,
cleaned, and put in bags or barrels. We have never
had two crops of buckwheat in one season. This
season our crop will be after the oats are cut.

Clermont, Ind., May 14, 1889. T. Tansel.

BUCKWHEAT IN PENNSYLVANIA.

I never raised 1000 bushels of buckwheat in one
year. The most in one year was 402 bushels, ma-
chine measure, in 1887. Hundreds of bushels are
raised around here. The most successful way with
us is to plow the ground the last of May or first of
June, and harrow it. From the 20th of June till the
6th of July we drill, using a little over lA bushel to
the acre (it will take 3 pecks of Japanese), and from
75 to 150 lbs. of phosphate. Harrow the ground

452

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

again just before drilling, for buckwheat needs a
good seed-bed. with plant food close to its roots.
Phosphate shows more on buckwheat than any oth-
er grain. We cut with a reaper in the morning, or
all day if cloudy. Sometimes we set up after the
reaper, and sometimes leave it for two or three
days. We set four rows of bunches together, to
make it convenient to load. We thrash with a sep-
arator, using three teams to haul it to the machine.
Two to four hands stay in the field to pitcli it on the
wagon, and one stays at the machine to help the
driver pitch it to the machine. J. .1. Shanor.

Butler, Pa., April 24, 1889.

TWO CROPS IN A SEASON IN ALABAMA.

Two crops of Japanese buckwheat can easily be
raised in one season by sowing the first early in the
spring, as soon as all danger from frost is over.
Early in the spring of 1887 I drilled about half an
ounce of buckwheat, which yielded something over
half a gallon of grain. This crop received one hoe-
ing. A portion of this new grain was then sown
about the first of July, and would have done well
had the weeds not choked it out. This was in
Northern Alabama.

The next year I sowed to "new ground"' early,
and by the 23d of May it was from 1 to 2 feet high,
at which time it was literally cut to the ground by
a severe hailstorm. As the plants were yet young
and tender, many put forth suckers, which, with
what survived, yielded well by oat harvest. A por-
tion of this first crop was immediately sown to oat
stubble, and yielded a handsome crop of well-ma-
tured grain before frost. This was in Northern
Arkansas. A. P. Stair.

Wolf liayoLi, Ark.

THE TIME TO SOW, DURING CHESTNUT-BLOOM IN
NORTH CAROLINA.

We always sow our buckwheat when the chestnut-
bloom is white, which in this latitude is commonly
about the first of July, sometimes sooner and some-
times later. We have tried sowing in May. but with
poor success. The hot June and July sun caused it
to blast. By sowing during chestnut-bloom, the
time of filling comes during the cool nights of
August, and when bee-forage is scarce.

Dark Ridge, N. C, Apr., 1889. G. W. McGuire.

RENDERING WAX "WITH A PRESS.

THE ADVANTAC.ES OF THE PRESS, ETC.

JkERHAPS you may remember I have always
' advocated the Cary wax-press as the best
thing to get all the wax out of combs, espe-
cially if they are old. If any one has 100 lbs.
of wa.v to render, the press will almost pay
for itself on old combs; and for cappings and
scraps of new comb it has the advantage of speed,
as two hands can make from 200 to 300 lbs. in one
day, while an extractor is crowded to make over 20
lbs. a day, with much fussing and annoyance to the
women-folks. The press also has this advantage,
that the wax is left in solid cakes, while the extract-
ed wax must be caked after making, incurring an-
other fussing job.

Last season I made my wax and some for my

neighbors, on an improved press, which gave good

satisfaction. I send you drawings, so you can give

it to your readers if you like.

The manner of using it is an improvement on the

method described in the A B C of Bee Culture.
There all the combs are to be melted in the press-
tank, which makes it very slow. My method is to
melt the combs in another vessel, in my case a
large kettle, out of doors, and then dip the melted
combs and all that rises to the top of the kettle into
the forms, and press at once. This makes the work
continuous; for by the time one pressful is run
out, another is melted in the kettle. Three or four
pailfuls of water are kept in the kettle all the time;
and when this once gets hot, wax soon melts in it.
So much for the manner of working.

HATCH'S IMPROVEMENT ON ( AKVS WAX-PRESS.

The improvement in the press consists, 1, in dis-
pensing with the tank entirely, a tray with a " lip"
taking its place, being only two inches deep; 2, the
rigid side-pieces to the frame are hinged at the
bottom so as to turn to one side out of the wa.v
while filling the press— two eyes, united at the bot-
tom, making the hinge. In using the press in cold
windy weather, an outside shell of boards to slip
down over the "cheese" before pressing would be
a help, for cold winds might cause the wax to con-
geal before running into the molds. Eighteen
inches square is a good size for the tray, and 15 x lf>
tor the "forms." The form is made of 3s-inch stuff,
■t inches wide. The racks are made of three-corner-
ed top-bars. The cloths are of burlaps, such as
bran-sacks are made of. Wire nails, 1% inches long,
are used to pin the cloth together when building
the " cheese." The screw is a common iron bench-
screw, such as can be had at any hardware store.
Material to make a press should not cost over $1 75,
or 12.00 at the outside. I am sure, if you would
make one and use it on old combs, especially on
scraps having much propolis among it, you would
never want to " fuss" with a wax-extractor again.

Ithaca, Wis., Jan. 28, 1889. C. A. Hatch.

I heartily agree with you, friend H. Your
machine seems to be a model arrangement,
especially the device for letting the screw
fall over out of the way.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

453

FROM ALL PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

In order to read understanding!? the reports given below, it
will be necessary to observe the following points: First, the
State is given; then next in their order are the names of the
reporters, with their respective postottices. To indicate local
ity, the usual abbrevations are used — N., S., E.and W., for
north, south, east, and west; N. E. for north-east, etc. The
letter C indicates the word " central;" E. C, east central, etc.
In the following list, the tirst tigure represents the month, and
the second figure the date at which the report was rendered.
The small letters, a, b, c, d. etc., indicate the answers to the
questions propounded in questions a, b, c, etc., just below

E herewith present our hist install-
ment of statistics for 1889. You will
notice that our correspondents are lo-
cated in such a way as to cover the
entire United States. The average
date at which the statements are rendered
is May 10. The questions to which they re-
ply are as follows:
a. What per n nt of your bees have winteredt
h. What per cent of the bees in your locality </<> you
intimate have wintered?

c. Whatsizeof brood-frame is used must largely in
your locality?
it. What frame do you prefer"]

e. What per cent of an average erop of honey has
been secured in your locality ui> w date, as nearly as
you ean estimate?

f. What are the prospects for a honey crop this
year?

ALABAMA.

W. P. W. Duke. Nettleborough. S. W. 5-15.
a. UK); b. 85; e. L.; e. 80, taking 100 as standard for full
crop. I did not lose a single colony in wintering.
J. M. Jenkins, Wetumpka. C. 5-20.
a 95; b. 90; c. mostly none at all; d. Simp.; e. 100; f. good,

Jno. L. Gregg, Tcinpe. C. 5-8.

a. 98; l>..%: c \y, x \\% Gregg frame; d. I prefer this for the
extractor; e. about 10; f. tine.

AKKANSAS.

W. H. Laws. Lavaca. W. C. 5-8.

a. 95; b. 95; e. Langstroth; d. L.; f. good. My 100 colonies eon
tain less bees than ever before at this season of the year.
Swarming has just begun; expect few swarms this season.
CALIFORNIA.

\V w. Bliss, Duarte. S. E. 5-11.

a. 95; b. 80; c. no standard size. Any and all sizes \ised, but
we are rapidly changing to the L. and"*^ L. frame; d. :, I,.; e.
80; f. very good.

Win. Muth-ltasmussen, Independence. E. 5-10.

a Probably 100. Not yet examined; b. probably 95. e. cross-
wise L. ; wide frames of same size, hold six sections; d. above;
e. none; f. good.

K Wilkin, San Buenaventura. S. W. 5-15.

a. 80; b. 85; e. L. universally .{almost; d. L. The form might
lie varied materially without loss only for the sake of uni-
formity in the community, e. 2; i. very good.
CONNECTICUT.

Lewis Sperry, Hartford. 5-6.

a. 100; b. have not heard or any losses; e. L. ; d. L. ; f. never
knew it better. Bees are booming.

Daniel H. Johnson, Daniels. >u ville. E. 5-6.

a. 83V,; b. 80 to 90; e. Langstroth; d. 1 use the L., but 1 some
times think a shorter one would be better; f. Apparently good
at this date.

R. M. Wilbur, New Mi If old. 5-15.

a. 80; b. 85 to 90; c. d. L.; f. very good indeed.

I i n.oRADO.
Mark W. Moe, Denver. ('. 5-9.
a. 100; b. probably 95 or more; c, d. L.; f. good.

FLORIDA.

J. L. Clark. Appalachicola. W. 5-13.

a About 85; b. say 90; e. 18xS; d. as above; e. full crop, extra
quality.

John ¥. Detwiler. New Smyrna. E. C. 5-6.
a. About 95; b. same; c. 9J£x 17%, L.. mostly; d. \\%x\\% <Gal-
up every time; e. too early by 10 days to extract; f. present
prospects fair for early or dark honey.

GEORGIA.

E. C. 5-17.
d. L. ; e. a full average; f. line.
Walter McWilliams. Griffin W. C. 6-7.

a. 100; b. 80 to 90; C L. (8 x 16 inches) and Simplicity; d. Sim
plicity for ever; e. 40, with splendid weather to secure the 60
per cent.
K. H. Campbell, Madison. C 5-7.
.95; b. 90; c. L.; e. 100; f. good.

.1. P. H. Brown. Augusta.
a. 90; b 80; c. L. 17;!„x9,H,;

T. E. Hanbury, Atlanta. V
a. 100; b. 100; c,d. L.; c. 101),

Z. T. Hawk, Audubon. W. C. 5 6.

a. All; b. 95; c. L. ; one apiary. Heddon; d. a frame 16% in
long, 7 in. deep, outside dimensions, with the VaiiDeusen met
al corners. It is a standing frame" fixed, and reversible; in-
side area. 1O0.4 sq. inches; f. excellent.

Eugene Secor. Forest City. N. 5-1.

a. 95; b. 90 to 95; c, d. L. ; e. none; f. I see no reason lor dis-
couragement.

Oliver Foster. Mt. Vernon. E. 5-6.

a. All; b. 95; e, d. Simplicity L.; e. no Money yet ; I. good.

J. W. Bittenliender. Knoxville. S. E. 5-10.

a. 99; b. 85; c. L. ; d. Heddon's; c. too early for this question;
f. good.

J. M. Shuck, Des Moines. C. 5-7.

a. All; b. 99 at least; c. L. ; d. my own, same size as L. ; f. not
good. Season well forward, but we need rain very much.

A. Christie, Smithland. W. 5-7.

a. 95; b. have recently returned from Colorado, and am not
informed; c, d. L.; f. too early to say. but bees are in excel
lent condition.

INDIANA.

I. K. Good, Nappanee. N. W. 5-5.

a. 97; b. 80; c. 11^x9!-,.. and L.; d. new Heddon and L. ; f. not
very good. White clover is scarce, and we are having a
drouth which is damaging what there is.
C Mrs. A. F. Proper. Portland. E. C. 5-7.

a. All; b. 75; c. HXxlO^-adjustable and L. ; d. adjustable;
f. fair.

T. H. Kloer, Terre Haute. W. C. 5-8.

a. 95; b. from 95 to 100; c. L. ; d L. at present ; e. none; I. We
are now in the midst of a terrible spring drouth. Not a good
rain all March and April. Winter has been rather dry. Noth
ing ean grow. The white clover, which is more promising
than I have seen it since 1883, is beginning to dry up. Unless
we have rain very soon, there will be no white honey.

Joe. A. Burton, Mitchell. S. C. 5-9.

a. All ; b. 95; c. d. L. ; f. good if it would rain.
ILLINOIS.

Mrs. L. Harrison, Peoria. W. O. 5-9.

a. 97; b. 90; c, d. L. ; e. no surplus; f. fair, but rain is greatly
needed.

F. W. Goodrich, Bloomington. C. 5-10.

a. All; b. 90; c. 10x12% ; d. crosswise L. ; f. very poor.

C. Dadant, Hamilton. N. W. 5-9.

a. No loss; b. all; c. Quinby and Langstroth; d. Quinby; e.
too early for answer; f. good for clover, if it doesn't get too
dry.

C. C. Miller, Marengo. N. 6-4.

a. 99, but an unusual number of queenless colonies, so per

haps only 90 are left; b. perhaps 00; c, d. L. : f g I, if rain

comes.

Frank Howard. Fairfield. S. 5-8.

a. 100, b. 99; c. L.. and a frame 12 ', xD'., ; d. the latter; f. good.

KANSAS.

J. C. Stanley, Wichita. S. C. 5-5.

a. All; b. 98; c, d. L. ; f. good.
.1. B. Kline, Topeka. E. C. 5-6.

a. All; b. nearly all; c, Gallup, L. : d. Gallup; e. not any too
early; f. good so far.

KENTUCKY.

D. F. Savage, Hopkinsville. S. W. 5-8
a. All ; b. 90; c, d. L. ; f. prospects very

od.

Jno. S. Reese, Winchester. C. 6-6.

a. All; b. 25; c. d. L.; e. none: f. good— better than usual.
J. P. Moore, Morgan. N. 5-5.

a. All; b. 95; c, d. L.; f. fair. White clover is thicker than it
has been for four years.

LOUISIANA.

J. W. K. Shaw, Loreauville. S. C. 5-9.

a. Starvation has reduced the colonies to Yi\ b. 25; c. L.

frame, Root measure, and the American; d. the L. frame,

always; e. a few colonies extracted to give room, in April and

May 1st, gave 65 lbs. each; f. outlook is good.

MAINE.

S. H. Hutchinson, Mechanic Falls. 5-8.

a. b. About 80; c, d. L. ; f. good.

J. Reynolds. Clinton. S. E. 5-6.

a. 97; b. 65; c. L. ; d. don't know; use L. ; f. u I

MASSACHUSETTS.

J. E. Pond, No. Attleboro. S. E. 5-18.

a. All; b. 75, I judge from advices; c, d. I..; e. too early to tie
cide; f. prospects are good.

E. W. Lund, Baldwinsville NO 5-7.

a. 90; b. 90; c. can not tell all sizes used; d. 10x13; f. very good.

Wm. W.Cary, Colerain. N. W. 5-6.

a. 98; b. 95; c. about >-i L.; rest, Cary-L., 10x13 inside; d. Car] I.
winter best, and breed up earliest ; have about y, of each for
years in my apiary; e. season not yet opened; f. good.

A. A. Sanborn. Westtield. C 5-6.

a. 87] i; b. 00 to 95; c. d. L. ; f. good.

MARYLAND.

Simon P, Roddy, Mechanicstown. 5-15.

a. 99; I.. 95; c. O^xl.V^ ; d. the above size; f. good.
MIiHIi. w

A. J. Cook, Lansing. C. 5-5.

a.95;b.86; c. Gallup and L. -. d.L.; e. none to speak of; I.
good, I think.

H. D. Cutting, Clinton. S. E. 5-6.

a. 99; b. 80; c. 9^x13'-; inside; d. 10x11. outside, I. in Ian, lie
ing the L

454

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

.1 INK

James Heddon. Dowagiac. s. W. 5-6.

ii 86; e. L.. 8!*xi73„ sold by Heddon: d. the close-fitting
Heddon frame, 5x18; e. no surplus yet, and very small gather-
ing for brood-chambers; too cold; I only fail'.

Seorge E. Hilton, Fremont. W. 5-6.

a. '.i; ; b. 95; c, d. L. ; f. if we get the latter rains, good; too dry
al present.

MINNESOTA.

N. F. Aspinwall, Harrison. C. 5-7.

a, b. All; o. American; d. American : i icperience with any

other; I. extra good.

D. P. Lister. Lac Qui Parle. W. C. 6-7.

a. 95; l). 75; c,d.£.;f. so Far, conditions "i bees considered
as well, I think it good.

w Urie, Minneapolis. E. C. 6-7.

a.98; b. 95; c. 17; length of top-bar, inside measure, 15J4;
deep,out,10; inside, 9 ,. It is called Langstroth, but it is one
in ii deeper than the regular size ol Langstroth; d. I prefer
this size; f. I never saw it better than novi since I have been
in the State; hive full of bees, and working rapidly on fruit-
bloom.

.1. H. Johnson, Fairmont. 5-16.

a, All; b. no complaints; w i rite red w ell : e. d. L. : f. fair.

A. P. Bright. Hazeppa. E. 5 7.

a. 96; b. about 90; c, d. L : I. not very good; t try.

MISSISSIPPI.

< Iscar F. Bledsoe. Grenada. N. 5-12.

a. About 95; b. very near the same; c, d. short L. ; e. fully 10U
orover; more clover honey than I ever knew to date;!', ex-
cellent. I am becoming more confident each year in bee cul-
ture, here in the South, as a paying pursuit.

MISSOURI.

S. E. Miller, Blufftoii. E. C. 5-11.

a. 90; carelessness was the cause of loss; b. 90; c. L., or about
the equivalent; d. do.; f. very good; have had a very dry
spell, but are just now having a splendid rain.

Jm.. Xebel & Son, High Hill. E. C. 5 6.

a. 98; b. 98; c, d. L.; f. good for white clover if it rains soon.
Al present it is very dry for the growth of vegetation.

('has. L Gough. Rock Spring. EC. 5-11.

a. 100; b. about 60; c. none only what I have introduced. 1
use a frame IF. wide. 16 deep, and one ll'.xll1..; have one L.
hive; like it well; d. I prefer 11' xll1.. for storying up for ex-
tracted honey; e. extracted part of 1 stands May 10; got about
50 lbs.; f. goo'd at present Bees are booming on white clover;
almost too dry at present writing; have one swarm; but no
queen came out. and they went back.

James Parshall, Skidmore. N. W. 5-7.

a. 95; b. 95; c. d. L. ; f. prospects arc very promising.
NEBRASKA.

F. Kingslev, Hebron. S C. 5-8.

a, b. 80; c d. L. brood-frame; f. never better.

A. E. Malev. Auburn. 5-12.

a. 100; b 90; c, d. L. ; f. good.

J.W Porter. Ponea. N. E. 6-6

a. 9S; Ii. 80; c. L.,17Mx8K; d. L. ; f. the prospects are favora
ble, but there is not as great difference in seasons in respect
to a honey crop south of us as is complained of in more east
ern States.

NEVADA.

E. A. Moore, Reno. W. C. 5-10.

a About 90; b. about 75; e. I use L. frame; all others, box
hives; hard to tell size; f . good.

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

C. E. Watts, Rumnev. C. 5-11.

a. About S4; b. nearly all; c. I have some I., frames and some
lOxH, and there are some others used; d. all things considered,

the L.; f. the prospect for a honey crop is good.
NEW JERSEY.

3. D. Coles, Woodstown. S. W. 5-10.

a. b. 7:>; c. old-fashioned box, 10x10x20; d. L. ; t. good.

Watson Allen, Bernardsville. N.C. 5-8.

a. 93V,\ b. 85; c, d. 10x15; f. good for white clover.

NEW YORK.

P. H. Elwood, Starkville. C. 5-10.

a 99; b. 95; c. lOWxlO inside; d. new Quinby, Hetherington
size, to' .xl6; f. full average.

H. P. Langdon, East Constable. N. E. 5-7.

a. 90; b. 75; c. American, and but few of those; d. Root's Sine
plicity; f. first-class.

Frank Boomhower, Gallup ville. E. C. 6-6.

i 98; b. 90; c. about 10x15; d. 1..; f. more than good,

G. M. Doolittle. Borodino. C. 5-6.
a.98; b 95; c, d. Gallup; f. fair.

NORTH CAROLINA.

Abbott L. Swinson, Goldsboro. E. 5-8.

a. 95; b. 90; C. L . when any is used; d. I..; e. '., . I V ei y good.

olllo.

Dr. <;. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia. N. E. 5-6.

a. 89; h. 85; c the Nonpareil, 7x17; (I. 7x17; f. the prospect
COUlS not be better at this lun.

Clias. F. Muth. Cincinnati- S. W. 5 7.

a. All; b. 75 or more; c, d. L.; e. none yel so far; f.mostex-
cellent.

Dr. H. Besse, Delaware. C 19

a. CO; b. about till; c, d. 1„ ; f. first rale.

A. B. Mason, Auburndale. N.N. 5-4,

a. 100; b. 95; C, d. I..; f. good.

OREGON.

Seorge Ebell, Baker City. E. 5-9.

a, "II. D. 15; C, d. L.; I. poor.
.1.11. Rusk. .Milwaukee. 5-11.
a. 90; b. 95; c, d. L. : f. good.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Thos. < '. Davis, tdlewood. C. 5=8.

a. 90; b. about 90; c. d. I,.; e. honey is coming in rapidly now;
f. the prospects are excellent.
C. W. King, Fnileiiton. N. W. 5 7.
a. 99; b. 90; c. I..; d. lOKxH; f. good.

S. W. Morrison, Oxford, s. E. 5-6.

a. 100; b. 75; c, d. I..; e. 100, from cherry and apple blossom,
i . \ erj g 1,

Geo. A. Wright, Glenwood. N. E. 5-7.

a. 60; b. 90; e. I,; d. I'm stuck; f. fair. My out apiary, worked

lor extracted honey, and wintered in Simplicity hives, is gone

by the board; home apiary, worked for comb honey, and \* in

tered in chaff hives, is in fine condition.

RHODE ISLAND.

Samuel Cushman, Pawtucket. 5-1.

a. 90; b. 60 to 70; e. I..; d. L. frame. Hoffman style; I, bees ale
doing well, anil prospects for clover are good.

A. C.Miller. Providence. E. 5-6.

a. 7.V. b. 95; c. L.; d. T... after using 5 other kinds; I. unusually
good.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

W. . I. Ellison, Stateburg. C. 5-19.

a. ion; b. 955; c, d. L. ; e .just begun to extract.

J. D. Fooshe, Coronaca. 5-7.

a, b. 10(1; e, d. 1.. ; e. too early to estimate; cold east winds
have retarded crops. The weather has improved, and honey
is coming in rapidly now.

H. T. Calk, Greenville. 'ill.

a. 100; b. from 0 to 1110; C.L.; d. have tried no other; e. top
early to say.

TENNESSEE.

W. H. Greer. Paris. N. \V. 5-7.

a, b. 90; C, d. L. ; f. very good.

C. C. Vaughn. Columbia, c. 5-9.

a. 95; b. 90; c, d. L ; e. 50.

TEXAS.

L. Stachelhausen, Selma. S. C. 5-9.

a, 98; b. 95; c. d. I. ; e no honey as yet : f. good.

W. A. J. Beauchamp, Orange. S. E. 5-10.

a. About 95: b. about 80; o. UMxllV; d. about S\\l-M. This
size we think most convenient for all purposes- here. e. 95 to
100 to date.

J. P. Caldwell, San Marcos. S. W. 5 9.

a, b. 100: c. L , 17>..x.S\; d. I prefer the I..; e. we never have
super honey until June.

J. E. Lay, Hallettsvillc. S. W. 5-9.

a. b. All: c. d. L. ; e. none yet; f. fair.

VERMONT.

A. E. Manilla. Bristol. W. 5-7.

a. 90; b. 92; c. the Bristol frame, 12 inches long by 9K deep,
inside measure; d. the Bristol frame; f. good.
Howard J. Smith. Richford. N.C. 5-9.

a, b. About 75; c. d. I.. : f. good.

VIRGINIA.

J. W. Porter, Charlottesville. C. 5-9.

a. 70; the loss was from neglect; b. 70; same cause; c, d. L.;
e. only brood supply; f. good.

H. W. Bass. Front Royal. N. 5-10.

a. 85; b. 75: c. L.; d. 1„ in depth, but shorter; f. very promis-
ing.

James E. Duvall, Bellfair Mills. E. 5-13.

a. 90; b. about the same: c, d. L.; e. no surplus yet.

J. C. Frisbee. Suffolk. S. E. 5-6.

a. 90; b. 80; c. \S>%x&%\ d. L., because it is standard; e. none:
backward season; fees are now working finely; f. prospects
are just opening favorably.

WEST VIRGINIA.

J. A. Buchanan, Holiday's Cove. N. 5-6.

a. 100; b. 25: cause of loss, honey -dew stores; c. il. L., f. very
fair.

Jno. C. Capehart. St. Albans. S.W. 5-10.

a. 90; b. 80; c, d. 1, ; f Maj 10, drones being killed; neverthe-
less, prospects lair.

M. A. Kelley, Milton. S. W. 5-1.

a. 85; b. about 90; c. Adair, American, and Quinby; f. fair to
good.

Will Thatcher, Martinsburg. TO. C. 5-7.

a. b. 100; c, d. I. : I. g L.

WASHINGTON.

J. H. Goe, Mossy Rock. 5-12.

a. Ii. About 90; C. there are so many different size- used I
can't answer definitely; d. I..; f. splendid.
W. W. Maltbv. Port Angeles. 5-13.
a. SO; b. : 95; C. \dair; d. Adair or Gallup; f. good.

WISCONSIN.

s. I. Freeborn, Ithaca, s. W 5-7.

a. 90; b. 95; c. L.; d. have loo I... gOOGallup hives: f. fair, if it
would rain.

E. E. Tongue. Hillsboro. 5-11.

a. The loss is about one colony out of 80; b. 79 to every 80;
e. d. I, ; I. unless we get rain, it will be poor.

R. France, Piatt. o ille. s. W. 5-9.

a. 95; b. about 90; c. enlarged Metcalf frame, size 12 inches
wide, 19 high; d. enlarged Metcalf; f. fair, with favorable
weather. Bees are very strong for this time of year.

Joshua Bull, Seymour. E. 5-7.

a. 75; o. about ,5; c. I. . d. I am not fully prepared to decide.
1 am using the Jones, Langstroth, and the new Heddon; I get
good results with each of them; f. good.

Frank McNav, Mauston. C. 5-6.

a, b. 90; c. d.Xi.; f. Ian

1889

GLEANINGS m BEE CULTURE.

45-5

George Grimm, Jefferson. S. E. 5-«.
1 a. 90; h. 80; c, d. L.; f. very good.

WYOMING TERRITORY.

G. G. Mead, Ferris. S. 5-17.

.i. 75; i>. no other bee-keepers here; e, d. L.; f, good

A summarized averaged statement for the
entire United States, we find stands as fol-
lows:

a. ( )f the bees owned by the special report-
ers, 91-i per cent have wintered.

b. ( )f the bees in the localities of the re-
porters, 83^ per cent have wintered.

c. 7") per cent of the localities reported are
using the L. frame exclusively, and the oth-
ers use odd sizes, no one frame in particular.

d. The frame used by the reporters them-
selves is about the same as stated in c.

e. Where honey has been coming in, a full
average has been secured up to date.

/. The prospects throughout the United
States are universally good— never better.

Now let us go back and see what the sta-
tistics mean. To question a we hud the
average of 91 per cent is considerably better
than the average for about the same date
for last year, the ratio standing 91 to 84;
but remember this rather has reference to
those who reported on their own bees. The
percentage of loss for the localities (bee-
keepers, good, bad, and indifferent), is also
much less this year— the ratio standing 17
to 33 in favor of 1889. Observe that the re-
porters (who are in most instances the best
and most successful bee-keepers we could
select for the localities) have had much bet-
ter success than the mediocre bee-keepers —
those who can not afford to own a good
text-book or take a good bee-journal. The
iirst-mentioned class lost only 9 per cent ;
the last mentioned lost 17 percent. This
point was clearly brought out in the statis-
tics for last year. The answers to question
c prove conclusively that the Langstroth
frame is the universal standard throughout
the length and breadth of our country.
There are three times as many L. frames,
according to the reports, as all the rest of the
frames put together, odd sizes included. If
we eliminate the frames used by only one or
at most two or three bee-keepers in certain
localities, there would be probably ten times
as many of the L. pattern as of any other.
We were a little surprised that not more of
the Gallup or the American frames are in
use. We were surprised, also, to see that
so few square frames are in use. The uni-
versal use of the L. frame, north as well as
south, proves, if it proves any thing, that,
all things considered, that is the best frame
for the masses. It proves, also, that bees
winter just as well in a shallow frame (like
the L., for instance) as in a deep or square
frame. If any one can see any better results
in wintering, from those who report using
the square or nearly square frame, we must
say we have been either awfully careless in
looking over the reports, or that our eye-
sight is pretty poor. If the square frame
will winter bees better, the reports ought to
show it; but they don't.

Perhaps we should say, that although the
reports do not show it, yet many letters we
are receiving say that the yield "from fruit-
bloom lias been unusually large.

ON THE BANK OF THE MISSOURI.

SOME OF THE THINGS I MISSED DURING MY TRAV-
ELS.

E can hardly express in words the pleasure
we have taken in reading' your travels in
California and the West. Our lather has
also been very much interested in said
part of Gleanings. He does not read the
part pertaining to bees, as he is not very much in-
terested in them. We consider your very plain
and interesting- description of your travels worth
many times the subscription price of Gleanings;
and the illustrations are simply grand. Why, to
read your writings and look at the illustrations
makes one feel almost as if he had been with you
and seen it all. We have also read with some
amusement the complaints brought against you for
passing by some of the bee keepers; but we did not
know that we bad any cause for complaint until
reading your concluding remarks, where you refer
to the Missouri River. We only then realized that
you had passed within sight of our home; that is,
we can see the cars in winter, as the Missouri Pa-
cific K. R. runs within two and a half miles of this
place, and we know that, if you had been looking
north across the river, just after passing- a small
place called Morrison, you would have admired the
beautiful bluffs within three-fourths of a mile east
of here, even if you had seen scenery more grand
during your travels. Your remarks about the Mis-
souri River are very interesting- to one acquainted
with that grand old stream. Sure enough, it is like
a meadow brook in the way of cutting away its
banks. It is not an uncommon occurrence for it to
cut in an eighty-acre farm, worth four or five
thousand dollars, in a very short length of time.
You are right, too, about the land being very fer-
tile; and the islands you refer to are, many of them,
or portions of them, cultivated, and produce fine
crops while they also furnish splendid pasturage
for cattle. Of course, they are overflowed some
years, and those farming them lose their labor; but
on an average it pays well to cultivate them. On
these islands near here is where our bees get most
of their early pollen, and this year we think they got
some honey from the willows.

Now, friend Root, while we could hardly expect
you to spend your time in calling on such little
bee-keepers like ourselves (not big guns), we should
have enjoyed a visit from you very much; and had
we known when you passed here we should have
been pleased to meet you at some station where
your train stopped, even if only long enough to
take you by the hand and exchange a few words.
Now, when you start on your next trip, let your
friends know beforehand what route you are going
to take, so that they may be prepared to pick you
up when you do not know just where to look for
them. Bluffton is an inconvenient place to get to;
but please remember, if you ever get as near here
again as you have been, and think you can spare
the time to stop off, we shall try hard to make
things pleasant for you here, and assure you a
hearty welcome in our father's old log house on the
bank of the Missouri.
Bluffton, Mo., May 16, 1889. Miller Brothers.
Dear friends, it is not the big guns only I
love to visit. It is true, I like to see them,
for, as a matter of course, they have many
short cuts and improvements which you

L56

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Junk

could not expect to find among the small
liee-keepers. But the most real enjoyment
I have found in traveling has been, as a
rule, in meeting the friends on small apia-
ries and in humble homes. I should enjoy
extremely, making you a visit. I remember
pretty nearly the locality you describe ; and
what you told me makes me still more en-
thusiastic in regard to this matter of re-
straining our great rivers. We do not want
kt prohibition " in this matter, but we do
want to know how to " regulate and re-
strain." I feel satisiied, from what I could
see from the car window, that valuable
farms—yes, thousands upon thousands of
acres— were going to waste because of our
helplessness in this matter. Why, the very
essence of fertility of our best farming lands
is being continually carried away and spread
over these immense Mats, pushed one way
and then another by the water, so it is of no
value to any one. I should not be surprised
if some of that bottom land were so rich in
fertility that not even stable manure or
chemical fertilizers would make it do any
hetter.

SMALL, BLACK, SHINY BOBBER-BEES.

ARE THEY HONEY-BEES, OK A WILD BEE.

H. E. H. CALLINGS, of the Hamilton Co.,
ludiana. Bee-keepers' \ssociation, writes
me that, at their recent meeting, several
members reported serious robbing from
small, black, shiny, almost hairless bees.
He says they come in swarms to the victims of their
greed, and seem to meet no resistance. They are
doing very serious damage. Our society asks that
you give us your opinion of these depredators in
Gleanings, that it may be read before our society
at its next meeting. Several have tried to hunt
these marauders to their holes, in hopes to exter-
minate them. " We know that you are very busy,
but society always presumes one like you can al-
ways ElndaleetZe more rime to do one more kind-
ness."

These are not social but solitary bees, I presume
of the genus Amlremi. 1 have often heard like com-
plaints, but never before has any such report as
t his come to my notice. Usually it is said that they
are too few to do any serious damage. Now it is
asserted that they come in swarms. 1 think it is
easy to explain this. The past warm winter has
been very favorable to insect-life, so that such in-
sects or bees, instead of dying off by the thousands,
as is usually the case, nearly all live through. I
have noticed that wild bees are unusually abun-
dant on fruit-bloom this spring.

These bees are solitary, and make their cells
either in hollow stems or else in earthen tunnels.
Thus to hunt these foragers to their holes would be
like seeking needle3 in a straw-stack. Like our
common honey-bees, these wild bees rob— at least
so I think— only when there is no nectar in the
flowers. Thus, I presume in Indiana they are steal-
ing just after the prosperous season of the fruit-
bloom. Bees are very much like men— they find it
hard to brook a famine after prosperity has smiled
upon them for a season, and so they often take to
larceny. It is very difficult to suggest a cure for
this evil. The bees are small, and can not be stop-
ped out except as we close the bees in. Again, for

some strange reason the bees seem to bear their
enemies no ill will, but almost welcome these bee-
tramps; so we can hardly shut them out by nearly
closing the entrance. As these Andrenw pilfer only
when the harvest is past, in case they are too seri-
ous it may pay to close the hives; and if the weath-
er is not too warm, let the hives remain on their
stands, else carry them to the cellar. There is a
silver lining to this unwelcome cloud; and that is,
it soon blows over. So far as I know, these raids
are soon past. Either the robbers are smitten with
compunctions of conscience, or else, and more like-
ly, they find fresh nectar in the flowers, where to
rob is to do a kindness.

I am sorry Mr. Callings did not send me some of
the bees, then I could know just what they were.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

SUOAR VS. NATURAL STORES; COMPARATIVE EX-
PERIMENTS ON, AND THE KELATIVE COST
OF EACH.

fKlEND ROCT:— I send you the result of an ex-
periment which 1 tried, to ascertain the com-
parative value of honey and sugar syrup as
winter feed for bees.
I gave two hives empty frames, and weigh-
ed them; then I fed each 27 lbs. of syrup, made in the
proportion of 2 of best granulated sugar to one of
water. As soon as they had the syrup stored in the
combs they were again weighed. On the same day,
Oct. 22, two other hives having all natural stores,
and, to all appearances, of the same strength as the
first two, were weighed. They were all weighed
Nov. 16, and again April 27th, when fruit-bloom had
just opened, and this is the record:

We will call the sugar-fed hives A and B, and the
hives having natural stores Cand D. Oct. IS, A and
B having empty combs, each weighed 40 lbs. ; C and
D 58 and 62^ lbs. respectively. Oct. 22, after A and
B had their feed stored in the combs, they weighed
62 and til lbs. respectively; the former having lost 6
and the latter 5 lbs. in storing27. Nov. 16, A weighed
56 lbs. and B 56H, while C weighed 55 and D b»lA lbs.
Thus, between Oct. 18 and Nov. 16, A lost 11 lbs., B
10J4, C3, and D 4. April 27, A weighed 42^ lbs., B
40. C 37, and D 42. Thus, for the whole time, A lost
24 ?i lbs., B 27, C 21, and D 2OK2.

Although my experiment was upon too small a
scale to f urnish a very reliable rule, so far as it
goes it shows that 25 lbs. of syrup, made in the pro-
portion of 2 of sugar to one of water, is equal to 20
of honey. With sugar at 9 cts., the present price,
and houey at 7^2, the value of the 25 lbs. of syrup
would be just equal to the 20 lbs. of honey; and un-
less bees winter better on syrup than they do on
honey, the labor of extracting honey and making
and feeding the syrup would be just so much time
and labor wasted. J. McNeil.

Hudson, N. Y., May 6, 1889.

Friend M., 1 don*t think your experiment is
as conclusive as you seem to put it. A col-
ony that has a certain number of pounds of
stores sealed up in their combs, all ready
for winter, is in better condition— that is,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

457

they will survive longer on this quantity of
stores, than if this sealed honey were un-
sealed stores ; at least, that is my opinion
after having done considerable taking away
the honey and giving sugar stores instead.
Now, I do not mean to say that natural
stores will go further than sugar, but, on
the contrary, if the colony has stores of
sugar syrup sealed up in good shape for
winter, it would answer just as well or even
better than the natural stores. The point is,
that it costs a good deal to get any kind of
stores, well ripened and sealed, up in the
combs. In working some little time to get
a colony of vicious hybrids to accept a differ-
ent queen, they uncapped their honey ami
gorged themselves with it, and then put it
back in their combs so many times that
they nearly used up in a couple of weeks
what would otherwise have lasted them all
winter.

IS IT TRUE v

I inclose a clipping from the Nrw York Evening
Post, which I thought might be of interest to you.

YouN(i G. Lee.
Charlotte Harbor, Fla., May 13, 1889.

CURIOUS DISCOVERY OF OLD HONEY.

A remarkable discovery has just been made at
the Cathays Yard of the Taff Vale Railway Com-
pany. A large elm-tree, srown in Gloucestershire,
was being cut up into timber, when, right in the
very heart, a cavity measuring 8 feet by V-A inches
in diameter was discovered almost completely filled
with a comb of the honey-bee, together with a
squirrel's skull. No means of access to the hollow
was discoverable, neither was decay anywhere ap-
parent, and around the cavity itself no less than
fifty "rings,'' each ring denoting a year's growth,
were counted, the outer bark, too, being without a
tlaw. The hollow was of uniform size throughout,
and presented the appearance of having been bored
with an auger, and, great though its dimensions
were, it was practically filled with the comb, prov-
ing that the bees must have been in possession for
several years. Empty combs of the queen-bee also
showed that they had swarmed. How the bees got
there can only be guessed, but it is surmised that a
squirrel once occupied a decayed hole in the tree,
cleared away the decay, occupied the cavity as its
home, and there died. Then the bees entered into
possession and filled the hole with comb, when by
some means the entrance, which must have been
small, became stopped, the large quantity of grub
and fly being taken as demonstrative that the nest
was not voluntarily deserted. Then for fifty years
the growth of the timber went on. The entrance
being absolutely obliterated and the hole being her-
metically sealed, the comb was preserved from de-
cay for half a century, to be found at last in the
way described. The find is of the greatest interest
to naturalists.— Pall Mall Gazettr.

There is nothing particularly new in the
above. I believe that wood-choppers meet
with many such cases, although the trees
may not be as large and as old as the one
mentioned above. The fact that they found
brood in these old combs does not by any
means indicate that the bees were stopped
in. Where they starve out in the spring,
there is almost always more or less brood
left in the combs.

CHUNK HONEY, AND HOW IT SELLS.

I don't like sections. They are too much trouble,
and too uncertain about getting filled. I like
frames best for comb honey. 1 cut out what will
do to eat, then extract the rest, after which I set
the frames over a nucleus and let the bees clean
them up. 1 now fill in with foundation the place

where 1 took out the honey. This is the way we
have been managing ours the last three years when
we had honey. We put in buckets and jars, and
then pour in extracted honey. It sells before cool
weather, and it goes off nicely this way. 1 think
earthen jars the best yet to store honey in. We
can weigh the jar. and then put the weight on a
piece of paper, paste it on the jar, and then weigh
honey and all together, and then wax a cloth and
put it over the jar, tie it on with a string, and it
will not leak or spill.

I like Gleanings well, Our Homes especially,
Mr. and Mrs. Chaddock do look funny trying to get
into a bee-hive at the side. Why not go in at the
top? How are the carp getting aljnf;' I have not
heard from them for some time. A. K. DlOK.

Hettick, la., Feb 8, 1889.

The plan you give is old and well known ;
but there are people, and I presume there
are communities, that would pay more for
honey in a stone crock than for that stored
in any other way. In fact, it has been sug-
gested that honey tastes better when taken
from an earthen jar than when stored in
glass, tin, or any thing else. I should think
the jars would be cumbersome to lug
around.

The carp are getting along nicely, except
that we are still troubled with brook min-
nows getting in among them. I suppose
that, if 1 had some competent person to take
charge of the carp-pond, just as we have Er-
nest and Mr Spafford to take charge of the
bees, then I could succeed in banishing the
minnows from our pond. The only harm
they do is to destroy the largest part of the
eggs that the carp lay, and rill the pond
with their own worthless selves.

IS ALSIKE A CROSS OF WHITE DUTCH ?

As there was considerable discussion in Glean-
ings some time back concerning alsike clover, as
to whether it was a cross between the red and
white, I have proved to my satisfaction that it is.
About five years ago I sowed some seed 1 got of A.
I. Root. The second year, it bloomed out as nice
alsike as I ever saw; the third year was dry, and it
did not do much. The next year there was not a
head of alsike to be seen— it was every bit white
Dutch, and 1 know there had never been a seed of
white clover on the ground. Year before last I
sent to W. M. Plant, St. Louis, and got a peck of
alsike and sowed it. Last year it was as fine alsike
as I ever saw. This spring it has all bloomed out
white Dutch not a stalk of alsike, and there never
was a bunch of white clover on the ground before
last spring. I sowed five acres more alsike, and it
has bloomed out as fine a set of white Dutch as 1
ever saw. 1 think that should be evidence enough ;
at least, I am satisfied with it. There is but one
chance left for it to prove to be genuine alsike, and
that is this: I pastured each piece, that I had sown
to alsike, all winter and till in the spring. What
have you got to say about it, friend Root V

Chas. L. Gough.
Rock Spring, Mo., May 14, 1889.

The able professors of the Michigan Agri-
cultural College, if I am not mistaken, de-
clare that alsike is not a hybrid. If the seed
you sowed contained no white clover at all,
the phenomenon you mention is a mystery,

4.58

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

June

especially if, as you say, white clover does
not grow just as thick on other plats where
no alsike was sown. Alsike does not hold
its place on any soil as the white clover does
—at least, so far as my information extends ;
but I can not understand how alsike should
by any possibility change to white-clover.
I do not think that pasturing would affect
the result either way. Will Prof. Cook
please give us his opinion on this matter V

WINTERING SUCCESSFULLY IN A REPOSITORY
KEEKING WITH MOISTURE.

I built a cave, on Doc-little's plan, during October,
1888, except the shingle roof. I had none, and the
walls of the cave were clay only. I had three doors
to said cave, but no ventilation whatever. I put 7
colonies in the same, Nov. 6; and although the mois-
ture was very dense indeed, they wintered splen-
didly, being in the cave only 135 days. My first
swarm issued on the 7tb inst., a fine large one too.
I think cellar wintering can be made a success, even
in a clay bank. We have a fine prospect for a good
honey harvest for this season. White clover is
very abundant indeed. C. W. Vanhouten.

Smithfield, Hi., May 10, 1889.

S. F. NEWMAN ON CELLAR VERSUS CHAFF WINTER-
ING.

Ernest did not quite understand me when we
were talking about different methods of wintering.
If I were going to winter inside I would adopt
friend Boardman's method of " no bottoms," but I
do not prefer inside wintering by any means. My
bees never winter as well inside as they do in your
chaff hive. I have 50 colonies that are strong
enough to swarm today, and would swarm if I had
not right along given them combs in the upper
story. If I ever get time 1 will write you what I
think about the "winter problem," and of my ex-
perience and success in l-eference to it.

Norwalk, O., May 15, 1889. S. F. Newman.

Thanks, friend Newman. I accept the
correction.

HOW MUCH HONEY WILL ONE ACRE OF CLOVER
PRODUCE ?

Somewhere in your writing you say one acre of
clover will support ten colonies of bees. Will you
please be kind enough to state, if one acre of clover
is properly grown, and one colony of bees, proper-
ly managed, forages solely upon it, how much sur-
plus honey ought this one acre of clover to pro-
duce? Subscriber.

I do not remember the statement you
mention. If I made it, I think I must have
said " probably," for it is a very hard mat-
ter to determine how many colonies an acre
of clover will keep busily employed. If we
could get out on a desert, and keep our clo-
ver field going by irrigation, then we might
get at it. I have very little idea how much
honey an acre of clover might produce ; but
I will hazard a guess, that it might give 10
pounds of honey a day for. say, 10 or 1-5 days ;
perhaps it might give half that quantity for
10 or 15 days more. If any of the friends
who have considered this matter feel like
criticising my answer, I should be glad.

UNCAPPING-CANS ; ARE THEY NECESSARY ?

I have bought about 50 stands of bees this spring.
I am thinking of running about that number for
extracted honey, three miles from home. I should

like to have some of the friends tell, through
Gleanings (if they can in time for this summer's
crop of honey), how they manage the cappings—
what they catch them in, and what is the best way
to get the honey out of them, without buying an
expensive uncapping-can like Dadant's? Or is that
the cheapest, all things considered?

grapevines, care of.

How will grapevines do in the apiary when the
ground is set to white clover or blue grass, if the
ground is kept dug up 12 to 18 inches around the
vines, leaving tbe vines 0 feet apart each way? Or
should the ground be mulched all over?

Bedford, la., May 6, 1889. J. S. Willard.

An uncapping-can is by no means neces-
sary. It is only a convenience. If you do
not wish to go to too much expense, you
might set a cheap metal strainer on top of a
dish-pan or large pail— just such an ar-
rangement, in fact, as we sell for our cheap
wax-extractor. — Grapevines will do very
well as you suggest. They should have a
distance apart of eight feet or more, instead
of only six. The grass and weeds should be
cut away from around the vines for as much
as two feet. Mulching will answer every
purpose.

FRIEND BOARDMAN EXPLAINS A LITTLE MORE UP-
ON HIS METHOD OF CONTRACTION.

Friend Ernest:— Perhaps 1 ought to make a little
explanation in regard to my method of contraction
of the brood-chamber during the honey-flow.

Putting new swarms, whether natural or artifi-
cial, on empty frames, constitutes a very perfect
and natural mode of contraction, and is usually all
that I desire for a period of 20 to 25 days, where the
queen is able to pretty nearly keep pace with the
comb-building; but if the comb is built considera-
bly faster than the queen can fill it with eggs, I
sometimes cut it back to about the capacity of the
queen to fill, and use the pieces, thus cut out, in
sections instead of foundation. I cut it back only
in new colonies, never in the old ones. My new
colonies on the old stand give me all the surplus.
I see in the account of your " Rambles " you leave
this a little indefinite.

Thanks. My memory was not quite clear
upon this point, and so I did not dare to en-
large upon it very much. Your explana-
tion makes it more satisfactory. — Friend
Boardman replies further :

TWO QUEENS IN ONE COLONY.

I have made this season what is to me quite an
important discovery. Of what real practical value
it may prove, I am yet not quite ready to decide.
It is, using two queens in one colony, keeping both
in active operation for an indefinite time. I have
several such colonies that have been running un-
der this dual administration since the beginning of
the season (6 or 8 weeks). I do not know yet how
long it will continue. I think, until swarming
time. H. K. Boardman.

East Townsend, O., May 7, 1889.

I suppose your discovery is, that bees will,
a good many times, tolerate two queens at
the same time. Under some circumstances,
I know that this can be done ; but at other
times it does not seem to work at all. In
fact, a good many of us have had expensive
experience in trying to introduce queens
where there was one already in the hive.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

459

A queen pretty well along in years will al-
most always tolerate one of her daughters,
and both lay right along together. Aside
from this, we have not found it much of a
success.

]\toWJS 7IND QHEI^IEg.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTIONS, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

FROM 88 TO 150, AND 4500 LBS. OF HONEY.

T AST spring- I commenced with 88 colonies,
1^ about 10 queenless. I built them, up but it
c|St took all the season. I increased to 150 colo-
■*™ nies; ran 100 for extracted honey and 50 for
comb honey. Extracted, 1 got 4200 lbs. ; and
from the 50, 300 lbs. I sold the extracted at an aver-
age of about 8*4 cts. per lb.; the comb at about 11.
Cash expenses, about $15.00. I went into winter
with 150 colonies; came out with 140, none queen-
less, f wintered in single- walled hives, out of
doors. I sold some; will commence with 138 this
year. R. Robinson.

Laclede, III., May 6, 1889.

My son-in-law raised 170 lbs. of Japanese buck-
wheat from -lbs. bought of you last spring. We
think it very good. E. B. Glazier.

Dryden, N. Y.

ABSCONDING WITHOUT CLUSTERING.

I ran put in my evidence, that two swa/rms from
this neighborhood went direct from their hive en-
trances last summer, for the woods. W. N. Root.

Assumption, 111., May 6, 1889.

DRONES FROM DRONE-LAYING QUEENS.

1. Are drones from a drone-laying queen capable
of fertilization? 2. If so, are they as good as drones
from a fertile queen? Andrews & Lockhart.

Pattens Mills, N. Y.

[I. Yes. 2. We think not.]

ONE BUSHEL FROM SEVEN OUNCES OF .JAPANESE
SEED.

I purchased seven ounces of Japanese buckwheat
last season from you, and sowed it and got one
bushel of fine buckwheat from it. I think that is
pretty good. My bees seem to work on it almost
constantly while in bloom, and it seems to be
adapted to this country. J. S. Turner.

Formoso, Kan., May 15, 1889.

boardman's repository.

1 am quite interested in Boardman's repository.
I have been pulling the bottom of my hives all off
every year. 1 have become convinced that the
common entrance is not large enough, for the bees
become clogged, and damage the colony. He hasn't
said how high from the ground the first row of
hives is; nor how he ventilates the first row. My
colonies are reduced down to about 110 this year.

Portville, N. Y. F. Roulo.

ORANGE-BLOSSOM HONEY.

Referring to page 323 of Gleanings, 1 find;
"Orange-blossom honey, the first extracted honey
of tbe season," which was taken March 21st. While
visiting Prof. Webster, of Lake Helen, Fla., I as-
sisted in extracting honey three days previous;
yi/., March 18, whioh was the second extraction.

The sources were orange-blossom and andromeda.
The crop in that locality is half harvested. In the
mangrove district, honey is coming in slowly, bare-
ly sufficient for brood-rearing. Grape and bay will
be open in a few days. Bees are in good condition.
New Smyrna, Fla. J. Y. Detwiler.

a suggestion on the dovetailed hive.

You can get rid of the strips of tin you nail un-
der the bottom of the super for the section-holders
to rest on in Dovetailed hive, by making the end
pieces of the honey-board wide enough for the
holders to rest on. W. P. Davis.

Hyatt, N. C.. May 10, 1889.

(.Your plan is very good, so far as it goes; but
what are you going to do when you tier up? You
would have to use a honey-board between every
super, and that would be too expensive. See?]

WHY ARE THE DRONES CARRIED OUT?

Two of my best Italian colonies are dragging out
drones at a rapid rate, full grown and immature
ones. I want those drones to mate with my young-
est queens. They have much sealed honey from
last season. They have done this since April 20.
What is the matter? E. A. Boon.

Shellyville, 111., May 6, 1889.

[I can not tell what it was, unless it was bad
weather that discouraged them from swarming.
Feeding regularly every day, I think, would have
saved your drones.]

WILL BASSWOOD GROW IN SOUTH CAROLINA?

1 should like to know if basswood would grow
well in this climate. By referring to the map you
can see where I am. G. D. Mime.

Parksville, S. C, May 9, 1889.

[Yes, sir, basswood will grow everywhere; in
fact. I never heard of a place yet where such trees
would not grow, if they were planted. It is true, of
course, that they grow naturally in certain locali-
ties and do not in others. In our locality we find
them on the tops of the highest hills and in the low-
est valleys; and I believe that wherever we have
sent little basswoods they have succeeded when
once started.]

BLUEBIRDS AND MARTINS EATING BEES.

Will bluebirds eat bees? Yesterday I saw one
catching something, and to all appearances it was
bees. I shot him, and his gizzard was full; there
was nothing but bees. Then I shot a bee-martin,
and he was full of bees also. My bees are doing
very well at present. I look for swarms soon.

Dundee, Mo., May 10, 1889. B. F. Bailey.

[It has been urged that these birds simply catch
drones and not workers. Did you examine the con-
tents of their crops, to be sure on this point? My
impression is, however, that it was workers that
they caught, and that it was the honey in the honey-
sacs that the birds coveted.]

W. S. DEVOL, FORMERLY OF THE OHIO EXPERI-
MENT STATION, NOW FIELD SUPERINTEND-
ENT OF THE NEVADA AGRICULTURAL
STATION.

I came to this station April 2, to take charge of
the field work, agricultural and horticultural, and
plenty to do in organizing the work. The field is
new, and I have no doubt but much valuable work
can be done here. The abundance of sage brush
i.\)1i mi sia tridenldlii) makes excellent bee-pasture,
and there is talk of conducting some experiments
in bee culture. W. S. Devol.

Reno, Nevada, May in, L889.

LWe are very sorry indeed to have you leave
Ohio; but if we must spare you, 1 am glad to see
you where you are. I should be pleased to hear of
some of the results of the experiments in regard to
sage brush for honey.]

KiO

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

0«r Q[IE^I0N-B0^,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

an queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked. " For Our Question-Box."

Question 127.— How can prime swarmirujbepre-

n nli'il :

1 know of no perfect preventive.

Mrs. L. Harrison.
1 don't know of any positive cure.

Paul L. Viallon.
1 don't know. I wish I did. Young queens or
none at all, with shade and plenty of room, are pow-
erful aids. A.B.Mason.

By giving- the workers the necessary room to de-
posit honey when Mowers yield, and to the queen
the necessary combs to deposit eggs. C. F. Muth.

1. By extracting; 2. By keeping the colony weak
by removing brood; 3 By giving plenty of room
for storing and breeding. Not always sure.

A. J. Cook.

I do not know of any practical satisfactory way.
Keeping a colony weakened down, or enlarging the
hive excessively, will almost entirely prevent it.

R. Wilkin.

By taking out the queen with one or two brood-
combs and attendant bees. Eight days after, break
out all the queen-cells. A week or so after, the
queen may be returned. P. H. Elwood.

Cage the queen and remove all the queen-cells
once in 10 days. Don't keep the queen caged over
30 days, as the colony will begin to run down as
soon as the brood is all hatched out. E. France.

By using large hives, supplied with surplus boxes
as soon as the crop begins, and provided with
combs, you can prevent all swarming, save when
bees replace their queens during honey crops.

Dadant & Son.

Prime swarming can not be entirely prevented by
any practical means that I know of; but it may be
greatly lessened by a free use of the extractor, in
connection with large roomy hives. During the
last few seasons I was in Jowa, less than 3 per cent
of my colonies cast swarms. O. O. Poppleton.

Usually by giving the hive proper shade and ven-
tilation, furnishing abundant room for the bees to
store honey, and removing all queen-cells. Young
queens are less inclined to swarm than old ones.
Some cage the queen during the swarming season,
and keep all queen-cells removed. L. C. Root.

By the interference of man to such an extent
l hat it throws the colony out of its normal condi-
tion. This ean be done in many ways; but accord-
ing to my opinion, none of these ways are conduc-
ive to the highest success of either the bees or
their keeper, where comb honey is the object
sought (J. M. Dooi.ittle.

By giving suoh an abundance of empty combs
that neither queen nor bees are ever crowded for
room to store honey or lay eggs Close extracting,
even without so much room, will usually, though
not always, prevent swarming. In general, swarm-
ing is discouraged by large hives and an abundance
Of ventilation and shade, JAMES A. Ohkkn

It has cost me many a dollar to prosecute this in-
quiry, and several times I have thought I bad the
answer just within reach, but first I knew it was off
in the dim distance, and I must confess it is there
yet. Of course, you know the stereotyped " plenty
of room, shade, ventilation," etc., but with any or
all of these they may still swarm. C. C. Mili.lkr.

The man who can answer this question, by giving
a plan that is successful in all cases, had better not
answer until he has got his patent, as there is a for-
tune in it. I don't know any such plan. The ten-
dency to swarm can be checked by tiering up be-
fore the lower sections are quite ready to seal, and
constantly providing ample room, yet not too much.
To entirely prevent swarming is about as hard as to
keep a family of grown-up boys together in this
country. It can't always be done. Geo. (Ikimm.

There are too many ways to positively prevent
swarming, and second swarming, for that matter,
to dilate upon them in this department; but to an-
swer your question practically, 1 believe there has
never been up to this time any practical method
devised which it pays to put in operation to prevent
bees from swarming in a large, working apiary.
In such cases when we have all the increase we de-
sire, it is best to use the well-known practical meth-
ods to discourage swarming, and at the same time
be with the apiary during the swarming hours and
save what swarms break over the general rule and
swarm. In the large apiary, other work demands
our presence any way. For smaller apiaries, two
or three long articles might be written upon the
subject of how to manage them and not stay and
watch swarms at all. Last summer I ran (51) colo-
nies in one apiary in that way, and lost but one or
two swarms, I believe. James Heddon.

Now, here is a chance for some one to write a
book upon this subject, and not answer all of the
questions we could think of either. Several books
have already been written, and a long array of ar-
ticles to the bee-journals, away back through the
past years, and yet the question seems to remain
unanswered. I have found but one successful way
to prevent swarming. This is my way: At a time
when honey is coming in, shake or drum the bees
out upon empty frames, on the old stand, and follow
the new swarm with the surplus if any is on. When
I have treated a whole apiary thus, I can trust
them without any one to watch them. If you de-
sire no increase, unite them with the parent colony
after the season is over. Remove the old queens,
and j ou have requeened your whole apiary with
young queens, without hardly thinking of it. I sus-
pect the complete success of this plan depends
something on the kind of hive used. Now, then,
if this answer does not give satisfaction, and some
one has a more successful way, I should like to
hear from him. H. R. Boardman.

How can young people be prevented from trying
to set up a new domicil? The thing is a little past
the art ol man. Some strains of bees are much less
inclined to swarm than others. Some localities arc-
very muoh less provocative of swarming than oth-
ers. Running for extracted honey instead of for
comh helps quite a bit. So if this man gets his
stock from a business apiary where swarming sel-
dom occurs, and keeps them in the right kind of a
location, and runs for extracted honey, it is not
likely that he will be troubled by swarming much,.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

4(il

As to location I will give my best judgment. Where
the honey-flows are large, and mostly confined to a
lew short harvests, and the supplies of pollen rath-
er scanty, there will be the least swarming of all.
Where the honey-flows are small, and well spread
over the whole season, and the supplies of pollen
boundless, there will be the most swarming of all.
This last pretty well describes my own location. I
never had a colony get five pounds in one day that
1 know of; but I have had a third, if not a fourth,
scries of swarms led by the same queen in one
season; and 1 have had thirty swarms in August.
On the principle that any man can manage a bad
wife « xcept the poor wretch who has her, I suppose
some of our respondents will tell us just how to do
it. E. E. Hasty.

I am glad to see, friends, with what una-
nimity you all refuse to recoguize the claims
of certain patent-right men for non-swarm-
ing hives. Even the traditional garret,
where the bees have a whole room for it,
does not prove, through a series of years, to
be non swarming.

Question 128.— flow <-<ni second warming be pre-
vented?

Leave but one queen-cell to hatch. E. France.

By cutting out the queen cells at the proper time.
Mrs. L. Harrison.

Remove all the queen-cells and introduce a layiug
queen. L. C. Root.

By breaking out all the queen cells but one or
(belter) two adjoining ones. C F. Muth.

Destroy all queen-cells, leaving only one, unless
there is a young queen just hatched.

P. L. Viallon.

1 have had too little experience with either first or
second swarms to know much about either.

O. O. POPPLETON.

By putting the swarm in the place of the hive
which has swarmed, and putting the old hive else-
where. Dadant & Son.

Destroy all queen-cells but one, at the proper
time after the first swarm has issued, say 6 to 10
days after. Geo. Grimm.

By removing all queen-cells but one, or all and
giving new queens; also, usually by depleting the
hive, <t Ut Heddon. I find this works well.

A. J. Cook.

Usually by moving the old hive to a new location
and placing the swarm on the old stand. By the
Heddon plan. By cutting out all queen-cells but
one. C. C. Miller.

By removing all but one of the queen-cells is one
way. Moving the hive from which a swarm has
issued, to a new location, will generally prevent aft-
er-ffwarming. A. B. Mason.

By exhausting them of beeF, which may be re-
moved to the prime or first swarm, and employed
ingathering surplus instead of acting as nurses in
raising young bees that will never be able to pay
for their board. H. R. Boardman.

1. A fertile queen maybe given them; :.'. After
destroying all queen-cells a virgin queen may be
given them; 3. All but one cell may be removed to
a new location after a week. There are exceptions
to all rules; and these are reliable, about in the or-
der stated. P. H. Elwood.

The best method I know any thing about, I devis-
ed and placed before the public, under the head of
"Prevention of After-Swarms." It is printed in
my book, and quoted and approved by Professor
Cook, I believe, as well as being published in back
numbers of bee-journals. James Heddon.

I have always had good success by letting a new-
ly hatched queen run in at the entrance as soon as
possible after the first swarm issues. This method
has the advantage of allowing you to select your
breeding stock, and is very little trouble. What is
known as the Heddon plan works well.

James A. Green.

The following is the plan that I have laid out for
myself the coming season: Set the prime swarm
beside the parent hive; if too many bees incline to
enter either of them, turn the entrance of the popu-
lous one away from the old position sufficient to
prevent it. Six days after hiving, remove the par-
ent hive to a new locality in the apian-, so that its
surplus bees will return to the old stand, thus
weakening it just at the time it would begetting
the swarming fever again. It. Wilkin.

Upon the issuing of the prime swarm, take the
brood-combs from the parent hive, placing them
in a box, substituting other frames in their
place, hiving the swarm by the returning plau.
Now carry the combs of brood and the adhering
bees to a hive on a new stand, wherever you wish a
colony to stand, placing the frames in this hive. On
the morrow, take a virgin queen; and after lifting
one of the frames from the hive, wait a moment,
when the bees that are on it will begin to fill them-
selves with honey, as they are all young bees. Vou
are now to put the mouth of the cage having the
virgin queen in it near some cells of unsealed hon-
ey, from which she will quickly begin to eat. In
doing this, both bees and queen assume a natural
condition, when the frame is lowered into the hive,
and the hive closed. If you look the next day you
will find all queen-cells destroyed, and swarming
given up. G. M. Doolittle.

I can tell how to do this, for I've done it— and con-
trived the plan all myself too. I listened at the
hives at eventide, heard the young queens piping,
rose early next morn, shook the bees into a swarm-
ing-basket, imprisoned them for two days in a pit,
then returned them to the hive. It worked beauti-
fully, and likewise ruined more than half the colo-
nies 1 tried it on. Now, if I had waited an hour or
two until the bees had swarmed naturally, and then
had proceeded in the same manner for the rest of
the process, it would have been all right. At least,
that is my regular way of doing, and I have treated
multitudes of them so with rarely any trouble. I
concluded that breaking up their natural way in-
furiated tbem so that they killed their queen while
waiting in the pit, and then (having got their hand
in) they killed the other queen when returned to
the hive. It was a time of great dearth of honey,
and bees were abnormally cross. I mean to try the
plan ae-ain under more favorable circumstances,
and see if it can not be made to work. A lady, who
has a considerable apiary next west of mine, han-
dles all her second swarms by spreading them on a
white sheet, and making them fly home after she
has taken their queens all away. I'm sure I should
miss half the queens (after-swarms frequently hav-
ing several), and then they would go to the woods

Hvj

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

instead of going home; but she seems to make a
success of it. Shaking the bees in witli the prime
swarm every day or two is highly recommended. I
have not tried it. It looks to me just like provok-
ing the colonies from which your surplus must
come, into a new series of swarms, and incurring at
the same time a risk of making them queenless. In
general, the man who says he can control the
swarming fever never had a case of it on his hands
—that's the long and the short of it. A dozen or
even twenty prime swarms coming out in one hour
is not swarm-fever. The colonies were all in good
condition, and a freak of the weather brought them
out all at once, that's all. A troublesome plenty
of after-swarms, if they come in regular time (nine
days after the first) is not exactly the disease either.
In swarm-fever, swarms come out 14, 15, 10, and 17
days alter the primes, showing that, in the first in-
stance, the swarm came out with no preparation
whatever. Young primes which have not jet
built their quarters nearly full of comb begin a
new series of swarms. Dividing is worse than use-
less. Each fragment sends out swarms; and the
total of swarms is increased, and you have the di-
vision colonies in addition. This is the disease we
invite you to cure, brethren; and hence these
tears. E. E. Hasty.

Removing all the queen-cells but one
seems to be pretty generally accepted ; but
I should like to know how many of those
who quote the above for an answer practice
it regularly. I prefer the plan given by
friend Green. But this does not always
work. I expected friend Hasty was going
to recommend burying the bees in the
ground until they behaved themselves, as a
remedy for all swarming troubles ; but it
seems that even the underground treatment
does not always answer.

(,)ikstion 12!» — 7 have a colony which has a young
queen at liberty, and secern I more in their ceils; and if
in! undisturbed it will send out a swarm to-morrow.
H to-day Iliberate all the queens from their cells, lenv-
ini.i two or more at large in the liivc, but no queen i)i a
cell, will the swarm issue?

As the Spaniard says, " No Be."

R. Wilkin.

Not as a rule; but they should be watched.

L. C. Root.

Not generally. They will kill each other, and one
will remain. P. L. Viallon.

I am inclined to think they will not, but I have
no positive knowledge. C. C. Miller.

Probably not; there will be a battle, and the vic-
tor will likely bold the Held. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Sometimes, but not as a general rule. I once bad
a swarm under precisely these conditions.

G. M- Doolittle.

We think that bees will manage to keep two
queens, and swarm with one and sometimes with
both. Dadant & Son.

Perhaps not, and yet it would not surprise me at
all if they swarmed immediately, if it was a very
favorable time for swarming. H. R. IJoardman.

1 have never tried the experiment, so 1 can not
say; but I wish the querist would do so and report;
that is, report after trying the experiment several
times, as once doinjr so will prove nothing.

Oi 0. Poppleton.

It is very uncertain just what they would do; but
if I did not want them to swarm, I would take the
queens away in place of liberating them.

E. Prance.

I don't know; but I think if that is the only con-
dition existing that might be considered favorable
to swarming, the swarm would not issue.

A. B. Mason.

It may issue at any time, and it may not. If the
latter is the case, then all but one of the young
queens have disappeared a few days afterward.

Chas. F. Muth.

I never tried this; but I think if the swarming-
fever were prevalent among the bees they would
swarm anyhow. There would be no certainty
about it. James A. Green.

Yes, as a rule, supposing that in your climate or
locality it is swarming time, and conditions for
such are favorable; otherwise the surplus of
queens will be killed off. James Heddon.

Not today, Feb. 12. I don't know what they
would do at the swarming season, but I think they
would swarm the same. With the swarming-fever
aroused they will swarm out with one young queen.

P. H. Elwood.

I think usually it would. Indeed,! have known
several queens to come out of cells, hours before
the swarm issued. The young queens do not always
wait for the swarm to start before they issue from
the cells. A. J. Cook.

If the colony is strong, and honey-tiow and weath-
er fair, yes; if the colony is weak, then no. If the
colony is strong, the bees will not allow all the
young queens to meet any more than they would
allow the hatched queen to destroy those in the
cells, for the reason, I take it, that they desire to
swarm— another illustration that the impulse to
swarm comes from the bees. Geo. Grimm.

This scheme is interesting enough to deserve
trial, both in moderately swarming and immoder-
ately swarming apiaries. I will venture the opinion,
that in the former it will usually succeed, while in
the latter the swarm will often issue and leave a
little queenless remnant in the old hive. Likewise
I should not be surprised to see the whole batch
turn up queenless sometimes. This plan seems to
have one of the objections to the old cutting-out-
all-but-oue method (which is generally abandoned I
believe); namely, serious liability to overlook one.

E. E. Hasty.

If I understand the above question, the
point is, Does it change matters particularly
one way or the other, if you open the cells
with the point of your knife, or let them
hatch after their own fashion? From what
experience I have had with this kind of
work, I should say that it would not make
much difference. If the queens were let
out of their cells before they were ready,
the bees would probably tumble them out of
their hives as so much rubbish— that is, if,
they noticed them at all. If they let them
remain, when they have accumulated
strength by taking sufficient honey and ex-
ercise they would swarm or not swarm-, ac-
cording to the flow of honey, number of bees,
state of weather, etc. I once took a swarm
of hybrids out of a bee-tree that seemed to
have queens scattered all through the colo-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

463

ny. They swarmed some, and I divided
them up some, to give each queen a comb of
brood. I think that none of the queens in
this case meddle with each other at all ; but
perhaps the shock of the falling tree, and
the bumping and tumbling around which
they received might have put them out of
lighting trim.

0a^ flejtfEg.

Not to he ministered unto, but to minister.— Mark
li): 45.

WHAT TO DO, AND HOW TO BE HAPPY
WHILE DOING IT.

WpLTHOUGH the book is finished, the
9|m matter is not out of my mind, by any

jPJk means, and very likely never will be.
-^*- During this present spring of 1889
we have had some new experiences :
and in many lines, at least this matter of
raising crops seems to be really overdone.
Friend Terry's potato-book has not had any
thing near the sale that it had a year ago,
and very likely the book has been the
means of contributing at least somewhat to
the great quantity of potatoes that can not
be sold. I believe that this state of affairs
prevails pretty much all over the United
States. In our locality, thousands of bush-
els are being fed to stock, and may be other
thousands will go the compost-heap. It has
been suggested that reclaiming our swamps,
planting potatoes by machinery, applying
Paris green by machinery, harvesting the
crop by machinery, etc., has made it im-
possible for planting, hoeing, and digging
by hand, to pay expenses any longer. While
I do not believe that this is true, there may
be a grain of truth in it. The question is,
Will potatoes ever again be worth a dollar a
bushel ? I think thev will, but it may be a
good while, and very likely prices are going
to run lower. Now the same is to a great
extent true, at least in many localities, with
the apple crop; and while I write, there
seems to ha a great prospect that the com-
ing strawberry crop will be beyond any
tiling heretofore known, and may be, beyond
what the people can consume." Should a
frost, however, occur just now, and I con-
fess that, on this 21st day of May, there is
quite a prospect of it, such an event would
change the aspect of things entirely. Then
those who were prepared to defend their
crops from the frost would probably make
their money, while their less fortunate
neighbors would lose heavily.

Well, a good many are taking the ground
that it is impossible for our people to find
employment, even raising crops, and that
too many crops are raised already. While I
do not believe this, I am afraid, as I said
before, there is a grain of truth in it ; and if
your old friend had better stop urging eve-
rybody to raise crops and live under their
own vine and fig-tree, is there any other
opening? Has the great Father in heaven
made a blunder in putting so many people
in this world of ours, without providing any
thing for them to do ? Not so ; and I am
sure the fault is with ourselves and not
with God. In the first place, it is by no

means certain that we should be any better
off by getting a dollar a bushel for our pota-
toes, instead of i"> cents, or 15 cents for our
strawberries, instead of 8 or 10 cents. You
may say that we must have enough for our
potatoes to pay the expense of cultivation
and harvesting, and the same with straw-
berries. We must have enough for them to
pay the cost of picking. In one sense this
is true. But the escape from this apparent
corner is in using more brains— in letting
necessity be the mother of invention. Bet-
ter plans must be invented for doing our
work. We must shake off the sleepy way
of doing things, and use the common sense
and reason which God has given us ; and
this brings me to my subject of what to do.
The waste and useless motions which are to
be found in most employments in life are
truly appalling. Two great strong men are
often employed to do the work that one
small boy could do easily. We have ma-
chinery and improved methods; but with-
out brains to guide and direct them, they
are, to a great extent, a failure. Men and
women are wanted to guide and direct ; to
look after the leaks ; to cure us of our stu-
pidity. Stupidity is the word exactly. We
are all stupid, even the best of us. Atone
time a great shopful of machinery was
standing still, because the feed-pump to the
boiler would not work. It was pulled to
pieces, and put together again repeatedly.
Every thing was all right. The matter was
getting to be serious. The great crowd of
hands could not go to work until the pump
could be made to throw water into the
boiler. What do you suppose the trouble
was ? The valve situated near the dome of
the boiler was not open wide enough to let
the steam into the pump. The small valve
close to the pump was opened and closed
repeatedly, of course ; but somebody, in a
shiftless sort of way, had opened the valve
near the dome only a little, and there it
stayed until some one of the crowd was keen
enough to declare that the pump had not
sufficient steam to do its work. The reply
was, " Why, the valve is wide open ; " but
the man who was using his brains declared,
"Then some other valve is not wide open,
or there is some obstruction. " Half a doz-
en ought to have guessed from the working
of the machine where the trouble was.

A few days ago we were disappointed in
not getting a washer-woman. Mrs. R. said
that she and the children could do it if
somebody would turn the wringer; and
then she added that she thought the wring-
er would have to be thrown away and a
new one bought, because it had got into a
fashion of turning so hard lately. I decid-
ed to take a look at the wringer, and what
do you suppose I found V First, the set-
screw that pressed the rolls together was so
rusty that I could not turn it with my
thumb and finger. A five-cent oil-can and
five cents' worth of sewing-machine oil fix-
ed it nicely. Five cents paid for the oil in
the can, and almost a bottlef ul besides ; but
when the screw was oiled I found it would
not bring the rolls together so as to do good
work.

"Oh!'1 replied my wife, "they used to

464

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUR.E.

■ I I \K

work together nicely, but lately we can not
get them down so as to wring any thing as
dry as it should he."

Before she had done speaking, however,
I found that the blocks that moved the
hearings of the rolls closer together touched
each other at their ends, so that the screw,
instead of crowding the rolls toward each
other, simply crowded the two blocks of
wood against each other ; and had the
weight of a ton been put on them it would
not have affected the distance of the rolls a
particle. I pulled the blocks out in a twink-
ling, and shaved off the ends ; then the rolls
came down together as they did when new.
Next, in attempting to turn the crank, the
uprights that support the rolls " waggled *'
back and forth one way and then the other.
The wringer is one of those mounted on
a bench, on two uprights. The bench is
large enough to hold a tub on each side of
the wringer. Well, these two uprights had
been "waggling'1 for I don*t know how
long, in just that way. When I expressed
my disgust at such a performance, my wife
replied again, "Oh ! that is the way it has
been for this long time, and I have been
pounding the wedges in at the bottom with
all my might, but it does not do any good at
all, or not much good."

I smiled as I drove the wedges clear out
and showed her that the uprights did not
nearly lill the mortise in the top of the ma-
chine*. Instead of having been driven in snug,
as the manufacturer ought to have made
them, there is nearly a quarter of an inch
play ; but by keying the wedges up tight
the uprights had an appearance of being
firm. Perhaps they were firm for a little
while when the machine was new.

" Well," said my wife, " what are you go-
ing to do about it? The holes were made too
large in the first place, and they can not be
made any smaller.'1

Right within reach stood a basket of
strips of wood. They were remnants of
frame stuff from the factory. With one
hand I selected a piece of wood that just
filled the vacancy in the mortise. Then I
called for a saw to cut it off with, at the
point where it was just thick enough. My
wife has a nice little saw for home use. I
found, however, that it was so dull it would
hardly cut off a pine stick; secondly, it
" waggled " in the handle just as the stand-
ards " waggled " in the wringer. I looked
my disgust again, and she explained :

L- Well, the nice, neat, sharp little saw you
gave me was borrowed by one of the men
when they were at work near the house.
As they did not bring it back, I sent for it,
and this tiling came instead/'

Now, my friends, you have a picture of
some of the stupidity of the world I have
been trying to tell you about. Somebody in
a hurry borrowed the nice little saw, be-
cause it would save time in going to the
factory, which was all well enough had he
been conscientious enough, kind enough, or
gentlemanly enough, perhaps I might say,
to have handed my wife's saw back to her.
He did not do it, and nobody knows where
the saw is. Then somebody else, equally
stupid (I hope I am not getting to be un-

duly uncharitable here), gave her this mis-
erable tool to use in her work. Any work-
man— in fact, I should say any man or
woman — ought to be ashamed of having
such a dull thing to work with. We have a
man in our establishment, employed on pur-
pose to keep saws in order. In fact, he
does nothing else ; but yet day after day I
find valuable, high-priced hands using dull,
crooked saws, loose in the handle. All that
was wanted to make the saw tight in the
handle was to tighten up three or four
screws. Possibly a wedge was needed also,
to make a substantial job of it.

To return to the wringer : I selected my
wedges so that the tenon required considera-
ble driving before it would come down to
the shoulder ; and when down, the uprights
were so rigid that it seemed as if the keys
below were not needed. However, I made
these keys draw just right, and then drove
them all they would bear, without breaking
the wood. By the way, it is quite a trade to
learn just how much driving wood and met-
als will bear ; and this can be learned only
by experience. Those uprights will proba-
bly never loosen or move again ; and in all
the repairing I did, I tried to remedy the
defects made in manufacturing in the first
place. The wringer will probably work for
years, no mishaps occurring, such as I have
mentioned.

Now, while the world is full of people
wanting something to do, waiting for some-
body to set them at work, there is only one
in a hundred— no, perhaps not more than
one in a thousand— who has gumption or
energy enough (it occurs to me again that I
am using pretty strong language ; but, dear
friends, I do hope it does not apply to you)
to see that the tools he works with are in
shape to do their best. There are individu-
als, I know, who like nice tools, and those
who won't go to work until their tools are
in good trim ; but they are few and far be-
tween. In fact, there is such a tremendous
want for such people that they almost al-
ways get above— that is not just the expres-
sion I mean, but it tells the story — using
tools of any kind. They get a reputation of
doing every thing thoroughly and well, and
at the same time expeditiously, by using
good sound common sense at whatever they
may apply their hands to, and pretty soon
they get great wages. A relative was stop-
ping with us a few weeks ago, who gets
$3500 a year I questioned him some as to
why he could command such pay. It is just
in the line I have been telling you ; and one
other thing comes in with it. He said ever
since he commenced selling goods he has
made it a point to tell the purchaser every
thing about the make of the goods that was
to be known. He thoroughly posts himself
in regard to the use of the article, the meth-
od of manufacture, and then he is so strict-
ly honest that no one who ever deals with
him ever has reason to suspect him of even
" keeping dark.'" He sometimes sells sin-
gle firms S5000 worth of goods. Now, then,
friends, you have something of a key to this
problem, " What shall we do ? " I think I
can tell a great many of you what to do.
Go and turn your wife's wringer ; see if the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE,

465

poor woman is wasting strength— wearing
herself out, perhaps, and laying the founda-
tion of future doctor bills. Get her such a
saw as I have described, and then file it
yourself or else see that it is kept sharp. If
the boys dull it, teach them how to put it in
order again, and insist on their doing it.
Have a good screwdriver and wrench, and,
above all things, an oil-can, or, better still,
oil-cans of different sizes, and some good
oil. If a door squeaks, or opens hard, fix it.
Don't you get oil on the carpet, either, nor
on any thing else. If the spring in the door-
lock is broken, fix it yourself, or hunt up a
man to fix it. By t lie way, how many men
do you know of in your vicinity who will lix
a door-lock, and do it well the first time r
How many men do you know of who would
fix up a clothes-wringer in the way I have
described, and do it right? Men who can
do these things, or who have taught them-
selves to do them, are never without em-
ployment.

"Shall we all turn tinkers ?" say you.
Yes, my friend, turn tinker by all means, if
you have nothing to do. lie that is faithful
in few things shall be made ruler over
greater things. These are the Savior's
words. " Not to be ministered unto, but to
minister." These are also the words of the
Master. How much experience havq you
had in employing workmen to lix things,
and then find them no better than they were
before — sometimes not as good. I know
without your telling me. A great many
times a piece of work is sent home without
even testing: it to see whether it will work
or not. When you want a lock repaired, of
course you send along the key. Well, there
are people who will repair a lock and send
it home without even taking the trouble to
put the key in the lock to see if it will turn
the bolt. They are too shiftless to test their
work before sending it home. They have
not been schooled or drilled in thorough-
ness. People who are professing Christians.
it seems to me, can not love their neighbor
even a little i let alone loving their neigh-
bors as themselves), or they would consider
how much vexation of spirit it makes him
to send him something that cannot be used.
Perhaps some of you think I had better look
at home. O friends, I do know it, God
knows I know it. A foundation-mill was
once sent across the ocean ; but when the
friend over there across the seas attempted
to put the crank on the shaft, it would not
go on. The hole in the crank was too small.
He accused us of fraud, saying that the mill
had never been tested, because the crank
would not go on, and never had been on.
He was a little uncharitable, however. As
it soils a new crank in testing it in the wax-
room, we have one soiled crank that is used
to test all the mills ; but the man who bored
the hole in the crank was too shiftless to
see whether the hole was large enough for
the shaft or not; and the one who packed
the mill up to send it off to a foreign coun-
try did not have love enough in his heart to
prompt him to try the crank on the shaft,
to see that it was all right. In our own
household, in other households, on the
street, out in the fields, and everywhere I

go, I hear this longing, " Oh for somebody
who would b;1 careful to do things right ;
who would return borrowed tools, and— bor-
rowed umbrellas ; for somebody who would
be constantly thinking of the comforts and
needs and rights of the neighbors around
him, instead of simply self — getting out of
the rain, perhaps ; getting a cultivator long
enough to do his own garden— not caring
whether the tools he borrowed were return-
ed or not ! " It has been said, that, should
the Savior come on earth now, he would
find a great improvement over the time
when he did come. 1 grant, dear friends,
that he would find much improvement in
intelligence, in the progress of invention,
etc.; but, oh what a wide held he would
find for the exercise of Christian spirit and
love ! Not to be ministered unto, but to
minister.

It is not only that you will thus do good
and make people happy, but you will ac-
cumulate money. When in California I
told you of the great call for something to
do— people out of employment ; but yet our
skillful bee-men are constantly wanted.
Well, most of these bee-men are experts in
repairing things. They can fix almost any
piece of machinery. People came to them,
and offered them big pay because they were
skillful ; and, my friend, if you are skillful,
people will come to you and offer you big
pay. You may say that your talent does
not lie in that direction. I want to contra-
dict you. You can be skillful if you want to.
and nothing in this world will help you to
be skillful like having the love of Christ
Jesus in your heart. If it gives you pain to
see a friend or neighbor work with a poor
and inefficient implement, a loving desire
for his welfare will prompt you to study
into the whys and wherefores of things— to
get acquainted with implements and ma-
chinery, and with the ordinary affairs of
this busy world. You can "learn to fix
things," by practice. Just keep at it dur-
ing all your idle moments, and you will
soon get to be a proficient. Y'ou may think
it a small thing to use a hammer with skill.
Why, a good mechanic with a nice hammer
that just suits him will do four times the
amount of nailing in an hour that an ordi-
nary person does. A great many times I
say,' " Friend, will you just let me get hold
of that hammer?" and oftentimes I will
just make him laugh while I show him the
tricks and turns, and the amount that can
be accomplished by the skillful use of a
hammer. And it is the same with almost
all other tools. When 1 first commenced
business, the inspiring motive was not love
for Christ Jesus : it was simply love for a
nice little woman about 18 years old, who
lived off in the country, across the river.
That was not a very bad incentive, 1 admit ;
but if it had been Christ Jesus, it might have
included the other. Her father feared I
would never "make a living.'" Said I (I
guess it must have been one moonlight
night while we stood by the gate), " We will
see." So when I opened a jeweler's repair
shop I solicited repairing of all kinds. I
fixed door-locks, umbrellas, parasols, coffee-
mills, etc. If somebody suggested they had

46K

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

June

better perhaps throw it away and buy a new
one, "Oh no!" said I, "don't throw it
away. I will iix it, and it shall not cost you
very much.'1 If there was nothing else to
do, I would work a couple of hours at an
old coffee-mill, and charge only five cents. I
charged only five cents, because I did not
think the article was of enough value to
warrant more than live cents' charges. I
was bound to build up business, and most of
you know I did it. And you too, my
friends, no matter where you are, nor how
you are situated— I do not care if you are
lame or blind or deaf, or even if you are
sick, you can be helpful to those about you,
and begin the apprenticeship in that great
trade of helping others. " Not to be min-
istered unto, but to minister.1' Let that be
the motto of your life, and Christ Jesus will
see that you are well paid. Yes, " Good
measure, pressed down, shaken together,
running over." Now go and look after
your wife's clothes-wringer this minute,
lest all the above talk simply go in one ear
and out of the other, without having accom-
plished any thing.

Recent Deyelqpme]^

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.
THE NEW COMBINED CRATE.

T HAVE never liked the combined crate ;
m but as we have sold a good many, it
M shows there is a demand for something
* of the kind. As the objectionable fea-
tures could be easily removed, we have
lately made the crate so "that it can be man-
ipulated in very much the same way as the
T super. Mention has already been made
on page 873, Gleanings for May 1, of the
changes made in the combined crate ; but
on account of the lack of engravings, no de-
tailed description was given.

OUR NEAV COMBINED CRATE.

The engraving above represents the crate
as we now manufacture it. In appearance
it represents the old one very closely. The
only difference noticeable is the removal, or,
rather, absence, of the projecting shoulder
at the bottom edge of each end. In the old
crate this shoulder was put on for the pur-
pose of filling up the spare left open by the
rabbets. The design was, of course, to pre-
vent the bees from passing up and around
the crate ; but as most practical apiarists
use their surplus crates in connection with
a honey-board, the projecting shoulder,
when so used, was an unnecessary feature ;
and, more than that, it prevented tiering up
inside of Simplicity bodies. In this con-
nection the feature of non-tiering up in the
old crate was a very objectionable one.

The engraving above needs almost no ex-
planation. It is simply a shallow box, the
sides of which are so made as to receive a
strip of glass. The sections, instead of resting
upon T tins as in the T super, are supported
by slats having insets corresponding to the
sections and in number equal to the number
of rows of sections. These slats rest upon
a strip of tin nailed to the bottom inside
edge of each end, projecting far enough in-
side to catch the slats. That there are objec-
tions to supporting-slats which correspond
with the bottom of the sections, I am aware.
It is true, they will not always match
with the bottoms of the sections, either be-
cause of a slight displacement or because
of unequal shrinkage. There are a great
many, however, who seem to prefer such a
method of support in place of T tins.

REMOVING SECTIONS FROM THE NEW COM-
BINED CRATE, EN MASSE.

By the engraving you will see that the
combined crate can be emptied of its sec-
tions in the same way as the T super ; the
slats simply resting upon the strips of tin
are movable, and, like the T tins, are to be
removed with the sections en masse. While
the new crate retains many of the advan-
tages of the T super, it has some additional
ones. As explained on page 373, it may be
used with or without a honey- board, though
we would recommend that it be used in con-
nection with a honey-board. In the en-
graving in the opposite column it will be seen
that the bee- space is put above the sections.
Of course, when the honey-board is used,
the bee-space should be above rather than
below. If the honey -board is not used,
the bee-space should be put below the
sections. This is accomplished by putting
a little i-inch strip of wood between the
strips of tin that support the slats, and the
slats themselves. In all the combined
crates we send out, we always send 1-inch
strips of wood, so that the purchaser may
suit his own fancy about his bee-space.

Another important feature that the crate
has, is that open-side sections can be used in
it, which can not be said of the T super.
Besides this, it will hold the sections a little
more nearly square. One-piece sections are
inclined to be a little diamond-shaped, and
with T tins this trouble is not materially im-
proved, unless another set of tins are used
above the sections. Now, we called the
crate " combined " because it can be used
both for a shipping package and as a sur-
plus arrangement while on the hive. Al-
though we do not exactly recommend ship-
ping honey in the same crate in which it
was produced on the hive, yet there are a
great many farmers and ethers who prefer

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

467

lo market their honey in that way. If it is
desired, the slats can be removed, and thin
jj boards be substituted in their place. These
boards should be of the length and width of
the inside dimensions, of the crate. Re-
move the sections en masse and let the bot-
tom-board down in the crate when it will
rgst upon the tin supports. Insert the sec-
tions, and afterward cover the whole with a
similar board. The bee-space on top will
leave ample room for the cover- board.

Although the crate is made much more
valuable to the apiarist, we make no extra
chaise. The price for the combined crate
will be the same as formerly.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOE A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

FIGHTING INSECT ENEMIES.

flllS matter is at present occupying the
attention not only of the experiment
stations, but of intelligent and pro-
gressive people generally. Our valu-
ed magazine, Popular Gardening, de-
votes several pages to the matter ; but I
have felt a little surprised that almost all of
them seem to give but little space to protec-
tion by means of arrangements for fencing
the insects away. Of course, this remedy
can be applied only to small plants like mel-
ons, cucumbers, vines, etc. It is true, some
of them hint that boxes with mosquito-net-
ting tacked over the top will do ; but it
seems to me that mosquito netting is alto-
gether too frail ; besides, the Medina bugs
have learned the trick of crawling through
it. Nothing answers with us like the wire-
cloth protectors which we devised last year,
as mentioned in our seed catalogue. Grant-
ing that Paris green, pyrethrum, slugshot,
or things of this sort will kill the striped
melon-bug, you have got to apply it as soon
as the first plant is up. On our grounds,
the striped bug actually digs into the diit to
meet our choice melons as they begin to
push through the soil ; and very often the
first leaves are eaten off before they are ex-
panded ; and now to kill them with chemi-
cals or poison you have got to apply it as
each leaf comes out ; whereas the wire-cloth
bug protector can be put on before the
plants are up if you choose, and it makes a
dead sure thing of the whole business until
the plants are big enough to raise the cover-
ing so as to stand over them like an umbrel-
la. On our grounds we use altogether three
or four hundred of them. The sight of the
bright green fresh plants, with their first
leaves without scar or blemish, is to me a
real cause of rejoicing. We have frequently
put the wire covering over a part of the hills
and left some of the vines uncovered. The
result is, that the first real warm day we
have, those outside of the inclosure are eat-
en up in a few hours; and where a leaf
stretches up so as to touch the wire cover-
ing, a cluster of bugs station themselves on
the wire cloth and gnaw the leaf as fast as
it grows. I do like to have appliances that
are sure and absolute, even if they cost some
money, I notice that the Rural New-Yorker

speaks of the flee beetle again at wrork on
their potato - vines ; and they say that,
although they have tried every thing so far,
they are without a remedy that amounts to
any thing. This accords much with my ex-
perience, with the exception of the remedy
I have already given— lime and guano sifted
together and raked into the soil before the
seeds are planted. With this protection we
raise cabbages, radishes, and every thing in
that line, with perfect immunity ; but our
radishes in the open fields are this year an
utter failure. If the tops do manage to
struggle past their merciless foes, the roots,
when pulled, are found to be so full of
worm-holes they are of no account what-
ever. This satisfies me that it is the larva
of the striped beetle that produces the club-
root in cabbages and spoils our radishes. A
good dose of lime in the soil remedies the
club-root in cabbages ; but at present it
does not seem to save the radishes, or at
least it does not save them where the lime
was put on last fall. Fresh lime and fresh
guano, when the seed is sown, does the bus-
iness—at least it does in our plant-garden
close to the building. It may be that lime,
to be effective, must be applied freshly
slacked, just as the seeds are sown. These
flea-beetles have damaged our early cab-
bages in the fields very much. Paris green
and London purple do not seem to hurt
them a particle. Buhach troubles them
some, but it is too expensive. We can not
afford to dose all outdoors with a powder
that costs 75 cents a pound. Slugshot does
not seem to trouble them a particle. The
kerosene emulsion hinders them some ; but
the trouble meets us that I have mentioned
before— it has got to be applied as often as
the new leaves come out. 1 have been hop-
ing, with the Rural New-Yorker folks, that
these flea - beetles would soon get out of
fashion— at least for a year or two ; but we
now have more of them than ever before,
and they are on the foliage of our potatoes.
I have been watching them on the potatoes
for several seasons, and have supposed that
they did not do any very great harm ; but,
my friends, it seriously cripples any plant
to have the leaves all gnawed up and per-
forated with little holes. It has sometimes
seemed to me as if the plant got discourag-
ed and wouldn't try, after the beautiful
bright green leaves it had put forth had
been riddled by some greedy enemy. Of
course, we can not afford to put wire-cloth
coverings over potato-plants, even if we
could get some wire cloth fine enough to
shut out the flea-beetle.

I now want to say a word about going to
extremes in the matter of chasing bugs. I
have known a, few people who would spend
valuable time with a magnifying-glass, and
different kinds of doses recommended in the
papers, to save a few plants, when the time
that was given to the subject was worth a
good deal more than the whole crop, even if
it did its very best. The one who raises
garden-stuff for market, and competes with
the prices on many products, needs judg-
ment and wisdom. .Many times he had bet-
ter let his crop all go, or plow it under and
try something else, than to waste time and.

168

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

money in dosing insects. Where cheap la-
bor can be secured (little boys and little
girls, for instance), the matter can be man-
aged, oftentimes so as to leave a safe mar-
gin. I have paid small boys live cents a
hundred for potato-bugs when they first be-
gan to show themselves in the spring. This,
von know, is Terry's plan. Where boys can
be hired for less money than Paris green
costs bv all means pay the money to the
boys. It needs a man of judgment to han-
dle Paris green as a rule ; and my experi-
ence is that a man of judgment costs consid-
erable money for every hour you keep him at
work at the potatoes. Putting something
into the soil to destroy the rudiments of the
insect-foes seems to me the more rational
proceeding ; and the guano and lime for
plant-gardens— yes, and for early radishes
in beds, I think gives us a pointer as to
what may be accomplished in this line.

LOOKING OUT FOR FROSTS.

I want to urge again the importance of a
barometer and thermometer to the gardener
or fruit-raiser. For ten days past we have
had very cool nights, and once or twice a
little frost. The question came up each
night, " Had we better go to the expense of
carrying out boxes, etc., and covering our
plants, or shall we take the chances ? " To
cover our stuff as well as we could, would
take perhaps three or four men two or three
hours. In fact, it would cost a dollar or
two to fix well for a frost. Now, then, I
will tell you how the above instruments
sive money. After watching the matter
closely I have decided there is but little dan-
ger of frost unless the thermometer goes
down to 50 or lower at sundown. Now,
there is no danger at this temperature un-
less the sky should be clear at night. The
barometer here indicates pretty accurately
whether it will cloud up or not. On one oc-
casion everybody wTas sure there would be
a frost. Newspapers and pieces of cloth
were flying from every dooryard ; but I
steadily insisted that there was no danger,
and made no preparation at all, because the
barometer was " away down." When some
of them laughed at me, I told them that,
with the present low barometer, it must
cloud up or else we should have a big wind,
and either one would interfere with a frost.
In the morning it was very cold, but we had
both wind and clouds, and no frost. At an-
other time I decided there would be a little
frost. I told the boys to cover the pepper-
plants, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers.
The result was, that there was just frost
enough to scorch the tops of the tallest
potatoes, occasionally an enterprising bean-
stalk, and the edges of a few of the cucum-
ber leaves. Nothing was greatly harmed.
Of course, we put sashes over all the sweet-
potato beds. Well, the sashes were covered
with frost ; and where the leaves and sweet
potatoes touched the glass they were scorch-
ed—nothing more. The sidewalks and tops
of the bee-hives— in fact, the glass of the
greenhouse, was covered with frost ; but
the squashes, even down in the creek bot-
tom, were uninjured. A great many
thought it very strange that the squashes
and cucumbers low down on the ground

were unharmed, while the sidewalks were
white with frost. I knew pretty well what
it would be, the night before. The sun had
been shining for several days, and the
ground was quite warm, and warmed down
pretty deeply. This latent heat saved the
vines and every thing else on the creek
bottom ; but in the peat swamp, however,
it was a good deal worse. The reason is,
the light porous peat is a good deal like the
boards of the sidewalk. The air circulated
under and through it so that it cooled down;
while in the clay and sandy soil it did not.
So far this season (May 28) we are uuharm-
ed, and the labor of covering and uncover-
ing with us during the month of May has
not cost us fifty cents.

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST It. ROOT.

HOBBIES ; ESTABLISHING OUT-APIARIES.

T* IKE my paternal ancestor, I find my-
||| self occasionally running into hobbies.
J^r It is one thing at one time and anoth-
■*"^ er thing at another. First it was
chickens and pigeons ; then came guns,
electricity, chemistry, microscopy, and pho-
tography. Bees V Yes. They have had their
fair share of patronage ever since I recover-
ed from my first fear of the sting. Well,
what is the latest hobby V It is out-apia-
ries. If I seem to be more enthusiastic than
the subject warrants, you must lay it all to
Dr. C. C. Miller, who is responsible for the
fever. Of course, to keep up constant com-
munication with an out-apiary necessitated
a good traveling horse. No sooner had 1
purchased a good colt than my fever was
horses and out-apiaries. Sometimes my
mind runs on training colts, and sometimes
on building air-castles in basswood orchards
which a far-seeing parent provided seven-
teen years ago. I make this introductory,
so that, if you see any thing wild or erratic,
either in my writings or methods, you may
be able to make a little allowance.

After we had decided upon the construc-
tion of the Dovetailed hive, we found that
we had quite unwittingly blundered on to
something that seemed to be specially adapt-
ed to moving bees to out-apiaries. When I
discovered this, and when I had become
thoroughly animated by Dr. Miller's out-
apiary articles, I could not rest easy till I
had purchased a colt and made other ar-
rangements to carry out, for the present,
the out-apiary scheme. By the way, I know
of no better fun than to go out into the
country buying up bees, with a good spirit-
ed colt. I know of no better way to get
fresh air ; and it certainly is a pleasure to
talk with the bee-keepers, here and there
dotted throughout the county.

I decided that it would not do to take
bees from our own home apiary. Having
had foul brood in days gone by, 1 thought it
would be a wiser way to introduce entirely
new stock, and put them in an entirely new
location. As we fill orders for bees by ex-
press from this apiary we were obliged to do
s >. Accordingly Billy (my colt), the cart.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

169

and I started out on tours around the coun-
ty, to buy up bees. Having selected the
bees and having completed arrangements
as to prices, etc., Mr. Spafford and our
teamster. Mr. Ward, were to go out, gather
them up, and locate them in the basswood
apiary. By another fortunate accident, our
market- wagon, although constructed spe-
cially for cai'rying vegetables, I found was
made just right to take a lot of the new
Dovetailed hives. If the wagon had been
built expressly for moving bees it could
scarcely be improved. The first time, in
one load, our boys brought with it 2y colo-
nies from a distance of 11 miles; with no
very great crowding, it could be made to
take 40. With only two loads we could es-
tablish an out-apiary, and the expense of
hauling would, of course, be reduced corre-
spondingly. Perhaps in the next issue I can
give you a photographic view of our next
load of bees, with the Dovetailed hives, on
their way to the basswoods.

BASSWOOD APIARY.

Seventeen years ago our basswood or-
chard was set out on a piece of ground con-
taining ten acres. I remember very dis-
tinctly helping to mark the rows, riding
horseback while a stout, sturdy German
held the cultivator. For my services I was
rewarded 2-5 cents a day. As the 'k2o cents1'
began to heap up, I remember with what
pleasure I thought I should get money, not
to buy bees with, but to buy a gun. Little
did I then appreciate the scheme of a bass-
wood orchard which now looks so inviting
to an apiarist. The trees have not grown
as rapidly nor as thriftily as some of the
trees that have been set out around the
Home of the Honey-bees later ; but it is a
very pretty sight, I assure you, to look up
the long rows of basswood-trees. I will try
to give you a view later.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

As previously stated, we have nothing but
the Dovetailed hive in use in the basswood
orchard. The more I use them, the more I
like them; and as I see the great piles of
them in the flat moving off by freight, every
day, it makes me feel glad to think how
pleased the customers will be when they re-
ceive them. Our apiarist, Mr. Spafford, is
equally pleased with them, both for moving
bees and for general manipulation.

HONEY (JUEEN.*

In the basswood orchard, many of the col-
onies have had to be fed, to prevent curtail-
ing of brood-rearing and starvation. While
almost all of the other colonies are working
from hand to mouth, one colony in particu-
lar required no feeding, but had secured so
much honey that all the brood-combs in the
brood-nest were bulged with honey that
was evidently gathered recently. Besides
all this, said colony was building little white
burr combs over the tops of the frames. An
examination of the brood-nest showed that
swarming-cells were being built out. The
stock was average in strength, and the bees
were purely marked Italians. The queen
herself is large and yellow. After I had ex-
amined the hive I came to the conclusion
that that queen should not be sold — no, not

for any price, just now. If her bees pan out
as well as they have been doing, we shall of-
fer her queens for sale, and call them " hon-
ey " queens. You will please understand
that we have no daughters of this queen for
sale yet. We first want to determine wheth-
er her bees will do as well proportionately
on clover, and finally on basswood.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly.

^. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

:MEDi:Kr.^, ohio.
TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

1» ♦ •!

For Glutting Rates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

iv£Eioinsr^^, crcnsriE 1, iees>.

Let all things be done decently and in order. — .1 Cor. M : 40.

PATENTS ON BEEHIVES.

We extract the following from Langstroth's book,
newly revised by Dadant:

In closing this chapter on hives, we can not refrain from ad
vising beginners in bee culture to be very cautious about buy-
ing [latent hives. More than 800 patents on bee-hives and
implements have been issued in the United States since .Ian
uary, 1873. Not ten of these have proved to lie of any use t"
bee-keepers. The mention of this fact will suffice to show the
small value of these 790 patents, and the loss incurred by those
who have bought them before they were able to judge of
their merits.

It seems to me that the above is a clincher; but I
do nor. know where the ten are. There may be,
however, 10 out of the 800 that some bee-keepers
think are better than hives that are not patented.

MAKING IMPROVEMENTS.

We are constantly receiving devices, purporting
to be some improvement upon implements already
in use. Scarcely one of them is practicable. The
majority of them are so expensive that no bee-
keeper who looks to his bees for support can possi-
bly afford to use them. In making improvements,
we should ask ourselves, " Will the small profits at
which honey is now sold warrant the cost and
the introduction of the device?" Devices and im-
plements for hives those that are to be used in any
quantity in the apiary, should be inexpensive— as a
general rule, the simpler the better. Expensive
hives and expensive devices will never reach a very
popular demand. If honey could be sold at 75 cents
or a dollar a pound, perhaps we might afford some
of the alleged improvements.

THE BLACK SHINY ROUBER-BEES— SEE PAGE 45b.

Prof. Cook takes it for granted that these bees
are a kind cf wild bee. Now, perhaps he is right in
regard to those described by friend Callings; but I
have noticed that some seasons, when robbing gets
to be a fashion in an apiary or several apiaries, a
good many bees seem to abandon honey-gathering
entirely, and devote their whole time and attention
and abilities to stealing. These bees, by their un-
natural habits, lose their downy fur, and get slim
anil frreasy looking, so that many people have sug-
gested to me that they were not honey-bees at all.
I have proved, however, that they were veritable
honey-bees; for when basswood and clover began

171)

({LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

to yield very profusely, these bees finally abandon-
ed their pilfering and went to the fields and woods
with the rest. Some colonies would be composed
so nearly of these robbers that I have called the
:ittention of visitors to them as I opened the hive
and pointed them out on the combs. They were
usually full blooded blacks, or else had a little Ital-
ian about them, with only one very narrow band
visible, and a good deal of the time even that w;is
lacking. This would readily explain why they
could come in swarms and make themselves very
troublesome. I have occasionally seen wild bees
enter hives, but these were so much smaller than
the common honey-bee that there would be but lit-
tle danger of a mistake in the matter. I think I
never saw more than two or three of these little
bees around the entrance at one time.

THE NAMELESS BEE-DISEASE.

Letters are coming in almost constantly, com-
plaining of an unknown disease which is affecting
the colonies. The symptoms given are always iden-
tical to the symptoms given in the ABC book, un-
der the head of " Nameless Bee-disease." It is
pretty evident that this trouble is getting to be
more and more common. Fortunately, however, it
is not a serious one. The removal of the queen, so
far as we have ever known, always effects a cure.
For the benefit of a good many who do not know
how to recognize the disease, we give the symptoms
here: The bees have a swollen appearance— that is,
the abdomen is distended. The fuzz is entirely
worn off, and the bee itself has a black shiny ap-
pearance, very much unlike a healthy bee. And
just as soon as they become a burden to the colony
the healthy ones boost them out of the entrance,
where they may be seen crawling around in the
grasp, as if equally desirous of ridding the colony of
their miserable presence. You will find quite a
good many bees, doubtless, dead at and around the
entrance— bees that have died from this trouble.
We make this statement so that we may be saved
the trouble of answering correspondents.

BUSINESS AT THE PRESENT DATE.

We have been having perhaps as large or the larg-
est trade we have ever had since our business was
started. We supposed we had ample stores of
every thing that might be called for, especially sec-
tions, laid up ahead. Only a few months ago we
cut down our force of hands and reduced our run-
ning time to only eight hours, to prevent getting
more stuff made than we cared to carry. Well,
every thing held out pretty well until about the
first of May. Then orders poured in at such a rate
that the largest force of packers we ever employed
could not put the goods up fast enough; and when
we did get packers enough to handle the business,
then the foundation-room got behind ; and shortly
after, our great stock of sections had vanished and
we were crowded in earnest for a few days. Of
course, complaints began to come in pretty soon;
but I believe that almost every customer was told
that, by the time his complaint reached us, his
goods had gone. But they did not all go as prompt-
ly as they ought to have gone. As we go to press,
however, we are getting ahead rapidly in every de-
partment; and I hope that, by the time this reaches
you, orders of all kinds, with very few exceptions,
will be going off as promptly as usual. 1 have
thought best to make this explanation, because
some of the triepde have felt a little hard toward

us. Please remember, we have admonished you in
every issue of our price list, that we can not prom-
ise goods by the first train when orders are delayed
until April or May. As a general thing, of late
years, by the first of June the very large orders be-
gin to slack up, and we usually have to drop a part
of our hands before July is upon us.

A CORRECTION.

On page 60, in answer to question 102, as to what
is the average consumption of stores per colony,
from October to May, our friend H. R. Boardmau is
made to say, " From 25 to 30, for indoor wintering."
At the time, we thought these figures were pretty
large. Since Dr. Mason's article on page 390 was
printed, friend Boardman writes us that he meant
to have said that this average of 25 to 30 pounds
was for outdoor wintering, and he very modestly in-
timated that he might have made the error himself.
By referring to the copy, we find that he wrote
very plainly, outdoor wintering; and that the error
was our own. With the exception of Dadant $ Sun,
Boardman's average was the largest. We should
be glad to have him tell us what is the average eon-
sumption of stores per colony for indoor wintering,
from October to May. Now, President Mason, will
you please "stand up " again and explain what you
mean on page 399, where you say you believed " Mr.
Boardman knew just what he was saying when he
said from 25 to 30 pounds," and that you were
" wondering if the others were not guessing"? Jt
now transpires that friend Boardman's statement
was incorrectly transcribed by the printers.

ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

We fear that some of our correspondents are ask-
ing questions pimply for the sake of asking, and
perhaps getting their names in print. Others,
again, never stop to look the matter up for them-
selves. While we are glad to answer questions, we
do not like to be obliged to go over the same
j? round that has already been fully gone over in the
text-books. If the querists would first look in the
ABC book, or whatever they may have, and if then
failing to find the answer they will write us, we
shall take pleasure in trying to help them out. Half
of the questions we receive are already very com-
pletely answered in the ABC book. If you do not
find it under the head where you expect it, look
carefully in the index. The index to the ABC has
been made very complete, with the special idea in
view of helping beginners to find the answers to
such questions as are liable to come up. For in-
stance, the ABC scholar discovers that there are
several eggs in the cell; that drones are hatching
from worker-brood. This condition of affairs he
has never seen before. If he will turn to "Eggs,"
in the index, he will come to a line that reads,
•' Eggs, plurality of, in the cells, 119." On this page
he will find very complete particulars and instruc-
tions of what to do. Another beginner finds iwo
fertile queens in a hive at one time. He wants to
know whether that is an abnormal condition, and.
if so, whether anybody else has discovered it. By
the index, if he turns to " Queens," he will find un-
der this head, "Two in one hive, pages 215,220."
Still another ABC scholar finds a peculiar kind of
worm which is making galleries through his work-
er-brood. Thinking that this can not be right, he
writes to us for information. He should first look
at " Enemies of Bees." Under this head he will
find "Bee-moth." ruder " Bee-moth" be will find

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUHE.

471

full particulars how to recognize, how to treat, etc.
Before looking over the index, think of some catch-
word that will suggest the point concerning which
you seek information. If you do not find it under
the first catch-word, think up another till you hit it.

A. L. SWINSON ON THE SICK-LIST.

The following has come to hand, and will explain
itself:

Frieno Root:— If this reaches you in time, say to readers of
Gleanings that I am confined to my bed with pneumonia, and
can't fill any orders till I am better. I am able to sit up in
bed only a few minutes at a time. A. L. Swinson.

Goldsboro, N. C, May 26. 1889.

DOVETAILED SIMPLICITY AND SIMPLICITY DOVE-
TAILED HIVES (?)

Several of our customers insist on mixing the
two hives, as indicated in the heading. Please re-
member that the Simplicity hive is one thing and
the Dovetailed quite another, and the two can not
be combined; that is, the feature of dovetailed cor-
ners cam >int be applied to the Simplicity, because
the latter has beveled edges. You can easily see
how this is if you put on your thinking-cap and
study it out. If our customers will please bear this
in mind, and not ask us to do impossibilities, it will
be appreciated.

REGULATING AND RESTRAINING OUR GREAT
RIVERS.

Well, I have not got a great river to regulate and
restrain. The best I can do at it is to take Champion
Brook, which runs through our 18 acres; but as
Champion Brook sometimes floods its banks, and
makes a small river, I have got quite a little prob-
lem on hand after all. While in California I fell in
love with the irrigating-ditches winding along the
steep sides of the mountains. I also fell in love with
the idea of protecting tender vegetation by these
same hills and declivities. Well, Champion Brook
runs through our grounds from west to east; and
on the north side there is a steep bank where the
fertility from our market-gardens washes down dur-
ing a great rain. This bank grows such huge
weeds that it is a task to chop them down several
times a year. Now, I will tell you what we have
" gone and did." On the north side of the brook, by
means of galvanized gas-pipe with wire stays at
the top, we have fenced up the bank so as to make
a level plant-bed four feet wide. This plant-bed is
.just three feet above the water in the creek. On
the north edge, close to the bank, is a shallow ditch,
permitting us to run a stream of water clear from
the carp-pond to the othersideof ourboundary-line;
and whenever the foliage in this plant-bed needs wa-
ter, there is Champion Brook within three or four
feet to supply it. The whole of this bed is protect-
ed from north winds, and has every bit of sunshine
that can be had, every day in the year. On this
bed I propose to raise nice strawberry-plants all
through July and August, no matter whether it
rains or not. And next year at this time we ex-
pect to have the earliest strawberries on this plant-
bed. Our good friend W. J. Green, of the Ohio Ex-
periment Station, has just sent me a dozen of the
earliest strawberries they have found in all of their
great number of trials on the experiment grounds.
Now, then, if the fertility from our heavily mar
nured grounds undertakes to run off into Champion
Brook again, it will just get into my strawberry-
plant bed, and I mean to manage so it oan not get
any further.

Finally; My scheme fop restraining our great

rivers is by means of galvanized iron pipe and net-
ting—the latter like poultry netting, only heavier.
Wooden piles may take the place of the galvanized
iron stakes where they are under water; but where
they are exposed to both water and air, galvanized
iron, or rather, perhaps, galvanized steel, seems to
me the material to do it with.

We have at this date 8754 subscribers.

{SPECIE fjOTICE$.

SECTIONS OPEN ALL AROUND.

We have some 40,000 of these regular width left
of our stock made up in the winter. If any of our
customers use or can use this kind we can send
them by return train if you will specify in your
order that you want open all around, or that you
can use them. Remember, this applies onlj to sec-
tions 414x4^xl],";, the regular 1 lb. size.

Later.— We are up, so we can send any regular
size by return train.

STRAWBERRY-PLANTS, AND SETTING THEM OUT
ANY DAY DURING THE SUMMER TIME.

Perhaps you have noticed in our seed and plant
catalogue that we advertise strawberries from
March 1 till Dec. 1 inclusive. In order to make this
possible, we first want good plants; second, we
want good soil, and facilities for irrigation, or plen-
ty of rain. Mulching may be made to take the
place of irrigation largely; that is, if the ground is
well soaked when the plants are put out, and then
covered with mulch to prevent evaporation. We
have been having a very brisk trade in strawberry-
plants all through the spring, and are sending them
considerably yet. even to the present time. May JiO.
It is true, it is a little difficult now to get any that
have neither fruit nor runners unless they have
been clipped off in anticipation of using them to
send off. But we now have plants with great strong
healthy runners extending a foot or more, and
ready to take root at our first good soaking rain,
which came last night. Shortly after this reaches
you, we shall probably have well -rooted young
plants. I do not remember that I have ever before
had runners taking root by the first of June.

ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF BEESWAX AND COMB
FOUNDATION.

On another page of this issue you will find a no-
tice of an advance in price of 5 cts. per pound on
foundation, both wholesale and retail, by Dadant &
Son. We are also compelled to make a similar ad-
vance. The reason is, a scarcity of wax and a
consequent advance in price. This advance takes
place June 1, and will hold until further no-
tice. We will pay a corresponding advance in the
price of beeswax; namely, 25 cents cash, 28 cents in
trade for fair average wax delivered here; 1 to 3 cts.
extra for select quality, especially that rendered in
the solar wax-extractor. Price of wax to those who
wish to buy will be 30 cents for average, 35 cents for
selected. The revised prices on foundation will be
as f ol lows :

Packed in neat boxes, with tis-
sue paper between every
two sheets.

Heavy
brood,
4 to 6
ft to lb

10 lbs. per lb 45

26 " " a

50 '• " 43

100 " " 42

200 " " I 41

Light
brood,
about7
ft to lb

18

Thin,

Extra

surplus

t'n flat

about

bott'm

10 ft lb.

about

12 ft lb.

55

60

54

59

53

55

52

51

51

53

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

I reoeived the queen sent, in good order. She is
now laying, and is in tine condition.

Dr. C. T- Van Osdol.
Allensville, Tnd., May 14, 1889,

It is just four days since I received the bees from
you, and transferred them into a hive. They are
building comb nicely, on foundation. I saw the
queen. She seems lively. Royal Hadley-

Manistee City, Mich-, May 13, 1889.

472

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

How 1 enjoy reading your travels, and also Ram-
bler's, and Ernest's short travels!

(apt. Dennis Kirkley.
Toolshorough, la., May 11, 1889.

The Dovetailed hives are "just splendid;" sec-
tion-holders just what I want. Thanks for prompt-
ne6S H. H.T. Kohlenberg.

New Braunfels, Tex., April 29, 1889.

The bees shipped me by you are splendid colo-
nies, nnd went at once to work. The delay was of
n<« consequence. Annie Lewis.

Glen Moore, Pa., M .y 17, 1889.

The goods have arrived, and give entire satisfac-
tion. Bees are beginning to store honey. Our
prospects are favorable for a good season.

Phoenix, A. T., May 14, 1889. I. H. Cox.

My goods came about a week ago. T am well
pleased with them. They are the nicest little hives
I ever saw. A. T. McKibben.

Flagspring, Ky., May 2:5, 1889.

Stop Gleanings? Never, so long as I can find
$1.00 to spare. I would rather go without the coun-
ty paper or a new dress than be without Glean-
ings. It is always a welcome visitor.

Norwich, N. Y. Mrs. W. O. Williamson.

THE ONE-STORY CHAFF HIVE.

Two years ago I got of you 5 one-story chaff hives,
crates, etc. I like them very much. 1 have 11
swarms, besides some others on shares. They have
wintered the best I ever had them, and I have had
bees for 25 years. Eugene C. Goodrich.

Lebanon Springs, N. Y., May 15, 1889.

Brother Root:— I believe if you would look over
the back numbers of Gleanings and print the ap-
propriate articles on tobacco, with your foot-notes,
in a little book, and send it broadcast over the
world by offering it for sale, it would find quite a
sale among reformers, and do great good. It might
be well not to give each person's name in full.

Roseville, Til. Mrs. L. C. Axtell.

The goods I ordered of you were received on the
9th, in perfect order. The express charge was $1.85.
Every thing is just as represented. 1 notice the
goods were shipped the same day you received the
order. Accept my thanks for your promptness and
square and fair dealing. By the way, the Favorite
family scale is a beauty and a household conven-
ience. I would not take five dollars for them, and
be without another pair like them. May your busi-
ness continue to grow is my wish. J. H. James.

Greers, S. C, May 14, 1889.

DEBT and credit.

I have been much interested in reading your ar-
ticle, "Debt and Credit," page 341. May the dear
Lord bless vou for your kind dealings! I have
been " through the mill," and I can say a man must
be unthankful indeed who would censure you for
trusting him. or for asking him to pay the same in-
terest which you must pay at your bank, in order
to give him an extension of time. Go on. Bro. Root,
in this same Christlike way of dealing, and do not
be discouraged if some hearts are darkened and un-
thankful. You are filling many hearts with thank-
fulness, and your deposit in the bank of heaven is
increasing. " F. Kingsley.

Hebron, Neb.. May 15, 1889.

|gnotuh Tomato Plaht$

A groat lot of them, transplanted and well rooted,
ready to go off by first mail. Prices, 3 for 10 cents:
10 for 25 oents, prepaid by mail. By express, *2 00
per 100. A. I. ROOT, Medina. O.

FOR SALE AT A BARGAIN. A fine house, 83 i
acres of land, orchard, well, cistern, and all out-
houses that are needed, with 140 colonies of Italian
bees and fixtures and supplies. Call on or address
hO\JlS WERNER, Edwardsville, ill,

Zi * ELLISON'S * *g

3*AMt* WAliIAHS^g

g^ JUNE AND AFTER. tf>

1 untested queen 75

Z2 3 " " $2 on "O

£2 1 tested " 1W C

Z 3 " " 425 m

Lkl 2 and 3 frame nuclei. Safe arrival guaran- p^
IjJ teed. Wholesale rates on application. 2

Z9 W. J. ELLISOW {/J

O* ll-14db Stateburg, Sumter Co., S. (J. ...
r^-ln responding ti ■ this advert bcincnt mention Gi.kanikks.

Look Here! Supplies Cheap.

Albino queens and bees, Chiiff hives, improved L.
hives. Simplicity hives. Section Boxes, Extractors,
Smokers, Kevers'ble Frames, Root's perforated
zinc. Write for price list. A. A. BYARD,

ll-12d West Chesterfield, N. H.

BUTTON'S PLIERS and WIRE SHEARS^

DECLINE

We are pleased to quote the following reduced
prices on Button's pliers, which you will find much
lower than former prices:

Post. Length. Each. 10.

4 | 4W,-inch Button's pliers 1 M> I 4.50

6 1 6-inch " " 60 1 5 40

1IKI
I 41.00

r,o iki
| 62 00

17 I 10-inch " " | 1.20 1 10 80

1IKI CO

The 4'4-in. will cut No. 14 wire and smaller.

" 6 12

" 8 " " " '• 10 "

" 10 " ' 7 '

A. 1. ROOT, Medina, Oh

10.

PASTEBOARD BOXES,

Or Cartons, for One-Pound Sections.

Bee-keepers are realizing
more and more the value of
these cartons for putting
their comb honey in marketa-
ble shape. Other articles of
home consumption are put
ii]) in a neat attractive way,
and in shape to De handed to
the customer, and carried
safely without wrapping.
Why not sections of comb
honey, especially when the
cost of the boxes is so low?

TABLE OF PHICES OF 1-LB. SECTION CARTONS.

Price of 1

25

side, name
sides,

Name or designation.

1-lb. carton, plain

1-lb. carton, planted one

and address

1-lb. carton, printed on both

name and address

Mb. carton, with lithograph label, one

side ;••;••,•■; — 3

1-lb. carton, with lithograph label on

both sides ■-■ 3

1-lb. carton, with lithograph label

one side, name printed

Mb. carton, with lithograph label.

printed » ith name on both sides.
Lithograph labels, ■', designs, lor 1-lb.

partons

If sent by mail, postage will be
lots of 25 or more, 1 cent each. All the above have
tape bandies. Price, without tape handles, 5c per
100, or 50c per 1000 less. The quality of the boxes is
fair, being made of strawboard, plated outside. If
more than 1000 are wanted, write for prices.

.90 3.50 6.00

1 on 3 75 6.50

1.00 4 50 8.50

1 30 6.25 12.00

l.:f0 5.25 9.50

1.70 7.25 18.50

.36 1.60 3.00
cts. each; or in

A. I- ROOT, MEDINA, O.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEECCULTtJftE.

47:;

WE QUOTE

AN ADVANCE OF FIVE GENTS ON

FOUNDATION,

Wholesale and Retail, over March Prioes.

DADANT 2c SON, HAMILTON, ILLINOIS.

iWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

KEYSTONE APIARY.

Imported and Alley Queen-Mothers

Tested, June $3.00; July to October $3 50

Fertile, " 1.50; ' 1.00

Virgin, " to October 50c

Alley drone and queen traps at regular prices.
Send tor circular. W. J. ROW,

Mention Gleanings. 10-15db Greensbiirg, Pa.

Price of Sections Reduced.

I will sell No. 1 white basswood V-groove sections
at $3.00 per M. No. 3, $3.00 per M. Price list free.

j. ot. kiv/.ii;,
10-Udb Rochester, Oakland Co., Mich.

(STln responding: to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Select tested Italian queens, $1.00. Standard
breeding- queens, $3.00. Imported, fine and pro-
lific, $6.00. R.H.CAMPBELL,
lotfdb Madison, Morgan Co., Ca.

ILg"Ii\ responding to this advertisement mention Olkasings.

Friiit-FrespVegfitalilB-Strair.

Reduced to Only 25 Cts.; $2.75 per Dozen.

We have been using and selling' this little imple-
ment since February. We are so well pleased with
it, and the words of customers have been so full of
praise, that we feel confident in saying that no
housekeeper would be without one a single week if
they knew its value. You can not imagine what a
tempting dish you can make of potatoes till they
have passed through this press. They are simply
delicious. Some of our folks would scarcely ever
eat a potato till we began using the press, and now
they like them. The fruit season is just coming;
and if the press proves as valuable in this capacity
as for mashing potatoes, it should be as indispensa-
ble to the home as a rolling-pin or any of the com-
mon utensils found- in every home. Believing that
so good au article should be within the reach of all,
we have bought 5 gross in order to get them at a
price to enable us to sell them for a quarter by
handling for a 6mall profit. The usual price is 40 or
50 cts. Our price now is only 35 cts. each; 5 for
$1.15, or $3.75 per dozen; $7.00 per box of 3 dozen.
By mail, 30 cts. each extra.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

If you are ever annoyed hv the scraping and breaking of combs;
kiiliii},' bees when setting a frame to one side, or hanging it in
the hive; sagging at the bottom and getting waxed fast; shak-
ing about when moving a hive; in short, if you dislike to pry
and wrench your frames, break combs, and kill bees while
handling them, you will be pleased with this hive.
VERY CONVENIENT. AGENTS WANTED.
|C For"lst Principles in Bee Culture " It tells how to Divide.
Transfer. Introduce'Queens, Feed, Unite, Stop Robbing, Ac.
Money returned upon return of book, if you are not satisfied^
Mention Gleanings. " 7-12db

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best beehives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4&X4& sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

<%W Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 3 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertowh, Wis.

I3r"ln resp<

itisement mention Gleanings.

HONEY^ees. Queens, SUPPLIES.

OLIVER FOSTER, MT. VERNON, IOWA.

3tfdb

IS^ln responding to tins

Cleanings.

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL.

Tested Ita'n Queens, $1.25 ; Untested, $1.00.

lOtfdb I. GOOD, SPAKTA, WHITE CO., TENNESSEE.

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME.

Shipping facilities good. Send for price list of
every thing needed in the apiary. Ttfdb

C. P. BISH, St. Joe Station, Butler Co., Pa.

CS"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

japaneseTbuckwheat !

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu., $2.00; per A -bu., $1.2-5; per peek,
75 cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

5-14db Bloomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

nrin responding to this advertisement mention Glkaxings,

474

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling-? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

IF. E. Clark's Improved Hinge-Nozzle Quinby

Smoker. The Jiest Smoker Made.
Orickaii) . - Oneida Co., - New York

3-14db £S~Mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION

CHEAPER ■I'H-a.ra- EVUR.

Sections Only $3. Dealers write for special
prices. Free samples and price list. l-12db

(Near Detroit.) M. H. HUNT, BELL BRANCH, MICH.

It^*ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Tf Ynil AVatlt Ful1 value tor your money
11 -i Vlt TT diiL yOU should see my catalogue
before purchasing. Japanese buckwheat, $1.75 per
bushel; 20 varieties of potatoes. Bees, queens, and
supplies at low rates. Chas. D. Duvall,

Vtfdb Spencerville, Mont. Co., Md.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

tSTln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

J. W. K. SHAW & CO.,
Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

We can send choice untested Italian queens by
return mail at 70 cts. each, or $8.00 a dozen. Money
orders. New Iberia, La. lid

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

100 TONS OF COMB H0NEY~

Will undoubtedly be put on the market this season

in our

FOLDING PAPER BOXES

Send for catalogue, 20 pages, free. Sample box, 5c.
Our prices defy competition.

9-20db A. 0. CRAWFORD, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.

jE^In responding to this p'lvi'rtsMement mention Glkanings.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

*QI 'ARE (iLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,

HONEY-SECTIONS, &»., Ac.

PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. 8. —Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers. " {Mention Gleanings.) Itfdb I

Italian Rees and Queens for vale

Wishing to reduce my stock of bees, I offer 50
colonies of fine Italian bees at the following ex-
tremely low rates: Full strong colonies on L.
frames, put up in light shipping-boxes, f. o. b. at
my station, $5.00 per colony. Tested queens, $1.25
each. Satisfaction guaranteed.

A. C. BRUSH,
8 lidb Susquehanna, Sus. Co., Pa.

I ... responding to this advertisement mention Gleaning*.

WE ARE NOW READY TO SUPPLY
ITALIAN QUEENS to any person who wants
as good as the best in the U. S. Reared from
the egg, in full colonies. Tested, $2.00; untested,
$1.00; 6 for $5.00. Mismated, 50 cts. Remit by Reg-
intend Letter or Money Order an New Market, Ala.
10-13db R. H. TONEY & CO.,

Padgett, Jackson Co., Alabama,
ES"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE!

I will sell fine colonies of pure Italian bees, with
their queens, in 10-f rame Simplicity hives, 10 frames
all worker comb and hive new, well painted, and
guaranteed to arrive at your express office in good
shape. Prices: 1 hive, $7.00; 2 at one rime, $13.00;
4, same, $24.00. Remember the risk of shipping lies
with me. Address JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. office, Ursa, 111. Lima, Adams Co., 111.
Mention Gleanings. 6-lldb

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
414x414 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. Itfdb

t3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks-
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

ES*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

[■HE BEVISED LANGSTEOTE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

HOLY- LAND QUEENS

• A. SPECIAIiTY.

bees by the pound, in a l. frame.
Bee-keepers' supplies.

(JEO. D. EAUDENBUSH, 445 CHESTNUT ST., BEADING, PA.
Mention Gleanings. 9-10-lld

LITHOGRAPH LABELS

In. 12 Colors, at $2.00 per lOOO.
The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long in shape, measuring 21ax2*8. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35cts. for 100; $1.20
for 500; $2.00 for 1000. A. 1. Root, Medina, O.

1S89

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

4S1

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

PATENTED Ju^nj

For putting' together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to your supply dealer or to 5-16db

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

|C0"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleaning*
S'OH. SALilJ.

Sections in bushel boxes, No. 1, $3.00 per M. Jap-
anese buckwheat; a complete S. orL. hive for comb
honey, 75c; shipping-crates, and all kinds of sup-
plies cheap. Price list free.
Otfdb W. D. SUPER, Jackson. Mich.

■ X A I llll BEES AND QUEENS. Tested

I ni_IA|l queens, $1.50. Untested, $1.00.

■ ■ «■■«■■ Uees, per lb., $1.00. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,
9-lOtfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.

C^In responding to this advertisement mention < , 1

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS

FROM THE APIARIES OF

J. P. CALDWELL,

Of San Marcos, Tex. Reared under the most favor-
able circumstances. Will be sent by mail postpaid
at the following prices:— June

Mar. Apr. May. to Oct.

Select tested $4 00 f 3 75 $3 25 $2 75

Tested 3 00 2 75 1 75 1 50

Untested 125 100 100

6 Untested 5 50 5 00 4 50

12 Untested 9 50 9 00 8 50

Contracts taken with dealers to furnish queens by
the week at special rates. Address
5-21db J. P. CALDWELL, San Marcos, Tex.

C^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

FOUND AT LAST!

How to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a year. Send
for particulars. DR. A. B. MASON,

9-14db Auburndale, Ohio.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SAVE FREJUHT.

We carry a complete line of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY Sl CO.,
3-l4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

K^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

A Four-Color Label for Only 75
Cts Per Thousand !

Just think of it! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either "comb" or " extract-
ed " before the word " honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand; 50 ets. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is 2lA x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and
many other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

Italian Queens by Return Masl.

Tested, $1.00; untested, 50c each, or more at same
rate. lOtfdb I. GOOD, CPARTA, WHITE CO., TENN.

|N OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

!•'.. lion's Improved

SECTION CASS.

Bekk and Queens Send for
free cat alotrue. Address

Fit A INK A. EATON,
5-lfirth Bliift'lon, Ohio.

spondingto tills advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

' ' apm jtumu'SMUi iHI'

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be Inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ail's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many linos as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-flde exchanges K.x
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 ets. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 350 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange old copies of Gleanings
in Bee Culture for bee-keepers' names and
addresses, plainly written. I will send 3 copies (as
long as they last) for each half-dozen names sent to
me from anywhere in Nebraska or Dakota. 1 will
not agree to send any certain number from 1879 to
1S88. J. M. Young, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

WANTED.— To exchange one 46 inch Standard
Columbia bicycle, as good as new, with the ex-
ception of finish being worn a little. Oost, when
new, $.S0.U0. I want a Barnes improved combined-
machine, consisting of circular and scroll saw, and
boring attachment; also want bee-supplies. For
particulars, address J. A. Pulliam, Leasburg, N.C.

WANTED.— To exchange one 10-inch Pelham fdn.
mill, good as new, for Toulouse geese. Scotch
Collie pup, or double-barreled breech-loading shot-
gun. A. D. D. Wood, Rives Junction, Mich.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

Black and hybrid queens for sale, 30 and 50 cts.
respectively. J. A. Kime, Fairfield, Pa.

Fou Sale.— 10 hybrids and 2 black queens.

A. W. Spkacklen, Cowden, Shelby Co., 111.

Those having hybrid or black queens for sale,
please notify O. R. COE, Windham, Greene Co.,
N. Y., stating number of each, and lowest price,
cash in advance, for the entire lot.

Hybrid queens at any time, from pure mothers,
at 40 cts. each. Order when needed.

W . M. Vkkehy. Hartwell, Hart Co., Ga.

Fou Sale.— A few black mismated Italian queens
one and two years old, at 10 cts. each. Tested, three
or four years old, 25 cts.

L. J. Tripp, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Two black queens, good layers, in Peet cages, 20c.
A few misinated Italians at 35c.

S. F. & I. Trego, Swedona, 111.

I will send 5 hybrid queens, all last year's rearing,
for $1.00. E. C. Eaglesfield,

Berlin, Green Lake Co., Wis.

482

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

JitfNM (3@MMN.

CITY MARKETS.

St. Louis.— Honey. — There is about the same
amount of honey as usual on the market at this
season of the year, mostly of low grade. Choice
white-clover honey, 1-lb. sections, 14@15; fair buck-
wheat, 12@13. Extracted, white clover, in cans, 7@
8c; bbls., 6@7; Southern, 5@5K for good; dark, 4!^
1 5 5. Beeswax, prime, 33c. W. B. Westcott& Co.,

June 10. 330 N. Main St., St. Louis, Mo.

Chicago.— Honey. — The old crop is about ex-
hausted, and not any new has been offered, espe-
cially is *he foregoing applicable to the state of the
comb-honey market. Extracted, very little de-
mand; prices 7@8c. Beeswax, 35c, and scarce.
R. A. Burnett,

June 10. 161 S. Water St., Chicago, 111.

New York.— Honey.— Our supply consists of 'ex-
tracted California only, quotable at 7(a'7/4c. New
Southern is sold as fast as it comes in. Orange
blossom, at 7}£@73£.c per lb. Lower grades at 65(gi
Tile per gallou. Beeswax, 37' '2c.

F. G. Strofimeyer & Co.,

June 10. 133 Water St., N. Y.

Milwaukee.— Honey.— This market is good for
the season. Prices are firm on good qualities,
either extracted or comb. The old crop is being
closed eut. We quote 1-lb. sections, white, 15@16c;
3-lb., nominal; lib., dark, 13@13. Extracted, white,
in tin pails, 9(5)10; in kegs and half-hbls., 8@9; me-
dium, in kegs and half-bbls., 7i4®8. Dark wanted,
5c. Beeswax, firm, 35(«i38. A. V. Bishop,

June ti. Milwaukee, Wis.

New York.— Honey.— Extracted honey is in good
demand. We quote fine orange bloom at from 7@
tlA. Lower grades and off quality, at from 65@70c
per gallon. Beeswax, very scarce. A good article
will sell on arrival at from 2ti i4^y>27 ' 2 -

Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

June 6. 38 & 30 West Broadway, N. Y.

Boston.— Honey.— We have less than 30 cases of
honey on hand of all kinds. Sales very slow. 1-lb.
sections sell from 16® 18c; 31b., 15® 16. Extract-
ed, 8@9. Beeswax, none on hand.

Blake & Ripley,

June 10. Boston, Mass.

St. Louis.— Honey. — Demand fairly active, but
prices tending lower on account of increased re-
ceipts. Choice bright, 6}4; dark, 5@5J4'. Beeswax,
prime, 33. D. G. Tutt Grocer Co.,

June 10. St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— Very little honey in the mar-
ket, and very dull sale at 13@14c for comb. Beeswax,
firm at 34@35. M. H. Hunt,

June 10. Bell Branch, Mich.

Albany.— Honm/.— Market slow, with no stock
and no demand, tfeing between seasons.

June 10.

H. R. Wright,

Albany, N. Y.

Kansas City.— Honey.— We quote white lib. sec-
tions, 15@16c; dark, 10®13; extracted, white, in
cans, 7^)8; bbls., 6®7; dark, 5@6; white, 3-lb. sec-
tions, 11®13; dark, 9@10.

Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

June 10. Kansas City, Mo.

Wanted.— Several hundred pounds of nice ex-
tracted hpney, white clover and Spanish needle in
their se;rt?on. Who will furnish it? Send sample
and price, delivered at Mt. Vernon, Jeff. Co., 111.,
freight paid. W. W. Addison,

Bumpus, Jeff. Co., 111.

Carniolan Queens.

Importing and luce ding this race exclusively since 1884; the
demand for them has more than doubled eaoh season. Send
postal forcircular, or $1 for ohoice untested queen; 85 per hali-
doz 1 15 for Benton's In-st grade Imported queen. lltfdb

S. W. MORRISON, Oxford, Chester Co,, Pa.

(3P"Ia responding to tins mivei t|.--eim-ni mention HMWIWOSi

TESTED-

ITALIAN QUEEN

JE*oi? 8O Cents.

We will send tested queens by return mail for 80
cents. Untested at 65 cents, or $7.00 a dozen.

Money orders, New Iberia, La.

J. W. K. SHAW & CO.,
13d Loreauville, Iberia Parish, La.

Jinn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

ALBINO AND ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.00 each; untested, 60 cents; warranted,
75 cts. One pound bees and untested queen for
$1.35. Send lor circular.

JOS. MOSER, Festina, Iowa.

B

ees

%$, r\oultry
ees /W h^oiiltry
©ess «i* oTJLltry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
34 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
TEE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, OWTABIO, CAN.
:?"Iii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

I AM AWAITING YOUR ORDER

FOR 3-FRAME NUCLEI.

Price, with untested queen, $3.00. Best tested
queen, $4.00; 3-frame nuclei, 50 cts. less. Combs
straight and true; all worker comb, and bees finest
of Italians. One untested queen, $1.00; 6 for $5.00.
Best tested, $3.50 each.

JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. Office, Ursa, 111. Lima, 111.

Mention Gleanings. 12-17db

WOT TOO LATE

YET TO ORDER SUPPLIES

From me, as I ship very promptly. The class of
goods I handle is very fine.

*-TRT ; X£E i OITCE— ■
Catalogue free. JOHN ASPIXWALL,

1313d Barrytown, Dutchess Co., K. Y.

V :-V"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DO YOU WANT

One of the finest GOLDEN ITALIAN QUEENS
you ever saw? Then send to us and get one reared
by our new, natural, and practical method.

Warranted queens, each. $1.00; Select warrant-
ed, each, $1.35; Tested, $1.50.

We have had thirty years' experience in rear-
ing queens. 35,000 of our old customers will tell you
that the purity, beauty, and quality of our queens
can not be excelled.

13tfdb HENRY ALLEY, Wenliaiu, IUass.
C^*In responding to this advertisement mention i.in

LOOK HERE! t &*

Full colonies of pure Italian bees in A. I. Root's
Simplicity hive, only $4.00 each. Now ready to
ship. Frames, wired combs drawn from fdn., every
thing first-class. Write for prices of Poland China
swine, White and Brown Leghorn chickens, and
Mallard ducks. Eggs for hatching. Also white
and black ferrets. Address N.A.KNAPP,
llftdb EOCHESTEE, LOEAIN CO., OHIO.

t^"In responding to this advertisement m

(I LEANINGS.

STRICTLY FIRST-CLASS SECTIONS, 5^x6i/4x
V/a, at $3.00 per 1000. Other supplies at bottom
prioeg. E. BAER, Dixon, Lee Co., Ill,

Vol. XVII.

JUNE 15, 1889.

No. 12.

TERMS: 81.00 Per Annum, in Advance;") TPv+nT^ln ah n rl n in 7 J? 'Y % f Clubs to different postoffiees, not less
2 Copies l.iiSl.Wl; :Uor$2.75; sforBtOO; HdbvCbOiib rVVCb lit ± O I O . \ than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in the
10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single mini- I ,,,,„. W„FI> „„,„ MOvtiii v hy j U. S. and Canadas. To all other eoun-

ber.Set.s. Additions to clubs may be f i ublishkd semi-monthi.i m tH(?s o£ thl, universal Postal Union. IS

... flub rates. Above are all to

be sent to ONE POSTOKFICE.

A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. l^af5^pP^e£,pSV5?SS2

OUT-APIARIES. -NO. IX.

WHAT KIND OF A HIVE IS BEST FOR HAUMNG?

TEa FEW words about hives. Don't be frightened.
9fjK, I haven't invented a new hive. I only want
^JK to say a little about some features of hives
"*^*" that make them objectionable when it comes
to hauling' to out-apiaries. The nearer a
hive can come to being- a square box, with no pro-
jections of any kind, the more compactly a load of
them can be put on a wagon. I like outside cleats,
for easy handling. 1 have always been used to
them, am prejudiced in their favor in spite of the
fact that they add weight and expense to a hive,
and I can hardly imagine how it can be so easy to
pick up a hive of bees with no cleats, only hand-
holes. In spite of all that, if I were starting anew
I think I should have hives without cleats on the
sides and ends. When it comes to loading them on
a wagon, these cleats add nearly two inches to the
width of a hive, which makes quite a difference in the
number of hives that can be got into a given space.
For getting as many hives as possible into a given
space, nothing is better than a hive that has no
cleat, no projection of any kind. Suppose a frame
17'a inches long is used, then a hive about 20 inches
long is needed; and if ten frames are used, about
16 inches in width. Now, with hives 20x1(5, solidly
fastened together, no projections anywhere, they
can be packed close together instead of being
blocked apart as mine now are; and instead of 11 I
could have at least 15 on the same wagon.

Of course, if you winter your bees on their sum-
mer stands, you will have comparatively little haul-
ing to do. If you happen to be in that border land
where it is a question whether it is best to use
chaff hives, and winter on summer stands, or to
use single-walled hives and cellar them, then out-

apiaries will turn the scales in favor of the chaff
hives, for it will save so much hauling. In that
case it might be desirable to have a few single-
walled hives, as a matter of convenience, to haul
occasional colonies or frames of brood from one
apiary to another, transferring them when hauled
into chaff hives.

PREPARING HIVES FOR HAULING.

If I knew just what kind of hives you have T
could perhaps tell you exactly how to prepare them
for hauling. As it is, 1 can give only some general
directions. If your hives have fixed frames, at
least so far fixed that they can not get out of place,
then nothing is to be done with them. Indeed, if
you have the ordinary hanging frame, all wood,
resting on wood rabbets, then no fastening is need-
ed if the frames are just as the bees left them the
previous fall. If you expect to haul such hives
without fastening the frames, you must not over-
haul them in the spring before hauling, for then
you will break loose the bee-glue and bridge-combs
by which the bees have fastened them. If you
have metal-cornered frames, or if for any reason
your frames are loose, then they must be fastened.
Perhaps you have spacing-boards, or some special
means of fastening them. If you have nothing of
the kind, then you might try a plan I have used.
Generally I haul without doing any thing to the
frames, trusting to bee-glue and bridge-combs.
Sometimes, however, I fill a hive with combs from
a number of other hives, in which case the frames
must be fastened in their places. I simply thrust
down a stick between the ends of each two frames,
and between the outside frames and the side of the
hive. These sticks— 22 for a 10-frame hive— are
from 3i of an inch to an inch wide, somewhere in
the neighborhood of half an inch thick— just thick
enough so they will tit in pretty tight—and long

ISJ

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

JuNi

MWUgh so;: : be bottom of the hire

and project at the top a fourth of an inch or so,
just enough so tod can pet hold of them to pull
them out. These 91 ;an put in at your con-

venience the day be: -ant to haul. Of

course, bottom and top must bt fa- set :irely.

for there must be no possibility of leaking bees ou
the journey. C. C. Miller.

Marengo. 111.

.. I declare, old friend, if you had
planned to give the Simplicity hive* a t
c a word about it — t:
without using ~the word " Simplicity " — you
could not have done much better than yoa
:ore part of your remarks.
Simplicity hive, however. I plan-
ned the metal-cornered frames, and these
you don't fancy a bit.it seems, be
for oat-apiaries Now. look here: If you
--chaff hives for out-apiaries.
x : e metal-cornered frames in I -
chaff hives, and all-wood frames in Simplici-
ty or Dovetailed hives that you use only for
summer use. We used the sticks tor spac-
ing the frames — 22 in number— y- - ,_

beaded that they were al-

. - too much machine 1 -a we

. g- .rd: but the boys have

- itely. while buying bees and removing

them to t± b bass ird, decided that

the s . uds were too much trouble.

and so they have s a me spacing-strips.

Erne-: - - t is 1 - same thing used- by Ma-

nnm. to be described later. I think our ex-

_ - Kith yours

ata ou mention.

MAIUM ZST THE APIABY WITH HIS
MEW.

PRAC7 - ■ - I - IU -■■ I SI -

VET • - - - - ^ELL AS BI -

- :-od-morning. Fred. I have come
• ixh you to-day to help
you catch np with your work."

■rd-morning. father. I am ver.-
you have come for that purpose, for I have
had so many swarms for the past three da; -

e behind, especially looking after
the boxes. I have a number of colonies to look aft-
er to day— some new ones to look over, to see if the
foundation is all right and being drawn out proper-
ly: and some that have east swarms have got to be
looked after, to cut out queen-cells or to see if the
queens have hatched, or have commenced
and; besides. I ought to examine all of my
to-day."

KEEPING GRASS A WAT FROM I LHCK.

ugh you have got a good day's
work before yon. I n i rave mowed your

yard: but you have not clipped the grass that
- .ear the hives. I suppose you intend to do
that with the sheep-shears. It looks rather shabby
fan know I like to have the yari-
-.: this season ax least. Suppose Mr. Boot or
any other bee-keeper should vis:: your yard to-
morrow. I fear you would be ashamed of its ap-
pearance. I know you have bee: -.for a
few di. • re you are excusable: but as soon
as you can 1 wish you would slick up a little."

---. father. I will do it in the morning
- -.-ming commences. Here:-

ony I wish you would look at. They don't seem to
gain in strength, and I don't believe the queen is a
good one."

■OTAJUOWD HI KEMAIS IS THE

A PI ART.

"All right: open the hive and find the queen.
There she is. just going over the edge of the comb.
Ah! Est - ne of those long, siini. very ye.

low queens: and. besides, she has one paa
though she is laying prett.v well: but her bees are
small, frail things: they are not hardy enough for
this climate. Show me the record. Ah! she is a

daughter of the queen 1 got of Mr. . They are

beautiful ^ees to look at, but that is not what 1
keep bees for: hence I will pinch off her head-
there: You may hive a small swarm in here to-
morrow, because the colony :s too light to store
much honey - . living it a portion of a

swarm with a good queen we shall get something
from them. Always remember that a light stock at
- -fason is worthless for storing honey, hence
you should manage as best you can to keep every
hive running over full of tees, as such only are the
• :at give us large quantities of ** snowflake
honey.''

LAZT BBS— BOW TO MAKE ISDCSTRIOCS.

" Father, here is another colony I wish you would
look aL I have tried my best to get them into the
failed. You see the hive is full of
-.-d the front well covered with them; but
■ . e ^ ~en them sections from

nives partly filled, and I have shaken every
bee off the combs in front of the hive to "wake
them up " as you have recommended, but still they
- when a_. the rest are doing
•" Yes. Fred. I understand that colony— or, rather.
I think I do. They are like some men That I know
of. perfectly Contented and happy if they have one
meal ahead. They lack energy. I will play them a
f taking a combs and filling The

hive with frames of foundation. There, now. *f
will a.f .. r:n two clamps of new sections.

Now you see they have got to work or starve. The
brood we have taken from them we will use wher-
ever we can find a place for it. Now I will go
through the yard and look to the sections, as I pre-
sume some will need tiering up. Yes, here is one
w:th the foundation all drawn out and capped half
way down. The way to do it :s to remove the
clamps and set them up edgewise on this clamp-
stool and remove any biace-comts thai may be at-
tacked to the bottom. Now place the clamp of
empty sections and then place Those partly filled
:f them. Be sure that the spaces, or pas-
:-orrespcnd. so that the bees can pass up and
down. Here are a few finished sections in this oth-
er clamp. wh:ch we will remove and put empty
You must look to this and re-
■11 finished sections as soon as possible before
ecome soiled by the bees passing over them.
I have brought a bag of fine salt for you to sprin-
kle on the floor where you are to set the clamps of
fihed sections. The salt will keep the ants away
from the honey. Don't be sparing with the salt; use
enough to make the floor look white. Well. I will
now return home and work in the home apiary the
rot of the day. '

4CT.T 1.

•' Good-morning, Edward ! How goes the battle?"
"Pretty well. Mr. Manum. I am not having many
swarms now. I thiiik they are about through
swarming, nor are they getting honey as fast as

l^y

Cleanings ik bee culture.

they did. They gainf d only 4 lbs. yesterday. Well,
that is pretty good on the ;ast run of elove:
mac will blcjoui in about five days: and if the
weal her is favorable they will do pretty well for
four or five da> 8, and then comes the basswood:
and 1 hope by that time swarming will be all
through who. as I don't want a -ingle beet
moment's time during- basswood bloom.''
" Have you hail any second jwarms tbis season':"
•" But one. and that was owing to my nej;
have followed your instructions aa given in Gixam-
: .Apr. 1, and with what jou have told me
from time to time I have succeeded niceiy in pre-
venting alter-swarms."

" JCMPI>'

" We will go over the yard together, as I l
show you bow 1 jump sections. I ought to have
shown yon when 1 was here the other day. but I did
not think of it. Here is one that needs it. You
have doubtless observed that the bees are ?
fill and finish the sections at the ends of the clamps.
They will often fill and cap the center ones be-
fore even drawing out the foundation in the end
ones: and in order to have the whole clamp finish-
ed up altogether. I "jump" them by placing the
end ones in the center and putting the center ones
at the ends. 8s these center ones are so wek advanc-
ed they will be finished by the time the empty ones
are that we have just put in the center. This work
I call "jumping." Now, when doing this work you
occasionally find a finished section: in that c- -
move it entirely and take it to the honey-house and
till its place with sections S.Ied with comb left over
from last year, of which we have a plenty res
for this purpose. How about this record herein thi^
ti.ve- 1 s-.e it reads. "June 3D, hived from 9L""

" Ves. sir. this queen is from 9L"

■" How old is She':"

"J >ue year old."

■• H"W do you know":"

" Well. 1 remember that is the age recorded in the
hive she came from."

■•Very well. You remember now: but would you
next spring: Or suppose 1 come here next spring
or send some one else, I should have to go to 91 to
find the age of this queen. If your records are all
like this it will cause us much extra travel another
year. You should have made the record thus:
June 3D, hived from 91. queen one year. Please be
very particular with the records. They are very
important to me. as I wish to know the atre of
queen."

" You are right. Mr. Manum. I now see the im-
portance of having the records properly made ont.
You had explained this to me before: but 1 had
■ :en. In fact, you tell me so many things
that I can't remember them all."

•' Ves. there are a great many things to e
about the bee-business, and I never yet had a man
who could remember all I told him. and that -
why I am looking around after you. A slight mis-
take at this season of the year might ccst me the
use of one or more colonies: therefore be very
caref Lii and try to do JHgt as I tell you. then if there
are any mistake- it will be my fault and not

yours."

-jri-Y :;.

" Fred, how does that colony get along fn>m
which we t<«ok the combs all away and gave foun-
dation:"

■• They are doing nicely, father. I looked into the

hive \at nd they had the foundation ail

drawn out in the frames and box- - i with

honey except where the queen bat -dber

bees work as they have since you
played that trick on them. Where are you going
treday:"

"1 am going w I have not leer,

yard for over a » eek. 1 just thought I wou. :
around this way ;o inquire after that colon;
mac is just opening, and you must loot well to the
boxes; don't let the bees lack for room now."

• H w do you da Will? This is a pretry warm
day."

- • warm 1 was not looking for you
to-day.'

" We.;. I bave to start ont whenever I get the
work done in my yard so I can leave. Do you no-
tice any difference in the working of the tees to-
day:

?. I do. They started out earlier this morning;
than usuai : and I also notice that they ar-

and yet I do not hear so much of that hum-
ming as 1 did before. What are they
now:"'

"They have commenced on sumac. It com-
menced to open yesterday, and to-day it is nearly
in full bloom. It will last omy four or fiv-
and then comes basswood right after it: therefore
you mas rll to the boxes and be ready for

the rush. If you should have any swarms come
out now you may hive two or three in one hive, or
hive a new swarm in where one came out the day
before. There is a swarm coming out now. Did
you have any swarms ;• -

PERM1TTISO SWAl'.iLLSG BUT PREVi -LF.ASF

f. They are m -
swarming- n>«w: there are only six more to swarm:
te one that swarmed y- -

* Well, tnat swan - -eringonthe catcherall
right, so that you may come with me and 1 will
show you how to fix 2* to receive the new swarm.
You say you hived the swarm from 2? in 1*. there-
fore we will take six combs from 28 and give them

in exchange for six frames of their founda-
tion. Now. the foundation we will pnt i:
there, now cut ail the queen-cells out of i?. This

5 now ready for the :
may hive in here at once: and as their two clamps
of sections are pretry well advanced. I will give
them one more clamp. There, now I think you had
better do the same with the next swarm you have
out by putting it into 1*. where this one came from.
This method will prevent increase, and keep
colony strong, as they should be now for the next
15 or 31 lays. You may now introduce virgin
queens into thos- :lonies from which we

removed their queens, to experiment •: la Elwood.
- - we took the queen away.

aeh colony a virgin queen as soon a.i
are hatched: don't keep them longer than you can
help before introducing, or you may n I
cessfr.. . -.y be introduced

two or three davs old. there is more risk at that age
than when only a few hours old.
let them run in at the entrance, or run them in by
way of the sections : and then in about"-- I
in front of the hive for ber. If the bees have re-
jected her \ aer there dead: if not. she
is all right. -ook to see
ecord berQ. L- with date."

A. E Mancm.

486

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

lUXE

You have given us some good poiuts,
friend M., aud quite seasonable. The first
one reminded me that the grass lias not yet
been cut in our apiary. We are not getting
a honey-flow to any extent here at this date,
June 11, therefore we are not having experi-
ence in the line of the rest of your remarks
at the present time. Jumping sections is
often managed by having the crate over the
frames made in two pieces. When the bees
begin to seal up the central sections, the
two cases can be swung around so the outer
ends come over the center of the brood-nest.
This is how you do it, I believe.

HUBER, AGAIN.

AtiSO SOMETHING IN REGARD TO HUISH, WHO SO
SEVERELY CRITICISED HUBER.

TN Gleanings for May 15, you have given an ex-
||F cellent engraving of Huber, if Naturalist Li-
W brary, Vol. 7, edited by Sir William Jardine,
•*■ Edinburg, 18.")2, in its frontispiece, give6 a cor-
rect liKeness of this groat naturalist. A mem-
oir is also given of Huber. His was a great mind,
and I delight to read any notice of ln'm. What a
contrast between him and his cotemporary Huish,
who undertook to refute by ridicule his discover-
ies. In the new edition of his work, Robert Hu-
ish, P. Z. A., and Honorary Member of the Nation-
al Institute of Prance; the Academy of Arts and
Sciences of Gottingen ; the Agricultural Society of
Bavaria, etc., a work of 458 pages, Loudon, 1844, in
his preface, says: " If in the course of the ensuing
work we may have laid ourselves open to the
charge of having applied the lash of ridicule too se-
verely upon this falsely celebrated naturalist, we
can only answer, in extenuation of that transgres-
sion, that we have been encouraged to the commis-
sion of it by the thorough conviction arising from
an experience of above forty years, that the ma-
jority of the vaunted discoveries of Huber are the
result of fiction and delusion founded on obsolete
theories and antiquated prejudices."

How hard for him who had and was enjoying the
distinction and society of the learned, to acknowl-
edge that what he had so frequently taught in lec-
tures, and published, were errors, even when made
so plain and demonstrable as laid down by Huber!

I note some errors which occur in the 24th aud
25th chapters of Huish's work; to wit:

Common worker-bees are of the neuter gender;
they collect honey and make wax.

Bees deprived of their queen will not work.

Swarms are always accompanied by a young
queen, but never by the mother-queen.

Wax is formed by an elaboration of the farina of
plants.

The queen lays every egg in the hive, and is, in
fact, the only female in it.

The drones are the males, and fecundate the eggs
of the queen as they are laid in the cells.

The bees allow but one queen in the hive.

The queeu oviposits only in the spring and sum-
mer, and never in the winter.

The queen is not fecundated by any act of coition
with the drone.

No kind of food is administered to the worms in
the ceils.

There is no such substance in a hive as propolis.

The bees never make use of their stings in the
massacre of the drones.

The queen never makes use of her sting on any
occasion whatever.

The hive which has lost its queen can not rear
another unless there are royal eggs in the hive.

Bee-bread is not applied to the nutriment of the
bees, or as food of the larvae.

The queen-b( e Ims not the power of emitting any
sound whatever.

The queen-bee pays no attention whatever to the
royal cells.

A hive is not worth keeping after the fifth year.

Bees can not alter the generic character of the
eggs under anj circumstances whatever.

Bees work their combs always parallel with the
entrance.

He devotes 40 pages descriptive of the different
hives, specifying their advantages and defects, and
gives two illustrations of the Huber hive. When he
comes to speak of the " mirror, or experimental
hive," he says: "It is to this hive we are indebted for
many of the discoveries of Huber and Dunbar, es-
pecially of the latter naturalist; for in regard to the
former, it appeared to be to him a matter of per-
fect indifference in what hive his experiments
were carried on, for the results were always in per-
fect unison with his anticipations.

Murfreesboro, Tenn. W. P Henderson.

It seems sad to think that Huish should
have been so unwise as to ever put in print
his unkind criticisms. What a record for
future generations ! and yet while 1 read
over the mistakes made by Huish. I feel to
pity him more than to blame him ; for in al-
most every one of the quotations there is a
grain of truth ; and we, with all of our later
experience, can readily understand how he
came to fall into most of his errors. In
fact, a great many even now would indorse
many of the statements. Yes, if we look
back over our own bee-journals we shall
find some pretty good men who have taken
almost every position held by Huish. Let
us be slow to criticise, and never think of
taking the '■ lash " into our hands, unless
the good of humanity demands that the de-
liberate thief and swindler be held up to
public view, or something of that sort.

POLLEN AND HONEY FROM THE
"WILLOWS.

PODI.EN-PRODUCERS.

ip CORRESPONDENT asks: 'Is there any oth-
^ er name for bee willow, or how can I tell it
P from other willow?" In reply I would say,
^ that, so far as 1 know, all willow i3 " bee wil-
low," for all of them with which I am ac-
quainted yield either pollen or honey, yet some of
them are more eagerly sought after by the bees
than are others. Among the pollen-bearers we
have several kinds of what is known here as "pus-
sy willow" (SaliJC), which put out their blossoms
quite irregularly. Some are a month earlier than
others, and some of the buds on the same bush are
ten days later than others. The kinds which seem
to attract the bees most are the black willow, upon
which the kilmarnoek is budded, and those which
produce a long cone-like tiower similar to the black
willow, the accompanying cut giving a fair repre-
sentation of the latter, a week or so after it is
through blossoming and has partially gone to seed.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

487

From these two kinds the bees obtain large quanti-
ties of pollen, but, so far as I can ascertain, no hon-
ey. As this pollen comes the first of any which we
have which amounts to any thing, I esteem it of
great value to the bees. Skunk-cabbage gives pol-
len a little earlier, but we do not have enough of it
to amount to much, compared with what these
willows give. The flowers are of a rich orange col-
or, and consist of a center out of which? spring
hundreds of little thread-like filaments, upon which
the pollen is supported. It is very interesting to
see the bees work on these flowers, as you can see
their motions so plainly, for the tree or bush does
not grow so high but that some of the lower limbs
are about on a level with the eye. Here is a pecul-
iarity of the willows, for all those in this section
which give pollen grow in a bush form, while all of
those which yield honey grow to be quite large
trees, often reaching six feet in circumference.

PUSSY WILLOW.

The pussy willow naturally grows on low swampy
ground; but with a little culture to start, it will
grow readily on dry ground. They grow readily
from cuttings put in the ground in early spring, as
does all of the willow tribe. The above are often
6et down as "honey-plants;" but according to
Quinby and my owu observation, they produce no
honey. As they grow very plentifully about here,
I have had much observation regarding them. To
be sure, the bee is continually poking its proboscis
into the blossoms, the same as they do when suck-
ing for honey; but after killing many bees and dis-
secting them, I have been unable to find the least
bit of honey in their sacs. This way, if used when
the bees are at work on any of the honey-bearing
flowers, never fails to reveal honey accumulating
in their sacs.

HONEY-PRODUCERS.

Of these we have three kinds— the golden willow,
the white willow, and the weeping willow, and they
are of value as honey-producers in the order
named, although the weeping willow blossoms
about three days earlier than the others. This
would make it of more value to the bees, even did
it not yield honey quite so profusely, if there were
enough trees to keep the bees busy; but as there
are very few trees of this kind about here there is
not enough to make any account of. None of the
three willows mentioned here give any pollen that I
ever could discover, for none pf the bees nf work

on these trees ever have any pollen in their pollen-
baskets. If there is any species of willow which
yields both honey and pollen, 1 am not acquainted
with it. The flowers are similar to those which
grow on the birch and poplar, being of a long tag-
like shape, as large as a slate pencil, and from one
to two inches long. Those on the golden willow are
the longest, and yield honey abundantly.

GOLDEN WILLOW.

The engraving presented herewith so nearly rep-
resents the golden willow that any one should know
it in connection with its yellow bark, which dis-
tinguishes it from the other kinds of honey-yield-
ing willow, as all of the rest, so far as I know, have
a light-green bark. When these willows are in
bloom, and the weather is warm, the bees rush out
of their hives at early dawn, and work on it all day
long as eagerly as they do on clover or basswood.
The blossoms often secrete honey so profusely that
it can be seen glistening in the morning sun, by
holding the blossom between you and that orb,
while the trees resound with that dull busy hum, so
often heard when the bees are getting honey, from
morning till night. As this is the very first honey
of the season, I consider it of the greatest of value
to the bees, for the brood is now crowded forward
with great " vim," which brood gives us the bees
which work on the white clover, while the honey
often helps very greatly in piecing out the depleted
stores of the hive. These willows blossom a little
in advance of the hard maple, and hold out as long
as they do; and from the fact that, when I kill a
bee at work on these willows I always find honey
in its sac, while when I do the same with a bee
which is at work on the maple I never find any hon-
ey, I have been led to think that perhaps those re-
porting honey from maple might be mistaken, and
that the honey really came from the willows.
Again, maple blossoms only every other year with
us, while the willows never fail; and I have noticed
for years that I got fully as much honey in the
years when the maples did not bloom as I did the
years when they did. From the few trees along a
small creek near here, my bees frequently make a
gain of from six to ten pounds of honey while the
willows are in bloom, and one season they made a
gain of 15 pounds. This present spring some of my
best colonies gained X pounds, while on apple-blopm
they did not get more than a living, with apple-or-
phards white with bloom all about. The honey

iss

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULT UK E.

JUNE

from the willow is quite similar to that from the
apple-bloom, and of a nice aromatic flavor. As the
willows give the flrst pollen, and also the first hon-
ey each season, it will be seen what a great hel]>
they are to all who have them in profusion near
their bees. The only drawback ihere is, is in the
weather often being unfavorable, for I do not
think that more than one year in three gives good
weather all through the time the willows are in
blossom. So far as I know, honey and pollen are
always present in the respective kinds when they
are in bloom; but the trouble is, that it is so cold,
rainy, cloudy, or windy for the bees to get to the
trees so much of the time, at this season of the
year, that honey or pollen from this source is not at
all certain. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., May 30, 1889.

Notwithstanding your strong points in
favor of the willow, it hardly seems to me
that it would pay to plant it for honey
alone. If it could be made to serve the pur-
pose of a hedge, or to restrain the banks of
a creek or river, or something of that sort,
then we might afford to do it. In our lo-
cality miles of willow were sold years ago,
as a hedge-plant. I have never been able to
see. however, that they bore very much hon-
ey or pollen either, unless it was during
special times for a few days. Perhaps you
can tell us which class of willow it belongs
to. On the banks of the Mississippi River,
in the vicinity of New Orleans, I believe
they often get considerable yields of willow
honey. Perrine, you may remember, made
mention of it. The quality is hardly flrst
class. It has a taste considerably like much
of the Southern honey.

BEE-STINGS AND RHEUMATISM.

SOME POSITIVE AND CONVINCING TESTIMONY AS
TO THE VALUE OF THE BEE-POISON.

T N the May 15th issue of Gleanings, F. Brown
M; gives his experience with rheumatism and
W beestings, and here is mine.
**■ About fifteen years ago T sprained one of my
knees. I was lame for a few days, and it got
better; but the lameness, accompanied with an
ache, came again; and as time passed on it contin-
ued to come worse and worse until it got so bad I
could neither straighten my leg nor bend it up;
and if by accident I did move it from just such a
shape it was like biting on the nerve of a decayed
tooth. The pain not only stayed at my knee, but
extended above and below, and acted as if it had
come to stay. I tried a magnetic battery some.
I used liniment externally, and "sure cure" inter-
nally, with but little relief and no cure. Three
years ago we bought five colonies of bees, and with
them came the stints, and next the relief. I have
not suffered as much from my knee in the whole
three years, as I have in some three minutes pre-
vious to the stings. I have used no other remedy
within this time. I am a farmer, and my work has
been very much the same.

Now, 1 am not jroing to say that bee-stings have
cured my rheumatism; but if I had employed a
doctor, with the understanding of no pay unless
successful. I am very sure he would call for his
pay. W. M. Stacy.

Edgar, Clay Co., Neb., May 30, 1889,

You have given us a very important fact
indeed, and one that seems to be pretty con-
clusive. However, as rheumatism often
" lets up '1 of Itself, in about the way you
have described, may be the bees have noth-
ing to do with it. You did not tell us how
it was in winter time. I suppose there are
several months when you do not get stung
at all, unless, indeed, you get bees and get
stung purposely during the winter.

CLOVER BLOAT.

CAUSE AND CUBE.

R. W. W. BOWLBY desires me to explain the
cause of clover bloat. He states that thirty
mileh cows in his neighborhood— Southern
Illinois— have recently died of I his malady.
The fields, he says, are carpeted with white
clover, and the season has been very dry.

This trouble it known as " bloating," Tympanitis,
and hoven. It is really gaseous indigestion of the
first stomach, or paunch. It is attended with great
swelling of the paunch, or rumen, from the exces-
sive formation of gas. The name Tympanitic comes
from the fact that the belly swells out, so that it
becomes as tight as a drum-head. This disease is
most likely to appear in weak and poorly fed cat-
tle when they are flrst turned out to clover. They
stuff themselves with the succulent herbage, and,
not having strength to digest it, gases are formed,
and the bloating appears. The Hanks swell up, the
left always; the right, in severe cases, till the sides
rise even above the back. The animal moans,
breathes hard, reaches out its neck, distends its
nostrils, grinds its teeth, often bellows and stamps,
and at last staggers and dies in a convulsive fit. A
greenish foam or liquid oozes from its mouth and
nostrils. If the case is not very severe, aromatic
spirits of ammonia— the same that is found so ef-
fective to cure sick-headache— may be given. The
dose is one ounce in a quart of water every half-
hour, till the swelling disappears. Sometimes two
or three doses will bring relief. In very severe
cases, the paunch should be pierced. This is best
done by the use of a trochar and canula. The place
to puncture is midway between rib and hip-bone,
about three inches from the lateral process of the
back-bone. When necessary, the tube or canula
may be tied in and left for hours. This permits
the gas to escape, and so may save the life of the
animal. Animals have been saved by cutting into
the paunch with a simple knife-blade. If the cattle
are fat, sleek, and well fed, as all cattle should
always be, there will be less danger of bloating.
Again, animals should not be permitted to eat too
much of green feed at once. By commencing on
slight rations, and increasing gradually, the trouble
will generally be avoided. If cattle are turned first
on pasture where there is but little clover, and
later where there is much, and only for a few min-
utes for the first few days, increasing the time a
little each day, there will probably be no serious
trouble. The clover when wet is still more harmful.
Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

Friend C, in the above you give us some
real, practical common sense in the way of
veterinary surgery. I shall become a strong
convert to doctors and medicine if you givn
us some more such examples. I wanted
you to tell us, however, what gas it is that

18S«J

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

489

distends the poor animals, and how it is
that ammonia neutralizes the gas and dimin-
ishes the pressure. My father used to give
his horses saleratus water, when they suffer-
ed from colic; and though I was a small hoy,
my knowledge of chemistry suggested that
the saleratus water might absorb the gas so
as to relieve the pressure and set the animal
at ease in a few minutes, which indeed it
did. Now, this matter of giving relief by a
surgical operation has reason to commend
it, especially if the animal quickly recovers
from the wound made through its side.

HONEY-DISPLAYS.

VARIETV IN ARRANGEMENT, ETC,

fHEKE has been a good deal in the bee-papers
of late, respecting- the best method of ar-
ranging for and setting up honey-shows. If
these be made large and attractive, they
Serve a good purpose in promoting the in-
terests of bee-keepers by attracting attention and
promoting sales. To do the work well is no easy
matter. This arises mainly from the absence of
variety in the article shown. Extracted honey is
extracted honey in whatever form it may be shown.
Monotony can be broken only by variety in the
design of the packages in which it is put up, which
is in itself limited. The same may be said, but in a
still more marked degree, of comb honey. I sup-
pose the main object the writers have in view in
these articles is to aid bee-keepers in making good
displays at local fairs. It is noticeable, that those
who have treated the subject describe the methods
followed by themselves or those they have seen
adopted by others, which have met their approval.
At honey-shows the competitive prizes are usually
confined to the qualitf) of the article shown, and it
is upon this that judges usually base their awards.
This is right as far as it goes, but the prime object
of honey-shows is to attract attention and advertise
the goods. As ninety per cent of the visitors at
fairs can not tell, by cursory inspection, between
what is good and what is poor in quality, it follows
that attention should be given to appearance. To
this end a departure from the usual rule can not be
made too soon Prizes should not be confined to
quality. Good taste and neat arrangement should
come in, be recognized, and rewarded. This may
be done without injustice to any one. A man with
'MO pounds of honey may make as neat, tasty, and
symmetrical a display on three feet space as one
with 4000 pounds can make on 20 feet of space.

Any hard and fast rules laid down for the form
of staging upon which exhibits are to be set up are
entirely useless. It is manifest, that, to do justice
to all, no competitor should have advantages over
his fellows in a more advantageous arrangement of
the framework upon which the show is to be made.
It follows, then, that, whatever the design, the stag-
ing should be uniform throughout. The taste and
ingenuity of the respective exhibitors will then be
brought into play in the superstructure he raises
to show his wares.

Most of the designs I have seen for staging are
after the step-ladder style. To my thinking, this
is the worst form in which staging can be built for
honey-shows. It gives little or no opportunity for
the exercise of judgment or the display of in-
genuity in the make-up of an exhibit. If "variety

is the spice of life," it shuuld have a place in all
honey-shows. Little of it can be thrown in if this
style of framework is employed. What, then, is the
best form for the permanent fixtures in a building
where honey is to be displajed? Where a number
of people are to compete, the simplest is the best—
at least this is my opinion, and the simplest is com-
mon tables. These should not be less than six feet
wide. Space upon these should be allotted, in pro-
portion to the quantity each has to show. Then
each will be called upon to build up his own super-
structure and decorate it. It is easy to understand,
that by this arrangement variety will be secured;
for every man will have his own notion of what is
most suitable These superstructures will take
different forms in proportion to the amount of hon-
ey and the character of the packages to be placed
upon them. 1 hold that no man can have a correct
notion of what is the best form in which his exhibit
should be arranged, without a full knowledge of
what is available to make it with. How can a man
suggest a design for his neighbor's show, without a
knowledge of what his neighbor has to show?
Owen Sound, Ont. R. McKnight.

Very good, friend M. I agree with you,
that bee keepers do not need to follow
stereotyped ways; but many times some
general suggestions are quite helpful.

REARING CELLS IN STRONG COLO-
NIES CONTAINING A LAYING
QUEEN.

AN IMPROVEMENT ON DOOLITTLE S PLAN.

«FTEK reading carefully Mr. Doolittle's arti-
cles on queen-rearing, in which he styles it
"nature's way," or cells obtained under the
swarming impulse; and having read a good
deal lately about rearing queens in the up-
per story, leads me to write out my plan, which
may prove a benefit to some one.

I have a Langstroth frame, with two strips of
wood running parallel with top and bottom bar. I
then obtain eggs from my best queen. These eggs
should not be over three days old. I cut these in
very narrow strips; after dipping one side in wax 1
stick them fast to the bars already mentioned. The
frame should be bottom upward while fastening on
strips. I then take these frames with eggs for
rearing queens to a strong queenless colony that
has been deprived of all brood aud eggs, and hang
the frame in the hive for one night or one day, or
until they form a great many embryo cells, or cups.
A good colony will sometimes start 40 to HO cups;
and if the eggs are of proper age, the cups will be
formed around the eggs just hatching. I then
transfer these frames, that have the cells started,
to the upper story of a good strong two-story hive,
with a queen-excluding board between. Every
cell that was started will be worked out, and each
cell approaches nearer to a natural-swarm cell than
any thing I have ever seen. I have had in the last
few days, by the above process, the largest and
finest queens hatched 1 ever raised .

As soon as the frame with cells started is trans-
ferred to the upper story, I supply the same queen-
less hive with other eggs, and so on. The only dan-
ger is, that sometimes a queen will get into the up-
per story through the zinc. I think this plan is
much easier than the one Mr. Poolittle gives, or at

4! tO

GLEANINGS IN LEE CULTURE.

June

least it is to me; for transferring larvse or eggs to
artificial or old <iueen-eells, starters just cut from
the hives are a very tedious job. I let the bees do
all the starting of cells; and when I go to manip-
ulating them the egg or larva is in its proper
place. I would advise looking after the cells often-
er than under other circumstances; and as soon as
they are capped they might lie transferred, and
other cells just started given to them. They will
workout and cap several batches. I find they are
willing to work out all that a queenless hive will
start for them; and all that I have had worked out
by this process are large and fine; fully as much
difference as cells raised under the swarming im-
pulse, as if the frame of eggs fixed as above should
remain in queenless colony, where they were start-
ed and completed. 1 suppose most queen breeders
will understand all about how to fix strips of comb
on an inverted frame. There is nothing new in
this plan, that I know of, except letting the bees
merely start queen-cells and then transferring the
frame to a strong upper story. Auy of my bees in
an upper story will work them out. 1 think friend
Doolittle deserves credit for this process, as it was
suggested to me from his plan. J. D. Fooshe.

Coronaca, S. C, May 27, 1889.

You have given us not only an important
fact, but one that, so fat' as 1 know, is en-
tirely new. It any such thing has appeared
in our bee-journals I must have missed it.
Had the question been asked me, " What
will become of queen-cells just started in a
queenless colony, if they are moved to the
upper story of some colony having a
queen?" I should have said at once, " The
cells will either be torn down or allowed to
remain where they are without any further
care,*' and 1 can't help feeling a little doubt
about its working every time with every col-
ony of bees. You say any of the bees in
the upper story will finish them out. Now,
did you not test it while the bees had the
swarming fever? If so, I can readily ac-
cept it ; but at any other season, it seems to
me very strange, if it proves to be true. No
doubt, however, it may be in any case quite
valuable during the swarming season.

CURRANT SAW-FLY.

HELLEBORE AND THE CUKRANT-WOKM.

R. GEORGE THOMPSON, Geneva, III., sends
me the larva of the currant, or gooseberry
saw-fly— the currant- slug. "Would it be
asking too much," he writes, "that you
give its habits and the remedies in Glean-
ings, that we may be fortified another spring':"'

These yellow and black Hies, about the size of the
common house-fly, which they somewhat resemble
in a general way, though these have four wings,
come forth very soon after the leaves open in
spring. They pair, and the female lays her small
white eggs along the veins of the leaves, on the
underside. The name saw-Hy comes from the fact
that this insect has a curious saw-like attachment
to its ovipositor. Thut it sawsaslijrht groove to
receive its eggs. This saw, consisting often of a
douhle blade, is of exquisite finish. We often boast,
and with no slight reason, of the advancement in
mechanical inventions of this century; yet when
we study the matter closely we are not wholly

pleased. Thus if we magnify highly a knife or
needle of finest finish we discover that it is rough
and nicked, and looks like a sorry piece of work.
Not so these insect-saws. They are elegant in fin-
ish and polish, and lo6e none of their perfection, no
matter how greatly magnified. Nature shows lis
that we have room for great improvement, even in
our best accomplishments.

The currant-slug, as it comes forth from the egg,
is light green. Soon it 6heds its skin, and becomes
darker green, dotted with rows of black dots. With
each molt, or shedding of skin, it increases in size,
and after the last is again light green. It is aston-
ishing how some of these larva1 eat. Sometimes we
think, when we have mush and milk, or buckwheat
cakes and maple syrup, that we have no inconsider-
able gastronomic capabilities; yet when compared
with these insects in their growing period we fairly
sink into nothingness. When the slugs first com-
mence to eat, small holes will be seen in the lower
leaves of the bushes. Later, when they near matu-
rity, the leaves seem fairly to melt away. The mi-
nute holes, the eaten leaves, and the devastated
bushes, as well as the faeces of the larva?, tell where
these devourers are at work.

When fully developed, the larva3, now nearly an
inch long, pass to the ground; and just at or be-
neath the surface they spin gray or dark cocoons
in which they pupate. In a few days the flies come
forth again, and we have the second round of mis-
chief. These insects have few enemies, and in-
crease so fast that, unless we fight them, we must
give up our currants, and the delicious jelly and
l>ur excellence jelly-cake. When once a currant or-
chard is attacked, it soon vanishes away unless we
see that the slugs are put to rout.

The best remedy for this scourge is white helle-
bore. 1 have used this now for years, and always
with the most evident success. Though this is a
vegetable poison, it is not dangerous. 1 have
known of its use for years, and yet I never heard of
any harm coming from it.

To apply this remedy, use one ounce of hellebore
to two or three gallons of water. Stir well and
spray the plants by use of a good force pump, like
the Whitman, or a good syringe like the Lewis. It
is best to throw with force so as to scatter the poi-
son on all the leaves. So, Bro. Thompson, just get
and use some of this hellebore, and still rejoice in
your jelly and jell-cake. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

If we had insecticides that would work as
surely and as easily in killing other insects
as hellebore does for the currant-worm, I
should feel quite happy. I have, however,
never taken the trouble to make it in solu-
tion. All that we do is to get live or ten
cents' worth of hellebore. Just take the
paper right out into the field, make a little
hole so the dust will sift out, then thump
the package, or snap it, so as to raise a little
cloud of dust. Let this dust drop or float
on the worms or foliage, and that is the end
of them. We always, however, keep a close
watch ; and just as soon as the smallest col-
ony of currant-worms gets a going, they are
dusted with hellebore. It works so effectu-
ally and surely that I rather enjoy seeing
these worms make their appearance, that I
may teach them that A. I. Root is '" bogs of
this 'ere currant-ranch •''

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

4J)1

HOW OLD MAY A QUEEN BE, AND
STILL BECOME FERTILIZED?

WISE AND OTHERWISE, FROM E. FRANCE.

TN reading' my new A B C book I came across
glr this subject on page 218. The author says, 35
W days is the longest period he has ever known
to elapse between the birth of a queen and the
laying of worker eggs. I have always held an
independent position on this matter, but have nev-
er taken the pains to prove it. Place a virgin queen,
with a good colony of bees, clear away from the
reach of any drones. A swarm of bees traveling
over the country could perhaps easily settle down
to work in just such a locality. Now, if there were
no drones with them, how is this queen ever again
to be fertilized? Has nature left this swarm to
dwindle, and perish from off the earth, or has there
been a provision made for their salvation? We all
know that a virgin queen will lay eggs that will
hatch good-looking drones. Those eggs will hatch
in about 28 days. Now, is it not possible and even
probable that the queen in this case would be fer-
tilized by drones of her own, and then produce
worker bees, and save the colony? why not? Why
did nature provide that a virgin queen should pro-
duce drones unless she had some use for them?
Perhaps you will say that a swarm of bees always
have drones with them. Not always. I have known
swarms to come off without a drone. I know it is
not common for a swarm to come off without
drones, but it does sometimes happen.

MOVING BEES.

In the middle of the day, when the bees are at
work, is there any way to collect the bees that are
out at work, and at the same time keep the bees
that are in the hive from going out so we can move
all, or very nearly all, the bees that belong to the
hive? Yes. I will tell how I have managed several
times. Perhaps you all know. All you have to do
is to blow smoke enough into the hive to be moved
to keep the bees that are there from going out, and
wait for the field bees to come in. When they are
all in, shut them in and move them. I think al-
most any kind of smoke will do. But I have al-
ways used tobacco smoke. The bees in the hive
will need smoking a little as often as you see any
bees starting out— about once in five minutes.

Almost any one will be surprised at the short
time it takes for them to all get in. Of course, it
depends upon what the bees are at work on at the
time. When honey is coming in fast, half an hour
is a long time for a bee to be gone. At other times,
perhaps some would be out a whole hour; but not
often. Don't smoke them too hard. It takes but a
little smoke to keep the bees at home. They don't
like to leave home when their home is meddled
with in any way. I have bought bees five to ten
miles from home, and moved them in May. When
the bees are at work nicely, I smoke them three or
four times and wait about half an hour, and then
shut them in the hive and take them in my wagon
and go home with them.

COLONIES LIVING AND PROSPERING IN THE OPEN
AIR.

We keep our queens' wings clipped to prevent
swarms from going off. When we quit extracting,
near the close of the basswood season, our bees are
usually very strong, and sometimes swiirms issue.
The queen's wing is clipped, and she can not go.
Our hives stand on Ave stakes, leaving a space of

from 6 to 10 inches under the hive. When the
swarm returns to iind the queen they sometimes
find her under the hive. The bees cluster under
the hive with her, and soon go to work there in the
open air, with no protection except the hive over
them. As we have done extracting, and have no
work to do in the yard, it often happens that it is
six or eight weeks before we see them; and if there
happens to be a fair run of fall honey, those
swarms will have from a peck to half a bushel of
comb built. They sometimes have from 10 to 25 lbs.
of honey, and are breeding the same as bees in the
hive. I once had a case of that kind that stayed
under the hive until Christmas, and were then in
good order. The snow was 6 inches deep, and the
thermometer had been down to zero two or three
times. As they had honey enough to winter them,
I have always been sorry that I did not leave them
until spring. I believe they would have come
through all right. There was no stock running in
the yard, and the blue glass had grown up thick
around the hive, so they had some protection.
The grass hid them from sight, so that was the rea-
son they were not seen before.

Last season we found one swarm under a hive
when we were preparing our bees for winter. This
was in November. They had about half a bushel of
comb, and about 10 lbs. of honey. There was no
grass to hide them. We could see the combs ten
rods away; and the strangest thing about it was,
they had not been robbed of their honey. As the
hive directly over them had been full of honey, and
had been cleaned out by t he bees, there was nothing
in it but empty combs. No doubt the swarm under
the hive came from the one above; and the upper
one failed to mature a queen, and dwindled away
and was cleaned out by the bees in consequence.
It doesn't look as if it were possible for those bees
to so protect their combs of honey from robbers,
with no protection around them; but such are the
facts in the case. We have from none to three or
four every year of swarms under the hives in this
way, and seldom are they disturbed by the other
bees.

A QUESTION.

How is it that bees can build combs out in the
open air when there is so much talk about confin-
ing the heat in hives and supers to get combs built?
Why is it so necessary to contract the entrance of
hives to secure the bees from robbers?

Platteville, Wis. B. France.

I have thought of the same thing you
mention, and 1 used to wonder, as you sug-
gest, if it were not a safe provision to save
the life of such a colony. As in all my ex-
perience, however, I never had a queen he-
come fertilized at the age she would be
when her own drones were able to fly, I
gave it up. It may be, however, that under
some circumstances it might be possible.
Of course, there would be the objection of
breeding from a near relative ; but nature
may have decided such a course to be bet-
ter than utter extinction ( 'an anybody else
tell us more about it ? We have for some
years adopted the plan of smoking the bees
all into the hives when moving them in our
neighborhood. I have seen colonies live
for some time under the hive, just as you
describe ; and I have no doubt but that
they would winter all right. In fact, the
idea was advanced, many years ago, that if

4' ii'

(JLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

hives were made with no bottoms except
the ground, they would never be troubled
with the moth miller. Now, it was to pre-
vent this very catastrophe that I decided to
have the bottom of the Simplicity hive the
same as the cover. When banked up with
sand and sawdust, as 1 have described in
the A B C, it not only absolutely prevents
the queen or bees from crawling under the
hive when you are extracting, but it pre-
vents toads, spiders, and snakes, and all
such enemies, from getting under. Our
first stands for bee-hives were made of a
wide board with a piece of scantling under
the back and front ; but when we used these
stands, during extracting time I used to go
around every night and poke out the bees
that had crawled under the hives and there
clustered. If I wanted hives as high as you
have them, I would set each one on a box,
or, perhaps, something like an empty hive
without top or bottom. I think bees can
build comb to advantage in the open air, on-
ly when the weather is mild and the cluster
of bees large. With our old hoop hive we
demonstrated pretty well the effect of thin
well-ventilated hives. Although the bees
will get along in them, we think it is not
profitable.

REPORT FROM FLORIDA.

So LBS. PER COLONY FROM ORANGE-BLOSSOMS.

R. ROOT:— I see by May 1st Gleanings that
you are somewhat surprised at the yield of
honey from the orange-blossoms in Flori-
da, as stated by J. B. LaMontagne, pages
355, 356. It is as friend LaMontagne says.
You would be surprised to see how many bees are
at work on some of the large trees atone time;
and the honey, as he says, is very white and of a
fine flavor. I for one do not wish for any nicer.
My bees this year have gathered on an average 25
lbs. per colony from this source alone. The best
colony gave 48 lbs., all in 4& x 454 sections. The
above honey was all gathered inside of two weeks.
Bees did not work on it the first three weeks, on ac-
count of unfavorable weather. You ask if it is only
in a favorable season that they work this way. I
think not, as my average last year was 35 lbs. per
colony from this source. I have only a few bees, 16
colonies, at present, which may account for such a
fair average from this one source. My total aver-
age this year up to date is 42 lbs. per colony (spring
count), with gallberry and saw-pal meto to hear
from yet, both of which are just opening; bees will
be at work on them in a week or ten days. We gen-
erally get a good surplus from both of these
sources.

The large green dragon-flies have been very
troublesome about the apiary the past three weeks.
They come by the hundreds, and destroy a great
many bees. They are so bad at some times that the
bees stop work altogether while they are around.
I have seen them dart right down to the entrance
of the hives and get a bee, when there would be a
pint or a quart lying out on the front of the hive.
1 call this pretty bold. A. F. Brown.

Huntington, Fla., May 15, 1889.

We are very glad to get so good a report
from the orange. I think if I were you I
would try to trap or poison those dragon-

hies. It may be difficult to poison them
without poisoning the bees, but 1 think it
can be managed. I suppose your locality is
near large bodies of water.

MOVING BEES TO ANOTHER LOCA-
TION IN THE SAME NEIGH-
BORHOOD.

HOW TO DO IT, AND HAVE THE BEES STICK TO
THEIR HIVE.

MDITOR GLEANINGS:— On page 347 friend Mil-
ler has an article on moving bees; but it
seems to me that both he in his article and
you in your foot-notes have overlooked one
of the most important factors in the problem
of how to move bees to a different location with the
least loss of returning bees. I refer to the fact,
that the more thoroughly bees, while being moved,
are shaken up, roughly used, confused, or " obfus-
cated," as the darkey calls it, the more inclined they
will be to mark their new location. The more
thoroughly they can be impressed with the knowl-
edge that something terrible is happening with
their home, the more thoroughly will they examine
the question of a new home when allowed to fly. Bees
that have been carried two miles in a buggy or
wagon, have of course been jolted more than if
carried only one mile, and more of them will mark
their new location. This whole thing can be test-
ed by removing some colonies during the honey
season half a mile or a mile from home, then carry-
ing others several miles away and returning them
to the same locations the first ones were taken to,
without having allowed them to fly; then observe
whether those that have been jolted the most and
furthest will mark their new location the best or
not. All such experiments should be made during
a honey- flow, as bees are much more apt to pitch
headlong out of their hives at such a time than at
other times. If I am correct in these views, then it
follows that your and friend Miller's deduction
(that the fact that bees that have been moved two
miles rarely go back, shows that bees rarely fly so
far when foraging) is not so fully proven as you
seem to think it is. My own observations have
caused me to have quite a decided opinion that
bees, especially Italian*, frequently range freely at
least four or five miles away from their home.

There is another practical application to this idea
when making nuclei. Instead of carefully lifting
the combs with adhering bees into the nucleus hive,
I practice shaking the bees off the combs into the
new hive, while placing the combs in the hive, clos-
ing hive up quickly before many take wing, and
find that nuclei thus made retain many more of
their bees than if the operation of shaking bees off
the combs were omitted. Your apiarist is probably
making many nuclei this season, and you can easily
have him thoroughly test the value of this method,
and report. O. O. Poppleton.

Havana, Cuba, May 21. 1889.

Your suggestion is a good one, friend P.;
and I confess it never occurred to me be-
fore, that the further thev are moved, the
more likely they would be to take their
points before sallying out. We have al-
ready tried pretty thoroughly this matter of
shaking bees up and pounding on the hive
to make them (ill themselves with honey,
and in order to make them hold to their

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

493

location after their hive was moved. But
with some colonies, especially;] full-blooded
Italians, it did not seem to make very much
difference. They would go back to their
old home, and cluster on a bush, even after
they had been carried back to their hive re-
peatedly. We have always taken combs,
bees and all, quietly from the hive, when we
wanted them to form nuclei. If unsealed
brood is carried with them, a great part of
them will be pretty sure to stay ; in fact, al-
most every bee will go home unless unsealed
brood, or, better still, a queen, is carried
with them. By taking the old queen from
the hive, and leaving her a couple of days,
most of the bees will usually stay with her.
Friend Doolittle described this plan a little
time ago.

■WHITE ANTS.

these terrible miners. In other words, these ants
love books— they are " book-worms." In all white
ants the differentiation of individuals is tar greater
than among bees. Thus there are both male and
female workers. The workers are simply abortive,
or partially developed males or females, as the
case may be. Then there are big-headed forms—
the soldiers. Like the workers, the soldiers are al-
so both male aud female, and also undeveloped.
Fig. 2 shows a soldier of T. flavi/pes, magnified four
times.

ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT INSECTS RESEMBLING IN
THEIR HABITS WHITE ANTS.

ip FEW days ago I received a letter from J. F.
^ B , Columbus, Ohio, in which he stated that
K' some black insects, looking like ants, an-
^ noyed him seriously each spring. They
came from the tioor of his office, which was
laid on sleepers between which he had packed coal
ashes before the floor was laid. The insects would
fly to the windows, upon which he had killed scores
of them. Some of them were sent, and proved to
be males and females of Termes flavipes, or white
ants, which are among the most interesting insects
we have in our country.

I have just received the following from Henry
Wilson, Clinton, 111.:

I send you some white insects, which are very
common here, and very destructive to almost all
kinds of wood. I have known them to attack the
sills under buildings, and to destroy fence-posts—
indeed, any wood that is connected with the ground.
1 send i wo kiuds. I suppose the one with wings
is a sort of queen. Please tell us through Glean-
ings what these are, and what can be done to de-
stroy them.

FIG. 1.— FEMALEjWHITE ANT.

Though these are called white ants, they are not
ants at all; though in their general appearance,
and in their life habits, they remind us not a little
of true ants. These insects are lace-wings, and so
are related to ant-lions, dragon-flies, etc. White
ants are very common, and terribly destructive in
the tropics. The one here figured (Fig. 1) is from
India. This great vital egg-sack is utterly power-
less to care for herself. She is said to lay 100,000
eggs daily. The drawing is natural size. The work-
er-ants not only feed her digested food, but carry
off the eggs, and I suppose occasionally turn her
over and scratch her back. These tropical ants
raise great mounds, and are said to entirely de-
vour wooden houses and furniture, except a thin
outside shell Thus a person sits down to a table
or on a chair, which looks all right, but which, like
the " deacon's one-hoss shay,'* sinks to nothingness
when touched. Humboldt said that a library was
impossible in many tropical countries because of

FIG 2.— A SOLDIER WHITE ANT.

The males and females of T. flavipes are black or
very dark colored. They possess wings, are one-
fifth of an inch long, and expand more than half
an inch. They come forth from their tunnels in
spring, often in swarms, settle to the earth, when
the males seize the females. Some think, however,
that mating does not occur till later in the season.
After their flight they shed their wings.

This American white ant— the workers are small
and white— also likes books at times. It has seri-
ously Injured public documents in the State Libra-
ry at Springfield, HI. It has shown the same habit,
I believe, at Harvard College, where it is the fash-
ion to go through hooks.

A few years ago the manufactory of Alvin Clark,
the celebrated telescope-maker, at Cambridge,
Mass., was attacked by this same white ant, and the
first story had to be replaced to prevent a grand
crash. Some years since, I received some of these
same termes from a greenhouse man in Grand Rap-
ids, Mich. The greenhouse was an old rotten wood-
en structure, and the ants not only attacked the
building but also the roots of the potted plants.

The remedies are not hard to find. Kerosene oil,
gasoline, bisulphide of carbon, and boiling hot wa-
ter, will each and all put a quick end to the exist-
ence of these pests, if turned upon them. Circum-
stances will guide us as to the best specific. In
case gasoline or bisulphide of carbon is used, great
care must be exercised to keep all fire away till the
vapors are all goue, or there will be a grand explo-
sion. In case the ants are beneath the floor, as at
Columbus, the floor might be taken up, the sills
and all beneath saturated with kerosene oil, and
the floor relaid. This would surely destroy the
ants, and I do not think the oil would be disagreea-
ble, with a well-laid matched floor above. Each
person must decide as to which is the most desira-
ble remedy in his special case.

In case of the greenhouse, I recommended pour-
ing hot water on to the earth about the roots of the
plants, and the painting of the woodwork with
kerosene oil. The advice was followed, and the
enemy at once disappeared. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

I am greatly surprised to learn that we
have insects in Ohio that destroy furniture
in the way you describe. I have read of
them in the tropics ; but I supposed we
were never to be troubled in that way. Sat-
urating the woodwork with kerosene would
add sufficiently to its durability, probably,
to pay for all the cost of the application,

194

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

A NOMSWAKJMNG RACE OF BEES.

WOl'LII THEY BE HON EY-GATHERERS AS WELL AS
NON-SWARMERS?

TS it possible, from a practical standpoint, to pro
||j< duce a strain of non-swarming bees? If so,
W will they not be indifferent honey-gatherers,
-*■ and lack the vitality necessary to be the bees
wanted by the practical apiarist? "Why do
bees swarm?" has been fully answered, and we in-
fer that one prime cause is an overabundance of
bees with a prolific queen, both in connection with
a bountiful honey-How. Very likely by producing
queens for several generations fromstockof limited
laying qualities, we may be able to produce a strain
of bees that will not swarm, and for very obvious
reasons. We have queens in our own apiary that
are four years old, and yet they have not swarmed,
even under what might be called favorable circum-
stances. These bees always winter well, and breed
up early enough in the spring; but when the hon-
ey harvest comes we find they are non-honey gath-
erers as well as non-swarmers; this leads us to al-
most conclude that non-swarming queens are of
but little use to anyone; the only reason we can
give for this non-swarming is that they lack the
necessary ambition. The queens we like are those
that keep their hive overrunning with bees, and
when honey comes in they will want to swarm, non-
swarming or not. There is certainly no queen
worthy of being kept in a colony if she is not pro-
lific enough to keep the hive overflowing with bees
under favorable circumstances, and if such is the
case then non-swarming is more the result of poor
layers than a predisposition not to swarm. We
don't say there is no such thing as non-swarming
bees, for we have got them in our own yard; and
our opinion, as before stated, is that the reason for
it is a lack of ambition. Perhaps friend Boardman
will say the reason for their not swarming is be-
cause they are perfectly contented; and if he is
right, then we want to say we have more contented
bees than we want. We look upon non-swarming
bees about as we do on a non-swarming hive with
patent moth-trap attachment; and if we put non-
swarming bees and queens in such a hive, we have
the ultima tlmlc of worthlessness. If such would not
be the result, we will give one of our non-swarmers
to know why. Then, again, will not a queen be
more liable to swarm in one locality than in anoth-
er; if so, then of what moment is a strain of non-
swarming bees? There is not the least doubt but
that a strain of non-swarming bees would be a bo-
nanza to thousands, providing they were as hardy
and prolific as the best strains of Italians, or even
hybrids; but in our humble opinion, such a point
has not yet been reached; but far be it from us to
say that it will not be reached in the future, for it
may be possible; but if there are any non-swarming
bees that are as hardy and prolific, and as able to
sand out the field-force of some of our best Italian
colonies, we want to see them, and we want to see
them pretty bad. Our experience says there are
none; but as we don't knowitall, we are willing to be
convinced just the same, as we arc willing to be
convinced that there is a better general-purpose
bee than the pure Italians. M. W. Shepherd.

Rochester, Ohio, May 27, 1889.

I do not think it necessarily follows that
the bees would be poor honey-gatherers, De.
oftuse they did not swarrn. Some of the

largest results we have known came from
hives where the bees right straight along
through the season sent a large force of
workers to the fields every day, without get-
ting the swarming fever at all. Will the
rest of our readers keep this matter in
mind? Have you not, most of you, colonies
that gather large yields, and do not swarin
at all?

^ i ^i

RAMBLE NO. 17.

"it is paid for;" coming out of the little
end of the horn, etc.

"Up FEW years ago a rap came to the Rambler's
2lill fl°01'! and uP°n answering it, there stood a

jElf very large man with his back toward the
■*^*! (30ori busily sharpening a lead-pencil. With-
out taking his eyes from the interesting
point of the pencil, or looking to see who was open-
ing the door behind him, he asked if Mr. Rambler
was at home. He was answered in the affirmative,
and was told that his humble servant was the man
he was after. The pencil was silently finished to
his satisfaction, and not until then did he make his
business known. He introduced himself as Mr.
Stephen Carpenter, of Granville, N. Y. Said he, "I
am a bee-man and thou art another. I desire to see
thy bees." We immediately adjourned to the apiary,
and I found my Quaker friend to be an interesting
visitor.

MY BIG OUAKER FRIEND AND I.

This episode happened several years ago; and
since then the Rambler has made many calls on
friend Stephen and his wife, and has always found
a warm welcome. Mr. C. is now nearly 80 years of
age; weighs, when in full health, 3 J 5 lbs., and his
wife weighs about 100. Mr. C. has ever been a local
celebrity for thrift, as all Quakers are. He is also
noted for his great strength. A few years since,
an article appeared in the Troy Times, describing
some of his wonderful feats of strength, such as
lifting a 1-iOO-lb. cannon; throwing a troublesome
steer over the barnj aid fence, and taking two in-
solent men, one under each arm, and tossing them
outdoors. These feats Mr. C. is very modest about
mentioning. He never tires, however, in talking
about his house and grounds. The house was Uuilt
a few years since under his own supervision; and
as we pass around in our inspection, his cane comes
down in a pronounced manner, and with the whack
come the words, ;," It's paid for!" We enter a.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

495

splendid cellar, the floor flagged evenly with large
stones from the extensive slate quarries near by.
The cane comes down on the floor, " It's paid lor!"
A large cistern across one side of the cellar, also
covered with large flat stones, receives another
whack— "It's paid lor!" We go upstairs; every
thing is substantial, neat as wax, and " paid for."
Although Mr. C. and his wife can not play on a
musical instrument, a costly piano graces the par-
lor, aud his hand comes down upon the keys—" It's
paid for!" So with the carriage, the horse, and the
woodpile—" It's paid for."

Mr. and Mrs. C.'s pride, though they ;ire so far ad-
vanced in years, seems to run to the raising of
nearly all the garden luxuries of ihe season. Early
aud late potatoes, fine strawberries, fruits of all
kinds, and last but not least, honey. Mr. C. has
kept bees for many years, having them in old box
hives; and, getting but little profit from them, they
were transferred to movable-frame hives. His cel-
lar has proved a fine repository for wintering, and
is the first one the Rambler ever saw where bees
were wintered near a large cistern. Though the
body of water is covered with a mouse-proof cover-
ing, there must be more or less humidity in the
air of the cellar; mold does not collect upon any
article. The bees keep very quiet, and usually
come out in excellent condition; and if there is any
loss it is from starvation or weakness when put in.

Mr. C. is very particular to place the hives up a
good distance from the floor. Nothing but flour-
barrels with boards placed across them will lie satis-
factory to him. His apiary runs up to about 50 col-
onies; and finding good sale for his strained honey,
an extractor was purchased, help obtained, and
several barrels were filled with the nectar. The
owner was much elated; and as every thing was
" paid for," the dollars that came in from the sales
jingled merrily in his pocket.

Jericho, this
has been <* fiji^t
Squeeze, W0Ui

BIG AND LITTLE END OF THE HORN IN BEE CUL-
TURE.

The bees were carefully put in the cellar in the
fall; but it was observed that the hives were not so
heavy as when box honey was raised. When spring
came, and the bees were put out, a greater portion
of them were dead, starved to death. This was a
lamentable affair, and Mr. C. characterized the
operation as going into the big end of the horn one
year and coming out at the little end the next year.
And this is not only the experience of our Quaker
friend, but of many others, among whom maybe
found the Kambler.

Friend R., we are very sorry to know that
your big friend came out at the little end
when he got to using the extractor; but,
judging from the picture, even the little end
of the horn must have been of pretty good
size. There is quite a moral that may be
gathered from that little sentence, " It is
paid for." I know full well of the satisfac-
tion and pleasant feeling it gives one to be
able to say when he has succeeded in getting
some work done to his notion, " It is paid
for ;" and I am afraid a good many of the
friends who read Gleanings lose a great
part of the enjoyment that God has prepar-
ed for us, simply because they go through
life with an uneasy and guilty feeling of
owning property, and using it, perhaps, day
after day, without its being " paid for.'1

DOUBLE BEE-STANDS.

R. F. HOLTERMANN OBJECTS TO THEM.

fOU will perhaps remember, that at our con-
vention in Columbus, Ohio, last autumu, I
objected to bee-stands being close together
in pairs. Perhaps the objection is not a
very strong one, as it consists only of this:
When a colony is made queenless on one stand it
will shortly after load up with honey and unite it-
self with its neighbor, they forming a long and un-
broken line into the next hive, if the stands touch
one another. Herein, perhaps, the bee shows
greater wisdom than man; for many queenless colo-
nies would perhaps be better united with one hav-
ing a queen than bolstered up; yet when other
aims are in view this trait is objectionable, and a
little greater distance will easily prevent the diffi-
culty. When, however, it comes to attaching the
two stands, I would say, most emphatically, no.
Perhaps such careful men as Dr. Miller, with years
of extensive experience, may be able to manipu-
late the one hire without jarring and irritating the
bees on the other; but how many bee-keepers have
not the capital that Dr. Miller has, and would get
the second colony in a very undesirable frame of
mind for handling. For this reason I think it ob-
jectionable that the general bee-keeper should have
a double stand in the apiary.

SECTIONS WRONG SIDE OUT, ETC.

It does appear extraordinary, when we think of
the simple facts required to be communicated to
some bee-keepers. The other day, in my travels
through the country I came across a bee-keeper
who was taking comb honey. The sections were
folded wrong side in, or wrong side out, whichever
way you prefer, and then the bee-spaces were turn-
ed the wrong way, to the side instead of top and
bottom. I begged for that crate, and told them I
was anxious to exhibit it at the Toronto Industrial
Exhibition, but I could not get it. But does it not
show us we are neglecting many simple facts in
bee-journals'? The individual I speak of had for
years taken one or more journals at a time. The
comb-honey venture is a comparatively new one.

Brantford, Can. R. F. Holtermann.

I decided years ago, just as you have done,
that I never wanted two hives attached to-
gether any more. I want each one on a
separate stand, and so arranged that I can
at any time walk clear around it.

496

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

.IlTNE

CENTIPEDES.

THEIR BITE, AND THE USE THE CHINESE MAKE OF
THEIR POISON.

SNR can not take up an ordinary paper or mag-
azine, and surrender his mind to it enough
for healthy recreation, without having his
spiritual tone depressed; but in Gleanings
T find recreation that tones up instead of
down. This comes of its treating secular matters
in a Christian spirit. A remark which a Chinese
Christian once made to me illustrates the difference
between a Christian and a heathen spirit. He said,
"You are always ready to impart information.
With us Chinese, what we know we keep to our-
selves; and if we are ignorant, we do not like to
ask others for information; for the one we ask
would not inform us correctly, but would only glory
over us because he knew more than we did."

But I started in to recreate on centipedes. These
hardly ever trouble us in our ordinary residences;
but at our seaside sanitoriura, where many of us
have to spend two or three of the hottest months,
they are quite an annoyance. In this semi-tropical
climate the centipede usually grows to be a little
longer and two-thirds as broad as one's middle fin-
ger; but it is a very flat creature, and a very strong
one too. I once put almost ray whole weight on
one, under the sole of my shoe; but when I took up
my foot it started off as lively as ever; and I once
saw a small one dragging off a gecko, many times
heavier than itself. Its body is made up of 21 seg-
ments, each of which has a pair of legs. How it
manages so many when running, I do not see; but
Dr. Whitney, who has dissected one, says that its
nervous system is very interesting. Each segment
has a nerve-center with a pair of white nerves run-
ning down into its pair of legs, while a central cord
connects all the segments with each other. Just
back of the head is a narrow segment, from the un-
der side of which grows a pair of nippers. These
are three-jointed. The last joint ends in a sharp
black point, while the first one expands into a poi-
son-bag. With us their bite is not dangerous, but
sometimes it is very painful. Much depends on the
person, the spot bitten, and the condition of the
centipede when he bites. In India, where they
grow to be a foot long, their nip may be really dan-
gerous. They are timid, and swift of foot, and live
in cracks and crevices. They have a habit of crawl-
ing about under cover, and hence they like to get
under the bed clothes; and when they happen to
get on to a person, they prefer the inside of his
clothes to the outside. One curious fact about them
is that they generally appear in pairs, which seem
to be attached to each other.

Several years ago I happened to be awake one
summer night, and heard our little daughter whim-
per in her sleep, saying, "That shell on my ear!"
Pretty soon she began to cry, and on looking we
found the marks of a centipede's nippers behind
her right ear. Fortunately it was not a severe bite.
But one morning, as Dr. Whitney was wiping his
face, a centipede, hidden in the towel, nipped him
about an inch and a half below his left eye. He
Buffered severe pain for over 24 hours, and the
place bitten was red and tender for weeks after-
ward. The deail centipede was pinned up on the
wall, and next morning its mate was found near
by it.
One morning last summer I suddenly discovered

a centipede under the breast of my coat. 1 jerked
the coat off in a hurry, and began slapping at the
hideous thing, which wriggled around over me so
fast that I missed it several times. At last I knock-
ed it off on to the floor behind me, and it dodged
down some crack so quickly that I never saw it
again. Had I succeeded in killing it its mate would
have hung around until it too was killed. But
when it escaped with its life, and had informed its
mate of its adventure, perhaps the pair agreed with
each other never again to go near a biped. Chick-
ens will kill centipedes, and the Chinese say that
" centipedes fear chickens, chickens fear snakes,
and snakes fear centipedes."

The Chinese use the centipede for medicine, on
the principle that one poison will combat another.
When a centipede has been killed they take a bam-
boo splinter of suitable length, sharpen the ends and
stick the points through the head and tail, and dry
the worm stretched to its utmost length. Just now
wishing one to examine, I bought one at a drug
store for a cent and a half, which, as thus stretched,
is 9 inches long— a monster for these parts.

TIGER-HEAD HORNETS, AND THEIR VINDICTIVE

TEMPERS.

Once four missionaries, an Englishman, a Scotch-
man, a Yankee, and myself, were on our way to
take a look at a famous Buddhist monastery on the
side of a mountain. We were walking up hill with
our Coolies and sedan-chairs following behind us,
when we spied a large hornets'-nest haugiug from
a small pine, about 50 feet from the road. The
hornets were about twice as big as any 1 ever saw
in America, and the Chinese called them "tiger-
head hornets." The Englishman proposed that we
knock the nest down, -while I advised them to let it
alone; but he began to look for stones, and the
Scotchman began to throw them. 1 started on. A
stone struck the tree, and immediately two or three
hornets came over to inspect us. I quickened my
steps; but the next stone hit the nest, and the
hornets came at the thrower as straight as a shot
from a gun. We all started to run up hill; and our
Coolies, half naked, seeing us running, came run-
ning after us, right into the midst of the angry
hornets. The Englishman, who was the prime
mover, did not get a single sting. I had a slight one,
the Yankee two severe ones. The Coolies also were
stung, and they said, "There is no heaven's justice
in this; we did nothing, and yet we got stung."
But the Scotchman was stung in six places, and was
in fearful pain for an hour or so. There was one
while that he fairly quivered from head to foot, like
one in an ague fit. The Chinese said it was a rash
thing to attack a nest of tiger-head hornets. They
had been known to sting a man to death. I asked
the Scotchman what he thought of the promise to
send hornets before the children of Israel. He re-
plied, that he thought the plan might have been
quite an effective one. J. E. Walkek.

Shao-wu, China, Jan. 26, 1889.

Thanks, friend W., for setting us right on
the centipede matter. Now, is there really
any virtue in these dry centipedes, kept for
sale at the Chinese drug-storesV Does the
poison have any such medical property as
the poison of the bee-stings? If so, why
don't the doctors simply save the contents
of the poison-bag, and not have a great hor-
rid-looking worm to be handled and given
store room? The tiger-head hornets you

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

497

speak of are probably something after the
fashion of the Apis clorsata. I have seen
our own hornets fly from their nests jnst as
you state, as straight and almost as swift as
a shot from a gun. Why in the world didn't
some of you caution the Coolies, instead of
letting them get stung in that way, when
they were entirely innocent? I should not
have blamed them if they had turned around
and commenced stoning the whole of you
wliite people — missionaries and all. We
should like to see one of those big hornets,
preserved in alcohol.

JlE/IDg 0F &WW

FROM DIFFERENT FIELD

WHY DO LAYING QUEENS DESERT THEIR HIVES
SOMETIMES, AND ENTER OTHERS?

AM sorry to inform you that I lost that nice
Italian queen you sent me last summer. I
had just got her a good colony built up in five
weeks from the time I got her, and she left her
hive and I found her one morning on the
alighting-board of another hive, on the opposite
side of my yard, with a lot of bees balled up on her,
about the size of a walnut, and they had killed her
before I found it out. I can't tell what possessed
her to leave her hive and go to another. I had her
in a hive that was painted white, and the one I
found her on was a marble-colored hive. I took
what eggs she had and gave them to some queen-
less hives, and got several queens; but none ever
produced as yellow, nice Italians as she did. She
never laid a drone egg while she stayed with me,
and of course the queens I got from her had to
meet the drones from my other bees, which were
not very good Italians. I want to get another
queen of you after a while, and try my luck again.
McDaniels, Ky., May 21, 1889. J. H. Hart.

I am aware that queens apparently in a
normal condition do sometimes get out of
their own hives, and go into an adjoining
one, or into some other hive in the apiary ;
but I have never been able to give any ex-
planation of it, more than that the colony
had swarmed some time when no one was
around; and the queen, not being able to
follow the bees, on account of a clipped
wing, or for some other cause, had crawled
along the ground, entered another hive, and
succeeded in displacing the reigning inmate.
If your queen's wing was clipped, this might
be the explanation.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT SUPERIOR TO THE COMMON
FOR HONEY.

I got one pound of Japanese buckwheat from you
in the spring of 188s. I sowed it on new land full of
roots, as I just took the timber off. I got over 3l/2
bushels of seed, much nicer and plumper than that
1 got from you. I had a few stalks of the old vari-
ety; and while the heads felt like chaff, the Jap-
anese was loaded with grain. I think this will take
the lead, and all others will go to the wall. I agree
with Prof. Cook as to its being a honey-producer,
for the bees worked on it all day, while they left
the other before noon. The great trouble with
buckwheat in this latitude, 44^°, is, if put in early,

the hot weather will blast it; if put in later, early
frost will catch it. But with the Japanese, both are
obviated. I prepare my ground as I would for
oats, and sow not more than a peck to an acre.
You will get more grain from that amount, on an
acre, than any larger amount. Try it as I have,
and be convinced. L P. Cousins.

New London, Wris . May 27, 1889.

WHO IS THE IUGHTFUL OWNER OF THE SWARM?

I should like your opinion as to the rightful own-
ership of a swarm of bees. I have 33 colonies of
bees, probably three times as many as the whole
neighborhood within a range of three miles. One
of my neighbors found a swarm on my place, about
half a mile from my bees, on an apple-tree, and
came to me to get a hive and borrow my bee-veil
and smoker. Now, in all probability the bees were
mine, and to say the least I thought it looked a lit-
tle cheeky. Now, who was the rightful owner— the
man who found them or the man whose place they
were found on? G. F. Steeves.

Panama, Neb., May 11, 1889.

As you state it, the bees are yours, with-
out question. The old clause in our laws
that applied to bees found in a forest would
not apply to a swarm of bees found in one
of your own apple-trees on your own prem-
ises. Any justice or any jury in the land
would decide the matter in this way, with-
out any question.

THE GOLDEN BEE-HIVE, AGAIN.

The " Golden " bee-hive, shown up by Gleanings
a few years since, has made its appearance in our
midst, sold by one Pickerls. Has the fellow a pat-
ent on this hive or not? None of our intelligent
bee-men buy said hive, but find voluminous objec-
tions thereto. Ten dollars for family right is the
small tax he requires, and some pay it. Amite Co.,
Mississippi, paid about $1500 for its use.

W. F. Roberts, M. D.

Clinton, La., May 21, 1889.

It is not worth while to inquire whether
there is a patent on the Golden bee-hive or
not. It has been reported as a humbug and
swindle for ten or fifteen years past, and
every one who hears of it should take pains
to post people in reference to it. The opera-
tions of those who have it in hand are fully
given in our back volumes. You had better
let patent hives alone entirely. I think
every intelligent honey-producer at the
present day will second this advice. See
extract from DadamVs new book, on the first
page of editorial matter in last issue.

FEEDING in spring, etc.

1. What is best to feed in spring to stimulate
brood-rearing?

2. How much should be fed each night?

3. Will such feeding pay?

4. Do you think honey-boards or separators are
any hindrance to the bees? Lester Jodson.

East Sidney, N. Y,

1. The best feed to give the bees in the
spring, for stimulating, is granulated-sugar
syrup ; but from motives of economy it is
better to give them combs containing old or
dark honey, or if you have some old extract-
ed that is not salable. First heat it, to
make sure that you kill all germs, and then

498

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

June

feed it back to the bees. During the spring
you can give the bees almost any thing they
Will take. A great deal of old surplus, or
sweets of any kind, can be used to good ad-
vantage. 2. We would advise yon to feed
about a pound daily until they are supplied.
3. If you wish to produce comb or extracted
honey, or even to sell bees by the pound,
such stimulative feeding will pay, provided
the natural sources fail. 4. Our best au-
thorities agree that honey-boards and tin
separators are no hindrance to the bees. If
they are a hindrance, certainly no one is
able to observe it to any appreciable extent.

MOVINH BEES UNDER RISKY CIRCUMSTANCES.

I had 30 hives moved 3 miles on a warm day, the
3 -1th inst., and there was scarcely a hive from which
bees could not crawl out at poorly fastened en-
trances or warped corners. Bees were flying when
each load arrived home. Horses were not stung
that we know of, and the bees did not sting me. I
used a veil for only a few minutes. I was scared
when the first load arrived, but found no harm was
done. I was not along. G. F. Ayres.

Atherton, Ind., May 33, 1889.

It is almost a wonder that you succeeded
as well as you did, under the circumstances.
We would not advise you to try the experi-
ment again, if you value your horse and
wagon.

ABSCONDING AND COMING BACK.

On Sunday, May 5, 1 had a very large colony of
hybrids, two-thirds Italians, swarm. There was no
one at home at the time to hive them, I being at
church. They hung on a limb for over two hours,
and finally went away. They stayed away for
three days, when, lo and behold! on Wednesday
they came back and clustered on the next tree.
Having nothing prepared at the time, I took a
band-box, cut some holes in it, and put it on a pole
about 2,) feet long, and got them down into the old
hive. Then I put a piece of perforated zinc in front
to keep the queen in. In another day or two they
came out and clustered on a vine near by; but the
queen not being able to get out also, they soon
went back. I then went to work and divided them.
I know that these bees must be mine, because no
one else has any Italian bees around here. Please
let me know if you have any bees that cut up such
capers. J. C. Herbener.

Portsmouth, Va., May 18, 1889.

Thanks, friend II. I have heard of
swarms going off and coming back again.
They probably discovered, after they had
commenced housekeeping, that their move
was rather premature ; and rather than
starve to death they wisely decided to go
back and stay a while longer in the old hive.

THE HONEY CHOP TOR CALIKOHN1A AN ENTIHE
FAILURE.

The honey crop of California will be nearly an
entire failure this season, owing to those two dry
mouths during January and February. We have
also had too much cool, unfavorable weather. I
visited friend Wilkin on the 35th. His bees are in
fine condition, but not much honey gathered.
Rather discouraging, but we are getting accustom-
ed to bad seasons. Our good seasons repay consid-
erably for losses. M. H. Mendleson.

Ventura, Cal., May 27, 1889.

"BOOMING."

Bees are booming here now, and we are having
lots of fun hiving them. The clovers are just com-
ing nicely into bloom, to keep raspberries and lo-
custs company, which 1 never saw before— the
three in bloom at one time. Clover is fully ten
days earlier than last year, and it bids fair to give
us a fine lot of honey. Sumac and basswood are
well budded, and promise well. Oh how different
from last year! A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

0a^ QaEgJFi0N-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

Ali queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 130.— Wliat special means, if any, do you
use to (jet the hees t<> work on sections?

None. A. B. Mason.

Fill them with foundation. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Plenty of bees and honey seem to be necessary.

P. H. Elwood.
I have no trouble to get them to work when they
are in proper condition to do so. Geo. Ghimm.

Put a few sections into the super that has comb
in it. E. France.

Put in the center of the first super a section
which has had honey in it before. C. C. Miller.

Get all the brood-frames as close together as pos-
sible, so as to leave just enough space for the Lees
between each comb. Paul L. Viallon.

a. Contract; b. Reverse frames; c. Put comb in
sections; d. Put little drone brood in sections. I
do not use the same now. A. J. Cook.

Get the combs below filled with brood; then when
the honey comes, the bees must take it to the sec-
tions, as they have nowhere else to put it.

G. M. Doolittle.
If the colonies are populous, and each section is
properly filled with foundation, they will usually
occupy the sections if the flow of honey is good.

L. C. Root.
With large hives full of worker combs, and prolif-
ic queens, after a good wintering and an early breed-
ing, we have never seen bees refusing to work in the
surplus apartment if a few combs are placed in it.

Uadant & Son.
There are no other means to make bees work in the
surplus boxes than a flow of honey, and the fact that
the brood-chamber is about filled. A piece of comb or
foundation, from top to bottom, in each one of the
section boxes, serving the bees as a ladder to run
up on, is an inducement. C. F. Muth.

I get the brood-chamber full of bees and brood by
the beginning of the honey-flow. That is all that is
necessary- I rather prefer, though, to have the
first honey gathered stored in a set of extracting-
combs. Some bees will begin to work more readily
ou empty combs, and they work to better advan-
tage on them when honey is coming in slowly. I
would not use these, though, if the honey-season
began with a rush. James A. Green.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

499

There is something about this question that is to
me very suggestive. The bees are more reasonable
in this matter than some apiarists seem to be. They
will not store their honey up in a garret so long as
they can take better care of it downstairs. When
the conditions are favorable, and honey is plentiful,
they will take possession of the surplus apartment,
and you can't keep them out, even if you should
try. If you think you can, try it some time and re-
port your success. H. K. Boardman.

I do not keep bees that need special measures to
make them put honey in the sections, when there is
any to put there. If I kept such, possibly T might
insert a chunk of young brood in one of the sec-
tions. As for putting on half a dozen sections,
bees and all, from a better colony, I don't believe I
should do that. My sections of empty comb left
from last year I divide up among the different col-
onies, and put them in the center, directly over the
brood. This is to some extent an inducement to go
above. E. E. Hasty.

This question seems a queer one to me, and, an-
swered trom my standpoint, my answer may seem
strange to you. My bees never falter in entering
the surplus apartments, at storing time, for either
comb or extracted honey, the moment the flow fur-
nishes any surplus, provided, of course, the colonies
are of normal strength. Now, >ou may put your
question to me again, to know what means I have
used to bring about this condition of affairs, which
does not seem to exist in every apiary, I take it,
from your question and others similar. In the first
place, I carefully breed my bees for honey-gather-
ing and comb-building qualities or propensities. I
study the shape, size, and manipulation of my
brood-chamber iu connection with this important
feature; also the surplus apartment to some extent.

James Heddon.

It seems to me that friend Heddon and
some others rather ignore the need of get-
ting bees to commence work promptly. I
have seen a colony cluster on the outside of
the hive when honey was coming in at its
best. An examination of the combs showed
that they did not gather a pound a day,
while other colonies not as strong would
gather six or eight pounds a day ; and this
same colony that had been thus wasting its
time, when they once got started would
store eight or ten pounds in 24 hours. When
bees get the swarming mania they are quite
apt to act in this way, and a swarm will
sometimes persist in hanging idly outside
and sometimes inside of the hive, instead of
going to work. I have made such com-
mence business by driving them into the
hive with a smoker— at least, they com-
menced after being well smoked, and I sup-
pose that smoking gave them the hint.
Where a newly hived swarm deports itself
in this matter, it is pretty evident that they
are dissatisfied— may be because they had
picked out a tree, and were bound to go to
the tree instead of staying where they were.
A new swarm that does not go to work is
very apt to turn up missing some time dur-
ing the day. Now, I am not sure that I can
prove it conclusively, but I am pretty well
satisfied that a frame of brood is quite an
inducement for such a swarm to go inside
and commence comb-building. When you

get them under way, of course they will go
to work in surplus boxes or anywhere else.

Question 131.— a. In tiering up supers, should the
empty one '»■ put under or over the one partly full/ b.
If you practice hoth ways, tell when ymi put under and

when over.

Over. O. O. Poppleton.

Under. A. B. Mason.

Under. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Under. P. H. Ei/wood.

Put the empty ones over. L. C. Hoot.

I have always put it under. I do not know that it
is always wise to do so. It works well with me.

A. J. Cook.

I have practiced both ways. All things consider-
ed, I prefer placing the empty ones on top, every
time. H. K. Boardman.

I always put the empty ones below the partly fill-
ed; but before adding I get the first case at least
three-fourths full. P. L. Viallon.

I do not practice tiering up, believing that there
is a better way. As usually done, the empty super
is put under the other, when the first is full.

G. M. Doolittle.

Bees work downward, as a rule. Empty supers
should always be put under supers which are al-
most finished, and not until they are almost finish-
ed. Otherwise the upper super will remain unfin-
ished longer than is desirable. C. F. Muth.

a. Sometimes under, sometimes over. b. In a
heavy yield I put the second under; and, in gener-
al, so long as 1 am almost sure all will be filled. If
I am not sure more are needed or will be filled, or
in general toward the close of the honey-How, I
put the empty one on top. C. C. Miller.

Under, by all means. If you think it unlikely that
another super will be completed, you might put the
empty one on top; but in that case I would much
rather use a set of extracting combs. This method
saves all the honey, and avoids the expensive nui-
sance of a lot of unfinished sections.

James A. Green.

We nearly always put the empty super under the
one partly full. If the honey in the super is mostly
sealed over it should be raised, and the second put
underit; but if thesupcr is only partly filled, and an-
other has to be given, owing to a very large yield,
the second one maybe put on top; but the other
way is the better one. Dadant & Son.

When I have a super from half to three-fourths
filled I put an empty super under, if I expect the
honey-fiow to last a few days longer. But, as in
the case of the basswood harvest being nearlyover,
then don't disturb the super that is partly filled; let
them finish that. One super well filled is worth
more than two partly full. E. France.

I use mostly wide frames holding two courses of
sections, and they never need tiering up to carry
the crops gathered here. If I used crates, and
wanted to put on a second one, I should put it over.
I have confidence in my bees that they would go up
if it were best to do so. Whereas, if I put their
half 'finished work up stairs, the danger of its being
left unfinished until they began to carry the honey
down would be too great. E. E. H asty.

500

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

a. The empty ones should he put over, and should
be put on before the lower ones are ready to seal,
except at the very close of the season, when great
care should be taken not to add sections until the
others are sufficiently filled to insure their being-
sealed, even if the season should suddenly close.
I used to put the empty ones under the others, but
found that I often got left with a great many un-
finished sections on my hands— an evil which I now
almost entirely avoid. Geo. Grimm.

As a rule, the partially filled one should be raised
up and the empty one placed in under. There are
several reasons for this. Prominent among them is
the fact that Ihe bees are not as apt to soil
some of the combs before all of them are finished.
I advise as above. Remember, that in this feature
of our business every thing is against us in the
fact that, as the room decreases, the colony in-
creases. It is like two men going toward each oth-
er. They meet almost before they know it.

James Heddon.

It has been so much my habit to put the
case of empty sections under the full one,
that I have hardly tried any other plan, al-
though it is true I have often had just the
result mentioned by several above; i.e., a
great lot of sections with a little start, and
may be a little honey in a good many of
them.

Question 132.— I have a number of combs every
spring ( from dead colonies) that T wish to keep clear of
moths and worms till they ran be used at swarming
time. What is the best wan to manage them .'

Put them into a tight room, and brimstone them
occasionally. P. H. Elwood.

I have always saved mine by inserting them in
strong colonies. O. O. Poppleton.

Put them into a perfectly close box, early in
spring. A. J. Cook.

Leave them where they will freeze during the
winter, and you will have no difficulty in keeping
them until swarming time. H. K. Boaiidman.

Here it is one of the hardest things to do. The
best way is to put them on top of strong colonies.
This refers to this part of the country, where our
bees need no winter protection. P. L. Viadlon.

If hung in a cool airy place, leaving two or more
inches between each comb, you should have no
trouble from this source up to swarming time. If
you do, put them in a tight box or room, and sul-
phur them. G. M. Doolittle.

Hang them up in a shed or other out-building,
with at least two inches space between the frames;
or put them in a hive, in a like shape; raise the
cover so as to admit the light; catch one or two
spiders and place in each hive.

Mus. L. Harrison.

The best way with me has been to hang them at
least an inch apart, in a dry cool place. If the
place is damp, the combs will mold. T have kept
them in a dry warm place (the barn chamber) in the
same way. A. B. Mason.

Hang them in a closed room, and burn a little
sulphur under them at least twice, at intervals of
15 days. Ours are placed in cold rooms during win-

ter, and we have bad, for years, several thousands
of them used for extracting. Dadant & Son.

Clean them up by scraping off all dirt and propo-
lis from the frames, and cut out all bad patches
from the comb. I put them into empty hives ready
for hiving, and find there is no danger from moths
if used during the first season. If they have to be
kept over for another season they should be put on
strong colonies, to be thoroughly cleaned.

Geo. Grimm.

I keep them in a dry cool place. They should not
be piled so that one comb rests against another. If
well spread out, the moth is much less likely to dis-
turb them. Such as contain pollen or portions of
brood should be kept by themselves and examined
more frequently, as they are more liable to be at-
tacked by the moth. They may be fumigated with
sulphur if worms appear. L. C. Root.

I can do it best by piling them on top of other col-
onies, especially the stronger ones. If taken off
here in the winter, and piled up in supers outdoors,
leaving the combs three-fourths of an inch apart,
they suffer but little damage from moth before T
need them the next season. Placing them in a
moth-proof room, and smoking thoroughly with
sulphur, is effectual but more costly. R. Wilkin.

We have a plastered room 10 feet square, in which
we put all such combs; look at them as often as
once a week, after warm weather commences; and
if we see any signs of worms we go down cellar and
burn one pound of sulphur in a little stove that we
have there for that purpose. The fumes go up
into the room above through a four-inch pipe. If
the room is closed tight, every living thing in the
room is killed; then if the room is kept closed tight
we have no further trouble. We used to smoke
combs in a large box, before we built our smoke-
room. E. France.

if you can discover the dead colony soon enough,
provided they die early enough, expose the combs
to a temperature of 16 below freezing, which will be
16 above zero; that will kill every moth-germ. Then
all you have to do is to shut the combs away from
the miller. On the other hand, if the germs are not
destroyed, my plan is to keep the combs in a cool,
airy room, hanging them on rabbeted strips nailed to
the ceiling, being careful not to let them touch
each other. Leave them an inch apart. You will
find in this condition the moths will make you no
perceptible trouble. James Heddon.

I hang my combs in boxes, no closer together
than they hang in the hives, exposed to the cold of
winter, which kills the eggs and larvse of the wax-
moth. Care must be taken to keep mice out, as
they will ruin the combs in their endeavor to get at
the bee-bread. If the wax-moth gets in the combs
before I can put them on hives, I set those boxes of
combs close, one upon the other, about 10 high on a
tight board, and burn about one-fourth pound of
sulphur placed in some vessel (an old pie-plate) in
an upper empty box, and cover it up. Sulphur
fume being heavier than air, settles down slowly
but surely, and kills every moth in the combs.

C. F. Muth.

Nail strips of wood to the ceiling or rafters of
your honey-house, so that the combs will hang on
them just as they do in the hives. Hang them up,
as far apart as convenient, exposed fully to light

i88&

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

soi

and air, and the moth will seldom trouble them. I
have kept empty combs thus through two summers,
without any loss. If worms do get into a few
combs they maybe detected at once and sulphured,
either where they are or by removal to a tight box.
Never try to keep combs out of sight in empty
hives or comb-closets. The warmth, darkness, and
nearness together of the combs will invite the rav-
ages of the moth-worm. It is almost impossible to
keep them out altogether, and under such circum-
stances they increase so rapidly that, unless the
combs are looked after almost daily, they are never
safe, and maybe completely ruined withia a very
few days after they seemed all right.

James A. Green.
Keep them in a cool cellar, and the worms are not
likely to trouble till it grows warm. Then put a
queen-excluder over a colony hardly strong enough
for supers; pile on empty combs three or four
stories high, and put a frame or two of brood in the
upper tier. Perhaps the best way is to put the
combs in a hive, put this hive on a stand under the
colony, so that the bees must pass through these
combs to go in and out the hive. You can put them
there as early in the season as you please, for it
costs the colony no heat. If there is any honey in
the combs, look out for robbers by giving very
small entrance. Even then jou may need to watch.
But you can feel sure a colony of Italians will keep
the worms down. C. C. Miller.

I have a nice comb-closet, double-walled and
sawdust-packed, in which combs are put and fumi-
gated with sulphur; and when I don't get around
in time, the worms destroy a jolly lot of them in
there. Sometimes a set of combs gets left in a hive
in the yard for the whole season, in the care of ants
and spiders, and I find they usually do a very fair
job at it. Perhaps there is a hint worth heeding
there. In the usual careless way of burning sul-
phur, one third melts and runs down into the coals
and ashes; one third merely sublimes, instead of
burning as it should, and only one third (often very
much less than that, I fear) is properly converted
into gas. There should be a tin tube running from
the outside, through which the Are can be steadily
blown with the smoker. E. E. Hasty.

The above replies cover the whole ground
so thoroughly 1 hardly need add any thing
to them. I want to thank friend Hasty,
however, for calling our attention to the
fact that letting sulphur run down into the
ashes is not burning it ; neither is making
it pass off in vapor, or (as he terms it) sub-
liming it, burning. Where much sulphur is
to be burned, I do think it would pay to
have some sort of an implement that would
make thorough work of it, and convert
every bit of the sulphur into sulphurous
acid. It seems to me that some sort of
utensil could be arranged, with draft enough
so as to obviate the necessity of blowing it
with a bellows. Can any one tell us more
about it? As a rule, I believe that combs
will be safe from the depredations of moth
if hung up in the open air a couple of inch-
es apart, as has been suggested by many.
Perhaps if there were much pollen in the
combs, however, tins might make a differ-
ence; for I believe, as friend Muth sug-
gests, that pollen is the principal food of the
moth worm. Another trouble about hang-

ing them up in the open air is, that if they
contain a little honey they will incite rob-
bing. Where bees are destitute of propolis,
they will often gnaw to pieces the combs,
when convenient of access. On this ac-
count I should prefer a room, not only to
keep out the moth, but to keep out rubbers
and all other insects.

^NgWERg TO QaE^TieNfs

FROM OUR ABC CLASS.

This department is designed primarily to cover questions
either not already answerc d in the A B C of Bee Culture (price
in cloth $ 1.25), or. if incorporated in this work, air here dwelt
upon more in detail on account of the importance of the
question. While these answers are of vital interest to the
A BC scholars, they will doubtless be found, in many in-
stances, to lie of considerable value to the more advanced
student. For lack of space, the question itself, instead of be-
ing directly stated, is omitted, the same being implied in the
answer. It is hoped that the class will first consult their
text hook before sending in their questions.

G. G. G., Pennsylvania.— Situated as you are, and
as in old age you can not climb trees, we would not
advise you to allow swarming. Your better way
would bo to divide. Read the article on Artificial
Swarms, and also Dividing, in the ABC.

J. C. G., Virginia.— To get the largest return in
extracted honey, you should not prevent your bees
from swarming entirely, but you may discourage it
largely. Give the bees plenty of room and shade.
Do not let them got at all cramped for room. For
alter orsecond swarming, keep the cells all cut out
but one. See Question-Box for last issue.

honey statistics.
H. W. B., Virginia.— The Honey - Producers' Ex-
change, gotten up by eastern bee-keepers, will in
no way conflict or interfere with the usual statistics
for Gleanings. Both will be found to be useful to
bee-keepers at large.

shipment of queens, and our guarantee.

E. B , Ontario.— We do not guarantee any of our
queens beyond safe delivery, because stock of all
kinds, whether queen-bees, or cows and horses, are
liable to deteriorate at any time after delivery into
purchaser's hands, the breeder himself not being in
any way responsible for the result, if it can be
proven that the stock was healthy at the time of
sale.

sawdust in place of chaff; its value as an
absorbent.
W. B, M.— Sawdust will answer in lieu of chaff, in
chaff hives. The only objection to it that we know
of is that it makes the hive just so much heavier to
lift. There is this to be said about chaff, however,
that it is lighter, and more porous. O. O. Poppleton
rather gives the preference to dry pine sawdust,
next to timothy chaff.

HOW TO RAISE PURE ITALIAN QUEENS IN LOCALI-
TIES WHERE THERE ARE BLACK DRONES
FLYING.

J. N. P.— Yes, you caa secure purer queens by bill-
ing off your neighbors' drones by means of the
drone-trap, if they (the neighbors) are willing. It
is possible that you may be able to raise pure
queens; but to do so, see that all drone brood is de-
stroyed, and that all the Hying drones are captured
in the trap. In the meantime, raise as many Ital-
ian drones as you can.

■502

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JUNE

THE DOVETAir. ON THE NEW HIVE NOT A DOVETAIL
IN A STRICT SENSE, BUT STRONG ENOUGH.

H. F. H.— The dovetail on the new hive is not a
dovetail in the strict sense of the word. It is just
the same as the dovetail on the sections, only on a
larger scale. It would be impossible to make a
true dovetail, and make the hive cheap enough to
be used by ordinary beekeepers; but when the
present joint is strong1 euough to hold a man's
weight on its diagonally opposite corners, what
need have we of a stronger corner?

WHY BEES DO NOT GATHER HONEY SOMETIMES.

L. L , Arkansas.— The reason, doubtless, why your
bees are not doing anything is because there is
nothing in the tields for them to gather— or, at
least, not at the time you mention in your letter.
There are only certain times in the year when bees
can gather honey and store surplus. A good deal
depends on your locality. If you consult some old
bee-keeper in your vicinity he will tell you when
you may probably extract honey; but there are ex-
ceptions to all periods, when the honey-tiow is usu-
ally pretty good.

I. F., Tennessee.— The reason why your bees ap-
pear crosser at one time than at another is due,
perhaps, altogether to the difference in conditions,
both in weather and time of day at which you make
your examinations. When the weather is a little
chilly, or after a rain, or toward evening, or when
honey has suddenly ceased coming in, the bees are
apt to be cross. As we judge you have the ABC
book, please read the article on stings; also "Anger
of Hees." After having read these you can better
judge of the proper time to examine and handle
your bees.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SET OUT HONEY - PLANTS IN

SUCH ROTATION AS TO KEEP THE BEES BUSY

THROUGH THE SEASON?

G. D., Australia.— It is barely possible, but hardly
practicable or feasible, to grow honey-plants in
such rotation as to keep the bees busy from one
season's end to the other. We have experimented
in this matter quite largely, and we find that it does
not pay to set out those honey-plants which do not
yield any other revenue than the honey they may
furnish the bees. We have been in the habit of
recommending, for several years back, setting out
only those plants which will pay in the seed crop,
providing the blossoms should yield little or no
nectar. Buckwheat and alsike are both tolerably
safe investments.

IS IT FOUL BROOD, OR CHILLED BROOD?

I. N. H., Ohio.— It is possible that you have foul
brood, although from your brief description we can
not say for certain about it. We have sent you our
A II C of Bee Culture. Please read the article on
foul brood. You can tell very quickly whether you
have the disease, by a careful comparison of the
symptoms. We would advise you not to be in too
great a hurry to decide. During the last few days,
a ji'ood deal of chilled brood has been reported, and
we have had more or less of it in our own apiaries.
This brood, of course, dies, and sometimes causes
beginners to think that tbey have foul brood. Be
sure not to confound the two. Chilled brood is
simply brood that has died and shrunken. There
is no ropiness about it, and it does not turn brown,
as does foul brood.

WILL THE WIND BLOW OFF SUPERS WITH SQUARE
EDGES? HOW TO MAKE A ?sINCH GROOVE.

W. P. D., North Carolina.— No serious trouble has
been experienced from supers blowing off, having
square edges. The bees will soon stick them with
propolis, so they will hold their position. This kind
of super has been used for a good many years, and
little if any trouble has been reported on this score.
Making a projection, or a telescopic joint, for dove-
tailed supers, would be only adding to the expense
of the hive, with but little if any thing to its gener-
al utility. To make a "8 groove on a 14-inch man-
drel, use a wabble saw. One of your common saws
will do, used in connection with wabble washers,
which we sell for 25 cts. a pair. There is no cutter-
head nor combination of saws that will make a 78
cut as nicely and easily as the wabble saw. By the
use of the washers spoken of, any of our common
mandrels can be readily adapted to it.

DISINFECTANTS, NONE RECOMMENDED BUT BOILINO
WATER.

A. C, New York.— We have very little faith in
any thing to clean hives of any kind, of the germs
of foul brood, except boiling hot water. We have
tried acids and such other disinfectants as are usu-
ally effective in other maladies. Even hives that
have never been disinfected at all, will sometimes
contain a new healthy colony for four or Ave
months before transmitting the disease to its occu-
pants. There is a great liability of making mistakes
in testing any remedies or disinfectants, for the
very reason that it may be months and months be-
fore the hive would impart the disease, even with-
out any disinfectant. We feel quite sure you will
have further trouble, in a year or so. We experi-
mented very largely in this matter of disinfecting
hives, and have tested diseased hives that have nev-
er been treated at all— the latter not showing a
trace of the disease in the occupants for six months
after the old diseased colony had been removed.

why the bees sometimes carry out young
brood; a striped worm.
L. L. C, Virginia.— At this season of the year, par-
ticularly after cold freezing spells, it is nothing
uncommon to find a few immature young bees and
larvae carried out at the entrance. Their presence
at the entrance may be due to either one of two
causes. First, they may be what we would call
chilled brood. Warm weather coming on early in
the season, the queer! enlarges beyond the capacity
of the workers, and during a sharp cold spell, later
on, the brood, some of it, chills. The cluster of
bees always draws up a little closer during a freeze,
and thejT not infrequently' compress beyond the
outside limits of some of the brood. Second, it is
possible that the colony is on the verge of starva-
tion; and as brood-rearing consumes stores rapidly,
the bees, to diminish the consumption, sacrifice the
brood by carrying it out rather than to sacrifice the
whole colony. There is one other reason why bees
carry out young brood; but it seldom happens, ex-
cept among hybrids and blacks; that is the ravages
of the moth worm. Where the colony has nearly
been used up by bee moths, mutilated larv;v in all
stages will be found near the entrance every morn-
ing. The great worm with dark gray stripes around
its body, which you mention, we feel pretty sure had
nothing to do with the dead brood at the entrance.
Tts appearance was only a coincidence, we think.—
May 2, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

503

]\[ote£ TijYD Queried

We solicit for this department short items and questions o£
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

THE MINORCAN BEES.

'ILL you please inform rae about Minorcan
queens or bees? Are tbey docile, like the
] talians, or are they like the blacks? What
race of bees are they? Are they any good?
Bees are working on maple; no winter

lOSS. JOSIAH EASTBURN.

Fallsiogton, Bucks Co., Pa., Apr. 8, 1889.

[Not much is yet known respecting the Minorcan
bees and queens. Mr. F. F. Andreu, of Port Mahon,
Island of Minorca, Spain, says they are fairly good-
behaviored bees, though, if we are correct, not
quite so gentle as the Italians nor so vindictive as
the Eastern bees. They arc fairly prolific. Mr.
Andreu can furnish such particulars as you require.
He writes English.]

BEES JUST BOOMING.

Bees are just booming out here. I have had two
swarms, and every hive in the yard is working in
the sections. John Blodget.

Flag Springs, Mo., May 25, 1889.

SNAKE IN A BEE-TREE.

Not long since I found a bee- tree; and when I cut
it, in the hollow with the bees I found a good large
black snake, but very few bees, and no honey.
From the looks of the comb I thought they must
have gone in the tree last season. S. L. Medlin.

Moltke, Teun., May 18, 1889.

feeding inside or odt of tqe hive.

How far away from my two hives must I put syr-
up to feed them (I suspect their honey is getting
s jarce), so that they won't begin to " rob ?"

Red Creek, N. Y. A. D. McIntosh.

[Do not put the syrup outside at all. Put it in a
pan, or, better, a regular feeder inside of the hive.
If there is not room in the hive, put on another
super or body, and place the feeder on the frames.]

WHY ARE BEES CROSS DUIUNG SWARMING TIME?

Why is it that bees are so cross in swarming this
year? I never had trouble before. 1 know of oth-
ers the same way. 1 have the Italian bee. They
have been well fed this spring, and they are strong
and healthy. W. N. George.

Mechanicstown, O., May 30, 18811.

Lit" you have had such weather during the month
of May as we have had here, I do not wonder that
the bees are cross. A great part of the time it has
been too cold for the bees to fly, and too cold for
them to secrete honey, besides being rainy to an
unusual extent. Cold storms always cut off the
honey-supply, and make the bees cross.]

HIVING IN 30 SECONDS.

Prepare a one-story hive by lightly nailing the
bottom to it with large entrance; leave out the
frames. Prepare a one-story hive with frames for
the bees to occupy. Place all convenient to where
the bees have settled; shake the bees into a large-
mouthed tin pan; dump them into the story with-
out frames; place the one with frames on top of it;
tap lightly on it and the bees will go up into it, and
the work is done. I was timed, a week or two ago,
and I hived a swarm in 30 seconds.

HornhilL Texas, May 17, 1889. G. L. Jennings,

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 81.00 to $1.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice, we have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off, Silver Keys. The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in aBar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, arid a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

MY BROTHER'S BEES.

My brother has six stands of bees. He got 128
pounds of honey last year. We ate over half of it,
and sold the rest. Maud Chadwick, age 10.

Lorings, Kan.

turkeys.

I saw your notice in Gleanings. I don't know
much about bees, so I'll write about turkeys. Every
one knows that they are easily drowned, and they
must be kept out of the water when they are little.
This fact every person may not know: That some
who have the best success in raising them feed
them quite often broken dishes pounded into small
pieces. Martha Wright, age 11.

Cooperdale, O., Feb. 26, 1889.

BEES AND TURKEYS.

Papa had 120 colonies last fall. He doubled up
some of the weak ones, and now has 114. He makes
his own foundation with the machine he bought of
you. We also raise turkeys. We have the bronze,
and we have a pair of wild ones. Last year we
raised some half-bloods that weighed 20 lbs. when
six months old. They were the finest in the mar-
ket. The wild ones are the prettiest, and will tly
much higher aud further. Ray C. Johnson.

Venice Center, Mich., Mar. 6, 1889.

SWEET POTATOES, HOW TO KEEP.

Father has been keeping bees for 20 years. He
caught his first swarm when he was 16 years old.
The winter of 1870 they all died, and last winter all
died but three stands. He has eight stands now.
He uses Simplicity hives. I believe it is not gener-
ally known that sweet potatoes wrapped in paper,
each one by itself, and kept in a dry place, free
from frost, will keep all winter.

Oxbow, Ills. Albert Forrest, age 13.

A SNAIL AND A "POISON THING."

Papa hasn't any bees, and so I can not write
about them, only that he is going to get some as
soon as he can. One day I found a snail. It was
all like glue, and had a cap on^his head; and it
could raise it up and stick its head out. I liked to
watch it crawl. My sister and I went to get some
wood, and we found a poison thing. G It had two
feet in front, like a crab's feet, and had a tail, on the

504

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

end of which was a curl, and papa says that they
kill people. Gkacie Paddock, age 9.

Luck}- Queen, Oregon, May 29, 1889.

We are a little curious to know more
about that " poison thing " which you men-
tion. Ask your papa the name of it, and
tell us in your next letter.

THE CriAPMAN HONEY-PLANT; HOW TO GET THE
SEED FROM THE BALLS.

I want to ask you how to hull the seed out of the
chaff of the Chapman honey-plant. Wc don't know
how to get the seed out of the chaff. The bees work
strong- on the halls. I was a bee-man all last sum-
mer. Pa has been sick. We grot 27 swarms; 1 went
to the woods. We got 85 lbs. of honey last summer.
It was a poor season for bees here.

Montieello. Ind. Howard Whitcher, age 11.

It is a very difficult matter to get the seed
out of the hulls, without a machine. The
only machine we know of is owned by Mr.
Chapman himself, of Versailles, N. Y. He
has described it in one of our back volumes,
but you might write him in regard to it.

no calf to kick over hives.

1 am ten years old. I like to read the letters In
Gleanings. I lo%'e to go to school. AVe have a
dear good teacher. She is not cross, as that other
boy said his teacher is. We keep several hives of
bees, but we have no calf to kick them over; but
we have an old horse. He got near them, and they
began to sting him. He ran away, and hid behind
the stable; but the bees soon found him and stung
him very badly. George Tegmeier.

Carpenter, 111., Mar. 29, 1889.

POLLEN FROM PUSSY WILLOW.

1 will write you about bees. The first pollen I
saw our bees fetch in was the first of March. It
was from what we call pussy wTillow. We have 120
swarms of bees. We have not lost very many yet,
but we have doubled some that were too small. We
have had two fertile workers. The way we get rid
of them is to put a heavy swarm with them that
has got a good queen.

SWEET POTATOES.

We tried Mr. Root's plan of cutting sweet pota-
toes in two, and they all rotted for us.

Chas. Chapman.

bees in germany.

My father has two apiaries, one in Germany and
one in this city. I was in Germany two years ago,
in Ottersberg, Hanover. I noticed that there are
more bee-keepers there than in any place else. The
hives they have there are made of straw, which they
claim are the best. I have also seen the Graven-
horst " bogenstulper." My father keeps his bees
on Simplicity frames. He has a house apiary large
enough for a hundred of these hives. He has the
light hives like the Simplicity hives, in Germany.
My father has your A B C. T love to read it. Our
bees are all gathering pollen, and we are going to
move them to the country about Aprill5.

Jersey City, N. J. Anna Blanton age 11.

SAWDOST.PACKING AROUND THE BEES,.

My sisters, two of them, tried to keep a hive of
bees through the winter. Papa had a sawmill then,
and they went down and.'got some'sawdust and put
it all around the hive and, covered it up, and they
kept them through the winter, and in the summer

papa sold the bees. One winter day my sister and
I went out where the bees were, and they were on
the ground, frozen, and we took them into the
house and laid them on the stove-hearth. After a
while the house was just full of bees, and we open-
ed the door and let them out, and they went back
to the hive again. Nannie McCrory, age 11.

Marysville, Ohio.

The bees went back if they did not get
chilled before they reached the hive.

A MOUSE IN A BEEHIVE, AND WHAT THE BEES DID
WITH HIM.

When pa set his bees out of the cellar, there was
a mouse that had a nest in the mat on top of the
hive. Pa tried to catch it,' but it ran down in the
hive. Pa said that they would make it hot for him
in there. Pa waited a little while, and we went
back to the hive and found the mouse in his nest
almost dead. Pretty soon he died, and I picked 16
stings out of his skin. Our bees are in a fine condi-
tion. We put 60 swarms in the cellar last fall, and
they all wintered well except four, whose queens
died. George W. Rice, age 12.

Boscobel, Wis., May 19, 1889.

now PAPA WINTERED his bees.

Pa takes Gleanings and has the A B C. He has
40 colonies of bees, which wintered nicely. He win-
tered five in chaff hives on summer stands, and IJ5
in the cellar. He has a tile pipe put in the ground
7 ft. deep, which goes out to the road about 100 ft.
This brings in the pure air. Then he has a pipe
that runs from the bee-cellar to the stovepipe. On
the end he has a large tin, shaped like a funnel.
This draws all the impure air up the pipe, and
through the stovepipe outdoors. The bees that
were left on sumiru r stands began bringing pollen
from skunk-cabbage, April 7th. This was the first
that we have noticed. Addie Flanders, age 9.

Boston, Ont.

THE TARANTULA, AND THE EFFECT OF ITS BITE.

Mr. T. G. Ashmead, in March 15th Gleanings, is
quite right about tarantula nests. There are lots
here. We have a little black and white velvety spi-
der that lives a good deal in houses and buildings.
They jump and bite. One bit me on the finger the
other day, and my finger, thumb, and wrist swelled
up in about half an hour. It did not hurt much at
first, but got very painful, and hurt me all up my
arm. I have been having it doctored for two weeks,
and now it is getting better. It broke and discharg-
ed a good deal. We have a hive that swarmed
twice, and went back. I was glad to see papa's let-
ter in the last Gleanings. I would tell you how he
got swindled by a New York firm, only you have so
much to attend to. All the swarms we have had
this year seem to be wasting a good deal of wax.
The ground is white outside with the little flakes.

Lytle, Tex., Apr. 23, 18i>9. Walter Hailes.

" JUMP OFF, JOE," ETC.

We came from Nebraska. There is hardly any
thing there but wide prairies; but in Oregon there
are lots of things to write about. There is a large
creek called "Jump Off, Joe." It Hows through a
corner of papa's farm. It is very pretty, there are
so many rapids in it.nOn the other side of it the
bank is thirty or forty feet high, straight up and
down. From the top of the bank. Red Mountain
begins. People say, that in the summer a great
many rattlesnak.es come out of the ground.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

505

There are many kinds of (lowers here. One kind
is called " kitten-ears." There are three leaves in
the fiower, shaped like a kitten's ear. They are
covered with little hairs inside. It is a little pink.
There arc other flowers, called bird-bills. The head
and bill are found in the flower. The head is pur-
ple, leaves thrown over, and the bill is black and
yellow. Jessie B. Paddock, age 13.

Lucky Queen, Ore., May 5, 1889.

HOW TO GET GRANULATED HONEY FROM THE
COMB.

Our bees gathered in a nice lot of honey last sum-
mer, but it granulated in the comb so badly that pa
could not extract much of it, so he put it in a pan
and melted it on the stove. He lets it cool, and, as
the wax rises, he skims it off and then strains it
through a cloth. It is almost as good as extracted
honey. \s it is so plentiful, in some cases we use it
in place of sugar. We use it in sweetening' apple-
butter, in making sweet pickle for plums, and bal-
ing cake. I will give you a recipe for the cake:

2 cupfuls of honey, 2 cnpfuls of buttermilk, 3± cup
butter, 1 tablespoonful soda, 3 eggs, 5 cupfuls of
flour. Flavor with ground cloves. This will make
two good-sized cakes. Cl iiia M. Streby.

Paw Paw, W. Va.

ABSCONDING WITHOUT A QUEEN.

Mamma had a swarm of bees go off and leave their
queen last summer. They got the swarming fever,
and swarmed out two times; then she killed the
queen and gave them a new one just at night.
They accepted her, and on the next day swarmed
two times. She then caged the queen, putting on
the tin slide so that they could not gnaw her out.
The next day they swarmed out and went off, and
left the queen in the hive in the cage. We think
this proves clearly that it is the bees that get the
fever, not the queen. It also proves that bees will
go off and leave the queen.

Birdie Russell, age 10.

Beatrice, Neb., Apr. 21, 1889.

Your letter does not necessarily prove
that the bees are the first to get the notion
of swarming, but it goes a long way to prove
that a swarm may abscond without a queen.
However, unless we can get more testimony
to the same effect, we should incline to the
opinion that the bees had some sort of a
queen with them — very likely a virgin,
whose presence in the hive your mother did
not know of.

A TALK TO THE LITTLE FOLKS.

BORROWING TROUBLE ; CLIMBING MOUNTAINS,
ETC.

a EAR CHILDREN:— I know a little boy who al-
ways thinks you mean him when you say
any thing was not done ,iust right. Do you
know any one like that? He sometimes be-
gins to cry and fret, and gets a scolding,
when no one had thought about him when the first
remark was made. That is caused by self-con-
sciousness, or thinking so much about himself.
Don't you think he must have a queer time? Cer-
tainly it is not altogether a happy one. Ileal trou-
bles are hard to bear; but imaginary ones are hor-
rid. Now, if anyone is thinking, '"Why, I believe
Aunt Katie means me, and I am not going to like
her any more," just stop a moment and say to
yourself, " What js she saying this for—so that, she

will be any better off, or is it me she wants to have
a 'gooder ' time when I am among folks? I know I
have got so that I can not go anywhere without
getting mad at some one for talking about me, or
commenting on the clothes I wear, or something—
or at least I think they are doing it, if I catch
them looking at me I guess she does mean me."

Not long ago a young girl who had made herself
quite a favorite among her schoolmates saw the
boys and girls whispering together and looking at
her. She asked them what they were talking
about; but they only laughed, and would not ans-
wer her. At noon time she saw them whispering
together in little groups, and she would run up
and try to hear what they said; but they would
stop talking when she came near. Instead of pay-
ing no attention, and being happy some other way,
she began to pout, and finally said to herself, "I
won't come to this school any longer. They are a
mean, hateful set."

At night she went home feeling very unhappy.
Her mother had been told that the young folks
were going to surprise her daughter that evening,
so she advised her to go to town with her father
and she would feel better when she got back.
While she was gone her schoolmates came, bring-
ing cake, candy, and oranges. They all hid in one
of the rooms; and when Jessie got back they rush-
ed out into the room where she was. She was so
astonished that they all laughed, and told her that
theyjioped she would not be mad at their whisper-
ing together anymore. She begged their pardon,
and I think it taught her quite a lesson.

Now, after our little talk, suppose you all go with
us for a grand picnic. About ten miles, straight up
the valley, is a range of mountains, and away up on
one of them is a lake called Zaca Lake. We should
like to go and camp awhile, but we have not time
now, so we will just take our lunch along, for it
will be about noon when we get to where we shall
have to leave the horses, or at least the wagon.

" Where are John and Ernest ? "

" Oh ! they have got so impatient they have start-
ed on. Are we all ready? "

"Yes."

Then away we go up the main road about two
miles, and now we take this road to the left. How
beautiful everything looks! The hills are bloom-
ing with flowers, and the wheat and barley in the
valley are growing finely. It is February, and the
air is cool this morning; but now the sun is peep-
ing up over that hill in front of us, and we shall
soon be warm. See how lovely the hanging moss
looks on those white-oak trees. It looks as if it
were threaded with beads. The drops of dew
sparkling in the sun make it look that way. Here
we are, four miles from home, and we can not see
those impatient boys yet.

"Oh, yes! I see them, mamma," shouts Lewis.
" There they are, at that gate."

Sure enough, and there are the two dogs along
with them.

" Well, boys, I hope you are ready to ride with us
now."

"It was so cool we enjoyed the walk very much;
but it is warm now."

"Isn't it a lovely morning? " says our neighbor
John; and into the wagon they climb.

"Let us see; we must turn to the right pretty
soon. There is where Mr. Edgar used to live. Why,
they have got the road fenced on each side since I

506

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

was here last. Doesn't il make a pretty lane?
Such lovely feed lor the campers' horses! Yes,
ami here at this lone windmill is where several have
camped. We all must have a drink from the large
tank, and the horses can be watered at the trough.
No, there is no gate. You must hand it to papa
through the wire fence. How refreshing a good
draught of water is! Even the baby drinks, and
smacks her lips with pleasure."

Away we go again, getting nearer and nearer
those majestic mountains. We have been coming
up faster than we realized, for they do not look so
very high now. Yes, we must be about 1000 feet
above our house. We are now about ten miles
from home. What a lot of lovely land, to be used
just for cattle! It seems a pity that it can not be
divided up and made into small farms! Well, it
will some time, may be, but not in our day. There
comes a buggy with two men in. Let us ask where
the road turns off from this to go to the lake.
The first gate to the left, at the foot of the hill.
Here it is, and, unlocked. Isn't that good? Mr. C.
told us we might find it locked, and then we should
have to give up our visit to the lake. But we are
lucky this morning.

" I knew we should be," says John, "for we have
found so many horse-shoes; that means luck, you
know."

"Whew! I wish they had not plowed into this
road, as it makes it so hard for the horseB."

" May be this is not the road."

" I will run on ahead and see," says Ernest.

Soon we see a traveled road on the other side of
the fence, and we pass through another gate and
enter the woodlands at the foot of the peak where
the lake is. Isn't this picturesque? Sylvan glades,
browsing cattle, babbling streams, and singing
birds. Can we cross on that frail-looking bridge?
Oh, yes! with care. Well, I am glad we are over
that. I haven't drawn a good breath for two min-
utes. Dexter, the colt, was quiet, and went along
as well as Bess. A good gentle team is a pleasure
when we are going over bad places. We are climb-
ing up, and we are nearing the camp, I should
think.

"Well, I am agreeably surprised," says one.

"How?"

" Why, you know the mountains look so rough
and rugged from our place; but see how pretty
they are, now we are upon them. Flowers, trees,
green shrubs, and wild oats cover the steep moun-
tain-sides, and lovely glades tempt us to camp on
every 6ide; and, see, we are so high up that the
pine-trees begin to be scattered among the others.
The native pines rarely grow on the hills. They
grow only on mountains where snow falls during
the winter months. How proud they look! How
straight and trim! They seem to point above to
Him who made us all. Oh, what a pretty camp! 1
guess this is as far as we can go with the team, so
we will jump out and you older boys help unhar-
ness the horses, and the little boys can pick up
sticks for the camp-tire. I think that mu6t be wa-
ter from Zaca Lake in that stream, it is so clear and
soft. There is the Are; now put on the sauce-pan
lull of water, and we shall soon have some coffee,
Then while the horses are cropping the tender
herbage we will eat our lunch. Why, have you got
done already? " we say to the big ones.

" Yes, for the present. We want to see that won-
derful lake we have beard so much about,"

" Shout when you get up part way, if you think
mamma could climb up there."

We soon hear a shout; and as we have satisfied
our appetite we put away the things, give the
horses some barley, and, with papa carrying the
baby, away we go.

"Come on, little ones; not too fast at a time; it is
quite a long walk up hill, so stop and breathe a
spell. I hope you all have old shoes on, for this
rock wears the leather very fast. There, now, we
have got over the worst of the road. See what a
nice path has been made in this black earth. What
queer kinds of bushes, and such lovely ferns! We
will get some when we return. The manzanita,
with its smooth red bark and the gray-green leaves
and white blossoms, would be quite an ornament
in a front yard. Oh! pine nuts! See, the boys are
getting nuts from those large cones. Sure enough,
the big boye have found a lot. They are rather
dry, but quite sweet. Where is the lake? Oh ! just
around there, and they point to the right. You
won't see it till you get to it," so we all jog along,
looking for the first glimpse with one eye while we
are admiring the pine-trees, which now predomi-
nate, with the others. "Just see that sharp point of
mountain. The trees look as though they would
slip off, it is so very straight up. The lake is at the
foot of that peak. Oh ! there is a log house, and
here is the lake."

A hush falls upon the whole party as we stand
and see the strange view before us. A small body
of water is seen, with rushes and other water-weeds
fringing the edge, and sharp mountain-peaks all
around it but just where we stand; and over all,
that strange awe-inspiring hush that pervades all
forests and mountains. I like to enter those vast
solitudes sometimes; but the pioneer spirit is not
strong enough within me to wish to linger long so
far from human habitations. There have been two
log huts built by campers, but they only enhance
the lonely feeling, to me. They look very forlorn.
We sit down and impress the picture before us up-
on our mind, and listen to the cry of the loon, the
only living thing besides ourselves to be seen. The
sun has begun to go down the mountain, and we
must go too; so with one last look we return down
the path we came, wishing we could go down from
the other side of the lake, but that would make our
journey 20 miles further, so down we go, plucking
flowers, ferns, branches, young pine-trees, and the
sweet laurel leaves. Now we slip and slide when
we get to the shady place, and how hungry we all
are now we have got back to camp! We hastily eat
the remainder of our lunch, and now we are trot-
ting along on our homeward way. As we cross the
creek the last time, we will have the big boys fill
these two bottles with water, and we can give our
friends at home some of the famed waters, even if
they could not enjoy the picnic with us. The sun
is down, but we shall soon be at home. How pretty
the moon looks, peeping at us through the trees!
Here we are. Thank you for going with us.

Los Alamos, Cal. Aunt Katie Hilton.

And, good friend Aunt Katie, we thank
you also for taking us along. Your descrip-
tion of mountains and mountain travel is
very vivid and lifelike, and a dozen things
remind me of that wonderful trip of mine.
If I am correct, the Californians are more
in the habit of going out picnicking, and
taking such strolls, than we are here. Per*
haps it is a lesson we ought to learn.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

•507

0[IR 0wn JinjiW

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST K. ROOT.

WET WEATHER.

E have been having two or three
weeks of bad rainy weather. Lo-
cust, raspberries, and other kinds of
bloom have been out in great profu-
sion, but the bees were unable to
make use of them. White clover is out in
.unusual abundance ; and although it lias
been in blossom for a week, the bees have
been forbidden by dame Nature to visit it.
To-day, June 10, the weather promises to be
favorable; the sun is shining brightly, and
the weather is warm. Yesterday, between
the light warm showers, in spite of the
heavy wind, the bees were out doing their
level best. There is still strong wind. No
honey has been gathered to any appreciable
extent so far. In fact, we have been

OBLIGED TO FEED

for the last two weeks. I believe I never
saw colonies use up stores as fast as ours
have done for a few days. One or two
stocks that had been recently fed, starved
in spite of us. Starvation was not due to
neglect, but due, rather, to the inferior
quality of the food. Having some old soft
maple sugar in cakes, much of it unsalable,
we made it into a thin syrup. This we fed
out entirely. One or two of the colonies,
after feeding, showed signs of dysentery.
After feeding this stuff I came to the con-
clusion that granulated sugar, even at its
present high price, is just about as cheap as
the inferior sweet, because it is better and
goes farther, Litterly we have been feed-
ing granulated syrup, and we have since
noticed none of the bad results.

A large majority of our colonies, I feel
sure, would have starved had we not fed
them. It is rather discouraging to feed
when white clover, raspberries, and locust
are successively in bloom in such profusion,
and yet the bees are not able to get the
sweets. The bountiful rains we have been
having, I am in hopes will more than make
up for lost time. As we feed only to keep
brood -rearing going steadily, we feed small
quantities daily, and for this we use butter-
dishes. For stimulating feed , I do not know
of any thing we like better ; even throwing
out the item of cheapness, 1 am emphatical-
ly in favor of the butter-dishes. When we
moved the colonies down into the basswood
orchard, in the Dovetailed hive, we had a
great many wire-cloth screens. These
screens are simply a rim H inches deep,
covered with wire cloth, the rim made the
exact size of the Dovetailed body. Well,
we placed two butter-dishes on top of the
brood-frames of each hive, and placed one
of the wire-cloth screens over the whole.
Through the wire cloth we poured the feed,
put on the regular cover, and every thing
was done. To give the next feed, all we had
to do was to raise the cover and pour the
feed through the wire cloth. This arrange-
ment proved to be exceedingly sample and
yery satisfactory.

FEEDIJSG WITHOUT A FEEDER.

We ran out of butter - dishes and wire
screens. I told our Mr. Spafford to pour
about H or 2 pounds of syrup all over the
brood-combs and among the bees ; if the
colony were weaker, to give them a propor-
tionate amount in this way. We tried this
on about a dozen colonies. In about twenty
minutes more we examined those so fed,
and found that they were all nice and dry.
Once or twice I feared they might not be
able to recover from such a sousing of syrup.
This dose was repeated a number of times,
and the bees each time recovered from it.
The colonies were very strong, otherwise I
should have hesitated about giving them
such a smearing. For feeding this way, the
Dovetailed bottom-board worked very nice-
ly. By referring to the annexed engraving,

which I gave some time ago, you will see
that the bottom-board is sunk. By tilting
the front end up temporarily, we found this
bottom-board would make a very good feed-
er. In pouring the feed right over the
combs, you observe that the bottom-board
will take the excess, and retain it there
till the bees can use it. The excess of even
two or three pounds can be held in this way,
and I do not know but it makes a very good
feeder.

CARNIOLANS.

Several years ago I gave a rather adverse
report of these bees. Feeling that 1 had
perhaps been a little too hard on them, 1 re-
quested one of the leading breeders of these
bees to send us one of his best Carniolans.
He did so, and we have had them for nearly
a year now. I was disposed to feel favora-
bly impressed with them, and desired Neigh-
bor H. to take them to one of his apiaries,
and, if they proved to be a good race of
bees, to make preparations to raise them in
one of his apiaries, isolated, of course, from
all other bees. Chancing one day to think
of these Carniolans, I asked him what he
thought of them. Well, he didn't "just ex-
actly know " —his answer indicating pretty
plainly that he liked the Italians better. To
satisfy myself directly, I one morning hitch-
ed up Billy in the cart, and started. Neigh-
bor H. was not in the apiary at the time,
but I readily found the bees. Of course, 1
proceeded to open up their hive with-
out smoker or veil. Not endeavoring to be
exceedingly "rambunctious," as the boy
says, I proceeded to open the hive, using
ordinary caution. I had scarcely got the
cover and the cushion off, than the air was
tilled with Carniolans, buzzing around in a
to me unusual manner. They began to
sting, but I held my ground. Neighb r II.
then came around, and I asked him where
his smoker was.

"Oh!'' said he, "you don't need any
smoker for those bees," and a little sarcas-
tic smile played over his face. I had ex-
plained to him that they could be " handled
without smoke." However, I insisted on
the smoker, winch was brought, and used

508

GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE.

June

upon t lie bees. Instead of quieting them
down it caused them to lly into the air like
a little swarm. From the frames lifted out,
the bees ran down, and hung in little balls,
and in the hive they were running about in
wild commotion. I was almost positive
they were black bees ; but Neighbor II. as-
sured me with all confidence that those bees
were the progeny of the very same queen I
had given him to test. They resembled very
much the Carniolans we had had on a for-
mer occasion, which were imported. They
were pretty cross, and I got one or two quite
severe stings. If I were to judge the Car-
niolans by this colony alone, I should say
that, when they do sting, they sting with a
vengeance. To tell the truth, I wanted to be
favorably impressed with the Carniolans,
and I do not know but I should like to be so
impressed now. One quite serious ob-
jection, however, and one that has been
mentioned before, is, that if there were
black bees in the vicinity in which they were
reared, it would be almost impossible to de-
tect the crosses, except, perhaps, by their
behavior. In fact, from what I have heard
in general from the Carniolans, I should be
inclined to believe that the colony above
mentioned, instead of being pure, is a cross
of the black bees. If such is the case, then
even the breeder himself may be easily de-
ceived. How is he to know, then, whether
he has bred the race in its purity, if he de-
pends upon mere looks ? This report of the
Carniolans applies only to the one colony in
question. I hope further trials will give me
a better impression.

IMPORTED ITALIANS.

Perhaps I should say right here, that
Neighbor II. said he had an imported Ital-
ian colony that had got their hive crammed
full of honey, when other colonies were on
the verge of starvation. In fact, he intimat-
ed that she was a better queen than the
Honey Queen I mentioned in last Glean-
ings. While there I requested that he
would not show me the imported queen, add-
ing that I wanted to see if I could discov-
er the colony in question by the peculiar
energy at the entrance. Not being ac-
quainted with the apiary, I did not know
where this or that queen was. We 1 oked
at a number of colonies, and finally I ven-
tured to remark, rather cautiously, " Is
that the imported queen?"

" That is the one,'1 he said. " Now,'1
said he, '■ lay your smoker down : pull it
open as roughly as you please."

I did so, and every thing was perfectly
quiet I pulled out comb after comb, and
there was not the slightest demonstration
of any hostility on the part of the bees. Yes,
it was true that there was a great deal of
honey in the hive.

•' Don't you sell that queen," said I.
'• Keep her for raising queens. A queen
whose progeny is gentle and exceptionally
good workers, is worth something.'"

Neighbor H. has alr3ady got cells under
wav from her.

While I was looking over the bees, we
came across one other imported queen. Her
bees were just as gentle, and were doing
nearly as well as the first one we examined,

I told Neighbor II. that he had better keep
that one too. The more I examined the
apiary, the more I became convinced that
the imported queens were doing the best.
They were certainly the gentlest.

Some weeks ago, Mr. Spafford incidental-
ly remarked that the colonies having im-
ported queens were doing the best on apple-
blossoms.

" Yes," I said, " I have noticed the same
thing before. They are not only the gen-
tlest bees we handle, but are just as good,
and very many times a little better honey-
gatherers." As I have before said in this
department, I now repeat again, there
is something in the climatic conditions of
Italy that produces a hardy, gentle, and in-
dustrious race of bees. The bees of the im-
ported Italian colonies are, as a rule, leath-
er-colored. I have also noticed that the
very light Italians— those that looked real
pretty, such as bee-keepers like to exhibit at
fairs and elsewhere, are not the bees for real
business.

THAT HONEY C^UEEN.

That tk honey queen " in the basswood or-
chard, mentioned in our last issue, is still
doing well. Although very yellow herself,
her bees are quite dark, leather-colored Ital-
ians. While the other colonies have re-
quired constant feeding, these bees have
kept their brood-nest pretty well supplied
with natural stores ; but unlike the import-
ed colonies referred to, they are pretty cross.
The first time I opened them up and hauled
them over, I got a good severe stinging, aud
I was heartily glad when I closed them up
again. By the use of plenty of smoke I find
since that I can handle them quite easily,
but they will not tolerate even then very
many unnecessary jars.

" HAS HE AN AX TO GltlNDV"

As I read down this report, I have been
wondering whether some good brother
might not add, " Has he an ax to grind?"
Well, I admit that it looks a little so ; but I
have tried to be candid, irrespective of the
aforesaid "ax." If I can not state a thing
honestly, for fear that somebody will say
that " he has got an ax to grind," then I am
in a poor plight indeed. If the Carniolans
are a desirable race (and they may prove to
be such), then we can sell them just as well
as the imported Italians.

LATE II.

June 11. — Since yesterday I notice that the
bees are beginning to make their combs
bulge a little, and white-clover honey is at
last coming in. The weaker colonies do
not show very much new nectir. The
stronger colonies have gathered enough to
rill their brood-nest to perhaps two-thirds or
three-fourths of their capacity. It is a lit-
tle cooler to-day, and bees are not flying to
the extent they were yesterday. Rain and
cloudy weather seems to be the order of the
day, with a little sprinkling of sunshine
now and then. If this order were reversed,
we should have a good flow of honey, I
think. All the conditions are supplied ex-
cept sunshine and hot weather.

This afternoon the sky has cleared up and
it is warmer. AVe hope for the best.

1S89

(JLEANLNUS IN BEE CULTURE.

509

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

THE KUMBHIiE LIMA BEAN, AND GETTING TWO
CROPS IS ONE SEASON.

fOU asked such of your readers as can raise
lima licans during t he winter to write to you.
I have seen but one winter in IK wherein they
could not be raised here, and they have been
repeatedly raised for home use. They live
two or three years, and with but little care, and
make, on suitable soil, even better yields than
northern grown seed. The seewee, planted at the
foot of old stumps, grows readily and with no care
alter it begins to run, and bears enormously. Ear-
ly in October is the best time for planting here, as
the weather is moderately cool then, and there is
ample time to grow before the coldest weather
comes. I could undertake \i acre or less.
Palma Sola, Fla., May 26, 1889. J. F. SiKES.

Well, I declare, friend S-, we have got it
after all, haven't we ? But what yon say
about lima beans living two or three years
is to me astounding. I saw pumpkin and
squash vines in California that had been
growing for several years ; also tomatoes ;
but in some way I had got it into my head
that a bean, after it had borne its crop and
matured its seed, had got to die. Well, we
shall have to live and learn. As soon as the
Kumerle lima beans are ripe enough to
grow, I will send you some seed, but I hard-
ly think I shall have enough to spare for a
quarter of an acre. If you plant seed in Oc-
tober, as you statu, what time would they
ripen V Unless they would be ripe enough
to plant by June 1 in our locality, they
would not be of much use. Last season we
planted a long row of the kidney wax beans.
The seed was gathered just as soon as the
lirst ones were apparently full sized. But
only a bean or two came up in that long row:
these were feeble, and amounted to nothing.
From this I infer that the seed must become
perfectly ripe and dry before it can be plant-
ed to grow again. I do not quite under-
stand it, however, for our lima beans, which
we gather green, and shell for the wagon,
have, during very warm weather, heated in
the little baskets so as to send out sprouts
half an inch long, and that in one night.
Now, I supposed that of course these lima
beans, if planted in the ground, would grow.
But my experiment seems to indicate that
it is a mistake. It may be, however, that I
did not let the beans get ripe enough. One
thing that makes me think so is that the
beans that were planted in this long row
were perfectly white, and looked like ordi-
nary kidney beans. On the strength of this
I said in the price list that kidney wax
beans were white, not remembering at the
time that the small packet I planted to get
my lirst ones started had a colored spot just
about the eye. My lima beans, however,
will be ripe and dry long before October.
So, friend S., you and I are going to test the
matter of getting two crops of lima beans in
one j ear. If you succeed, the Kumerle lima
beari won't be worth its weight in gold in
1890,

OUU PATCH OF .IESSII0 STKAWBEKIUES.

Last fall, after our Early Ohio potatoes
were dug, I had the ground cultivated very
smooth and Hue, and then covered with as
much stable manure as we could well plow
under. It was then plowed, harrowed, and
marked out with our disk furrower, leaving
wide deep furrows like paths. These paths
were three feet wide from center to center.
While the furrower was going over the
ground, a wooden tooth was fastened tem-
porarily so as to make a shallow groove in
the center of each one of the raised beds.
My idea was, that if strawberries were
planted in the center of these raised beds
they would not suffer so much from frost,
because the paths or furrows would let
off all the surplus water during winter. I
think that strawberries, like wheat, are in-
jured in winter because of a surplus of wa-
ter standing on the ground. Remember,
this ground is already well underdrained,
but our clay soil is so slow in letting the
water pass away, that I felt sure the above
arrangement would help the matter of hav-
ing the plants thrown out by the frost.
Well, the mild winter may have had some-
thing to do with it; but as it was, not a
plant in the whole 3000 was injured in win-
ter. There are nine rows of the berries.
Three of them are Sharpless, and the others
Jessie. Strong plants were selected, and
they were put in in the fall, with our trans-
planting-tubes ; all runners being nipped,
they of course made a good growth, and
went down into the rich ground very se-
curely. Not a plant died in transplanting,
that 1 know of. You will remember that,
in our list of plants, I have mentioned the
Jessie as holding itself up out of the dirt.
Well, we were greatly puzzled because this
year the Jessie did nothing of the kind.
Perhaps the plant might be excused for
omitting this part of the programme when I
tell you that the berries are, many of -them,
more like peaches than strawberries, so far
as size is concerned. Another thing, we
have heretofore supposed that the Jessie
was a regular-shaped berry. This year they
are broad, wedge-shaped, double, and in al-
most every respect just about like the Sharp-
less ; in fact, everybody calls them the
Sharpless, only they were ripe before a sin-
gle one of the Sharpless had got its growth.
They are so luscious that the robins, the
hens — yes, even the rats, have gone to sam-
pling them. We do not have many rats, but
there were enough to make a start on one
end of the Jessie berries. Besides the
above enemies, the small boys of the estab-
lishment got to picking them, and eating
them green by the pocketful before I knew
it. Just as soon as there is a blush of red
on one side of the berry they are very good
to eat. My cousin, D. E. Fenn, of Tall-
madge, ()., has just paid us a visit, and he is
a man pretty well acquainted with horticul-
ture in all its branches, especially straw-
berries. He pronounced my patch of Jessies
the finest thing in the line of a strawberry
that he had ever seen in his life. Now, he
is a comparatively near neighbor to friend
Terry, and to Matthew Crawford besides.
We are still picking off the runners and

510

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

keeping out the weeds, and that patch of
strawberries is going to make a show before
winter comes, I tell you.

We have Bubach and Haverland also,
fruiting. They are much like the Jessie,
only the Bubach is still larger both in fruit
and foliage. In fact, it is immense all
around. You know the Bubach is said to be
the only successful rival of the Jessie. I
expect to sell plants this fall. The Haver-
land has a better shape, but it is hardly as
large. Both are exceedingly strong grow-
ers. I have just got four of the plants of
the new Miami, introduced by our old friend
J. D. Kruschke, one of the bee-fraternity,
and a contributor to Gleanings some years
ago. The Miami plants were very small,
feeble ones, received late in the fall. They
are now making an excellent growth, and
the berries differ from any thing else I have
seen, by ripening all over at once. There is
not any red side where the berry is exposed
to the sun. It is a beautiful red on all sides
at once.

ALASKA PEAS.

We have succeeded in having a fine crop
of peas by the first of June, when nobody
else has any anywhere about. For several
years I have been planting peas in February
and March, but they did not mature any
earlier than those planted a month later.
I finally decided that some poorer ground
might give us peas sooner. Well, the poor-
est piece of ground we have on our planta-
tion is a little knoll facing the south. It
looks and acts as if the surplus soil had been
removed for some purpose years ago. In
fact, it would not even raise grass ; but the
dry clay was visible the year round. I
thought this would be poor enough for early
peas, so I turned under some old well-rotted
manure, applying it in the fall. This
spring, before the frost was out of the
ground, and as soon as the clay was dried
out hard enough so it would rake up on the
surface, I put in five rows of peas. As I
supposed they would make only a feeble
growth, they were planted only 18 inches
apart. They came up as I expecte J , very
quickly, on account of the sunny spot they
occupied, sloping toward the south. When
they were six inches high, 1 purchased five
rolls of poultry-netting, with H-inch mesh,
and only one foot wide. A stake every 25
feet held the netting just so the peas could
reach the lower selvage edge. They
" caught on " very soon, and my little patch
of peas has been all the spring a pleasant
thing to visitors. By the way, we can now
furnish a strip of poultry-netting of the
above dimensions, 150 feet long, for only
50 cents. Can you get any thing cheaper
for early peas ? We have picked about
three bushels from this little patch, and
there will certainly be six or seven bushels
more. AVhat do you think of it V Ten bush-
els of peas from a piece of ground about 10
feet wide and 150 feet long ! The first of
them sold for $2 00 per bushel ; but now we
get only 40 cents a peck. As soon as the
peas are cleared off I am going to try the
early strawberries on this poor, hard, clay
soil. They probably will not make very
much growth, but I suppose they will bear

berries quite a little ahead of our highly ma-
nured plots.

PYgELF ?ip PY ]\[EIGflB0^.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting-
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
—ISA. 5".: 3.

@NE Sunday morning our pastor changed
places with a brother-minister in an
adjoining town. I think I have be-
fore told you that I have a particular
love for preachers. I believe I love
all humanity ; I love my fellow-men. I
love to be with them, and I especially enjoy
getting acquainted ; but if there is any one
class of people I love particularly it is God's
ministering servants. I know they are
criticised and found fault with ; but never,
since my conversion, has it ever been my lot
to find a minister of the gospel who did not
have a good deal that was lovable about
him. Some of them have queer, odd ways,
just as you and I have, and it may take a
little charity for a man to get right well
acquainted with them ; but the single fact
alone, that they have given themselves,
heart and soul, to the cause of Christ, has
never failed to draw me toward them.
Well, when this new minister stepped into
the pulpit I of course began to get acquaint-
ed. In his opening benediction I got a good
deal acquainted. It was different from any
opening service I had ever heard. I decided
at once that the man was original. It made
me feel as if we were a great family of
brothers and sisters having family worship
at home, around our own fireside. You
may be surprised to have me say that I can
not remember his text ; and as our good
brother has not furnished it in the follow-
ing paper, I have had to substitute one of
my own.

There were several points in the sermon,
that interested me so particularly that I
begged him to let me have that part of it ;
but although he had some written manu-
script before him, he told me that the part I
wanted had never been given before, and he
was afraid he should never be able to give
it again just as he did that morning. You
see from this statement how much help it is
to a speaker, and especially to a preacher,
to have a good-sized, intelligent, and appre-
ciative audience. He, however, promised
to do the best he could, and here it is.
Now, he wrote one page specially to A. I.
Root, that he did not intend to have put in
print ; but I am going to take the liberty of
printing it with the rest, just because it
helps you so much to get acquainted with
him. It is something a little aside from the
sermon, and sounds like a few kind words
spoken after he had got down among the
audience — or, if you choose, just as he was
shaking hands with A. I. Root and family.
Now, I want to tell you, dear friends, that
A- 1- Root and family— yes, clear down to
six-year-old Huber— are found, as a rule,
occupying a seat close by the pulpit. I do
not know how it comes that we always sit
there ; in fact, I do know that my good wife

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

511

has protested a great many times because I
insisted on getting forward in such a con-
spicuous place. But there are several
reasons why I like to be right there. In the
first place, I like to be near the speaker,
especially if, as I have said, he is also a
preacher. And right at the end of the seat
where I sit is a door that can be opened
without making much disturbance when
there is a lack of fresh air. It gets opened,
too, I want to tell you, even if some of the
elderly friends do look as cross as they dare
look at A. I. Boot. Now, then, friends, I
think we are all ready to let Bro. Gammell
talk to us.

Dear Mr. Root:— I hope you will find this inclosed
copy about what you expected it would be. I send
it along:, with the prayer following- it that, if you
print it, it may do good to some soul waiting for
some such message. You will remember to send
me a copy or two of the magazine containing it.
We have been reading from your books, and proba-
bly no family in the land got so suddenly acquainted
with A. I. Root and his travels as we did in one day
—Monday. Your account of that Sunday afternoon
at Manitou reads like a chapter out of Augustine's
Confessions. We enjoyed journeying with you.

Yours in Christ, S. D. Oammkll.

Wellington, O., May 2, 1889.

A HUMAN INSTINCT.

Aii extract from mi address 1<> some bee-people at
Medina, O., April 28, 1889.

You say the bee has instincts, but have not men
instincts also? What do you call that frequent and
most natural resort lo prayer in presence of a mo-
mentous crisis in the peisonal experience, if it be
not an instinct of the soul?

Blind Homer declared, a thousand years before
Chiist, "All men have need of prayer." 1 agree
with him when I hear that the surgeon, about to
perform au operation that might be fatal, laid aside
his knife for a moment and fell on his knees with
au appeal to almighty Wisdom and Goodness that
his hand might be steadied and his stroke sure
when a fellow-being's life was involved.

My agnostic friend, would you object if your sur-
geon should keep you waiting a moment before
some dangerous service you had asked of him, that
he might pray? Would you not hope that his mind
and soul would at least recover poise and compo-
sure, and his success be more certain? As for me,
that sort of physician would commend himself at
once.

So, again, I agree with that old heathen poet I
have quoted, when I read of the painter, FraAn-
gelico, how he would not put brush to canvas, nor
mix the oils for his daily task, until he had prayed
that his soaring genius might be visited with an in-
spiration from the Source of all beauty and splen-
dor. No wonder that Kuskin can say of him, "By
purity of life, habitual elevation of thought, and
natural sweetness of disposition, he was enabled to
express the sacred affections upon the human coun-
tenance as no one ever did before or since." Is it
too much to claim that here we have an illustration
of cause and effect, that this painter's success was
in part dependent on his praying?

Once more, did not the astronomer Kepler respond
to this instinct, when, in the midst of his discovery
of celestial laws, tilled with wonder and admiration
at his vision of stellar harmonies, he cried out: "I

thank thee, O God, that thou hast permitted me to
think thine own thoughts after thee"? And you
and I, good friends, if we are true to our better
selves, standing at the star-gazer's side and listen-
ing while he describes to us some raging cyclone
in the sun, or a new volcano reddening the planet
Jupiter's sky, or some other heavenly wonder, it
we are true to our natural instincts we also shall
thank God that he has taught men to use their
lenses and tubes with such skill that they can see
what he is doing in the star-depths, and think his
thoughts after him.

Suppose further, that it is only a tradition that
Washington was heard praying by himself in the
wintry forest at Valley Forge in a strait of general-
ship, and that Stonewall Jackson, leading a charge,
himself in the saddle, flung up his arms in moment-
ary prayer to God; even if these be myths they
reflect the thought of many minds, and the com-
mon expectation that such an act is becoming to
the time and place. It is the general acquiescence
in the blind bard's dictum, "All men have need of
prayer."

Again, it is generally supposed that the times of
Franklin and Jefferson and Paine were conspicuous
for their skeptical tendencies. What, then, shall
we say of the fact that the first act of the Conti-
nental Congress which met at Philadelphia, Sept. C,
1774, was the adoption of a resolution that the Kev.
Mr. Duche be desired to open Congress with prayer
at Carpenter's Hall at nine o'clock? In this stress
of statesmanship, men had need of prayer. Men
are driven to it as a last and only resort, as ship-
wrecked sailors are driven to take refuge in the
rigging and topmasts of their sinking ship. I was
reminded of this the other evening when I heard
what I will call "The Surgeon's Story." He was in
charge of an army hospital in the late war, and re-
ceived one day a wounded soldier, a mere boy, shot
nearly to death. Day after day the doctor sought
to reveal his dangerous condition to the lad; but
his light laughing spirits would not take the plain
hints and intimations of his medical attendant; and
yet he was slowly, surely dying. One morning the
doctor said, " My boy, I've tried to tell you that you
could not survive this wound; that you must cer-
tainly die; but you wouldn't believe me; now I tell
you plainly, that before noon you will be dead."

Again that stolid stare, that imperturbable spirit,
that unresponsive mind, and the surgeon went
away. But in an hour he was hastily called, and
the now conscious and aroused boy broke out, " O
surgeon ! I know what you mean now. I must die;
but what shall I do? I'm not prepared to die. O
doctor! I can't die. My father was a minister, and
my mother taught me to pray; but I've been a wild,
bad boy. O surgeon! what shall I do?" And the
good surgeon felt himself but poorly qualified, in
his little knowledge of Christ, to give this dying boy
an adequate reply, and could only stammer, with
tear-fllled eyes, " Your mother's religion, my boy;
your mother's religion." What else have you to
offer, my agnostic friend? What else but this? It
is the natural cry of the soul in mighty emergen-
cies, face to face with awful duties, face to face
with the impenetrable mystery of death and eterni-
ty. It is the cry of the soul lifted up in prayer— the
prayer learned, it may be, at mother's knee— to the
eternal Goodness.

The bee, by instinct, knows where to find its hon-
ey and how to build its cell. Shall not the imperial

olli

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

JrxE

soul know where to find its joy, and how to build
for itself an eternal mansion, abiding instant in
prayer, following the supremest instinct of the Kod-
like soul?

You are right, brother Gammell ; I am
sure you are right. When God endowed the
bee and the lower forms of animal life with
unerring instinct, ho surely did not forget
man, who stands at the very head of the
animated universe ; and he surely does not
leave him in darkness, and alone, when
these momentous crises come, as they do
most surely come to us all, sooner or later.

Vea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for thou art
with me: thv rod and thy staff they comfort me.
— Psat.M 33 : 4.

Thousands of times have I been comfort-
ed, and made to feel safe and at ease — yes,
thousands of times has he helped me to be
cool and collected when important issues
were at stake. Dear brother, since you
gave us that sermon, and since the fore-
going was penned, one of the greatest calam-
ities has come to us as a people, that ever
tried men's souls since the settlement of
America. Over ten thousand people were
hurried to sudden death within- one short
hour. No doubt at such a time there was
much praying ; in fact, we have many rec-
ords of the prayers that were offered up.
And some of the newspapeis have been in
such haste to tear down the Christian relig-
ion that they have boldly declared that God
did not hear or answer in this time of trou-
ble. One newspaper even seems to delight
in telling of certain people who discarded
their Bibles, and refused to hear a word
from their pastors, because God permitted
such a thing to happen. Perhaps I am
touching upon a subject too deep for me.
Very likely I can not tell how I should be-
have myself under a similar trial ; but, dear
friends, if there be any among you who
have been troubled by these newspaper ac-
counts, please remember that God has nev-
er promised to exempt even his devoted fol-
lowers from sickness and suffering, from ac-
cident and death He has, however, prom-
ised to give us grace to meet all these things
with courage and calmness and trust. Je-
sus breathed, with his dying breath, '■ Fa-
ther, into thy hands I commend iny spirit."
Before the ordeal came, he did once pray
that the cup might pass from him ; but aft-
er he had risen above this human weakness,
he met suffering and death in such a way
as may well be an example for all man-
kind Should I be overtaken by any such
calamity, I hope and pray that I may have
grace to pray as did the S >n of God. When
the question first came to me, I at once de-
cided that those who prayt d simply for long-
er life (or even that a loved member of
their household might be spared a fate that
seemed to have come to all round about
them), had a wrong conception of God's
promises ; and in thinking over the mat-
ter, and mentally going over the Scriptures,
the answer seemed to come to me, that in
no place in the Bible have we the assurance
that our lives shall be prolonged, in answer
to prayer. The sun shines on the just and
on the unjust ; and sickness and accident

and death also come to the just and to the
unjust. It is our duty to save our lives,
where we can consistently, for the good of
others. It is our duty to* be careful of hu-
man life ; but all of our prayers should take
in the thought, whether expressed in words
or not, " Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine, be done." He who starts out to be a
follower of Christ Jesus must not expect
that, because he does so, he is to be exempt
from the ills of this life ; in fact, it does
sometimes seem as if Christians were called
upon to suffer and bear even more than the
people of the world. The Ashtabula disas-
ter of years ago seemed to indicate very
plainly that God does not propose to save
even his devoted followers from the effects of
a tenible accident. In the case before us
it seems to have been rather the acts of
man than the acts of God ; but when we
come to earthquakes, cj clones, cloud-bursts,
and the like, we are forced to conclude that
God has some very wise and good purpose
in permitting these sad things. It may be
that we need to be reminded very often of
the uncertainty of life, and of the fact that
it is futile for us to propose putting off the
time of reform until death shall be near. 1
do believe that it is well for us to know that
death may come at any hour, unheralded
and without warning. Our whole nation once
prayed that the life of a president might be
spared. It seemed to us that it must be for
the best that he should be spared. His life
was not spared, however, and I feel certain
that none but a, poor mistaken Christian
lost faith in God simply because our presi-
dent died. Suppose, by way of illustration,
we should quarrel with the great Creator be-
cause his plans were not in accordance with
our poor weak human judgment. If we
should decide that this world or this uni-
verse is a poor one, and badly managed,
how much can we do toward finding a bet-
ter one V Jesus once asked his poor hum-
ble followers if they too were going to be
offended, and turn away from him. Peter,
by a sort of instinct, such as our brother
has mentioned, rushed to the truth of the
matter at once when he said, "Lord, to
whom shall we go V thou hast the words of
eternal life." Now, then, if we shut up or
throw away our Bibles, what then V Where
shall we find comfort ? Is there any thing
else that will sustain and cheer us in the
dying hour V We are told that a mother, at
the last crisis, put her children, one by one,
on floating fragments — fragments that
would buoy them up, probably, but would
not sustain her own weight ; then with a
prayer to God, and with encouraging words
to the children that God would take care of
them in the flood and in the darkness, she
set them adrift. They were never found
alive. Did the poor, almost distracted
mother make a mistake in commending
them to Him whoholdeth the winds and the
waves in the hollow of his hand, and who
heareth even the ravens when they cry ?
She might have made a mistake in assur-
ing them that they would be spared from
death, but surely not in trusting even her
little four-year-old girl to the tender mer-
cies of the Father above, when the little one

1889

GLEANINGS Ui BEE CULTURE.

•518

called back in the darkness, wl Mamma, I am
not afraid." The cold corpse of her dar-
ling was afterward found, and skeptics have
tried to make it appear that the poor moth-
er was wrong. But who shall say that God
did not take that little one who, with child-
ish lips, said she was not afraid, into his
care and keeping, without a pang V We are
not told in God's holy word that we shall be
spared from death ; but we are told that

Jesus can make a dying-bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are.

As we go to press, I feel to rejoice that
our own State of Ohio has done nobly for
the relief of the sufferers; and I am glad to
say that a subscription was started in our
own little town of Medina, even on the Sab-
bath day, and that the money subscribed
went as' speedily to the sick and suffering
as our modern methods of swift travel could
carry it. Jesus told us, that " in the world
ye shall have tribulation ; " but lie also says,
"I have overcome the world. "

THE VAN DEUSEN METAL CORNER.

FRAMES AT FIXED DISTANCES;
FRAMES, ETC.

REVERSIBLE

EDITOR OF GLEANINGS:— It is with pleasure
that I answer your inquiries regarding the
VanDeusen metal - cornered frame. Eight
or nine years ago I read Quinby's " New Bee-
Keeping," and became enthusiastic over the
merits of the closed-end frame. I gave it a trial,
but I never could handle it without killing a good
many bees. My bees at that time were blacks and
low-grade hybrids, with the two worst traits of such
bees fully developed— that of hanging in great
bunches on the corners of the frames when lifted
from the hive, and of being very free with their
stings when pinched a little. With Italians I pre-
sume the crushing of bees with such frames is
reduced to a minimum, for they do not get in the
way as the blacks do. With hooks on all four cor-
ners, the Quinby closed-end is certainly an almost
perfect reversible frame, if we lay aside the objec-
tions mentioned above. Not liking the loose case I
reduced the depth of the frames to seven inches
and dropped them into an ordinary hive, support-
ing them on hoop-iron strips nailed along the low-
er edge of the ends of the hive. Notwithstanding
these frames were wedged from the side, the prop-
olis soon made them difficult to handle, and they
are certainly as perfect bee-killers as one could
possibly invent; for when a frame is pushed down,
as described by Mr. Heddon on page 390 of Glean-
ings, May 15, 1889, it is impossible to avoid crushing
bees on the frame-support at the bottom. I write
in present tense, for one of those hives is still in
use in my yard; and several times every summer,
after reading how easy it is to handle the closed-
end frame if one only knows how, I go and try to
learn. To be more sure of success, I have had a
colony of splendid Italians in the hive for nearly
two years; but they get under the end-bars by
twos, threes, and half-dozens; and as the lrames go
into place, one never fails to hear the bones crack.
If the Hedtlon hive is made with a metal rest for
the frames, I consider it a waste of time to discuss
the question of easy manipulation of frames; it
must be a manipulation of liivex.

In all my experiments with frames there were
two points kept constantly in view. For many rea-
sons I desired a reversible frame; and because my
bees were to be moved frequently I had determined
that the frame should be fixed firmly in its place in
the hive. The closed end frame answered these
conditions, but its objectionable features outweigh-
ed its good points. At this stage of my investiga-
tions you illustrated the VanDeusen metal corner
in Gleanings, and described the hive used by Mr.
O. J. Hetherington, of East Saginaw, Michigan. I
was favorably impressed with the device; and after
experimenting with it a little, I began putting all
my new swarms into hives supplied with the Heth-
erington frame. I am more than pleased with its
working. It is more easily handled than any other
frame in existence, and it is impossible for the bees
to fasten it with propolis because its bearings are
all metal, and are mere points. From each corner
of the frame, two metal points project '■>* of an inch,
spreading slightly until they reach a width of an
inch and a half, scant, at the widest part. The ';'„
projection spaces the end of the frame away from
the end of the hive, and supports the frame by
resting upon a strip of metal nailed to the lower
edge of the end of the hive. The spread of the
projections tor, rather, shoulders on the projections)
spaces the frames from each other and from the
sides of the hive. In lifting out a frame or return-
ing it, it is impossible to roll bees between the end-
bars and the ends of the hives; and when moving
frames closer together the four conical shoulders
make it a difficult matter to crush a bee between
the combs, as is so often done with suspended
frames. T can handle these frames much faster
than I can suspended frames; and after hiving a
new swarm, the hive can be carried to any part of
the apiary, and put down with the assurance that
every frame is in its proper place. To move an
apiary, it is only necessary to shut the bees in the
hives, and they are ready to be loaded on the wag-
on. I do not see how a better reversible frame
could be made; for, top and bottom being alike, it
makes no difference which side is up; the hives
may even be stood on end for examination; a point
of considerable importance when one is in a hurry.

lam not sure but I have one objection to this
metal corner; and that is, that it spaces the combs
Wi inches from center to center. As yet it has giv-
en me no trouble on that score, but I believe I
should* like it better if the spacing were only 1%
inches. The wide spacing is an invitation to the
bees to store rather more honey in the brood-cham-
ber than I want there; but by shaving off the elon-
gated cells and reversing the frames I have man-
aged the matter very satisfactorily. With a large
number of colonies this would be too much labor,
and I have about arrived at the conclusion that I
want the spacing reduced to \% inches.

Any one using a suspended frame can easily change
to this without buying new frames, if the ones
he has in use are one inch shorter than the inside
of the hive. Saw off the projection of the top-bar,
nail a metal corner on each corner of the old frame,
and a folded piece of sheet iron on the bottom edge
of the ends of the hive, and the work is done. The
expense is but trifling, and it makes a hive that, in
my estimation, is far in advance of any other now
in use.

I may as well mention here, that I use a frame
It! \ inches long and 7 inches deep, outside measure;

514

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

and it might be that, in handling a deeper frame of
this kind I should And objections to it that my shal-
low frame has not developed. Two of my neighbors
who have heretofore used the same frame I am now
using have this year added one inch to its depth,
and I shall have the opportunity of observing its
workings. Z. T. Hawk.

Audubon, Iowa, May 27, lc89
I am very glad indeed to get the above
report ; in fact, I have long wondered that
we didn't hear more from that frame. I
think, however, you will not like frames
spaced at If. I have tried it pretty thor-
oughly ; and unless your combs are abso-
lutely straight. like aboard, even when filled
with brood and capped over, you will have
a great deal of trouble if you undertake to
move frames from one hive to another, or
even reverse or change ends with any frame.
The combs will touch in places, or so nearly
touch, that the bees can not get through ;
cells will be left vacant, brood will be de-
stroyed, and constant labor will be involved
in cutting down and building out— labor for
the bees. The frame you have, I think will
work better with the YanPeusen corners
than a deeper or larger one.

RECENT Deyemipmep^

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R ROOT.

THE HETHEKINGTON REVERSIBLE FRAME.

iplIANCING to observe that our friend
Z. T. Hawk was using the frame men-
tal tioned above, I wrote to him asking
** him to prepare an article for Glean-
ings, setting forth his views and ex-
perience with reference to closed - end
frames, and the Iletherington reversible
frame in particular. He has done so, and
the article above covers my own feelings in
the matter so perfectly that but little fur-
ther comment is necessary. While I recog-
nize some of the very decided advantages of
the closed-end frame, I have been no less
sensible of their defects, both from a theo-
retical and practical standpoint. The more
I have been thinking of the matter, the
more I feel just at present that the Ilether-
ington reversible frame comes as ne^r fill-
ing the bill as any thing that has ever been
gotten out. It not only retains most if not
all the advantages of the closed-end frames,
but it obviates some of their most serious
defects, so it seems to me ; and friend
Hawk, from a practical standpoint, you will
notice, is of the same opinion. For the pro-
duction of comb or extracted honey, in any
case where the colonies are to be moved to
any considerable extent, to and from out-
apiaries, it seems to me (although I may
change my mind very shortly) that some-
thing better than the ordinary suspended
frame is needed. I have not forgotten the
advantages of the hanging frame, such as
the lateral movement, spreading of frames
in winter, and contracting again in the
spring. 13v turning to Question 117, April
1, page 270, where the problem of wood
bearings versus metal rabbets is involved,
with reference to the hanging frame, a great

majority of the respondents prefer the wood
bearings. Why? For the very reason that
the hives can be moved about without spe-
cial means for holding the frames at fixed
distances ; but to get this feature it is nec-
essary to incur considerable inconvenience.
If the frames are fixed with propolis, they
must be removed necessarily with difficulty,
to say nothing of an occasional snap, and, of
course, disturbance from the bees, and more
or less stings. I do not believe that apia-
rists in general would tolerate the regular
closed-end frames, although I do not deny
the fact that some of our best and most ex-
tensive bee-keepers use and prefer them ;
but I do think that a frame at fixed dis-
tances is a thing we need, providing that we
can at the same time secure perfect mobili-
ty. Perhaps the principal reason why we
dropped the Iletherington reversible frame
was because it could not be adapted to the
Simplicity body, with its beveled edge. This
frame, however, will fit the new Dovetailed
hive w ith but very little alteration. A strip
of strap iron or heavy tin, nailed to the bot-
tom inside edge of each end of the hive will
form the support for the Iletherington
frame. This support will not interfere with
hanging frames. To give you a better idea
of the reversible frame, I reproduce here an
engraving which appeared on page 332 of
Gleanings for 1884.

THE MF.TAI.-CASTINC. liKVEKSIBLE FRAME.

1. Metal corners attached to a wide frame, showing how it
can be used without any top-liar.

2. Brood frame, with metal coiners attached to each corner.
5. Metal corners detached from the frame, showing nail

holes.

li. Metal corner in place, inserted in a saw-cut in the end-bar.

t. End-bar of wide frame, snowing cuts necessary to take in
metal corner.

The figures 2, H, and 5, will make the idea
plain. No. -5 we nail upon the frame, as
shown in figure 6. The casting not only
spaces the frames the proper distance apart,
but keeps them at a proper distance from
the ends of the hive. As the place of con-
tact is a mere point, propolis can play no
part. I have tried these frames considera-
bly, and know of nothing that reverses any
prettier or nicer than these ; and when they
drop down upon the strap-iron support,
there is but very little chance of crushing
bees. I do not believe it ordinarily pays to
go to the expense of reversing ; but if we
can get reversing with fixity of distances at
the same time, well and good. All of the
combs in the Hetheriugton reversible frame
are filled out nice and full, and will almost
do to ship without wires. We shall not at
present offer these frames for sale ; but
what I want to know is, have any others of
our subscribers tested itV If so, let us hear
from them. What I want to know particu-
larly is whether I am on the right track for
something better.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

515

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi- Monthly.

-&-. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

MEDINA, OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

!—•— >

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Reading Matter.

iMiiEioiisr^, crcriisriE 15, lesa

He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed
the eye, shall he not see?— Psalm 91 : 9.

HONEY MARKET.

By glancing at the honey market, tor a few num-
bers back, we observe that the old honey has been
nearly cleaned out, and that there is a demand for
new honey. After the old stuff has been all moved
off, we shall hope for better prices, even with a
good honey-flow.

DZIEHZON.

The following item, from the Revue Internation-
ale, of Nyon, Switzerland, will be of interest to our
readers:

Dzierzon, born in 1811, is still living a retired life
in Brieg, Silesia, where he has been for several
years. The University of Munich has awarded him
the diploma of Doctor of Philosophy, as a reward
for his numerous scientific works, and for his theo-
ey in regard to parthenogenesis.

the bush lima bean.
May be you think 1 have got over my enthusi-
asm; but I tell you, I have not. A good many
thousands of the Henderson bush lima beans are
now above ground; but, like the seed they sprang
from, the plants are so diminutive they look like
Lilliputian beans. Not so with the Kumerle. It
looks exactly like a good, strong, healthy lima bean.
It is true, it may climb poles, as friend Henderson
has suggested; but if they do undertake to climb
poles, our friend Thorburn had better climb a pole
too, or else some bushy tree, where he can get him-
self out of sight.

extensive bee-keepers.
As we have said many times before, our space is
crowded ; but we always have lots of room— in fact,
we make it for bee-keepers of large experience, and
those who own colonies by the several hundreds.
We are constantly striving to make improvements
in various ways in Gleanings; and our latest ef-
fort is to secure articles from the most extensive
bee-keepers in the land, on live topics. We take
pleasure in the fact that we have added to our col-
umns such men as A. E. Manum, S. I. Freeborn,
and others. Those who are large bee-keepers, and,
as a matter of course, successful, can hardly fail to
give us some practical hints.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM THE A B C CLASS.

It will be noticed elsewhere, that we have started
a department for the ABC class. Most of the
questions are asked by beginners. Some questions,
however, are asked by the veterans, and are answer-
ed in this department because they are not only of
general interest, but they are of vital interest to
beginners. Although our ABC book is very com-
prehensive, it can not, from tqe nature of top case,

cover all things under all circumstances. It will be
observed, that the question itself is omitted, the
query being implied in the answer. We do this,
because it saves space, because almost all of the
answers imply the question, and hence the specific
wording of the question before would be not only
useless but unnecessary.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA— A CORRECTION.

Since our article on page 4415 of our last issue was
printed, concerning manufactured comb honey, as
published in the American Supplement of the En-
cyclopedia Britannica, we learn that the J. M. Stod-
dart Co., Limited, of Philadelphia, were not the pub-
lishers of the Supplement in question, containing the
slander on the bee-keeping industry. As Dr. Nyse-
wnnder, who furnished us the facts, did not give the
name of the publishers, we consulted an American
edition of the Brita>uiica, &nd found that the publish-
ers were the J. M. Stoddart Co., Limited, Philadel-
phia. Supposing them to be the only publishers of
the American edition, we concluded a little too
hastily that they were responsible for the false
statement. We here desire to publicly exonerate
them from all connection in the matter. We have
since learned that the publishers of the Supplement
are Messrs. Hubbard Bros., 723 Chestnut St., Phila-
delphia, Pa., and have written them.

OUT-APIARIES AND MIGRATORY BEEKEEPING.

We are glad to note the disposition on the part of
our correspondents to discuss the matter of out-
apiaries in all its bearings. There is more to be
developed in this line than we are perhaps aware.
Migratory beekeeping, a kindred department of
the industry, will doubtless receive more attention
in the future. This fact has been proven over and
over again; namely, that often a difference of two
or three miles makes a very decided difference in
the supply of nectar. H. R. Boardman, of East
Townsend, 0., says in some of his out-apiaries last
summer his bees were almost on the verge of starv-
ation; while two or three miles away, in another
apiary, bees were very busy storing surplus. Mi-
gratory bee-keeping means moving bees to and
catching any flow of honey which may suddenly
develop in any locality where there are but few
bees. Scale hives, located in several localities, with
some one to report immediately any favorable
change of the pointer, would keep the apiarist post-
ed. Who can give us some experience in this line?
Perhaps H. R. Boardman will favor us with an ar-
ticle on this subject.

CHILLED AND FOUL BROOD ; HOW TO DISTINGUISH
ONE FROM THE OTHER.

Within the last few days, during the damp cool
weather, a great deal of chilled and foul brood has
been reported, and we have had a good deal of the
former. Quite a number who have written to us in
regard to their discovery have come to the conclu-
sion rather hastily that they had the real foul brood,
when the reported symptoms showed that they had
only chilled brood. While foul brood is getting to be
more and more prevalent, we fear, in the country,
most of the alleged foul brood is only chilled, and,
of course, not infectious. Perhaps we should re-
mark right here, that chilled brood, in a great
many points, resembles the virulent form. The
former may be recognized by the following i A cold
spell of weather comes on; the bees contract the
cluster, inside of the outside limits of the brood,

516

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June

Sometimes one or two frames are left high and dry,
so to speak. The heads of the unsealed larvae in
these combs will first turn black. The grub itself
gradually sinks down; and after a time, unless the
bees carry it out, it will turn to a grayish pulpy
mass. If still neglected by the bees, it will assume
a yellowish color; but, unlike foul brood, there is
no ropiness. The characteristic brown color, as
well as the glue-pot odor, is also absent. The cap-
pings are sunken and are often perforated. We
are afraid that there are some who have unwisely
concluded that they had foul brood, and have gone
to the expense of treating chilled brood, for the
virulent type. Some of the alleged specifics, we
fancy, such as coffee, sulphuric acid, etc., have had
to do with only chilled brood. Of course, this will
disappear of itself; but the coffee and sulphuric
acid get the credit, and Brown is offended because
we have no faith in his remedy.

MARKETING OUR STRAWBERRIES, ETC.

At this date, June 13, strawberries are ripening
pretty fairly; but I am pleased to tell you that they
go off just as quick as they are ripe, at 15 cents a
quart. It is true, berries are sold around us for 10
cents a quart; but I will tell you some of the rea-
sons why we get 15 cents. The picking is all done
by the school children, before school in the morn-
ing and after school in the afternoon. They are
picked, and carefully placed in new pint boxes,
made by the Disbrow Manufacturing Co., Roches-
ter, N. Y. We give good heaping measure, and
most of the berries are great big ones. Those pick-
ed at night are placed on the market-wagon, the
wagon being placed in the fruit-house. Well, in-
stead of shutting the building up with doors, both
the north and south ends are simply closed with
wire netting, so the air has free access. The little
boxes of berries are placed lti in a box, made ex-
pressly for them (these baskets are figured in our
book, What to Do). The wagon starts out before 6
o'clock in the morning. The boys also start out to
pick berries about the same time; and by school
time the wagon is generally sold out, and comes
around and collects the berries just picked; so you
see we can tell our customers, "These berries were
picked this morning." We usually get the pint
baskets back again; but if it is not convenient, we
let them go with the berries. Another thing that
makes them sell is the extra large size. Why, it is
almost like eating peaches to take one in your
hand. Some of the farmers in the vicinity of Medi-
na are complaining that they can not make any
money by raising grain crops, and so they have
started in on tobacco. It takes just as much ma-
nure and cultivation to raise tobacco as it does to
raise strawberries. One kills, and the other cures.
Yes, even Christian people are engaged in the to-
bacco-traffic. I asked one of the pastors, when told
that his people were engaged in raising tobacco,
what professing Christians had to say for them-
selves. He replied, "Their only plea is, 'There is
money in it.'" Woe betide the follower of Christ
when he gets on such ground as that. "Seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you."

BAD WEATHEH.

Lettehs from all parts of the country mention
the effects of the bad stormy weather. Many say
their bees are starving; others, that there is no
honey coming in, and colonies are liable to starve.

Within the last few days, the weather (June 13th)
has so materially changed for the better in our
locality that we hope that this discouraging out-
look may soon be reversed. In fact, we are already
in receipt of reports saying that honey is beginning
to come in at a good rate.

gPECI^Ii ]\[OTICEg.

COPPER TEA-KETTLES AND BOILERS.

Since the collapse of the French copper syndicate,
and the consequent decline in the price of copper
in all its forms, articles manufactured from copper
can now be bought at lower prices than for some
time. We have accordingly put in a stock of plan-
ished copper tea-kettles and wash-boilers, which we
can furnish at the following prices:

No. S, copper tea-kettles, $1.50 each; $12.50 for 10.

No. 9, " " 1.75 each; 13.50 " 10.

No. 8, " boilers, 3.50 each; 30.00 " 10.

No. 0, " " 4.00 each; 31100 " 10.

These are all tinned inside, and planished bright
outside. The boilers include a tin cover. You may
have the tea-kettle nickel-plated outside for 30 cts.
each more. If carefully handled, copper utensils
should last a lifetime, as they will not rust out like
tin, nor chip off like agate or granite ware. They
are also chemically safe to use.

DECLINE IN PRICE OF WIRE NAILS.

The manufacturers of wire nails having adopted
a new list of prices, making important changes, we
also change our prices accordingly. You will
notice, by comparing our new table below with the
old one published in our catalogue, that, on all sizes
there is a decline in prices, and this is especially no-
ticeable in the very small sizes. You notice, also,
we introduce a new column, giving price of 25-lb.
boxes, as we now keep in stock both 25 and 50 lb.
boxes, which go at the same rate. Taking the
prices right through, there is a marked decline in
price.

PRICE LIST OF FINE FLAT-HEAD WIRE NAILS.

The X, %, and % inch are also put up in %-\h. packages, at 15,
12, and 10c per package.

Wgtofl . I • I s

5 cent I . 1 £ I i £

"*»■ 5 = \ ~ s

#in

I 17,777

I No. 21

1 oz.

1 25 ct.

|»2.40

1*6.00

*'."2 I")

% "

|10,000

I " 20

2 "

|20

I 1 80

| 4 00

1 . 20

% "

I 7,600

I " 20

2 "

118

I 1 60

I 3.40

I 12.80

% "

| 1,269

| " 19

4 "

115

I 1 30

I 2.75

I 10.40

<Si "

| 2,750

| " 18

4 "

|13

| 1.05

1 2.25

I 8.00

% "

| 2,350

| " 18

4 "

|12

| 1.00

I 2.00

-, Ci

1

| 2,000

| " 18

4 "

111

| .90

| 1.85
I 1.65

I 6.80

V4 "

I 1,200

| " 17

8 "

|10

| 80

| 5 90

VA "

I 760

| •' 16

8 "

9

I .70

| 150

I 5.30

W "

| 500

[ " 15

8 "

9

| .70

I 1.50

! 5 30

2 "

| 350

: •■ ii

| 8 "

1 8

I .70

I 1.40

| 5.00

2K "

1 -s.»

| » 13

8 "

1 8.

| .60

I 1 30

| 4.70

2H " I 1«4 I " 12 I 8 " | 8 | .60 | 1.25 | t 10

Five lbs. will be charged at the 10-lb. rate; 50 lbs.
at the 25-lb. rate. By mail, IS cts. per lb. extra for
postage and packing.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

Your Dovetailed hive can not be surpassed for
workmanship. Freight charges were very moder-
ate, being onlv $122 for 295 pounds of stuff.

Sassafras, Md., June 2, 1889. K. J. Townsend.

THAT WHEELBARROW.

The goods you sent me came in due time, and I
wish to say I am very much pleased with that
wheelbarrow. It is so light and yet so strong, and
runs so easy, it is ahead of any thing in that line I
ever saw. The other things are all right.

Greene, la., June 2, 1889. Green R. Shirer.

JHKH

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

523

Contents of this Number.

Alsike Not ;i Cross 545

Answers to Questions 547

Bees Biting Flowers 545

Bees S t Distances 529

Bees Taxable 550

Bees in Sections 558

Bees, Moving r,4i

Bee-lawsuit 559

Brood, Foul vs. Chilled.... 540

Butcher Bird 542

Carp Eggs 542

Cockroaches 550

Cuban Apiculture 539

Editorial 559

False Statements 54.'i

Foundation, Flat-bottom, ..BSi

Heads of Grain 544

Hives. Disinfecting 546

Hives. Heddon on 536

Hives, Moisture in 545

Honey, Comb, To Ship 540

Honey, Hitter 538

Honey, Guajjilla 660

Jamaica Letter 538

Machinery on Farm 554

.Mannm's Rules 5?6

Moving, Cost of (Q. B.) 549

Notes and Queries 550

Orange Does Held Money. .550

Orange blossoms 544

< Mil1 ( >wn Apiary 556

( mi apiari

Packages, Fi> e cent
Papier-mache

.Ineell ,

■lis

aniM.

Keren i Developments. 551

Sections, Open-side M4

Sections. Unfinished. .534

Shade boards (Q. K.1.54S

Smoker, Stovepipe 559

Soot, etc., on Land 544

Strawberries, Selling 554

Strawboard 545

Sugar Never Honey 546

Nil i id a \ Swarms 545

Swa rming-tools 556

Swarming, ( lause of. . 52K,5.'W

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court-house, Krantford, Canada, Dec. 4, 5. 6, 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend, state and district bee-
keepers'societies are invited to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting will be given in due
time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, and recei> mil;
the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding $1.00 to
the secretary. K. 6\ Holtermann, Sec'y.

Brantfordl Out.. Can.

SECTION PRESS.

PRICE $2.00.

WTENTED JULY ITusT36^^

For putting- together one-piece sections. Every

section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100

in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret

it. Send to your supply dealer or to 5-lfidb

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

£S"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

AN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

100 TONS OF GOMB HONEY

Will undoubtedly be put on the market this season

in our

FOLDING PAPER BOXES.

Send for catalogue, 20 pages, free. Sample box, 5c.
Our prices defy competition.
9 20db A. 0. CRAWFORD, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.

S5T\\\ responding i.. I .■.. .-■■'voiii e.n. m n., ii in ( ! lkakings.

ELJ. MILLER & CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
41,,x-414 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $:i.f>0 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

t3Tln responding to this advertisement men! ion Gleanings.

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to 83.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

:ittdb rock Falls, Illinois.

Lgr-ln responding to ibis advertisement mention Gleanings,

<A * ELLISON'S i

*ALL « ITALIANS*

JUNE AND AFTER.

1 untested queen

n
m

CO

CO

UJ
UJ

3 " " $;> Oil

1 tested " l 50

3 " " 4 25

2 and :i frame nuclei. Safe arrival guaran-
teed. Wholesale rates on application.

W. .1. l'JLLISOS,

11-Mdb Stateburg, Sumter Co., 8. C.

In responding to l.iis ad vet I i. -.o incut mention IIi.e.inik

CO

Boos ^» Y"^01^1*1^
ees IvK A oultry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.
C^"ln responding to tlus advertisement mention Gleanings.

I AM AWAITING YOUR ORDER

FOR 3-FRAME NUCLEI.

Price, with untested queen, $:i.(io. Best tested
queen, $4.00; 2 frame nuclei, 50 cts. less. Combs
straight and true; all worker comb, and bees finest
of Italians. One untested queen, $1.00; 6 for 85.00.
Best tested, $3.50 each.

J NO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. Office, Irsa, 111. Lima, III.

Mention GLEANINGS. 12 17db

DO YOU WANT

One of the lines! COLDEN ITALIAN QUEENS
you ever saw? Then send to us and get one reared
by our new, natural, and practical method.

Warranted queens, each. $1.00; Select warrant-
ed, each, $1.25; Tested, $1 50.

We have had thirty years' experience in rear-
ing queens. 25,000 of our old customers will tell you
that the purity, beauty, and quality of our queens
can not be excelled.

121 1 Mb HENRY ALLEY, Wcnliaill, Mass.
9*In responding to this advertisement imt.ii i

NOT TOO LATE

YET TO OKDEK SUPPLIES

From me, as T ship very promptly. The class of
goods I handle is very fine.

*— TXV3T i 1£E -•- OITCE— ■
Catalogue free. JOHN A.8PINWALI1,

12-i:id Sarrytown, Dutchess Co., N. Y.

, in resp ling to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LOOK HERE! "M.'*

Full colonies of pure Italian bees in A. I. Root's
Simplicity hive, only $4.00 each. Now ready to
ship. Frames, wired combs drawn from fdu., every
thing first-class. Write for prices of Poland China
swine, White and Brown Leghorn chickens, and
Mallard ducks. Eggs for hatching. Also white
and black ferrets. Address N. A. KNAPP,
tlftdb EOCHESTEE, LOEAIN CO., OHIO.

ES^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

f OH. SiVIjE.

Sections in bushel boxes, No. 1, $:{.(I0 per M. Jap-
anese buckwheat; a complete S. or L. hive for comb
honey, 75o; shipping-crates, and all kinds of sup-
plies cheap. Price list tree,
otf.lli W. I). SOPER, Jackson, Mich.

424

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; O.G.Collier, Fairbury,
Nebraska; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
B. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. K. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y.; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb.; E.C. Eagles-
field, Berlin, Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
to sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LAN6STR0TH BOOK

Edition of 1889.

3tfdb

(HAS. DADANT A: SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

tarin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

KEYSTONE APIARY.

Imported and Alley Queen-Mothers

Tested, June $3 00; July to October $2.50

Fertile, " 150; " " " 1.00

Virgin, " to October 50c

Alley drone and queen traps at regular prices.
Send for circular. W. J. BOW,

Mention Gleanings. 10-15db Cireensburg, Pa.

Price of Sections Reduced.

I will sell No. 1 white basswood V-groove sections
at $3.00 per M. No. 2, $2.00 per M. Price list free.

j. m. kbv/.ii:,

10-Hdb Rochester, Oakland Co., Mich.

CS^In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts.;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To every purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen, in June and after, for $1 50, I will give one
L. frame nucleus, 50 cts., for each added frame of
brood and bees. Tested queens, $1.25; untested,
$1.00. Send for price list.

MTtS. OTjIVEH. COIiE,
Sherburne, Ohen. Co., 3V. Y.
C74i.ezia.xigo Valley Apiary. lOtfdb

STIn responding to this mfveni eim-nt imnti,,n Gleanings.

NEW BOOK ON BEES, and DAEANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

FOUND AT LAST!

How to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a vear. Send
for particulars. DR. A. B. MASON,

9-Hdb Auburndale, Ohio.

|7*In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

1889. 19th Year in Queen-Rearing. 1889.

ITALIAN QUEEN-BEES.

Tested queen, in April, May, and June $1 50

Untested " " " " " 80

Sent by mail and safe arrival guaranteed. Also
nuclei and full colonies. Eggs of Pekin ducks —
White and Brown Leghorns, and White-crested
Black Polish chicks, $1.50 per dozen. Address

W. P. HENDERSON,
5tfdb Murfreesboro, Tenn.

0*1 n responding to (his advertisement mention Gleanings.

Bingham & Hethorington's Honey-knife. Patented 1879.

Bingham Smokers and Bingham & Hetherington
Honey-knives are staple tools, and have been used
ten years without complaint. The smokers last,
work easily, throw a stream of smoke ten feet, and
save time, stings, and money. Send card for de-
scriptive circular of the cheapest and best tools in
use— free.

THEY LAST.

Addison, Vt.— Have one of
your smokers, good yet, used
(3 years. E. J. Smith.

Su,ver Creek, Kv.-I have
had one of your smokers 3
years, and it is as good as
new. T. W. Hudgens.

Patented 1379. Elm Grove, Mass.— Have

one I have used six seasons, good yet.

F. M. Taintor.
Austin, Texas, Apr. 24, 1889— Goods came throu'
in good order. We are glad we can show our cus-
tomers a full line of solid comfort.

Fraternally, J. W. Taylor.
Fakina, III , Mar. 23, 1889.— Those who see me
use jour smoker can not be persuaded to buy any
other. They stand the test and do the work every
time. Respectfully, M. D. Hewett.

By mail, postpaid.

Doctor smoker (wide shield) 3J4 inch $2 00

Conqueror smoker (wide shield) 3 175

Large smoker (wide shield) '2lA " 150

Extra smoker (wide shield) 2 125

Plain smoker 2 " 100

Little Wonder smoker 1% " 65

Bingham & Hetherington Honey-knife 1 15

TO SELL AGAIN, apply for dozen or half-dozen
rates. Address T. F. BINGHAM, or

ll-16db BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,

Mention Gleanings. Abronia, Mich.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS.ETC.

w

E make the best bee hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4^x4^ sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

%W Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2 00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

®-In respo

ilviMtixnuiit mention Glkanings.

A Four-Color Label for Only 75
Cts. Per Thousand !

Just think of it! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either "comb" or " extract-
ed " before the word " honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand ; 50 cts. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is ZVi x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and
many other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

525

1889. HELLO! HELLO! 1889.

How are supplies selling:? You send for W. E.
Clark's illustrated price list. He is rock bottom
for all supplies, and don't you forget it.

W. E. Clark's Improved Hinge-Nozzle Quinby

Smoker. The lie.st Smoker Made.
Ori&kany, - Oneida Co., - New Vork.

s-14db (^"Mention Gleanings.

ITALIAN

BEES AND QUEENS. Tested
queens, $1.50. Untested, 80c.
Bees, per lb., $1.00. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

9-10tfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.
t-^"ln responding to this advertisement mention lii.i .>

SAVE^PREIGHTr

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete Hue of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quautities,
only $3.35 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3-Hdb Box fl. Higginsville, Mo.

C^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

[HE HIVE AND HONEY BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advert isement in another column.

HONEY, bees, queens, supplies.

I lot/

OLIVER FOSTER, NIT. VERNON, IOWA.

3tfdb

CS'Mii responding to this ail\

anient mention <»leanin<j

IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send lor our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,
4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

C^ln responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

LOOK HERE!

STRONG THREE-FRAME NUCLEI,

WITH QUEEN FROM IMPORTED

ITALIAN MOTHER, FOR $2.50.

Safe arrival and satisfaction guaranteed.

Address G. W. GILLETT, Wellington, Ohio,
10-ll-12d or M. W. SHEPHERD, Rochester, Ohio.
EP"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Eaton's Improved
SIECTIOIW CAS2.

Bees and Queens. Send for

4 '— (Ipft free catalogue. Address
FRANK A. EATON,

5-16db HI ufftou, Ohio,

fS**In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Italian Queens by Return Mail.

Tested, $1.00; untested, 50c each, or more at same
rate. lOtfdb I. GOOD, SPAKTA, WHITE CO., TENN.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu.. $2.00; per 4- bu., $1.25; per peck,
75 cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,
B-Udb Bloomfield, Creene Co., Ind.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-hde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— Any one that has a book suitable for
a mission Sunday-school, and would like to
donate the same, to send it by mail to 13tfdb

Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Newaygo Co., Mich.

WANTED— To exchange a complete apiary of 25
colonies choice Italiansand all needed fixtures
for a 56-in. bicycle or offers, a rare bargain. 13d

H. C. Cragg, Groesbeck, Hamilton Co., Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
gine, or any thing useful on a plantation.
21tfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto K lei now,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange old copies of Gleanings
in Bee Culture for bee-keepers' names and
addresses, plainly written. I will send 3 copies (as
long as they last) for each half-dozen names sent to
me from anywhere in Nebraska or Dakota. 1 will
not agree to send any certain number from 1879 to
1888. J. M. Young, Box 874, Plattsmouth, Neb.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

Black and hybrid queens for sale. 30 and 50 cts.
respectively. J. A. Kime, Fairfield, Pa.

For Sale.
and 35 cts.

-Two black and 10 hybrid queens at 25
A. VV. Spracklen,

Cowden, Shelby Co., 111.

I have a few hybrid queens which I will mail for
35 cents each. S. P. Yodek, East Lewistown, O.

Now ready to mail, Italian-hybrid queens at 30c
each. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co., O. 13 14d

Black and hybrid queens for sale at 20 and 25 cts.,
respectively, by Jas. McNeill, Hudson, N. Y.

Hybrid queens for sale, of this season's raising,
and prolific, 35c each, or 3 for $1. Safe arrival guar-
anteed. J. P. Poole, Russellville, Ark.

Having purchased a large apiary of choice black
and hybrid bees, I will sell the queens at 20 cts. and
30 cts. respectively. Oliver Foster,

13tfdb Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

For Sale.— Three misroated Italian queens, 35c
each. Lot for %\M. Chas. McClave,

New London, OhiQ.

526

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

JIONEY (36MJIN.

CITY MARKETS.

Nkw Yobk.— Honey.— Extracted, demand is still
good at firm prices, but arrivals are becoming larg-
er, and may tend to weaken market somewhat. We
quote best orange blossom at 7@7'/4c per lb. Lower
grades. Southern, 65@70o per gal. Beexwax.— Large
buyers are out of the market, and although the ar-
ticle is still scarce, supply is suflieieut to cover the
demand; a decline may be expected soon. We
quote 26@27 for good stock.

F. (i. Stkoiimevek & Co.,

J une 22. 12-' Water St., N. Y.

Cincinnati. -Honey — No change in the market.
Demand slow lor table use, and fair from manufac-
turers. Several lots of new comb honey arrived;
but quality being off, it finds slow sale. We quote
extracted, 5@6c on arrival. Comb honey. I3@14 in
the johbing way. — Beeswax, there is a good demand
at 2*J@22c for good to choice yellow on arrival.
Chas. P. Muth & Son,

June 22. Cincinnati, Ohio.

St. Louis. — Honey. — Trade, is not urgent, but
fairly active at tu.x^ii'a for lightest, good flavor,
strained and extracted, in barrels. Dark, hy2. Re-
ceipts increasing. Comb, quiet, 12J4 for best white
clover. Beeswax, prime, in demand at 22.

D. G. Tutt Grocf.rCo.,

June 22. St. Louis, Mo.

Kansas Citt. — Honey. — We are receiving con-
signments of new comb honey, very nice, in 1-lb.
sections; selling at 18c. Very little old honey of
any kind on the market. No new extracted in the
market yet. Beeswax, none on the market.

Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

June 26. Kansas City, Mo.

Clkveland.— Honey.— No new honey in our mar-
ket yet. Old about all cleaned up, so the market
will be in good condition when the new comes.
A. C. Kendel.

June 22. Cleveland, O.

Detroit.— Honey— Very little is left in the com-
mission houses, and none that is attractive. Comb
is selling very slowly at 12® 15. Ii< < swax, 24@25.
M. H. Hunt,

June 22. Detroit, Mich.

St. Louis.— Honey.— There is no change in our
honey market. Beeswax, firm. Good, fair stock,
23: selected, 24. W. B. Westcott & Co.,

June 22. St. Louis, Mo.

Albany. — Honey. — Market nominal. Nothing do-
ing. No stock and no demand. H. R. Wright,
June 21. Albany, N. Y.

Boston.— Honey.
Sales slow.
June 22.

-No change in price of honey.
Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

ITALIAN QUEENS,

Bred from the very best selected
tested imported queens, and from
the purest and best of home-bred
gueens. Selected warranted queens,
$1.00; five for $4.00; selected tested
queens, $1 25. One selected virgin
queen, 60c; per half dozen, $3.00.
The queens in small cages go by
mail postage paid. Safe arrival and
satisfaction guaranteed. Remit by
registered letter or money order,
payable at Salem, Ohio.
II. SCATTERGOOD, Winona, Ohio.
Tlii- will in. I appear again tins season. Mention iliis paper.

Carniolan Queens.

sporting and breeding tins race exclusively since 1384:

ig and breeding th:
demand lor them lias more than
postal Cor circular, or $1 for choice

do/,.; $.1 tor I: ni oil's hi -si grade ii

ly since 1*84; the
ed each season. Send
ted quoin; ts perhalf-
d queen. lltfdb

S. W. MORRISON, Oxford, Chester Co., Pa.

t3f"lu responding to th

n mention ui.k.amni

A POSITIVE FACT

liee-

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL
I- font t h<- (HiI and Reliable Knic/n-rbockt-r
I'tirni ( Established tSSO)\
Circulai- .« ,i< I Price Xjist I'l-ee.

13 -lltfd «>. H. KNICKERBOCKER,

BOX 41. Pine Plains, Dutchess Co., IN. X.

J^'In responding to this advertisement mention Ul, bakings.

Oil! Oh! Oh! I stubbed my toe, hurrying so,
to keep up with orders for queens which are pour-
ing in. But nevermind, Doolittle is all right, he
cau go, so send on your orders, as per page 245 of
April 1st Gleanings.

O. M. DOOLITTLE, Borodino, N. Y.

t5f In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

500,000 CELERY- PLANTS.

Largest and Finest, Best Rooted, Best
Packed, Best Varieties.

250 Selected Plants, prepaid, - - - $1 00

1000 " " " .... 3 00

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Explicit directions for planting, cultivating, and

storing for winter use, sent free with plants.

A. T. COOK, (SEEDSMANi CLINTON HOLLOW, N. Y.

IQfln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Bargain.

I have sixteen colonies of bees (mostly Italians!
that 1 am forced to dispose of. They are all in
splendid condition, and will be sold in any quantity
at a very low figure. Inquire of

J. R. BOLTON, Poughkeepsie,
339 Main St., Dutchess Co., N. Y.

E9"In responding to this advert!;

it mention Gi.eanim

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 5-0cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-

pies free. w. S. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Please mention GLEANIKi

istftlb

500 X-BS. ITAI-I-a.1T BEES AT
SO CTS. PER I-B.
Tested queens, $\ Oil. Untested, 75 cts. Mismated,
o'J cts. Brood, per L frame, 50 cts

G. L. JONES, Grand Ridge. La Salle Co., III.

THE BEST YELLOW ITALIAN
QUEENS AT $1.50 EACH.

I also wish to sell my newspaper subscription
agency on account of the press of other work. Cat-
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Good reference given and expected.

C. M. GOODSPEED, 4-50.1 THORN HILL, N. Y.

tyin responding to 1 ,1.- ;id veil I emu., nuioioli I ll.h.vM-.o-i.

ITAMAN (IUEKNS at August Prices now.
Untested, 75c; testi d, $1.25; select tested, #2.00.
Satisfaction guaranteed. E. W. TUKNER. Medina, Ohio

TESTED Italian queens, limited number. *1 25 each,
Frank Benton's imp. queens, $4.00 each.

S. F. KEED, N. Dorchester, N. H.

Vol. XVII.

JULY 1, 1889,

No. 13.

MS : $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance; "I 77»0/ „ 7, 7-,* 0 7, „ /I ,'-*, 7 i? "Y Q f clubs to different postoffices, not less
pies ior$1.90;;i lui*2.75; r. r.. r$4.00; HjSTUjO lib ll(yll> III ±0 I O. than Mete. each. Sent postpaid, in the

. .— ntL ~.~ 1, o; i I .' IT « ..■.,! r^onoHov T., nil Alh..r oriim.

TERMS
2 Cople:

10 or more, 75cts. each. Single num-
ber. 5 cts. Additions to clubs maybe
made at club rates. Above are all to
be sent to one post-office.

I'liUl.ISIIKM KKMI-MOXTIII.Y HY

U. S. and Canada?. To all other coun-
tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18

A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. IStWffliyr^S

OUT-APIARIES, NO. X.

VENTILATION FOR BEES WHEN HAULING.

fNB day 1 was hauling-, among- others, a very
strong colony of bees from home to the Wil-
son apiary. The day was very hot, and I did
not g-et started till pretty late, and was de-
layed by some business in the villag-e as I
passed through. When the entrance to the hive
was opened, after reaching- the Wilson apiary, the
bees of this strong colony rushed forth in a body,
not taking wing-— they couldn't take wing- — but
spreading- out on the ground until they covered a
distance of perhaps three feet from the hive. I
should think about a fourth of the colony were on
the ground -perhaps not so many. The rest of the
bees didn't crawl out— dead bees don't. Those that
did come out soon died. The whole colony was a
steaming-, wet mass, and the combs were soft and
broken down. Fifty colonies lost in wintering were
not mourned so much as that one colony. It seem-
ed a case of deliberate murder.

Bees don't need such an immense amount of ven-
tilation; but what they do need, be very sure you
give them, or they will smother to death. I have,
in a few cases, hauled bees in the middle of a hot
day, in the middle of summer, in which case I gave
them the usual ventilation at the entrance and a
covering of wire cloth over the entire top, a space
of three or four inches being between the tops of
the frames and the wire cloth. That was probably
more ventilation than they needed, but the excess
of ventilation did no hurt. For the usual hauling,
spring and fall, I give no other ventilation than the
ordinary entrance covered with wire cloth. Until
recently the eutrances to my hives were 15VS x 38,
making a space of nearly 6 square inches; but now
they are 15^ x %, making about 8 square inches.

The 6 square inches seemed to answer very well,
but 8 are probably better. Perhaps smaller hives
would need more ventilation. In any case, be sure
that you give ventilation enough. Don't start out
with a full load of bees, giving only 6 inches ven-
tilation, till you have tried one or two, and know
that 6 inches is enough for you. Possibly 13 square
inches may be none too large space for ventilating
your hives. At any rate, too much ventilation will
do uo harm, and the only reasou I have so little is
the simple matter of convenience. I formerly at-
tached to the front of each entrance a wire-cloth
portico, which answered the purpose excellently,
but I now have a simpler and easier way. Take a
stick about as long as the width of the hive, an inch
wide, and % thick. Take a piece of wire cloth
about two inches wide, and as long as your stick,
and double it lengthwise. Lay the wire cloth on
the stick, and fasten it on with three or four dou-
ble-pointed tacks, running them across the grain

WIRE-CLOTH STOPPER FOR ENTRANCE, SHOWING
THE SIDE THAT GOES NEXT THE HIVE.

so as not to split the stick, letting the doubled edge
project over the edge of the stick ?»] or ^..'inch,
whatever the size of the entrance. A single thick-
ness of wire cloth would answer as well or better
than double, but for its raveling out at the edge.
A lJ4-inch wire nail driven into each end of the
stick holds it fast on the hive. The nail is driven
in only a little more than half its length, so it can
be easily drawn out with a claw hammer. After
the nail is drawn in a sufficient depth, it is bent
over so there is no danger of the stick slipping back,
on the nail.

528

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jl'l.Y

1 need not say that such a stopper is Dot suitable

forall hives. For hives with loose bottom-boards,
there might be special bottom-boards made, to be
used only in carrying, in which should be a liberal
allowance of wire cloth. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M.,a good many of us have had
experience with bees so nearly smothered
that they crawled out of the hive and off
through the dirt, in every direction. Now,
if they are allowed to go off through the
dirt it is a dead loss, for they are dead bees.
But there is a way of saving them. I have
given it with full particulars in our little
book, "Mr. Merrybanks and his Neighbor."
I have saved bees so nearly suffocated they
were wet and daubed with honey, a great
many times, in the same way. Our boys
once put up some nuclei during very hot
weather. The combs were heavy with hon-
ey, and the bees were gorged. Bees from
the apiary soon began hanging around the
wire cloth, and making a bother; and to
keep them away, somebody set them inside
of a chaff hive and laid a cover on, flunking
that the ventilating holes in the cover would
give them air enough. Not so. When I
found them they were almost too hot to
touch, and dripping with honey, having that
black sticky appearance. I took a nucleus
under each arm and rushed to the apiary,
and found two queenless colonies in chaff
hives. I raised the cover and set a nucleus
inside of each one. As soon as I pried off
the wire cloth, the bees boiled out all over
the sides of the hives, too wet to take wing ;
but before they could get outside of the
chaff hive the cover was put on. Of course,
the brood-combs to the chaff hives were un-
covered. Now the sticky bees could not get
to the open air without crawling through
a good populous colony, and I expected that
this good populous colony would lick them
clean and reconcile them to staying indoors
before they had a chance to find an entrance.
It turned but exactly as I expected. Every
bee, including the queen, had his face wash-
ed and hair combed, and looked quite re-
spectable by next morning ; but they had a
black, shiny look that they never got entire-
ly rid of. None crawled out of the entrance
to go off and die, that I could discover, at
all. After you have got a good quantity of
bees, of course it will take a good strong
healthy colony to slick them all up. During
hot weather we place a sheet of wire cloth
over both top and bottom, and have the bot-
tom so arranged that it can not be set on the
floor so as to cut off ventilation. With plen-
ty of air, the hottest weather does no harm.

WHAT CAUSES SWARMING?

FRIEND DOOLITTLE TAKES SOME EXCEPTIONS TO

DR. MILLER'S INTERPRETATION OE FRIEND

HASTY.

TT was with no little interest that I read the arti-
M cle by Dr. Miller, found on pages 441 and 445 of
]Il Gleanings, in which he tries to interpret what
■*" friend Hasty says about what causes swarm-
ing, in a most singular way, which interpreta-
tion is fallen in %vith by the editor, to a certain ex-
teat at least. Apropos of this 1 flqd an article ia

the June Guide, written by the editor, in which he
says, " If from any cause the food secreted by the
nurse-bees is more than ia required to feed the
larvae and queen, it is stored in abundance in cer-
tain cells which become queen-cells, and hatch
queens. The capping of the queen-cells, or closing
the doors to these storehouses for the food secret-
ed by the nurse-bees, causes a commotion in the
hive which results in swarming." Dr. Miller con-
fesses that he " had never thought of just that rea-
son" before, and lor this reason he is excusable for
being " taken in " so easily. Let us see what there
is against accepting such a theory as that inter-
pretation of Bro. Hasty's words by the doctor, and
that brought out by friend Hill, in the Guitir. In
the first place, "these storehouses" (queen-cups)
are built weeks before any food is placed in them,
and long before the hive is tilled with brood, and
also when the unsealed brood largely predominates
over that which is sealed, this showing that prep-
aration for swarming is commenced long before
the nurse-bees think of having more chyme in their
stomachs than they have use for; showing, also,
that preparations are being made to " multiply and
replenish the earth " nearly as soon as the assur-
ance of something for the sustenance of a new
colony is warranted by the blooming of the first
flowers. Now let us watch these embryo queen-
cells and see what becomes of them. When the
colony gets a little stronger, and are yet spreading
their brood far more rapidly than at any other time
in the season, so there is no cramping of the unseal-
ed brood as yet, for the same has not yet reached
the outside of the brood-nest, we find the queen
placing eggs in these "storehouses," yet so far
there has not been a particle of food stored in them,
nor will there be till these eggs are about to hatch
into larvre. At this time the bees begin to feed
these larv;r, destined to become queens, the same
as they do those iu the worker-cells, gradually in-
creasing this food, till at the end of 48 hours they
do assume the appearance of being storehouses;
yet in this, no one, it seems to me, can see any
thing but a plan to perfect the queen larva accord-
ing to the laws which govern the bees, if they will
look at it iu a reasonable light.

\gain, according to the old adage that "corn will
tassel out at about such an age, even if the stalks
are not six inches high," we see weak colonies of
bees making preparations, and swarming with
these "storehouses " well filled with royal jelly,
when the hive is scarcely three-fourths full of
brood, half of which is in the unsealed state. I
have so repeatedly had these weaker colonies of
spring swarm, that I long ago gave up the idea
which I used to entertain, that a part of my colo-
nies were so weak that they would not swarm.

Once more: We have had a very peculiar season
here in Central New York this year, in which some-
thing has happened which I never knew to happen
before to so great an extent as it has done this
year. Prior to May 20th we had the most splendid
spring for bees which T ever saw, and brood rear-
ing went on at a lively pace, till, at the date above
referred to, all of the stronger colonies had their
hives from two-thirds to three fourths full of brood.
With the 20th of May came a rainstorm which kept
the bees in their hives for nearly a week, at the
end of which it became so oold that ice formed in
places a quarter of an inch thick. The cold kept on
to a greater or less extent, together with rain, rain,

1889

GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE.

529

nearly all of the while (only now and then a pleas-
ant day appearing), till June V.'.. At this time there
was little in the hives save eggs, some nearly mature
brood, and a hive pretty well tilled with young bees
which had hatched from brood which was in thecells
on May 25, tor brood-rearing was partially kept up
for about a week after it began to rain. With J une
12th came warm weather with sunshine; and as the
raiuy weather hud brought on the white clover to
an unusual extent, all colonies were as "busy as
bees " in gathering the nectar which now began to
be secreted by the clover, while the brood in the
egg and larval form exceeds at this writing (June
18) any thing I ever saw before. Now, if our friends
Miller, Hill, and Knot were correct, that the accu-
mulation of larval food was what caused swarming,
the bees should not think of swarming now (but
should have done so about May 28, when there were
few or no larvae to feed); for now there are appar-
ently two larva- to "one food," yet some of the
strongest colonies have eggs in the queen cells, pre-
paratory lo the issuing of swarms in the near fu-
ture.

While the outlook before us is not good for hon-
ey, iua-mucb as the brood which should have been
in the hive, but was not, between May 20th and
June 10th would have been the bees to gather our
honey from basswood, still this poor outlook for
honey has given a chance to prove the fallacy of
this theory, that a surplus of chyme is the prime
cause of bees swarming. How much easier for
Dr. Miller to accept friend Hasty's words on page
460 (" how can young people be prevented from try-
ing to set up a new domicile?") as applicable to the
cause of swarming, rather than try to make out
that there is some other cause for it than that im-
planted in the bees by the Creator of all things!
Only as man interferes with the normal condition
of the colony to so great an extent that their plans
are all frustrated, can swarming be kept under our
control; and, as I said on page 4150, I believe that
such frustration is against the best interests of the
apiarist who is working for comb honey. Friend
Cook thinks that I am too positive (Gleanings for
June 1st, page 44ti) in answering query 125. I would
ask friend Cook if we who believe in the Master's
teachings have not a right to trust him to a posi-
tive extent, when he has said, " Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right '( " If I can not be positive
here, I have no assurance that there is any thing
positive in this world. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., June 18, 1S89.

Now, old friend, my observations do not
quite agree with yours, as given in the
above. 1 have seen black bees a great many
times start queen-cells about swarming
time. After the queen-cell was well along,
an egg would be found in it, and then the
milky food. Perhaps I may say I have nev-
er seen very much natural swarming with
the Italians ; but I have a great many times
found the first indication of a queen-cell
(that is, the first that my eye caught hold of)
was an accumulation of milky food around
a small larva ; and when Adair, years ago,
suggested that the bees, at least sometimes,
put this milky food around a certain small
larva, just because they had no other place
to store it. I began from that time forward
watching for instances to corroborate his
theory, and I have found a great many of
them. I think I could take you out into our

apiary now, and find just such cells ; and in
24 or 48 hours more a queen-cell would be
built around it. Another thing, our weak
colonies here in Medina do not swarm. Our
corn does tassel out when it is about so old,
as you say ; but we have never had the
swarming mania with us to such an extent
that colonies that only half filled their hives
sent out swarms. We have often read of it,
I know, but it does not occur here in our lo-
cality. In regard to the peculiar state of af-
fairs during the past few weeks, it is just as
1 should have expected. The bees could not
get out of the hive and gather honey and
pollen, therefore they did not have enough
milky food to feed the larva1, to say nothing
of piling up some of it to start queen-cells.
Most truly does the Judge of all the earth
do right ; but one of the most righteous acts
of his, as it seems to me, was leaving this
universe for man to improve, and supple-
ment nature. Instead of letting the calves
have all the milk, we by artificial means
take the milk from the cows ourselves; and'
in a like manner we take the other good
things he has placed within our reach. Be-
sides, we improve the cows, and improve
the strawberries, and make Nature do a
thousand other wonderful things she would
never have thought of doing without our
help. The above are simply A. I. Root's
views. He may be wrong and you may be
right; but, more likely still, the truth may
be somewhere between us.

MOVING BEES SHORT DISTANCES.

HOW A CALIFORNIA APIARIST MOVED 75 COLONIES
34 OF A MILE SUCCESSFULLY.

Tfa AST January I bought 75 stands of bees, and
IS) rented a location where they were for three
cl&T years, with the privilege of moving my other
■"" apiary on the same ground; but I preferred
to locate my bees further up the cafion, a
quarter of a mile to the north. The first week in
January I moved my apiary of 90 colonies to said
canon, a distance of 8 miles. Now, my 75 stands
stood where they were when I bought them; and to
move them two feet a day for a distance of a quar-
ter of a mile, through a winding narrow road up
the canon was more than I cared to do; so I went to
work and fixed every thing ready a day or so before-
hand; then about sundown I shut them up iu their
hives and commenced to move my bees. I moved
them all that night to where I wanted them. After
I got through moving the bees I set to work to
make the old location look as strange as possible by
clearing every thing away that was movable.
About 8 o'clock next morning bees were flying
thick about the old location. 1 kept watching them,
and soon found they were taking possession ot an
empty hive about 50 yards away. I secured the
empty hive and carried it into the honey-house;
but not before I had been severely stung by the
bees; then they tried to get into the honey-house;
but they had no show but to go back to their hives in
the new location, which they did, but not before
showing meanness, for they got on the war-path.
They kept my wife in the house with doors closed,
and I was kept in the honey-house watching them
and thechickens, but it didn' t last long, for the chick-
ens gave them the right of way, and hid themselves

530

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

in the brush; then when tbe bees found that there
was no place for them but to go back to their hives,
and nobody or nothing- to pick on, they went back;
and before noon the moved bees were working-,
bringing- in pollen and honey as well as they were
the day before, and 1 haven't been able to see any
difference in them since, and I don't think there
was a pint of bees lost in all. Had I left a box, or
something for them to cluster in, 1 know the result
would have been different.

May 1, 1888, 1 moved '.» stands of bees about 20
rods. I moved them in the night time. The next
morning a great many of them came back, loaded
with honey and pollen. They began to get cross,
and ] gave them a large box to cluster in, and that
made them peaceable; before night the box was well
tilled with bees. Fully half of the nine stands had
returned. That night I carried them back, but they
would not stay; and after carrying them home
three or four times 1 got tired. The moved stands
were so weakened by the loss of bees that they
didn't recover to be of any use to gather honey for
th ret- weeks. Now, had 1 not given them that box,
all would have been well in a few hours.

Bees always know the way back to the place they
start out from in the morning, just as well as they
know the way back to a certain tree or plants in
bloom and yielding honey. Hut they are not going
to leave their old location and stick to the new, if
you give them any show, some colonies excepted.
San Bernardino, Cal., Feb. 2, 1889. R Powell.

I am greatly interested in the experiment
you mention, for it certainly was an experi-
ment, and one on quite a large scale. I was
well aware that the bees could be made to
lind their hives where they had been moved
tor only a few rods ; but I did not suppose it
possible that the bees of a whole apiary
could be made to go a quarter of a mile.
The point you mention, where you state
that they know where their home is, as well
as they know where a tree is that yields
honey, is very ingenious, and I am not sure
but you are right about it. Suppose, how-
ever, your neighbor had hives of bees near-
er to you than the new location a quarter of
a mile distant. In such a case the bees
would probably go into your neighbors'
hives, or into any neighboring hives, may
be into trees, or cavities in the rocks, if such
happen to be near, so the plan is somewhat
risky. In my experiments of years ago, in
giving bees a flight in a greenhouse, I ex-
perimented quite a little in moving the
hive to different parts of the room. The
bees were working on a tray of meal. I
moved the hive away and then watched to
see their surprise when they did not find it.
After flying about, wearied and perplexed, a
while, they would go back again to the meal,
and sometimes gather and pad a little more.
Then they would start again, and go
like a shot to where the hive had always
stood ; but when baffled and discouraged
again, they would go to the meal. Finally
one bee, in circling about, came near enough
to the old familiar home to get sight of it.
lie instantly dropped at the entrance, and
with his wings raised a loud call. In a lit-
tle time his comrades joined him, and then
what a rejoicing there was ! After that,
none of them had any trouble, or trouble of
only short duration, The point you make

is, that, instead of giving them a box or
some combs to cluster on, we should give
them nothing of the kind at all. Well, in
such cases I have known them to cluster on
a bush, and hang until they died.

THE ORIGIN OF THE SWARMING IM-
PULSE.

FRIEND HASTY GIVES US SOME FURTHER SUGGES-
TIONS IN REGARD TO THE ABOVE.

in S to the matter on page 445, friend Root, I
a think you have chastised brother Miller
V enough for this time, and I won't get after
fc him any more. In fact, it is hardly in order
for the schoolmaster to whip the offender
awhile himself, and then say to the other boy,
" Billy, now you come and pound him for a spell."

Friend Miller has the idea correctly, except that
he has limited it a little. I wish it to include the
queen as well as the workers. Wait a moment be-
fore crying "Nonsense! " at that. The queen is in-
deed lighter, smaller, and laying less rapidly at the
time of swarming than before. She does not like
to extrude eggs and throw them away; and the
check of egg-production, although it causes the
ovaries to decrease in size, causes at the same
time the blood to assume a peculiarly euriched
character. She, as well as the workers, is " loaded
up," as you express it, but, carrying the load in a
different place from usual, she feels engorged and
restless. Also, I wish it to include not merely the
larval food in process of secretion by the workers,
but also the elements in the fluids of the bee that
supply material for larval food.

The experiment of returning a swarm after tak-
ing out the sealed brood, and returning unsealed in
the place of it, is interesting, but conclusive in one
direction only. If the swarm comes out again it
can still be said, "This expedient would have pre-
vented the swarming impulse from getting started,
but is not sufficient to eradicate it after it is fully
inflamed. You are able to prevent your daughter
from wishing to run away with a young scamp, if
you attend to the matter in time; but after she has
fully resolved to do so, you may be unable." Let
us keep a general lookout in all directions, to see if
we can ever detect the swarming impulse getting
started among bees who are fully employed, or a
little overworked, at brood-rearing. Experiments
in the other direction may be worth trying. Many
report apiaries that give only three or five or ten
per cent of swarms. Let two or three of the steadi-
est colonies in such be selected, and take away the
frames of eggs before larval food is put in them to
any extent. Give them sealed brood, or newly
emerged bees enough to fully compensate the loss
they sustain, and see what the result will be. If
other things are favorable to swarming, I feel pret-
ty sure they will swarm very soon. Unfortunate-
ly, it is here possible to claim that dissatisfaction
and annoyance caused the swarming, and not the
" loaded-up" condition of the bees.

Perhaps the theory also explains why bees so gen-
erally swarm when the first batch of queen-cells is
capped. Royal jelly is supposed to be nearly
identical with the white food put in the worker
cells just about the time the eggs hatch. When
there are few eggs hatching, the workers avoid en-
gorgement by crowding- great masses of this food

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

&]

into the queen-cells. When this resource is cut off
by the sealing of the cells, the crisis occurs, and out
comes the swarm. There is usually a younger
batch of cell6 in the hive; but I think that, in the
building of queen cells, bees divide up into clans,
each cell or group of cells being in charge of a
separate clan, which " holds the fort " steadily, and
dors not let others enter. E. E. Hasty.

Richards, Lucas Co., O., June 7, 1889.

Friend II., your concluding words just
now remind me of a theory put forth by our
old friend D. L. Adair, perhaps 20 or 2-5
years ago, in the A. B. J. It was this :
That when the interior of the hive got into
the condition you have described, so that
the nurse-bees were full of milky food for
young larvye, without any place to put it,
then, as they could not do any better, they
agree to stow it away somewhere until need-
ed. One starts it by placing his around a
worker larva, giving this worker a great
deal more than he needs ; then some other
bee takes the hint and deposits his super-
fluous larval food in the same place. To
make it stay in the cell, an enlargement is
made, and this forms a rudimentary queen-
cell, and the superabundance of food causes
this worker larva to become a queen. Adair
suggested that the fruit-buds on trees were
formed in a similar way ; and it is well
known that any thing that checks the
growth of the tree tends to the development
of fruit-bearing buds. I do not know but
Dr. Miller will call both of us "visionary
fanatics " when he comes to read the above.
A good many of us laughed at friend Adair,
years ago, when he started the idea ; but I
confess that it looks much more reasonable
now, after having lived and learned all these
years, than it did then.

RAMBLE NO. 18.

HE DISCOURSES ON THE POSSIBILITIES OP MAK-
ING A. FIVE-CENT PACKAGE FOR HONEV.

fHE Rambler is always delighted to visit an in-
genious bee-keeper. There are so many
new things, or new ways of performing old
things, that all the faculties are kept on the
alert to learn the new things. Oh, no! there
is nothing dull about a live Yankee.

In our Ramble to the apiary of Mr. John Hen-
derson we found a Yankee and many new ideas.
This ramble would be of undue length, to mention
all to be seen; but at this time, when our friends
are thinking of marketing their honey, it wil! be
well, perhaps, to confine ourselves to what Mr. H.
has done in'the line of five-cent honey-packages.

Long before there was any thing written about
penny packages for honey, Mr. H. was experiment-
ing. His idea was to get a package for candied
honey that could be eaten from the hand cleanly
like an apple, and to be sold for five cents. Honey
on a stick might do for Canadians; but according
to Mr. H., no true Yankee would ever be seen going
around with such a daubing arrangement so long
as wood and metal could be tortured into a mechan-
ical shape to prevent it. So our friend set himself
to work to make the package that would sell in
every caudy-store, and surfeit every boy and girl in
the land with honey.
His thoughts first turned to a wooden box as the

^cheapest material. The delivery of honey from the
box was to be automatic. To accomplish this, in-
stead of turning out the whole interior of the liox<
a center was left, to
which the cover was se-
cured by a screw. The
cover was also provided
with an orifice near the
edge, and a scraper,
which projected to the
fig. 1. Henderson's hon- bottom of the box. Now
ey-tin. fill the box up with can-

died honey. Screw on the cover; give it a turn in
the right direction, and the honey comes boiling up
through the orifice, to be eaten oft by the purchaser
—see Fig. 1.

Our friend was not able to make costly machinery
for the manufacture of these boxes on a large
scale, and he next turned his attention to a unique
device which he called his " canteen honey-pack-
age." This package was suggested by the soldiers'
song, " And we drank from the same canteen."
Our friend's honey-canteen was about the size of
an ordinary blacking-box, having a bright ribbon at-
tached by which to carry
it, and with an orifice in
one edge for the exit of
honey. In Fig. 2 the dot-
ted line showsastrip of
thin flexible tin, fitted in-
side the canteen, and at-
tached at one end to the
canteen, and at the other
end to a wire which pro-
jected in the form of a
crank. Turn the crank,
the strip of tin is wound
up, and the honey is forc-
ed out of the orifice, to
be eaten.

The next package,
shown in Fig. 3, Mr. H.
spent much time upon,
and thought he had
found just the thing; and
the Rambler thinks this package, in mechanical
operation, can not be much improved for this spe-
cial purpose.

Mr. H. observed some artistic mem-
bers of his family at work upon an
oil painting. The bright colors were
placed upon the palette by being
squeezed from what appears to be a
tin tube. Mr. H? scratched his head
and scratched out this idea: If he
could get those tubes of the right
size they would fill the bill for his
five-cent package. After much cor-
respondence he found that a greater
proportion of these tubes were made
in France, from drawn tin. The tin,
by proper machinery, was drawn
down very thin. A firm in New
York was found that could make
these tubes and a few were ordered;
but instead of having the little lead
screw cap, seen on the paint-tubes,

FIQ.3.HENDEBV, , . . , <,. ....

son's honey- (lie honey-tubes were left open lull
tube. size, about an inch in diameter, with
a heavy supporting rim around the edge. The low-
er end was folded like the ordinary tube. It was

FIG. 2. HENDERSON'S
HONEY-CANTEEN.

532

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

then filled with candied honey, a bright label put on,
and a piece of tinfoil put over the top, and it was
ready for market. To partake of the sweetness
within, take off the cap, squeeze the bottom slight-
ly, and the honey is forced out in small or large
mouthfuls, according as you squeeze. The Ram-
bler was so pleased with them that he has one now
for a keepsake, and as a curiosity to look at, for
that is all we can do with it at present; for, being
made of seemingly pure tin, the tubes alone would
cost nearly five cents each in large quantities. Mr.
H. being disappointed in the cost of the tin tube,
then experimented with a paper tube; but it looked
so poor by the side of tin that our friend gave up
until he can find some better substitute, or manu-
facturers who can give better terms on manufac-
ture. Mr. H. reckons that a two - ounce package
should not cost over 1'/4 cents, or. better, one cent.

PIG. t. THK H VKM-Kll AND KAMHLER FIVE-CENT
PACKAGE, PILED UP.

For the present it seems there is nothing left in
the five-cent line but the neat comb honey package
of Bro. Harmer, and the Rambler's round section.
The round section is easily made, but the Harmer is
easier to pack and handle. We hope success for
it the coming season; but the Rambler has not the
patience to make them.

We have thus presented to your readers our dis-
coveries and the obstacles in the way of the five-
cent package. That some one may further develop
the idea is the wish of Mr. II. and the Rambler.

I am very glad to see you studying on this
matter or a cheap package for honey in
small quantities. It seems to me. however,
that none of the tilings >ou mention can
possibly be afforded for a 5-cent package.
The two first might possibly be made large
enough to be worth 10 cts., or perhaps even
25. No. 3, it seems to me, might do very
well for a dime. There has been on our ta-
ble for perhaps two years a little tin box
with a wooden cover. ' It is called " Howe's
sample mailing-case," patented Sept. 9, 1879,
and is intended for sending sugar and other
similar articles by mail. It is simply a
shallow tin box, not unlike a blacking-box,
but much smaller, and deeper. At the cen-
ter of the bottom of the box a hole is made.
Through this is soldered a common screw,
of such a length as to reach exactly as high
as the sides of the box. Now, a wooden
cover is held in its place by being turned on
to this central screw. It may be screwed
up so tight that the edges of the tin cut into
the wood as it goes around, so as to make it
tight enough not only for candied honey,
but I should think it would be perfectly
safe for liquid honey. The box is manufac-
tured by Dailey Brothers, Detroit, Mich. I
do not know the price, but they could, with-
out doubt, be furnished for a cent apiece, in
quantities, and large enough to hold not on-

ly 2 ounces, but perhaps even 4, of honey.
The box is remarkably strong. The wood-
en cover projects a little so as to protect the
edges of the tin, in such a way that even the
worst treatment it may receive in the mail-
bags could scarcely do it any injury. I have
long thought that it was perhaps the cheap-
est and most substantial package that we
could get hold of. We will at once make
investigations, and see how low they can be
furnished.

QUEEN -CELLS ABOVE PERFORATED
HONEY-BOARDS.

ALSO SOMETHING IN REOARD TO FRIEND DOOI.IT-
TLE'S NEW BOOK.

Up NY one would suppose, Mr. Editor, by your
2f\l^ foot-notes at the end of J. D. Fooshe's arti-

jplr cle, page 490, that you must have read my
■*■-** new book on queen-rearing rather careless-
ly, for in it 1 tell that queen cells will be
completed when placed over a populous colony at
any time of year when the bees of any colony are
sufficient to enter such upper story, as to their
numbers, where there is a queen-excluder between
the upper and lower stories. You seem to think
that the swarming fever has something to do with
the matter; but such is not the case, as I have prov-
en for years, and especially so duriDg the past
three or four weeks of scarcity of honey, during
which bees have been on the verge of starvation,
yet in no case where I have put prepared cells
above a queen-excluding honey-board have the
bees failed to carry out and complete the cells, per-
fecting them to the fullest extent, so that queens
reared in such cells have come up to the highest
type of perfection, even though the colony below
were living only from " hand to mouth." The bees in
the upper stories seem to be placed in the same
condition, or at least feel that they are, as when
they are about to supersede their queen on account
of old age, in which case all are aware that bees will
rear good queens, no matter what time of year it
is, or whether honey is coming in or not. In all of
my six years' experience with the plan given in my
book I have never failed to have queen-cells com-
pleted when placed in an upper story over a queen-
excluding honey-board (which plan is similar to
that given by Mr. Fooshe), except late in the fall,
when bees had gone into that quietude which they
go into after the honey season is past. If we wish
cells tin », we must feed the bees so as to arouse
them to activity, when they will complete queen-
cells, so that as good queens will hatch from them
as any which can be produced during the summer
months, or in the height of the swarming season. I
am not guessing at any of this, hut speak it after a
practical experience along this line for the past six-
years.

The plan as used by Mr. Fooshe, of getting the
queen cells under way before putting them in the
upper story, is practically the Alley plan, as given
in his book, which you in your head-lines call " an
improvement on Doolittle's plan." That just as
good queens can be reared in this way as by the
plan of making cells of wax, which I outlined, I
have no doubt; but the objections to it are, 1. That
one or more colonies must be kept queenless to
start these cells, which the colony having an upper
story on are to bring to completion. A queenless

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

;,:•;;;

colony, without brood, as he describes, is of no
value in the apiary, as a honey-producer; while in
the way 1 work, no colony is kept queenless a mo-
ment on account of queen-rearing', but all are at
work in sections or for extracted honey, just the
same as if I were not rearing any queens at all. ~.
Mr. Pooshe has to cut his nice worker combs up
into strips, on which the bees build the cells.
Where one makes a business of rearing queens this
is quite an item; for after we have our combs all
perfect in our hives it is a pity to spoil them by
cutting out long strips for queen-rearing. By mak-
ing the wax cups, no combs need ever be cut,
where the vision of the operator is good enough to
see to the bottom of the cells to take the larva out
in transferring. The third objection is the most
serious to me of the whole; and that is, that by his
plan the cells must be handled very carefully or
else they are easily mashed; and in any event a
piece of the strip of comb must accompany each
cell when it is detached or separated from the bar
of wood to which it was fastened, which hinders it
(the cell) from being used successfully in the
queen-cell protectors.

Again, unless he kills a part of the eggs or larvie
with a match, as does Alley, he will have many cells
built together, so that a part must be destroyed in
separating them. By using the wax cups, the cells,
when completed, can be picked off the stick where
they were built, about as you would pick peas from
a pod, while the base of them is sufficiently stout so
that the queen-cells can be pressed into the combs
of queenless colonies so they will be a fixture wher-
ever you wish them, thus saving the cutting of
combs in placing the cells in the hives as we used
to do, and as is pictured out in many of our books.

In nearly all of the comments on my book, I see
many suppose that the book was written for queen-
breeders, who follow the rearing of queens as a
busiuess; but this is a mistake. The book was
written for the sole purpose of benefiting all in
the bee-business, from the man who counts his
colonies by the thousand down to the amateur who
has but two or three. All parties'want queens for
any case of emergency which may come up, or for
the purpose of superseding those which are past
their usefulness, or are not of the "blood " which
they wish, or to give to the parent colony after the
old queen has gone out with the swarm, so that sec-
ond swarming may be prevented. How handy it is,
then, to rear such queens in an upper story, get
them fertilized in the same by slipping in a perfor-
ated zinc partition so as to inclose a comb or two on
each end of the hive, from which the queen may is-
sue to meet the drones, and, after returning, be
kept laying here till she is wanted for use, thereby
aiding the queen below with brood all the time she
is being held before she is wanted for use! The
possibililies which are before us along the line
which this perforated metal may bring us, have on-
ly begun to dawn upon us. Queens can be reared
and fertilized by the thousands in any apiary, and
yet no colony be kept queenless for a single mo-
ment, nor any nuclei made, but all work in the
apiary be going on just the same as if no queens
were being reared. The advent of the perforated
metal is likely to mark an epoch in our history, fully
equal to that of the honey-extractor, movable-
comb hive, or any thing of the kind.

Borodino, N. V. G. M. Doomttle,

Friend D., I shall have to own up, and

beg pardon. It is true, I have not, or had
not until this morning, June 5J6, looked at
your book more than to turn over the pages
a little and look at the pictures. The rea-
son is, that I am already overworked on
reading things that I must read ; but I now
find that it would have been far better had
I neglected some other things, and given
your book the careful attention it deserves.
When Ernest made his review notice, lie
read the hist six chapters; but I now see
that he did not get to the most important
matter in the book at all. 1 want to say to
our leaders, that friend Doolittle's book is
as interesting, at least to me, as any thing I
have ever read in regard to bees, hardly ex-
cepting father Langstroth's book when I
hist got hold of it. One reason is, that it is
right along on a line where I worked for
months, several j ears ago. I experimented
by placing wire cloth between the upper and
lower stories. Perlorated zinc was not then
known — at least 1 had not at my command
any thing to permit the worker-bees to go
above and hold back the drones and queen ;
therefore my experiments amounted to but
little more than having queens raised in
nuclei above, in strong colonies. These nu-
clei were either shut off entirely by wire
cloth, or else these drones and queen had
free access to the upper story, liy having
upper entrances, I succeeded in getting
queen-cells built and queens fertilized to
some extent ; but it did not pay, and I was
continually annoyed by being obliged to
disturb the nucleus every time I wished to
get into the lower story of the parent colo-
ny. This latter point, if I understand, is
still an objection to Doolittle's method. 1
do not know whether friend Fooshe had
read friend Doolittle's book when he wrote
or not ; but it is true, that the whole plan is
given in very full details in chapter 7 of
Doolittle's book. In chapter 18 we are told
how to get queens fertilized in the same hive
where there is a laying queen. These two
chapters are certainly worth the price of the
book to any bee-keeper. In fact, it seems
to me that every man, woman, or child at
all interested in bees, ought to read friend
Doolittle's book. The accounts of his dis-
coveries read like a book of fiction. In fact,
it sounds to me in some parts like the
Arabian Nights ; and yet it is absolutely
true, every word of it. You can verify it
yourself with your own bees. I know it, be-
cause I have experimented all along in the
same line. Those who are unfamiliar with
this intricate, complicated, and wonderful
matter of securing queens from an egg that
would, in the usual course of events, have
produced a worker-bee, will become famil-
iar with the matter by reading friend Doo-
little's story. The whole of it seems to
have been written in friend Doolittle's hap-
piest vein. I should judge that he had giv-
en the book great care and pains ; and I be-
lieve that is the way he usually does every
thing. One reason why I did not give the
book more attention, 1 supposed it was a
good deal a summing-up of what had been
already given in the journals. Hut a great
part of the book contains information that
has never been in print before, that I know

534

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

July

of. Of course, it will be more interesting
to those who raise queens largely than to
those whose business is mostly honey-rais-
ing, and who, for the most part, let the
queens raise themselves. It seems to me,
however, that we can all of us smile a little
when we read the book, to think how often
its author talks about " nature " and na-
ture's methods. Why, the plan he gives is
the most unnatural, and there is more tin-
kering with nature, than in any thing that
has ever before been written, and yet his
methods arc m perfect harmony with the
natural instincts of the bees.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

SOME GOOD SUGGEST TONS FROM JOSHUA BULL.

TN response to your repeated invitation for re-
||f ports concerning- the use of unfinished sec-
^Jr tious, I wish to say that, for several years past,
"*• I have used all I could get of them. Not two
or three only, just to entice the bees into the
supers, but when I have plenty of them I fill some
supers full of them; and the bees will fill with hon-
ey and cap them several days sooner than where
full sheets of foundation are used in the sections,
other thing's being equal, even though they may
commence just as readily upon the foundation as
in the other. Where foundation is used it requires
a large cluster of bees in the super all the time, to
carry on comb-building successfully and rapidly,
when, if the couibs are already built, the most of
those bees can go to the field to gather nectar dur-
ing the day, and evaporate it at night, as friend
Doolittle has so clearly shown, and so far as quality
or appearances are concerned, I should feel quite
safe in offering to give to any man, be he novice or
expert, all of such sections that he could detect,
judging the honey alone, when they were mixed up
with others which had only foundation in them
when put into supers. Rome of the wood might bo
a little more soiled, or stained with propolis, or
something of that sort, by which an expert might
possibly detect them; but not from the appearance
of the honey or comb. I never put a section con-
taining old honey, partially capped, into a super to
be finished up, without first removing all cappings;
and I never put in oue containing any dark honey
in time of white-honey harvest. And even empty
combs that were built in the fall, when the weather
was cool, are often thicker and heavier, and some-
times much darker-colored than combs built in
June or July. Any such dark or heavy combs
should not be used for the storage of white honey,
for reasons which are too obvious to need explana-
tion.

FLAT-BOTTOMED FOUNDATION.

Experiments last summer with different kinds of
foundation, considered in connection with my ex-
perience in eating comb honey during the past
year, has inclined me more than ever in favor of
the use of flat-bottomed foundation in sections, be-
cause, in the first place, it is made thinner than
other kinds; and then the bees, in shaping the sep-
tum, work it down yet more until the septum is not
much thicker than the side walls of the cells; and
when eating honey stored upon such foundation
there is not such an accumulation of wax in the
mouth as is usually the case when natural-base
foundation is used. And in spite of all that can be

said to dispel the objections to this accumulation
of wax in the mouth when eating comb honey, the
fact still remains that most people like honey best
when the wax is least conspicuous— at least I do.

OPEN-SIDED SECTIONS.

Before closing I want to say a few words in favor
of open-sided sections. I tried a few hundred of
them last year, and was so well pleased with the
result that I have bought 2000 of them for this
year's use; and if my present impressions prove to
be well grounded, T think that T shall eventually
use them exclusively. I find that, if the openings
in the side of the sections are made ft of an inch
deep, these open-sided sections can then be used in
the common wide frames with ordinary separators
without perforations. There must be a bee-space
of about ft inch between the comb in the section
and the separator; and if there are no perforations
in the separator where the sections meet, it just
gives an even passageway from one end of the
frame to the other, and the bees will have no in-
clination to build comb over the edge of the sections
to unite it with the comb in adjoining sections. 1
prefer tin separators, because wooden ones are lia-
ble to warp or bulge, and close some of the open-
ings and deform the comb in some of the sections.
To prevent the propolizing of the section to the
end-pieces of the wide frames, I make the latter
with a little block tacked into each corner of the
frame, in such a manner as to hold the section %
inch from the end-piece, thus forming a bee-passage
between the section and end of wide frame. This
obviates all difficulty in that direction. T aim to
have the sections fit so closely that the bees can
not get any propolis between^ them, nor between
the sections and the top or bottom bars of frames;
and, furthermore, when sections are tightly pressed
together it keeps them all true and square; and
when they are filled with honey they brace one an-
other up, bridge like, which helps to keep them
from sagging- away from the top-bar.

I have also devised a sort of clamp super, in
which to use open-sided sections without wide
frames; and from the little experience I had with
it last year, T feel quite sanguine that it is going to
prove to be a very satisfactory arrangement.

Seymour, Wis , Mar. 28, 1889. Joshua Bum,.

We are exceedingly obliged to you for
your very valuable reports on all three of
the above items. Even though our experi-
ence may not be like yours, we are glad to
have such facts furnished us from actual
experience. In regard to flat-bottom foun-
dation, although we advertise and sell both
kinds, we sell ten pounds of the regular-
base foundation to one of the flat bottom.
There is this to be noticed, however, that
there seems to be a slight increase in the
amount sold, of the flat bottom. Whether
this is due to the excellent season, or wheth-
er the flat-bottom foundation is growing
somewhat in favor, we can not say. In re-
gard to the open-side section, it seems to be
going somewhat out of public favor. We
constructed special machinery for making,
and we expected a heavy run, but were very
much surprised to find that there is very
little demand for them. This may be due
to general conservatism, or to the fact that
a few have been tried, and were found want-
ing. The few sold have been for the most
part to foreign countries.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

535

MANUM IN THE APIARY "WITH HIS
MEN.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS IN REGARD TO WORKING
FOK COMB HONEY.

(JULY 10.— "Good-morning, Scott. Here I am
aif again."

»!jl " Yes, s-ir, I see; and I am very glad to see
*■* you. I have beeu looking for you Ihese two
or three days."

SMOKING BEES WHEN THEY DON'T NEED IT.

" Well, I have been very busy of late in my home
apiary of 60 colonies. I also have now over 1(>0 nu-
clei to look after, and it is no small job to look aft-
er them and keep them busy— or, in other words,
keep them supplied with queens or queen-cells, as
the case may be. T have to be very careful, and
not allow a young queen to get to laying too much
before shipping her, or she is not safe to ship in
that condition. I am having so many orders for
queens just now that it takes some time to cage
and mail them; and, besides, I have to look after
those two new hands pretty close. I sometimes
think I will never hire a boy who has never handled
beesbefoe. It makes it too hard for me during
the honey season; but I shall try to worry through
it this year. We will now go over the yard, to see
how well the sections are being filled. Here is a
clamp with every section capped over. You must
watch the sections now. Although you have tiered
up all around, they will finish up the top ones very
quick when there are only twro tiers. Where you
have three or four tiers they are liable to finish two
or three tiers at the same time, hence they will be
longer about it. We will remove this upper tier and
raise the lower one, and place empty ones under it.

GETTING THE BEES OUT OF BOXES, ETC.

Now set the two finished clamps down on the
ground in front of the hive, resting one end on the
alighting-board; set them up edgewise— there— so.
That is another advantage these small clamps have
over large ones, as there is no danger of their tip-
ping over. No.no! don't smoke them, as that will
cause the bees to bite holes in the cappings, and
spoil the looks of the honey. Just let them sit
there until the bees work out of them of their own
accord. There is no danger of robbing while the
bees are getting honey as fast as they are now. I
left out nearly a ton in this way once over night;
having taken it off after supper, the bees did not
all get out before dark, so I left it to carry in, in the
morning."

" I should hardly have thought you would dare to
leave it out over night, for fear of robbers," says
Scott.

"Oh! bees don't rob during a flow of honey, es-
pecially at night ; and as for the boys— to whom
I suppose you refer as the ' robbers '— I have no
fears. I have kept bees for 19 years in our village,
and I have never, to my knowledge, lost a single
pound of honey by night robbers. The boys under-
stand that it is not necessary to steal honey in this
section of Vermont. I have instructed all of my
men, as I did you early in the season, to offer every
person who visits the yards all the honey he wants
to eat; and if he objects to eating honey clear, of-
fer him a section to take home. In this way people
will not only refrain from disturbing the bees, but
they will usually speak well of the honey-bee,
whether they do of the bee-keeper or not."

" How is your scale hive doing?"

" Well, 18 lbs. is the best day yet— that was yesJ
terday. I hardly think I shall get 33^4 lbs. this year,
in one day."

" I don't know about that. You have a good
working colony in that hive; and if we get just the
right kind of weather when basswood gets at its
height they will come pretty near it. It wants a
hot sultry day, when the atmosphere is full of
moisture. Should we get such a day just at the
right time, I think you will beat the old record. It
is not every year that we have just the right
kind of weather at just the proper time to secure
such a record. But I am in hopes one of these days
—or years- to be able to report 50 lbs. from one col-
ony in one day."

ONE REASON WHY SOME COLONIES DO NOT WORK
IN BOXES.

"Scott, what is the matter with '26? I have just
been through that row, and 1 notice they are not
doing much in the boxes."

" Well, sir, I don't know what the matter is. I
had noticed they were not doing well, yet they
seem to be working lively."

"Have you looked them over lately, to discover
the trouble?"

" No, sir; but I intended to to-day."

" Well, I will look in and see if I can tell the cause.
Ah! I see; they are storing their honey in the
brood-combs. They have but little brood, and that
is not very compact in the comb. I think we have
an old queen here. There! you see, in this comb
there are but few eggs, and they are scattered
here and there all over the comb. That indicates a
played-out queen, and here are queen-cells. Where
is the record?"

" I don't know. I must have lost it. Here is last
year's record."

"All right; that reads, 'Swarmed, and queen
returned.' She was then two years old, hence
she must be three years old now, and therefore she
is exhausted. There is no use trying to winter a
two-year-old queen. They are too liable to fail
either in early spring or during the honey-flow,
With the amount of work I require of them, two
seasons' work is ail I can expect of any queen, to
make it profitable. We will hunt her up. There
she is! catch her and pinch off her head. You see
she is very clumsy and small, compared with a good
young queen. You may now uncap all the honey
they have in these brood-combs, and just at night
introduce a young laying queen; and my opinion
is, that you will soon see this honey change places,
and in its place you will in due time find brood.
Now, as you take off honey you may carry it into
the first room of the honey-house; and, at your
leisure, scrape off any brace-combs or propolis
there may be on the bottom or tops of the clamps,
and then store it in the plastered room to ripen. I
think the next time 1 come jou will have a load
for me, so I shall probably come with two horses
and take home a ton or more. You will then see
how I manage to haul my honey without getting
my horses stung."

July 15.—" Hello, Edward! Your bees, I see, are
busy this morning. 1 came by the Hardscrabble
road this time; and as I got directly between the
apiary and the Hardscrabble ridge, where there are
so many basswoods, I surely thought at first there
was a swarm passing overhead, as they made such
a roaring. I stopped my horse and listened; and I
assure you it was sweet music to me. I could also

536

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JulY

see them plainly as they made a curve to get
around the Bartium knoll and a clump of trees; it
seemed as though they were running races, and
each bee was trying to get there first. I noticed
that the homeward-bound bees flew much lower
than outward-bound ones, owing, I suppose, to
their being heavily loaded. We talk about a 'bee-
line,' but these did not go straight, as they made
quite a curve around the knoll instead of going
over it. I have come to assist you to take off what
finished clamps there may be in this yard. Yester-
day I was with Henry, and I found he had a good
many all finished and ready to come off. He had
been so busy that the boxes had been neglected;
however, the honey was not soiled a particle. Here
are four clamps, well capped, on this hive, and the
other two are well advanced; and if the weather
holds warm a few days longer they will finish them
up. I think we will not put any more on this hive,
unless you have a clamp of nearly finished sec-
tions."
" Yes, sir; Thave two or three such clamps."
"Very well; then in two or three days, if it holds
warm, you may put on one of them. As we can
not expect basswood to hold out more than five or
six days longer at best, we must reduce the storage
room in order not to be left with a lot of unfinished
sections. Of course, we shall have some; but let
us try to have as few as possible. You may also
now fill up the brood-chambers with comb or foun-
dation; that is, wherever you find a colony that has
only ten or eleven combs, give the bees the full
complement of twelve combs. You know that all
the new swarms that came out before June 20 were
hived singly and on only ten combs, with a division-
board on each side to take the place of the missing
combs. Now, then, just draw out these division-
boards, and let a comb slide down in their place.
This can be done without disturbing the other
combs or the bees. These two combs being the
two outside ones, I am in hopes the bees will fill
them with honey before the queen finds them. A
few years ago I did not do this, as then sugar was
cheaper to winter on than honey; but now— oh,
dear! how things have changed! and it is cheaper
to winter on honey than on sugar. I want these
combs put in now, because we do not have a late
flow of honey here as they do in many places, es-
pecially west; and sometimes I think it is all the
better for me that I do not; because if I did I
should expect my bees to have the dreaded bee-
diarrhea, which I think is caused by a poor quality
of honey gathered late in the season, as well as an
excess of pollen. Now, another thing: I want you
to hunt up all the two and three year old queens in
the yard. You will readily find where they are, by
the records. Kill them, as I do not intend to win-
ter a queen that is over one year old. Now is the
time to do this work, while the bees are getting
honey. They are not so cross now as they will be
at the close of the honey-flow, nor will they roll as
they would then. You may then introduce young
queens from your nuclei; and if you should be
short of queens T will bring you some from home.
This is the time to commence preparing the bees
for winter, and requeening is the first work in pre-
paring for winter— with me. You are not obliged
to do this all to day or to-morrow, but do it as you
have time, without interfering with your other
work. A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

I am very glad indeed to see you caution
the boys about smoking the bees when there
is no need of smoking them. A great many
beginners get into such a stereotyped way
of puffing smoke into the colonies that they
do it even when the bees are on their very
best behavior. It reminds me of some
mothers who seem to take it for granted
that babies must be spanked about so often
on general principles. Now, when I see a
baby spanked, that is doing its very best to
be good, it always puts me in a fighting
mood, and I feel the same way when bees
are smoked that are just as peaceable and
well behaved as any thing can possibly be .1
have seen bees go for the cappings right off
as soon as they were smoked, when they
would not meddle with them at all if the
smoke were kept away. — Your hint in re-
gard to keeping an eye on the age of the
queen illustrates how exceedingly important
it is that the bee-keeper be constantly on
the watch, and that he know what is going
on, even inside of every hive, all through
the honey-flow.— I am glad the boys in your
neighborhood do not steal. Friend M.,isit
not because you are a Christian, and are fol-
lowing the precepts of the Master? — I have
often stopped and listened to the " sweet
music " you tell us about. You say, in con-
clusion, that you do not intend to winter
any queen that is over one year old. Now,
if I understand you correctly, I do not be-
lieve we should quite agree on that. A
queen that had given us a tremendous crop
of honey during one season should certainly
have a chance to do the same thing the next
season— that is, if she seemed all right, and
nearly or quite up to her former vigor. Per-
haps, however, you mean that you would let
them go through the second season.

HIVES.

FUIEND TTEDPON OFFERS SOME SUGGESTIONS.

fRIEND HOOT:— I desire to level my gun and
fire away directly at you; and if there is any
thing of sufficient value in this article to pub-
lish, do so; if not, read it over and we will
have it between us. I have been much in-
terested in your Dovetailed hive with my break-
joint bee-space honey-board, etc. I eagerly open
each number of Gleanings to see what you say
about it. I have smiled, and I know many others
have smiled, when reading your editorials on how
popular the hive is. Now, let me go back a little.
All these years, when you have been selling the
Simplicity hive, and selling, perhaps, more than ten
to every one I have sold of the Heddon-Langstroth
hive (as I have named my modification of father
Langstroth's great invention). I knew very well
that the L. hive, as I used it, was very much better
than your Simplicity, and that some time the truth
would be known, and it would become very popu-
lar; but, of course, I can not reap the reward of my
early discovery. You have a mouopoly on adver-
tising. Now, I am finding no fault. You have just
what you have earned, the same as others do, and
the same as the rest of us would have, had we
worked it up; I am just trying to tell you how it is.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

53V

Now, your Dovetailed hive is to me simply my Hed-
don-Langstroth of the loose-bottom variety as I
have been making- and selling-; but with the dove-
tailed corners added— not a new invention, but a
new application, transferred from a soap or candle
box, to a bee hive. It is a good thing. Perhaps you
are asking how I knew and now know that my mod-
ification of the L. hive was so much better than
yours, the Simplicity. I will tell you. So very
many bee-keepers like Professor Cook, Hutchin-
son, R. L. Taylor, P. P. Styles, and so on up to forty
of them, who are bright, clear men, and practical
and successful honey-producers, dropped the Sim-
plicity and adopted my modification, that my ex-
perience and opinions were verified by these
friends. But, now, friend Root, is not there some-
thing else better still? I do not expect you to see
all at once the many advantages possessed by my
new patented hive; but I do believe the time will
come when you will fully realize and appreciate
them all. In this article, let us leave out of the
question the best feature of all— the divisible, al-
ternating brood-chamber, and give our attention to
the style of frame in combination with its adjust-
ment to the brood-case. The standard eight-frame
L. hive is ten inches deep. Now, if you make the
same brood-case eight inches deep, and put in my
close-fitting reversible frame, with end-bars loosely
fitting the case, nine inches deep, it would give you
the same capacity. Here is certainly an advan-
tage; for shallowness in the brood-chamber is an
immense advantage in every respect. It is easier
to handle; it is better adapted to surplus storage;
bees will breed up better and faster, not only in the
spring, but at all other times of the year; and,
lastly, they will winter better than in any deep
hive. If I could get the capacity desired, as cheap-
ly, aud still keep the standard length and width, I
would not have my combs over four inches deep.
The fact is, the shallower the better. But, to re-
turn:

Suppose you make your dovetailed brood-case
nine inches deep; nail a tin strip on the bottom of
each end-piece, projecting inward an eighth of an
inch; make the frames close-fitting, just the same
as I make them ia the new hive; and these shallow
half-brood-chamber cases, put the screws through
the sides, and clamp them up together snugly, so
that the whole thing can be instantly inverted, as
well as each frame being invertible at will, and now
don't you see that you have a very much better
brood chamber than you possibly could have with
the swinging loose-fitting frames? But these latter
frames had some advantages; advantages which,
in the minds of many bee-keepers, overcame the
superiority of the close-fitting frames, but now
with the new arrangement of adjusting the frames
to the case, by which the glue is avoided and the
frames can be handled much safer and quicker,
and since wire and comb foundation have given us
such straight combs, to me there is no comparison
between the many advantages peculiar to this style
of frame. The close-fitting frame, adjusted as in
my patented hive, is, I am confident, going to win
the preference with all practical honey-producers.
Think of it; and after you have done so, and experi-
mented, feeling sure as 1 do that you will find it as
I have said above, then make the case shallow, us-
ing two of them for t Ik." complete brood-chamber of
full size, and one of them when that valuable sys-
tem of contraction is practiced, and you will ap-

preciate my new hive then as you now appreciate
my break-joint bee-space honey-board.
Dowagiac, Mich., June 10, 1889. James Heddon.

You say, friend Heddon, that tl I desire
to level my gun and tire away directly at
you.'''' As there are two Roots here at the
Home of the Honey-Rees, it is a little diffi-
cult to tell at which your gun is leveled.
As, however, yon place emphasis upon the
personal pronoun you, the mlerence is that
your weapon is directed at A. I. Root ; but
it so happens that A. 1. R. is not the
" game." He has neither said any thing in
favor of nor against the Dovetailed hive.
Neither has he •'gonebackou,, the Simplicity.
Perhaps I should say in this connection, the
1 means Ernest II., as your humble servant
has written the editorials and other matter
referring to the Dovetailed in particular.
A. 1. Root rather inclines toward the Sim-
plicity, although he is not opposed to the
Dovetailed. 1 make this statement so that
the lack of consistency may not be ascribed
to him. While in pattern the Dovetailed
hive is similar, as you say, to the Heddon-
Langstroth, yet in quite a number of re-
spects it is different. The bottom-board is
movable and has a raised rim, as you have
already intimated. The body is dovetailed,
and dispenses with the cleats at the top,
and uses, instead, hand-holes. If you will
turn to page 172 of that excellent work, Da-
dant's Revised Langstroth, you will see that
our Dovetailed hive is more of a copy of the
Blanton hive than of the old-style Heddon.
After we had settled upon the construction
of the Dovetailed hive, I accidentally ran
across the engraving of the Rlanton hive in
the Langstroth Revised, and was surprised
to note that we had both hit upon the same
thing essentially. 1 do not quite see why
you should want to call the new Dovetailed
hive a Ileddon-Langstroth. It is more a
Rlanton -Langstroth. Blanton's hive has
essentially the same bottom-board and cov-
er. The two bodies are exactly the same,
without the dovetails and hand-holes.

In regard to closed-end frames, you will
see by my article in last issue, under the
head of Recent Developments, that I ad-
mire some of their features. It is possible
that I may one day become a convert to
them ; but from what I now know of them,
1 think I should prefer the Hetherington
reversible metal-casting frame ; or if this
should not prove to be a success, the ordina-
ry hanging frame. I have tried your close-
fitting upright repeatedly. While your
thumb-screw makes its manipulation more
simple, yet you do not obviate the killing of
bees between the bottom of the upright and
the tin support below. Of course, you can
avoid it to some extent by letting it down
gently, and, by a slight pressure, causing the
bees to slowly work their way out ; but to
handle every frame thus, I tell you, takes
time ; and after you have gone through the
sixteen, you have examined only one brood-
nest. You will say, handle hives, examine
the brood-section at once in toto. I can't do
it as yet satisfactorily. From my present
experience I should much prefer full-depth
closed-end frames (if I were to choose close
uprights at all), with thumb-screw arrange-

.538

GLEANTNGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

ment, to the same half-depth, with the
thumb-screw.

In addition to what Ernest has said, I
may remark that I have rather objected to
giving the Dovetailed hive so much promi-
nence ; and I think yet that a good many
will go back to the Simplicity who are try-
ing the Dovetailed, although I concede the
advantages of the latter. I hope, however,
that it will always be used as an eight-frame
hive, and the Simplicity always as a ten-
frame. In regard to copying, in one sense
the Dovetailed hive infringes on a dozen
other hives. In another sense, it does not
infringe on any, for the features of these
dozen other hives are pretty nearly if not
quite all old ideas. With the experimenters
we have among the bee-fraternity, it has
got to be a very hard matter, in fact, for
any one to say truthfully exactly what is
his invention and what is not. Scarcely a
thing conies up but what has been experi-
mented on before ; most of the time the
same thing has been spoken of and illus-
trated in some way by the various bee-jour-
nals. The Dovetailed hive can scarcely be
called an invention in any sense, for it is
only a combination of features already
well known, and that have been a long time
in practical use. Perhaps its greatest merit
is that it is cheap, strong, and compact. It
is easy to crate for shipment, and easy to put
together when at its destination.

BITTER HONEY.

IS THE HITTER-WEED A BENEFIT TO BEE-KEEPERS
IN THE REGIONS WHERE IT GROWS?

'E are interested in this section about bitter
honey. Pretty much all over this belt of
the South, I think, we have a weed that has
taken possession of all uninclosed and
uncultivated land, growing as thick as
oats or wheat, and lasting from May till frost. This
weed, when eaten by cows, gives milk so bitter a
taste that it can not be used. Some years honey is
made from this weed, which, though of good con-
sistency, and of light color, is as bitter as a syrup
tinctured with quinine. There is no question as to
bees working on it. They often get a large winter
supply from it, and " swarm " from this fall pros-
perity. Two years ago I had general swarming in
the fall, and the whole apiary went into winter
quarters solid, late swarms and all, with fully 50 lbs.
to the hive, the most of it from this weed It ap-
pears above ground about May 1st to 15th, and
blooms about August 1st. It thrives during
droughts, and blooms continuously till frost. Some
years the bees do not work on it much, and I have
thought they used it only when nothing better was
at hand. Friend Jenkins, of Wetumpka, thinks it a
blessing, as it furnishes winter stores, and, coming
late, does not interfere with other honey. T differ
with him in this, as we sometimes have good yields
from goldenrod. Prof. Cook thinks no bitter honey
comes from flowers but that from bark lice. We,
hereabouts, feel sure that this weed produces bitter
honey; but as it was comb honey I handled two
years ago, having then no extractor, I think it may
be possible the pollen on the bees' feet, tramping
over the comb, embittered it, and possibly the hon-

ey itself was sweet. Not being familiar with bot-
any, I can give no description. I can send a speci-
men, however, when it blooms. The flower is
yellow.

Bees are killing drones. Our season has been
short, on account of drought. No rain in May.

Pontotoc, Miss., May :.'8, 1889. C. P. Coffin.

Quite a number of samples of bitter hon-
ey have been sent us— mostly extracted, but
we have never had any opportunity of de-
termining with very much certainty just
where it came from. I have never before
thought that the pollen might give the sur-
plus that is capped a bitter taste. If such
is the case, however, I think that even ex-
tracted honey might have a trace of it. I
should hardly consider the bitter-weed a
benefit, especially as it is always liable to
injure the price of the honey.

JAMAICA LETTER.

THE GLOW-WORMS AND FIREFLIES OF THE TROP-
ICS.

fRIEND ROOT:- Your letter, saying your books
showed $8.^5 to my credit, was received, and
is in striking contrast with the methods of
some men with whom I have had to do re-
cently. I should think some persons who are
accustomed to decry Christianity could see its gen-
uineness from a financial standpoint, if from no
other. Many thanks for Gleanings. It has been a
real source of pleasure to us as well as a storehouse
of useful knowledge. Some departments are more
interesting than others, yet we read all, even the
advertisements. Professor Cook's department is
especially interesting to us; and if he were here he
would find much to interest him. While I am writ-
ing this a green lizard, Amevia dorsalis, about four
and a half inches long, is playing about. They are
numerous in all parts of the island, and can be seen
darting from your path, running on the fence,
basking in the sunshine on the trunks of trees,
peering from beneath leaves and out of crevices.
Indoors they are seen running on the walls, darting
across the floor, catching flies on your chair or desk,
and playing their antics in the jalousies. When
playing they crouch like a tiger, creep on their
belly, and raise and lower themselves gradually
three or four times, and protrude from the under
side of the throat a fan-shaped disk of a crimson or
orange color. When frightened or angered they
turn a dark buff color. I have noticed the same liz-
ard shed his skin about seven days later— an effect
of the anger or nervous shock, I presume. Like
the serpent, they suffer from their reputation.
This is especially true from ladies who visit the
island: and the unreasonableness of prejudice was
forcibly illustrated hy ourneighbor, an English lady,
recently. On the approach of one of these harm-
less, graceful little creatures, she would ex-
claim, "Oh, the nasty little thing 1 it has such a long
tail !" By and by, one which had the misfortune to
lose its caudal appendage came up as if to claim
her approbation, when she shrieked, " Oh, the nasty
Utile thing! it has such a short tail I" Another one,
whose tail had been cut off, but had grown to half
its original length, was frightened until it turned
brown by the exclamation, "Oh, the nasty little
thing! it has such a queer taill"

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

539

Little Arthur is playing at my side with a glow-
fly, which he calls Blinkey. I suppose it is so nam-
ed because its light is intermittent. He says it has
two lanterns on its back two oval luminous spots
on the dorsal surface of the thorax. These spots,
or tubercles, are visible in daylight. When the in-
sect is quiet, the spots are opaque; but when dis-
turbed they ignite and increase in intensity until
the light becomes dazzling. The color of the light
is yellow-green. When its body is distended in
flight it emits a light of a ruddy color from a mem-
brane on the veutral side of the abdomen, which is
thrown like the light from a bullseye lantern, and
covers a space three or four feet iu diameter. On a
dark night the light from one of these flies makes
every object in the room visible, and I have fre-
quently determined the time of night, and got a
drink for the children by it. The natives who can
not afford the luxury of a lamp or candle, frequent-
ly light their houses by means of three or four of
these glow-flies in a bottle. A few nights ago I met
several children in the road, and all had a glow-fly,
which they were using as a lantern. There are va-
rious species of fire-flies; but most conspicuous
among them is Photwris versicolor, or " Winkey-wal-
lie," as the natives call it. Tt is frequently seen
resting on the wall, when it will gradually increa'se
the intensity of its light until it glows like a torch;
then it gradually dies away until it becomes extinct.
It will remain for a time, then gradually increase
to its former brightness, and die away again. There
is a clump of bamboo before the mission house at
Providence that nods in the breeze like great os-
trich plumes; and during the dark nights in May,
myriads of these fireflies take up their abode in
it; and the light from their bodies, reflected and
refracted from the drop of dew on each leaf makes
it a veritable burning bush. J. W. Jenkins.

Providence, Jamaica, April 17, 188M.

We tire very much obliged indeed for the
wonderful accounts of these insect-friends.
No doubt Prof. Cook would be greatly de-
lighted to see these thing? you mention ;
and I confess that I never before had the
remotest idea that there was an insect any-
where in the world that would throw a cir-
cle of light ahead like a dark-lantern. It
really seems as if they might be utilized,
and bred for the special purpose of impart-
ing light. Are they not cheaper than lights
and lanterns? Who knows to what extent
this wonderful peculiarity might not be in-
creased by a little encouragement in the
way of breeding and selection?

BEE-KEEPING IN CUBA.

FRIEND POPPLETON GIVES US SOME VALUABLE
AND INTERESTING FIGURES.

"Up CCOHDING to the promise I made to you
2M|| nearly a year ago, I will now try to tell the
^» readers of Gleanings something about bee-
■**■ keeping in Cuba; but keep in mind the fact
that we have been here a little over one year
only, and no single season's experience can be full
and complete enough to enable one to judge accu-
rately as to resources, methods, etc.

So far as I can learn, the first movable-comb apia-
ry in Cuba was established five years ago last Octo-
ber on the estate of the brothers Casanova, about
18 miles east of Havana, by A- J- King and A- W.

Osborn, the latter remaining in charge for two
years, when he came here, ten miles southwest of
Havana, and established this one. Mr. King also
established another one a little over a year ago,
some 200 miles ^east of hei-e; but this was not run
for honey last winter. So far as I know, these are
the only movable-comb apiaries in Cuba ; but oth-
ers are contemplated. The Casanova apiary is fitted
with hives and appliances for some 600 colonies,
and this one'for 500. Mr. P. Casanova has kindly
furnished me with such records of his apiary as he
has; but I find it impossible to obtain complete in-
formation of the workings of that apiary. Nov. 11,
1883, Mr. Osborn reports 93 colonies alive of the 100
shipped from New York. Feb. 19, 1885, he reports
113 colonies on Dec. 1, previously, and a yield of
40,125 lbs. of honey. May 7, he reports having in-
creased during the previous year from 34 to 555 col-
onies, the 113 of those having survived the summer.
I can get no report of the following year, but the
report for the honey season of 1886-"87 is, number of
one-story colonies, 41; of two-story colonies, 12ti;
of three stories, 113. Total, 280. Honey obtained,
50,000 lbs. Season of 18S7-'88, no record of colonies,
but obtained 33,500 lbs. of honey. Last fall they had
62 colonies in single stories, and 322 in two and three
story hives. Total, 384. Honey obtained, 20,000 lbs.
The following report of the results obtained at
this apiary is as nearly correct as I can get them.
Apiary started early in 1886, by the purchase of
some 40 colonies in Cuban box hives, which were
transferred and increased during the year to about
130 colonies, 80 of which were in condition to store
honey during the extracting season, which that
year closed Feb. 1, not because honey had entirely
ceased flowing, but because a large increase of col-
onies was desired. Crop secured, 30,000 lbs. Dur-
ing the spring and summer of 1887 the apiai-y was
increased to 500 colonies; but many of these died
before and during the honey season, so that when I
took charge of the apiary. Feb. 15, 1888, 1 found 411
colonies. The total yield that season was a little
over 45,000 lbs.; but some more than 3000 lbs. was
fed back during the following summer, leaving the
net yield 42,000 lbs. We increased the apiary dur-
ing last summer to only 436 colouies; but the hurri-
cane which made so disastrous a visitation to Cuba
last September blew down nearly half of our bee-
sheds, killing in their fall some 30 colonies, so we
commenced the season with 400 colonies, about 325
of them strong enough to store honey in upper
stories. We have taken out 50,000 lbs. of honey;
but out of that will have to come the amount re-
quired for feeding back during the coming summer
—an unknown quantity. Since March 1, I have in-
creased the apiary to its full capacity of 498 colo-
nies. So much for the actual statistics of what has
been done.

Bee-keeping in Cuba is very different from bee-
keeping in the States, on account of the^honey-flow
coming in winter instead of in the summer. I will
try to give some idea of the honey-flow during each
month of the year, commencing with June. These
figures, or estimates, relate to a 400-colony apiary,
which would, of course, be changed for a larger or
smaller one. June showed an average loss of
about 2 lbs. of honey per colony, this being the first
month of the year when the bees gathered less than
they used. The loss in July, also in August, was
about the same as for June, with a still greater av-
erage loss during the first half of September. We

540

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUUE.

July

were obliged to feed two-thirds of the colonies dur-
ing all this time, the other third gathering enough
for their own use, and some 20 of the best ones giv-
ing not to exceed 5 lbs. each of surplus honey to
other weak ones. About the middle of September,
honey commenced to come in slowly, increasing in
quantity during all of October, and until the mid-
dle of November, when it slacked off some until the
1st of December. I estimated the average increase
of stores during October at 5 lbs. per colony, and
during November at 15 lbs. We started the ex-
tractor Nov. 1, taking out nearly (WOO lbs. during
that month. The first appreciable amount of bell-
flower honey came in Nov. 28, the main tlow from
which lasted through December and January. We
had an average hive on scales, and the following
table gives the daily yields during the principal
honey months.

In this table the daily
gain is given in ordinary
figures; the daily loss, In
black; when there was
no gain, nor loss, in ci-
phers; and days when we
extracted from that colo-
ny are marked with an X.
At the commencement of
the honey harvest 1 se-
lected three of the strong-
est and best-working col-
onies in the apiary, and carefully weighed all the
honey taken from them. The total yields were re-
spectively 313J4, 309^4, and 280 lbs. each, during the
four months from Nov. 1 to March 1. These were
very strong colonies, occupied fully three stories,
and, in fact, I do not think there were any other
three colonies in the apiary that stored an equal
amount of honey. From the 1st of February the
yield of honey gradually slackened until the 1st of
June, my estimate of the average gain of stores per
colony being 8 lbs. during March; 3 in April, and 1
in May. O. O. Poppleton.

Havana, Cuba, June 1, 1889.

[Concluded in next issue. J

SHIPPING-PACKAGES FOR COMB
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A I'KDMINENT COMMISSION FIRM FURNISH SOME
SUGGESTIONS.

rr-k KPOBTS of the V. S. Honey Producers' Kx-
YJ change as to condition of bees, and prospects
T\ of this year's honey crop, are very favorable
fr and promising. The number of apiarists is
continually increasing. It is expected that
many carloads of fancy white-sage comb honey,
put up in modern eastern style, will be shipped
from California to our markets. In view of thus in-
creasing supplies, the important question becomes
more pertinent: How shall we create more demand
for honey? Our reply is:

1. Increase its intrinsic value for the consumer.

2. Reduce the risk of loss by breakage.

3. Make packages as attractive and handy as pos-
sible, of light-weighing material, at the least possi-
ble cost to the consumer.

When the consumer buys a pound of butter at 20
cts. he receives 16 ounces net.. When he means to
buy a pound of honey at 20 cts. he receives, in
many cases, only about 10 ounces of honey, the in-

trinsic value of which, at the above rate, is only \2l/2
cts., and (> ouuees of wood and glass or pasteboard,
which is worth nothing to him. Nevertheless he
has to pay Hl/2 cts. for this nothing, and yet we ex-
pect more demand of that consumer. The lady who
does not realize this fact may, unless she is one of
the upper ten, at least get the impression that hon-
ey is quite an expensive luxury. Of course, the apia-
rist has paid for glass and wood and paper box, and
spent so much labor and time to put up his honey
nicely, and for this he expects to be remunerated,
and possibly to make a little extra by the weight of
the packing material. But what does the consum-
er care for all that, who simply wants his money's
worth of honey? As all producers depend on the
consumer at the end, our aim must be to satisfy the
wants of the consumer. We propose, therefore, to
use a light-weighing, attractive, and handy paper
carton at the smallest possible cost.

As we have had the best opportunity to see and
compare hundreds of different styles of honey-
packages, we have selected the very best, and made
some improvements, so that we may safely say that
honey put up in this style will sell, first of all, at
best prices, and give satisfaction. It is true, that
glassed honey looks quite tempting, and that goods
must be shown; but what we have said above is not
only true, but it is also a statement of the true
value. In order to show the honey, put one glassed
comb in on each side of the crate, and the other
combs in paper cartons. This refers to 1-lb. sec-
tions of fancy (No. 1), and fair (No. 2) white, and
1-lb. No. 1 buckwheat, comb honey only; of 2-lb. sec-
tions and No. 1 buckwheat fancy white, two-thirds
should be glassed (the glass weighing less in pro-
portion), and one-third not glassed; 2-lb. sections of
fair white, of mixed, and of No. 2 buckwheat and of
1 lb. sections of mixed and unfilled, should be with-
out glass and paper, in order to reduce the cost, and
know what the goods really are.

WHAT SHALL, WE DO TO PROTECT OUR HONEY
AGAINST BREAKAGE?

If eggs were not packed so nicely in patent paper
boxes, or in chopped straw, most of the dealers
would decline to handle those delicate structures.
Is comb honey less delicately constructed? No, it is
not; and for this reason some additional arrange-
ments ought to be made in packing to prevent loss,
and to avoid trouble, and to make the handling less
sticky. Before comb honey reaches the consumer
it passes through the hands of many persons who
do not understand at all how to handle so fragile an
article, and knock crates about, as if they were
bricks. Besides, comb honey is generally shaken
up so badly, when carted on the pavements of the
streets in cities, that some of it is bound to break
and to leak out.

One of our best customers, for whom a nice lot of
honey had been smashed up entirely, said he would
never touch comb honey again if he could help it,
because of the annoyance and loss connected with
that sticky article. We know of many similar
cases where dealers became disgusted, and would
not handle comb honey at all, because of the risk
connected with the business. Remedy this by us-
ing Strohmeyer's comb-protector, which will pre-
vent breakage; and if there should be one leak-
ing comb in a crate, our comb-protector will pre-
vent the soiling of the other combs. Our comb-
protector requires % inch more in height of crates.
By using our attractive new style of paper carton

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

541

and comb-protector you will save labor, time, and
expenses, and thereby be enabled to market your
honey early in the season, when the best prices can
be obtained. You will reduce the cost, decrease
loss by breakage, but increase the demand, and
consequently obtain larger profits.

P. G. Strohmeyer & Co.
New York, May 22, 1889.

All right, friends Strohmeyer & Co. Send
us samples of your new improvement, just
as soon as you can, and give us some pic-
tures to give to our readers. You are ex-
actly on the very track where we wanted to
see you ; and we can stand considerable free
advertising, if you will just give us some-
thing practical, to prevent daubing and
breakage.

MOVING BEES.

CAPITAL SUGGESTION FROM S. I. FREEBORN, OF
BASSWOOD FAME.

READ with interest every thing- touching- on
this point. I have often wondered if other
folks had the trouble that I did, and were alive
to the risks incurred in moving bees. It seems,
Mr. Editor, that others besides myself have
found that bees and horses do not always harmon-
ize. I can join with C. C. Miller in the sigh of re-
lief in the fall when through moving bees; but for
myself, I don't dread spring and fall moving as
much as summer moving, when stocks are more
populous, and weather warmer.

THE KIND OF VEHICLE BEST ADAPTED FOR MOV-
ING BEES.

I have had occasion at times to move bees during
every month in the year. I have moved by almost
every kind of vehicle —wagons, sleds, buggies,
spring wagons, and those without springs. I
thought at one time that we should use springs, or
put something soft under them, as straw or hay;
but of late years I have put nothing softer than the
wagon-box under them. I have tried several kinds
of racks, but have voted them unhandy and cum-
bersome. I have simmered down to two wagon-
boxes 11(4 feet long, made double— boxes like those
on farmers' wagons for hauling corn and other
produce. We find these handy for hauling bees,
apple-trees, and many other kinds of luggage.
They will hold 12 double Laugstroth or Gallup hives,
or 24 single ones. We have 100 screens of the size of
the top of the hives that we nail on after fastening
frames and bottom-boa rds. We pack well with hay
or straw around the hives, to keep them from rock-
ing. In this way we have moved hundreds of colo-
nies, and many times over as rough roads as there
are in this county, and that is rough enough.

DISA8TERS IN MOVING BBES ; HOW TO AVOID.

Previous to last season, we had killed but very
few colonies— probably four or five in 30 years.
Last season we met our Waterloo, killing 16 colo-
nies in one trip. Several causes served as helps to
this disaster: The distance was considerable (24
miles), there was too much honey; the weather was
very hot, and the colonies were extra strong. In
our first trip of this move, we left in the full num-
ber of frames; in the next loads we took out five or
six frames from each upper story, making them
cooler, and furnishing an empty space to cluster in.
The last moved had the advantage of being 6 miles
nearer destination than those moved first, with, the

additional precaution of less frames. We moved
the last lot with success.

As an offset to the loss of last season, I will give a
short account of moving 72 colonies in the summer
of 1879, which was my first experience in moving to
the mint (last of July, 10 miles distance). I wished
to move the strongest colonies, many bees lying
out. The question was, how to move such popu-
lous stocks and make it safe for them and the horses.
We solved the problem by nailing some wire screens
over empty hives, and fastening one on top of each
colony moved, making them three stories high,
with nothing but bees and air in upper stories.
The experiment was a success, as we broke only one
comb out of the 72 colonies in moving down, and
did not get a horse stung at all; but we used every
precaution to guard against the bees getting out.

SHIPPING BEES BY RAIL.

In regard to this matter I will flay I am not au-
thority, having done but little of it, and that only a
short distance. I have lately been in correspon-
dence with a gentleman who has been in the habit
of shipping his bees from Missouri to Mississippi, to
winter, taking in the early honey season there, and
then returning in time for white clover in Missouri.
He reported the venture as a success, but informed
me that he had great difficulty in keeping his bees
cool in returning. As they were then numerous,
and the weather warm, he was obliged to use ice to
keep them quiet enough to stand the trip. I have
also been in correspondence with a man from
Michigan in regard to

MOVING BEES FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH,

to take in the different honey seasons. His plan, as
he wrote me in early spring, was to buy bees in Ar-
kansas, take in the poplar and basswood harvest,
then move north till he struck white clover in its
prime; after clover, pack for Wisconsin and gather
in clover, basswood, mint, and whatever else he
could. I referred him to C. O. Perrine's venture on
the Mississippi, and others, cautioning him of the
loss of brood in long transits, and the difficulties of
having bees in condition to gather an immediate
harvest after a long trip. He has, I believe, modi-
fled his plans so as to take the early harvest in Ar-
kansas, and be satisfied with what he can get in
Wisconsin without stopping midway.

GETTING HORSES STUNG ; AN INGENIOUS PLAN TO

LOOSEN THEM FROM THE WAGON INSTANTLY,

IN GASE OF EMERGENCY.

In regard to the danger of getting horsoe stung
while moving bees, and the dire consequences that
might follow, I can heartily join with Bro. Root in
saying that C. C. Miller's caution is timely. Yes, I
should say be careful. If a man needs to be cau-
tioned when about to catch a mule by the hind leg,
or a rattlesnake by the tail, then it will be in order
to caution him about mixing bees and horses.
There is one part of Miller's tactics that 1 think I
will leave for you and him to practice— that is rub-
bing the horses' heads and noses when the bees are
after them. I prefer to be at the other end, with a
good hold of the lines. In the first plaee, I would
emphasize the caution— when moving bees, don't
leave the hives so then will leak Iters; but if, by some
mishap, they do get out,get bees amd horses apart as
soon o.s possible. To do this with all dispatch, we
have our whiffletree-pins greased so they will pull
out easily. We also have a piece of rope tied
around the upper end, extending up to within easy
reach of the driver; so in case of any stinging, the

o42

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

horses can be detached in double-quick time from
the load till things are righted. S. I. Freeborn.

Ithaca, Wis., June, 1889.

Yon have hit it exactly. Have the pin
that holds the donhletrees, made with a
loop or eye in the top, and then hitch a
stout rope to it that will not break, or,
better still, a chain, and let the driver sit
on the front end of the wagon, with the bolt
between his feet. If the bolt is greased, as
you suggest, and does not stick, he can jerk
it out, even if the team were drawing on the
doubletrees. With one horse, the whiffle-
tree to the wagon would have to be arranged
the same way; then fix the hold-backs so
they will easily slip off from the thills, and
the driver can skip, leaving the wagon be-
hind at any moment, on short notice.

HONEY STATISTICS, ETC.

FROM ONE OF THE FRIENDS IN THE SOUTH.

fRIEND ROOT: — Gleanings, June 1st, is at
hand, and you are to be congratulated on its
beauty, valuable contents, and general com-
pleteness. The new feature, " Honey Sta-
tistics," is a most important one. I was sur-
prised, however, to note the large percentage of
" bees wintered," in the Southern reports, as ex-
perience in this section coincides with that report-
ed from Louisiana, where a large per cent starved.
Box hives, of course, and those governed by
"kings," are the chief sufferers. The winter was
so mild that bees were flying a large part of the
time, and stores were consumed to an extent un-
usual. Leaving my apiary well supplied, and the
hives equalized as to sealed stores, 1 was absent all
winter. Returning I found one colony out of 26
starved— a very strong but energetic colony. Its en-
ergy was doubtless its ruin. Though this colony
need not have been lost, and my "showing," as it
was, a very fair one, still, a cold winter would have
started things off in spring in far better trim for
the honey season, while many box-hive men lost
all, and many more from 50 to 95 per cent.

I use Simplicity single-story hives on summer
stands for wintering, with some natural shelter
(cedars) on the north. In this connection I will
add, I use old pieces of ingrain carpet on top of the
enamel cloth, on some hives, and on crates, when
first placed; and 1 am satisfied in both cases it is
beneficial, and I know a large piece of the same ma-
terial thrown over the outside will cause bees to go
into sections in cool weather when they will not
otherwise.

I have obtained real clover honey this spring,
to a very considerable extent— something unusual
here. It was from white, alsike, and red, the Ital-
ians going 3% miles for the latter. Sweet clover
is just coining in and promises great things, being
7 feet high, and the few blooms open are covered
with bees.

MORE ABOUT THE BUTCHER BIRD.

The butcher bird Prof. Cook tells of is a familiar
acquaintance of mine, and I have often seen him
doing what the genial professor describes. A fa-
vorite tree is the honey-locust, on whose thorns
this little butcher impales his prey. In my daily
walk to the village 1 always see one near a thorn-
bush that had been cut down and thrown into a
gully. Only a few days ago I stopped a little friepd

to show her a large grasshopper that I had just seen
this bird transfix on one of the sharp thorns.
When in Florida some years ago, one of these spe-
cies used one of my young orange-trees to such an
extent that it seemed to bear, as fruit, scorpions,
lizards, small birds, grasshoppers, and the like, all
at "one crop," so to speak. Wilson. Nntall, Audu-
bon—all, I think, speak of this trait in the great
shrike.

LOSING CARP EGGS.

I can sympathize with you in the matter of los-
ing carp eggs by the thieves, such as minnows,
frogs, snakes, and turtles, and, 1 almost forgot,
crawfish; and I am satisfied that, for those of us
who are not expert pisciculturists, and who can
not afford to drain often and have special breeding-
ponds, carp culture will prove a failure unless
some cheap, easy plan is adopted, by means of
which the eggs and very young fry can be artificial-
ly protected till the young fish are large enough to
care for themselves. Here is a plan I think cheap
and practicable: Make a wire-cloth cage, as large
as you wish (tacking the cloth on a wooden frame),
having a door that will shut tight, on top. When
the fish spawn, collect all the grass or other debris
on which the eggs have caught, and place it in this
minnow and frog proof cage, which should be put
in shallow water. I take it for granted you know
how to tell when carp spawn. It can be told by the
commotion they make in the water the first warm
weather. I always know, and see them. The above
will succeed, for I have used a barrel this year, and
hatched them successfully. Plenty of drift grass
or straw should always be supplied for this purpose
beforehand. My ponds are also flower-gardens, and
it might interest you and some of your readers to
know how easily such a spot may be beautified. I
will only say, that if you should come this way some
time I could place you on a diminutive island sur-
rounded by flowers, let you thrust your fishing-rod
through a " virgin's bower," drop your hook among
the lily-pads, and land your tenth carp in a bed of
pausies, if, in your excitement, your fish did not
catch in a Marechal Niel rose, fifteen feet over-
head. C. P. Coffin.
Pontotoc, Miss., June 7, 1889.

I am very much obliged indeed, for the
additional facts you give us in regard to
the butcher-bird; also your suggestions on
raising young carp. I do know that all you
say might be done; but just now I am
watching and waiting for some boy who
loves fish, just as you and I used to love to
study about bees." When this boy makes
his appearance, I am going to give him
charge of my carp-pond, and he and I to-
gether, I am pretty sure, can raise carp as
easily as our boys in the garden raise celery-
plants. May be we could sell little ones at
the same price, if we could only send them
by mail. Your flower-garden in the middle
of your carp-pond almost induces me to
promise to pay you a visit. I have had
dreams of such an island, but I didi.'t know
that anybody had worked it out. My straw-
berry-bed alongside of Champion Brook ter-
minates on the bank of the carp-pond, and
I have long thought of having some flowers
on the banks of the pond where the weeds
grow so rampant; but I tell you, friend C,
it not only takes money but brains to keep
any thing of this kind nice. Perhaps your

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

543

island, covered with flowers, is just now a
" thing of beauty ;" but are you sure it will
continue to be a "joy for ever"? If you
keep it up, see if I don't come and see you
one of tliese days ; and, by the way, when
you had those wee little carp in your barrel,
didn't some sort of enemies, by some hook
or crook, sooner or later get into the barrel
also?

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As a protection to ourbee-keepins; population, we propose in
this department to publish the nanus of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

A REPLY FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF THE BRIT A N-
NICA.

R. A. I. ROOT:— Your favor of the 7th inst.,
in relation to the article on " Glucose," in
the American Supplement to the Encyclo-
pedia Brttannica, is received. We started
an investigation immediately, and find that
our author, Mr. Morris, has not, in our opinion, as
good grounds for his assertions as he should have
had. It is a matter of regret to us that Mr. Morris
did not probe the matter deeper, and follow the ru-
mors until he found either the truth or an error.
It is also a matter of regret that you allowed this
article to stand so long as it has, without calling at-
tention to it sooner. This article was published
some three years ago, and our attention was first
called to it by Dr. Nysewander, of Des Moines,
Iowa, under date of May 13th, closely followed by
yours of the 7th of June. To us it is inexplicable
how an article of this sort, which you seemed to be
hunting in such sincerity, has been allowed to run
so long without your discovering it.

We thank you for calling our attention to the
matter now, and we shall have further investiga-
tion made, and correct the plates of our book, to
correspond with the truth of the matter.

Hubbard Bros.
Philadelphia, Pa , June 14, 1889.

Very good, friends. 1 do not know that
we have ever before had so frank and fair
an acknowledgment from the publishers of
any book or newspaper in regard to this
whole matter ; and even though you have
turned around on us a little, we do not feel
hurt. In fact, we own up. Brother bee-
keepers, it is a burning shame that not one
among us had enterprise enough to notice
such a statement until it had been three
years in print. We shall have to give Dr.
Nysewander the credit for having been the
first one to see the false statement. Yes,
we have been hunting with great " sinceri-
ty," but it seems that we did not alight on
your publication before. There is one
thing, however, that we should like to urge,
if you will excuse us. You say you will cor-
rect the plates. Now, just have a printed
slip of errata, or something of that kind, put
into each book already published, and, as
far as possible, sent to all who have pur-
chased the work, and we shall be quite sat-
isfied, and grateful to you besides. You
speak about further investigation. We
should be very glad indeed to furnish you
the results of the investigations we have

made for the past four or five years. And
now, brother bee-keepers, let us each and
every one make it a point to consult the cy-
clopedias and all other works of that charac-
ter, to see that the statements made are
truthful, and that they do justice, both to the
honey-bees and to the bee-keepers of the
world.

"THOU SHALT NOT HEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST
THY NEIGHBOR."

But, oh dear me ! we have not got through
the business yet, by any means. See the
following :

Mr. Root:— Give the enterprisingeditora " boost."
Santa Monica, Cal., June 10, 1889. C. S. Lewis.

Below is the newspaper clipping that
came with the above.

There appears to be no limit to the adulteration
and fraudulent substitution practiced with articles
of food and drink. One might suppose that honey
in the comb, at least, would be safe from humbug;
but even this has been successfully imitated of late.
Artificial comb is made of paraffine wax, and tilled
with glucose; and after the cell have been sealed
with paraffine, the resemblance to the genuine arti-
cle is perfect. This is an " advance " upon the old-
er fraud of feeding bees with glucose, which the
industrious insects proceeded to laboriously trans-
fer to the comb.— Marysville Appeal.

Thank you, friend L., for sending us the
clipping. Now, dear brothers of the Marys-
ville Appeal, it is not the adulteration busi-
ness that is so unlimited, bad as it is ; but
it is this matter of bearing false witness
against your neighbor which is unlimited.
We have mailed you one of our reward
cards, and we hope you will be kind enough
and fair enough to publish to your readers a
retraction. We ask friend Lewis, and ev-
ery other good bee-man, to see that it is
done.

And now we find in the Philadelphia Rec-
ord the following heading to a sensational
article :

BEES CAN TAKE A REST.

THEY ARE NO LONGER NEEDED AS HONEY-MAKERS.

COMMERCIAL CUNNING MAKES THE COMB OF PARAFFINE IMi

THE HONEY OF GLUCOSE, AND THE PUBLIC CAN'T

DETECT IT.

Below the above is one of the usual sen-
sational strings of truth and untruth. Now,
dear friends of the Record, we want to tell
you that you are bearing false witness
against your neighbor— an honest, industri-
ous, and hard-working neighbor— a neighbor
who has never harmed nor wronged you,
but who has, in fact, been too busy earning
his bread by the sweat of his face to think of
damaging or injuring his fellow-man in the
way in which you have injured and damaged
him by your thoughtless editorial. The
Philadelphia Record has for years been on
our exchange list, and is almost daily on our
table, and this makes us feel a little sadder
than to see such statements in other papers
which have not had the plain facts set be-
fore them every two weeks, year after year,
as we have done for the Record folks. Now,
dear friends will you not just take a little
space to correct this wrong (although you
never can do so fully), and do justice to an
honest and industrious class of people?

And here is another piece of news (?)
clipped from the Sun, of New York, printed

544

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

Sunday, June 9. Our stenographer suggests
that, if they must tell lies, they do it on
some other day than Sunday. Read :

The worst eaemy of the honey-raiser is the pro-
ducer of artificial an<l adulterated honey. It is
easy to adulterate honey, but only recently have
men become ingenious and skillful enough to make
honey in the comb, both the honey and the comb
being artificially produced. The spurious product
looks almost exactly like that created by bees, and
it is put up in the little square boxes, with window-
ed sides, like those used in hives. It is possible to
detect the imitation, only by tasting it, by which
test anybody who has a tooth for genuine honey
can easily detect the fraud. The counterfeit is so
skillfully executed, however, that it frequently de-
ceives a novice. A New Fork man in a restaurant
in this city the other night called for honey in the
comb, and five boxes were purchased for him at as
many different groceries before one of genuine
honey was obtained. He then described the meth-
od of artificial honey-making, and in conclusion
said that he was a drummer for a New York honey
house.

Will the Sun people be kind enough to
contradict the false statement they have
probably unconsciously made in regard to
their neighbors? We also send them one of
our reward cards.

THE SAME OLD FALSEHOOD IN OTHER SHEEP'S
CLOTHING.

The inclosed clipping was taken from the Evening
News, Chicago, of May 251, 1889. Ed Hile.

Muskegon, Mich., June 3, 1889.

MANUFACTURED HONEY; HOW ONE (W NATURE'S
PRODUCTS IS SUCCESSFULLY COUNTERFEITED.

It is very likely the desire to be too quickly rich
that makes the grocer sand his sugar, and the
apothecary trifle with his life-saving drugs, and the
weaver put cotton with his wool and starch with
his cotton; but it hardly makes much difference to
the consumer, those that suffer in consequence,
what is the occasion of the act; it is enough for
him, and considerably more than enough, that it is
done. Yet when he finds the sediment of sand at
the bottom of his coffee-cup he is glad it is there
rather than down his throat; and he knows that if
the apothecary has made the curative medicine too
weak he has also diminished the power of the poi-
sonous; and in general, fancying himself beyond
the possibility of reaching or remedying the evil,
he goes on submitting to it, thanks goodness it is
no worse, that the air of heaven is licensed to no
6hop-keeper, and one has not yet succeeded in
patenting the essential element of fire, so that he
may breathe and keep warm without fear of adul-
Drration. Two or three things besides, he has flat-
tered himself, were beyond the coveting hand of
greed; among them the egg, for instance, and the
bee with that geometrical work of his which has
for ages been doing all sorts of things with the
brains of philosophers. Lately he has heard some
dreadful suspicions as to the possibility of counter-
feiting of the egg, but he dismissed them as ab-
surdities. But when he heard that the honey-men
bought glucose and set down a mass of it before
their bee-hives, the bees at once accepted the bene-
faction, glad at heart to find their food close at
hand, without the trouble of blundering about gar-
dens and into blossoms, and no long flights to take
on weary wings; he felt that at any rate it passed
through the mechanism of the bee and got the
tang and taste of honey, if it were not the expressed
flower essence at first hand. But recently, says
Harper's Bazar, he has received a shock in which
the walla of his last stronghold have crumbled.
There are new adulterators, if you will call them
so, counterfeiters, what you will, who prepare arti-
ficial combs from paraffine as geometrical in shape,
as waxy in appearance, and who fill these combs
with clear syrup and seal them, so that apparently
not even the bee could tell the difference between
the false and the true. He sees with horror that
the article sacred to sunshine and summer and po-
etry, to the Bible land flowing with milk and honey,
to Sordello's song of Elys, is vanishing from the
market and the table; and unless a man keepg his.

own bees he may doubt if he is eating any thing
but strained-glucose syrup at the time when he
would like to be indulging in all sorts of fine and
flowery fancies concerning his honey in the honey-
comb.

And so it seems that even Harper's Bazar
has gone into the enemy's ranks, and taking
to bearing false witness against their neigh-
bor. If any of our readers can tell us what
issue of the Bazar contained the matter re-
ferred to in the above, we shall esteem it a
favor.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY NOT A MYTH; O. O. POP-
PLETON'S STATEMENT CHALLENGED.

T DID not know until recently, that there was
my any question as to orange-blossoms yielding
W honey. I have been in Florida five years, and
"*■ have taken more or less surplus honey from
that source every year; and if my bees had
not been so weakened by moving from Wisconsin I
could have taken it by the ton the first year; for a
blossom, when shaken over the hand, would deposit
a good-sized drop; and my bees, although mere nu-
clei, and too few in numbers to work in upper sto-
ries, filled their brood-combs to the exclusion of
brood. I have this season taken 1000 pounds in one-
pound sections, and 200 in broken honey. Most of
the former I sent to Hildreth Bros., of New York,
who sold it at 14 V2 and 15 cents per pound— not a
fancy price, to be sure, but as high as white clover
in the same market, to which it is in no way inferi-
or; for its flavor (although different, of course) is as
good and wears as well, while it is fully as white in
color. I had 33 stocks in the apiary, and have 63
now. A friend of mine in a town near by reports
having taken 100 pounds in sections from a swarm
that issued in March.

After five and a half years continuous residence
in Florida my family and self will this summer re-
visit the scenes of our childhood in Southern Wis-
consin, where we hope to spend two months with
old friends and neighbors. J. L. Wolfenden.

Evanston, Fla., June 10, 1889.

THE VALUE OF SALT, SOOT, LIME, ETC., ON LAND.

We had a pasture once, and nothing would cat the
grass. We sowed about 600 lbs. of salt per acre on
it. In a short time, both sheep and cows took it
and ate it bare, after which a good grass came up.
Salt is a good fertilizer on light laud that is apt to
burn up; so is lime or both mixed. Lime is a good
fertilizer on land that grows much wheat or white
straw of any kind, especially if it is deficient in the
soil; 25 to 30 tons per acre has a marked and per-
manent effect. Soot is a valuable manure. There
is a great deal used in England. The chimney-
sweeps save all they get, and sell it to the farmers.
Once I was going to put soot on a field that I
thought needed lime, and I had both mixed in a
room in the barn. The ammonia set free was too
strong to make it pleasant staying in the room.
After that I never mixed them, for ammonia is
very volatile, and I concluded all that was set free
was lost. When I first noticed the effect of soot as
a manure, I asked the knowing ones where its
manurial value Jay, and I was told that it had no

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

545

actual value as a manure, but acted somehow in a
"mechanical way." My experiment with the lime
satisfied me. Lime should never be mixed with
manure. It may cause a quick start, but the am-
monia is wasted. Geo. B. Halt*.
Lytle, Tex.

Friend II., I have often seen soot recom-
mended, and even liquid manure, made by
stirring a small quantity of soot in a barrel
of water ; but I have always been much in-
clined to think that it was only a notion. In
fact, I do not know that I ever tried soot at
all. Now, when yon tell me that soot mixed
with lime gives off ammonia in the same
way as does guano when mixed with lime,
then I can understand it readily. But
where does the ammonia come from? I
supposed that soot is principally carbon,
and that it is just about as good as so much
charcoal dust and no more. Charcoal dust
is valuable only as an absorbent ; at the
same time it makes the soil black so as to
attract the rays of the sun. As soon as I
can get hold of some soot I will test it in
the way you mention.

MOISTURE IN HIVES ; WHENCE DOES IT COME ?

I received the oil-cloth covers per express to-day.
Will you kindly explain to me why so much mois-
ture is in my hives? I have 60 colonies of bees in
various styles of hives, the majority being1 Simplici-
ty, Langstroth, and American, and all of them
have oil-cloth covers over the section boxes. We
have had a very wet season for the past five or six-
weeks, and the section boxes in some of the hives
have been perfectly soaked with moisture, while in
others they are dry. Why the difference? Upon
raising the oil-cloth at almost any time, it is found
covered with great drops of water, apparently per-
spiration. This can not be from the evaporation of
the nectar, for none or little has been brought in.
The section boxes are so swollen in some of the
Simplicity and Langstroth hives that they burst
(paitly) apart the T super, and I am obliged to open
the hive after every shower to let out moisture.
Have you had other complaints like this, regarding
the use of the oil-cloth? D. F. Ogden.

Boulder, Col., June It, 1889.

If it were in our locality I should say it
was all owing to the exceedingly damp
weather; but, if I am correct, you never
have damp weather in June in Colorado.
The oil-cloth, without question, has some-
thing to do with it. We have never notic-
ed any such trouble as you mention, in the
summer time, in our locality.

A NUT FOR PROFESSOR COOK TO CRACK ; AN ACTU-
AL EYE-WITNESS TO A BEE BITING THROUGH
THE TUBE OF THE WILD TOUCH-ME-NOT.

In Gleanings for June 1st, 1889, page 440, Prof.
Cook says, " I do not say that honey-bees never cut
into flower-tubes, but I fee) very positive that this
is the case." If my memory serves me right, it was
J. L. Davis, of Holt, Ingham Co., Mich., who told
me that bees would bite into the flower of what is
here called the wild touch-me-not. Wishing to see
it done, I went to a patch of said flowers, which
was only about six rods from my house and a few
feet from my bee-yard. Bees were quite plentiful
on the flowers. My eye caught an Italian bee; he
put his head into the open flower for an instant,

then he went to the bow end of the flower, which I
saw had been bitten into by something. He took
only a snuff at the hole, and darted to another
flower, which was just right for me to see the whole
operation in the flower. He went into the open
end, backed out, and went to the bow end, and
plied his jaws with a vim. With three or four bites
he made a hole, and thrust his bill into it for about
three seconds, and I followed him to two other
flowers which were worked upon about the same by
the bees. He visited several other flowers before
he reached the last two flowers that he bit into;
then I lost sight of him. This was some years ago.
I have watched many times since to see them bite
the same kind of flowers, but failed every time.
There is no mistake in the above. J. L. Lewis.
West Windsor, Eaton Co., Mich.

Well, I declare, friend L., I am now more
than ever convinced that I was right, for I
thought I saw the same thing you mention.
I guess we won't change the ABC book
yet, after all— certainly not until we hear
from Prof. Cook in regard to the matter.

ALSIKE CLOVER, AND ONE OF ITS PECULIARITIES.
THE VALUE OF THE STATISTICAL REPORT.

I notice in Gleanings that friend Gough thinks
alsike is a cross between white and red clover. My
experience with it. has been, that, if it is pastured,
or the soil becomes hard or dry from any other
cause, it is very liable to look like white clover. I
have a piece that has been sown for several years;
although it has not been pastured, the ground is
hard; and when it bloomed out first this season I
think any one would have called it white clover;
but since the excessive rains it has grown rank,
and has a pink blossom.

I think the statistical report in Gleanings is
worth the price charged. I have enjoyed reading
your travels; and, in fact, Gleanings is good from
beginning to end, and no bee-keeper should be
without it. Bees are doing well here now, and the
prospect is good for a good crop of honey, although
there were some new swarms that starved the latter
part of May. J. T. VanPetten.

Linn, Kan., June 12, 1889.

SUNDAY SWARMING.

I had a rather singular experience with a swarm
last Sunday (favorite day with my bees). They set-
tled on a large limb in the top of a locust-tree,
about 30 feet from the ground. It was too large to
saw off. I succeeded in hiving them by using
frames tilled with comb. Pressing a comb against
the swarm, I would wait until it was covered with
bees, and then bring it down. Seven or eight trips
sufficed to bring down all but a few. I brushed
them off with a feather duster, and they followed
down the ladder like a drove of pigs.

Crescent Hill, Ky., May 30, 1889. I. T. Gaines.

STRAWBOARD FOR I-SUPEB COVERS, ETC.

In your foot-note to L. A. Duggan's letter. May ir>,
you say, "Very likely thick paper or strawboard
would answer nicely for the inside of chaff hives."
I have been trying strawboard T super covers this
spring, % inch thick, painted two coats. A ftw
hours of rain will water-soak them so they will
come to pieces; and I think even for the inside of
a hive the moisture from the bees would soon ren-

546

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

der it worthless. Would not some kind of cement,
molded in the form of a board, make good T-super
covers, or plaster of Paris, if covered in cold weath-
er? My board covers, with a shade-board over
them, have to be loaded with stone to prevent
twisting and curling up eadwise.
Vienna, N. Y., May 25, 1889. V. W. Tremain.

The account of your experiment is valua-
ble, inasmuch as it may save others, who
had strawboard in mind, both time and
money.

SUGAR SYRUP NEVER HONEY.

I will ask a question, and should like to see it an-
swered in Gleanings by the veterans. One year
ago last fall a friend fed two fcwaims with white su-
gar, after bee-pasture was killed, and the bees filled
a great many sections of the whitest and most beau-
tiful honey to look at I ever saw. He asked me to
taste it. I did so, and I certainly would have taken
it for honey; at least, there was quite a flavor of
honey mixed with it. From what source came that
flavor of honey? Can the most skillful chemist
take the clover blossom and extract from it honey
that will have the flavor bees give it? Bees will
take the most bitter and ugly flowers, and extract
from them a fair article of honey. You probably
will say you can detect a flavor of the blossom ; but
how do the bees give it the flavor of honey?

La Otto, Ind , May 30, 1889. E. S. Hanson.

Friend II., you are making a mistake.
Bees might sometimes make a fair article
of honey from bitter flowers ; but, as a rule,
the honey is but slightly changed by being
carried into the hive, except in the ripening
process; and sugar syrup does not make
honey. You made some mistake, or your
people were careless in tasting. It has been
tried by bee-keepers hundreds of times ; and
any one accustomed to the taste of sugar
and honey will detect the sugar syrup at
once. Even if it could not be noticed, it
would not be profitable to feed the bees
with it to get them to store it for honey.

papier-mache for combs ; LEMONADE sweeten-
ed WITH HONEY, GOOD.

Why couldn't the combs be made of papier-
mache instead of wood? They could not absorb
any more wax, and it certainly would not take
any more wax per hive than foundation does.
Did you ever sweeten lemonade with honey? We
think it is nicer than sugar. Several who can not
eat honey have drank the lemonade at our house,
and felt no trouble from the honey sweetening.

Los Alamos, Gal. Mrs. J. Hilton.

The objections to papier-mache instead of
wood for honey-combs, is that the bees will
everv now and then, especially during a
dearth of honey, go to work and tear the
paper all to pieces ; in fact, I have never
seen any paper they would not tear up soon-
er or later iii this way. They seem to im-
agine that any thing like paper has some-
thing to do with the bee-moth, and so they
clean it out.

DISINFECTING chaff hives of foul-brood

GERMS.

I made my first chaff hive when 12 years old; but
that horrible scourge, foul brood, got into our apia-
ry. I say ours, for my brothers had bees as well as
myself; and before we knew what wag wrong, they

were in the last stages of foul brood, and nearly all
died. We melted the combs, but the hives are all
chaff hives, and it seems too bad to burn them.
Now, will the hives need to be pulled to pieces and
scalded inside and out, or will it do to scald the in-
side? Would not boiling water do as well as steam?
Is there any danger in leaving the empty hives
standing close to the apiary before they are scalded?
Oscar Trussler.
Strasburg, Ont., April 30, 1889.

It will not do to leave those infected chaff
hives near the apiary for any great length
of time. We suppose, of course, the en-
trances have been closed in the mean time.
It is a very difficult matter to disinfect
chaff hives. If you can get a kettle large
enough, and can make sure that the water
is brought to the boiling-point, you can dis-
infect the hive by removing the bottom and
taking out the chaff, after which immerse
them for about a full minute in the boiling
water. I would keep them in the water as
long as this, or longer, if you can conven-
iently, because the water is liable not to
reach all the inside portions of the hive.
We send you the latest edition of the ABC
book. We advise you to read carefully the
instructions on this point. We would say,
in regard to chaff hives, that we have had
very poor success in disinfecting them. We
disinfected our last lot of hives by knocking
them to pieces and burning them up, for we
can make new ones about as cheaply as we
can fuss with old ones, and then hot have
something as good, in the bargain.

CHILLED AND FOUL BROOD.

1. Is it a common occurrence in spring for a few
scattered dead larvae to be found here and there
through a number of hives in the apiary, death be-
ing caused presumably either by neglect of the
nurses or some disease, the larvas flattening out
and seeming watery and grayish? 3. If so, is it usu-
al that, on arrival of the honey season, this condi-
tion ceases to exist, or will it, in a poor season, or
with a weak colony, still continue, and probably
develop into disease involving the ultimate destruc-
tion of the colony, with danger of infection to oth-
ers? K. W. McDonnell.

Gait, Ont., Can., June 4, 1889.

1. The dead larvre you describe are evi-
dently chilled brood. The heads of the
grubs first turn black, the larva shrinks, and
finally settles into a pulpy gray or a gray-
ish-yellow mass. If it turned to a coffee
brown, and the maturated matter were
ropy — that is, tenacious, like spittle, it
would have all the appearance of foul brood.
While chilled brood resembles foul brood, it
lacks the important symptoms; viz., ropi-
ness and color. 2. Chilled brood can never
develop into foul brood, which is always
propagated by germs. Corn never grows
where corn was never planted. Foul brood
can never start without the existence of
microscopic germs, called, technically, ba-
cillus alvei. Chilled brood might be a better
medium for the reception of these germs
than ordinary living brood, providing that
the spores were in the air. A weak consti-
tution in the human family is more sus-
ceptible to the germs of smallpox or yellow
fever thai} a healthy vigorous person.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

547

FROM OUR ABC CLASS.

This department is designed primarily to cover questions
either not already answered in the A B C of Bee Culture (price
in cloth $1.26), or, it incorporated in this work, are here dwelt
upon more in detail on account of the importance of the
question. While these answers are of vital interest to the
ABC scholars, they will doubtless be found, in many in-
stallers, to be of considerable value to the more advanced
student. For lack of space, the question itself, instead of be-
ing directly stated, is omitted, the same bciiiK' implied in the
answer. It is hoped that the class will first consult their
text-book before sending in their questions.

QUEENS FERTILIZED BUT ONCE.

J. D., Mississippi.— So far as our present knowl-
edge extends, queens meet the drones but once in
their lives. If a queen once produces Italian work-
ers, she will always produce the same kind of bees.

TEXAS WHITE-CLOVER HONEY.

C. A. W., Texas.— Your sample of Texas white
clover came duly to hand, and was tested. In color
and body it is good. While better than the average
grade of Southern honey as to flavor, it is not quite
equal to the Northern clover, we think.

RUSHINO OUT AT THE ENTRANCE.

11. L., Texas.— When there is a dearth of honey,
feeding will always cause the bees to rush out to
the entrance in excitement. The reason they fly
out is because they are anxious to know whence
comes this wealth of sweet, as it is evident to them
that stores are coming in from some source.

WHY ARE THE BEES DYING AT THE ENTRANCE?

S. W. B., Ohio.— If your bees are dying at the en-
trance, and young bees are being carried out, it is
pretty evident that they have been starving. Bees
behave very much in this way when their stores
are used up. The remedy, of course, is to feed at
once, preferably granulated-sugar syrup.

A FRAME OF HATCHING BROOD, AND A FEW BEES,
NOT A CURE FOR THE NAMELESS BEE-DISEASE.

H. M. H., New York — Giving a frame of hatching
brood and a few bees to a colony will not cure it of
the nameless bee disease, provided the source of
the trouble is with the queen. Her removal always
effects a cure, and this proves pretty conclusively
that the disease originates with her.

very little if any honey was coming in, when bees
have nothing to do but to gnaw around the wires
and get into mischief generally. If you want them
to patch up the combs again, feed them, or remove
the combs and put them in the hive again, when
honey is coming in at a fair rate. Bees never gnaw
holes in foundation when honey is coming in.

VIRGIN QUEENS SOMETIMES THE CAUSE OF AFTER-
SWARMING.

H. F. O., New York.— A surplus of young queens
immediately after the first swarm is pretty apt to
give rise to a second swarm; and as long as there
remains two or more virgin queens in the hive,
there is apt to be swarming. Second swarms some-
times come out when the young queen comes out
for her wedding-trip.

UPWARD VENTILATION; WHEN TO REMOVE PACK-
ING FROM CHAFF HIVES.

C. B. W., Oh io. —Our chaff hives— at least the two-
story— are so made as to provide for some upward
ventilation through the chaff cushion. In cellar
wintering, upward ventilation is not only unneces-
sary, but it is even detrimental. We remove our
packing from the chaff hives soon after frosty
weather and cool nights, which with us is about
the middle of May.

WHY BEES SOMETIMES TEAR DOWN FOUNDATION.

E. E. S., Illinois.— The reason why your bees lore
down the foundation is possibly due to the fact that

TO PREVENT SWARMING.

T. O. D., Ohio.— It is very difficult to prevent
swarming when bees get the swarming mania, as
yours seem to have. The only advice we can give
you is to give the bees plenty of room, plenty of
shade, and ample entrance; and we would advise
you to cut out all the queen-cells but one. In eight
days, again cut out the remaining cells that may be
found. Perhaps you had better hive the old swarm
on top of the old hive. As soon as the swarming
fever is over, unite the two again.

CAN OLD HIVES, AND COMBS IN WHICH BEES HAVE
DIED, BE USED FOR NEW SWARMS?

M. V ., ( >hio. —Those hives which you have, which
are spotted with dysentery, and in which the bees
have died, during the past winter, can be given to
new swarms, or, in fact, to other colonies. The
bees will very soon set things to rights. They will
clean the dead bees out of the combs, and make the
hives just as habitable as they were before. For
further particulars, see "Wintering," in the ABC
book; also "Dysentery."

HOW TO GROW BASSWOOD.

M. N. E., Michigan.— On p. 292, 1882, we published
an exhaustive article on basswoods— when to gather
seeds, how to grow the young trees, etc. It was
written by Fr. Holtke, Carlstadt, Bergen Co., N. J.
If you will consult some nurseryman, we have no
doubt he will give you the information you require.
Usually, young basswoods can be obtained in the
woods. If they do not abound in your locality, you
can purchase them of A. I. Root, Medina, O., who
will send you small trees.

FULL-WIDTH ENTRANCE; THE HONEY-BOARD AND
BRACE-COMBS.

H. S. B., Maryland.— It will be best to allow the
full width of entrance, if you have a strong colony,
or if the bees cover, say, 6 or T frames tolerably
well. It is only weak colonies, and during a honey-
dearth, that the entrance of a hive should be con-
tracted. So far we have no practical method for
preventing bees from building brace-combs between
the brood-frames and honey-boards. All that a
honey-board can be made to do is to prevent brace-
combs from itself to the sections or surplus ar-
rangement above.

SEPARATING ADVERTISEMENTS FROM THE READING-
MATTER, FOR BINDING PURPOSES.

A. C. M., Rhode Island. We have thought of that
same matter you speak of in reference to the make-
up of Gleanings before; but on account of the
rush of advertisements at the very last minute, and
the necessity of getting in an important editorial or
special notice, our reading-matter crowds in some-
times on to the advertising space; and the adver-
tising space, on account of the large number of
advertisements, sometimes upon the reading-mat-
ter. This condition of affairs is well nigh unavoid-
able; at least, we can not obviate the trouble with-
out great expense, and we are not sure that the
inconvenience it affords a very few would warrant

548

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

it. A great majority do not bind their periodicals
at all. Only a very few even file their journals, and
there is perhaps not one in 200 who goes to the
trouble to tear out the advertising leaves, and have
the journals properly bound in cloth covers. We
can tell pretty nearly what this number is, because
it is much cheaper for those who want their jour-
nals bound properly to send them to us, which
they do. In referring, as we are often obliged to
do, to old journals, we frequently find the advertis-
ing pages of us much importance as the reading
pages. In one case, quite an important fraud was
exposed and brought to a stop by consulting the
advertising pages of old bee-journals. The first
bound volume we found had had its advertising
pages stripped off before binding. We finally suc-
ceeded, however, in finding this same journal,
bound, advertisements and all. For files of old
magazines or journals, saved for reference, I
should by all means prefer to have the advertise-
ments left in.

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should he briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 133.— Does it pay to make any special
provision for shade in an out-apiary, by means of
shade-hoards or otherwise, providing that the location
does not afford trees or other natural shrubbery?

No, it does not. Geo. Grimm.

Yes. I prefer a shade board. A. J. Cook.

This depends upon the construction of the hive.
With our hive it pays. P. H. Elwood.

Yes. If there is not already satisfactory shade,
I would use shade-boards. James A. Green.

Yes, by all means. We make movable roofs,
which improve the looks of the hives.

Dadant & Son.
I think it pays to shade hives from the full glare
of the sun, both home and out apiaries.

O. O. Poppleton.
Yes, where single-walled hives are used. With
double-walled hives, or chaff, it is not necessary.

A. E. Manum.
Yes, but much depends on location, the way the
hives face, and how ventilated. S. I. Freeborn.

Yes. I have tried the shade of trees, and also the
shade-board, and much prefer the latter.

A. B. Mason.
It does. No combs will melt if the roof of the
hive is raised only one inch to admit of an air pas-
sage over the inside body of the hive.

C. F. Muth.

I have no doubt that it pays, as I have always no-
ticed that those that were partially shaded did bet-
ter than those fully exposed to the sun.

P. L. VlALLON.

If the hives are painted white, probably not. If
the hives are a dark color, yes. Place the hives in
long rows, and have the shade in the shape of a
roof high enough for a person to stand erect under
it. Mrs. L. Harrison.

I think this depends somewhat upon latitude and
location. For the northern half of Ohio, shade is

probably more a matter of mercy to the little cattle
on sweltering summer days than an actual winner
of dollars and cents. I am not quite sure of this,
however; but it certainly payrs to shade newly
hived swarms. E. E. Hasty.

With double-walled hives we prefer to set the
hives in the sun. I think shade-trees are an injury.
Our hive side walls are three inches thick; honey-
board on top, 7a inch thick. I put a cap over the
hives, about 7 inches deep ; roof boards 7a inch
thick. With that much protection from the sun
there is no need of shade. E. France.

No, nor anywhere else, providing the hives are
painted white. Mine are all white that are painted
at all, and I have never had any combs melt down,
nor have the bees appeared inconvenienced by the
heat. In one or two instances I have had the
combs melt down in the unpainted hives, but not
often enough to pay for shading them, in this lo-
cality. G. M. Doolittle.

Yes, by all means use a shade-board about two by
three feet. T prefer this kind of shade for either
an out-apiary or home apiary. I value it more
highly than any other kind of shade. My reasons
are given in my contribution to the Review for
June, wherein will be found many articles from
able writers upon the question of shade for bee-
hives. James Heddon.

I think it does pay to shade hives. It lessens the
liability of melting the combs in very hot weather,
and diminishes swarming. I use for shade on hives
that stand exposed to the sun, about one yard of
cheap calico, costing about 3 cents, tacked to two
sides of a cover, and place the cover on top of the
hive in such a manner as to leave an open space
behind the cloth that hangs down on two sides of
the hive. It is cheap and convenient.

H. R. Boardman.

Owing to the construction of my old hives I never
used shade-boards until the last two years on a dif-
ferent hive, and I have come to the conclusion that
it does not pay to fuss with them. If there is honey
in the flowers, the bees will be after it in full force,
if the weather is as hot as blazes. If there is no
honey, the bees might as well loaf on the shady side
of the hive as to loaf inside. If you fear melting
combs, don't use that kind of hive. A shade-board,
to be of real use, should be made like a large um-
brella; and even then every wind would disarrange
them. In an out-apiary they would be a positive
nuisance from the above cause. Let us let the
shade-board go. Rambler.

Bees, by fanning and partly vacating their hive,
have, like the healthy human system by perspira-
tion, the power of regulating the internal tempera-
ture. I And most danger of melting down combs
while extracting or otherwise disturbing the nor-
mal condition of the hive. It seems to me the dis-
advantages of the shade being in the way, and its
shading the bees when they would be better with-
out it, overbalance all the good results where the
thermometer does not go above 100° in the shade
more than five or six days in the season. When the
thermometer rises above 95° I should prefer to
have some one present to elevate one end of the
cover, or in some way assist the bees temporarily
to ventilate the hive and save the bother and ex-
pense of a cover. R.Wilkin.

188S

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

m

During the hottest weather I think it may pay to
use cheap shade-boards, or long grass, held on with
a stick of firewood; and yet those hives which don't
happen to have trees to shade them are generally
left without shade, in my apiaries. 1 value shade
comparatively little for the bees; but I want shade
for the comfort of the operator, and could not
think of locating an out-apiary where no shade
could be had. My son, after reading the above, says
Mr. Oatman would have given him a serious talk-
ing-to if he had omitted shade-boards, as combs
would melt down if the hives were left unshaded.
Tt occurs to me that an important difference in the
two cases is that his hives are closed tight, except
at the entrance, while mine have an opening at the
upper back end of the brood-chamber, so that a
current of air can pass directly through.

C. C. Miller.

When doctors disagree, who shall decide?
In reading the above, I have been quite a
little amused, because I have at different
times, in years past, decided in favor of
shade, and then, again, I have decided that
I would not have the shade if I could have
it for nothing. My final decision has been,
however, that the grapevines, arranged as
we advise, are all the shade we need. Dur-
ing the spring months, when we want all
the sunshine there is, there is no foliage on
the vines ; while during the great heat of
summer, the foliage is most needed, and
can be easily regulated then by clipping the
shoots with a common sickle. I do not be-
lieve that we could ever be persuaded to
bother with shade-boards, one for each hive.

Question 134.- a. How much per colony do you es-
timate it costs to move bees to and from an out-apiary?
I>. Does the cartage of bees figure its any considerable
item in the cost of honey production?

I have had no experience. A. J. Cook.

I have had no experience. Paul L. Viallon.

I have had but little experience in moving bees.
O. O. Poppleton.

a. For taking and return, about 15 cents per colo-
ny. Better management might greatly reduce that,
b. Yes. C. C. Miller.

a. I have not had very much experience in this
line, but I think 20 cents would be a liberal esti-
mate, b. 1 think not. James A. Green.

The cost is a trifle, and the trouble involved lies
more in the danger of damage to the eombs and
bees than in any thing else. Dadant & Son.

a. I don't know. b. An inconvenience, as time is
money, and expenses should be considered when
making up the cost of production. C. F. Muth.

That depends upon the number of hives to be
moved, distance, accessibility of location, etc. I
should think that 50 cents per hive would probably
be a fair average of cost of moving and returning.
Mrs. L. Harrison.

A man and team will move on the average about
twenty-five swarms per day. Make your own esti-
mate, b. The cartage is not so large an item as the
extra trouble and expense after. Not many bee-
keepers will stand it to ride ten or twelve miles per
day and do a large hurrying day's work besides.

P. H. Elwood.

I have had no experience in moving bees to out-
apiaries; but from what I have handled bees, I
should place the cost at not far from 50 cents per
colony for moving them five miles in the spring,
and then back again in the fall.

G. M. Doomttle.

a. In moving 105 colonies last year, 18 miles, both
ways, it cost about Oil cents per colony, not count-
ing the loss of those killed. Should we count the
damage to the 15 swarms that were killed, it would
make the expense of each about $1.75. b. Yes, if
moved far or often. S. T. Freeborn.

a. That depends upon the distance and condition
of the roads, and conveniences for hauling. It
costs me about 25 cents per colony to move bees to
and from an apiary six miles away. b. Yes, the
actual expense and loss of colonies (if any are lost)
should be figured as expense to that particular
apiary. A. E. Manum.

It depends very much on the size of the hives.
Our hives, we can take only 12 colonies at a load.
Then again the distance to move would make some
difference. We don't move our bees home to win-
ter. Our bees are all wintered on their summer
stands. All the moving we do is to equalize out-
apiaries, and to gather from the different yards
bees to form a new apiary. E. France.

a. It doesn't generally cost me any thing, for I
have my own horse and wagon; but once it cost me
a new dash to my spring wagon, and part of a tug
to the harness, and over a mile walk, saying noth-
ing about the trouble of combing the stings off my
head. I had more hair then than now. b. As the
cartage doesn't cost me any thing, it doesn't figure
in the cost of honey. A.B.Mason.

It depends very much on the skill or tact of the
apiarist, the convenience for handling, etc. If I
had to move all of my bees back and forth to out-
apiaries twice each year I should consider it a big
job. I have wintering-repositories at all my out-
apiaries. 1 think it is impossible to answer the
question definitely in the short space allowed. Bees
may be moved quite cheaply, or it may be a very
expensive work. H. R. Boardman.

a. It would not do for me to give you an estimate
in figures, because so very much depends upon
your location, the distance you propose to move,
the roads, and the methods employed, and the price
of such in your locality, b. Yes, the cartage of
bees from one place to another in moving them
after honey secretion, considered in all its lights,
not only money outlay but attending dangers,
labor, care, attention and all these things, is, in my
judgment, always of more cost than it comes to.

James Heddon.

As I never had an out-apiary, my estimate can
have no special value in comparison with the actu-
al figures which experience can give— but, here
goes:

Moving apiary of 20 hives —

Team 1 day at $2.00 - - $2.00

ManSdays at $1.25 -

Same in returning

3.75

$5.75

Total $11.50

This would be one cent a povind on 1150 pounds of
honey, and oftentimes the surplus they would gath-
er would be less than that. E. E. Hasty.

550

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

a, b. This depends upon distance and other
tilings. It will cost from 10 to 15 cents percolony to
move them a distance of 10 or 15 miles, figuring
hauling, etc. It depends, of course, a great deal
upon the condition of the hive and season of the
year. In the spring and fall, when there are no
supers to trouble with, I can prepare 20 colonies
(one load) for hauling in about an hour. I always
use a notched cross bar in the bottom of the hive to
hold the frames apart, and also have the ends of
the frame rest in notches, so that all I need to do is
to screw down the cover and tack a screen across
the portico. Geo. Grimm.

a. With me a teamster has made ordinary wages
in hauling my bees 20 miles for 12'/2 cents per hive.
He would take on SO hives with four horses and a
trail (a wagon hitched on behind), at a load; but
with me I would add another I2y3 cents for prepar-
ing the hives to ship (I do not use close-fitting
frames), and the disadvantages from bees, mixing
up by change of locality. Besides this, and what
would deter me from moving much more than the
cost, is the dread of mishaps from teams, although
I have been hauling them a great deal for the last
thirty years, with no greater loss than the breaking
of a wagon-tongue; but I know there is constant
danger; but with two men (one of them a bee-man),
with two horses easily detached from the wagon,
they can be moved with almost positive safety, b.
Ordinarily I would say, certainly not. K. Wilkin.

a. I winter my bees in a cellar at the out-apiary.
There is no cartage expense. If they were brought
home, the cost would depend on many things— time
in preparing bees for cartage, number of colonies
to be carted, distance, and whether one or two
horses, etc., were employed. As I fix my hives for
carting, I would estimate the cost of moving 100
colonies to and from the home yard at 15 cents per
colony, for a distance of not over five miles, b. I
do not consider the carting much of an item. I
would itemize the foregoing as follows, from the
home apiary:

33 hives at a load, distance 5 miles, cost
of team per trip, $2.01). Three loads, #6.00

To home apiary, 0.00

Two hours' work preparing 33 swarms
for cartage, about 4 minutes to a
swarm, 25 cents per hour, or for
the 100 colonies for two movings, 3.00

Total $15.00

The above team's work, I think, could be done
even cheaper for the distance, in my locality.

Rambler.

The above seems to cover the whole
ground so thoroughly that I do not know
that I have any thing to add. I was quite
interested in what R. Wilkin has to say ;
for in California they do a great deal more
moving of bees than we do ; and it will for
ever remain a mystery to me how they car-
ry bees up in the canyons, especially such a
one as I first passed up in company with
friend Wilkin, and Mr. and Mrs. Mercer. It
seemed to me that the only way to get up
there was to carry one hive at a time, by
hand, through the worst places. Our folks
here in Ohio would have said, without hes-
itation, that it would be madness to think
of driving a horse and buggy through such
passages, leaving bees entirely out of the
question.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; bat all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must lie put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

Please do not forget those apple-barrels that were
the shape of a stovepipe. Please tell Ernest to give
us Our Own Apiary at least four times a year.

Dorr, Mich. John Short.

COCKROACHES.

Mr. W. L. Coggshall, West Groton, N. Y., sends me
some cockroaches, with two of the egg capsules. He
asks me to give habits, etc., through Gleanings.
As I have already done so on p. 882, 1888, it is not
necessary to repeat it. They are doubtless about
his hives for warmth and shelter, and possibly for
honey. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., June 5, 1889.

O. O. POPPLETON AND THE ORANGE-BLOSSOM HON-
EY.

I protest against the statement made by Mr. O. O.
Poppletou, regarding orange-blossom honey, page
444. It is the surest crop of honey of any during the
year; but bees are not always in condition to store
it in great quantities; but it always starts a boom
in brood-rearing, and with me it is the best season
for queen-rearing. They worked 6 weeks on it this
spring. The conditions were good. 1 have had 5
years' experience. Nellie Adams.

Sorrento, Fla., June 5, 1889.

ARE BEES TAXABLE PROPERTY V

Are bees taxable? T am the assessor of this town-
ship. I was also assessor last year. I have not list-
ed bees for taxation, neither have my predecessors.
I told the pro-ceding assessors they were not. I
gained that impressiou from Gleanings.

D. P. Lister.

Lac-qui-parle, Minn., June 10, 1889.

[We have for a good many years paid taxes on
our bees. The matter was discussed at some
length in Gleanings several years ago. Doolittle
and some others thought bees should not be taxed,
while I took theground that they were just as much
property as horses, sheep, or cattle. In some
places they tax thern and in others they do not. I
prefer to have our bees taxed, because it gives me
a clearer conscience.]

FROM BOOMING TO DOING NOTHING.

I wrote you last week that " bees were booming
here." They were at that time; but the very next
day the weather changed from warm and pleasant
to cold and wet, and the bees have done nothing for
nearly a week. Hence some of my neighbor bee-
keepers are getting a little "blue; " but, not 7— oh,
no! I have lots of courage yet in reserve, hence I
am hoping, and shall continue to hope to the last.

Bristol, Vt., June 10, 1889. A. E. Manum.

ON THE VERGE OF STARVATION.

Bees have been on the verge of starvation for
several weeks during the continued cold stormy
weather that has prevailed. Mauy have actually
perished, and those not actually dead are badly de-
moralized. I have visited a number of apiaries,
and tind this condition prevailing everywhere.
White clover is coming forward now, so that they
are getting enough from day to day to just barely
keep the wolf from the door. Careful watching
and feeding has saved mine, but not without con-
siderable damage. H. R. Boardman.

East Townsend, ()., June 11, 1889.

i889

GLEANINGSiLN BEE CULTtJBA

551

Recent Development

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE FOR SHIPPING.

SN pages 4'iS and "9 I incidentally refer-
red to the special fitness of the new
Dovetailed hive for moving and ship-
ping bees. When we changed from
the beveled to the square edge, we had
no idea (we means Mr. Warner, Mr. Calvert,
and your humble servant) that the square
edge made the hive better adapted to mov-
ing bees. Why so? In the first place, the
bottom of the Dovetailed hive can be made
permanent or movable. For the purpose of
moving to the basswood orchard, we have
been having all the bottoms secured to the
hive by means of two screws, one on each
side and centrally located. Two wood
screws were found to hold the bottom very
securely. With the beveled-edge Simplicity,
it is practically impossible to fix the bottom
on account of the beveled edges. After the
bees have been moved in the Dovetailed
hive and it becomes desirable to raise the
brood-chamber up. or in any case where
the removal of the brood - chamber be-
comes necessary, all we have to do is to
tip up the hive, and with a screwdriver re-
move the two wood screws. Propolis will
hold the bottom-board and hive together
during the operation. The hive is then set
back in position, when a screwdriver will
readily loosen the bottom-board. Having
obtained some photographic views I will
now proceed to give you a more detailed de-
scription.

■■;'>;

THE DOVETAILED HIVE PREPARED FOR
SHIPPING BEES.

In the cut, the bottom-board has been se-
cured by the screws referred to. The en-
trance is closed by a piece of wire cloth of
suitable length, and folded longitudinally
through the middle. For moving short
distances, two or three tacks will secure it.
When shipping by express it is better to use
a number of tacks, as shown in the engrav-
ing.

The wire screen is simply a section of the
Dovetailed hive cut off so as to make a rim
H inches deep. These rims are made from
dovetailed sides and ends which are defec-
tive, either because of knots or checks. A
piece of wire cloth 20 inches wide is cut in
two in the middle, longitudinally, making a
strip of just the right width to tack upon
the rim. In the center of each side to the
rim, a screw-hole is made, and the screen is

secured to the hive by two screws, B, B, as
shown in the engraving. There is no tack-
ing, pounding, nor driving of nails when
putting on the screen, nor, in fact, when re-
moving the same.

To secure the frames from shucking about,
we use a notched stick, shown at A. One
of these strips is tacked to the bottom-
board, notches upward, to space the bottom-
bars ; and two of these strips are used at
each end above the frames. The strips are
of the right width to fill up the space taken
ont by the rabbet ; and when the wire
screen is screwed down, these strips are
held by the end piects of the rim. in the
engraving, the notched sticks are represent-
ed as being nailed to hold them securely.
In shipping by express this will be a neces-
sary precaution ; but in ordinary moving,
the screen itself, with the usual amount of
wax and propolis, prevents the strips from
coming out of place. To give you a better
idea or fastening the frames, the enlarged
drawing below has been made.

The notches, A, A, slip down between the
spaces in the frames X, etc. It may he
asked in this connection, why we do not use
the spacing-boards which we have adver-
tised for some years back. Principally be-
cause they were too much trouble. In "each
hive six boards were required, and these are
to be nailed on the ends on the inside, three
at each end. On account of the usual
amount of propolis and wax that is deposit-
ed upon the sides of the frames, we find it a
very difficult matter to shove the end-bars
down into these longitudinal grooves in the
spacing-boards. The operation becomes
still more difficult after the bees have fixed
them with propolis. Some of the worst
cases of robbing and stinging we ever had
were brought about in the effort to remove
the frames from the spacing-boards. When
I come to compare the ease of manipulation
of the notched sticks I almost wonder that
wo did not discard the boards sooner. The
time occupied in preparing some 20 or 30
hives for shipment, or for moving, is now
reduced to a minimum, and we are sure that
our customers will welcome the change.

I am aware that, for all wood frames, and
for ordinary moving to out- apiaries, the
spacing-strips will not be absolutely neces-
sary ; but as the frames we moved were
metal-cornered, and as it was early in the
season, before brace-combs were built out,
we found that the spacing-sticks were nec-
essary. They are certainly necessary in any
case tor shipment by express. If the Heth-
erington-Vandeusen frames are a success
we shall not need the spacers at all.

P. S. — Of course, it will be understood
that the notched sticks— in fact, the whole
arrangement above, is old ; but it is good
just the same. Such bee-keepers as A. E.
Manum use the notched stick.

552

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JlM.V

|^YgELF Tip JAY pjEIGflB0Rg.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor.— Lev. 19:18.

fOU may wonder why I did not add the
customary "as thyself/' But I pre-
fer to leave it off— at least just now—
because it seems to me that this old
command has been repeated so often
that it falls on the ear almtst without ef-
fect. Another thing, quite a large class of
humanity smile, or sometimes laugh out-
right; and others go even so far as to jeer
and throw ridicule whenever the subject is
mentioned of loving anybody as a man loves
himself People say, "There can't anybody
do it;" and, again, "Nobody ever did do
it;" and, "It is all humbug,11 etc. Per-
haps some of these friends forget that
Christ Jesus did actually, through every mo-
ment of his life, love his neighbors more
than he loved himself. Well, mankind will
have to have their own way, I suppose.
Those who ridicule this little text, however,
are, I believe, without exception, bad, self-
ish men. They oftentimes say it would be
a good thing if people would actually love
others more and self less, and then they go
on and tell about pretense and hypocrisy,
and they say we Christians do not have any
more love for our fellow-men, when we
come right down to it, than other folks ; and
1 think very likely we need a great deal of
exhortation' in this very line. All I am go-
ing to ask you to-day is that you shall love
your neighbor. If lie is not lovable, love
him as much as you can. If he hates you,
even then the best thing you can do is to
love him. If he is hateful and abusive, do
not get weary in trying to soften him by
kind acts. l)o not pay any attention to his
unkind words or spiteful actions. Try to
love your neighbor, whoever he may be.
Yes, try to love all your neighbors, and to
do them good. If something happens that
is going to take money out of your pocket,
try to see if it does not put money into the
pocket of somebody else, and be happy be-
cause of the good it does such a one. I
know what it is to get into a strife to see
who shall get the most trade and make the
most money ; but I know, too, that we can
light down this natural desire to accumu-
late ourselves, and find a far greater hap-
piness in seeing our neighbors accumulate
and prosper and do well.

I have said considerable of late about low
prices. I have suggested to yon, thai, if
vou received only from 10 to 15 cents a bush-
el for your potatoes, some neighbor of yours
got his potatoes exceedingly low. Vou may
urge that there is reason in all things, and
that a man can not be very happy and feel
very pleasant when he does not get enough
for his produce to pay the cost of produc-
tion. Yes, there is truth in this; but for
all that, when circumstances make it neces-
sary for you to sell to your neighbor some-
thing for less than it actually cost you, you
can still congratulate him on his good for-
tune. Your loss is his gain. Another
thing, we Christians have the promise that,
if we seek first the kingdom of God, and his

righteousness, all things else shall be added
unto us.

I told you, June 13, that we were getting
15 cts. a quart for our strawberries. Just
after our journal went out, however, the
boys on the wagon reported that we could
not sell them as fast as they were picked,
unless the price came down. So they came
down to 14 cents; then to 12; then to 10.
Each decline started a fresh run on them
for perhaps a day ; but when people began
to find that the berries were dropping regu-
larly each morning, they very soon began to
take it for granted that it was to be the reg-
ular programme, and so they would not buy
to can until they got lower. When they got
down to 8 cents I thought that was low
enough — we certainly ought to have 8 cents
for such nice berries. But as people would
not buy the 10 or 12 bushels we were picking,
at 8 cts., what was to be done? We had had
some experience in letting a lot lie over, and
that certainly did not pay. Our customers
were beginning to say, " If you will give me
some that were picked this morning, I will
take some; but I don't want any that were
picked yesterday.11 Some went even so far
as to decline having any in the evening that
were picked the same morning. We remon-
strated ; but they knew we were picking all
the while, and they preferred those which
had been only an hour from the berry-patch,
and that had not been jolted around on the
wagon. There was no help for it. We were
obliged to carry a few at a time, sell them
off, and then go back for more, thus mak-
ing quick work from pickers to consumers.
This state of affairs rendered it still more
necessary that the berries be made to go off
at sonic price. Well, they went down to ?
cts.; then to 0 ; then to 5 cts.; and one day I
felt a little blue when the boys declared that
the whole town of Medina (2000 inhabitants)
would not take all the berries we were pick-
ing, even for 5 cents. They suggested ship-
ping them off somewhere. Now. my expe-
rience in shipping off garden stuff has not
been very favorable. Sometimes it sells for
enough to pay the express charges, and
sometimes it doesn't. The berries must
be sold in Medina. Mr. Weed suggested
that, if we could get rid of what we had on
hand, may be we could keep our heads above
water. I accordingly went round to the
hands in the factory and asked how many
wanted some nice strawberries, jnst picked,
for only 5 cts. I looked pleasant and good
natured about it, but there did not seem to
be any demand, even at this very low price.
I have been told that some said they guess-
ed the berries would be lower still than 5
cts., next day. 1 confess I was inclined to
feel a little bit discouraged, and I don't
know but I did suggest to my wife that I
would plow up part of my vines and not
raise so many berries, especially as it seem-
ed evident that we were raising too many
for our small town. I had not yet read
friend Terry's article, which you will find
on another page, in regard to this matter;
but when I did read it, it caused me to
smile. My wife suggested that our beauti-
ful berries, instead of affording me recrea-
tion and enjoyment, were adding to my

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

553

cares, and making me look worried. It
would be a little sad if strawberries should
be the means of adding wrinkles to my face
that is already pretty well furrowed. Some
of you may say, " Surely A. I. Root would,
at such a crisis, have taken his cares and
perplexities to the kind Father ; for, in fact,
he taught just that in his book, 'What to
Do,' " and with all the advice thatthisworld
can furnish in regard to what to do in per-
plexities, is there any thing to be compared
with that beautiful injunction, " Cast thy
burden on the Lord "? As soon as I thought
it, however, I began to be a little ashamed
of myself. If I were a poor man, on a little
homestead, with a mortgage hanging over
me, and 1 were depending on my berries to
help to lift the mortgage, then I might com-
plain about getting only 5 cts. a quart. If
sickness and death were near, and money
were needed to pay the doctor's bill, then
might I prav God to help me to get better
prices. As' it was, I actually felt ashamed
to ask the kind Father for any help at all in
that direction. 1 did ask him, however, to
help me to feel happy and glad because I
was able to give nice fresh berries to my
friends and neighbors for only 5 cts. a quart.
Well, the prayer was answered very speedi-
ly. I became glad and happy "straight-
way," as Mark says. My daughter Con-
stance (Blue Eyes, you know) has been
taking me to task for using the word got. It
came in once or twice in my last Home talk,
and she says it is not "good grammar."
Well, whether it is good or bad, I "got"
happy. I really enjoyed selling berries for
5 cts. Then what do you think happened?
Somebody, I really don't know why, sud-
denly concluded that the berries might not
get any lower, and ordered half a bushel at
5 cents a quart. Then another neighbor
thought they would take the chances, and
take theirs for canning at 5 cts. And pretty
soon somebody suggested that the berries
would come up very soon. Now, you may
think it strange; but within an hour we en-
gaged more at 5 cts. a quart than we had to
spare; and pretty soon the young man who
superintends the children who are doing the
picking, told me they were not going to
have as many as they had been getting. By
the way, this young man is one of the
printers. It is a rather dull season just now
in the composing-room ; and as he had often
begged to get outdoors we gave him this
post. You ought to see how we have tanned
him up during the last ten days. He seems
to prefer to be outdoors, however, for all
that. Well, after we had taken as many or-
ders as we dared to at 5 cents, we took some
more at (>. Meanwhile the people had "got"
an idea that the price of the berries wras run-
ning up again, and everybody was in a hurry
to buy. Up they went to 7 and then to 8 ;
and then came the state of affairs where we
charged one man 8 cts. for his berries, and
the other (i or even 5, because they were to
fill an old contract, made when the berries
were low.* This taught us not to make any

*At one time, to fill our contracts we tried to buy
some berries of a neighbor; but the best price he
could make to us was 6 cts., therefore we should be
obliged to pay ti and sell for 5, because we were so
thoughtless as to make a contract beforehand, for
the delivery of berries the next day.

more contracts. So the men on our wagon
told the customers, " We will pick and de-
liver them any time you wish, but we can
not agree on any particular price. You can
have them now for 7 cents; to-morrow they
may be 5, but they may also be 8 or even 9."
This little transaction has tended to give
me more charity for people who change
prices often. In fact, it gave me my first
insight into this matter of fluctuations of
the market, and it led me to see that it is
proper to change the price not only daily,
but, under some conditions, and under some
circumstances, hourly. When the prices
were low, it was really pleasant to see peo-
ple coming with all sorts of utensils for
strawberries ; and 1 believe now that I en-
joyed selling them as much (or even more) at
5 cents as I did selling them at 15. All that
prevented me from being pleased and happy
on the "down grade" was because I hadn't
got enough of the text, at the head of this
little sermon, in my heart— "Thou shalt love
thy neighbor." And I confess that, when
prices began to go up, and the children and
some poor people who could afford them at
5 cents, but could not at 10 or 15, 1 began
to feel sad for their sakes. My friend, when
your neighbor's interest is so much in your
heart that you forget self, and rejoice or feel
sad at his loss or gain, you are getting pret-
ty near to the kingdom.

Well, we got on swimmingly, and I enjoy-
ed harvesting the berries very much. I en-
joyed this matter of demand and supply,
and fluctuations in the prices, and especial-
ly the positive proof that Medina could not
only take care of 15 bushels of strawberries
a day, but perhaps twice or three times that
amount, until Saturday night came. We
had had some little experience with Satur-
day night, but not very much. The weath-
er was favorable, and, oh how the berries
did ripen ! Before we got through the patch
once they were riper where we commenced
than they had been when we started. Some
of the boys talked toward night of picking
no more if I could not sell them ; but I told
them that the berries must be picked, and
that they must be sold or given away. The
wagon went all over town, and visited eve-
ry customer of ours ; but after the men re-
turned late in the evening, there were four
or live bushels of berries yet to be disposed
of. As our baskets all became full, the pint
boxes full of berries were scattered every-
where along the rows, and little patches
here and there were seen in groups up by
the fence. In fact, bright, beautiful luscious
strawberries stared at us everywhere. There
had been such a hurry to get them picked
before night, that they were set around
everywhere, and nobody knew what was to
be done with them. There was some talk
of carrying the pint boxes by hand, because
the baskets were all full ; but I suggested set-
ting them on one of the shutters of the hot-
beds. Finally Mr. Wright, the printer, got
hold of some of the shallow trays we use
for celery-plants. To refresh your memory
I will give you a picture of one.

Each tray holds l!4 pints. They were
wheeled up to the factory on our Daisy
wheelbarrows, and then they were set along
the front of the door, on a stand that was

554

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

THE TRAYS WE USED TO HOLD OUH PINT BOXES OF
STRAWBERRIES.

made to exhibit new goods. They made an
impressive show, I tell yon. I proposed to
sell what I could, to the people who passed
by. Ours is a public highway, and on Sat-
urday night there were more or less vehi-
cles passirg almost constantly. My wife sug-
gested that we should mark in plain letters,
on a nice clean smooth board,

FRESH STRAWBERRIES, ONLY 5 CENTS A
QUART.

Ernest got a board and did the marking,
and I commenced calling the attention of
the passers-by, when they did not seem to
notice the berries, myself. Somewhat to
my surprise a sale was made to the occu-
pants of almost every vehicle. Pretty soon
it became too dark to see, but there were
bushels of berries remaining. At this junc-
ture Mr. Weed brought a large, lamp from
the factory, and set it near by the bulletin-
board. Well, before ten o'clock every ber-
ry was sold. The people went away happy,
and I felt happy, even if the coppers and
nickels in my pocket did pull down rather
uncomfortably. The coppers and nickels
would keep over Sunday, without spoiling,
even though the weather were hot and
damp, while the strawberries— well, I felt
sure they would do good, and make people
happy, at only 5 cts. a quart.

Now, then, friends, 1 have told you this
little story because I think likely it will be
helpful to some of you in selling your prod-
ucts. A plain bulletin-board, a good dis-
play of what you have for sale, assisted by
a lamp, if it is a still evening, after dark,
makes a very pretty advertisement. Back
of it all, the owner must stand, with love to
his neighbor, in his heart. All the rest will
take care of itself. Now, whenever you are
inclined to murmur or complain — when you
say farming does not pay, or the special oc-
cupation whereunto God seems to have call-
ed you does not pay, please have confidence
enough in your old friend A. I. Root to be-
lieve he is right when he says the trouble is
not in farming ; it is not in your chosen occu-
pation, and it is not with your neighbors — the
neighbors God lias given you, but it is be-
cause in your own heart you do not " love
your neighbor."

P. S.— Constance suggests that it is not
dignified, and she does not think it is the
thing to do, to speak to people who are rid-
ing by, no matter whether you know them
or not, and ask them if they don't want to
buy some strawberries. She thinks it is too
much like peddling. I told her that I should
never object to seeing peddlers, provided
they carried some product of the soil that
they had raised themselves. Some of the
fiiends laughed at my zeal in disposing of
the berries, but none of them seemed to be
displeased. Toward the last, a buggy went
by in the dark. 1 could not see very dis-
tinctly, but after he had replied very sober-

ly and sedately that he did not think they
could very well use any more strawberries
just then, we found out that it was my son-
in-law, Mr. Calvert. This raised a pretty
big laugh from the bystanders ; but I was
so very enthusiastic in disposing of the
great lot of berries, that I proposed to treat
friends and foes (that is, if I have any foes
in Medina County) all alike.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

TOO MANY STRAWBERRIES, SMALL FRDITS, ETC.",

FRIEND TEKRY GIVES US A LITTLE FRIENDLY

TALK IN THE MATTER.

R. ROOT:— In Gleanings for June 1 you
spoke of the overproduction of potatoes,
and the prospect of an overcrop of straw-
berries. Now, do you know I was almost
provoked with you for not making use of
such a good opportunity to preach a little sermon
on my special hobby? For forty years to come
there will be no danger of overproduction among:
the farmers (and many bee-keepers that T have met
can be added in), in the line of growing; abundance
of strawberries and other fine small fruits for their
own home use, and I know of no work in the world
that they ought to be more happy while doing.
I am getting more and more in love with my fruit-
garden, as well as with the delicious fruit we are
getting. Would that I could take every reader of
Gleanings, who is behind at :ill in this respect, by
the hand and have a full hour's talk with him while
walking among the loaded nushes and vines in my
garden or yours! Wouldn't I talk my best at
him? Wouldn't I keep his mouth full of great Jes-
sie, Bubach, and Cumberland berries? Then I
would try to interest him in the growing of vines.
I would show him single leaves 5 inches long, one
of which would cover a pint bowl, on plants set
this spring; then take him among the raspberries,
and show him bushes, set only a little over a year,
loaded with berries.

Some farmers have a little bed of strawberries,
perhaps two or three square rods, from which they
get just a taste of this great luxury. That wouldn't
suit me at all. 1 would set out ten times as many,
with an ordinary-sized family, and tend them in
long lows, with a horse, and have berries by the
bushel, as free to children and all as water, for a
month if possible. We have now a bushel a day of
splendid fruit, and we eat and can every one of
them. (No, I took much delight in carrying a pock
to a neighbor, yesterday, who doesn't have any.)
Extravagant? What ! when I and the family did all
the work on them, and if they were together in
solid compass (they are between raspberry rows
you know) they would hardly occupy more than 15
rods of earth? I don't think so.

I saw Mr. Fenn at the Horticultural Society in
Tallmadge, the other day, and he told me about
your rows of strawberries. I do wish I could see
them. Won't you tell us how far apart in the row
you set the plants, and, when you get through,
about the average yield per hill?

The Bubach is our grandest berry. The Haver-
land is not so large, but extra good size, and the
berries just lie in piles. The flavor is not quite per-
fect, to my taste; but with 13 kinds, I may be get-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

555

ting rather particular. There is no berry on our
grounds with any nicer flavor than the old Charles
Downing; but they are light yielders, and easily
hurt by the frost, like the Sharpless. The Jessie is
good, and a fair yielder, but not up to the Bubach.

Do you know I had to laugh when 1 read in
Gleanings that you were not guile certain that
farmers could not afford to grow potatoes in a
small way where they hadn't the machinery and
aids of the large grower? What do you suppose 1
had been doing that morning? Why, following
Breed's weeder, as a new tool is called, over seven
acres of potatoes. It was drawn by one horse, and
could hardly be called work for him or myself.
Now, what did it do? Why, in going once through
the field I stirred all the soil that I could with a
one-horse cultivator in going twice, and at the
same time moved every bit of soil in and around
the hills— hoed them. In the afternoon, wife and 1
took a ride. We saw a man with perhaps two acres
of potatoes, hoeing them slowly by hand, after hav-
ing cultivated them. We calculated that, at the
rate he was working, it would take him one day to
hoe half an acre (in drills), or over 15 days to do the
work I had done in the forenoon. Which can ride
out the most? which can get time to " fuss " with
berries best? Which can get the most time to do
his work promptly and as well as he knows how, and
can live and respect his calling instead of being
a drudge?

But, enough. You know 1 love to accomplish
something when I work. Don't fear the overpro-
duction of potatoes. There are two sides to this.
When farmers get large prices, how many thou-
sands of poor people have to pay altogether too
much? Welcome cheaper production and only fair
living prices for farmers, for the sake of the great
number of poor people who will be helped. With
our machinery we made money last year on pota-
toes—did well enough. It hurt me to sell potatoes
to men who had hard work to make a very bare
living, for 75 cts. to $1.00 a bushel in 1881 and 1887.
To be sure, it was market price, but— well, I found
a way to ease my conscience, sometimes, when sell-
ing directly to individuals.

Dr. Talmage says the Almighty will smite this
people if they do not stop inventing machinery to
take work from poor people. For himself, he says,
if I remember correctly, that he hopes there will
not be another tool invented in 500 years. But he
is all wrong for once. His head is out of level.
Flour and potatoes are cheaper to-day for the poor
man to eat than they wonld be without the binder
and the potato-planter; and there is work enough
for all, and better wages, than in anti-machinery
days. Then see the great saving to the farmers'
wives in the line of less help to board, less drudg-
ery and tavern life, and the nearer approach to a
perfect home. See how the farmer can now ac-
complish much without slavish toil. Welcome to
labor-saving machinery, I say. T. B. Terry.

Hudson, Ohio.

Well, I am very glad indeed, old friend,
to know tliat our ideas have been so much
in the same line. You will, of course, see
what I have said under the head of Our
Neighbors, in this issue. I do not know
that I quite get your thought in regard to
farmers raising small fruits. Where they
raise strawberries for sale, I think they
might devote more ground to this one crop

than is profitable for that locality. Last sea-
son we had so many Alaska peas (and we
got them on the market before anybody
else had any also) that they could not be
sold without running the price down to a
point that did not pay expenses ; and even
when we loaded the wagon and sent them
off eight or ten miles to adjoining towns,
the wliole crop could not be sold at a profit.
I made a blunder by planting largely nil <<i
one time. This year I blundered the other
way, because I did not plant enough. For
three weeks we have been getting 50 cents a
peck for every pea as it ripened, and cus-
tomers quarrel as to who shall have them,
even then. We had only about half enough.
The remedv is to make successive plantings
every week or ten days, and be sure to have
enough, and not very many more than
enough. We can not do this, however,
with strawberries. If you mean, however,
that no farmer or anybody else who has a
little patch of ground can make a mistake
by planting enough to give his own family a
great abundance of strawberries, then I
heartily agree with you. Almost every spring
my health begins to fail by care and over-
work, just a little before strawberry time,
and for several years I have been looking
forward to fresh strawberries as a sure
means of "fetching" me up. This year I
was in such haste to receive the benefit of
the "strawberry tonic" that I ate a little
too freely of them when they first ripened.
I began to feel troubled for fear strawber-
ries would not work this season. I soon
found, however, that it was because dame
Nature did not want the new medicine too
abruptly. By increasing the dose daily for
a few days, 1 .soon found that I could eat
two large saucerfuls at a meal, and ever so
many more between meals, and grow fat
and happy on them. Of all the different
" cures " that have been invented in times
past, give me the strawberry cure. Well,
now, there is but little question but that
other people will be benefited just as I am
benefited. But they can not very well af-
ford the expense unless the berries are af-
forded cheaply ; therefore I am glad, as you
are, when strawberries (and potatoes) are
offered at very low prices. But I still think
that, where one wishes to get the very most
benefit from strawberries, he should raise
them himself, not only that he may enjoy
seeing them grow, but that he may feel that
the supply is unlimited— that he may eat
just as many as he has any inclination to,
without having his conscience trouble him
because he is extravagant.

You speak about canning them. My wife
has often urged me to eat largely of canned
strawberries, to see if they would not bring
me up as well as the fresh ones do. They
have never yet tilled the bill very well,
therefore we have not been in the. habit of
canning very many. Our patch of Jessie
strawberries, mentioned by mv cousin, I).
E. Fenn, are planted just 8 feet apart, after
digging our early potatoes, as I have de-
scribed. They are 10 inches apart in the
row. We have not kept account of the prod-
uct, but I should say that they average per^
haps half a pint to each plant, Next sea-

556

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

son the same plantation will doubtless give
a much larger crop; but 1 seriously doubt
whether the .Jessie or the Sharpless either
will give as much fruit per plant as the
Crescent and Wilson, and perhaps some
Others. Our objection to the Crescent is
the small size ; but still a great many of our
customers this summer decidedly prefer the
small berries to the great large ones. Some
of them will not have the large ones, as they
say they are tasteless, etc. The Bubach is
certainly a massive berry. We, like your-
self, have single leaves that would cover a
pint bowl, and the berries are monsters.
But they are all gone after one or two pick-
ings, while the Crescent, with its great clus-
ters of small berries, still keeps the pickers
busy. Sometimes 1 think there is no better
berry, all things considered, than the old
Wilson. Then, again, I am inclined to fa-
vor the Crescent. Finally I decide that no
berry-patch is complete without half a doz-
en, or, better still, a dozen, of the popular
kinds. The Jessie is valuable because it is
so early ; and the Jersey Queen, because it
is so late ; besides, the jersey Queen is one
of the handsomest and best berries that we
have on our grounds. It is not as strong a
grower as the Sharpless and Jessie, how-
ever, and it doesn't bear any thing near as
many berries as the Crescent. I am aston-
ished to hear that Talmage ever said or
wrote any such folly. Our proof-reader says
he thinks there must be some mistake about
it. To intimate that man's inventive facul-
ties are not a wonderful gift directly from
the Almighty, seems to me, savors of infi-
delity. Farmers complain that wages are
so high, and produce so low, that they can
not keep on farming. Now, if this be true,
the laboring classes have been benefited in
both directions. Amen to your concluding
sentence !

0aR 0wn Jlnn^Y.

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST K. BOOT.

MANUM S MODIFIED SW ARMING-DEVICE.

TT will be remembered that our friend A.
ijp E. Manum clips all his queens' wings.
W As some of our customers want their
A queens clipped and others do not, we
practice no clipping, leaving the pur-
chaser to follow his own option. Our
queens, unless prevented by perforated zinc,
always accompany the swarm. On page 542,
July 1, 1888, I mentioned a swarmiug-device
modified from A. E. Manum's implement,
which has given us most excellent satisfac-
tion. Our device differs from friend Ma-
num's in that we use a larger wire-cloth
cage. His will hold perhaps a quart of bees,
while ours will hold several. As it was late
in the season we made no engraving of it
then.

While Manum's arrangement is better
adapted for those who clip their queens,
ours is more suited for those who practice
no clipping. Fig. 2 represents the wire-
cloth cage or basket ; Fig. 3, the device in
position, receiving the bees as they cluster
on the outside of the cage. Fig. 1 shows the

bees after they have clustered, and the apia-
rist in the act of walking off to the hive.

METHOD OF CAPTURING SWARMS.

Instead of looking for the clipped queen
as soon as the swarm issues, we wait until
it begins to cluster. As soon as a cluster is
about half completed, we run the basket up
to and around the cone of bees. An assist-
ant, if present, gives the limb a jar, so as to
disengage the bees into the basket. In case
no one is ready to assist, a sliding move-
ment will precipitate the cluster into the
wire-cloth cage, when it is quickly lowered.

MANUM S SWARMING ARRANGEMENT AS

MODIFIED BY THE FOLKS AT THE

HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES.

This operation, in passing down through the
limbs, usually will catch the wire-cloth lid,
and close it with a slam. In case it is not
closed, the apiarist steps forward and does
it himself. Hall' or two-thirds of the bees
are generally confined. In all probability
the queen is there also. As the bees can not
get out, those still flying in the air will very
readily cluster on the wire cloth, surround-
ing the majority of their companions inside.
To make this more expeditious, the tripod
is adjusted, and the cage is suspended in the
air, as shown in Fig. 3, right where the bees
are Hying thickest. In two or three min-
utes the remainder of the bees will be clus-
tered on the outside. At this stage of the
proceeding the apiarist comes forward,
folds the two short legs against the pole,
grasps it at its center of gravity (see Fig. 1),
and walks off to the hive, which he has pre-
viously prepared. The wire fork is made of
steel, and is light and springy. The walk-
ing of the apiarist has no tendency then to
jar the bees off from the basket.

One of the special features of the Manum
arrangement is, that the basket can be ad-
justed to almost any position, all the way
from 2 to 10 feet from the ground. All that
is necessary is to spread the tripod legs,
catch them into the ground, and leave them
standing, in the mean time, if the hive is

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

557

not prepared, the apiarist has ample time to
get it ready. After this he can return to
the swarm just now clustered. Most of the
devices require to be held until the cluster
has settled. It is a tedious job to hold a
pole at arms1 length, with face upturned. If
the swarm clusters very high, some other
arrangement, perhaps, would be better than
the Manum ; but for low shrubbery it is just
the thing The other special feature of the
device is, that after you have gotten about
half or two-thirds of the bees into the bas-
ket, they can not escape and seek their origi-
nal point of attachment.

HAULING BEES WITH COLTS— A WARNING.

During the past week I have had some
experience, of a kind of which .Josh Billings
said, " The tuishun is rather hi." We have
been moving bees with a colt, and very like-
ly you will forecast the result before I get
through. Old horsemen tell us that colts
should be hitched in the stable, or to the
side of a barn or high board fence, or at
least something they can not get their feet
through or climb over, or tangle themselves
up in. My colt Billy, referred to before in
this department, had been making trips to
the basswood orchard nearly every day. A
large portion of this apiary has been devot-
ed to tilling orders for bees and queens by
the pound, nucleus, and colony. At the or-
chard there was neither a shed, side of a
barn, nor high board fence. The only avail-
able thing was a small elm-tree, about four
inches in diameter. The ground was pretty
level at this spot; and although it was not
the best place in the world to hitch a colt,
we thought we would'1 risk it" until we
could tit up a hitching-post, or, better, a
shed after the rush of the season. Billy
stamped the ground considerably around
that tree, and, colt-like, champed his bits.

One day we went down after about $75.00
worth of bees, which were to go by express
in the morning. As the aforesaid elm-tree
was inconveniently situated for the market-
wagon, we hitched to a fence— one that was
strong. We had got our bees into the ship-
ping-cages, and were loading them on the
wagon. Billy became impatient, and want-
ed to go home before we got fairly loaded ;
and before we knew it he had somehow got
his foot through the fence and into a gate.
With $75.00 worth of bees in the wagon, at
May prices, and the horse tangled as he was,
we rather expected a fracas. A few sooth-
ing words quieted the horse so that we
could untangle him, and we were soon on
our way, rejoicing that we had got out of
our trouble so luckily.

About a month elapsed, and Billy in the
mean time was learning to stand like, an old
horse. One afternoon, as usual, Mr. Spaf-
ford took Billy and the light wagon, your
humble servant remaining at his d:jsk. This
time Mr. S. hitched to the elm-tree, and
then went about his work. He had nearly
finished his last hive when he heard a little
noise in the direction of the horse. Bush-
ing out, he noticed that the animal was be-
having in a very unusual manner. Well, to
make a long story short, Billy had caught
the right thill in the tree. He then stepped
to one side, and broke one end of the shaft

diagonally off, parhaps a foot from the end.
The splintered part evidently struck just
back of his tore-leg, and goaded him a little.
As you know, a horse, when he is pricked
by any thing, never moves away from the
irritating object, but, on the contrary, will
push the sharp point into himself. Billy
pushed the thill into himself back of his
fore-leg, reeled sidewise a little, and. with
the point sticking in his vitals, again broke
the thill off lower down. He then fell over
one end of the thill. striking the ground, and
the otherend plunging deeply into his heart.
Before Mr. Spafford could reach him and be
of very much assistance, a valuable horse
was killed— one that could travel fourteen
miles an hour, and one for which I had, just
prior to its death, had frequent offers.
Whether an unlucky bee had stung the
horse, and so been the direct cause of the
disaster, we shall never know. 1 do know
that I have lost a valuable horse, and a
great pet, of which my wife was exceeding-
ly fond.

Perhaps some of the experienced horse-
breeders who read this will say, " Why did
you not unhitch?" For the simple reason
that we had tried it once or twice, and Billy
had wound himself around the tree until he
did not have any strap at all. Well, this is
mishap No. 2.

As our three heavy draft horses were
busy, we next took Meg. As she had run
away several times, Mr. Spafford, after an
experience with her once, feared to take her
again. No other horse being available,
Neighbor H. kindly offered to loan us his
Bobbv pony. This likewise was a colt. The
hitching-place was made more substantial,
and the horse was unhitched from the thills.
Every thing went well until they were well
started toward home with the bees. Like a
good many other colts, he did some unex-
pected things. Why, what do you suppose
it was? He simply fell down and broke
both thills. There were $25.00 worth of
bees in the buggy. Very fortunately a
farmer near at hand came to the rescue im-
mediately. Mr. Spafford held the colt down
while his companion unhitched. In the
mean time an angry bee had the meanness
to come and sting this poor colt on the end
of its nose. He lunged a little, but by good
management the colt was safely disengaged
from the thills, without any sliver sticking
him in his side, and another serious mishap.
It was then raining, and the roads were get-
ting slippery. The thills were wrapped
around with straps, the horse rehitched, and
Mr. Spafford started on his venturesome
journey again. When he arrived at the fac-
tory I saw that something had gone wrong
again ; and although Mr. S. is an experienced
horseman, and a man who has broken colts,
and who has handled some very vicious ani-
mals, there was a care-worn expression on
his face. As I stepped up to the horse, he
begged to be excused from going after bees
any more, with colts. I assured him that he
shouldn't.

It is said, that it never rains but it pours
— misfortunes never come singly. I do
know that they sometimes come singly, but
I am sure, also, that they often come in

558

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

pairs. I mention this misfortune that it
may be a warning to others who are under
the necessity of moving bees. It was all on
account of our busy season, the rush of or-
ders, and scarcity of help, that we took
these little risks. We thought when the
busy season was over that we would erect a
substantial shed and a suitable hitching-
place. But misfortunes would not wait.
The moral is, where property is involved,
do not run risks, where a few dollars in a
shed or in a hitching-post will save a good
many dollars in an accident.

GETTING BEES STARTED TO WORK
IN SECTIONS.

ALSO USING ONE OR MORE PARTLY FINISHED SEC-
TIONS AS A STARTER.

LIKE Doolittle's article, nnd the comments
thereon, on page 474. For the benefit of the
younger members, let me repeat what I have
already said. 1 have never had any trouble to
get bees to work in sections by simply placing
in the center of the super a section upon which the
bees had previously worked. Tt does not matter
whether the honey has been emptied out or not,
only so that previously it has been partly filled
with honey. The severest test I ever gave to this
plan was last year and the year before. In each super
put on, I placed in the middle a section that had
been filled or partly filled with honey, and this hon-
ey had all been emptied out. Every colony which
had any honey to spare from the brood-chamber
commenced promptly in this section, filled it with
honey, and commenced putting honey in the ad-
joining sections. These colonies were very few in
number. The others, which had no more honey
than was needed in the brood-chamber, as well as
many which had not enough for the brood-chamber,
commenced work in the " bait" section, generally
filling and sealing it. I had many supers with the
" bait" section tilled and sealed, and not another
section in the super worked on. So I feel pretty
safe in saying that, with such a bait section in the
super, my bees will work as readily as I want them
to, in the supers. The bait sections are likely to be
second class, but there need be only one for each
colony, not one for each super.

SHALL UNFINISHED SECTIONS BE AGAIN USED ?

Since writing the above I have read friend Green's
article, on page 449. I think the strongest discus-
sion ever had on the matter of using unfinished
sections was at the National Convention, at Chica-
go; and, if I remember correctly, it was a pretty
one-sided affair. I believe I gave no opinion, un-
less it was to say that sections partly filled at the
time of putting on, were sometimes watery after
being filled. But I've asked myself some questions
about it since, one of which was this: If bees will
commence and tinish a section of foundation quick-
er than one filled with comb, how does it come
that so much more extracted honey can be pro-
duced than comb, especially by those who allow the
honey to be sealed over before extracting? The
Dadants, it is well known, do no extracting tili the
close of the harvest, leaving the combs to be sealed
over; and on page 429 of that excellent book, the
Revised Langstroth, they say: " If we give to bees
empty combs, to store their honey, we shall find, by
comparing the products of colonies who have tq

build their combs, with those of colonies who al-
ways have empty combs to fill, that these last pro-
duce at least twice as much as the others." Now,
if they produce twice as much in the course of the
season, can they not produce it more rapidly? How-
ever that may be, there seems to be a pretty plain
statement that, in the course of the season, twice
as many pounds of honey will be stored in ready-
built combs as in foundation. Now, if that be true
of full-sized combs— although the Dadants do not
use full-sized combs for extracting— why is it not
true of combs of any size, even down to 4^x4%?
And if these sections can be sold for only two cents
less than the best, they are still very profitable, if
even a fourth more honey can be produced in
them. I confess that I have been quite puzzled to
reconcile these apparently contradictory state-
ments and opinions. Without being at all sure of
my ground, I may be allowed to give a possible ex-
planation. Remember that man}', like friend J. A.
Green, have held the view that a section used by
the bees last year will not be tilled as soon as one
containing only foundation, and that it is not
profitable to use such. One year I used a number
of sections partly tilled, left over from the previous
year. I can not now tell whether they were filled
more or less promptly than the others, but they
were filled and stored for some time with the oth-
ers. Before very long I found these sections,
which had been left over from the previous year,
becoming watery, the honey oozing through the
capping, while the sections built on foundation
were all right. Now, in this case is it not probable
that the honey left over in these sections was un-
ripe to begin with; and, after being kept over the
winter, had soured at least a trifle? And is it un-
reasonable to suppose that the bees would be slow-
er in tilling such sections than in tilling those fur-
nished with foundation onlj ? 1 remember, that at
that same convention at Chicago great stress was
laid upon the importance of having all vessels, used
to contain extracted honey, very clean— the least
remains of granulated honey being enough to spoil
a lot of fresh honey. Now, is it not possible that
those who have found unfinished sections so ob-
jectionable have used those containing some old
honey, at least as much as the extractor would
leave in them? The sections I use for bait are
treated in this way:

Those containing much honey are extracted the
previous fall, and all are cleaned out thoroughly by
the bees, a pile of supers being left where the bees
can rob them; the entrance, however, being large
enough fur only a single bee. I could not be induced,
I think, to dispense with such bait, and I wish
friend Green and others would try it and report.

Let me suggest how to settle pretty conclusively
whether unfinished sections or foundation will lie
finished first. Take such bait sections as I have
described, the last vestige of honey cleaned out of
them by the bees— mind you, this must be done at a
time when bees will rob, or they are not likely to
clean the sections thoroughly — and put one in the
middle of each super. Now, don't wait, till the
whole super is finished, but watch from time to
time and see what is the first section finished.
Another good way is this:

Fill a super alternately with sections of comb
and foundation, then keep close watch and find the
time when all the sections of one kind are finished,
but not the others, and see which kind it is. Better

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

559

not consider the outside row on each side, as local
causes may affect them. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M., I have observed almost every
thing you mention. I know the bees start
on this one section, and sometimes till it be-
fore they commence on the foundation ; but
for all that, when I gave the bees a whole
set of sections, built out the previous year,
it did not get along as well as others that
had only a section or two to start them, the
rest being rilled with foundation. Some of
the honey might have been as nice as that
built on foundation, but it certainly was not
as nice on an average, and a great deal of it
was watery, and some of the honey was can-
died, while that built on my foundation was
not candied at all. This is a matter of con-
siderable importance, and 1 hope we may
have more testimonies like yours, from
actual experience.

■ ■ ^

THAT STOVEPIPE SMOKER AND
BRUSH BROOM.

W. L. COGGSHALL EXPLAINS.

T|p S you desire me to explain about the brush-
OAra broom and stovepipe smoker that appear in
JKSf my photograph, page 448, I will add that the
•*^- smoker is made of sheet-iron, 8 inches deep,
5 inches in diameter, with a slide cover hing-
ed on a rivet through the handle. The cover is de-
signed to smother down the Are when burning too
fast, or when not in use. There is a hole cut in the
side, and strips are riveted on each side of the hole,
and a slide shoves down over the hole after the fire
is started. I usually leave a little draft so it will
keep burning. A handle is riveted opposite the
draft-hole, and is made out of half-inch and half-
round iron. A half-inch hook is made on the end
of a ll/2-inch projecting rod at the top of the smoker,
to hook over the edge of the hive. Two braces are
fastened to the bottom of the smoker, to hold it
away from the hive and keep it from wabbling
around or burning the hive.

For fuel, I use chips or cobs; hang it on the wind-
ward side of the hive after removing the cover,
and I will guarantee, if you have a good smoke
going, that the bees won't bother you. You can
beat the smoke down into the hive with the
brush a little. It is designed for those who extract
honey. I use it a great deal for taking off section
cases. The brush is made from select and fine
broom-corn, 9 inches wide at the brush end, so it
will clean a Langstroth comb at one or two sweeps,
after the bees are properly shaken off the comb.
An eye-screw is put in the end, to which is attached
a siring, and which should be long enough to go
over the head and shoulder, and hang right by your
hand, and then you always know right where it is,
and you do not have to look after it at all.

W. L. Cogoshall.

West Groton, N. Y., June 5, issii.

Very good, friend C; but we want to
kuow what those brooms cost. What do
you sell them for at retail? how much post-
age do they take, and what will you take to
furnish 100 for? You need not be afraid of
advertising in the reading-columns. I al-
ways enjoy the fun of advertising some-
thing real good, when furnished by a good
man.

Cleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly.

J±. X. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

ivEEDiiT^s., onio-
TERMS: Sl.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Clubbing Sates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

:m::e:di:£t^,, crTj-T_f5r i, iees.

Teach me to do thy will; for tuou art my God; thy Spirit i
good; lead me unto the land of uprightness. — Ps. 113: in

A LITTLE ONE GONE.

The following card at hand will explain itself:
We have lost our darling little baby girl. She was 17 months
old. She died last night. We bury her to-day.

Yours in grief. C. P. Dadant.

Hamilton, 111., June 17, 1889.

We extend our sympathy to the Dadant family.

A NEW FRENCH BEE-BOOK.

"The Management of the Apiary" is the title of
a new work on apiculture, by Mr. Ed. Bertrand, of
Nyon, Switzerland. The book has 178 pages, printed
in the very best style, on calendered paper, and is
sold where published at half a franc, or 10 cts. The
work is a reprint of some articles which appeared
in the author's Bevue Internationale in 1882 and '83,
originally written for beginners. The work is di-
vided essentially into 12 parts, each part devoted to
a particular month, and all profusely illustrated
and copiously indexed. In the back part of the
book we find a minute description of every individ-
ual part of the Dadant, Layens, and Burki-Jeker
hives, which seem to be the three principal
types in use in France and Switzerland. These de-
scriptions are accompanied with such accurate il-
lustrations as make the hive itself useless if we
simply desire to understand its construction. The
work will be found invaluable to those who can
read and understand the French language.

THE ARKADELI'HIA bee-lawsuit.
Our readers will remember that the bees of Mr.
Z. A. Clark, of Arkadelphia, Ark., some time ago
were declared a nuisance by the city council, and
that Mr. Clark was warned to remove his bees, or
pay a fine of not less than $5.00 nor more than
$85.00, or go to jail. Mr. Clark, feeling that very
great injustice was being done, rather than go to
the expense of moving his bees, took the penalty.
He Anally, however, removed his bees outside of
the city limits. The aid of the Bee-keepers' Union
was at once solicited, and the case was tried in the
circuit court, where it was decided that "the city
ordinance was illegal and void;" that "keeping
bees is not a nuisance." The case was carried to
the supreme court, and brother Newman just an-
nounces that the Union has, after an immense
amount of worry and expense, again win the suit,
and that a grand precedent has been established. In
no single instance has the Union been defeated;
and it begins to seem now that, in view of its past
victories, to enlist its aid means success every time.
It would be a terribly bad thing to have bees de-
clared a nuisance by a supreme court, and perhaps
there are but few bee-keepers who realize what
the decision in the case of Mr. 'A. A. Clark means,

560

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

Mr. Newman, the manager of the Bee-keepers' Un-
ion, informs us that $1GOO will be needed to prose-
cute the cases now on hand. Remember, you can
not expect assistance from the Fnion unless you
are a member. The fees are $1.00 per annum. Per-
haps we should say here, that we are not in favor
of trades-unions in general; but the Bee-keepers'
Union, under its present able management we are
sure has been productive of good. After we have a
few more precedents established like the Arkadel-
phia case, outside parties will be slow to declare
bees a nuisance.

A NEW SOURCE OF HONEY IN TEXAS; HONEY COM-
ING BY THE TON, EQUAL TO ANY THING
PRODUCED IN THE WOULD.
Mr. Root: 1 send you a sample of guajjilla honey to-day. I
raised eight or ten tons of it this season. It weiprhs full 18
pounds ti> the gallon. Most of the honey we rai e in this
countyts as good as this sample. I have had many intelli-
gent men, who have 1 n used to white-clover honey all their

lives, tell me this was the prettiest and best honey they ever

sa « .

Your criticisms on Southern honey are generally unfavora-
ble; but I am satistied that, if .VMi had enough of our catclaw
honey to use one month, yon would pronounce it equal to
yourhest white clover. I>. M. Edwards.

' Uvalde. Texas, June 24, 1889.

Friend E., we congratulate you people of Texas
on having produced not only as handsome if not
the handsomest honey ever gathered from any
source, but some equal in flavor and every thing
else that could be asked in the way of honey— not
only white clover but even the celebrated California
sage. By all means, tell us more about this guaj-
jilla. Ts it a plant or tree, and why haven't we had
some of the honey before? It seems as if this might
start a new era in bee-keeping, especially if the
plant or tree can be propagated. Tell us what you
will take for the honey by the ton. We anxiously
await further particulars.

THE A B C OF CHEESE-MAKING.

The above is the title of a very pretty little pam-
phlet by J. H. Monrad, of Winnetka, 111. The price
of the work is 25 cents. It contains 36 pages of
matter devoted directly to the cheese making busi-
ness, and almost every page has more or less pic-
tures on it. It tells all about the implements used
in cheese-making; tells how to make a home-made
cheese-press at a very little expense, and discusses
the best kinds, if you see fit to buy one. I do love
to see these industrial books, and I believe I like
them all the better where they are written by
young farmers who have a love for the line of work
they have chosen. The whole book is written in a
very happy vein. Since milk and honey are so oft-
en spouen of in the pages of Holy Writ, I have oft-
en felt a good deal of interest in the cheese and
dairy business. When I eat strawberries 1 always
want plenty of milk. Of course, cream is better,
especially where you have a Jersey cow; and if
there is any thing that gives a relish to a nice piece
of cheese, it is the very same strawberries we have
been talkiug so much about in this issue. Now,
even if you are not a cheese-maker, I think you
would enjoy reading friend Monrad's A B C book.
You can order it of him direct, or we can furnish it
to you for 25 cts. postpaid. In the back part of this
book is given a list of the dairy literature of the
world. There are nine periodicals devoted to the
dairy business, and about a dozen books. Two of
the journals are German, one French, and six Eng-
lish ; of twelve books devoted to dairying, six are
English, two Danish, three German, and one
French. I think, friends, it is good to look over the

fence occasionally, and see what our neighbors are
doing.

BUSH LIMA BEANS AT THIS DATE, JUNE 29.

I confess I would much rather not say any thing
about the bush lima beans, or, rather, say as little
as possible, in a general way; but I guess I had
better own up. After investing so much money in
the seeds it occurred to me that they must not only
have the best grouDd and best planting, but they
must have the very best pari of the season. As
the lima beans are very apt to be nipped by the
frost at both ends of the season, it requires consid-
erable judgment to decide when to plant. During
the last of May, however, we were having such fine
nice weather that I decided that then was just the
right time to plant them. The extra early limas
were put in— King of the Garden limas— and then a
few of the Henderson bush limas, also a few of the
Kumerle. A cold spell came on, however, and
every thing stopped growing. I waited a week or
more until the cold spell seemed to be over; then,
as it was getting late, I put in the rest of all of
them, except a few of Henderson's, because quite a
few orders were coming in. You know how it has
been for bee men and everybody else. We had a
constant succession of cold rains. The pole limas,
however, came up pretty fairly, and are doing
nicely. About half of Henderson's germinated,
and not one-fourth of the Kumerle. Worse still,
more than half of Henderson's and the Kumerles
that did start were feeble and sickly; and it is a
question now whether they will ever produce any
beans at all. By the middle of June, when we were
pretty sure that no more of Henderson's would be
called for, the rest of them were planted. A6 we
then had pretty fair weather, and not too much
cold rain, every bean came up, strong and healthy.
Now, this proves, T think, that the bush lima beans,
all of them, are considerably more tender and more
tropical in their nature than the ordinary pole lima
beans. They must have warmer weather. I think
that Henderson suggests they had better not be
planted until after the pole limas. I do not believe
that I have a whole dozen good strong thrifty Ku-
merle plants growing, out of the 150 seeds that
cost me over 50 cts. a seed. There may be a dozen
or more sickly plants that may or may not amount
to something. The Minnesota bush lima bean from
Northrup, Braslin, Goodwin & Co., planted right
along with the rest, came up strong and thrifty,
and every bean grew. Just now they are far ahead
of all the limas in rank growth; but they have no
appearance in foliage of lima beans at all; and the
largest part of them have already sent out strong
shoots to climb poles. Present appearances seem
to indicate they are simply a rank growing, large
yellow bean. There have been several complaints
that the Henderson bush lima bean did not germi-
nate freely. The above will explain the reason for
it, probably. I would send you more, if I had them;
but as I haven't, we will give a good big package
for next season (if you will send in your name) to
all those who failed with the other package this
year. -

OUR BERRY CROP.

We have sold over 100 bushels of strawberries,
and we shall probably have twice as many rasp-
berries.

We have at this date, 8821 subscribers.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

M

gPECITIIi piBTICE?.

MANUM'S SWARMING DEVICE.

The swarming-device mentioned and described in
the department of Recent Devlopements, else-
where in this issue, we sell for 75 els. each, or $6.00
lor ten. It weighs 0 lbs., and will hold a swarm
suspended from the basket, anywhere from a to 10
feet from the ground.

SOUTHERN PRIZE TURNIP.

Well, friends, we now have a seven-top turnip
that not only gives blossoms for the bees, and
greens for early spring, but it also gives a nice tur-
nip that will stand in the ground over winter— at
least it did 6tand over sr.ch a winter as our last one,
here in Ohio. We can furnish jou the seed at the
same price as our old seven top turnip; namely,
5 cts. per packet; 10 cts. per ounce, or 60 cts. per
pound.

IONOTDM TOMATO -PLANTS.

As we have several thousand of these on hand
yet, we offer them, until the stock is exhausted, at
the price of common varieties; namely, 10 cts. for
10; 75 cts. per 100, or $6 0:> per 1000. As the plants
are quite large and strong, if wanted by mail they
will be just double the above prices. If set out at
once, they will give a fair crop of tomatoes in most
localities, before frost. Livingston's Beauty, Mi-
kado, and Dwarf Champion, will be furnished at
just half the above prices.

POULTRY-NETTINO FOR PEA VINES.

On page 510 of our last issue I stated that the
poultry -netting that 1 used for our Alaska peas
was li4-ineh mesh. This was a mistake. T should
have said 3 inches and No. 20 wire. But I made an-
other mistake besides. Even the 3-inch mesh can
not be sold for 50 cents for a bale of 150 feet. The
regular price would be 67 cents, and 65 is about as
low as we can figure it. When I give you any more
figures on poultry-netting, 1 will try to submit them
first to our purchasing clerk, Mr. Calvert. The 3
inch mesh is exactly as good as any thing smaller.
In fact, 1 prefer it because the mesh is large
enough to reach through and pick the pea pods
that are on the other side. 1 am not sure, in fact,
but that a 4-inch mesh, if we could get it of fine
enough wire, would have satisfied the peavines
just as well as the 3 inch.

STRAWBERRIES.

In our issue for June 1 I told you we should
probably have good strong plants ready for ship-
ment as soon as that number was in the hands of
the readers. Well, we had very nice-looking plants
with great bushy tops; but the roots were so poorly
developed that we have not even now filled our
orders. The sooner you get strawberry-plants
started, the better prospect for a crop next season.
We shall plant out strawberries ourselves in July,
'August, September, October, November, and may
be to some extent in December. But every month
counts largely. The July-set plants will be away
ahead of those set later, but our supply will proba-
bly be limited, although with the abundant rains
they are doing an immense business in the way of
making new plants. There isone of the new things
in gardening, however, that we can furnish you in
any quantity, and they are ready to ship now. It is
the Egyptian, or winter onion. These this season
have fully sustained their reputation. We have
now had them three winters in the same spot of
ground. We never knew an onion to be winter-
killed, and they are such strong growers that they
crowd out weeds and every thing else. Just get
them started on some good ground, and you will al-
ways hive early onions, almost with no attention
whatever. Like the strawberries, the sooner you
get them in the ground, the better. Wherever ear-
ly peas or early beets, or any thing of the kind,
comes off, just drop the seeds in a drill as you would
peas, and in a very few days you will be delighted
to note their wonderful growth. They not only
bear sets on the tops, but they bear them out on the
sides, and seem to do every thing that an onion can
do to multiply and replenish the earth with onions.
Price 10 cts. a pint; $1.25 a peck, or $ 4. (X) a bushel.
If wanted by mail, add 8 cts. per quart for postage.

AN ATTRACTION FOR FAIR-EXHIBITS.

Some of our old customers will remember that
we used to advertise and furnish sections 4^ in.
square, with fancy-shaped center, such as stars,
hearts, diamonds, etc We have not made these of
late, but we have had frequent calls for letters to
be filled with comb honey by the bees, to form mot-
toes. We have never been well equipped for mak-
ing these till now. We have a full set of pattern
letters to work from, and they are of such a size
that three will till an S-section wide frame, the
openings forming the letters being about V/2 in.
high and 5 in. wide. M and W, of course, are wider,
and / narrower. The letters are of the following
pattern :

FAIR, 1889.

The price will be 10 cts. per letter or figure. With
thin foundation inserted, 15 cts. per letter or figure.
In ordering, if you will write the letters in the or-
der you want them, we can make 3 letters in one
piece, just right to slip into a wide frame. Or if
jou don't happen to have a wide frame, simply
tack a bar on top, to suspend it from, and hang it
in the hive without a frame around it. The 4 fig-
ures, 1889, will go in a frame. To make the letters,
we simply tack two Vinch boards together, mark
the letterj and jig it out on a scroll-saw. To put in
the foundation, separate the boards, lay a sheet be-
tween, and tack them together again. We make
the letters large, because the bees will work in
them more readily, and they are much more con-
spicuous when filled.

PREMIUM OFFER.

To those intending to make an exhibit, and who
will agree to distribute judiciously the circulars we
will send, we will furnish free one letter or figure
for each dollar's worth of goods ordered, if the or-
der amounts to $4.00 or more. If foundation is in-
serted in each letter, we will furnish 2 letters for
every $3.00 worth of goods ordered.

JAPANESE • BUCKWHEAT,

500 BUSHELS SOLD ALREADY.

Now is just the time to sow it. We once harvest-
a crop of gray buckwheat seed that was sown Aug.
10. We do not advise such late seeding, as the
frost is apt to cateh it before it is ripe. From the
1st to the 20th of July is the best time to sow. We
have plenty of seed yet, $2 00 per bushel; $1.25 per
% bushel; 75 cts. per peck; 10 cts. per lb.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

ffi

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

BUSHEL POTATO-BOXES.

CALVANIZEDiBOUND.

(TERRY'S).

These are made of
basswood, bound with
galvanized iron. The
galvanized iron gives
Strength, and the
basswood strength
and lightness. These
hold exactly a bushel
when level full, and
may be piled one on
top of another. Al-
though they are made especially for potatoes, they
can be used for fruit, vegetables, picking- up stones
on the farm, and a thousand other purposes. When
piled one above the other, they protect the contents
from the sun and rain; and from their shape a
great many more bushels can be set into a wagon
than where baskets are used. They are also much
more substantial than baskets.
Price, nailed up, 25 c each; 10, $2.25; 100, #20.00.
In the flat, including nails and galvanized iron,
$ 1.75 for 10; 100, #16.50; 1000, #150.

ST.ATTED POTATO-BOX

As the pieces of
which the above
are made are
mostly from rem-
nants of basswood
used in making
sections, we can
furnish tbem nail-
ed up for 20 ceuts
each; 10 for #1.85;
100, #1«.00. Materi-
al in the flat, in-
cluding nails, in
packages of 12
boxes each, at
#1 50 per package, and each package includes two
of the twelve boxes nailed up, complete. Ten
packages, 5 % off.

We have over 100 packages of the latter in stock
ready to ship by return train. Please be careful in
ordering to say whether you want the galvanized
hound or the slatted boxes.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

FOX-HODND PI PPIES FOR SALE.— First-
class stock. Address C. A. WOOD.
13ifdb Tarrytown, Westchester Co., N. Y.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

I received the extractor June 12, in good condi-
tion, and am much pleased with it. J. M. Smith.
Perkiomenville, Pa., June 18, 1889.

The plants are received. I never saw such a nice
way to pack them for shipping. We set them out,
and it being wet they not even wilted. They were
much larger than I expected to see, and good count;
came quick, as I got them Thursday night, and sent
Monday. R. Gosling.

Chase, Lake Co., Mich., June 1, 1S89.

The tomato-plants you sent me came all right. It
was a surprise for uie to see that plants can be
sent by mail so sale. They are as nice as if just
taken out of the seed-bed. Just think of it! They
were five inches larger than I thought they would
be. Thanks for the nice packing. H.Wii.mno.

Chesaniug, Mich.

SWEET POTATO PLANTS AM) THE DOVETAILED
HIVE.

Those sweet potato plants came through in the
best shape ol any I ever received from any grower
—all alive, growing finely.

My Dovetailed hives came yesterday. I got them
home last night. I could not goto bed till 1 had one
all complete. 1 am well pleased with them. I think
they are stronger than any other hive I ever saw.
and I like them nearly as well as my own make, and
perhaps F shall like them better after using them
one summer. 1'. !>• Snyder.

Orion, Wis., June 13, 1889.

IP YOU WANT BEES

That will just "roll" in the honey, try Moore's
Strain ol Italians, the result of ten years' care-
ful breeding. Reduced prices: Warranted queens,
each, 7Uc; 3 for #2.00. Strong 3 L frame nucleus,
with warranted queen, #2.50. Safe arrival and sat-
isfaction guaranteed. Those who have never dealt
with me, I refer to A. 1. Root, who has purchased
of me, during past nine years, 4( 5 queens.

Address J. P. MOORE,

13d Moi -niiii, Pendleton Co., K > .

jas. r. wood, no&tb mm, mi

Will now ship by return mail, his warranted queens
to any address, for 75 cts. each, or #8.00 per dozen.
Single queen to Canada, 85 cts. Being isolated from
all black bees I am able to warrant every queen
purely mated, and safe arrival guaranteed. Every
queen is of good shape, and all have filled several
combs with eggs before being shipped. I will re-
place every queen that hatches a black bee with a
select tested queen, worth #2.00.

If you want the best queens promptly, send me
your orders. I am bound to suit you. Address as
above. 13tfdb

FOR CASH.— Italian queens in July and Aug-
ust. One, untested, 60 cts.; per doz., #6. One
tested queen, #1.25; per doz., #12. Guarantee safe
arrival. Address D. E. ALDERMAN,
13d Clinton, Sampson Co., North Carolina.

MY 21ST ANNUAL CATALOGUE OF ITALIAN,
CYPRIAN, and HOLY-LAND BEES, QUEENS,
NUCLEI, COLONIES, and SUPPLIES; also EGGS
FOR HATCHING, can be had by sending me your
address. H. H. BROWN, Light Street, Col. (Jo , Pa.

300 Tested and Untested Italian Queens
From I in p. ITIothers, by Return Mail.

Tested, 75c. Untested at #ti per doz.: 50c each.
No foul brood ever known here. Queens light.

Money-order office. New Iberia, La.
13-24db J. W. K. SHAW & CO.

TESTED Italian queens, #1 each; untested, 75
cts , or three for #2, by return mail.
13tfdb I. R. GOOD, Nappanee, Elkhart Co., Ind.

W A N T E D ! KhSSSnSi

3-Frame Nucleus Colonies Italian Bees
with Queens, at $2.50 Each.

Otfdb J. M. YOUNG, Box 874, Piattsmouth, Neb.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN ROCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, A« .
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKERS,

Apply to CHAS. E. MU'I'H & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-eent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Ree-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) Itfdb

[HE REVISED LANQSTROTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

LITHOGRAPH LABELS

In 12 Colors, a-b $2.00 per lOOO.
The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long- in shape, measuring 2V\:.''8. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following- prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35cts. for 100; 11.20
for 600; $2.00 for 1000. A. I. Root, Medina, O.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

567

Contents of this Number.

Alsike Not a Hybrid 583

Arizona 589

Bees and Fruit 587

Bees for Beauty 576

Bee Culture in Jaffa 579

Bee-disease, Hatch's 587

Bee-disease, New 583

Bill-beetles 582

Blue jays 589

Catnip Honey Not Bitter... 591

Cells in Upper Stories 585

Corn, Canning 588

Cuban Apiaries 581

Ducks, Wild 591

Editorial 605

False Statements 575

Frame, Vandeusen 577

Frames. Wide 589

UoldenHive 588

Heads of Grain 586

Hive-cart 686

Honey, Caring for 576

Honey, Finest 580

Honey, Gallberry 591

Italians Ahead 590

Ma mini's Rules 574

Manum's Yard 573

Montana-. 589

Non-swarmers 582

Notes and Queries 590

Oregon Bee-killer 582

Our Own Apiary 596

Out-apiaries 572

Owed to P. Benson 587

Queens Have Red Legs 574

Queens, Imported 575

Rattlesnakes and Bees 589

Red Clover (Q. B.) 592

Reports Encouraging 590

Rheumatism 586, 590

Sections in Box Hives 586

Strawberries 596

Stung to Death 587

Swarming, Theory of 5X1

Syria 579

Tobaeco Column 595

Visit to Manum 572

Wax, Mineral 588

White Clover (Q. B.) 591

Whitewash for Hives 590

Carniolan Queens.

Importing and breeding this rare exclusively since 1884; the
lemand for them has more than doubled each season. Send

postal for circular, or
doz. ; $5 for Benton's 1

uhoic

it grade i

sted queen;
•d queen.

S. W. MORRISON, Oxford, Chester Co., Pa.

E3?"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkaning

AMERICAN ALBINO ITALIAN QUEENS
BY RETURN MAIL.

Tested, $1.50; untested, 75 cents each. All our
queens are reared this season under the natural-
swarming- impulse, from the best selected stock.
Satisfaction guaranteed. Remit by registered let-
ter, or money order, payable to

LI I \ IN<. lit BROTHERS,

Douglas, Putnam Co., Ohio.

CSTIii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.
IF YOU ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send, for our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

tyin responding to th's advorti.-ement mention Glkanings.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SAVE FREIGHT.

We carry a complete Hue of Hives, Sections, Smo-
kers, Honey Extractors, etc. Our motto, good
goods and low prices. Sections in large quantities,
only $3.25 per M. Illustrated catalogue for your
name on a postal card.

R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
3-l4db Box II. Higginsville, Mo.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

B

©est T^a f-^o-ixltxry
ees {gg l-^oiiltry

ees &Km> onltry

The Canadiau Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
34 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
THE D. A. JOKES CO., BEETON, ONTAEIO, OAK.
J3"ln responding to this adveiti.-ement mention Gleanings.

\ A¥TWAmnG~YOUn^¥DER

FOR 3-FRAME NUCLEI.

Price, with untested queen, $3.00. Best tested
queen, $4.00; 2 frame nuclei, 50 cts. less. Combs
straight and true; all worker comb, and bees finest
of Italians. One untested queen, $1.00; 6 for $5.00.
Best tested, $2.50 each.

JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. Office, Ursa, 111. Iiima, 111

Mention Gleanings.

12-l"db

LOOK HERE! cM0Ugh

Full colonies of pure Italian bees in A. I. Koot's
Simplicity hive, only $4.00 each. Now ready to
ship. Frames, wired combs drawn from fdn., every
thing first-class. Write for prices of Poland-China
swine, White and Brown Leghorn chickens, and
Mallard ducks. Eggs for hatching. Also white
and black ferrets. Address N. A. KNAPP,
Hftdb EOCHESTEE, LOEAIN CO., OHIO.

ition Gleanings.

t^"In responding to this advertiseme

Will now ship by return mail, his warranted queens
to any address, for 75 cts. each, or $8.00 per dozen.
Single queen to Canada, 85 cts. Being isolated from
all black bees I am able to warrant every queen
purely mated, and safe arrival guaranteed. Every
queen is of good shape, and all have filled several
combs with eggs before being shipped. I will re-
place every queen that hatches a black bee with a
select tested queen, worth $2.00.

If you want the best queens promptly, send me
your orders. I am bound to suit you. Address as
above. 13tfdb

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT!

By freight or express, not prepaid.

Per bu., $2.00; per I- bu., $1.25; per peck,
75 cts.; 5 lbs., 50 cts ; per lb. by mail post-
paid, 25 cts. Address

John C. Cilliland,

5-l4db Bioomfield, Greene Co., Ind.

C^-In responding lo this advert i. ement mention Glkaniv.-.

A STEP FORWARD TOWARDS SUCCESS!

After carefully studying the demand of consumers and dealers, and se-
lecting of the many styles of packages for comb honey the very best and
the most attractive, we have now prepared an improved paper carton com-
bined with a comb-protector. Honey, put up in these packages, will be
bought in'preference to all others at highest market price. Our patent
comb-protector will prevent leakage and soiling of sections. Comb honey
can be easily and quickly put up in our cartons. These advantages and the
small cost of our cartons and comb-protector will save labor, time, money,
and honey. Strnhmeyer's patent comb-protectors require | inch of the in-
side height Of crates. Price list and sample carton sent free on application.

F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

132 Water Street, New York.

568

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept tor sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; O. G. Collier, Fairbury,
Nebraska; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, '■ Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong-, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va.; E.R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y.; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis. : G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel. Freeburg.
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb.; E. C. Eagles-
field, Berlin. Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
In xaraple in every rexpect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH BOOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

('HAS. DA DA NT & SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois*

t¥"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

"KEYSTONE^PiARYr

Imported and Alley Queen-Mothers

Tested, June $3.00; July to October $2.50

Fertile, " 1.50; ' 1.00

Virgin. " to October 50c

Alley drone and queen traps at regular prices.
Send for circular. W. J. ROW,

Mention Gleanings. 10-15db Greensbiirs;, Pa.

IwMT^PLilslaEAPr

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FUR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

Cifln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaninun.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts. ;
3 for $2.00;. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

Gift! Gift! Gift!

To every purchaser of one tested yellow Italian
queen, in June and after, for $1 50, I will give one
L. frame nucleus, 50 cts., for each added frame of
brood and bees. Tested queens, $1.25; untested,
$1.0). Send for price list.

MRS. OLIVER OOXjE,
Sherburne, Chen. Co., Ufl". Y.
Chenango Valley A.piary. LOtfdb

HTTn responding r<> > • . • .-■ i.ti..n ni.KANlNGS.

A NSW BOOK ON BEES, and DALANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

TOUND AT LAST !

Jlow to cheaply keep eggs fresh for a vear. Send
for particulars. DR. A. B. MASON,

9-lldb Auburndale, Ohio.

HTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

B.J.MILLER&CO.,

NAPPANEE, IND.,

BEE - HIVES AND ITALIAN QUEENS-
4i4\-l14 Sections, from 500 to 3000, at $3.50 per
1000; if you want more than that, write for prices.
Brood-frames, T-tin Cases, Foundation, and Metal
Corners. Send for price list. ltfdb

C^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Bingham & Hetherington's Honey-knife. Patented 18' 9.

Bingham Smokers and Bingham & Hetherington
Honey-knives are staple tools, and have been used
ten years without complaint. The smokers last.
work easily, throw a stream of smoke ten feet, and
save time, stings, and money. Send card for de-
scriptive circular of the cheapest and best tools in
use— free.

THIE3Y LAST.

Addison, Vt- Have one of
your smokers, good yet, used
6 years. E. J. Smith.

Silver Creek, Ky.-I have
had one of your smokers 3
years, and it is as good as
new. T. W. Hudgens.

Patented 1879. Elm Grove, Mass.— Have

one I have used six seasons, good yet.

P. M. Taintor.
Austin, Texas, Apr. 24, 1889 —Goods came throu'
in good order. We are glad we can show our cus-
tomers a full line of solid comfort.

Fratei-nally, J. W. Taylor.
Farina, III., Mar. 23, 1889. -Those who see me
use your smoker can not be persuaded to buy any
other. They stand the test and do the work every
time. Respectfully, M. D. Hewett.

ritlCJZS:

By mail, post/paid.

Doctor smoker (wide shield) 3V4 inch $2 00

Conqueror smoker (wide shield) 3 " 175

Large smoker (wide shield) 2l/2 " 150

Extra smoker (wide shield) 2 " 125

Plain smoker 2 " .... 100

Little Wonder smoker l3i " 65

Bingham & Hetherington Honey-knife 115

TO SELL AGAIN, apply for dozen or half-dozen
rates. Address T. P. BINGHAM, or

ll-16db BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON,

Mention Gleanings. Abronia, Mich.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS,ETC.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
4^4x4^4 sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.

|S~ Pai-ties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

f^~In responding' to this iidvertisement mention Gleanings.

A Four-Color Label for Only 75
Cts. Per Thousand !

Just think of it! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either "comb" or " extract-
ed " before the word "honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand; 50 cts. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is %Vt x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and;
rnany other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

564)

Crawford's Folding Paper Boxes

For I nclosi n< i Section Honey,

THE

BEST BOX FOR THE LEAST MONEY!

and less, according- to quantity. Send for sample
and price list. A. 0. CRAWFOED, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.

C^"In responding to this P'lvertiseimnl mention CSlkakings.
SHIPPINGr - CA.SSS

To hold twelve 414xl78 sections, or fourteen 7 to the
foot, |6 .00 per ICO; 2x9 glass for same, (55 cts. per 100.
Free price list of Bees, Queens. Nuclei, and every
thing needed in the apiary. M. H. HUNT,

14-16-18d Bell Branch, Mich.

FOR SALE AT $5OO.—20 acres of fine pine
land, 100 small orange-trees, etc. One-quarter
mile from station, store, postofhce, mill, church,
and school. Title good. Address

AUG. LEYVRAZ, Francis, Fla.

A RARE CHANCET

Correspondence wanted with some one that will
buy 15 full colonies of bees at $3.00 per colony. Sim-
plicity hives, combs built from fdn., and every thing
first-class. Must be sold, as I can not attend to
them another season. DR. CARL TUTTLE.

Berlin Heights, Erie Co., Ohio.
IS^ln responding' to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

WANTED ! TO REDUCE STOCK !

For the next 30 days we will sell untested Italian
queens, at 55 cts. each; 6 for $3.00; 12 for $5.75.
Tested, $1.00 each. Bees for sale cheap. 14-15d

IS . B. LEAHY & CO., Hlgginsville, WIo.

FOX-HOUND PUPPIES FOR SAL.E.— First-
class stock. Address C. A. WOOD,
13tfdb Tarrytown, Westchester Co., N. Y.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, Ac, &c.
PERFECTION COLD-RLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
V. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

ITALIAN

BEES AND QUEENS. Tested
queens, $1.50. Untested, 80c.
Bees, per lb., $1.00. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

9 lOtfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.
GCTn responding to this advertisement mention >'

Italian Queens by Return Mail.

Tested, $1.00; untested, 50c each, or more at same
rate. lOtfdb I. GOOD, SPAETA, WHITE CO., TENN.

LITHOGRAPH LABELS

la 12 Colors, a-b $2.00 %>ex lOOO.

The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long in shape, measuring 21sx2%. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35cts. for 100; $1.20
for 500; $2.00 for 1000. A. I. Root, Medina. O.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-tide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 3 new Novice style ex-
tractors (for L. frame) worth $7.00 each, for
small printing-press, etc., or something else useful.
14 16db S. S. Lawing, Henderson, Webster Co., Mo.

WANTED.— Any one that has a book suitable for
a mission Sunday-school, and would like to
donate the same, to send it by mail to 13tfdb

Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Newaygo Co., Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange 250 colonies of bees, for
horses, mules, wagons, buggies, and 4 h. p. en-
fine, or any thing useful on a plantation,
ltfdb Anthony Opp, Helena, Phillips Co., Ark.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a complete apiary of 25
colonies choice Italians and all needed fixtures
for a 56-in. bicycle or offers, a rare bargain. 13d

H. C. Cragg, Groesbeck, Hamilton Co., Ohio.

WANTED. — To exchange a foot-power machine
for perforating zinc honey-boards; and a ma-
chine for weaving wire and picket fence, for a
lawn-mower, or any thing useful. 14d

M. W. Shepherd, Rochester, Ohio.

YI7 ANTED. —To exchange 80 acres of land in the
TT basswood belt of Wis. A splendid location for
bees, for full colonies of bees, and supplies. For
information, address B. J. Thompson,

14-15d Waverly, Pierce Co., Wis.

ANTED.— To exchange a Barnes' com. saw, for
honey or wax. J. C. Millman, Elk Grove, Wis.

14d

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

W

Black and hybrid queens for sale, 30 and 50 cts.
respectively. J. A. Kime, Fairfield, Pa.

Now ready to mail, Italian-hybrid queens at 30c
each. N. A. Knapp, Rochester, Lorain Co., O. 13-14d

Fifty mismated Italian and hybrid queens for
sale at 25 cts. each. J. C. Wheeler,
Piano, 111.

A few mismated Italian queens at 25 cts. each ;
five for $1.00. Geo. L. Jones,

Grand Ridge, 111.

For Sale.— For 6 weeks, 4 or 5 black queens per
week, 15 cts. each. F. R. Koons,

East Boston, N. Y.

A few hybrid-Italian queens in Peet's cages dur-
ing July and August at 30 cts. each. Write before
sending money, as queens may be sold.

G. Wiederhold, Yonkers, N. Y.

For Sale.— A lot of black and hybrid queens.
Five blacks or 14 hybrids for one dollar.

H. F. Hart, Avery, La.

Twelve hybrid queens for sale at 21 cts. each.
These queens are very prolific, having been raised
in full colonies, under the swarming impulse.

J. H. Johnson, Middaghs, Pa.

Having purchased a large apiary of choice black
and hybrid bees, I will sell the queens at 20 cts. and
3D cts. respectively. Oliver Foster,

13tfdb Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

.570

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

P<3]MEY 0@MMN.

CITY MARKETS.
Boston.— Honey.— We are entirely out of comb
honey; not a case in the store — something: that has
not happened tor a long- time. We are expecting
new every day. Price will be about 18 cts. We
have received some new extracted white clover
from Vermont, selling at 8 to 9 cts.
July 10. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

New York.— Honey.— Extracted is scarce. We
quote orange bloom and palmetto at 7@7&. Cali-
fornia, new light amber, 7@1}&. Southern, inferior
grades, 65@70. California, comb honey, new, 1-lb.
sections, in eastern style, 12f" 14.

July io. F. H. Strohmeyer & Co.,

New York.

Chicago.— Honey.— Some of the new crop has
come to market, and has sold from 15@17; the
higher price being paid for a good straight lot of
scant one-pound sections, all combs being straight,
color and flavor that of white clover. The market
will not be active until later in the summer. New
extracted, 7@8. Beeswax, 25. R. A. Burnett,

July 11. 161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— Arrivals are fair of new
extracted and comb honey. Demand is slow. We
quote 5@8 on arrival as the range of extracted
honey, and 12(515 for fair to choice comb honey in
the jobbing way. Beeswax. There is a good demand
at 2(J@22 on arrival for good to choice yellow.

July 13. Chas. F. Moth,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kansas City.— Honey. New comb honey, Arm,
this State coming in quite freely; selling slowly at
16@18 for lib. sections. No new extracted in mar-
ket. Beeswax, none. Clemons, Cloon &Co.,

July 10. Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis. — Honey. — Market quiet, with sales
ranging from 6}-i@6y2 in barrels for light, good fla-
vor. Dark, 5@5H- Beeswax, prime, scarce at 25.

July 10. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co-

st. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Hmiey.— The market is lifeless. What
little honey there is left is poor. No new honey in.
Comb honey, 12@15. Beeswax, 25. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., July 10.

Columbus.— Honey.— Honey is coming in very
slow. Too much swarming in this section. Some
good white honey would find ready sale in our mar-
ket at 15@16 in 414x4J4 sections.

July 11. Earle Clickenger,

Columbus, Ohio.

For Sale.— Extra choice clover honey in boxes
of two 60-lb. tin cans each per box (120 lbs. net),
$10.00. Oliver Foster, Mr. Vernon, Linn Co., Ta.
14tfdb

For Sale.— New extracted honey, white clover
and linn. In tin cans. Write for sample and prices.
J. B. Murray, Ada, Ohio.

A POSITIVE FACT

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL
From the Old and Reliable Knickerbocker Bee-
Farm (Established 1880).

Circular .-> u<l Price Uist Free.
13-14tfd K.H.KMCHEBBOCKER,

BOX 41. Pine Plains, Dutchess Co., N . V.

f^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

For Sale.— 1C00 lbs. new first-class white clover
extracted honey, at 7 cts. per lb., in lots of 100 or
more lbs., delivered on board of cars free; pur-
chaser furnishing packages, or paying undersigned
for same at A. I. Root's prices.

Mrs. N. M. Olsen, Nashotah, Wis.

[HE REVISED LANQSTKOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

HOW TO MANAGE BEES;

OR, BEE-KEEPING FOR THE "MASSES."

Every farmer, and all beginners in bee-keeping,
as well as those more advanced, should have it, as it
is especially adapted to their wants. Fully up to
date. Price #1.00, by mail. In beautiful paper cov-
ers. Illustrated. Address
8 6d W. S. VANDBltFF, Waynesburg, Pa.
ILSTln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

100 2 L Frame Nuclei,

With pure Italian queen, and 1 lb. of bees extra. I
have shipped bees to almost every State in the
Union, and I always please the buyer. Any who
prefer can send their money to A. I. Root, and their
orders to me, and they will be filled promptly.
There has never been any foul brood in this section.
Queens are all young. Price $1.50 per nucleus.

€. E. JONES, Delaware, Ohio.
t^"In respond inpr to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE BEE-KEEPER'S TEXT- BOOK

The new revision of the BEE-EEEPEK'S TEXT-BOOK is
now out, and ought to be in the hands of every bee-
keeper. Its simplicity of language makes it a guide
to the beginner. It treats on just the subjects that
the beginner wants to know; answers just the
questions he would ask. For the next 90 days we
will send postpaid the text-book and the ADVANCE
one year for #1.00; or if paper cover, for 75 cts.
Address THE ADVANCE,

Mechanic Falls, Me.

PRICES REDUCED.

Untested queens, 65 cts. ; 10 for #6.00. Select test-
ed, #1.50; ten 2-cent stamps taken where postal
notes can not be had. Can send by return mail.
Money orders payable at Nicholasville.

J. T. WILSON, Little Hickman, Ky.

The Best Queen in the Country.

Putnyville, Pa., July 1. 1889.

Ih ;nry Alley:— The queen I bought of you in 1889
is the best queen in this country. I would not take
#15 for her. I advise all my bee-keeping brothers
to buy their golden-yellow queens of you.

Clark Sfirekenhorst.

All our queens are reared in full colonies having
fertile queens. No queens reared in queenless col-
onies in the Bay State Apiary.

Prices.— Warranted, $1.00 ; select warranted, #125;
tested, #1.50; select tested, #3.00. Safe arrival guar-
anteed. Our circular gives simple instructions for
finding a queen in a colony, and a safe method for
introducing queens.
Uttdb HENRY ALLEY, Wenhain, Mass.

(t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Oleaxings.

"THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-ceut monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sani-

pies free. w. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Piease mention Gleanings. IStfdb

HONEY, be*. queens, supplies.

OLIVER FOSTER, WIT. VERNON, IOWA. 3tfdb

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

Eaton's Improved

. SECTION CASS.

■ / .ff^ Bj^W™5fi™?/«J Bees and Queens. Send for
'' — ~~"—l j/t free catalogue. Address
FKANR A. EATON,
5-16db Bluffton, Ohio.

tsrin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Vol. XTII.

JULY 15, 1889.

No. 14.

"-WoV&Wfiffii} Established in 1873.

2 Copies roi

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Singh
ber,5cts. Additions to clubs n
made at club rates. Above are
be sent lu ONE POSTOKFICE.

num- I
lay be '
all to

TUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

Clubs to different pos tofficrs, not less
than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in the
U. s. and Canadas. To all other coun-
tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
n. it of the IT. P. U., 42 ets. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES NO. XI.

SHUTTING UP BEES, AND HAULING.

TP it is necessary to fasten frames in the hive, it
[gfp may be done any day previous to the hauling.
W I prefer to do it when bees are flying. All the
■*■ other fastening may be done anytime before-
hand, except the shutting-up of the entrance.
That should not be done sooner than the evening
before the hauling after the bees have stopped fly-
ing for the day. If you are up early enough, you
can fasten them up in the morning of the day when
you haul them. If it is tolerably cool, or if your
bees are very quiet, and you are very careful, you
may be able to shut them in without using any
means to quiet them. Move softly, for once arous-
ed it will take socne time for them to settle down.
A little smoke will drive them back so you can im-
prison them. Very little is enough, for I suspect
that the application of smoke, when bees can not
fly immediately afterward, does them no good, to
say the least. Lately I use water instead of smoke.
* I don't think the water does any harm, and I sus-
pect they are often the better for it. Take a pail of
water, and, with a dipper, dash about a pint into
the entrance, not all at one dash, but so it shall be
wet in all parts. That seems to leave the entrance
clear of bees, and on the whole I like it better than
smoke.

If you expect to haul more than one load in a day
they must all be shut up before they start to fly in
the morning. If water be used at the final shut-
ting-up, I think it is just as well for the bees to be
shut up at night as in the morning. They don't
find out they are fastened in through the night, and
so don't worry. You may fasten them up in the
evening, and haul them the same evening. If the
weather is cool they will stop flying quite early in
the afternoon, giving you time to make most of the

journey before dark. Before putting a hive on the
wagon, give it a searching examination to make
sure there is no crack anywhere that a bee can get
through. You will do well to use no very old hives
for hauling; still, you maybe obliged to use them,
and special pains must be taken to see that there is
no d-inger of bees getting out on the way. Plug up
carefully with old soft rags any spot that you think
is about half big enough for a bee to crawl through.
Let me suggest, if I have not done so before, that
you must be very careful not to have bees get out
on the way. Look all over the top of the hive; exam-
ine closely the front, the back, each side; tilt the hive
on end, and scrutinize the bottom. Don't be fool
enough to hitch your horse in the wagon before
your load is on. Let every thing be in readiness to
start the minute the horse is hitched on. Have
hammer and nails along, ready for emergency.
Take a lighted smoker with you, and be ready to
have every third man you meet tell you your load
is on fire. After you have had experience enough,
it is possible you may not keep the smoker burning,
but don't try it too soon.

When I use two teams at a time, both wagons are
loaded before either team is hitched on, then both
teams are attached. 1 mount one wagon, my assis-
tantthe other, aud off we go, keeping within hail-
ing distance of each other. If bees are Hying
when we start, it may be necessary to haul the
wagon a little distance by hand before hitching on,
so that the bees may not annoy the horses. For
some time after starting, if the bees are flying it
makes me very nervous to have loose bees flying
along, following the wagon, for I am never sure
that none of them are getting out of the hives on
the wagon. I heave a sigh of relief when the last
one disappears. During my first experience in
hauling, one day I was going along very quietly,
when all at once a number of bees were flying

572

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

about the wagon. Before I had time to examine
the hives thoroughly it occurred to me that we
were passing- by a large maple-tree in full bloom,
and the smell or the noise of the bees in the hives
attracted the attention of the bees that came to the
tree. The same thing has occurred many times
since, also in passing other hives near the roadside.

In hauling bees after night, there is, I think, no
danger of horses being stung; but if there should
happen to be a leak in a hive anywhere near where
you are sitting, it is not pleasant to have the bees
crawling over you, and possibly stinging you, for
3'ou can't very well do any thing but drive straight
along, unless you prefer to get off and walk. If
your road is smooth you can jog along on a trot.
Have your horse hitched up tight; that is, so that
when he is standing still he can not move a step
backward or forward without the wagon going
with him. Then if you come to a bridge which is
bad at the jumping-off end you can stop your
horse and ease down the wagon off the bridge. It
is hardly necessary for me to say, that all hives
should be loaded on so the frames shall be across
the wagon, not lengthwise. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Every thing you say, friend M., reminds
me vividly of my trials when I used to draw
bees on the one-horse wagon ; and I assent
to every point you make, with the exception
of the closing one. I would assuredly have
the frames run lengthwise of the wagon ; for
if they didn't, when you undertake to ease
the wagon down from that bridge you men-
tion you would bump the heavy combs out
of the frames. Haven't you made a mis-
take ?

AMONG THE BEEKEEPERS OP VER-
MONT.

MR. MANDM AT HOME.

"T1AKLY one morning last August the writer
T^l) boarded the White Mountain express and
§pV left Little Rhody, with her extensive and di-
"^™ versified manufactories, with the purpose of
gratifying a long-cherished desire to visit the
principal Vermont honey-producers. We were
hurried up the valley of the Blackstone, past the
numerous factory towns and hamlets into Worces-
ter, then away toward the northern hills, across
Massachusetts, through the level country between
Gardiner, Wincheudon, and Keene, from which
grand old Monadnock towers up alone out of the
apparent level, with its peaked summit piercing the
clouds.

As we crossed one corner of New Hampshire and
neared Bellows Falls, the scenery was more moun-
tainous, and the road ran along the hillside above
fertile-looking valleys, and soon the noble Connecti-
cut River came to view, its waters flowing peaceful-
ly through the wide valley after its rush and leap
at Mellows Falls. At the Falls this great volume of
water rushes through the crooks and turns of a
narrow channel worn in the rock, and, whirling and
boiling, tumbles over the ledge into the wide bed
below. Owing to there being less water than usual,
its roar was not as deafening as at the time of for-
mer visits. Here log-drivers are a familiar sight,
and in the season do some of their most dangerous
work.
Near the Falls is the junction of several railroads,

and at the depot restaurant we took the usual hur-
ried lunch. The extensive works of the Vermont
Farm Machine Co. are located here in the town, as
well as prosperous paper-mills. At the freight de-
pot men were weighing loads of wood pulp, thick
sheets right from the mill, and still wet.

At Bellows Falls we parted with the White
Mountain travelers, whose route followed the Con-
necticut up through White River junction, while
ours was through Rutland toward Burlington.
Along the route the hills were higher, and the road
ran first on one side of the valley then on the other,
while the blue outlines of the Green Mountains
were to be seen on the east. The road ascends all
the way to Rutland, and we were conscious of a
different air and altitude. Before reaching there
we occasionally noticed small apiaries, and at East
Wallingford we had a passing view of an apiary of
about 50 colonies below the railroad. Their keeper
was evidently standing over an open hive, while
hive-cover and sections were lying near. Rutland
was reached about 2 o'clock, but we soon left this
fine town and important railroad center, and soon
were speeding away through the towns bordering
on Lake Champlain. Off at the west, beyond the
lake, which was hidden, the dim blue outlines of the
Adirondack peaks were plainly visible, while at the
right the Green Mountain range towered up abrupt-
ly, and reached as far as could be seen north and
south.

After passing the marble-quarries for which Rut-
land is celebrated, and when near the station of
Proctor, we saw another apiary of 40 colonies or
more, and learned that in the vicinity were two
others of 50 or 60 colonies, and at Brandon a yard of
100 colonies.

We passed through the beautiful town of Middle-
bury, the home of Mr. J. E. Crane, a leading bee-
master of the State, but I did not stop, leaving that
for our return trip. In the woods along the river
we noticed that large white-poplar trees were nu-
merous, and realized that we were near the home
of the white-poplar section and shipping-crate.

At New Haven we took a stage to Bristol, 5V2
miles away to the east, and at the foot of the Green
Mountains. Here is the home of Mr. Manum,
which, in response to a cordial invitation, we had
chosen as our first destination. Not knowing the
day we were coming, he was at an out-apiary which
he had commenced to move to a new location. We
were cordially welcomed by his wife, whom we
found to be a genial hostess, and not only interest-
ed in but well posted on the affairs of the apiary.

The time passed quickly, and before dark Mr.
Manum and assistant drove up, each with a load of
outer cases compactly piled and securely tied to-
gether with numerous ropes.

We soon had the pleasure of conversing with one
whose extensive bee-operations prepared us to ap-
preciate the privilege. We found him very genial,
a free talker, ready to give any information he
possessed, also ready to see the value of and quick
to adopt any good thing advanced by others. He
says he has no secrets to withold, and considers it a
duty to make public any information he possesses,
and has written many long letters explaining his
methods to many in various parts of the country,
free of charge, but admitted this was too much of
a tax on time and strength. We can testify that he
has done this for us in the past, for which we are
very grateful.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

573

He is a medium-sized man, dark complexion, with
no spare flesh, but very active and energetic. His
eyes are small and black, and light up pleasantly in
conversation.

We had a bee-convention by ourselves; and when
I recall the number of nights which we sat and
talked until midnight, and think of his family, I
still have twinges of conscience. Mr. Manum's
house is on the main street, near the mountains,
which here tower up abruptly to a great height,
and are covered with foliage to their very tops—
green mountains indeed. Back of the house is the
work-shop, and honey-house and stables, which we
inspected the next morning. Here are the head-
quarters from which loads of supplies prepared in
winter are sent to the out yards, and where the
honey is cleaned, graded, and stored. The sections
are cleaned by women and girls, and separated into
four grades. Those combs, the most perfect and
white, are marked "Snowllake; " those full and
white, " Green Mountain; " fair and good weight,
"Comb Honey; "and the fourth, "Light Weight."
Wooden sides are used entirely instead of glass,
and are fastened on with strips of paper. Crates
take 20 sections.

The top-bars of his frames hang on strap-iron
rests, or rabbets, arid do not touch the hive at the
ends by a quarter of an inch; this prevents their
being glued down. To keep them from swinging
when moved, a quarter-inch strip, as wide as the
rabbet is deep, with small blocks nailed on at the
right distance apart, is crowded down into the rab-
bet at each end, and another is tacked across the
bottom, which keeps all as snug and firm as closed-
end frames. He has two rigs for carting bees ; the
single team takes 33, and the double team 50 hives.
One tier is set on the wagon-bottom, then a rack put
in that stands three or four inches above them, on
which is placed another tier containing two addi-
tional hives. The thumb-screws are then turned
up to bring the wagon-body firmly together.

After a pleasant ride of 5 miles along the moun-
tain stream with its varied scenery, and during
which time we gained much information from our
companion, he turned into a farm-yard and drove
up the hill, where were more rows of hives with a
honey-house near by. Here the bees had not done
as well as elsewhere, and were to be taken to a bet-
ter location in the valley north of Bristol. Soon all
hands were lifting frames of bees out of hives and

MB. MANUM AND HTS HOME AI'IAItY.

Back of the honey-house, beneath the branches
of a small orchard, was the " Home " apiary. Near-
ly all colonies were in chaff hives, numbered and
arranged in long rows; there were also many nu-
cleus hives containing surplus queens, and near by
a long row of the Chapman honey-plant, most of it
out of bloom, but a few balls were in flower.

We had urged him to continue the moving, and
allow us to accompany him; so after looking
through the home yard we started for the Lincoln
apiary, to bring back a load of bees. Another team
had preceded us to get a load of outer cases. One
wagon was tilled with empty hives, made with per-
manent bottom for shipping. The bottom and
sides were of light boards and a sheet of muslin;
one edge permanently attached served for a cover.
In the ends of boxes were auger-holes covered with
wire cloth.

putting them into shipping-boxes; queens were
generally found, and covers marked accordingly.
Strong colonies were divided into two parts, for
fear of smothering. Bees were cross, and smoke
was hardly protection enough. They were bother-
ed some; but as we always have our veil handy,
we were all right, and felt more than ever satisfied
that we did not care to entirely dispense with a
veil.

The muBliu covtn- was tacked down all around,
and the wagon loaded. The cleats on two sides of
each hive kept them from rubbing each other or
the wagon-body, and saved the covers from wear-
ing through. The horses had been taken out of the
shafts, and tied at a distance. When loads were
ready, one mounted the wagon, the other two
hitched in the horse, threw up th« reins, and they
were off at once. We reached Bristol all right, but

574

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

it was evident that the bees were needing more air;
so instead of leaving them on the load they were
taken off and allowed to fly. Kims were then made
and covered with wire cloth, and used in place of
muslin to finish the trip, and with the remainder.
He usually makes new apiaries in the spring when
bees are few, or when it is cooler in the fall, then
the muslin works all right.

Three horses are used during the season, and oc-
casionally extra ones hired.

There are seven out-yards, 2^ to 16 miles from the
home apiary, and through the swarming and honey
season a man is kept in each. There are about 700
colonies in all, and he intends to leave 125 in a yard
every fall. This number insures, after making
nucleus colonies, at least 100 good strong working
stocks ready for the honey-flow.

Pawtucket, R. I. Samuel Cushman.

To br continued.

MANUM IN THE APIARY WITH HIS

MEN.

HOW TO SAVE LABOR AND TIME IN MANIPULAT-
ING HIVES.

TULY IS.—" What are you looking after. Will?"
„ Jl0 " I am trying to find this queen. She is two
|U years old, and I want to supersede her with a
young one, as you told me the other day to re-
move all two and three year old queens and
introduce young ones in their place. I have now a
number of fine ones just commencing to lay, and
more queen-cells coming on to take the place of the
young queens in the nuclei. I have looked through
the hive twice, but I can't find this old queen, there
are so many bees in the way."

"Well, just close the hive, and allow them to
quiet down for a few moments, and then we will try
to fmd her. Never keep a hive open too long; it is
better, after looking a while, to close the hive for
an hour, and then try again."

"While we are waiting, Mr. Manum, I wish you
would look at No. 10. I have tried three or four
times to introduce a queen in that hive, and have
failed each time. They ball her as soon as liberat-
ed, and I don't wish to lose any more queens by
that colony."

"How long have they been queenless? Can you
tell?"

"By the record, 17 days; and I have kept the
queen-cells cut out. as T wished to give them a lay-
ing queen; but I have failed in that, and they have
nothing now but sealed brood."

" We sometimes have such obstinate colonies, and
it is not many years since I hit upon a plan to make
them accept a queen. Have you any virgin
queens?"

" Yes, several."

HOW TO MAKE AN OBSTINATE COLONY ACCEPT A
VIRGIN QUEEN.

"Very well; you may cage one and bring her
here. There, I will now shake all of these bees on
to the ground, in front of the hive, say two feet
from the entrance— there, so. Now, this last comb
I will shake near the hive, so that the bees that are
on it will attract the others to the hive. Now, when
they get well to running into the hive, just let the
virgin queen run in with them, and the job is done.
I have found that a colony in this condition will
accept a virgin queen when they will not one that

is fertile. Another way I have succeeded in mak-
ing such a colony accept a queen is to take out
three of their combs and give them a good nucleus
having a laying queen, by setting the combs, bees,
and queen, from the nucleus at one end of the hive,
where I take out the three combs. This should be
done very carefully, not to excite the bees either
from the nucleus or those in the hive. It is a good
plan, when uniting in this way, to drop a few drops
of essence of peppermint on the bottom of the
hive."

HOW TO FIND A QUEEN IN A POPULOUS COLONY,
WITHOUT LIFTING OUT ALL THE COMBS.

" We will now return to hive No. 10, where you
failed to find the queen, and I will try to find her
for you. Now watch and see how I look for queens
when that is all I am after. There, I first remove the
comb nearest to me and set it against the hive near
the entrance, after first looking it over for the queen.
Now I cast my eye over the side nearest to me, of
the next comb, and carefully move it toward me to
the side of the hive in the place of the first comb. I
raise it barely enough to move it; at the same time,
I look for the queen on the side of the third comb
which is in sight, by the removal of the second
comb, and at once look on the opposite side from
me of the second comb, and then raise the third
comb and set that in place of the second, and quick-
ly look at the side of the fourth, and so on through
the hive until she is seen on one of the combs,
when it is quickly raised, and the queen removed.
I can find queens in this way much quicker than by
lifting the combs out of the hive; but if 1 do not
find her when going through the hive in this way,
when returning I lift out each comb and look it
over carefully until she is found, or the combs all
looked over and placed back where they belong,
when, if she is not then found, I close the hive for a
short time, as I told you to do with this one. There
she is on the fifth comb. Now look at her before I
lift out the comb, and see how plainly they can be
seen in this way.

"Here is another thing I want you to observe;
that is, that queen* have red leys; that is, the lower
half of their legs is a dark brownish red, while
drones and workers all have black legs. This fact
will sometimes help you to find a queen where the
bees are very thick, and cluster over her; so then,
when you see a bee with red legs you may know it
is a queen.

" She is a nice queen, and it seems too bad to dis-
card such a fine one as she is; but she must go.
I would rather have young ones to carry a swarm
through the spring. Now, just at night you may
give them another queen." A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

Very good, friend M. I have practiced
exactly the plan you speak of for finding
queens, although it never occurred to me to
put it in print ; and I have used that same
plan when some one else had tried and fail-
ed before. I have never noticed that the legs
of a queen were of a different color from
those of the other bees, but I have discovered
that I can detect a queen a great many
times by getting a glimpse of her legs, es-
pecially when she is under a clump of bees,
when I could not otherwise. And since
you speak of it, I think there is a shade of
difference in color. Sometimes I got just a
glimpse of her long striding legs, and then

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

;>?5

they would be lost; but I felt so certain
that the legs belonged to a queen, and noth-
ing else, that I kept my eyes on the same
spot, or nearly there, and eventually I would
lind her. I am much obliged to you for re-
minding me of this matter. Now, I believe
that, if the queen I was hunting for to re-
place should prove to be a fine large one I
would let her alone. Very likely, however,
it would be a mistake. I can not quite see
why any colony should receive a virgin
queen when they would not receive a laying
one — that is, unless they have already a
queen of some sort. In that case they
might neglect to notice the virgin queen,
where there would very soon be a hubbub
were we to put in a laying queen. I believe I
have always succeeded in getting any col-
ony to accept a queen by simply taking all
their combs away, and leaving them clus-
tered on the side of the hive, without any
combs at all, say for from ten to twelve
hours.

IMPORTED QUEENS AS HONEY
QUEENS.

HOW TO MAKE SELECTED HONEY QUEENS DUPLI-
CATE THEIR QUALITIES IN OTHER QUEENS.

flCCASIONALLY there is found one of those
queens (see p. 508, June 15) that will produce
workers better than the average, and there
are two very strong chances to run in breed-
ing- from these abnormal freaks of nature.
The chances are, the strong- tendency of perpetua-
tion of either an establishment of the peculiarity
or of the direct reverse. These peculiarities are
occasionally found in every thing, and the best way
is to test the reproductive tendency, and by in-
breeding establish it. I knew of such a case hap-
pening among half a dozen imported queens ob-
tained from the Home of the Honey-bees in 1882.
The queen was dark, small, and inferior-looking.
Her workers were dark leather color, very large
and long in the abdomen, and heavy-winged. They
were gentle in the extreme, and rather lazy in their
actions. But they just lugged in the honey. Now,
the law, as a rule, is to show characteristics mostly
in the alternate generations; and to dispose of that
alternation, this plan was resorted to, that proved
true: Queens were raised in abundance from her,
and a whole apiary of 30 colonies were queened
with them; drone-combs were inserted in the hives
of those queens mostly resembling their mother's
workers in general characteristics. The queens
that raised the most even drones were then given
an abundance of drone-comb, and it was excluded
from the other hives, and the drones all trapped off
that were in the apiary. More queens were raised
late in the fall, and were mated with these drones,
because there were no others permitted to come
out of the cells. In 1883 these queens showed the
characteristics in their workers that were in those
of the old queen; and from these young queens an-
other set were raised to be used as drone-breeders,
to raise drones for mating with the old queen's
daughters which showed the result, and the daugh-
ters from other strains were brought to the mating
apiary to further test the results, which proved to
be continually becoming more established; and I
know where there are hives to-day that have queens
containing a tincture of that blood which was sur-

prisingly apparent during the two very poor sea-
sons of 1887 and '8. Neighbor H. had better stock
one apiary with queens for drone-raisers from that
best queen, and use her for a second-generation
breeder. H. L. Jeffrey.

New Milford, Ct., June 29.

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As a protection to our bee-keeping population, we propose in
this department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

MORE WONDERFUL STILL.

T THINK I have before mentioned that
M we send Gleanings to the pastor of
W our church. Although we are so unfor-
**• tunate as to change pastors quite often,
somehow it does not seem to take very
long for a minister and me to get acquaint-
ed, and to become very intimate friends.
As a matter of course, he takes Gleanings.
I think I have mentioned that our last pas-
tor was called back to China. Our new one
is quite a young man ; but for all that, when
he read that passage in our last journal,
asking all the bee-friends to go right to
work and look over cyclopedias, he pulled
his down from the shelf, and what do you
think he found? Well, right here it is be-
low :

Dear Brother Boot:— In accordance with your sug-
gestion in Gleanings for July 1, 1 consulted the
American Cyclopedia on the subject of artificial
honey. In the body of the work, under the article
"Glucose," we are referred to the Supplement;
namely, the Annual Cyclopedia. In the Annual for
1881 (Vol. VI. of the New Series), under article
" Glucose," p. 351, column D, line 25, I find this
statement: "Glucose is very extensively fed to
bees, which eat it with great avidity, and store it
away unchanged as honey. It is also put up direct-
ly in trade, as honey— with which bees have had
nothing to do— being put up by means of appropri-
ate machinery into artificial combs made of paraf-
flne." As Messrs. D. Appleton & Co , publishers of
the above, issue a supplement every year, I hope
you can secure a retraction in the issue of 1889.

Medina, Ohio, July 3, 1889. Norman Plass.

Now, the astonishing part is, the state-
ment above has been eight years before the
American people— in fact, in the American
Cyclopedia; and yet with all our zeal to
hunt up newspaper editors and take them
to task, not one of us has in all these years
found the above scandalous and ridiculous
statement. I presume the publishers of
cyclopedias pay the men who write up a
special subject for them a good price for so
doing, and these men are supposed to obtain
their facts from actual practice. Suppose a
man should be employed to write up the
subject of brick-making for a cyclopedia ;
and instead of going to a brick-yard and
spending several days and weeks in watch-
ing the workmen, and talking with the pro-
prietor, he should simply hunt over news-
papers and talk gossip with people who had
never been in a brick-yard in their lives.
Well, it is just what they have been doing
on the subject of bee culture. A man was

576

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

July

procured to write up the subject of glucose.
Instead of going to a glucose-factory, or
consulting a manufacturer, or even a work-
man, he goes and gives for a cyclopedia the
above absurd piece of newspaper gossip and
scandal. If this is the way they do things,
the makers of cyclopedias, the publishers
and agents should be told, when they come
around with their books, " No, thank you.
When we can iind a cyclopedia that gives us
facts obtained from real practical work, we
are ready to invest ; but no book shall find
a place in our families for our children to
read, that retails falsehood and scandal like
the glucose story."

BEES FOR BEAUTY OR BEES TOR

BUSINESS WHICH ?

SOME VERY PEHTINENT SUGGESTIONS.

TN the selection of queens for breeding purposes,
(if snould there not be less stress put on those
W producing- workers having- three or more yel-
■*■ low bands, that we have been told so often are
the distinctive marking-s of pure Italians, and
more be said about pure Italians that have that pe-
culiar vim that indicates business in the hive and
field? There has of late been much said about such
very brig-ht workers and red-headed drones, that
many might be led to believe that only bees possess-
ing those characteristics would be of any benefit to
any one contemplating the keeping of bees. The
question seems to be whether to breed for beauty
and gentleness, or for utility and ;is much gentle-
ness as we can. As the result of several years of
breeding for beauty and gentleness, we find that,
in nearly all cases, where we have a colony that are
beauties and need no smoke when we manipulate,
that these same bees are far behind some of their
less showy and darker neighbors. Of course, there
are exceptions, and we find that occasionally there
will be bees combining all three requisites; viz.,
color, gentleness, and excellent honey-gatherers;
but when we breed from queens producing such
bees, they almost universally fail to reproduce all
those requisites; therefore we have come to the
conclusion that, from a financial standpoint, it is
very nearly impracticable to breed such ideal bees;
while, on the other hand, we can quite easily breed
a strain of pure Italians that do not have any dis-
tinctive marking, yet they are hardy and great
workers, and it would do a man's heart good to see
them dropping away in front of their hives and
finishing the rest of their journey on foot; and
when we look into their hive they make one say,
" By their works ye shall know them."

Risking the treading on some queen-breeder's
toes, we will say, that, generally, these beautiful
golden yellow bees are the "dudes" in beedom.
Some of our largest honey - producers repudiate
these same light-colored bees, and some have de-
cided that a cross between dark Italians and the
brown bees produces a strain possessing more
good points than any race in their purity; but we
have a very strong opinion that a strain of dark
leather-colored Italians can successfully compete
with any bee on earth, and in all points. If we are
wrong, we have the consolation of knowing that we
are not alone, and that hundreds stand ready to be
convinced of their error, if error it is. Who is
there that is trying to make his bread and butter by

the production of honey, that cares whether his
bees show beauty or not? Stings are to be expect-
ed ; and if a colony of bees have stamina enough to
fill their hive and supers with honey, they will try
to protect it. Judgment must be used in handling
bees, as all times is not always the right time; and
this fact should he borne in mind when people wish
to peep into their hives, or take off honey; if they
will, there will not be so many wishing for bees
showing a more gentle and loving disposition.
Rochester, O. M. W. Shepherd.

CARING FOR COMB HONEY.

SOME SEASONABLE HINTS FROM G. M. DOOI.ITTLE.

Jp S the time is near at hand when the main crop
k of white honey in sections will be taken
r from the hives, I thought that a few words
*■ relative to the care of it might not be out of
place. Next to getting plenty of comb hon-
ey in sections, is the care of it. Many seem to sup-
pose that the producing part is about all there is to
any branch of business which supplies our mar-
kets with merchandise. How often we find butter,
wool, maple sugar, meat, etc., taken to market in
such poor shape that they do not bring as much,
within 20 per cent, as goods of no better quality are
selling for, where the producer understands that
the placing of his product upon the market in at-
tractive shape has much to do with the value there-
of. It is said of a certain strawberry grower, who
always produces very fine berries, and puts them
on the market all fresh and nice, that he always
finds a ready sale for his berries at a very high fig-
ure, while those of shiftless producers spoil on the
markets without a purchaser. Thus he obtains
more money for his few rows of choice fruit put
upon the market in attractive shape, than is obtain-
ed from as many acres grown in a slip-shod man-
ner, and put on the market in an unattractive way.
Honey is no exception to this rule, unless it is that
the difference is still greater than on most other
productions. Hence, to place our honey upon the
market in the best possible shape should be the aim
of every bee-keeper in the land. My aim has al-
ways been, not only to get the honey off the hives
before it was soiled by the bees, but also to keep
the combs as nice and perfect till they are placed
upon the market as they were when first taken
from the hive. This is no easy task; for from the
first, honey is liable to accidents which, if they oc-
cur, soon reduce the price from that of a No. 1 ar-
ticle down to that of second or third quality. I
once hired a man to help me remove honey from
the hive, as I was nearly sick and unable to keep
even with my work as I desired to; but after his
working with me half a day I so improved in health
that his assistance was no longer necessary. He
would manage to get his fingers against the honey,
so as to break the nice cappings to about every
other box, in spite of all I could say or do; and if he
did not do that he would get the corner of one box
into the face side of the comb in some of the other
boxes, till I actually believe T paid him 75 cents for
doing me $10 damage. Where a person is naturally
sensitive, and wants things nice, as they always
should be, such proceedings will cure a slight sick-
ness quicker than a physician can. I give this il-
lustration only to impress on the mind of the read-
er that the utmost care is necessary at all times

iS89

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

611

when handling- section honey, so that it may be
kept in its virgin purity if we would command the
best prices in market, and not injure the same for
some one else.

The lack of care is one great cause of the ruinous
prices we are often obliged to take in the markets.
Mr. A. takes his honey to market after it has stood
on the hive till it is dingy with the soil of the bees
traveling over it, and it is often put up in boxes or
cases having a slovenly appearance, with a deter-
mination to sell it for what it will bring, which is
often not enough to cover the cost of production of
white honey. Mr. B. goes a few days after, with
his snow-white combs put up in handsome cases,
and finds he has to compete with A's in price, or not
sell at all, as the parties having A's honey know if
B's is put alongside of A's they can not sell a pound
of A's till all of B's is disposed of; and thus the
price paid for A's honey is used as a leverage to
bring all honey down to that figure. These things
ought not so to be, nor would they be if all would
read our bee-papers, and not only try to see how
nice they could put up their honey, but also try and
not injure the market for some one else, thereby
doing by others as they would have others do by
them.

The first requisite in caring for our honey after it
is taken from the hive is a warm room in whiph to
store it; one that has a free circulation of air all
about it as well as to be warm. Years ago it used
to be the custom to store honey in the cellar to
keep it cool, but I believe that all of our practical
bee-keepers of to-day prefer a warm room to a cool
one, on account of the honey sweating, or taking
on dampness in a cool room, thus giving it a watery
appearance. If left for a great length of time in
such a place, the honey will often become so damp
and thin as to burst the sealing, leaking badly, and
souring so as to nearly ruin it. To secure a free
circulation of air, as honey will take on dampness
even in a warm room if the air is partially excluded
from it, build a platform of scantling a foot from
the floor, and six inches out from the wall, upon
which to pile the filled sections, keeping them in
the same position they occupied while standing on
the hive. On warm days raise the windows on ei-
ther side of the room, so as to admit all the fresh
air possible; and as it comes toward evening, close
them again. To prevent robbers coming in and al-
so to let the few bees that may come in on the hon-
ey get out, cover the window (tacking it to the out-
side casing) with wire cloth, letting it go above the
casing nearly two feet at the top, and keeping it
out from the building half an inch or so by means of
strips of that thickness tacked to the outside of the
building. Examine the honey occasionally to see
if the larvse of the wax-moth are troubling it; and if
so, fumigate it with burning sulphur. If you are
careful not to get any sections having pollen in
them in the main pile, it will be a rare thing that
the honey will need sulphuring. Kept in this way
our honey is always holding its own, or, if any thing,
growing better; and if properly crated and put up-
on the market at the right time it will command the
highest price, and you will feel a pleasure in the
matter, never enjoyed by any one who does things
in a slip-shod manner. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., July 3, 1889.

Friend D., I am almost glad you have had
experience with one of these individuals
who will stick their fingers into nice sec-

tions of comh honey, or punch another sec-
tion into it, or, in short, do every thing but
the right thing. Nobody knows the real
luxury of having a trained and experienced
hand about him until he has tried working
with the average run of people who are
round hunting for a job. Now, it is a little
funny that this individual didn't complain
because you didn't pay him as much money
as you did somebody else, or perhaps as you
could afford to pay an experienced hand. 1
am sometimes tempted to lose charity for
all humanity when 1 see people so tearfully
awkward, and then indifferent about it
afterward. Had this individual of whom
you speak said to you, "Neighbor D., you
are setting me at something 1 never did be-
fore, and something in which I have had no
experience ; I really fear that I have been
more trouble to you than I am worth ; and
if you will let me stop right where I am
there shall not be any charge for what I
have done. Nevertheless, if you wish me to
go on I will try to see if I can not do a lit-
tle better," all would have been well.
Where I find people ready to speak out and
show the spirit of something like what I
have just quoted, it makes me feel hopeful.
But where they do not say a word, and nev-
er offer to pay for the mischief they have
made, it gives me a very sorrowful feeling,
and I lie down at night weighed down by
the fear that thousands upon thousands will
still be without employment as long as the
world lasts. You see, you have uncon-
sciously touched upon the absorbing topic
of my life — wrHAT to do. Now, then, to
the great wide world of working people, I
want to say that friend IJoolittle has, in his
little sketch, told exactly why many of you
are without work, and why you do not get
better pay than you are getting now. It is
because you do not enter heart and soul in-
to the work that lies before you, and fall in
line with your employer's thoughts and
ideas, and try to save his property, and help
him to get a good price for his product in-
stead of helping to make it unsalable.
" Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it
with thy might.11 Yes, one word more: I
do not wonder that you got well, old friend.
My health improved once amazingly in a
very short space of time, when I found one
of the boys digging up a crop (just planted)
with a cultivator. And here comes in anoth-
er moral : I am sure we often imagine we
are sick, especially during hot weather,
when the truth is we simply want stirring up
and shaking up.

VANDEUSEN REVERSIBLE FRAME,
AGAIN.

1:I8-INCH SPACING PREFERRED TO IV2 INCH.

T HAVE read Z. T. Hawk's article, page 513. In
|JF your foot-notes you say that l?8istoo close
'it spacing for frames; that in reversing, chang-

"*• ing ends, or changing from hive to hive, they
will not match. Now, I do not count my hives
by the hundreds, but I have known what it was to
have the care of 300 hives per year, and not less
than 175 any one year for the past 11 years, and I
have handled those 1%-wide end-bar frames, and

578

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

July

they were reversible, by the hundreds, for the past
8 years, and I have yet to find that trouble of not
being able to change them from hive to hive, end
for end, and from bottom to top. I did find plenty
of trouble with all that were ll/2 inches wide, and,
as Mr. Hawk says, there is an invitation to elon-
gate the cells for honey with the H4-wide end-bar.
Before reversing-wires came into common use I let
my top and bottom bar project % at each end;
rabbets were used at the top and bottom that were
detachable, the hive being reversible as well as the
separate frame, making a space above and below
the frames. A reversible frame without a wide
end-bar loses half its worth, not only with me but
with many others. The space at the ends of the
frames is worth as much for its winter benefit in
preventing frost at each end of the hive as it is
worth for moving the hives from apiary to apiary,
or from stand to stand; the same projecting arm,
and l^-wide end-bars has been the main feature of
the shallow hives with frame of inside measure of
4, ^xlT'g, and double rabbets that were taken from
the half-story surplus frame of J. H. Nellis, in 1878.
Several of us tried the Wi wide brood-frame for
several seasons, and the Pa -wide side by side, and
the troubles that disgusted us with the llA frame
were not found in the l3a frames. The first If lot
of frames were made by accident; and when they
chanced to come together they set us to thinking
about the difference between them. I know of six
apiaries where the la8 frames are used, and not one
will takeaframe \lA wide, and they would be thrown
at you if you gave them to the apiarists. With the
shallow 4ft frames, inside measure, the 1\ frame is
too wide positively. There are 5 apiaries that I
know of where both the wide and narrow end-bars
are in use, and I know what their owners say; it
is, " Give me the 1% frame every time." Some of
them have been in use for eleven years, and the ll/2
frames have been planed down to 1% wide; but
this much I am forced to say by practical use, and
from years of use too— give me the 4ft deep frame,
2 stories high. I am aware that there are twice as
many frames to handle separately, and that it is
twice the work to make them up; that they cost
more; but when I can handle five hives of two
stories each, in the same time that I can handle
three that are of the L. frame depth, it will pay the
difference in one season; then there is one point
that was shown to me ten years ago this summer:
Split the brood - chamber of an obstinate colony
in two, and place your crate between them, filled
with boxes full of full sheets of fdn., and your fdn.
will quite often change shape before morning.

But here I must mention one point in reversing
frames that several years' practice has shown pos-
itively true. Tf half the frames, that is, if alternate
f rames are reversed, the honey is more sure to be
removed than if the whole are reversed, which is
an objection to the reversing of a deep frame, and
this same object is again shown in another form by
changing places with the shallow frame-cases. The
honey in the upper half of the top case is placed
between the brood, which is an objection to the
bees, and up to the sections it goes; and in the
spring again it tells in building up colonies: re-
verse alternate frames, and the queen will surprise
you with the increase of brood; and likewise by
changing places with the shallow frame-cases, the
empty space, like the honey, is brought between
the brood. These things have been tried all

through the eighties by more than myself, and the
reversing alternate frame has shown the difference
here in the Grove Street apiary, and those of our
near neighbors here in New Milford. We have
whole cases of sections full of honey and capping,
while our neighbors all around us are saying, " My
bees are doing nothing." Our full cases that are
capping are counted by the dozens, and there are
only 7") hives in this apiary. The deep frame, when
the whole set are reversed, will quite often cause
the brood-chamber to be completely packed with
honey, when, if alternate combs are reversed, it in
all cases brings honey between the brood top and
bottom of the frames. The bees don't like it that
way, so they move it. H. L. Jeffrey.

New Milford, Ct., June 19, 1889.

Thanks, friend Jeffrey. I (Ernest) am
quite sure you are right in regard to the If
versus H inch spacing. I have been watch-
ing this very same thing very closely my-
self, and my observations confirm all you
sa? with respect to it. I have noticed, over
and over again, that even suspended
frames, when spaced H inches from center
to center, are bulged and distorted, general-
ly, when the same frames spaced If are nice
and even. The H-inch spacing, on account
of the irregularity from bulging and burr-
combs, makes it inconvenient, oftentimes,
to change the relative position of some of
the combs in the brood-nest. The bulged
surfaces will often come together, and
sometimes two concave surfaces. With the
If-inch spacing, these difficulties, as you
say, are scarcely noticeable. In regard to
inserting the super between the two brood-
cases, 1 will say that I have been trying
that very same thing, with the Ileddon hive.
I expected that the bees would start filling
out the foundation immediately. Although
the colony is a fairly strong one, ten days
have elapsed, and yet they have only just
begun to work on the foundation. Here
was an instance where theory seemed to be
strangely at variance with practice. I can
not understand it, because it seems strange
that, with the brood on both sides, the bees
should not connect the two with honey, es-
pecially when the queen herself is kept in
the lower section by a queen - excluding
honey-board. I feel almost sure that fur-
ther trials will make theory and practice coin-
cide. You intimate in your article that you
have been using divisible brood-chambers
clear through the eighties. You speak of
using shallow frames made by J. II. Nellis
in 1S78. You have told us just enough
about it to make us want to know more
about it. It is pretty evident that you are
an advocate of a shallow brood-frame ; and
as you have used them for a good many
years, your experience might be interesting
to the readers of this journal. — You say
that a reversible frame, without an end-bar,
loses half its worth, on account of its advan-
tages for wintering. If colonies are winter-
ed in the double- walled chaff hives, or single
walls in the repository, it seems to me the
closed uprights would not make any materi-
al difference in wintering. The Vandeusen
metal corners are giving most excellent sat-
isfaction here. The end-bars of these are
not closed, and no gummirg together.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

579

BEE CULTURE AT JAFFA, SYRIA.

SOMETHING FURTHER FROM FRIEND BAL.DENSPER-
GER.

§OME years back I tried tobacco smoke on a
very vicious colony of Cyprio - Syrians. I
could subdue them with nothing, being dread-
fully stung- I smoked them ad infinitum, and
was astonished to find them tumbling over
and over at the bottom of the hive. T succeeded in
subduing them. 1 did the same to a very vicious col-
ony of Syrians soon afterward, but never tried it
again, as 1 had no occasion for it. Very vicious ones
are either discarded or else worked in just the time
of day convenient. I think during the hottest
hours of the day no robbery is going on; and the
gentlest way a man can handle them is to use plen-
ty of smoke to begin with before opening the hive.
Tobacco smoke is the only remedy I know of to get
down the braula ccecca, which is often met with on
bees. A queen-bee having often a number of these
parasites, I pick up the queen by the wings and
give her two or three puffs, and the little fellows
will tumble down dead. Picking them off with
pincers is very trying, as the animal does not keep
quiet for a moment, but rushes about, the body
particularly, when disturbed; the smoke does not
injure the queen. Tobacco-blossoms also give hon-
ey, which has a slight taste of tobacco. I think the
habit of smoking bees with tobacco originated with
pipe-smokers (in Germany), as it is very easy for a
tobacco-smoker to light his pipe, give a few puffs,
and continue the use of his smoker at his pleasure.
In Palestine tobacco is used very extensively, in
cigarettes, pipes, and the well-known hubble-bub-
ble, the arjelah, or water-pipe. A water-bottle has
a stem of copper fitted to it with three openings-
one in the water, one at the head where the tobacco
is put, and one in the empty space above the water.
The smoke, being drawn through the water, gets
purified, and continues its long way through the
various-colored leather tube, corded with silver
wire, having a length of several feet, into the
mouth. Bee-keepers here never use tobacco smoke
for their bees. Horse or cow manure is the only
fuel for smoking the bees, through an old water-
jar, having a small hole at the bottom. The smoke
is blown by the mouth— a difficult process. How
thankful should we be to Mr. Quinby for giving us
such a comfortable smoker 1 In bee-keeping for
women, Mrs. B. supposes it quite work enough to
do the necessaries without looking for the pleasure
of carrying them about for fun, as Mrs. Chaddock
tells us. My wife generally holds the smoker while
I handle the bees or shake them off for the honey,
which I put in empty hives on a wheelbarrow be-
side me, which, though very clumsy in comparison
to the one you advertise, still does the business well,
taking four hives with 18 frames each. As soon as
extracted, the empty frames are brought buck and
distributed, if possible, before sunset, as experience
has taught many a bee-keeper never to handle bees
after that. Robbers don't trouble us as long as
honey is coming from the flowers; but as soon as
the honey-flow is over, they are a trouble, it being
impossible to work more than an hour at a time;
then we stop again till they are dispersed. They
also defend their hives well against intruders.

I suppose there is no established rule as to the
age queens continue to lay well. Very much de-
pends on their having been in a nucleus or very

strong colony, and also whether they have passed
good honey-seasons, obliging them to lay extensive
ly. Revising the apiary during April and May, be-
ing an interval with very little honey-How, I try to
put away such queens as seem to go back or 6tand
still in brood-rearing, as we want a good number
for the thyme-blossom. I took away the old queens
at some hives, but found more of them had either
raised another one, killing the old queens at once,
and in one case they kept both queens; but they
have finally done away with the old one. A hive
having 9 brood-frames and upward may be consid-
ered a good one with us. Less than 9 frames is a
poor layer in a season when pollen is coming in
plentifully, and stimulative food being given. But
then, again, you can't tell exactly when the queen
stops laying, as you may look in for three weeks or
more, finding an increase of one or two brood-
frames each time; all of a sudden they stand still.
From 15 frames you are tempted to take away one
or two, and find the next time only 11 or 12 frames.
I never clip queens' wings, but 1 keep a record of
them all, and find 1 am always, or nearly always,
well informed, as the trace, even, of a superseded
queen is easily known. Take all in all, I think the
end of the second season is just the right time to
raise new ones, the exception also being for lon-
gevity the third season. Some queens will never be
superseded by the bees— they live and die together.

A friend of mine came around the other day, and
I read to him " Dot Happy Bee-man." As we both
talk German, we laughed till our " schtomacks went
schplit."

Drones fly out and congregate on afternoons of
warm days, as we frequently see. I have not yet
observed whether they congregate at some particu-
lar point year after year, although I heard their
loud roar one season, day after day, above the road
I crossed to go to the apiary, but never could I dis-
tinguish them.

" All our eggs in one basket and too many irons
in the fire," seems to be very general among bee-
keepers; in fact, it seems as if most bee-keepers
concluded, after a few years' trials, and hard trials
too, that it is better to put " several irons in the
fire." Being of the number, I must state, for the
benefit of new comers into the bee-fraternity, they
should not rashly do away with one business before
having well grasped the other. When we began
bee-keeping, all other occupations were discarded,
to our great detriment. Slowly but surely they are
taking their respective places again. What has
been rejected is welcome again. Most bee-keepers
live in the open country— at least they ought to for
the greater benefit of their bees, and thus have an
occasion to put up with live-stock, which comes in
very handy at times; besides raising a few vegeta-
bles for the kitchen, this will help us a great deal to
get along in a poor season. Since I find the ques-
tion so largely discussed by many fellow-sufferers,
I fully sympathize with them.

Our receptacles for holding extracted honey,
come all the way from America to Palestine, and
we find them a good deal cheaper than any
thing that can be had here. I guess some of the
readers of Gleanings will be astonished to hear it
when I tell you that a thoroughly cleansed petrole-
um-can holds 50 to 55 lbs. of honey, and does the
same service as new tins, and seldom have our cus-
tomers had to complain about petroleum taste; this
also was in former years. We take two petroleum-

580

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

cans and pack them into a petroleum-box, paying
5or6cent8 each tin and box, soldering- costing V
cents each tin; nails and hoop iron around the box,
IJ to 4 cents, making a total cost of 36 cents for 100
to 110 lbs. of honey. If our California bee-friends
could utilize the same, they could pack very nearly
3 lbs. of honey for a cent instead of one cent a
pound, as mentioned on page 765, Gleanings, 1888.
The tins are thoroughly cleansed by putting- ashes
and water, to stand a few hours, in the tins, and
occasionally shaking them; after having rinsed
them with fresh or warm water, a few drops of al-
cohol, lighted, finishes the whole. Can they not be
had in their own country at the same rate, or
cheaper, than some thousand miles away from
their starting-place? Ph. J. Baldensperger.

Jaffa, Syria.

It is very interesting indeed for ns to
know that, away across the ocean, yon
have just about the same experience and
difficulties we have to meet here. I am glad
that you enjoyed friend Secor's poem. I
felt a little anxious to know how it would
strike our German readers. I hope that you
and your friend hoth recovered after read-
ing it. So you enjoy raising vegetables, as
well as myself. You speak about the pe-
troleum - cans of California. Why, my
friend, the most common object to be found
in any part of California is those empty pe-
troleum-cans, and they have been for years
utilized, or at least a great many of them,
for honey-cans. Our carload of honey that
came from California was put up in just
that way. Even brand-new cans can be
used now, at considerably less than a cent a
pound per package. We now sell two of
the cans, packed in a box, the whole ar-
rangement brand-new, for only (>5 cents, in
100 lots. Friend Woodberry, of Glendale,
Cal., gets rid of the coal oil by simply mak-
ing a hole in the corner, opposite the screw
cap. After stacking them up in the dooryard
for several weeks, the oil is entirely evapo-
rated. There must, however, be two open-
ings.

* i ^

WHAT IS THE FINEST HONEY?

PRESIDENT MASON ANSWERS SOME HARD QUES-
TIONS.

fHESE questions have been handed me to an-
swer in Gleanings. The first is, " Is clover
honey superior to all other honeys? and if
so, why? What makes it so?"
This question might be answered by the
word )«), and truthfully so by a great many lovers
of honey, and then others would just as truthfully
say yea. If a person's taste or preference is to
constitute the basis for judging, we can have about
as many negative and ailirmative answers as there
are kinds of honey. Some have so strong a prefer-
ence for buckwheat honey that all other kinds are
not worthy to be compared with it, and some par-
ties in this region think nothing in the line of hon-
ey is as good as some kinds of honey-dew.

To be a first class judge of anything requires a
certain something that I don't know how to de-
scribe, and which but few seem to possess. Au il-
lustration has just come to my mind. I'm almost
afraid to give it, for I may bo wrong; but that isn't
what 1 care so much about. Our sisterhood of bee-

keepers may take me in hand, and give me a good
shaking-up, but I'll run the risk.

For several years I've had charge of what is
known as the " exhibit of canned goods," at the Tri-
State Fair at Toledo. It consists of canned fruits,
preserves, pickles, etc., and it is quite an extensive
display; and I have found it quite difficult to se-
cure competent judges. It has been my experi-
ence, that, as a rule, it is somewhat difficult for
ladies to agree as to which specimen is entitled to a
first premium, and this is my reason: Each one
will " positively declare " that the one that comes
the nearest to her taste, or to what she has been ac-
customed to have, is the best, and does not take
into account certain qualities that make it far su-
perior to any other specimen.

Bee-keepers would scarcely be ready to admit
that such as prefer buckwheat honey to all others,
are good judges of honey, unless that preference is
made subservient to gitod judgment.

In " Langstroth on the Honey-Bee," recently re-
vised by the Dadants, it is said that "The whitest
and best - flavored honey ... is that gathered
from white-clover blossoms," but no reason is given
why it is best-fiavored. I believe that white-clover
honey is the best, not because it is the whitest or
has a better flavor: for to me bass wood (linden)
honey is the best-fiavored; and toothers, raspberry,
buckwheat, mangrove, orange, or some other hon-
ey is the best-flavored. I have had hundreds of
pounds of basswood honey that was whiter than
any white-clover honey 1 ever saw. There is some-
thing in the composition of clover honey that
makes it more satisfying to the taste, that I can
not describe, and is beyond the " ken " of science.

The second question is,

AVHAT SHOULD GUIDE JUDGES IN J UDGING HONEY?

If judging honey at fairs is what is meant, it
might be said that the premium-list should be the
guide. For instance, the Buffalo International Fair
premium-list says: " Display of comb honey, largest
and most attractive," and the same in regard to
extracted honey. In these, color and quality are
not taken into account.

In the next premium it says, " Sample of comb
honey." Here color and quality are the leading
objects, and quantity and attractiveness are subor-
dinate. Good judgment is quite a desirable com-
modity in judging honey.

The third question is,

IF JUDGING BV POINTS OF A MAXIMUM OF 20, HOW
WOULD YOU ALLOT THE POINTS?

I don't think I would use a maximum of 20 points
in judging honey. I should prefer not less than 30
or 40 points for extracted, and 100 for comb honey.
For extracted honey, take into consideration the
color and quality, the receptacle, and attractive-
ness of the display.

For comb honey, consider the size1, shape2, color,
and cleanliness of the sections^; color of honey4;
quality'-; fullness of sections'; how filled at the
edges7; evenness of comb"; empty cells"; general
appearance10

Judging by points takes more time, but will gen-
erally give better satisfaction than any other meth-
od, and can be applied to most things exhibited at
fairs. The number of points can readily be ar-
ranged on any article by any person competent to
act as judge. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, ()., June 26, 1889.

Many thanks, friend M., for your valuable

188&

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

.',SI

hints. My opinion is, that people follow in
certain ruts a good deal by the force of hab-
it. It is so in selling honey. A certain
style of package gets into the market, and
people take a notion that they can not have
it in any other shape ; and sometimes it
takes a good while to make a change. Bass-
wood honey is certainly whiter than clover
honey. I do not know that 1 ever heard
anybody call clover honey handsomer, so far
as looks are concerned, than basswood.

SWARMING.

THE THEORY OF ITS CAUSE, AND HOW IT MAY BE
PREVENTED.

HAT causes the swarming spirit of a colony?
is a question not fully answered as yet. I
will hereby give ray theory, and I think it
is as new as it is correct.
We know, that, 31 days after the egg is
laid by the queen, the young worker-bee will gnaw
out of the cell. Two days later it commences to
work, but inside of the hive only. About 16 days
later she commences to gather pollen and honey.
In summer time the worker bee will generally be
dead 27 days after the first flight; so we see that
the proportion of brood, house-bees, and field-bees,
is 23 to 16 to 27, in the normal state of a colony. Of
course, this is correct only if the queen has laid the
same number of eggs daily for some time. In early
spring, when breeding commences, no house-bees
are in the hive, and the older bees have to do their
work. The amount of brood is by and by increased,
and the proportion of brood to house -bees gets
gradually nearer to the normal condition. As soon
as the queen has laid, for more than 23 days, as
many eggs as she possibly can, we have the normal
condition, and the colony is on its highest point of
prosperity. The growing number of honey-gather-
ers has meantime filled the empty cells of the hive
partially with honey, and consequently the number
of eggs daily laid by the queen is by and by decreas-
ing.

It makes no difference whether the greatest num-
ber of eggs laid by the queen is attributable to her
fertility, or to the room in the hive devoted to
breeding, or whether the number of eggs laid is,
later on, decreasing from any other cause; weal-
ways have the fact that hereby a surplus of house-
bees is in the hive at a certain time, because more
young bees will come from the cells as the queen
lays eggs. These young bees are desirous of feed-
ing larvae, but not all of them can possibly do so;
and this condition of a colony starts the swarming
impulse. The desire of young bees for more brood
causes it. As much as possible, prepared food is
given to the queen, and so she is induced to lay
eggs in the started queen-cells, and a swarm is the
consequence.

This theory explains every case of swarming com-
ing to my notice, and the different ways by which
swarming can be prevented to a certain degree.
We know of

DIFFERENT WAYS TO PREVENT SWARMING.

1. If we remove some capped brood at the right
time, and put empty combs, or, still better, founda-
tion, into the brood-nest, we induce the queen to
lay more eggs; consequently the house-bees have
more work to do, and the surplus of house-bees dis-

appears. The next day fewer young bees will gnaw
out of the cells, and the house-bees get less again,
relatively to the brood. So this is a very good pre-
ventive of the swarming fever til) the former
condition of things reappears.

3. If we take some bees from a colony we get
mostly house bees, because the field-bees go back
to the colony. So this will prevent swarming for
some days.

3. If we give to the house-bees more work to do,
we can prevent swarming; so by cooling the inside
of the hive. Then more bees are necessary to clus-
ter on the brood, and swarming may be prevented
for some time.

4. But the house-bees are the comb-builders too.
If we give them occasion to build new combs near
the brood-nest, swarming may be prevented in
most cases, especially if the bees build combs for
the purpose, that the queen may lay some eggs in
them (Simrains method). These combs are clear
profit to the bee-keeper. Why, I will show present-
ly.

5. If we work our colony for extracted honey, and
extract the honey from the combs in such a way
that the queen always has plenty of empty cells, we
shall have no surplus of house-bees, and swarming
can be prevented. But we have to consider here,
that a very strong colony needs relatively fewer
brood-bees than a weaker one, so a strong colony
may have a surplus of house-bees, if the proportion
of brood to house bees is even not smaller than 23
to 16. So a very strong colony may swarm never-
theless, while a weaker one will not.

6. A moderate honey-flow which by and by
crowds the brood, is just the thing to cause a sur-
plus of house-bees, and so induces swarming. A
very good honey-tiow crowds, of course, the brood
also; but the young bees will find plenty of work to
do to prolong the cells, to cap the honey, and to
evaporate the rapidly coming honey. Such a very
good honey-flow gives plenty of work for young
and old bees, and they pay very little attention to
the brood.

1 said that a surplus of house-bees will build
combs at no cost to the bee-keeper. My theory is
as follows: All the young bees feed themselves
plentifully with pollen and honey, for the purpose
of feeding the young larvse. If a surplus of brood-
bees is in the hive, some of them will not find larvse
to be fed; the larval food, or chyle, accumulates in
the stomach, and will go through the stomach-wall
into the blood. A surplus of blood is just the con-
dition by which wax is secreted; consequently a
surplus of house-bees causes wax secretion. If
room and the necessary temperature are in the
hive, new combs will be built; if the bees have no
room for this purpose they build brace-combs, or
thick wax lumps, on the top-bars of the frames, or
they cap the honey twice as thick as usual. A new-
ly hived swarm has no brood, consequently always
a surplus of house-bees— at least the first eight
days. In this time a swarm builds combs very rap-
idly, and at no cost to the bee-keeper, because this
wax is secreted anyhow. We can observe this if we
hive a small swarm (especially an after-swarm) in a
large hive, and the outside temperature is cool at
night time, so that the cluster of the swarm is much
contracted. We then find a great number of wax-
shreds on the bottom of the hive. This wax is se-
creted, but the bees can't use it, because the clus-
ter is too small, and outside the temperature is too

582

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

July

low to form that wax into cells. If we give empty
combs only to a swarm, this secreted wax is formed
into brace-combs and wax lumps. The proportion
of field-bees to the brood and house-bees is impor-
tant too, and I hope to write about it in another
article. L. Stachelhausen.

Selma, Texas.

Your suggestions are much in the line
with those of our friend Hasty and Dr. C. C.
Miller, although you have carried them a
little further. I have often noticed the
waste of wax by way of droppings on the
bottom-board, brace- combs, and little lumps
scattered about the combs where they were
not needed, and extra cappings to the cells ;
sometimes extra thickness to the walls of
the cells ; and I have many times been im-
pressed by the fact that these bees, were an
opportunity given them, would build combs
at no expense to the bee-keeper. It is along
in this line of reasoning that friends Doo-
little and Hutchinson conclude that bees
will produce more honey, where they are
obliged to build a certain amount of comb,
than where the combs are furnished them.
Other experiments, however (but they may
be under different circumstances), indicate
exactly to the contrary. See page 337.

BILL-BEETLES.

THE OREGON BEE-KILLER.

T HAVE received from Mr. J. J. McGowan, Swan
M Quarter, several of these weevils. They were
W all packed in a strong- wooden box, with cotton,
■^ and every one reached me in good order. The
number and excellent condition delighted me.
Mr. M. wishes me to discourse upon the natural
history of these insects.

These are known in the South as bill-bugs; but
bill-beetles would be a more correct term. They
feed upon the corn, and often do great damage.
They insert their beaks and often destroy the
young plants. This is a species of Sphenophorous.
1 send a drawing which shows
^> its natural size, form and gen-
eral appearance. As will be
, scon, these beetles have a pro-
boscis, or snout, and so are
weevils. A species of spheno-
phorous (S. rabv,8tu8) is said to
destroy corn in South Carolina and Alabama. It is
also stated that this weevil breeds in the corn. It
is black, and a little larger than this one. The spe-
cies sent by Mr. M. is six-tenths of an inch long, and
of a rusty gray color. The entire back is punctur-
ed. 1 can hardly suggest a remedy for these pests,
as I have never had opportunity to study them.

OREGON liEE-KIIXKIt.

Mr. R. W. Keeney, Pilot Rock, Oregon, sends me
an asilus fly which much resembles the Missouri
bee-killer, except that it is only about two-thirds as
large. Mr. K. says, " These flies destroy my bees.
They can kill any thing that flies. He often
launches on hoppers three times his own size,
which he can easily bear away. He does not eat
but sucks the blood from his victims. As soon as
he has sucked one dry he drops it and is ready for
another."

Mr. K. thinks this fly about half grown. This is
a very common error. Insects, after they have

A BILL-BEK'IXE.

wings, do not grow. The growth takes place while
yet larva. All bee-keepers know that bees do not
grow after they are mature. Of course, a full bee
is larger than an empty one. Female insects, like
queen-bees, may enlarge a little when in the height
of laying, and shrink a little as the ovaries rest
from egg-production. I presume this asilus is a
new species. If so I will name him Asilus Orrgomis,
or Oregon bee-killer, alias Oregon robber-fly. The
fly is gray, and about one inch long. See my Manu-
al on " Robber-flies." These Hies were somewhat
broken. I hope Mr. K. can send me more in good
shape. A little cotton prevents breakage.
Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

NOTES FROM THE KEYSTONE BEE-
FARM.

NON-SWAKMERS NOT NON-SW ARMKRS AT ALL.

'E have (I mean my wife and I) an Italian
queen that I bought of Mr. Frank Booru-
hower two years ago, that had never
swarmed. Our other queens have swarm-
ed excessively. Last season I reared a
flue lot of queens from her brood, and these also
preserved the traits of their mother during the sea-
son. Thinking we had a big bonanza in the line of
non-swarmers, we concluded to advertise through
Gleanings, " Warranted non-swarming queens at
regular prices," and I had actually written out
what I thought was an attractive advertisement to
forward for the June 1st issue, when our non-
swarmers began to swarm, and now, June 17th, they
have all swarmed. Even the original Boomhower
queen has followed the example of her beautiful
daughters. We have not tried to check swarming,
because our strongest stocks are not storing any
surplus, on account of the extremely wet and cold
weather.

We have a Carniolan queen that I bought of Dr.
Morrison last June. Sept. 1st she led out a large
swarm. On the evening of the 8th, as I was makiug
ray usual round through the apiary I found, at the
entrance of her old stand, seven young queens.
They paid no attention to each other, but were de-
termined to get back inside of the hive, which the
workers would not allow, but would gently lead
them out again. We had at that time a few queen-
less nuclei, where I ran the outcasts in, and five of
them are to-day among our best laying queens.

From present indications we shall not secure any
surplus until buckwheat and fall flowers, because
the weather will not permit our bees to more than
live and keep up brood-rearing from clover, and we
are out of the range of basswood, which is four
miles away. By way of experiment I think we will
move a few colonies up to the basswood.

The Ignotum tomato seeds came all right, for
which accept our thanks. We succeeded in getting
83 plants from the 25 seeds which the packet con-
tained. S. W. Taylor.
Harveyville, Luz. Co., Pa., June 17, 1889.

You have given us some very valuable
facts. I have several times been told that
certain colonies never swarmed. In fact,
many have writteu that they had certain
queens whose bets never sent out a swarm,
and that young queens followed this peculi-
arity. I have invariably told such people to
be slow in drawing conclusions ; for my im-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

583

pression was, that if a season should be just
right for swarming, and the swarming ma-
nia should get into the apiary, very likely
these non-swarmers would get a going, and
swarm for certain, when they once got at it.
Your story verifies the above. You should
still try this queen and her progeny ; and
even if you find they are less liable to swarm
than your other stocks, you are making
some progress.

ALSIKE NOT A HYBRID.

SOME OF TflK REASONS WHY IT IS MISTAKEN FOR
A CROSS.

TN the issue of June 1st, Chas. L. Gough seems to
g|F have settled conclusively (to himself at least)
W that alsike is a cross between red and white
"*■ clovers. I think it very unfortunate that that
mistake was made by our botanists when they
gave alsike its botanical name; and the sooner it is
given another and less misleading- one, the better.
In your remarks to the article by friend Gough,
you say: "If the seed you sowed contained no
white clover at all, the phenomenon you mention is
a mystery," etc.

To say, "There never had been a seed of white
clover on the ground," as friend Gough puts it, is a
pretty strong assertion; and if so, then the phe-
nomenon would indeed be a mystery.

Last fall with us was quite wet, and this year
white clover is very plentiful, especially where the
ground was pastured closely. Alsike and red clovers
do not stand pasturing like white clover. Clover
seed will lie in the ground for many years; and
when the conditions are favorable it will germinate.
In the discussion of this subject some time ago,
where friend C. F. Muth was interested (he having
sold alsike clover seed, and the purchaser claimed
that it came up red clover), I think the case would
be of easy explanation if one knew the history of
the ground for several years previously.

The hay I feed is mostly clover hay, and, of
course, there is a large amount of seed in the
manure. Some years ago I made a hot-bed, and the
next year I used it as a cold-frame in raising rad-
ishes, etc., and the next year I threw the manure
out, which was by this time thoroughly rotted, and
the clover came up in it, to use a common expres-
sion, " as thick as hair on a dog's back."

Several years ago I broke up a hillside, sloping to
the southeast (it being convenient to the house),
and planted it in sugar corn, beans, tomatoes, etc.;
the lower portion, which was more level, to pota-
toes. The next year I spread considerable manure
from the horse-stable on it, and plowed it again,
and plowed some ten or twelve furrows further up
the hill. I planted it in pe:ich-trees and in sugar
corn, tomatoes, etc.; this year, also, the upper part,
or sod, I planted in cucumbers. I cultivated as
usual; and after my crop was " laid by " I sowed it
in alsike clover (I had a little seed left from the
spring, which I got from C. F. Muth). The next
year [ had mostly red clover; but above where I
put the mauure I had a beautiful patch of alsike,
and below the manure it was mostly alsike.

Some throe years ago I "stirred" with a double
shovel some ground that had been in potatoes the
previous year, harrowed nicely, and sowed in
alsike and timothy. It was too late in the spring,
and it turned very dry; and although there is oc-

casionally some alsike and hardly any timothy, I
don't think the alsike and timothy turned to rag-
weed and briers, although I have plenty of them.
I don't see any necessity of making a mistake in
the seed of alsike, and white and red clovers, as
they are so different in appearance.

A year ago this spring nay brother sowed timothy
and alsike on a field of wheat. On account of dry
weather it presented a rather poor prospect when
the wheat was cut; but the autumn rains helped
the appearance, and now he has a fine field of
alsike and timothy; and in places, where he hauled
manure on the wheat ground, at a little distance it
appears almost entirely red clover; but on exam-
ination there is alsike there also.

Georgetown, O., June 14, 1889. S. C. Gokdon.

The point you make in regard to the dis-
similarity of the seed is a good one. Every
bee-keeper should be so familiar with the
looks of the seed of all the clovers that he
will not make a complaint that he has been
humbugged in buying the seed. If tiie seed
does not look as you think it ought to, send
it back instead of sowing it and then com-
plaining of the swedsman.

A NOTE OF WAENING.

A NEW HEE-DISEASE WHICH THREATENS TO ANNI-
HILATE AVHOLE APIARIES IN CALIFORNIA.

fOU will doubtless remember my letter of last
winter, about the new bee-disease. If you
are not too much pestered by ignoramuses,
and entirely out of patience, I will try to
show that my trouble was not due to a local
cause, but was the forerunner of what threatens to
seriously cripple the bee-keepers of the State.
With the opening of spring I find my entire stock
of 170 stands " gone where the woodbine twineth, "
and the monster making serious inroads among my
co-laborers. From what little I am able to gather,
I believe the same thing is at work in Inyo, Ventura,
and San Bernaodino Counties. Developments are a
little different now, as to symptoms, from my pre-
vious description; viz., of mature bees, abdomen
distended, and hard trembling; listlessness, death;
brood baldheaded; many dead, two-thirds or fully
developed sticking in the cell; queen a failure, and
moth completes the work of destruction. So far as
I am able to learn, there has not boon over two per
cent of natural swarming through apiaries in this
county. We have arrived at the goal for which our
eastern brethren sigh— non-swarming; but like the
man whose cow had learned to live without eating,
death closes the scene.

I was sorry you apologized to Dr. Mason, for I
saw by the twinkle of his eye, in his thought he
said, "Now, I have got A. I., and I will just fix him
this time, because 7 just know what I am talking
about." That is the style of men that we want to
keep talking just as long as they are in good hu-
mor; and the doctor has lots of that. Isjow, my pur-
pose in writing to you is to hook on to the doctor or
Prof. Cook, or some other good-natured scientist,
who would take an interest in an investigation; al-
so to stir some of the bee-men of this State, and
sound the note of warning ere it is too late, if it is
not already.

I should like to know what it would cost to make
a microscopical examination and analysis of the

584

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

July

honey, etc. Although I am not a scientist, and
have no facilities for fine work, yet I will venture
an opinion that a fungus or animalcule resides in
the honey, or about the hive. This State is over-
run with minute pestiverous things, roaming about
seeking whom it may devour, and it gets therein
all cases. If I mistake not, this thing of which I
write will, ere the new year, make a pretty clean
sweep of the principal apiaries in this county. I
am melting combs and clearing up, with a view to
quit the business. Others concur with me in these
vie.vs of the situation. W. A. Webster.

Bakerstield, Kern Co., Cal.

It seems to me that you are taking a rath-
er dismal view of the matter. I may be
mistaken, but I can hardly think that this
one you mention is any thing more than a
temporary matter. We should be very glad
to receive reports from your neighborhood
in regard to it. There is one thing, how-
ever, that does disturb me somewhat. When
I saw the ravages made by the parasite on
the orange-tree, and realized how plentiful
were house-flies even in January, it occur-
red to me more than once that in a climate
without frost and snows, insect or fungus
enemies can get a going ; and who shall say
where the end will be without any frost to
cut it short, as it cuts short the yellow fever
in Florida?

BEE-KEEPING IN CUBA.

CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE.

TT will be seen that we have a steady flow of hon-
M ey during the entire year; that there is at no
W time a complete dearth of honey, such as oc-

"*■ curs in all of the States at times; that during
at least eight or nine months of the year, the
bees obtain more honey than they need for their
own use; that the flow commences very slowly,
gradually increasing for about four months, then
as gradually decreasing for the same length of
time.

Cuba is like all other countries in the fact that,
while many different kinds of flowers yield honey,
the surplus is obtained from two or three kinds on-
ly. At least three-fourths of our surplus comes
from the bellflower, or bejuco campanea, or bejuco
aguinardo; a correct description of which, but not a
correct engraving, will be found on page 7t>7 of
Gleanings for 18B6. The habits of this flower are
very peculiar, different from any other honey-
yielding flora I know of, it being a daily and not a
constant flowering plant. The flower opens out in
the morning, continues in bloom the larger part of
the day, then closes up, wilts, and Anally drops off,
having lasted one day only. The most peculiar
thing about it is its great irregularity in amount of
bloom from day to day. One day we may not be
able to tind a hundred blossoms in the course of an
hour's search, while on the next the fields and
hedges may be white with bloom; the next day,
half as many; the next still less, and so on. The
daily yield of honey fluctuates in almost exact pro-
portion to the amount of bloom. A study of the
table of daily yields during December and Janu-
ary, as given on page 540, may not only be interest-
ing to those who are in the habit of keeping such
records, but shows very accurately the amount of
bloom each day.

The next in point of value to the campanea is the
royal palm (and a royal tree it is too), which yields
honey at all times of the year. I doubt whether
we ever get much surplus from it, but its habit of
yielding some honey steadily during the summer
months, when few or no other flowers yield any
thing, makes it of great value to the Cuban bee-
keeper.

There is also a species of Spanish needle which
commences to yield honey in September, and is
still in bloom. A detailed description of the minor
honey-plants here would not be valuable to your
readers, as they are unlike any in the States.

Bellflower honey is of excellent quality, in color
about like basswood honey; bedy nearly or quile
equal to white-clover honey, while in flavor it ranks
next, in my judgment, to that honey. The flavor is
more pronounced than is that of mangrove honey,
but not as sharp or aromatic as either basswood or
California honey. Honey from other sources is
dark in color, of good body and fair flavor for dark
honey.

Brood - rearing commences to increase about
Christmas, increasing rapidly in amount until hives
are full of brood and bees. All good colonies keep
up brood-rearing during the entire summer and
fall; but such colonies as do not gather their own
supplies usually cease nearly all brood-rearing, ex-
cept in lower stories, during the summer months,
commencing again when the fall flow of honey sets
in. The apiary was at its lowest ebb the first part
of September, but from the 15th of that month un-
til Nov. 1 it built up as rapidly as I ever saw bees
build up anywhere at any time of year. About
Nov. 1, queens generally commence to take their
annual rest, but they do not entirely cease egg-lay-
ing at any time. We had to depend on the bees
that were hatched out during October and Novem-
ber for our honey-gatherers during the main honey-
flow. We have had so little natural swarming here
that we know little about the time for that, except
that the few swarms we have had, less than 20 in
all, came out in February, March, April, May, Oc-
tober, and November. Probably having so many
bees in one place is the reason why there has been
so little swarming.

Some of the advantages here are the entire ab-
sence of swarming, and the small amount of brood
in upper stories during the main extracting season.
Nearly all can understand the value of these condi-
tions. Queens are raised every month of the year;
but it isn't best to raise any more than we can help
during November and December.

Climatic conditions in Cuba make it necessary to
work bees under sheds. Ours are covered with
tiles; those at the Casanova apiary, with palm-
leaves. The last are the best for all reasons, except
duuger from fires.

This last year has been the first one that any fully
established apiary here in Cuba has been run for
extracted honey alone. The Casanova apiary not
having been, since it was built up, in charge of an
experienced bee-keeper, and this one was run for
increase the first two years. I have not only had to
learn the peculiarities of a new climate and new lo-
cation, entirely different from any IVng I had pre^
viously known anything about, but 1 couldn't tol-
low closely in the footsteps of my predecessor, as
he always worked for iucrease while in Cuba, and
we cared only for honey this year. The work has
been almost as fascinating as it was when first com-

1889

GLKANING8 IN BEE CULTURE.

585

mencing beekeeping 20 years ago; but the result
has been far from satisfactory or up to expecta-
tions, as can readily be seen by referring to back
numbers of Gleanings, as follows: Page 744, 1883;
page 593, 1884; pages 192 and 381, 1885; pages 621 and
767, 1886, and pages 506 and 611, 1887.

Now, what has caused this partial failure to se-
cure a paying honey crop this year? On the cor-
rect solutiou of this question depends the future of
bee-keeping in Cuba. Mr. Dussaq attributes the
failure largely to the abnormal season, which has
been as much so here in Cuba, as the past winter
was with you in the States. While that unques-
tionably accounts for a part of it, I am inclined to
think it is only a small part. There is no question
whatever in my mind, hut that we had fully twice
as many bees here this year as were necessary to
gather all the honey in our field. If Mr. Dussaq is
correct in his opinion, this will not ordinarily be
the case. I have watched the bees closely during
the past year; have studied the history of the Casa-
nova apiary for six honey seasons, and this one for
three; and it is difficult to resist the conclusion that
from 100 to 200 colonies of bees will store fully as
much honey in one location here as will 500 or 000.
There are probably locations in Cuba where this
rule doesn't apply; but 1 am afraid that it does in
this section of the island. Of course, a single sea-
son's experience doesn't positively prove this or
any other opinion to be correct, and we are now
working so as to have as many strong colonies as
possible in our 501) hives at commencement of next
honey harvest, and will give the matter a thorough
test. I hope the result will show that I am wrong,
as I shall be glad in this case at least, for the sake
of those who have invested so much money in the
business here, to part with some or all reputation I
may have for possessing a clear candid judgment
on bee-matters.

Notwithstanding the very medium results so far
obtained, I find Cuba to be the most wonderful hon-
ey country I know any thing about, and have no
doubt that bee-keeping can and will be made a de-
cided success here, when undertaken under proper
conditions and in a proper manner. All of my ob-
servations, as well as all evidence I can get from
others, go to show conclusively, I think, that apia-
ries not too large for their location can be relied on
to yield from 200 to 400 lbs. of honey per annum each
colony, at a smaller relative expense than in the
States. All ideas of immense apiaries in one loca-
tion must be given up, and the same methods
adopted as respects scattering bees as has worked
so successfully with Messrs. Hetherington, Manum,
France, and others, in our own country.

There are many things about our living here,
about details of management, etc., which I could
tell that would be of material value to any one in-
tending to handle bees in Cuba, and would be in-
teresting to many of your readers; but I hardly
think it would be of enough value to most of your
readers to 5pay for the space it* would occupy in
Gleanings. If you think differently, say so, and I
will try) to jot some.' of them down between this
and the busy season next fall.

Havana, Cuba, June 1, 1889. O. O. Poppleton.

After reading your first paper on bee-
keeping in Cuba (see last issue, page 53y), I
at once dictated an answer ; but Ernest,
overhearing me, remarked that the article
was to be concluded, so my answer was not

put in last month; but with this explana-
tion I will give it now. Here it is:

Now, friend P., you have, by your above
report, made me wonderfully inquisitive.
What do you do with a crop of honey
amounting to 50,000 pounds? What is the,
quality? Where do you sell it, and what do
you get for it? In your table I have not
noticed more than 7 pounds per colony in
a single apiary. A. E. Manum, away up in
Vermont, gets over HO pounds from a single
colony in a single day. Now, will he please
tell us how many bees were kept in the
same apiary, or in the same vicinity, when
he got that enormous product? Can't you
arrange by irrigation or something else, so
as to have honey every month in the year?
and, finally, is there a spot on the face of
the earth where Gleanings goes, where
bees make honey every month, winter and
summer? By all means let us have the de-
tails of management.

FINISHING UP CELLS IN THE UPPER
STORIES OF FULL COLONIES.

J. D. FOOSHE GIVES FURTHER PARTICULARS.

RECEIVED Gleanings yesterday, and read
carefully your comments on my article on
queen-rearing. You express some doubt as to
its working, except under the swarming fever.
I will say, that, when 1 first found it out, my
bees had about passed the swarming fever. We
had some beautiful weather here in April, but very
few pretty warm days ia May, consequently we
had no swarming, or very little, in May. We had
almost all we had in April; so when I first found it
out there was no swarming; yet they worked out
as fine cells as any natural - swarm cells I have
ever seen. Any of mine will work out all I give
them after the cells are started, and will work only
those where the cells are started. I have not had a
single one refuse to work them out. Where cells have
been started I have had several built out since writ-
ing the article, and I must say that I have the ut-
most faith in the plan in any season of the year
where the upper story has bees enough in it. I
prefer placing a frame of brood of all stages in the
upper story by the side of the frame of cells. They
work only those cells out that are started, and no
more. They never pretend to start another. Un-
der the swarming impulse I don't know but that
they might start more cells, but up to the present
they have never done so. One main reason that I
prefer to give the colony a frame of brood is, that
we sometimes have sudden changes of weather;
and you know where there is no brood in the upper
story, bees are very apt to desert aud go below if
the weather is cool. With the frame of brood, the
bees will remain above, or sufficient to care for
cells and brood; and then, again, I think the frame
of brood attracts more nurse bees, and perhaps the
cells get better attention. It is a little strange to
place a lot of empty cells in the upper story one
morning, and go back the next morning to see
what advance they have made on every cell, not
leaving a single one untouched. So far as I can
discover, they seem to start on them immediately.
The cells that are started and transferred should
be started on eggs that are just emerging into a

586

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

milky state, or will be hatching in five or six hours
after giving to a colony to start them.
Coronaca, S. C., June 19, 1889. J. D. EOOSHE.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

PRODUCING SECTION HONEY ON BOX HIVES.

[JM 1{- ROOT:— I know it is a very busy time to
stop to talk; but as you and most of the ad-
vanced bee-keepers have passed through
what I am experiencing now, I thought a
word of advice from you would be of great
satisfaction. You may remember I told you that I
was a rather small pioneer in the improved method
of bee-keeping in this part of the country. I was
made the object of many a smart .joke on my crazy
hobby; but my success in producing the nicest hon-
ey, and at the same time making some money, has
turned the scale; there is quite an excitement
springing up, and everybody appears to want to
go into the bee-business. Men are coming from a
range of several miles to get information and in-
structions how to proceed to get such honey, and
as much of it, as I do, from a hive. I admit I feel
ashamed that I know so little as a bee-keeper; but
novices express themselves as being satisfied I
know it all when they see my apiary with the beau-
tiful white honey tiered up two or three crates
high. Now, there is one thing I wish to consult you
about, and it is a thing that has stirred everybody
who has any kind of agum, in these parts; that is,
about using sections on common gum hives. I had
a few such hives, and I made a crate to hold 18 one-
pound sections, which are filled as nicely as on any
hive, and the public have found it out, and many
are coming to me for said crates, filled with sec-
tions to go on these gums, and they are running
me out of supplies; hence the last orders. Now, is
this a new thiog, and am I responsible for breaking
down the trade, by teaching everybody who has a
gum, to produce section honey? S. Daniels.

Pine Grove, O., June 22, 1889.

In our ABC book, at the close of the ar-
ticle on tk Transferring," we gave a short
plan by prying off the top of the old box
hive and setting a Simplicity hive, filled
with foundation, over it. It is true, there
is nothing said about filling this Simplicity
hive with sections, but the matter almost
suggests itself, without being mentioned.
In fact, it has been done a great many
times, and the matter lias been frequently
mentioned in the journals. — Whenever any
trade or occupation can be broken down by
teaching short ways of accomplishing desir-
able results, by all means let it break. I
think very likely that people who have bees
in gums might do nicely in the way you sug-
gest, and we thank you for calling our at-
tention to it.

MOKE EXPERIENCE WITH BEE-STINGS AND RHEUM-
ATISM.

At my table, when eating honey, without any oth-
er conversation leading to it, a German friend, with
much animation, told the following: "After the
Franco-Prussian war I suffered rheumatism (as the
effects of my soldier life) for three years, never
able to work, and seldom able to. walk. One flue

day in spring I coaxed them to carry me into the
garden, and, sitting near the bees, I smelled honey
and asked for bread and honey. The bees gather-
ed around me, and, being left alone a short time, I
tried to chase them off, and they stung me awful
bad on the face and arms, fifteen or twenty stings
before I got away. The swelling was terrible; but
before it was gone I could walk; and when it was
gone I was well, and never had rheumatism after-
ward, and immediately went to work." The name
of this man is Henry Karstadt. I believe his state-
ment. J. A. Lowe.
Hutchinson, Kan., June 28, 1889.

My friend, the above is very valuable ;
and from the numerous similar reports we
have received, I am inclined to think that
bee-stings are perhaps the best remedy for
that fearfully stubborn disease, rheuma-
tism, of any thing that is known. May it
not be that the hot sun and open air have
also something to do with it f I can readi-
ly understand how our poor friend K.
should get stung in the way he mentions.
The bees got enough honey from h's bread
and butter to put them into the right mood
for stinging fearfully, just about the time it
was gone. As he was helpless, he probably
got a good sound bee-sting treatment, es-
pecially for the first dose.

ANOTHER HIVE-CART.

Seeing a cut in Gleanings of a wheelbarrow to
lift and carry hives, I thought I would send you my
arrangement. With it I can lift and carry the heav-
iest hives with ease. One handle is on a hinge, so
it can be spread and closed up. The blocks and the
handles go under the strips near the top of my hives.

WILSON'S HIVE-CART.

I think it could be fixed to go under the hives as
well. The wheel is from a culitvator, and the
springs from an old spring seat. A frame goes
over the wheel to keep it from wabbling about,
which it would do on the end of such a long spring.
I have used this more or less for three years, and I
think if it were perfected and made just right it
would be quite handy. Henry Wilson.

Clinton, 111.

I will explain to our readers that our ar-
tist has not quite caught friend Wilson's
idea For Dovetailed hives, or hives whose
b )ttoms may be fastened, instead of having
a support under the bottom-board, a pair of
blocks on the handles of the wheelbarrow fit
into the hand-holes. With a movable-bottom
hive, however, something must go under to
keep the bottom in place, as shown in the
cut. The frame mentioned, as attached to
the springs to keep the wheel from wab-
bling, is omitted in the cut ; and, in fact,
friend Wilson has not made it plain just
what this frame should be. A stout piece
of fiat iron, however, riveted to each one of
the springs, and running over the wheel,
with a sort of bow, would probably remedy
the difficulty alluded to.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

5S7

ARE THEY ONLY OLD WORN-OUT BEES. OR ARE
THEY SOMETHING WORSE ?

I mail you to-day some bees for microscopical ex-
amination, all dead in one hole, and alive in anoth-
er. Our bees are dying- by the thousands, and I
have heard from 3 other bee-yards affected in the
same way. It seems to affect the field bees most,
judging from the fact of the wings of the dead and
dying being ragged, and no dead bees are in the
hives; drones are also suffering. The symptoms
are a general languor, stupid dullness— in fact,
they act drunk. When caught they seem to be un-
able to see, for they keep rubbing their eyes; and
after a time, if the sun is shining, they will fly off.
The honey-sac seems in all cases to be empty.
They do not seem to die at once, but linger; and I
am inclined to think in many cases they recover.
They are scattered all over the yard among the
grass, much the same as young bees after a swarm
has issued. There is no tremble or shake to their
actions, more than to chilled bees. All colonies
seem to be affected. Clover is in bloom, and some
sumac. C. A. Hatch.

Ithaca, Wis., June 28, 1889.

Luti r.— Bees are not dying as much now as they
were, with that peculiar trouble. C. A. H.

Ithaca, Wis., July 4, 1889.

We are having a good deal the same state
of affairs in onr apiary just now ; but I am
inclined to think that it is nothing more
than the fact that a large number of old
bees have failed because their wings are
worn out at about the same time. Another
thing, I am pretty certain that the unusual
amount of wet weather we have had for two
months past has been unusually severe on
the wings of our little friends. They came
so near starving in .June that they often
ventured out between showers so much as
to get their gauzy wings repeatedly saturat-
ed with rain. This would be quite apt to
render the wings less durable.

ed the horse, causing it to bolt. After galloping
for some distance the horse fell, and fractured its
foreleg. The bees swarmed upon it, and soon
stung it to death. So dense and vicious was the
swarm of bees that the traffic on the road was sus-
pended for a considerable time.

The facts may be exaggerated, but it will
serve as a warning.

OWED TO P. BENSON.

I hav jist writ the followin' owed to P. Benson,
wich I sen' fur publerkashun; to wit, viz :
When ere I tuk my Gleanings down
And got the " small fry " huddled round

Ter listen while I red,
The fust peace that must greete hour eye—
Thur picturs, splained to each one bye.
Was what P. Benson sed.

P. has writ you menny er line.
An off his 'umor, we opine,

Has hit our funny box;
And that his poem on ther fly
Jist tickled till we'd almost cry.

You may jist bet yer socks.

And P.'s a genus, that he is;

An' when you git er rhyme of his,

Jist send the lines to me.
Of all the orthors that I mete,
None else has got the same concete

That 'umors with a bee.

An' doubtless P. spins from afar

His tails of myrth, with naught ter mar

His pleasant fancies fly;
And if ermongst the bees he thrid,
And they shud chide, you well mite bid

P. Benson a good-by.

18 IT true ?

While lying in the hospital here, I came across an
item in the St. Louis Rrpnhltc, of June 8, which I
thought would interest you. I have clipped it out,
and inclose it in this letter for you. I know noth-
ing about the truth of the item. E. Hostetler.

St. Louis, Mo., June 10, 1889.

The item referred to is as follows :

STUNG TO DEATH BY BEES.

Henry Wright, a farmer, living near Maud, in
this county, was stung to death by bees at his home
to-day. He had just started to this city, and was
coming over a stile when the bees attacked him
with the above result.

Shelbina, Mo., June 7.

Can not some one among our subscribers in
the vicinity of Shelbina tell us whether the
clipping is true ?

A HORSE STUNG TO DEATH.

One of our subscribers from Australia, J.
F. Johnson, Kyneton, Victoria, sends us
the following clipping, taken from the Mel-
bourne Argus :

EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT NEAR BRISBANE ; A
HORSE STUNG TO DEATH BY BEES.

An extraordinary accident occurred yesterday
afternoon. A man was driving along the Bayswa-
ter-road, in the suburbs of Brisbane, in a spring-
cart, with a number of hives of bees, when by some
means be upset one of the hives. The bees attacl?-

THE HOME RUN.

For doubtless then tru 'umor'st flud
Its instant vent not thro ther mind.

Nor by ther pens parade.
But P. would personate the fun,
And surely make a good home run

Without a poet's ade.

Charlie Ryan, The Orange Pact.

BEES AND FRUIT ; A FRUIT-GROWER MAKES
CHARGES AGAINST THE BEE.

There seems to be quite a prejudice in these parts
against the honey-bees. See article published in
the Farm and Home, of Springfield, Mass., June 15,
which I inclose. O. F. AnGell.

The Dalles. Ore., June 24, 1889.

bees sometimes injure fruit

I see that the statement of the experiments of
N. W. McLain, of Aurora, III., with honey-bees, is
going the rounds of the papers as conclusive evi-
dence tljat, bees do not puncture grapes. As an ob..

588

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

server of the facts in the case, and a practical fruit-
grower for the last 35 years, and with several colo-
nies of bees quite a portion of the time, I am pre-
pared to say that those experiments are not conclu-
sive. Bees have striking peculiarities, and in none
are they more peculiar than in their tastes. They
attack certain varieties of peaches with great avidi-
ty, working through the skin and eating into the
flesh even before the fruit is thoroughly ripe, while
other varieties, to our taste sweeter and riper, are
left untouched. Hale's Early is always a favorite
with them, without reference to the supply of oth-
er food. Grapes they do not attack, except under
certain conditions. These conditions apparently
are that the fruit must be very ripe, the weather
dry and warm, and other food scarce. They have
sometimes destroyed, or rendered unfit for market,
tons of grapes in our vineyards in a single day,
puncturing the skin so that .juice would ooze from
several grapes in almost every cluster.
Lake County, Ohio. H.G.Thyon.

Friend A., I am glad you have called our
attention to this matter. Mr. Tryon is not
only one of the foremost horticulturists in
the State of Ohio, hut he is most excellent
authority on any such subject. Perhaps
after he reads over what I said some years
ago about bees working on the peaches he
may change his views a little. I quite agree
with him in saying that Prof. McLain's ex-
periments, to see if bees would eat fruit,
amount to just nothing at all, and I was
well aware of it at the time. Bees will not
exercise their powers of pulling things to
pieces when shut up in a wire-cloth house ;
and they may not exercise these powers,
either, in the open air. If the experiment
were made with all possible care, perhaps it
would fail a hundred times ; but for all that,
I am satisfied there are times when bees de-
stroy enough grapes to be quite a nuisance
in a vineyard. I am aware, however, that
they are blamed hundreds of times for what
they never did at all. Perhaps friend Try-
on is not aware that the bee-keepers and
horticulturists of Michigan met in a joint
convention some years ago, to talk over this
matter. A great many grape-growers are
bee-keepers also. Quite a number of them
were present at this convention ; but not
one of them that I know of ever discarded
bees because the bees troubled his grapes.
Where both the grapes and the bees were
his own property, he managed with very lit-
tle difficulty so as to have no interference to
amount to any thing.

MINERAL WAX; WILL IT COMPETE WITH THE AR-
TICLE FROM THE HIVE?

I inclose a newspaper clipping, cut from the
Southern Mercury, published at Dallas, Texas, con-
cerning a mineral wax. Can you tell us something
about it? W. A. Cartmell.

Crowley, Texas, June 24, 1889.

A curious illustration of the treasures of the soil,
often overlooked for a long time, is the discovery of
mineral wax in Utah. It was discovered three
years ago on the line of the Denver & Kio Grande
Railroad, covering an area of 150 acres. Over 1000
tons a year are secured. It looks like the wax that
is made by bees, and can be used for the same pur-
poses. It is mixed with parafflne in making can-
dles, and is used in the insulation of electric wires.
It needs no refining for ordinary uses. The discov-
ery is a hint to our land owners, that their farms
often contain riches that are overlooked. The
Pennsylvania farmers worked the oil-fields for gen-
erations without a dream of the wealth under foot.

I heard about the mineral wax when I
was in California, and 1 believe that some
samples were shown me ; but I can not now

tell just where or under what circumstanc-
es. I think, however, some of the bee-men
assured me that it would not answer for
foundation. Will some of our friends in
Texas, California, or Utah, give us more
light on the subject ?

CANNING CORN.

Some time since, I noticed a short article on can-
ning corn. It said it is almost impossible to keep it
from spoiling, and also expensive— too expensive
for common practice. I will take the liberty of
sending you a recipe for canning corn, that I have
used with perfect success for five years, canning
from 10 to 40 qts. each year.

Take the corn when it contains the most milk;
cut carefully, so as not to get any of the cob, and
can as soon after pulling as possible. To every 6
qts. of cut corn take one ounce of tartaric acid; do
not can more than two quarts at a time, using acid
in proportion. Your success is sure if you boil but 2
qts. or 3 pts. or 1 qt. in a vessel at a time. Have
your right proportion of acid dissolved, and add it to
the corn when the corn begins to boil. Boil the
corn till done, using just water enough to cook the
corn; do not have any juice left over when you put
it in your can; close quickly. I cover the can with
a little patch of muslin before placing on the cover.
I prefer tin cans, and I do not have the sealingwax
too brittle.

HOW TO PREPARE CANNED CORN FOR THE TABLE.

Remove the cover, drain off what little juice
there maybe, into a teacup, and save: pour the
corn into a vessel; add sugar, salt, butter, pepper,
and reserve the cream till you lift it for the table.
Have dissolved in a cup a teaspoonful of soda. Add
some of it, and let the corn cook slowly. Taste a
kernel occasionally; as long as it is sour, add more
of the soda water; boil the corn a good while. In
case you should get too much soda into the corn,
add some of the water you had poured off at first
and saved; that is all the reserved juice is good for.

Mrs. J. A. Lowe.

Hutchinson, Kan., June 28, 1889.

Very likely your plan will work, my
friend ; but is there not a good deal of fuss
and bother about it, especially if one wanted
to put up considerable? Our corn and to-
matoes canned together, as described a year
ago, have kept perfectly. The only difficulty
we meet is, that the tomatoes are cooked tit
for the table a good deal before the corn ;
therefore the corn must be separated from
the tomatoes and cooked by itself, to have it
real nice.

THE GOLDEN BEE-HIVE, AND BY WHOM PATENTED.

I see in Gleanings you are getling after the
Golden bee-hive men. They threatened to prose-
cute me last season for infringements on the Gold-
en hive, but I told the persons who told me, I had
books to show the model of my hive. Mr. Henry
Weaks, Dover, Tenn., has the couuty right for this
county, and Mr. John Parker, same address, sells
them for him. They sold to several neighboring
bee-keepers. I have made some of the Golden
hives, and have transferred and divided some for
my bee-keeping neighbors. They furnished one of
A. I. Root's cold-blast smokers and a little pamphlet
with the hive. The book doesn't say any thing
about the Golden hive, I think, but it is a treatise
on bees. I have never read the book. The patent

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

589

was issued to D. Thompson, Nashville, Tenn., July
3, 1877, for a term of seventeen years. Your article
on " Debt and Credit " I call excellent, for it seems
to hit the nail square, and drives it up. I follow the
mechanical trade of iron and wood worker, and I
lind persons, it seems to me, who could do better
than they do. S. L. Medlin.

Moltke, Tenn., June 11, 1889.

BLUE-JAYS BEE EATERS, CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

Did you ever hear of blue-jays eating bees? I
have killed three this spring, and found their crops
full of bees. Now, don't say that they had picked up
dead bees, for I saw one go from hive to hive and
catch them as they were coming in. The other two
were in an apple-tree which was very full of bloom,
and on which the bees were working very strong.
The jays were picking them from the bloom. My
wife and I stood and watched them for some time
until we were quite sure that they were catching
bees, and then I shot one. The other was so intent
on getting his dinner that it did not fly. I then shot
it, and on examination found them both loaded
with bees. J. Conger.

Wyoming, 111., June 24, 1889.

I believe we have had similar reports in
regard to blue-jays before ; but they are,
perhaps, not as much addicted to eating
well-filled honey-bees as are the king-birds.
See description of the matter in the ABC.

PROSPECTS IN ARIZONA.

Times here are dull. Honey sells at 5 cts., and
wild bees are filling the cavities among rocks, in
the giant cacti, or even hanging a cone in thick
brush. The harvest is nearly past. Early peaches,
with apricot and first fig crop are about gone.
Grapes will soon be ripe, of such quantity and
quality as have no rival. This is a beautiful " sun-
kissed " clime, with sometimes a little too much of
the "kiss." Oh, yes! I have a brother of yours for
near neighbor. I am wondering if I should like
you as well. B. F. Johnson, Sr.

Tempe, A. T., June 15, 1889.

Just as soon as my eye caught your letter
from Arizona, I began wondering if you
were anywhere in the vicinity of my broth-
er. I know what a large area Arizona has,
and our readers remember, doubtless, my
description of its weird wildness. if that
brother will stick to one spot long enough,
I should like very much to make you all a
visit soon. Do you mean to say that real
nice honey sells as low as five cents?

FRADENBURG IN MONTANA, AND WHAT HE THINKS
OF THE LOCALITY AS A BEE COUNTRY.

Perhaps many of the readers of Gleanings
would like to know if I meant what I said last
spring when I said that I was going to Montana.
Well, here I am in this far-off land. I came here
about the middle of May, and about the flr6t person
I met here was friend Bingham, the smoker man,
from Michigan. Although we had never had a per-
sonal acquaintance before, we became friends at
once. This is no place for bees. I have seen but
one stock since I have been in this State, and it was
one a friend brought to Box Elder, a station 60
miles east of here, from Port Washington last
March, and they looked badly demoralized, being
nearly starved, and dwindled to a mere handful. I
presume they have all died ere this. This town has

been settled for 30 years or more, but I can't learn
that there has ever been a bee brought here.
There are no trees that would produce either pollen
or honey of any account. There arc some spots of
wild weeds and flowers, but they don't look to me
to have life and vitality enough to secrete much
honey, even if there were bees to call for it; yet I
may be somewhat deceived, as this is an excep-
tionally dry year for this dry country. Their usual
rainy season is now nearly passed, and scarcely a
drop of rain has fallen. I expect to remain here a
week or two longer, and then return to my home in
Port Washington, Ohio. A. A. Fradenburg.

Fort Benton, Montana, June 18, 1886.

WIDE FRAMES AND HONEY-BOARDS

For some years I have used wide frames for sec-
tion honey, without honey-boards, and 1 have been
annoyed on account of the bees fastening the bot-
tom of the wide frames to the brood-combs. Often,
in pulling the wide frames to get them loosened
from the brood-combs, the latter would fall with a
tremendous jar, thus greatly disturbing the bees,
and often irritating them. I have often wondered
how this could be avoided while using wide frames.
If a honey-board is used, the tops of the frames are
raised too high to let a flat cover go on the hive. I
have thought that a honey-board could be used, and
cleats tacked on the projections of the wide frames,
to raise them a bee-space from the honey-board,
thus obviating the crushing of bee6 while handling
the frames; but in this case a half-story cover
must be used. Do you know any better way to
overcome the difliculty? T. E. Hanbuby.

Atlanta, Ga., July 1, 1889.

If you will turn to page 24 of our price
list, you will see illustrated a honey-board,
and alongside of it a rim. The purpose of
the latter is to raise the upper story of the
Simplicity hive up so as to leave a bee-space
under wide frames, or frames for the ex-
tractor. The honey-board will obviate all
the troubles of brace-comb attachments be-
tween the brood - frames and the wide
frames.

A RATTLESNAKE AMONG THE COMBS OF A BEE-
TREE, DEAD, AND HIS MOUTH WIDE OPEN
AND FILLED WITH HONEY.

Seeing in Gleanings that bees do not like snakes,
I will tell an incident that occurred within half a
mile of here. Last Saturday two colored men cut a
bee-tree; and in taking out the combs of honey
they found a large rattlesnake, which had crawled
in the tree at the ground, and up the hollow to the
combs. Being about 30 feet from the ground, the
combs were built around him and even attached to
his body tor about 3 feet. He died with his mouth
open, and the bees made combs in his mouth, and
filled it with honey. I did not see this, but I saw the
man who took the honey out, and he told me the
story. Now, what did that snake go up there for?
Did the bees kill him?

Our bees have done very well this spring; very
little increase. D. D. Slater.

Blatkville, S. C. June 6, 1889.

I think the snake had learned to eat heav-
ily laden bees, and possibly to eat the honey
out of the combs; and I presume likely the
bees stung it to death. If anybody else can
explain the matter any better, we should be
glad to have him do so.

590

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

REP9wg ENcea^eip.

BOOMING.

fl'K bees are just booming. We are extracting
right along, and that is very uncommon for
this time of year here; but the white clover
has yielded us lots of honey, and the linn will
soon be on hand. That will give us another
week's How that will give us barrels of honey. As
a general thing we get our honey in August and
September; and if that keeps up in proportion I
don't like to try to guess how much honey we can

get. J. PARSHALIi.

Skidmore, Mo., June 21, 1889.

Clover is in full bloom, and honey is coming in
fast, with prospects of a good yield.
Nashua, la., June 19, 1889. G. W. Stocks.

THE GREATEST HONEY-FLOW FOR YEARS.

We are having the greatest flow of clover honey
that I have known in 15 years.
Centerville, la., June 24, 1889. G. B. Replogle.

ITALIANS AHEAD OF BLACKS FOR HONEY.

We have succeeded in preventing swarms, and
secured an average of 28 lbs. from blacks, and 38
lbs. from Italians, of nice section honey, and have
two supers on each hive, with 56 sections, from a
good start of comb, all the stages to nearly sealed,
and we hope to get an average of 75 lbs. or more of
white clover honey, then we expect a good flow
from Spanish needle next fall. W. W. Addison.

Bumpus, 111., June 29, 1889.

ANOTHER HONEY-QUEEN.

White clover is abundant. Basswood opened
yesterday. I pass two trees four times a day; new
honey has been in the market 3 weeks. I have tak-
en 48 lbs. from one colony, more beautiful and de-
licious than I can describe. No other colony in the
same yard approaches this one; only a part of the
others are at work in the sections. Our boss honey-
gatherer Is a match for your " honey queen."

Madison, Ind., June 18, 1889. J. Cadwallader.

BEES DOING FINELY.

Bees are doing finely on clover. Basswood will
commence to bloom in three or four days. We ex-
pect to extract on the 17th. Owing to many rainy
days and very cool nights for some time past, the
bees have not stored as much honey as we think
they wTould have done, had the weather been more
favorable; yet they have done well, and perhaps
the abundance of rain may improve the future
crop. Miller Bros.

Bluff ton. Mo., June 13, 1889.

THE SEASON IN CALIFORNIA NOT A FAILURE, ETC.

I see reports from various sources, that the hon-
ey-crop of California is a failure for this year.
Now. such statements are very misleading. The
season is only half over, and the yield in some lo-
calities in Southern California is quite up to aver-
age years, and the quality of the honey is superior
to most years, both as to flavor, body, and color. In
former years 1 have extracted honey as late as Oc-
tober 17, and then have the bees fill the upper hive
with fair honey for their own use. The abundant
rains of this year almost insure a yield of honey
late in the season. I have about two tons of nice
sage honey now on hand. C. A. Wilson,

Jj08 Angeles, Cal., June 35, 1889.

IN THE BASSWOOD BELT; PROSPECTS FAVORABLE.

I wintered 80 swarms in my cellar last winter, and
lost two. I lost some this spring, and sold a few, so
I have 6fi left in my two yards. Last year, from 32
swarms I made one tan of honey in basswood
bloom. This season, white clover is looking well
and our bees are doing well. The basswood is very
full of buds, and will be in bloom about the 10th of
July. That will be our main crop. We should like
to have you come out here during basswood bloom.
If we have the right kind of weather you will see
some good work done in the bee-yards.

Viola, Wis., June 24, 1889. B. W. Lawton.

LONG FACES.

Bee business is dull, discouraging, which ac-
counts for being slow in renewing. For three
weeks bees have been sitting on the portico of the
hives, watching the rain with long faces.

Lyons, Ind., June 12, 1889. J. Scholl.

CALIFORNIA A LITTLE MORE HOPEFUL.

Since I wrote you last, we are having a little
more honey; but the crop is, or will be small. Un-
favorable weather is the cause. A number will not
make expense of running. M. H. Mendleson.

Ventura, Cal., June 11, 1889.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTIONS, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT.

The Chapman honey-plant began to bloom June
19. I have just measured some of the plants. The
largest measures just 7 ft. 2 in. in height; average,
about 4 ft.; heads on the largest plants, from 30 to
40. M. S. Percival.

Rugby, Tenn., June 25, 1889.

BEESTINGS A POSITIVE CURE FOR RHEUMATISM.

I have been troubled for years with rheumatism ;
and when punctured a few times by the bees I
found I was entirely cured. The fluid extract of
bee-sting is an old eclectic cure for rheumatism.

Kirkwood, O., June 24, 1889. M. N. McNeil.

WHITEWASH INSTEAD OF PAINT, FOR HIVES.

I have been using common whitewash on my
hives for three seasons. I have had from 40 to 75
colonics. I find it cheap, and it gives the hives a
neat clean look. I think it is cooler than paint, and
at the same time it helps to preserve the wood. I
should like to know if anyone else has tried it. It
takes only a few minutes to apply it. I can always
have my hives looking fresh and white.

Musson, La., June 21, 1889. Dr. A. W. Tufts.

DOOLITTLE'S NEW BOOK.

Doolittle's new book is very interesting; but I
know by experience that his new plan of raising
queens in full colonies over a queen-excluding hon-
ey-board does not work every time. In this locali-
ty, during the horsemint flow every queen-cell will
be destroyed. May be it would work with the cell-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

591

protector. T have not tried it as yet; but I believe
the plan will always work in spring, and as long- as
the colony is inclined to swarm.
Selma, Texas, June 7, 1889. L. Stachelhausen.

VERITABLE KOBBER-BEES.

Mr. A. C. Waldron sends some small shining hair-
less bees that are robbing his bees. He says they
attack only one colony, and are very numerous.
These are common honey-bees, hybrids (Italians
and blacks). They are small, shining, and black, as
they have had nearly all the hair pulled out. They
are veritable robbers. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

nALLBEKRY HONEY.

I this day send you a sample of extracted gallber-
ry honey. This is the first honey for market; and
the six years 1 have been here it has never failed to
give a good crop. Please give your opinion of the
same. I think it quite nice, and should not be
classed as Southern honey. S. C. Corwin.

Sara Sota, Fla., June 16, 1889.

[The sample came duly to hand. The color and
body of the honey are good. While we do not think
that the flavor is quite equal to that of white clover,
yet it ought not to classed with the ordinary South-
ern honey, so called.]

IS HONEY FROM CATNIP BITTER?

I had a large quantity of catnip in my yard. I
was talking with a friend a few days ago, and he
said that catnip would produce honey that was bit-
ter. I should like to have your views on it. If I
thought it would be an injury to the honey, 1 would
cut it all down. Thos. Phillip.

Holland Store, June 7, 1889.

[You are certainly in error in thinking that the
honey from catnip was bitter, or even poor. Some
years ago one of our bee-friends planted catnip
largely for honey alone, and he found the quality
was very fine. It has a somewhat aromatic flavor,
like that from the mints and basswood; but this
flavor is not bitter, and in no way objectionable.]

0a^ QaE^i0]\i-B0^,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 135.— a. When, in your locality, does
white clover first begin to yield nectar? b. How lon<j
does it usually last? c. What other sources have you
for white honey?

a. May 25 to June 10; b. 4 weeks; c. None.

Dadant & Son.
a. About June 10; b. It lasts till about July 10; c.
Basswood. Geo. Grimm.

a. About June 10; b. Lasts from two to four
weeks; c. Linden. A. J. Cook.

a. As a rule, with the beginning of June; b. As
a rule, to the beginning of July. c. None.

C. F. Muth.
a. Usually about June 15; b. From two to three
weeks; c. Raspberries, sumac, and basswood.

A. R. Manum.
a. About June 10. b. Until July, or until bass-
wood gives nectar, c. Raspberry, willow, sumac,
linden. Rambler.

a. About June first; b. From two to three weeks;
c. Basswood and sweet clover. A. B. Mason.

a. Generally from June 1 to 6; b. From two to
four weeks; c. Basswood, red-root, and sometimes
mint. S. I. Freeborn.

It used to begin about June 0; but for several
years past the yield of honey from that source has
been so light that it has been a little difficult to tell
just when it began and when it left off. c. Bass-
wood. H. R. Boardman.

Usually bees commence on white clover from
June 1 to 10. There is some clover in blossom here
now May 28. But the bees are not making a living.
Weather is too wet and cold. For white honey in
this locality we have white clover and basswood.

E. France.

a. Usually not far from June 20. b. From two to
three weeks, c. Basswood. White clover is not
usually a heavy yielder with us, bees working on a
variety of flowers. The common daisy often fur-
nishes honey enough for brood-rearing, for a short
time. P. H. Elwood,

a. I have seen white clover in bloom in January,
but never had any yield from it before March, b.
About July 1. Some favorable seasons it will last
till August, c. In the fall we have the smartweed
and eupatorium, which yield lighter honey than
white clover. Paul L. Viallon.

a. It varies at different seasons, all the way from
the first to the last of June. b. The heavy flow
from white clover usually lasts from 10 to 20 days ;
but a very moderate flow will sometimes last six
weeks, c. A very small amount of basswood. This
refers to my Iowa location, as my answers all do,
when different locations would make a difference
in the reply. O. O. Poppleton.

a. From the last of May to June 10. The bees
don't seem to accomplish any thing on it until
about ten days after the first blossoms are seen.
This year was exceptional. The first blossom was
seen May 15, and three days later I saw a bee on a
clover-blossom, b. Three to six weeks, c. Practi-
cally none, although cucumbers help some for win-
ter stores. C. C. Miller.

a. Usually from May 25 to June 1. In a wet season,
somewhat later, b. The first crop of white clover,
ordinarily about a mouth; if the rainfall is plenti-
ful, younger plants come forward and even new
ones from the seed, so that the flow is extended al-
most through the entire season, although the yield
may not be large; c. Apple-blossoms, raspberry,
polygonum, blackheart. Apple-bloom is not very
white. Linden in some seasons yields well; in oth-
ers, not at all. Mrs. L. Harrison.

a. We have no white clover at all, except with
blue grass, in front dooryards. b, c. Wild alfalfa,
white, purple, and black sages; black sage abound-
ing in only a few localities, commences yielding,
I will say, in the last half of April. Purple sage,
perhaps the most abundant of any, especially near
the coast, comes in the fore part of May; and white
sage abounds in the more elevated districts away
from the coast, in the last half of May. Wild al-
falfa comes about the same time, or a little earlier,
than while sage, and is about as good for honey.
The time of bloom varies from one to six weeks.
Each variety yields honey from four to six weeks.

It. Wilkin.

592

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

a. From June 10 to 20; b. About one month; c.
Willow, apple, and teasel; but baBswood gives far
more honey than all the rest combined. Some
years a Utile alsikc clover is sown, which yields far
more honey than Ihe white, \\iih us; but the honey
is of so dark or reddish a color that I do not like it,
on account of its being sure to spoil the looks of
the first sections off in the basswood yield.

G. M. Doolittle.

a. About June 1, varying about ten days one way
or the oi her, according to the season, b. It always
lasts clear into the basswood, which begins bloom-
ing July 1, as a rule, and many times I have known
the bees to gather considerable white-clover honey
after the basswood was over, after July 20. c. The
basswood is our only other source after white
clover, to any considerable extent. The pleurisy-
root yields white horeyand is a profuse yielder too;
but as yet there are not enough of the plants in my
locality for my large apiary to make much surplus
from; however.it has been rapidly increasing for
several years past. James Heddon.

a. It conies into bloom about May 20, and begins
to yield honey about twenty days afterward. I
have kept close watch of this for several years, and
here is the record -that for 18S6 being lost.

1884. 1885. 1887. 1888. 1889.
First bloom - - 5 23 5-20 5-20 5-23 5-12
Began to yield honey 6-14 5-28 6 4 6 6 6-11

As will be seen, this year it bloomed earlier and
began to yield honey later than usual, b. The yield
runs into that from basswood, which begins about
July 1, and does not amount to very much after
that closes, about ten days later, c. Besides bass-
wood, the crop from which grows less and lees each
year as the trees are cut down, we frequently get
considerable honey from sweet clover, for which
there is an excellent prospect this year.

J. A. Green.

White clover seldom yields much surplus before
June 10 in this locality, although it blooms much
earlier; and at the close it tapers off and mingles
with other things in such a way that it is hardly
possible to state its duration. Some years it seems
to yield scarcely at all; but the fact that I do not
see bees working on it is not full proof that they
are not doing so on some other portion of their
range. In regard to its blooming, I And the follow-
ing on my records:

Year. Began. Closed. Days.

1880 May 20 Aug. 15 88

1881 " 22 Sept. 11 113

1882 " 27 Sept. 13 118

1883 " 29 Oct. 7 125

1884 " 19 Sept. 6 110

As to other sources of white honey, I have some
basswood. I used to credit wild basil and white
cornel with furnishing considerable white honey;
but with the lapse of time I have come to doubt it.

E. E. Hasty.

The above question was intended to indi-
cate to some extent whether it is practica-
ble to move bees from north to south, so as
to keep in the clover bloom. Friend Man-
um, I believe, is the furthest north of any
of our reporters, and he gives the date as
June 15 ; while Freeborn, of Wisconsin,
might be nearly as far north, he gives his
report as from the let to the 6th. Friend
Elwood, in York State, puts it not far from
June 20. Friend Wilkin, of California, says
they don't have any clover, which I was

well aware of. Friend Viallon says they
seldom get any yield of honey from clo-
ver before March. Sometimes it lasts till
August. Mj impression is, that we. are in-
debted to white clover more or less in all
our loc ilities, say up to August or even lat-
er. Even here in Ohio I have seen quite a
yield of what 1 pronounced white-clover
honey, during August and September; and
as the bees were woiking on white clover
almost as much as on the red, it is difficult
to decide, if, in fact, we can decide at all,
which kind of clover gives the more. The
above answers also indicate that basswood
is not, as a general thing, as widely distrib-
uted as white clover.

Question 136.— a. Do you ever get enough honey
from red clover to secure a surplus to any extent? b.
What is the most you ever secured from tins source?

No.

No.

a. No.

a. No. b. (?).

a. No. b. None.

a. No. b. Winter stores.

Dadant & Son.

H. R. Boardman.

A. B. Mason.

A. J. Cook.

E. France.

Geo. Grimm.

a. No. b. I am notable to tell. P. H. Elwood.

No; but little red clover is raised near me.

O. O. Poppleton.

a. No; b. It has been so mixed up with honey
from other sources that it is impossible to tell.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

Several times red clover has been planted here ;
but I never had the bees gather any nectar from
it. P. L. Viallon.

a. Only once in a great while we secure more
honey from red than from white clover, b. I don't
know. C. F. Muth.

a. I once credited red clover with a few barrels of
honey, but afterward thought that the blue vervain
should have had the credit. S. I. Freeborn.

a. No red clover here. I never got any that I
knew of when I lived in the East, and even had my
doubts of any one else getting any worth counting.

R. Wilkin.

a. No. b. I never learned. The yields reported
from red clover, I think, are in localities where a
second crop is raised for seed; the blossoms are
smaller. H ambler.

a. No. b. I don't know that I ever got any; but
one year, during a yield of buckwheat, two colo-
nies gathered light honey that may have been red
clover. C. C. Miller.

Though 1 have known my bees to work on red
clover, I never knew them to make much surplus
from it, and I leave it altogether out of my calcu-
lation in estimating the honey-crop.

J. A. Green.

a. Only one year did I ever get any considerable
quantitj of red-clover surplus honey. I think near-
ly two thousand pounds of extracted honey was the
amount that year. b. Answered above.

James Heddon.

Not of late years, as there is a little worm which
works on it and this prevents its blossoming at all.
In 1872 I obtained about 30 pounds of honey from
this source from some of my best colonies, and did

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

593

nearly as well one or two other years prior to 1880.
This was all gathered by Italian bees, while at the
same time the blacks were consuming the stores
which they had gathered from basswood.

G. M. Doolittle.
Bees frequently work on it; and they surely
would not work it for pollen alone in my location,
where pollen resources are so great. I doubt, how-
ever, whether I ever realized any great amount
of surplus from it. E. E. Hasty.

No, not separate from white clover, as my bees
work on both at the same time; that is, both bloom
together here, and bees are seen working on both.
My bees work well on the red clover some years
when it is plentiful. I find that the dark or leather-
colored Italians work on it much better than the
bright yellow bees. Mr. Frank Boomhower, of Gal-
lupville, N Y., who advertises "red-clover queens,"
first got his stock from my apiary, when he said
they were the first bees he ever saw work on red
clover, b. I never get it separate from white.

A. E. Manum.

The striug of "noes "at the beginning
would seem to indicate, either that red clo-
ver does not flourish everywhere, or that it
doe? not yield honey very often. I feel like
adding that the friends who say " no " have
not observed as closely as some of us ; may
be, however, that last had better not be
added. Muth says, " Once in a great
while ;" so we know he is pretty certain
that he has had a good yield from red clo-
ver. Friend Freeborn once gave red clover
the credit, but now thinks it doubtful.
James Ileddon has had only one good yield
from red clover. Now, I am inclined to
think, as in the question just before, that
we are all indebted more to red clover than
we know. In our locality you may go out
into the fields in July, August, or Septem-
ber, and And Italians working steadily and
busily on red clover, day after day, and
week after week. And, while it gives a
surplus only under very favorable circum-
stances, 1 feel certain that red clover keeps
bees busy and out of mischief, and keeps
brood-rearing going, and oftentimes enables
them slowly to accumulate sufficient stores
for winter, where it does nothing more.
Ernest remarks that only last summer, the
red-clover bloom gave enough honey so as to
save quite a good deal in sugar feeding.
The color and taste of the honey indicated
pretty surely the source. In our locality,
more or less red clover is always round
about us, to the extent of perhaps 100 acres
within range of the bees' flight, from which
a good deal of clover seed is raised. What
we call red-clover honey has a ranker taste
than that from white clover. The color is
a little greener. That a bee Alls its sac from
the blossoms of red clover, can be easily
proven by dissection. You can also And
the same honey by dissecting the clover-
head. Sometimes the honey is scarcely per-
ceptible, either to the taste or to the sight ;
at other times it seems to almost All the
tube of the blossom. At such a time, the
bees work strong, and All the boxes. A
tfood yield of honey, however, from red clo-
ver, in our locality, is the exception rather
than the rule.

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OB OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Oook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you And in
Sunday-school hooks costing from $1.00 to 81.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off, Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

A WHOLE PLATEFUL, OF HONEY AT A TIME.

My uncle Joseph has 14 hives of bees. He has
taken 50 lbs. of extracted honey, and 50 lbs. of
comb. But the rainy weather has been a drawback
on the bees. He expects to take a nice lot more;
that is, if it doesn't rain too much. I never used to
like honey till this year, because when my uncle
first kept bees I ate a whole plateful and it made
me sick. I have a little playmate who likes to eat
salt on honey. Mabel, Briggs, age 11.

Cornwall Landing, N. Y., June 17, 1889.

PAPA'S GREENHOUSE.

Papa has a forcing-house. It is 12 by 34 feet. It
is covered with glass, and heated by a furnace, on
the return-flue system. It is a perfect success.
He has a lean-to on it and half of it is covered with
glass. Iu that he keeps his furnace, water-tank,
and also has room to transplant in it. He has the
beds in the other part. He has about 3000 once
transplanted Grand Rapids lettuce-plants. He also
has cabbage, cauliflower, and tomato seeds sown,
and has radishes up. He gives us children one cent
per 100 for transplanting.

Lovina E. Whitney, age 10.

Independence, Iowa, Feb. 15, 1889.

BEES IN GERMANY.

Bees in Germany are doing very badly. My
mother is there this year, and also my brothers,
taking care of them. My mother is going to send
me a photograph of our buckwheat apiary, of about
40 straw hives. You have no such hives in your A
B C book as we have in Germany. My mother had
the first swarm Pfingsten (Easter). She took some
hives along, and other goods, to show the people in
Germany. About half of our bees died last winter,
for we had no one to see to them until mamma
came out in spring. She is going to visit some large
bee-men; and when she comes back I will send you
a report of her journey. Papa is busy hiving
swarms. He says the bees have no honey, and are
doing little. Last year he and I extracted honey
June 24. Anna Blanken, age 11.

Jersey City, N. J., June 26, 1889.

All right, friend Anna ; let's hear from
you again.

594

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

I ULY

PAPAS BEES.

My papa has r.6 colonics of bees. He has had
three swarms of bees this summer. We had a cold
dry spell, and they did not gather much honey. Pa-
pa had to feed some of them. One colony of papa's
bees was attacked by what is supposed to be the
nameless bee-disease; but he took out the old comb
and put in others, and saved part of them. He made
a swarming-box; and sometimes when you would
think the bees had all gone into the hive, they
would all be in the s warming-box. Papa gives me
a penny every time I see the bees swarm first. Pa-
pa lost one colony of bees this spring, but he did
not lose any last winter. He extracts the most of
his honey, because people like it better that way,
and it sells more readily. Papa has divided six
colonies. Lillie Spracklen, age 14.

Cowden, 111., June 3, 1889.

HOW FAR DO SWARMS FLY?

My brother has 40 hives. We have had a very
long drouth. We had a good rain last night and
this morning. The horscmint is in bloom. It was
dying, but this rain will stop it. My brother has
not had many swarms; but two ran away. Do you
know how far a swarm flies''' Mr. Stone, of Belton,
was the first man that brought the Italians to this
county. While increasing them a swarm ran
away. A long time after, the swarm was found 14
miles from the apiary. No one knew the race of
bees. Mr. Stone bought (he swarm for $5.00. My
brother buys his supplies of you. He gets other
bee-keepers to order with him, so as to make
freight cheap.

I thought I would tell you about wild ducks.
They build their nests in a hollow tree, and keep
their eggs warm with down. They lay from 10 to
34 eggs. Their eggs are white, about the size of a
pullet's egg. They prefer a tree that leans over the
water to build a nest in. When the eggs are hatch-
ed, and the young ducks are about an hour old, the
old duck takes them to the water. Then the drake
helps to defend them. If any one comes near, the
old hen will act as if she were crippled to get the one
to take after her, then the drake will take the
ducks to the bank and hide them. The young ducks
are very wild. Before the young ducks are able to
fly they dive under the water. Wm. Morgan.

Belton, Texas, June 12, 1889.

A LETTER FROM A LITTLE BOY IN SCOTLAND.

My father has given me leave to write a letter.
Did you ever get a letter from a boy in Scotland?
Our farm is in a glen in the highlands of Inverness-
shire. We are near the big hills ; they are covered
with heather. It grow6 as thick as grass, and is
awfully bonnie. We like the heather. It is red
and purple, and some white. Father says you have
no heather in America. 1 thought it was in every
place. I am sure father would send you some to
plant. It has a bonnie wee flower. I will tell you
about father's bees, if you like.

John Stokes, age 8.

Balnastraid, Carrbridge, Scotland.

We are very glad to get your letter, friend
Johnnie. Although we have had juvenile
letters from almost all parts of the world,
we do not recollect just now of having re-
ceived one from Scotland. We should very
much like to see the Scotch heather, which
you say, in your very expressive Scotch, is
" awfully bonnie. " No, we have no heather

in America, but we have heard a great deal
of the heather honey, and we have tasted
some samples. We have white clover, how-
ever, which we are proud of. Let us hear
from you again. We like to hear from the
little boys and girls, especially those who
live on the other side of the " big pond.v

700 LBS. OF HONEY FROM A SINGLE COLONY, ETC.

My father said that to every boy who writes a let-
ter to you, you send a book. My father keeps bees,
and I keep bees myself. I handle them. I have
two sisters. One runs away fi-om the bees, and the
other don't. My father took over 700 lbs. of honey
from one hive one season. I boxed a swarm of
bees when I was three years old, and I have five
swarms. I sold a swarm for £1.75, and bought a
tricycle. Fred W., age 8.

Adelaide, South Australia.

Seven hundred pounds of honey and over
has been produced from a single colony and
its increase. Such enormous yields are very
rare indeed; still, it is not impossible that
your papa took that much. We should be
glad to hear more about it. As you have a
long season, those 700-pound yields probably
are not as scarce as they are in America.
We should be glad to hear from some of our
subscribers, especially the little folks who
live in this portion of the globe. In regard
to "boxing" a swarm of bees (or hiving, I
suppose you mean) when you were only
three years old, that is a little hard to be-
lieve. Little boys have a memory that is
not always reliable; and one peculiarity of
their memory is, that a thing is always
greater than the real fact.

BEE KEEPING IN MINNESOTA; SWARMING, ETC.

We live up away up here in Minnesota, where
such bee-raising as we read about in your books is
unknown. My father is an amateur bee-raiser. He
has been a market-gardener for many years, and
finally two years ago he thought he would keep
bees in connection with his gardening. Two years
ago he got two colonies, paying the sum of $13.00
for them, and now we have ten colonies. As you
wanted me to write the facts, here goes:

A year ago we wintered the bees in the outdoor
cellar, and they wintered nicely. Last winter he
dug a hole, with ventilation in the top, and buried
them. But there were two weak colonies, and
those they left in the cellar. My mother fed them
honey, and they ate it all up. Then she bought
patent syrup and fed them, and it killed every one.
So do not any of your readers ever feed your bees
on patent syrup.

Will any of your readers tell me why our colonies
swarmed so early in the season when Mr. Levy has
00 colonies, and he hasn't had a new one this year?
and another bee-man who has 50, and it is the same
with him? But my father feels proud that he has
had the first and only new colony in the neighbor-
hood this year. Miss Edna Shaw.

Fountain, Minn., June 8, 1889.

We don't know what your patent syrup
is ; but we always recommend, for a winter
food, granulated-sugar syrup. In regard to
the swarming, perhaps your papa keeps
stronger colonies, or perhaps your neighbors
keep the swarming cells of their colonies
cut out so as to discourage swarming.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

-595

T0B7ICC0 C@^MN.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKEKS To PERSONS WHO
STOP USING TOBACCO.
First, the candidate must be one of those who have given np
tobacco in consequence of what he lias seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
(i leanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay forthe smoker. Tin-
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to GLEANINGS, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
beeausewe think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

THE PIPESTEM STICKIN' OUT.

My friend, your pipe we can not see ;
Hidden surely it must be;
For while you travel round about.
We see the stem a stickin' out.

Now, do you think it nice and wise
To burn your nose and smoke our eyes?
Then just you lug your pipe about,
And leave the stem a stickin' out.

And if you think you're doing: right
To puff and smoke both day and night,
Just bear your pipe with you about.
And leave the stem a stickin' out.

Examples set to girls and boys,
Although they spoil their life-long joys,
And as you pass along the route,
Just leave your pipestem stickin' out.

Thus as you lead the youth along,
To practice what they know is wrong.
They see the sign you bear about;
It is your pipestem stickin' out.

At home, at church, or while abroad,
The people all with one accord,
With deaf'ning roar aloud may shout—
"We see your pipestem stickin' out."

Now, if you would disgust us all—
The old, the young, the large, the small,
Just lug your pipe around, and shout,
" Here! See my pipestem stickin' out."
Cedartown, Ga. J. M. H.

A neighbor of mine, through the influence of
Gleanings, has decided to quit the use of tobacco.
If you will send him a smoker T will be responsible.
If he ever uses it again I will pay for it.

Anneville, Texas. G. H. Reed.

One of my friends, Mr. Sievert Anderson, who
has been a great smoker, has quit smoking, and
says if you will send him a smoker to Newton, Ben-
ton Co., Oregon, he will quit; and if he ever smokes
again he will pay you. Mrs. C. Dixon.

Newport, Oregon.

I promise to pay for the smoker should I ever use
lobacco in any way again; if you will try me this
once yet, 1 feel as if it would be the last time I
should have to ask for human help.

Here is another who is no reader of Gleanings,
but he says if you will send him a smoker he will
pay 75 cts. for it if he ever uses tobacco again in
auy way. If he breaks his pledge I will see that he
pays it. His name is Albert Sanders.

Fairfield, Pa. J. A. Kime.

I inclose 70 cents to pay for a smoker for myself,
and also 20 cents to pay postage on a smoker for
George James. Having used tobacco for 20 years
he says he will quit; and I promise, if he ever uses
it again, to pay for the smoker if he deserves one.

Denver, Mo. W. K. Smith.

An old friend of mine, Mr. Crandall, who has used
tobacco for many years, has quit using it. I have
also quit, as 1 never used it very much. Now, if
you think we are entitled to a smoker between us,
please send it along; and if we ever use it again we
will pay you the full amount. L. W. Watts.

Portland, Oregon.

HAS KESUMED THE USE OF TOBACCO, BUT PAYS
FOB THE SMOKER.

Gleanings is always gladly received. Mr. Rolen
Routen has fallen back to his tobacco, and sends
you 70 cts. to pay for the smoker he got.

Henry, Tenn. R. F. Carter.

Thanks for the 70 cents, Mend C— not be-
cause it is so much money, but because it
shows that your friend is honest and square.
We hope he will try it again, however.

I wish to join your anti-tobacco company, and 1
want a smoker, and then I shall be a smoker no
longer. I have been using tobacco, though not im-
moderately, for several years, and I know it is an
injury. I agree to all the conditions, so put me up-
on the list. J. M. Aker.

Smithville, Mo., Apr. 25.

Friend A., where do you draw the line be-
tween " moderate " and " immoderate "? If,
as you say, you used it moderately, and yet
suffered from it, is it not true that the use
of tobacco to any extent is an abuse of it, as
it is with liquor?

Under date of May 9, friend A. says :

The smoker came this evening. Thank you. My
time to stop smoking and chewing has begun, and I
think I can be faithful. T never chewed or smoked
extravagantly, but I have been at it thirty years or
more, though I have quit several times, sometimes
a year or two, in that time. J. M. Aker.

Smithville, Mo.

I thiuk that any man, by reading Gleanings, will
be a better man spiritually if not financially. I
have been smoking tobacco 25 years, and Bro. Mor-
row (the bee-man) told me I was smoking too much ;
and if I would quit you would give me a smoker;
and in case you send me one, if ever 1 use tobacco
again I hereby promise to pay for the smoker. I
did not do this for the mere value of the smoker,
for I don't suppose that money would have hired
me to do so; but I believe that morally it is wrong;
and, God being my helper, I'll never do it again.

Washington, Ark. H. B. Timberlake.

commences the use of tobacco, but pays for
the smoker.

Mr. Ummel has been using tobacco again, and I
send you one dollar to pay for a broken pledge. He
does not use much, but I should like for him to
leave it alone altogether. I have three boys and
three girls, all under ten years of age. I should hate
awfully if any of them should learn to use the vile
stuff. I hate tobacco, and I will fight it as long as I
live. Pray for us, dear friend; pray that my dear
husband may see how wrong it is to use tobacco,
and that he may have strength to leave it alone.

New Goshen, Ind. Mrs. Josephine Ummel.

596

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JULY

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

JIAltKE'l -GARDENING IN JULY.

0NE of the venders of a recipe for mak-
ing artificial honey once said, as a
reason why people had better manu-
facture honey instead of having the
bees gather it, that it required brains
enough to run a cotton-factory, to produce
honey successfully with an apiary of bee-
h'n; s. Well, may be he was not so far from
light, so far as brains are concerned ; al-
though 1 believe it would take still more
brains to humbug and defraud the public,
and at the snme time build up a profit-
able business. Well, I have been thinking,
during this July, that it takes as much
brains to run a market-garden successfully
as to run an apiary ; and it is right in the
line of this matter of demand and supply
that I spoke about last month. As an illus-
tration : Last year we raised so many peas,
and managed so awkwardly, that they ri-
pened all at once, as it were, until nobody
wanted to see another pea. Prices went
away down, and beautiful stratagems would
hardly bring enough to pay for picking and
carrying around town. This year I thought
I would profit by experience, and I did.
Just as soon as one lot of peas was up, an-
other lot was planted, or drilled in, rather,
with a grain-drill. It is a great deal more
trouble to get the drill out so many times,
and drill only two rows or three, the length
of the lot ; but it does the business. This
year we have not had a pea on the wagon
that was old and hard. The reason is, that
customers have been for six weeks calling
for the peas a little faster than they ripened;
and we have had $2.00 a bushel for every
peck we have sold, with the exception of a
small portion of the first Alaskas. Now,
my mistake was in not planting one row
more when I did plant, so as to give our
Medina people just enough. We could then
have had good prices, and supplied all de-
mand. It has been the same way with lettuce.
During the last of June, we had great beau-
tiful heads of Henderson's New York let-
tuce, about as solid and almost as large as
cabbages. At 5 cents a pound it was very
good business indeed. But we had too
many of them at once. It did not run up to
seed ; but as we had so much wet wreather
the heads rotted at the center. When these
great crisp heads of lettuce were just right,
nobody would look at any other— not even
the Grand Rapids. Several patches of let-
tuce that were grown with much care and
pains, were never made any use of what-
ever. When the big-head lettuce, however,
began rotting at the center, all other kinds
began to shoot up seed ; and in one week
after having the market overstocked, we
had no nice lettuce at all, and the price has
gone up from 5 cents to 10 cents per pound.
Now, to manage so as to have just enough
of each and every product in the market-
garden to supply the demand clear through
the season the year round, is certainly a
matter requiring much calculation and fore-
thought. In fact, I should like to see the

man who could do it, even for a town of
2000 inhabitants, and make no mistake. It
is just so with the plant-trade. This year
we had a great quantity of tomatoes, and
thousands are yet in the seed-bed, or, rath-
er, where they were transplanted ; but the
late cabbages we did not get enough of, and
lost quite a good many orders. The Jersey
Wakefield was a little overdone. By the
way, the finest and hardest heads of cab-
bage we had last year to winter over were
the Jersey Wakefield and Winningstadt.
They kept over winter, in fact, a great deal
better than Flat Dutch, and cabbages of
that sort. Last year we managed cabbages
so as to have not only enough, but too many,
and many of them burst and went to
wraste. We made sour-kraut of them, but
the sour-kraut did not all sell. This season,
as with the peas, we went to the other ex-
treme. We have not had enough cabbages
for the demand so far. The consequence is,
we are still getting 5 cents a pound for
choice hard heads of Jersey Wakefield, even
now during the middle of July. We are so
well pleased with friend March's strain of
Jersey Wakefield that we planted some
seeds the first of July. The plants are up
nicely, and will be put in the field during
the last of July. We expect these will make
nice heads to winter over ; and if the price
in the spring is not well up, we shall try
planting some of our own so as to raise our
own seed.

We have had more trouble this summer
than ever before, with early celery running
up to seed. We thought at first the fault
was in the seed, and were going to com-
plain to Peter Henderson because his White
Plume ran to seed more than it ever did be-
fore. But' when the Boston Market, Self
Blanching, Golden Dwarf, and, in fact, the
whole of them, ran up to seed, instead of
making celery, as they have former seasons,
we decided that it was the fault of the sea-
son. If any reader of Gleanings has a
strain of celery (it ought to be White Plume
or Self Blanching) that is especially adapt-
ed for getting early celery so as to put it on
the market in June, he would confer a favor
on us by sending us samples. We usually
have celery on the market during the last of
June; but our customers have not had a
bit so far at this date, July 9.

THE BEST EARLY STRAWBERRY.

I told you a month ago, that the one fact
that the Jessie furnishes strawberries in
every respect equal to the Sharpless, but a
weak or ten days earlier, was of itself a
sufficient reason for giving that variety
prominence. Well, after our strawberries
were all picked I happened to go out to that
nice patch of Jessies that I told you about ;
and what do you think? Why, it was pret-
ty well covered with berries, when there
was not any other strawberry on the place,
with one exception. These later Jessies are
not so awkward in shape as those first ripen-
ing were. They are nice and round, red all
over— excellent in flavor, and sold readily
for two cents a quart more than the black
raspberries. Now, this maybe caused part-
ly by the way in which this bed has been
cared for. The runners were kept off, and

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

597

the furrows between the beds have carried
off the surplus water from our tremendous
heavy rains. Have others found the Jessie
superior as a late berry, as well as an early
one? I spoke of one exception ; this is the
Gaudy. The iirst ripe berry I found was in
July. They are of good shape, and it is in
every respect a good berry ; but the few
plants we have did not bear much fruit ;
and may be very late strawberries never do
yield as much as the early ones. It is also
very slow in putting out runners— so much
so that the price of plants ought to be pret-
ty high if they will behave as our Gandies do.

EARLY ONIONS, TO I'.E SOLD IN BUNCHES.

For a number of years we have sold great
quantities of bunch onions ; but I have
been in the habit of using good-sized sets
for the purpose. Years ago 1 bought quite
a lot of good-sized Yellow Danvers sets ; in
fact, they were onions too small to sell, tak-
en from those raised in the field. The
swamp garden was almost filled with these.
Well, like the celery, " every last onion"
put up a seed-stalk. We cut off the seed-
stalk, but that did not work very well. The
onions are tough, and it is a good deal of
work to peel them, so as to make them nice
and handsome. Now. one of the boys plant-
ed a single row of White Victoria, furnish-
ed by Burpee. These were planted ever so
much too thick, and we were too busy to
thin them out. One day our hotel wanted
some small onions, without bulbs, to put in
glasses. I suggested to the boys that they
thin out the White Victorias. These filled
the bill exactly, and went off readily at 5
cents a bunch. The bunches hardly weigh-
ed half a pound ; while of large coarse
onions we gave a whole pound for a nickel.
Well, these White Victorias do not have to
be peeled at all. Just pull them out of the
bed by the handful, and they are as white
as snow, a'ter we rinse the dirt off. Just
tie a string around a good handful, clip the
tops off so as to make them look even, slice
the long slim roots off with a knife, and
they are ready for the table. They are put
on the table in long glasses, the bottom part
uppermost. One could raise these onions
by the million, at very little expense; but,
like the peas and other things, we want to
sow a few at a time, and keep up the suc-
cession. By the way, the Silver King,
White Victoria, and the White Pearl on-
ions, are all of them greatly superior for
market-gardening ; but they must be pulled
and sold as soon as they are fit. If you try
to stow them away, or keep them, as you do
Yellow Danvers, Extra Early Red, or even
Silverskin, you will come to grief. They
will rot in spite of you, if you do not use
them when they are ready to be used.

Now, it is a complicated matter, and re-
quires much judgment and care, to have
things e<>ine along in succession so as to be
just the proper age at the time wanted, at
the same time having enough and not very
much too many. But it is a pleasant exer-
cise for the mind and also for the body, and
I do believe that quite a large and profitable
business can be built up in almost any town
where one will go at it in the way I have
indicated. You may say your folks won't

buy onions and lettuce in July and August ;
but I haven't a doubt but that I could show
you your mistake in short meter. The
goods must be presented to customers in
attractive shape. During this hot weather
we have wet cloths constantly over every
basket. If you let the sun shine right down
on your lettuce, onions, or even into the
potatoes, just a little while, it makes them
look unattractive, and they are not as nice
for the table. We are located within half a
mile of the center of our town ; therefore
the wagon seldom goes over a mile in any
direction ; and during berry time we have
found it much better to make frequent trips
back to the garden. We are now getting
raspberries at the rate of six or eight bush-
els a day. We get 8 cents for black ones,
and 13 for the red ones. By choosing the
right varieties these can be made to ripen
in succession so as to avoid having a great
lot on hand all at once. We have decided
to can them before we will sell them at a
less price than six cents a quart. We have
been obliged to can only 2 bushels yet, which
was Saturday night. It is an excellent idea
to be able to tell customers that you propose
canning before you will go below a certain
price. Thompson's Extra Early Red rasp-
berry ripened a little after the middle of the
strawberry yield. The Turner came next,
and now Cuthbert is beginning to ripen.
Shafer's Colossal ripens last, and holds on a
long while. The Doolittles are our first
black raspberry. The Gregg comes in just
after the Doolittle begins to fail. Then
come blackberries. The Early Harvest be-
gins to ripen before raspberries are gone.
The Snyder is the one we use for the great-
est crop.

This year we keep accounts with our ber-
ry-pickers by means of a blackboard. It is
hung on one of the shutters used for our
cold-frames. When a child brings in a
basket of berries, the foreman gives him
credit on the blackboard, which is right be-
fore his eyes. If the foreman does not do it
right, the child makes his complaint then
and there, and it is clearly understood that,
if the picker assents to the figures on the
board, there is to be no more talk about
mistakes or omissions. Every picker brings
in 1 lis berries, and sees his credit put down,
lie also sees how many quarts his comrades
are getting, compared with his own. If he
is visiting or playing, instead of lt tending
to his knitting,'' the blackboard record
points the finger of reproof at him. Some-
times the foreman pleasantly explains to
the younger ones, "My young friend, the
reason why you do not make as good a rec-
ord as the others is because you have been
telling too many stories/' The foreman ex-
amines the work of every picker; sees that
he does not get green ones, leaves, etc., and
also insists on having the bushes picked
clean. The temptation to pick green ones
in order to get along fast is considerable ;
but once in a while a child has to be sent
home for the rest of the day, because he per-
sists in getting green berries. The black-
board is one of the kind that rolls up so it
can be unhooked from its nail, and carried
in at night, or when rain comes up.

598

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

July

July 10: — Did you ever ! When we decid-
ed to can our raspberries if they would uot
bring 0 cts. a quart, we had more orders
thau we could rill at 7 ; then we came up to
8, and we had more orders than we could
till, even at 8. To-day we are charging 10 cts.,
and the berries do not ripen fast euoughto
supply the demand, even at this price. It
seems to me here is a lesson, not only for
berry-producers, but for honey-producers as
well. Do not be in a hurry to sell your pro-
duct, and do not make contracts very much
ahead.

THE BUSH LIMA BEANS AT THIS DATE.

I told you, in our last issue, that the Min-
nesota lima beans were all climbing poles.
Well, one or two of the Kumerles are now
sending up strong shoots, away up into the
air, twisting themselves about in a spiral
fashion, as if they could do a good job of
climbing if they had a chance. Well, they
are going to have a chance. Last of all,
quite a few of the Henderson bush limas
are also sending out snoots to climb poles.
Now, friends, let us not be in haste to say
hard things about the seedsmen. A quar-
ter of an acre of our white kidney beans
that have for years behaved themselves ex-
actly like a bush bean are sprawling all
over the ground, almost exactly like a patch
of pole beans. Is it possible that the ex-
ceedingly damp weather has started such a
rampant growth that the beans are all turn-
ing out climbers, and the celery and onions
are all sending up seed-stalks ? It certainly
looks a good deal that way.

0aR peMEg.

God hath put all things under Christ's feet, and
gave him to be the head of all things over the
church, which is his body, the fullness of him that
fllleth all in all.-EpH. 1: 22, 23.

WHY SHOULD I UNITE WITH THE CHURCH?

JT?! EFORE taking up the subject indicated
Lr in our text, I wish to give you a
<:Pi glimpse of a letter just at hand. It is
*^ so perfect a supplement to the sermon,
that it almost seems as if the two
writers had been talking the matter over.

Mr. Root:— Gleanings for July is received, and I
have just finished reading your article on "Love
your Neighbors." I want to tell you how I tried to
keep Mr. A. from subscribing to Bee Culture. While
I was away, some one sent him a swarm of bees in
a very old hive. He made two nice hives; and be-
fore he could get the bees in one he was taken sick.
Knowing how much lie thought of them, I took as
good care of them as I could. When he was fully
restored in mind, he began to be interested in his
bees again. Now, you know we had lost every
thing, and a dollar was as big to us as a "cart-
wheel," especially as we had been to so much ex-
pense during his five months of sickness, and he
still unable to attend to business.

I forgot to tell you in the start, that my husband
was an ungodly man, and an unbeliever. As I said,
he "got" interested in his bees, and nothing would
do but he must send for frames, a smoker, etc.
You, I believe, sent him a sample copy of Glean-
ings, bo he must subscribe for that. I told him we

could »<>t afford it, as the bees had cost him enough
already. But he did, and the very first number was
of untold value to us, especially for the article in
" Myself and my Neighbors." It came right in the
midst of a great revival. I had been unable to get
Mr. A. out to preaching; but before the meetings
were over he made a complete surrender to Christ,
and is now an earnest worker in the cause. 1 do
not think Gleanings comes half often enough for
me. DuriDg the meetings there were a good many
who could not see their way clear. Gleanings was
hauded around like a tract, or religious work, and
was quite a help. I think the article in that espe-
cial number was, "Am 1 a Christian?" Would that
all business could have Christ in it! 1 just felt
drawn to you in Christian love on reading the arti-
cle in the July number, and thought I must write
and tell you how much I enjoy your paper, think-
ing it might be a help to you in writing for the
August number. Now, Mr. A. has to go off for the
summer. He will be in New York in July, August,
and September, and I shall have the care and anxi-
ety of the business as well as of the family, and I
want your prayers that the Lord will be with me,
and that 1 may be able to trust him fully to care
for me. We had friends to help us in our trouble,
and now I think we shall get on nicely. Please ex-
cuse this effusion, and don't let it fall into the hands
of Blue Eyes, or the printers. Mrs. J. P. A.

You will notice in the above, that my
good friend says, "Do not let this get into
the hands of the printers ;" but knowing
how such encouraging words as hers incite
us all to renewed efforts, I have taken the
liberty of disobeying, giving the initials
only. You will notice a reference in her
letter to an article in Gleanings for May
15, entitled, "Am I a Christian? " This ser-
mon was followed shortly after by another
one, in substance covering the head of this
talk to-day— "WThy should I Unite with the
Church? " I have been for some time think-
ing of giving this talk also ; and the above
letter, telling how it was passed around
from one to another to read, has decided me
to do so. I am the more glad to give it, be-
cause the matter has come up at different
times among the readers of Gleanings,
and I know there are quite a number who
have had quite a bright experience to start
with ; and yet, by putting off uniting with
the church, they finally begin to delude
themselves with the idea that they can be
just as good Christians without taking any
public stand with the people of God.

And the Lord added to them day by day those
that were being saved.— Acts 2 : 47 (R. V.).

The translation of the Revised Version is prefera-
ble here, because of its more accurate rendering of
the closing words of the verse. The Authorized
Version translates: "Such as should be saved." But
the term in the Greek is a present participle (sodz-
om nous), signifying, not future, but present at-
tainment—'- Those who wen bi ing saved," or, " Those
who were getting themsi Ivr* saved." There is another
difference in the two Versions. The Authorized
Version, upon the basis of the " Textus Receptus,"
translates, "And the Lord added to tin church." But
there is a difference of opinion whether the words
ta ekklesia, " to the church," should be retained or
not. They are sustained by good authority, and
there is good authority for their rejection. But,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

599

whether retained or not, the meaning- is the same.
This meaning- can be most clearly sei forth by a
combination of the two translations, reading thus:
"And the Lord added to the church day by day those
that were being saved." That is, as fast as men were
converted, day by day, they were received publicly
into the company of the disciples, who constituted
the church of God.

We need to understand clearly, as the connection
so plainly shows, that the visible church is here
meant, and not the invisible. In the list verse we
read: "And they that gladly received the word
were baptized; and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls," clearly re-
ferring to the converts of the pentecostal revival,
who were already members of the invisible church,
and indicating their public reception, by baptism,
into the visible church. It was to the company of
the disciples, thus increased, that there were add-
ed, day by day from that time on, such as were be-
ing saved, and were thus made ready for reception
into the visible church.

Upon the basis of this apostolic example, I wish
to rear a superstructure of answers to the ques-
tion: " Why should thost who consider themselves
Christians unite with the visible church of God!

I. A first answer to this question is, Because
church-membership will help one on in the Christian
life.

In speaking with a young convert recently, I said
to him: " Now you must join the church at the first
opportunity." He replied, " Don't you think a per-
son can be a Christian without joining the church?"
A few days afterward while calling upon a lady, I
remarked: "You are a church-member, I pre-
sume."

"No," she replied, with a toss of the head, "I am
not."

" You have sometimes thought of your duty in
this regard, have you not?" I asked.

"Oh! I consider myself to be a Christian, and
have for a long time," she replied; " but I don't see
what's the use of joining the church."

" Why not ? "

"Because I can be just as good a Christian with-
out, can't I ? "

These are individul examples of opinion upon this
subject that are more prevalent and popular than
we are accustomed to think. After we have made
due allowance for those who will talk and must say
something, there are a large number who find a
stumbling-block just at this point, and need to be
carefully conducted around it, lest they fall by the
way.

To this end, let us first answer the two questions
that are asked above.

To the first, whether one can not be a Christian
Without joining the church, I would reply, I presume
he can. I would not deny the possibility of the
case, any more than I would deny the possibility of
one's being loyal to his country, in war times, al-
though he may fail to go to the front when men
are needed there. Joining the church does not
make one a Christian. It presupposes that he is id-
ready loyal to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It does, however, bring him to Hie front in the Lord's
warfare. Now, although there exists a possibility
of a man's being a Christian without joining the
church, yet I must confess that I never could un-
derstand how a man can be loyal to Christ andnot
want to be at the front, any more than I can under-

stand how a man can justly claim love to his coun-
try and loyalty to her cause, and yet hide in the
woods to escape being drafted. It does seem, that
if one iB really a Christian he will want to come to
the front and join the church.

In answer to the second question above, whether
ou< cannot be as good a christian without joining the
church, I would reply, No! Membership in Christ's
church helps us in the Christian life. By means of
her fellowship we get stimulus and strength. We
thus bring ourselves into association with those
who have the same cause at heart. It contributes
to the increase of one's zeal. The sharp click of
the flint against the steel produces the spark.
Love to Christ, brought in contact with love to
Christ, produces Christian zeal. If joii try to keep
a Are alive with a single stick it is almost sure to go
out. If you want your spark of patriotism kindled
into a flame, go to the front; join the company of
those in actual service; drill with them ; fight with
them; join in the songs of victory; and you will
conclude that you never knew what patriotism was
before. Don't boast of loyalty to the Master's
cause when you are drilling in the company of the
stay-at-homes. Not only go to the front in the
Master's service, and report for duty, but get a
place in the fighting ranks. Join the advance
guard, if you can. Those who are stationed in the
rear are most apt to flee when the shot and shell
fall thick and fast. In the onward march, the rear
guard have the greatest temptations to become,
first stragglers, next deserters, finally traitors. If
a man is in the front ranks, it is next to impossible
for him to desert, for he is so surrounded by the
loyal and fighting host that he can't fall back, and
must move forward. Other things being equal,
have you any doubt who will make the better sol-
dier and will accomplish most for his country's cause
— the man who thus bravely goes to the front, or
the man who holds back and urges every excuse
for staying at home? Who, then, will make the
better Christian, the one who joins the church— the
advance guard of Christ's forces— or the one who
does not? Can you not see that you would gain
help in the Christian life, and would make a better
soldier of the cross, if you joined the church of
Christ? Especially if you feel your own weakness,
and lack of faith, and need of Christian hit p. and
have any fears thai you may not hold out in the
Christian life— you should then by all means join
the church, and gain a place in the foremost ranks.
Men have said, at the beginning of battle, " Now I
am going to get awfully scared, and may try to
run; but don't you let me. You're an old hand at
it, and are sure to stand. Now just keep me in
place and don't let me become a deserter." Just
so, many a young soldier of Christ, when fearful
and about to retreat, has been kept in place by the
veterans who fought beside him and urged him on,
when, if he had not stationed himself there he
would have yielded and fled from the field disgrac-
ed. If one loiters in the rear, who is there lichiud
him to urge him on ? We must not spend our time
picking out trees behind which we are goinn t<>
dodge in case we are defeated. Armies sometimes
spare a fort they have captured, because it will
make a good place of refuge in case they have in
retreat. But the Christian soldier has no business
to plan for failure. He should rather burn the
bridges behind him, and thus render it impossible
to retreat. Talk of backsliding! You can't slidi

600

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

hack unless there is an inclination in the backward
direction. .loin the church, place yourself in the
front ranks, stand beside the veteran in Christ's
service, and you will find it a wonderful stimulus
and help in the Christian life.

II. Another answer to the question why you
should join the church if you consider yourself a
Christion is, Because you thus identify yourself with
the instrumentalities God has ordained for the ad-
vancement of his cause on earth. There can be no
question that Christ planned the establishment of
the church, and that he ordained it to be the center
of all activity and endeavor for the advancement
of his cause. He said to Peter: "Upon this rock
I will build my church " (Matt. 16: 18), thus promis-
ing' an institution the basis of which should be a
confession in him as the Son of God. He command-
ed regarding an offending brother, brought before
two or three witnesses: "If he shall neglect to
hear them, tell it unto the church; and if he shall
neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as
a heathen man and a publican" (Matt. IS: 17)— thus
providing for a visible church which should .judge
whether a man were a true member of the invis-
ible church. The company of the disciples whom
Christ gathered around him were the nucleus of
the church that was to be established by Christ,
through the Spirit, at the season of pentecost, from
which time on those who were converted were
further added by the Lord unto the church. The in-
visible church is the true church, cleansed and puri-
fied and sanctified, and therefore it can not be to
this but to the visible church, that Paul refers when
he says that "Christ loved the church, and gave
himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that
it should be holy and without blemish " (Eph.
5:25— 27). It is quite popular to say that Christ did
not institute the church; but, like a great many
things that are popular, it is very far from the
truth. The church is the recognized means for the
advancement of the kingdom of Christ. It was his
<lisrii>lts whom he commanded: " Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature."
The visible church is the organized army of Christ.
It is our place, if we would do our noblest for
Christ, to be found in it. It may have uuworthy
members; there may be found within it enemies
and traitors and spies; but that is no reason why
we should not be found there. So much the more
reason why we should join the ranks and counter-
act the influence of these who profess to be Christ's
and are not. What would have been thought of a
man who, in our nation's last great contest, should
have said: "Why, yes! 1 am in favor of the Northern
cause, and opposed to secession <tml slavery. 1 believe
the former should be put down, and the latter abol-
ished. But I think I can do more good in the army of
the S<m ih titan 1 can in the army of the North. I will
serve there, and try to win men to the Northern
cause. I will persuade them to desert, and join the
Northern army. I can do more good by going
among them as though I were one of them. I will
find out their plans, discover their strongholds, and
report them to the other side "—would not one of
two things be true— either such a man would not be
looked upon as loyal to the North, and his words
would have no effect in winning men from the
South, or be would be considered a spy, and the

enemy would carefully conceal their plans from
him, and he himself would be cast out? Those who
claim to be Christ's, and yet march with the world,
upon the plea of the greater good they can do, will
meet with similar results. Men of the world will
say of them: " When they talk to us of joining the
army of Christ, they don't mean what they say;
for do you suppose that, if they were loyal to
Christ, we should find them in our ranks? Not by
any means!" Or they would say, " These men are
spies. They are working for the other side, and
are among us only to find out our plans and discov-
er our strongholds. We must look out and conceal
our purposes from them." In either case, those
who would influence the world by marching in
their ranks, fail of their purpose. Either their
sincerity Is called in question, or they are thwarted
because their true purpose is suspected. Either
men will distrust them or they will not confide in
them. Christ may want spies to spy out the land,
but he will choose them from his own ranks, and
not from those who are marching with the enemy.
if you would do something for Christ that is worth
doing, join his regular standing army, and get your
commission for service there. There is advantage
in guerilla warfare when it is directed by the gen-
eral in command, but otherwise it may do more
harm than good. If you would accomplish your
best work for Christ you must join the visible
church of Christ.

III. Another answer to the question why one
should join the church is, Because by Unit means
alone can we let our lights properly shine for Christ.
A gentleman said to me, " 1 call myself a Christian ;
I try to throw my influence on the side of right—
what more is to be accomplished by joining the
church?" The gain is, that until one joins the
church the influence of his life can not be said to be
itll on the side of Christ. For example, I know a
man of upright life, honest and moral, who called
himself a Christian, who wanted to do all he could
for Christ, who nevertheless had not seen his way
clear to join the church. He thought that he was
doing all the good he could, and was influencing
other lives for Christ. I discovered a far different
state of affairs. I found that unconverted men
were pointing to him as their example and excuse.
They were saying of him, " There's the man I pat-
tern after. If he can be as" good a man as he is
without religion, I'm willing to take my chances."
That man was letting his light shine before the
world, but he was not letting it shine for Christ.
He waB in reality against Christ instead of for him.
He was not setting up a righteousuess of his own,
but he was leading men to Chink he was, and so was
exerting an influence against the Master's cause.
The enemy were counting him on their side, when
he counted himself on the other side, and all be-
cause he did not come out and unite with the
church and proclaim where he stood. It was for
self and Satan that his light shone, and not for
Christ. Christ says, " Let your light so shine be-
fore men that they may see your good works ami yk>-
rify not voit, but glorify— your kathek which is
in heaven." No matter how large and glaring a
watch-fire you may build, and no matter what your
purpose may be in buildiugit, if you build it in the
enemy's camp it shines to their advantage, and to
the disadvantage of the forces of truth and right-
eousness. If you would make sure to cast no un-
certain ray of light, you must at once pitch your

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

601

tent among- the loyal forces of Christ, otherwise you
may mislead men rather than save them. If you are
going to build a tire upon the shore, so that some
lone fisherman, lost in the darkness upon the sea,
will be attracted by it and steer toward it, it makes
all the difference in the world where you locate it.
You may think that you know a hitter spot to place
it than that where it is usually built— it may be a
loftier place, and the glare of the fire may reach out
further across the sea— yet how do you know but that
in steering for that point the vessel may be dashed
to pieces upon the hidden rocks, while the path of
the sea is clear to the other point? If hundreds of
fishermen have been guided aright by the light
when stationed at the accustomed place, is it not
wiser to build there than to risk the dangers of an-
other and an untried point? The church is the
lighthouse of God. If you have a brilliant light
place it there, and not upon another rock, or you
are almost sure to mislead the seaman who is seek-
ing guidance to the harbor of peace.

IV. Still another answer why, if we are Chris-
tians, we should join the church, is, Because it's our
plain duty, Christ has commanded it; and when
Christ commands, there can be no question as to
what is right. Do you ask a place in the Bible
where he commands it? Turn to Matt. 28: 10. There
you read: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them;" or, " make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them." The followers of Christ are com-
manded to "disciple," or "convert," all nations;
but they are just as plainly and emphatically com-
manded to " baptize " them. Both obligations are
placed upon them. Now, if it was the duty of the
disciples to baptize their converts, inversely it was
the duty of the converts to bi baptized. Read this
same command as given in Mark 16:15, 16: " Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and i» baptized shall be
saved." We hold, of course, that those who be-
lieve and die without the opportunity of being bap-
tized, are saved; but who can doubt, from these
passages, that it is the duty of those who believe, to
b< baptized? Now, what is baptism, objectively,
but the mark of reception into the visible church?
The command, then, to be baptized, is identical
with the command to join the church.

Take into consideration another passage: Paul,
in the words of the institution of the Lord's supper,
quotes from Christ the command: "This do in re-
membrance of me " (I. Cor. 11:25). Every disciple
of Christ is directed to "show forth the Lord's
death "by participating in the celebration of the
Lord's supper. Now, there are many who believe
that none should partake of the Lord's supper un-
less they have first become members of the visible
church of Christ. That is my belief. The sacra-
ments of the church should be confined to the mem-
bers of the church. Especially if one neglects or
despises church-membership, I doubt if he has a
right to this sacrament which Christ instituted for
a remembrance of himself. How, then, can one
obey Christ's command to thus "show forth his
death " unless he joins the church? He is simply
living in disobedience to one of Christ's plainest com-
mands. Still another passage demands our consid-
eration. In Matt. 10:32,33, we find the words of
Christ: "Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Fa-
ther which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny
me before men, him will I also deny before my Fa-

ther which is in heaven." Who, after reading those
words, can dare to hope that Christ will confess us
before the Father if we do not confess him before
men?

"But," you say, " I confess Christ with the life,
and not with the mouth— actions speak louder than
words."

So far, so good. We don't want the mouth-con-
fession without the life-confession, to be sure; but
Christ wants both. In this plain passage, we have
no right to read different meanings into the word
"confess," according as it is applied to ourselves or
to Christ. When Christ says, " Him will I confess
before my Father," he means a confession of the
mouth. So when he says, " Whosoever shall con-
fess me before men," he likewise must mean a con-
fession of the mouth. If we expect that Christ will
say of us, before the hosts of heaven, at the last
day, "This is my child," we must say of him now,
before men, "This is my Savior."

Now we are ready to read that wonderful passage
in Rom. 10: 9, 10, and read it understandingly : "If
thou shall confess in'M thy mouth the name of the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. For with the heart man believeth, but with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation." You
can fully obey the commands of Christ only by
coming out boldly before the world and joining the
church on confession of your faith in Christ. To
confess Christ bv the daily life, to speak a word for
him in private, to take an occasional part in the
service of prayer— all this is excellent, but not suf-
ficient. If we would be partakers of the full and
free salvation of Christ, we must make the freest
and fullest confession of him, before the world,
that it is possible for us to make; and to this end
we must be added unto the church with those that
are being saved. Thus does it become us, in imita-
tion of Christ, to fulfill all righteousness.

The answers to be given to the question, " Why
should those who call themselves Christians join the
church?" are thus seen to be:

First, because the church-membership helps one
on in the Christian life.

Second, because one thus identifies himself with
the means God has ordained for the advancement
of his cause.

Third, because thus alone can one let his light
fully shine for Christ.

Fourth, because it is a plain duty, Christ having
commanded it.

These answers should come with convincing force
to three classes:

First, to those who have just started in Christ's ser-
vice. Shall such join the church? By all means!
Where else could they go? Where shall the prodi-
gal return but to the father's house? Where shall
the reclaimed lamb be taken but back to the fold
from which it had wandered, and there be safely
sheltered within? If left without, it is almost sure
to wander away again. Some question whether it
would not be better for them to wait awhile, to see
whether they will persevere in their Christian I i vt s.
Emphatically, No! That is planning for defeat.
Leave the lamb without the fold over night to sec
if it is inclined to run away again? Others think
that they will delay uutil they feel more worthy to
come. If they wait for that, we hope and believi
that they will never come. We never want to feel

602

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

worthy of joining the church. It is not that we are
worthy, but that Christ who died is worthy, and we
come in his name. We do not profess to be sinks*,
but sinners saved through Christ. If there is in the
heart a godly sorrow for the past, a sense of sin for-
given, and a firm determination to serve Christ in
the future, then you should come at the first oppor-
tunity and offer yourself for reception into the
church of Christ. It is always a mistake to wait.
Your duty is clear. "This do"— and there can nev-
er In- any good excuse fur the neglect ofaplain dutu.
It is your duty to join the church, and the first op-
portunity is the Lord's time for the performance of
that duty.

Second, to CJiristia)ts in disguise, sometimes self-
styled "secret Christians" Yet what a secret Chris-
tian is, 1 hardly know. Christ says: "No man,
when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a
vessel, or putteth it under a bed ; but setteth it on a
candlestick, that they which enter in may see the
light " (Luke 8 : 16). What can be the object of hav-
ing the light of a Christian hope lighted within the
heart, and then covering it up so that no man can
see the light? Is it because ashamed of Christ that
such as these sometimes conceal the light? " Who-
soever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in
this adulterous and sinful generation," says Christ,
" of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy an-
gels" (Mark 8:38). How can a man be Christ's and not
want others to know it? One would think that he
would want to proclaim it to all the world, if really
and truly a " child of the king." Such as are en-
gaged in seeking a place in which to hide their
light, either never were Christ's, or have ceased to
be Christ's, or will soon no longer be Christ's. Hid-
ing a light beneath a bushel not only keeps it from
shining, but also causes it to grow dim, and at
length to go out. You must place your lamp upon
the high stand of a public confession of Christ, if
you would have it truly shine for him.

Third, t<> lapsed members. How many there are,
who were once church-members, who now are not!
Ask them whether they are members of the church,
and they will answer that they are. In reality they
are h i )>sed members. This comes about in various
ways. Many change their residence, and fail to
take a letter of dismissal with them, because, as
they say, they "expect to go back some time."
Thus they are classed as " absent members," and at
length their names are stricken from the list.
Church-membership amounts to nothing after one
has been absent a year or two. Few churches
would count such an absentee a member at all.
Others go to another place to reside, expecting to
stay, and take a church-letter with them, but neg-
lect to present it to any local church. Such can be
classed, if at all, simply "pocket members," or
"bureau-drawer members." They are placing a
" pocket veto " upon the law of church-member-
ship enacted by Christ. There are people in every
community who are in reality Christians, who are
ranked as " non-Christian " because they have fail-
ed to unite with any local church, and thus let peo-
ple know where they stand. It is just as much our
duty to keep up our membership in the church of
Christ as it is our duty at the first to join the church
of Christ. Neglect of this duty is the first step to-
ward carelessness in the discharge of other Chris-
tian duties, and indifference toward the interest of
Christ's cause in the community where we dwell.

I have thus plainly presented the reasons why, if
you are a Christian, you should be a member of
Christ's church. I beseech you to weigh them, and
not to dismiss them from your mind, as you value
your soul and love Christ's cause, till you have seen
your duty clearly in this regard. Behold the truth
as it is. Pray God for guidance. Determine that
you will fully confess Christ before the world, and
thus become a part of the church which he loved,
and for which he gave himself, that he might sanc-
tify and cleanse it, and at length present it unto
himself without blemish. And the God of all peace
abide with you evermore. Amen.

dim 0wn ]lmnw>

CONDUCTED BT ERNEST R. ROOT.

SWARMING, FOUNTAIN PUMP, ETC.

J^U RING the last week or ten days we
il <J have been having an unusual amount
)1§J °f swarming. Beginning with the 4th
*& of July, the weather, instead of being
stormy, has been fair, and every thing
has been favorable for the secretion of nec-
tar. Honey has been coming in at a faster
rate than we have seen it before for several
years. We have had an average of about
seven swarms a day, and Sunday has been
no exception. Mr. Spafford had about all
he could do to take care of the apiary, and
fill orders for bees and queens, to say nothing
about bothering with swarms. Your hum-
ble servant has been obliged more than once
to leave matter for Gleanings heaped up
on his desk, and go out to the apiary to help
Mr. Spafford. Sometimes we had three or
four swarms in the air at one time. One
day after I had waited half an hour, or twen-
ty minutes, for a swarm to cluster, and still
they were Hying around without showing
any disposition to settle, I became disgusted.
The fountain pump had been recommended,
but heretofore we had never given it a trial,
although good bee-keepers like James Hed-
don and others had recommended its use.
A pail of water and a fountain pump were
procured. " Now," thought I, " we will see
whether you'll settle or not.'1 After quick-
ly adjusting the spray nozzle, I began pump-
ing the spray among them where they were
flying thickest. Sure enough, it had the de-
sired effect. After about half a pail of
water had been thrown, some of the bees
began to settle on the grapevines. When
the entire contents of the pail were exhaust-
ed, there was a decided settling on the part
of the bees. Laying down the Whitman
pump I grasped the Manum swarming-ar-
rangement (which is always in sight), jarred
the bees into the basket, and had the satis-
faction, in a few minutes more, of seeing
the cluster hanging from the basket.

On another occasion two swarms came
out almost simultaneously, from hives re-
mote from each other. As the bees from
each soared £into the air, I perceived that
they were gradually circling together.
" Now," thought I, " I will see if I can not
separate you, or, rather, prevent you from
ever getting together." I began spraying
the outer edges of the flying bees of the^

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

603

swarm in the air, nearest to me. Those
bees receiving the spray began to retreat
very perceptibly. I followed up my advan-
tage until I had them driven quite a little
distance away. The other swarm, in the
meantime, was coming up. I began dousing
them in a similar manner, and soon had the
satisfaction of seeing them retreat. Each
was then sprayed, when they were hived,
as before explained.

Last Sunday, the 7th, before I had a
chance to get my breakfast, a swarm was
out. Before I had got them fairly hived,
another swarm came out. I was about to
hive these, when Mr. Calvert (my brother-
in-law) came to spell me. It hadbeen pre-
viously arranged that I was to take care of
the bees in the forenoon, and our Mr. Spaf-
ford in the afternoon. Some three or four
swarms had come out during the morning.
After breakfast I relieved Mr. Calvert, and,
with lesson-helps in hand, I perched myself
under the shady veranda of the house-apia-
ry, in full view of every colony in the yard.
As I studied about Samuel, my eyes now
and then took in a survey of the apiary.
Fortunately the bees behaved themselves
for a full hour. When church was out, Mr.
Spafford relieved me. On returning from
Sunday-school we found some swarms had
come out, and that one was already in the
air. This one seemed determined to alight
upon the top of an evergreen -tree. Now,
none of us relished the idea of climbing this
tree, with our nice Sunday clothes on. Ac-
cordingly, I removed the spray nozzle of the
Whitman fountain pump, and screwed on
the stream nozzle. Although the bees had
formed quite a little cluster, I felt pretty
sure that I could dislodge them. I began
to shoot a solid jet of water directly at them.
This had the effect of stopping the bees
from clustering there any further, as well
as having the other effect of dislodging
some of those that were already on. I could
not dislodge the latter entirely, and left
them, as 1 noticed that the rest of the
swarm seemed to think this was not a desir-
able place, dripping as it was with great
drops of water. They started to cluster up-
on another spot, not exactly an accessi-
ble one. The stream nozzle was directed at
them as before. Again they took another
position, and very soon we had a nice cone
of bees hanging where we could reach them
easily with the Manum swarming-basket.
After about half the bees had settled, the
cluster was jarred into the basket, which
was then closed. The tripod was then ad-
justed, and soon we had the satisfaction of
seeing the swarm hanging right from the
swarming-basket instead of from the top of
the evergreen.

Besides the facility with which a swarm
may be induced to settle by the use of the
fountain-pump, and besides the other ad-
vantage of dislodging them from an almost
inaccessible position, it may be used to very
good advantage in preventing bees from
clustering upon their former point of at-
tachment ; that is. the place where they had
previously been clustering. After shaking
the bees into the Manum basket, there is al-
ways about half of the bees that persist in

clinging to the old limb. I found that, by
dousing it thoroughly with water, the bees
will let it alone entirely, and soon cluster on
the basket, just where they are wanted.

DRIVING A SWARM IN THE AIR LIKE A
FLOCK OF SHEEP.

The feature of being able to drive a swarm
like a flock of sheep is a valuable one. Some
of you may doubt this ; but I assure you I
have been successful thus far in driving and
cornering up whatever swarm I experiment-
ed upon. This morning a swarm of some
eight or ten pounds of bees was making
straight for a hickory-tree on the outside of
the apiary. This tree is some forty or fifty
feet tall. I hallooed to Fred, a new hand in
the business, to run around them and head
them off with the fountain pump. He did
so, and it made me feel— well, real good to
see them halt, then retreat before the spray
and finally settle where we wanted them to.
Another swarm started to leave the premis-
es, evidently with the full determination of
making straight for the woods. The foun-
tain pump was on hand, and, as before, we
made those truant bees turn right about
face, and finally to settle down upon a low
grapevine. Perhaps I should state right
here, that two or three days before we com-
menced using the fountain pump, we had
one swarm that actually absconded. One
of our boys chased after them until he came
to some swampy land, when he had to stop
and see them go off.

The timely and skillful use of the foun-
tain pump, I think, would keep almost all
the swarms from going outside of the prem-
ises of the apiarist. All he has to do is to
head them off, and keep spraying them un-
til they conclude they will have to settle.
The effect of the spraying not only impedes
the flight of the bees by dampening their
wings, but it may have the effect of making
them think that it is raining, and that they
had better put aside their purpose. After
spraying the bees for some time, I have seen
them become so tired, evidently, that they
would drop down from exhaustion. With
their fore legs they would rub their eyes ;
with their middle legs they would rub the
thorax, and with their hind legs they would
dry their wings. It is a little amusing to
see them brush themselves up after a good
dousing.

Sometimes it is not advisable to use a
fountain pump. Just as soon as a few bees
show a disposition to cluster upon any par-
ticular place, we cease from forcing water
upon them, unless, perchance, some other
bees are trying to establish another location
for a cluster more inaccessible. Again,
with a very strong swarm I find that it takes
a very large amount of spraying to have any
effect upon them.

THE SMITH PUMP NOT SUITABLE.

I have tried our cheap dollar pump, but it
won't answer at all for spraying swarms, al-
though it will do very well for garden pur-
poses.

THE FOUNTAIN PUMP, AND CLIPPING
QUEENS' winos.
The use of the fountain pump might be

(504

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

.iv\.\

largely if net altogether dispensed with if
we clipped our queens' wings. Swarms
could then be hived in exactly the same
manner as A. E. Manum described and il-
lustrated a year ago. Still, a great many
times a swarm will come out with a virgin
queen. It is then that the fountain pump
with two or three uses will pay for itself.
Were it not for the fact of our tilling orders,
and the preferences of our different custom-
ers, 1 do not know but I should be in favor
of clipping queens' wings here at the Home
of the Honey-bees. One colony having a
valuable imported queen, swarmed out. We
made them come down, secured them in
the basket, and hived them on foundation
with a frame of unsealed brood to hold
them. The next day a number of swarms
came out ; and as several came out simul-
taneously it was impossible to locate the
source of each one. Toward the close of the
day, when we examined the recently hived
swarm with the imported queen above men-
tioned, I found that they had decamped,
leaving only a few hundred bees to take
care of the frame of brood. That they were
somewhere in the apiary, and had been
hived. I had no doubt ; but where, was the
question If her wings had been clipped,
we could have secured the swarm by itself.

HIVING UPON UNSEALED BROOD.

Out of some 35 or 40 swarms which we
have hived during the last few days, as
nearly as we can make out some 7 or 8 of
this number have actually left their frames
of unsealed larvae. While a frame of brood
tends very greatly to hold the swarm, it is
by no means infallible.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi-Monthly .

-5^. X. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

2v£EX>I3sr.&., OHIO.

4«*~*0*

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

1— •-•}

For Glutting Sates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

rMiiEiDinsr^., jtjjltst is, ibbs.

I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to
dwell in the tents of wickedness.— Psalm 84: 10.

BUSINESS UP TO DATE.

We are still having quite a run of business, and
it is approaching the middle of July. Orders usu-
ally begin to slacken up about th.e first of this
month. We expect, to be entirely caught up in a
day or so.

MORE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE HOME OF THE HON-
EY DEES.

Well, we have not got to tear down our barns
and build greater, exactly, but we are obliged to
add more boiler capacity. We are now making
preparations to tear down our 6'0-foot chimney, and
build in its stead another one 80 feet tall, 38 inches
in diameter inside, with an 8-ft. base. We expect
to add another boiler, alongside of our old one, to

give us a boiler capacity of 120 horse-power. Our
business has been such that our 60 horse boiler has
hardly been adequate to keep the machinery mov-
ing at full speed.

THE POULTRY DEPARTMENT OF THE CANADIAN
BEE JOURNAL.

We have for a long time wanted to congratulate
the Canadian Bee Journal on securing the services
of so competent a person as W. C. G. Peters as
poultry editor. He is full of the subject, and his
editorials show that he has had a great deal of prac-
tical experience.

THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA.

While we bee-keepers of the Northern States
are enjoying a good honey-flow, and some hot
weather, the bee-keepers of Australia are now fair-
ly into winter. The Australian Bee Journal for
June 1, 188P, says: "We are now fairly into winter;
and if the instructions given previously have been
carried out, the colonies should be in good condi-
tion to withstand the cold and damp to be expected
during the next month or two." This does not
sound much like our weather here, does it? Sea-
sonable hints for Australia would hardly be sea-
sonable for the United States.

THE HONEY-FLOW AT THIS DATE.

Here it is July 12, and the honey is still coming
in at a good rate, but basswood has not begun to
yield to any extent yet. In fact, it is doubtful
whether it will yield at all in our locality. In the
basswood orchard, some two miles to the north of
the Home of the Honey-bees, there is only about
one tree that has even buds on, out of the 4000, so
our basswood orchard probably will not yield any
great amount of nectar this year. As nearly as
we can discover along the roads, there are very
few basswoods out anywhere. Evidently it is one
of the off-years for this favored tree of the bee-
keeper. Later.— Honey is coming in some from
basswood after all.

OFF FOR WISCON81N.

The senior editor started for Wisconsin, Thurs-
day, July 11. Blue Eyes accompanies him as far as
Chicago, whence she takes the steamer for Manis-
tee, Mich., where she will visit relatives. From
Chicago, A. 1. Root will go to Dr. C. C. Miller's, in
Marengo, 111., and thence he proceeds further to the
northwest to that great basswood belt in Richland
Co., Wis. Basswood is expected to be at its height
about the time he will arrive there, which will be
about the 15th or 16th. He has taken along with
him a little Kodak camera, to take views of apiaries,
gardens, etc. He was given full instructions how
to "shoot it off," and it is expected that he will
write up this trip, and perhaps illustrate it in the
forthcoming issues of Gleanings.

SOMETHING FOR OUR GERMAN BEE-FRIENDS.

We have just received from C. J. H. Gravenhorst
a little work in the German language, called the
" Bee-keeper's Album." It contains 51 pages of
matter devoted to biographical sketches of some of
the leading lights in apicultural science; namely,
Dzierzon, Langstroth, Baron Berlepsch, Pastor
Schonfeld, Hruschka, Mehring, Baron Ehrenfels,
Kanitz, Louis Huber, Weygandt, Cowan, and Sarto-
ri. Elegant portraits of all those men are given in
the highest style of the engraver's art. Many fine
cuts of hives, apiaries, etc., are also given. As the
present work is No. 1, we presume that friend
Gravenhorst is going to publish at stated intervals

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

60c

more of a similar character. We trust that such is
the case; for although the language is foreign to
us, the pictures are readily translated into any
tongue desired. The price is, we understand, 50
pfennig, or half a mark— which would be equiva-
lent to 12 cents. The paper and printing are of the
very best. We cordially recommend the work to
all who can read German. The book is 7*4 x 6l/2
inches.

MAKE AL.L YOU CAN OF THE FAIRS.

Our experience last fall at the Ohio Centennial at
Columbus has taught us that much can be done at
fairs toward educating the people in our favorite
pursuit, and correcting many of the false ideas
current among them. Much can be done toward
correcting the public mind on the subject of manu-
factured {?) honey by distributing our $1000 reward
cards, and by having a comb-foundation mill, with
samples of wax sheets before and after they have
passed through the mill. The worst falsehoods are
those which contain a grain of truth, and there is
no doubt but that the comb-foundation industry
furnishes a foundation and gives strength to the
story of manufactured comb honey. In the minds
of the great mass of the people, except those di-
rectly interested in the use of comb foundation,
this product has made a vague impression, and it is
not strange, knowing human nature as we do, that
this foundation is exaggerated into fully complet-
ed comb, and filled with honey or a substitute.
One of the best ways to correct the false notions,
and shear off the great overgrowth of imagination
from the facts is to show to the masses at the fairs
how comb foundation is made, explaining the impos-
sibility of accomplishing the manufacture of com-
plete comb honey. Have a piece of natural comb
and a piece of the thinnest comb foundation and a
magnifying-glass, so that each may be examined.
Hand to the skeptical and unbelieving one of our
reward cards, offering $101)0 for proof to the contra-
ry of your statements. In all your efforts, be pa-
tient and Christlike, remembering that these neigh-
bors who have been misinformed have not had
your opportunities for knowing the facts. If this
policy is persistently carried out there can not fail
to come increased confidence in bee-keepers as a
class and their product, and increased consumption
of honey.

THE PARIS EXPOSITION, AND THE UNITED STATES
HONEY EXHIBIT.

The Paris correspondent of the British Bee Jour-
nal, under date of June 27, says:

The United States have a very considerable ex-
hibit, contributed by nearly all the leading makers
in the States, and shown as a joint collection. It is
arranged on a floor-space of about 30 ft. long by 4
feet wide, and on the walls above are various small
articles; also the well-known diagrams by Mr.
Cheshire, of the British Bee-keepers' Association.

In regard to our own exhibit, he continues:

Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, O., of course is to the
fore. He shows his well-known lawn hive, his two-
story hive, and his l^-story hive. These are so well
known as to need no further comment. There is
also one of his latest natural-based foundation-
machines, and a large can for catching the wax
cappings when extracting is doneonalarge scale,
a< it is in the States,

Of W. T. Falconer's exhibit he says:

Every thing is got up in splendid style, and is
clear varnished.

The world-wide word "Chautauqua," as applied
to Falconer's hive, is disguised by the printers,
doubtless, under the name "Chantangua."

Of the sections made by G. B. Lewis & Co., of
Watertown, Wis., the correspondent says:

For an article that is produced by the million,
they can not be surpassed.

Br. Tinker's perforated zinc is very much ad-
mired, and the writer is very anxious to know
where the doctor gets such perfect zinc. Why, he
makes it himself, at his home in New Philadelphia,
O. Of Dadant & Son's foundation the writer t-ays:

It is so thin and clear that their name, which is
printed on paper, and placed behind the founda-
tion, shows plainly, and can be read easilv through
it.

The honey show itself is pronounced as nothing
remarkable. Some of the honey was broken in
shipping. " There is not really," it is said, " a well-
finished section in the whole lot." The writer
closes up by saying:

The inscription on top of the large stand is in let-
ters constructed out of four-piece sections, and is
very pretty, and in good taste. It reads thus: " Les
insects nuisible et utiles," and the remaining three
glass cases are filled with the specimens of the use-
ful and harmful insects of the United States.

THE ST. JOSEPH EXPOSITION.

One of our subscribers, Mr. Thos. B. Nichol, of
St. Joseph, Mo., forwards us some of the advance
proofs of the premium-list of the St. Joseph, or, as
it is called, the New Era Exposition. In looking
down over the rules and regulations we note the
following:

It has been urged by those responsible for the
financial success of the exposition, that unless the
horse-jockey had a chance at a purse of thousands
of dollars, while the farmer competed for premi-
ums of from fifty cents to five dollars, the exposi-
tion could not be sustained.

The New Era Exposition will try the experiment
of reversing the order of things, relying on the ag-
riculturists (who have hitherto loudly and justly
complained) for an appreciation of efforts and a
hearty co-operation.

This we believe is a step in the right direction;
and the sooner the managers of our expositions
begin to see it, the better it will be for them finan-
cially. The premiums offered on comb and extract-
ed honey, bees and queens, in the Bees and Honey
department, are some of the largest we have ever
seen. No. 21, display of comb honey, largest and
most attractive, first premium, $50.00; second,
$25.00; No. 22, display of extracted honey, largest
and most attractive, first premium, $50 00; second,
$25.00. No wonder that the St. Joseph folks can
afford to offer more for farm products when the
horse-jockey is made to take a back seat. Instead
of getting his thousand or two thousand dollars, he
must be content with his proportion if he gets any
at all. Let us take a casein point: The Buffalo In-
ternational premium-list is at band. While they
offer quite a number of premiums of $600, $400, $300,
$200. and so on, for single horses, the premiums on
regular farm produce scarcely ever go beyond 10 or
20 dollars. The Buffalo Exposition alone offers
something over $11,000 in premiums for blooded
horses alone. The same exposition offers about as
many hundreds for the products of the soil. Per-
haps we should mention that the Buffalo Interna-
tional Fair, to be held Sept. 3—13, offers very liberal
premiums in the apiarian department— something
like $450. For comb and extracted honey there
are two $30.00 premiums— a number of $15.00 and
$10.00 premiums. But they offer only a silver med-
al for apiarian supplies. Guess we won't exhibit
this year. Mr. O. L. Hershiser, formerly a student
at Lansing, Mich., under Prof. A. J. Cook, h,as.
charge of the department.

606

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July

don't sell too cheap.

The following very seasonable note came to hand
just as we go to press. Those who have honey to
sell had better bear in mind friend Heddon's sug-
gestions.

Pleased al the partial improvements upon the past two sea-
sons, many bee-keepers have been praising I8.s;> as a aoney
year, It begins to look plain to me that, taking the country
all ever, we arc not going I" have an average crop by consid-
erable. The past two poor seasons have cleared tin' market of
honey, ami got consumers into the habit of paying better
prices than formerly. As it is a fact thatwe need ittokeep
our business equally profitable with other lines, let us hold up
to I his price. In I his local ion the season s not as good, up to
this date, as within the past two very poor years. We have
not one sixth of a crop. Basswood is in full bloom, fully half
past, and not any thing like an average yield solar. Clover
bloomed profusely, but yielded very stingily. This ends the
white-honey crop. Pleurisyis not yet plentiful enough here
to produce surplus honey to much extent in so large apiaries
as I keep. It is just getting into bloom, ami the bees arc thick
upon it. while theyleave everyother plant except that.for
the basswood. We can sec the honej standing in the blos-
soms in little drops, and the bees crawling all over it, rapidly
loading and going home. Only a few years ago we could not
tiud a do/en plants within the radius of our apiaries. In a few-
years more we expect it to yield ns a good surplus crop, if
nothing unforeseen happens. Do not be in a hurry to dispose
of your honey. Whatever yon do sell early, do not sell it
cheap. Let us wait till we see that we have to

Dowagiac, Mich., July 13. James Heddon.

{SPECI/m ]S[0¥ICEg.

openings forming the letters being about 1% in.
highand 5 in. wide. M and W, of course, are wider,
and I narrower. The letters are of the following
pattern :

FAIR, 1889.

The price will be 10 cts. per letter or figure. With
thin foundation inserted, 15 cts. per letter or figure.
In ordering, if you will write the letters in the or-
der you want them, we can make 3 letters in one
piece, just right to slip into a wide frame. Or if
you don't happen to have a wide frame, simply
tack a bar on top, to suspend it from, and hang it
in the hive without a frame around it. The 4 fig-
ures, 1889, will go in a frame. To make the letters,
we simply tack two ,Vinch boards together, mark
the letter, and jig it out on a scroll-saw. To put in
the foundation, separate the boards, lay a sheet be-
tween, and tack them together again. We make
the letters large, because the bees will work in
them more readily, and they are much more con-
spicuous when filled.

PREMIUM OFFER.

To those intending to make an exhibit, and who
will agree to distribute judiciously the circulars we
will send, we will furnish free one letter or figure
for each dollar's worth of goods ordered, if the or-
der amounts to $4 00 or more. If foundation is in-
serted in each letter, we will furnish 2 letters for
every $3.00 worth of goods ordered.

DECLINE IN BEESWAX.

We quote a decline of 2 cts. per lb. in price of wax
from that last quoted. Revised prices will be 23
cts. cash; 26 cts. in trade for average wax, deliver-
ed here. To those who wish to buy. the price will
be 28 cts. for average quality, and 32 for best se-
lected. If those who send us wax would put their
name and address on the package, or on a slip of
paper in the package, so we could have a clew as to
where it comes from, it would save us much trouble
and annoyance.

A DROP IN THE PRICE OF THE WHITMAN PUMP.

We have received lower prices from the manu-
facturers of this excellent article, the merits of
which are set forth in Our Own Apiary. It is only
fair that we give our customers the advantage of
the decline. Our catalogue price is $7.50. We will
now offer them for $6.00 each; in lots of 3, for $5.50
each. For larger quantities, write for prices. They
may be sent by mail for 60 cts. each extra. Our old
price was $7.50. This is a strong brass pump, and
will send a stream of water perpendicularly 40 feet,
or it will send a spray, such as is used for bringing
down swarms, 30 feet high. Of all the pumps we
have experimented with, none answer so well as
swarm-arresters as the Whitman.

DISCOUNT ON GOODS FOR FAIKS.

In view to the education of the people to more
correct views of our pursuit, as indicated in an ed-
itorial elsewhere, we will, as has been our custom
for years, furnish samples at a discount. All goods
of our manufacture will be furnished at 25 per cent
discount, the only conditions being that you will be
allowed a discount only on samples (one of a kind),
that they must be entered for exhibition at one or
more fairs, and that you distribute judiciously the
advertising matter we send along with the goods.
If you secure any premiums, the money thus se-
cured is yours for your trouble, in addition to the
commission we allow you when you buy the goods.
We will consider a box of 500 sections, 1 lb. of each
grade of foundation, 50 brood-frames, flat, 50 wide
frames, as units, and subject to discount as sam-
ples. We will also furnish free all you can judi-
ciously use of the $1000 reward cards.

AN ATTRACTION FOR FAIR-EXHIBITS.

Some of our old customers will remember that
we used to advertise and furnish sections i% in.
square, with fancy-shaped center, such as stars,
hearts, diamonds, etc. We have not made these of
late, but we have had frequeut calls for letters to
be filled with comb honey by the bees, to form mot-
toes. We have never been well equipped for mak-
ing these till now. We have a full set of pattern
letters to work from, and they are of such a size
that three will fill an 8-section wide frame, the

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

I received the package of tomato plants at 10 p. m.
last night; placed them in a little water over night,
and potted them this morning. They were in prime
order, hardly wilted, or a leaf injured. They can
not fail to grow. I hope to have a good report to
make next fall. Chas. J. Jackson.

Newton, Kan., June 27, 1889.

GOT HIS DOLLAR S WORTH.

We all enjoyed reading your travels very much,
and, in fact, all the Home talks and good things.
If a bee-keeper can't get a dollar's worth from
Gleanings he surely does not read and profit
thereby. Please renew my subscription for one
year. R. R. Ryan.

Bradshaw, Neb., June 13, 1889.

THOSE DOVETAILED HIVES " RIGHT TO THE DOT.'*

I am well pleased with those ten Dovetailed hives
I received of you; they are right to the dot, and
don't you forget it. I put up the 500 sections which
came also, without breaking a single one in the
bunch. Martin F. Williamson.

Friendly, W. Va., June 17, 1889.

HOW THE BUCKWHEAT WENT OFF.

Before I forget it I owe you a vote of thanks, or
that doesn't exactly express it. I am very thankful
to you for your Kindness. I will try to make good
the amount on Gleanings. It has sent me half a
dozen calls for buckwheat. Can't a man touch you
without getting himself spread out? Well, I will
make it all riffht some time. J. H. Kennedy.

Quenemo, Kan., June 12, 1889.

THE DOVETAILED HIVE JUST THE HIVE FOR THE
GREAT MASS OF BEE-KEEPERS.

The Dovetailed hives ordered of you arrived in
first-class order, and freight very moderate. We
admire your ingenious method of crating, and are
much pleased with the hives. We consider the
Dovetailed as just the hive for that great class of
bee-keepers who, farmers also, make bee-keeping
an extra; have few appliances for putting hives to-
gether, and devote their attention to the produc-
tion of comb honey exclusively. R. N. Learned.

Newton, N. J., May 27, 1889.

FOK SALE.— Italian queens, tested, at $1.00
each, 6 for $5.00; untested, 75 cents each. No
foul brood. 12ttd L. A. Ressler, Nappanee, Ind.

w

ILL pay 10 cents each for Oct. 1, i8S2, number of
Gleanings. A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

(ill

Contents of this Number.

Alsike free to Farmers . . . 632

Answers to Questions 639

Bees in a Pound 643

Bees Near Road 632

Bees in a Rock 635

Bees, Stingier s 639

Bee-catcher 636

Wanton ill Texas 623

Burr-comb 632

California Flowers 633

( 'and v. Manual's 628

Catclaw 617

Cells, Double-decked 623

Cells, Square 635

Cells, Capping Top Row... .635
Cell-protector, Manum's . . .629

Clipping (,Q. B.).637, 638

Combs, Old 636

Combs Crosswise of Hive. . .632
Conventions, Interesting. . .616

Copperheads 629

Drone, Parents of 634

Editorial 650

False Statements 620

Foundation vs. Combs 631

Frames, Closed-end 633

Gardening for August 649

Helmet, Canadian 643

Honey, Adulterated 634

Honey, Slanders About 617

Honey from Tobacco 636

Honey-boards 619

Hopatcong Hat 642

Hunt's Apiary 625

Increase, Possible 618

Italy 622

Japanese v. Silverhull 634

Manum in Apiary 628

Mud-wasps 629

Notes and Queries 638

Notes of Travel 644

Nuclei, Disturbing 630

Out-apiaries 615

Queens in Nuclei 635

Reports Discouraging 636

Reports Encouraging. 636

Section, Last in Super 624

Sections, Dampening 623

Sections, Unfinished 624

Sections. To Keep Down 636

Stinging in Thioat 635

Sulphur 638

Sulphur for Foul Brood 619

Swarms, Young 633

Swarming, To Prevent 630

Swarming, Miller on 621

Tobacco Column 641

Vermont Bee-keepers 626

Wahia 617

Wax, Mineral 639

Wisconsin, Trip to 644

Zinc, Perforated 619

{SPECIE pj0JFICEg.

HONEY QUEENS.

There has been such a call for honey queens from
that Imported queen spoken of on page 508, J une
15, we have decided to sell her daughters at the fol-
lowing rates : Untested, $1.50; tested, $3.00; select
tested, $4.00. The mother of these queens still sus-
tains her former reputation, and her bees prove
conclusively that gentleness and energy make a
successful combination. We also have one other
imported queen whose bees are about as gentle and
as good workers as the other one. Her daughters
will be sold at the same price. Her queens, if any
thing, are a trifle yellower. Be sure to mention, in
ordering, that you want a " honey queen," other-
wise we shall send you our regular queens.

SEEDS AND PLANTS SUITABLE FOR AUGUST PLANT-
ING.

Asparagus, Palmetto. Oz., 10c; lb., $1.50.

Beans, Dwarf German wax. Pint, 10c. By mail,
8c extra.

Beets, Eclipse. Oz., 5c; lb., 60c.

Carrots, Early French Forcing. Oz., 10c; lb., $1.00.

Celery-plants. Henderson's White Plume, Gol-
den Self-blanching, Golden Dwarf, or Boston Mar-
ket. 10 plants, 5c; 100, 40c; 1000, $3.00. If wanted
by mail, add 5c for 10, or 25c for 100.

Corn, Corey's Extra Early. Half-pint, 5c; quart,
15c. By mail, 12c per qt. extra.

Cress, or pepper-grass. Oz., 5c; lb., 50.

Cucumbers. Early Frame, Nichol's Medium Green.
Oz., 5c; lb., 60.

Grand Rapids lettuce, Henderson's New York, or
Boston Market. Oz., 15c; lb., $2.00.

Onion, Mammoth Silver King. Packet, 5c; oz., 20;
lb., $2.50.

Onion-sets, Winter or Egyptian. Qt., 10c; pk., 75c.
By mail, 10c per qt. extra.

Parsley, Fine Curled or Double. Oz., 5c; lb., 50.

Alaska peas. Pt., 10c. By mail, 8c extra.

American Wonder peas. Half-pint, 10c. By mail,
4c extra.

Kadishes, Scarlet Globe, Lady Finger, Chartier.
Oz., 5c; lb., 60c.

Radishes, fall or winter. Oz., 10c; lb., $1.00.

Spinach, Extra Curled. Oz., 5c; lb., 35.

Turnip, White Egg, or Purple Top White Globe.
Oz., 5c: lb, 40c.

STRAWBERRY-PLANTS.

Of these we have a plenty of extra nice Jessie or
Sharpless; 10c for 10; 75c per 100; $ 5.00 per 1000. Of
Bubach we have also a good supply of nice plants.
Prices are double those above. All strawberry-
plants sent by mail at an additional expense of 3c
for 10, or 15c for 100. I would advise that straw-
berry-plants be set where they can be shaded, un-
less we have plenty of rain. If the weather is ex-
ceedingly dry, they may require watering as well as
shading to save them. A good watering, however,
just before the plants are covered with a good

mulch of straw, leaves, or swamp grass, or some-
thing of that sort, will usually take thi'tn through
the most severe drouth. Orders for strawberry-
plants are liable to be delayed unless we have
rains frequently.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

OUR HOMES.

I wish I could take you by the hand and have a
good long talk with you. Our Homes does me more
good than any sermon I ever heard. I would not do
without Gleanings for almost any thing. Our
Homes is written in such simple words that almost
any one can understand it; and as I am not a man
of " over-high " education it just suits me exactly.
May you live long, and keep on doing good.

Carpenter, 111., June 11, 1889. Ed. E. Smith.

ONE WHO LOVED GLEANINGS.

How lonely is our home! Father died the 24th of
May, aged 72 years. There are only four of us at
home— mother and two sisters and myself. Father
had been failing for the last two years. He was al-
ways a lover of bees, and he was always a great
lover of Gleanings. He could not work, but
would watch for Gleanings. The May 15th num-
ber came too late for him to see it. It came two
hours before he passed away. He asked, every
time we went to the office, if we got Gleanings.
He could read some, and it passed away the time
for him. Oh, how lonely it is without father! Al-
most his last words to me were to tell how he want-
ed me to fix some bees for a neighbor who wanted
some. Father had read Gleanings for years, and
we still expect to read it until we too are called up
higher to meet him. Mary E. Cokeley.

Ritchie, W. Va., June 11, 1889.

ONE WHO IS NOT A CHRISTIAN, BUT YET LOVES
THE FRUITS OF CHRISTIANITY.

It does me good all over in spots as large as a
blanket to see the kind, conscientious, and prompt
manner in which you do business. I appreciate
and love people who wear their religion every day,
as well as Sunday. Although I belong to no church,
I try to do right and be honest. I like genuine, hon-
est, and religious people, but I detest hypocrites.
W. A. Cartmell.

Crowley, Texas, June 24, 1889.

[I am sure you have too high an opinion of your
humble servant. If you lived near by me, and
could see me day by day, very likely your ideal
friend would tumble to pieces, and you would find
he was about after the fashion of mankind in gen-
eral, after all. It is Christ's spirit, and that alone,
that can lift us above earth and things earthly.]

HOW TO FIX TOMATO-PLANTS DURING A SNOW-
STORM.

The 13 Ignotums arrived in splendid condition.
They are extra good strong plants, and now all
stand upright, having scarcely wilted. Consider-
ing both strength and weight, I think the wooden
box in which they were packed is as good as can be
made for mailing purposes, and that you will have
but very little if any complaint of damaged plants
packed as these were. They came Tuesday; and
fearing a frost I delayed setting them that day.
Next morning the thermometer stood at 32°, and I
waited until after dinner, when it commenced to
rain, with the wind in the east, and thermometer at
37°. Thinking that the wind would shift to the
south, I set out the plants and went to work in the
shop. At 3 p. M. my wife called and asked if I knew
that it was snowing. Looking out, every thing was
seen whitening with snow, which came as if it
meant business. I ran and got 13 Simplicity cov-
ers, and put them over the Ignotums. in a hurry.
The snow fell fast and thick until 7 p. M., when it
changed to rain, with the thermometer at 32°, at
which point it had been four times before within a
week. Jas. H. Andrews.

Almont, Mich., June 3, 1889.

[HE REVISED LANGSTEOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

612

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION SECTION PRESS

Is kept tor sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; O.G.Collier, Fairbury,
Nebraska; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter, j
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va.; E. K. Newcomb, '
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y.; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis. ; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111.; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Rrantlord, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater. Columbus, Neb. ; E. C. Eagles-
fleld, Berlin. Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
to sample in every rexpect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for fret samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK

Edition of 1889.

3lfdb

OHAS, DAD ANT A SON,
ffnmllton, Hnmook Co., Illinois.

twin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

COLONIES Italian bees at $5; tested Italian queens
at $1; untested (younyr laving) Italian queens at
60c. Address OTTO KLEINOW,

15-ltid 150 Military Avenue, Detroit, Mich.

IflRE ITALIAN QUEENS7

50 tested queens now ready at $1.00 each; 100 un-
tested queens, every 3 days, at 70c each ; 3 for $2.00.
A few selected breeding queens at $2.00 each. All
bred from imported and best selected home-bred
queens. Safe arrival bv mail guaranteed.

D. (i. EDMISTON,
15tfdb Adrian, Leuawee Co., Midi.

lES"In responding to this advcii i rn ■

apiarianIoTplies cheap.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

t?Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

PRICE $2.00.

PATENTED

JULYI2. ,8 s 7

For putting together one-piece sections. Every
section square, and a smart boy or girl can fold 100
in six minutes. Try one and you will never regret
it. Send to your supply dealer or to 5-ltidb

WAKEMAN & CROCKER, Lockport, N. Y.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention gleaning*

UNTESTED Italian queens, 75 cts. each.
M. 1SBELL, Norwich, Cbenango Co., N. Y.

STRAWBERRY PLANTS

By mail at 75 cts. per 100. Varieties, Jessie, Jumbo,
Captain Jack, and Crescent Seedling.

Address JACOB GDIS1NGER, Ada, O.

t3f In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, andDABANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

JAS, F, WOOD, MTB FfiESCOTT, MASS,,

Will now ship by return mail, his warranted queens
to any address, for 75 cts. each, or $S.OO per dozen.
Single queen to Canada, 85 cts. Being isolated from
all black bees I am able to warrant every queen
purely mated, and safe arrival guaranteed. Every
queen is of good shape, and all have filled several
combs with eggs before being shipped. I will re-
place every queen that hatches a black bee with a
select tested queen, worth $2.00.

If you want the best queens promptly, send me
your orders. I am bound to suit you. Address as
above. 13tfdb

FOX-HOUIND PJPPIES FOR SALE.— First-
class stock. Address C. A. WOOD.
I3ifdb Tarrytown, Westchester Co., N. Y.

^LITHOGRAPH LABELS

In 12 Colors, at $2.00 per lOOO.

The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long in shape, measuring 2l8x258. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35 cts. for 100; $1.30
for 500; $2.00 for 1000. A. 1. Root, Medina, O.

A STEP FORWARD TOWARDS SUCCESS !
After carefully studying the demand of consumers and dealers, and se-
lecting of the many styles of packages for comb honey the very best and
the most attractive, we have now prepared an improved paper carton com-
bined with a comb-protector. Honey, put up in these packages, will be
bought in preference to all others at highest market price. Our patent
comb-protector will prevent leakage and soiling of sections. Comb honey
can be easily and quickly put up in our cartons. These advantages and the
small cost of our cartons and comb protector will save labor, time, money,
and honey. Strohmeyer's patent comb-protectors require 1 inch of the in-
side height of crates. Price list and sample carton sent free on application.

F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,
122 Water Street, New York.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

613

No. 1, $'2.<>0; No. 2, £1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife
No. 4, 1.25: No. 5, 1.00; No. C, 65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Binghain & Hetheriugton Smokers
an.i Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood
burning clear smoke bee-smokers; no
going1 out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHBHINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

t3f"ln responding to this advertisement mention gi.kakikgs.

WANTElTTTo REDUCE STOCK"!

For the next 30 days we will sell untested Italian
queens, at 55 cts. each; 6 for $3.00; 12 for $5.75.
Tested, $1.00 each. Bees for sale cheap. 14-15d

R. B. LEAHY & CO., Hlgglnsville, Mo.

C^"In responding to tlrs ndivrl i ement mention Gleanings.

MUTH'S
HOUEY-EXTRACTOR.

Wttli\ICE GLASS honey-jars,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HI V EN,

HONEY-SECTIONS, Ac, &c.

PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKEBS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Ree-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) Itfdh

BEES AND QUEENS. Tested
queens, $1.50. Untested, 75c.
Bees, per lb., 85 cts. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MTSS A. M. TAYLOR.

9 lOtfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.
Cjfln responding to this advertisement mention <•■ i ■

FOR SALE CHEAP !

75 COLOITIES OP BEES,
Mostly Italians, in Boot's Simplicity and chaff
hives, $4 per colony, hive included. Special prices
for the entire lot upon application. Combs built on
wired frames of foundation. I have other business,
and the entire lot must be sold.

1516d B. T. BLEASDALE,

983 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, O.

tS"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

LEPAGE'S LIQUID GLUE.

Few words of praise are neces-
sary for this excellent article, so
widely known and advertised. It
is one of the best of liquid {dues.
Always ready for use. Mends
every thing'. We have 4 different-
sized packages.

Glass bottle like the adjoining
cut for 10 cts.; 75 cts. for 10; $7.00
per 100. Half -gill tin cans with
screw cap, and brush fastened to
inside of cap, price 15 cts. each;
$1.10 for 10; $10.50 per 100. This
latter can be sent by mail for 10c.
extra for postage and packing.

Gill tin can with brush, 30 cts.;
li'i for $1.50; 100 for $14.00; 'A-pint
tin cans, no brush, 35 cts.; $3.30
for 10; $31.00 per 100.
LePage's Mucilage, in large bottles, with a nice

enamel-handle brush, at 10 cts. each; 75 cts. for 10;

$7.00 per 100. This is the best mucilage made, and

will do nicely in manycases for glue, although it is

pretty thin to be used as glue.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

ITALIAN

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must SAY you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED. — To exchange 3 L. frame nucleus, with
yellow Itallian queen, in one-story Simplicity
hives, worth $3.00, for white paint, or offers.
Mrs. Oliver Cole, Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Italian queens for
extracted honey. Please correspond with de-
scription of honey and price, f. o. b., cars at your
station. Wm. VV. Cary, Coleraine, Mass.

15tfdb

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange 80 acres of land in the
basswood belt of Wis. A splendid location for
bees, for full colonies of bees, and supplies. For
information, address B. J. Thompson,

14-15d Waverly. Pierce Co., Wis.

WANTED.— To exchange Planet Jr. garden drill,
hoe, and cultivator, and Bible Companion, 700
pages, half morocco binding, for bees, combs, chaff
or Simplicity hives, etc. Address

Albert Maker, Urbana, Champ. Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange bees for extracted hon-
ey. J. F. Michael, German, Darke Co., O.
15-16-17d

WANTED.— To exchange fine Damascus double-
barrel b. 1. gun, for 3 or 4 h. -power engine. Also
Model press and type, for power fodder-cutter.
15 -1 fid O. Brum field, Brumfleld, Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange 48-inch Otto special bicy-
cle, used only 3 or 4 times, cost $50, for a Barnes
combined saw. Must be in first-class shape, as I
guarantee bicycle.

W. H. Winscott, Sturgeon, Mo.

WANTED.— To exchange a 400 - acre stock farm,
for Western property, 300 in grass, 05 in timber;
two-story dwelling, large barn, etc.; other out-
buildings, never-failing springs; one mile to depot,
and right in the blue-thistle belt, which is one of
the best honey-plants in the world.

L. Glover, Darkesville, Berk. Co., W. Va.

WANTED.— To exchange 3 Novice style extractors
(for L. frame) valued at $7 each; ten 3-frame
nuclei with queen, valued at $3.50; twenty tested
queens, valued at $1; fifty untested queens at 60 cts.
each; one medium-size iron safe, for a printing-
pn-88, or something useful.
14-16db S. S. Lawing, Henderson, Webster Co., Mo.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

Eight mismated queens at 30 cts. each; 13 hybrids,
30c each : 6 brown, at 30c each ; all reared by natural
swarming. F. C. Morrow, Wallaceburg, Ark.

1 have a lot of good hybrid and black queens for
sale at 30 and 35c each. Send quick if you want
them. L. H. Robev, Worthington, Mar'n Co., W.Va.

Six hybrid queens for sale 8t 35c each.

Louis Werner, Edwardsville, Mad. Co., 111.

I have 13 or 15 hybrid queens that I will ship by
return mail for 35c each. Safe arrival guaranteed.
C. C. Kirkman, Kedallia, Pitt. Co., N. C.

A few hybrid queens for sale at 35c each byre-
turn mail. Fred Leininger, Douglas, Put. Co., O.

614

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Auii.

P©NEY C0MWL

CITY MARKETS.

Kansas City. — Honey. — New comb honoy is com-
ing- in unite freely. We don't look for a very active
market before September. We quote white 1-lb.
comb, 16c. Very little extracted on the market.
We quote white clover or basswood, in kegs or bar-
n-Is. 7" 7' i : amber, in barrels, 6c. Beeswax, none in
market Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

July 22. Kansas City, Mo.

New York. — Honey.— Our market is unchanged,
although somewhat higher prices are asked for
new extracted. There is some demand for new
comb honey, but we have no stock yet. Beeswax,26o.

July 2~. F. H. Stkohmeyek & Co..

_ New York.

St. Louis.— Honey.— We quote white-clover hon-
ey, comb, 1-lb. sections, 12@.13e. Extracted, clover,
5@7c, new stock. We have reports from several of
our shippers, and they say the dry weatherof April
caused not over 50 to 60 per cent of white clover to
be gathered. But, with dry weather, prospect of
full crop from fall flowers.

W. B. Westcott & Co.,

July :i7. St. Louis, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— Nothing new since our last
report. We may note the arrivals of quite a num-
ber of small lots of new honey, with quite plentiful
offerings. Demand is slow. Extracted brings 5@8
cts. on arrival. Comb, 12@15c in a jobbing way.
Beeswax.— There is a good demand at 20@22 on ar-
rival for good to choice yellow.

July :.':.'. Chas. P. Muth,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Albany.— Ho/in/.— Market not opened yet. Some
talk of too much wet weather for crop, but 1 think
the early sale after market opens will be the best.
Free consumption does not begin until October.
Consignments solicited. H. K. Wkioht,

July 34. Albany, N. Y.

New York.— Honey.— Our market remains quite
active for extracted honey. Orange blossom, fine
quality, sells readily at from 1®lVi- Off quality of
Southern finds quick sale at from 60 to 70c per gal-
lon. No new California honey on this market.
Extracted would bring from 7V4@8c, while it is too
early to stipulate on prices on new comb. Beeswax
is dull, and prices declining on account of limited
demand. Good yellow sells at from 25@25%c.

Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

July 33. New York.

Boston. — Honey.— No change in the honey situa-
tion. We are expecting some new this week. At
present we are without a single pound of comb
honey, but we are receiving some very fine extract-
ed from C. M. Lincoln, of Rupert, Vt., and it will
sell readily at from 8@9c. Beeswax, 34@25.

July 32. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

St. Louis.— floiieiy.— No market for comb honey.
Extracted, quiet at 6J4@6V4 for bright; 5@5Vs for
dark. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

July 22. St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— No new honey in the market,
and old all sold. Beeswax, 34@35. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., July 25.

Columbus.— Honey.— Honey is coming in very
slowly; selling at 16@,17c for nice 4^x4^ sections.
July 22. Earle Clickenger,

Columbus, Ohio.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant 1-lb. sections and 12-lb. cases, at 16 c
(for HIO lbs. or more). Also 60 lb. screw-cap cans of
extracted clover honey, at $5 per can, Safe arrival
guaranteed by freight.

Oliver Poster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.

For Sale.— 10,000 lbs. of choice white-clover hon-
ey in first-class one-pound sections, 34 and 48 lb.
cases. This is the finest honey 1 have ever raised.
If you desire to purchase, state quantity and I will
quote bottom prices. Ezra Baer, Dixon, 111.

Wanted.— 10 i to 300 lbs. extracted honey.

Dr. G. H. Cokey, Bristolville, Ohio.

PRICES REDUCED.

Untested queens, 65 cts. ; 10 for $6 00. Select test-
ed. SI. 50; ten 2-cent stamps taken where postal
notes can not be had. Can send by return mail.
Money orders payable at Nicholasville.

J. T. WILSON, Little Hi. Ii man, Ky.
EWIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, ihe \ i>ws of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sani-

pies free. w. 2. HUTCHINSON, Flint. Mich.

Please mention Gleanings. 131 fdh

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

NOTICE^

Sections, One - Piece,

4^x4^4x3, open four sides. We have about 300,000
nice ones in stock at $3.00 per 1000.

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

C^"In responn.iik' to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DR. TINKER'S"

QUEEN-REARING CHAMBER

The only practicable invention for rearing and
securing the mating of a number of queens, and
getting them all laying at once in full colonies of
bees. Patented July 16. 1883. For particulars ad-
dress with stamp, DR G. L TINKER,
15-16d New Philadelphia, O.

K?"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

WINTER ONIONS.

For description see Gleanings, Sept. 1, 1888.
Price of sets, 10c a pint, $1 a peck, $3X0 a bushel;
by mail, 8c per quart extra.

EDWARD B. BEEBEB, Oneida. N. Y.
fWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Carniolan Queens.

Importing and breeding this race exclusively since 1884; the
demand for them has more than doubled each season. Send
postal for circular, or $1 for choice untested queen; $5 per half-
doz.; ib for Benton's best grade imported queen. lltfdb

S. W. MORRISON, Oxford, Chester Co., Pa.

I^TIn responding to Ibis mlvi-rtlMMin in mention Olkamm.-.

Crawford's Folding Paper Boxes

Wot Inclosing Section Honey.
THE BEST BOX FOR THE LEAST MONEY!

^S.OO :i~»er XOOO

and less, according to quantity. Send for sample
and price list. A. 0. CRAWFORD, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.
|yin responding to this :s-'vi-ni i-.w i i turn iii.kaninos.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested. $1.33 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts.;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON. Hitrh Hill, Mo.

Raton's Improved

SECJTXOIV CASE.

I!fcb;s ami Queers. Send for
fn e catalogue Address

FltANK A. EATON,
5 Itidb Itliill ion, Ohio.

jar-In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Vol. XT1I.

AUG. 1, 1889.

No. 15.

LESS

TERMS: $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance;-) T? „+ ~ T.7y' 0 h n rJ t'ti 7 & 7" ? f Clubs to different postoffices. not les
2UopiesforS1.90;3forS2.75;5for8*.00; -tLSTCLOlvbrlC'Cb iJl J- O I O . | than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in th
10 or more. 75 cts. each. Single nuin- J. published semi-monthly by

k /. /?6W, Af£0/M. OH/0

iay

made at club rates. Above are all
be sent to ONE I'OSTOFFICE.

U.S. and Canadas. To all other coun-
tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES NO. XII.

UNLOADING AND FREEING BEES.

«PON hauling the first load of bees to an out-
apiary, no special care need be taken till the
load is taken off, for no bees are flying. Aft-
er the first load, however, the case is differ-
ent. Unless it happens to be so early or late
in the day, or so cool that no bees are flying, great
care must be taken. Use judgment as to how close
you dare drive to the apiary, unless, indeed, there
is no chance to approach near enough for the bees
to trouble your team. I once kept bees in an out-
apiary where there was no chance to get in the in-
closure where the bees were, so I used a wheelbar-
row to wheel them from the wagon to the apiary.
But ordinarily you can drive nearer than it would
be wise to have a team stand. Before you drive
close enough to have any anxiety, get down from
your wagon, put up your lines and have every
thing in readiness to unhitch in a twinkling when
you stop. If you have a single horse, unfasten the
hold-back straps so that nothing shall be left to do
but to unhitch the traces. Then lead your horse to
the place where you will unload, unhitch as rapidly
as possible, take your horse to a safe distance, and
tie him ; then go back and unload. Make some cal-
culation to put the first loads in such part of the
apiary that they shall interfere least with you when
hauling succeeding loads; that is, in general put
the first load in the furthest part of the apiary. I
am not sure what is the best way to let the bees out
of the hive after putting them on the stand; but I
wouldn't let any of them out till I had finished un-
loading. Sometimes I have let them out without
smoke, by moving very softly; but on doiDg so I
am quite apt to take a short foot-race immediately
after the bees issue from the hive. One might
think that, after being pounded over the road so

long, bees would be good natured; but for some
reason they are apt to be cross; and when a lot of
cross bees rush out of a hive whose location they
have never marked, I am doubtful about their
finding their way back to the right hive, and a
little skeptical about their being kindly received
in any other hive. A few whiffs of smoke before
unstopping the entrance makes matters pleasant,
and I don't know whether that is better, or to dash
cold water into the entrance.

I suspect it is better to let bees alone as much
as possible the day they are placed in a new
apiary; and I make a practice, pretty generally,
when I take a load to an out-apiary to-day, to
overhaul those that I hauled yesterday, after open-
ing those I brought to-day.

BEST TIME TO TAKE BEES TO AN OUT-APIARY.

In the spring, pasturage is usually scarce; and if
you have enough bees so that you need to take
them from home for pasturage, they are likely to
need the extra pasturage in the spring as much as
any time, so that you will do well to commence
hauling your bees just as soon as you can in the
spring. Even if there is but little to work on in the
spring, that little is quite important to encourage
brood-rearing; and if you have 150 colonies, and
take 75 of them away, the remaining 75 will have
just twice the pasturage they had before, be that
little or much. Besides, as friend Root suggests,
the outside pasturage may be better. Bad roads
may delay matters, for in some localities there are
times in the spring when the roads are almost im-
passible. I would wait some little time for good
roads.

I have sometimes kept bees home till well on in
May; in fact, till one of the colonies had swarmed,
as I was feeding daily in the open air, and 1 thought
this would be of more advantage to the bees than
the little ihey would gather in the fields at the out-

616

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug

apiary. I don't think so now. I want them away
as early as possible. C. C. Millek.

Marengo, 111.

^ ^

BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTIONS, ETC.

OUK GOOD FRIEND DR. MASON GIVES US SOME
GLIMPSES AND HINTS IN REGARD TO TDEM.

fKlEND ROOT: -I wish I had the descriptive
power of some of your correspondents, so
that I could tell about my observations, made
when on a Ramble, and of the amateur ex-
perts I see at such times, in an entertaining
way. At any rate it may not be uninteresting to
learn that, in this locality, or within the bounds of
our Tri-County Agricultural Society, comprising
the counties of Lenawee and Monroe, Mich., and
Lucas, Ohio, the bee-keepers are awake to the im-
portance of improving every opportunity to edu-
cate" the people in regard to our important and
growing industry.

A year ago last winter the society held a three-
days' meeting at Monroe, Mich. It was just
" chock full " of enthusiasm, and bee-keepers did
their full share. It wa6 so arranged as to have our
specialty discussed in the evening, when there
would be a full attendance of people from the
city, whom it is quite desirable to disabuse of their
false belief in regard to the adulteration of our
product, and correct the false impressions made by
"Wiley" lies and newspaper squibs— the produc-
tion of the fertile imaginations of reporters.

The next week after the above-mentioned meet-
ing, a farmers' institute, under the auspices of the
Ohio State Board of Agriculture, was held in this
county, ten miles from Toledo, at which our friend
T. B. Terry was one of the lecturers, and our spe-
cialty was again brought to the notice of the farm-
ers and others by the reading of a paper by myself,
and the subject received its share of attention.
And again at a like institute held in another part
of the county on the last day of last year and the
first day of this, the subject was again presented
by an essay that gave something of the natural his-
tory of bees and the benefit they are to the farmer
and to the horticulturist.

Last winter at Adrian, Mich., was held the anni-
versary of the Lenawee County Horticultural So-
ciety, and one of the principal addresses, through
the efforts of one of your patrons, Mr. D. G. Ed-
miston, of that place, was on the relation of bee
culture to horticulture. It was well received.
Again in January last was held at Adrian the meet-
ing of the Lenawee County and the Tri-County Ag-
ricultural Societies: and on the programme for
one of the evening sessions, half of the time was
given to a paper on bee-keeping, etc., by H. D. Cut-
ting, of Clinton, Mich., and to one by your humble
servant. The subjects of both papers were discuss-
ed by such beekeepers as D. G. Edmiston, Mr. Allis,
A. M. Gander, and others; and the discussion show-
ed that a lively interest was taken in the subject.
I never was at a gathering of any kind where so
many sample copies of bee-journals were asked for
by interested parties.

Mr. Newman had kindly sent some copies of the
American Bee Journal for distribution, and I had
some extra numbers of GLEANINGS to distribute
also, and they were given to interested parties, and
I doubt not you will hear from some of them. I
had some copies of " Dot Happy Bee-Man " song

with me, and at the close of the discussion of the
bee essays the glee-club sang it, to the evident sat-
isfaction of the hundreds present.

At the close of the institute, at the solicitation of
our friend H. D. Cutting, we (that's my better half
and 1 I went home with him, 22 miles by rail, and had
a good three-days' visit with him and his family.

Of course, I had to take a good peep at his bees.
Till the last two or three winters his bees have
been wintered outdoors, packed on their summer
stands, but he is now a thorough convert to the
benefits of cellar wintering. His cellar is under his
house, and used as a family cellar for vegetables,
etc., and is Hix24, and 7 feet high. He has made a
kind of rack along one side and end, so as to hold
three tiers of hives, which are set with their en-
trances toward and within a few inches of the wall,
each one being easily removable without disturbing
any others. The frames are covered with enamel
cloth, and the bottom-board is left on.' Some of
them were placed in winter quarters Oct. 20, and
the last on Nov. 20; and I am safe in saying that
there were not two quarts of dead bees on the cel-
lar bottom, from about 40 colonies, and none had
been taken up. A small window at one end admits
light at all times, sufficient so that no artificial light
is needed to sec to get things from the cellar, and
but little light reaches the bees. He prefers a tem-
perature of from 38° to 40°. If with the tempera-
ture of my cellar, 50°, I were to admit light, I should
have to carry out mostly dead bees in the spring.

On the evening of the second day of the institute
I had the pleasure of going home with and being
entertained by Mr. E. W. Ellis, president of the
Adrian Scientific Society. He lives five miles in
the country, and, metaphorically, is full of bugs,
beetles, reptiles, etc. Being rather timid, and hav-
ing no especial liking for such amimals, you can
perhaps imagine my feelings on being ushered into
a room about twelve feet square, more or less,
" zhust zhammed crammed full of dose pets vot
vorks all der day und nefer 6chleep nights, morc'n
ten tousand hundert, 1 bets." But then I soon
found they were all dead. Mr. Allis is an enthusias-
tic entomologist, and he has a large library of
scientific books, and seemed to know all that was in
them. Of course, he keeps a few colonies of bees,
and tries all sorts of experiments with them.

We were entertained at Adrian by Mr. Edmiston
and family; and of course he keeps bees, or how
else could 1 possibly have stayed over night with
him? His bees are wintered on their summer
stands, in chaff, and other hives of that character;
and being a small-fruit grower and nurseryman he
does much toward properly educating the people
of his locality in regard to bees and their work and
production.

During the last two winters I have attended five
of theee institutes, held in the three above-named
counties, and made special preparation to present
our branch of agricultural or horticultural interest,
bee culture, etc., in the most interesting and at-
tractive form that it was possible for me to do. If
any other bee-keepers were present, they have
willingly " lent a helping hand." In no case has an
effort been made to induce any to engage in bee-
keeping as a business, but to give, in as entertain-
ing a way as possible, a brief natural history of
bees; tell where honey comes from, and how the
bees gather, store, and ripen it; how extracted hon-
ey is secured, and, if possible, illustrate; tell how

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

617

aud in what way bees are a benefit in fertilizing

and cross-fertilizing fruit and other blossoms. Also
tell about the reported injuries done to fruits,
grapes, etc., by bees, and how they have been ac-
cused of "eating- young- ducks," etc., and correct
tiiese false impressions. It is the bee-keepers' own
fault if our business is not properly brought before
the public at agricultural, horticultural, scientific,
and other gatherings. To be sure, it is not an easy
matter for a large majority, perhaps, of bee-keep-
ers to prepare entertaining articles on our special-
ty; but "there is nothing like getting used to it."
If one is not accustomed to it, and does not feel
cajiable of preparing an entire article, just let such
a one get, if he has it not already, a work entitled
"Bees and Honey," by Thos. G. Newman, and the
first fourteen pages will make an interesting intro-
duction. It has just such information as is inter-
esting to the general public, and written in a very
interesting way. When the next opportunity pre-
sents, make selections from Prof. Cook's Manual of
the Apiary, the A B C of Bee Culture, either or
both, always giving proper credit, of course, and
you will be surprised at the amount of interesting
and valuable information that can be thus furnish-
ed to willing listeners. And now that the new edi-
tion of Langstroth on the Honey-Bee, just revised
by Charles Dadant, is to be had, there seems to be
no end to interesting matter. New ideas are put
forth, and the old ones are put in new dress, so that
one is almost " lost in wonder, love, and praise."

Then the different bee-journals are constantly
teeming with things new and old, so that, if one had
nothing else to enjoy or do he might almost revel in
an elysium of bee-lore. We bee-keepers should be
part and parcel of all agricultural and horticultural
gatherings, whether for discussion or fun and frol-
lic, and also of many scientific and social gatherings
and should " let our light shine." In order to have
the proper amount of time allotted to us at these
gatherings we must be on hand and have a hand in
making up programmes, and see that the right ones
are put in to fill the bill. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, Ohio, Mar. 18, 1889.

Friend Mason, I can readily imagine how
all these conventions succeeded, had a good
attendance, and that fun and frolic, as well
as education and information, were the or-
der of the day, providing you were present.
I have attended some conventions where
they could not get hold of a Dr. Mason, a
Dr. Miller, nor a Prof. Cook, and it was hard
work to keep things lively, and to keep up
an interest. We certainly should be part
and parcel of all agricultural and horticul-
tural conventions, and we ought to let our
light shine. If we do not it is very apt to
burn dim and go out. May God help us
along the line which you have mapped out.

COMB-HONEY SLANDERS.

THE CATCLAW AND WAHIA, OF TEXAS, ETC.

{JM R- ROOT:— I inclose you a copy of the Brack-
ett News, our local paper. You will notice
an article entitled, "A Professor Mistak-
en." As Gr.EANrNOS reaches only those
who are fully aware that manufactured
comb honey is only a myth, we educate the public
in this section by writing occasionally to our local
papers. Our greatest opposition here is not from

the "manufactured comb-honey" people, but from
the numerous old fogies who Keep a few box hives
and sell a pound of black comb containing honey
from various sources, good and bad, pollen, and
perhaps a few bees, all for 10 cents.

You will not, I hope, put us down as frauds for
claiming on our letterheads that the catclaw honey
is equal to clover honey. You perhaps have not
tasted catclaw honey. I have tasted clover honey,
aud can judge. We hope that, in a few years, cat-
claw honey will be as well known in the North as
the clover is in the South. At present, bee-keeping
in this section is only in its infancy, and we have
not yet any Hetherington, Dadant, Dcolittle, or
Heddon, although we may have soon.

Our principal honey crop is in the spring. Bees
fly on and off all through the winter. They work
on mistletoe in December and January; aiguitain
February; mountain laurel in March. This last is
very valuable, as it comes at a time when the
queens begin to lay. From the middle of March to
the middle of April we have various flowers— prai-
rie flowers, pysymon, hackberry, grape, daisy, etc.,
which stimulate brood-rearing, but not enough to
show in the hives. Swarming commences about
March 20th and lasts until April 30. Of course, it
varies a little. Wahia, a short bush with feathery
leaves (like acacia), has round white fluffy balls.
This opens April 20, and yields half a crop of flow-
ers, generally for three weeks. Catclaw, a bushy
tree, has a similar flower, but long. It opens up
about May 6, and to that we look for the other half.
The honey from both these sources is white, and
has a delicate flavor, but it granulates quickly.

From the end of May to October we have a little
honey from corn (which we never extract); and aft-
er a heavy rain we have honey from white brush
and sage; but it is in such a small quantity that we
can seldom keep it separate. It is much superior
to catclaw. In October we have sunflowers and
broomweed. This honey is amber-colored, but has a
nice taste, not too strong.

This year has proven to us very conclusively that
it is an advantage to have out-apiaries.

Wahia and catclaw are plants for a dry climate,
and we had so much rain this winter around our
apiaries that the plants had very few flowers on
them ; whereas, outside a circle of about teu miles
in diameter, of which we were in the center, the
wahia and catclaw yielded abundantly. The bees
from the apiary had to fly four miles and made only
half a crop; whereas, if we had had an apiary at
Elm Creek they would have made a full crop.

The rain fails in spots, and next year the condi-
tions may be reversed, or perhaps the same; but
in a country where one square mile will yield hon-
ey in abundance, and the next square mile none,
I think it is well to have out-apiaries. When the
year is good we can put from 160 to 200 colonies in
one yard, without overcrowding.

We obtained a select tested queen from Paul
Viallon, at the end of April, and we have now over
fifty young queens laying that were raised from
her, and they are keeping three Langstroth frames
full of brood, which is good for this time of the
year, when there is no honey.

We can only reiterate the hope expressed by so
many other bee-keepers, that next time . you go on
a trip, you will manage to pay us a visit.

St. Longlf.y Buchanan.

Brackett, Tex., June 20, 1889.

618 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Aug.

Our readers will find the article, "A Pro- tDe lr>th of September, and finished by dividing

fessor Mistaken,'1 on page 620 or this issue, some of the first nuclei that I made. The result

We are very much obliged, friend B., for was that I increased the said nine hives, or, rather,

your full particulars. We now agree with the one second swarm of the previous year, to 61

you, that there is some honey raised in Tex- three-frame colonies.

as that is just as good as any white Clover Of Although they hatched all their queens, I found, to-

the North. I Should be glad indeed to visit ward the last, that they were not meeting drones,

the locality Where you get that white honey. for the reason that there were none to meet. I

— ^m — • — ^^— then, as a forlorn hope, when too late, as it proved,

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT. 8ent off ror queens, 18 or 30 in all. Some of them

were accepted, some were missing after being ac-

THE POSSIBILITIES OF INCREASE FROM A SINGLE cepted> & few commenced laying, hut SOOn Stopped,

SWARM. ,

and, of course, for want of more eggs or brood,

K. HOOT: — As I promised you a year ago, I they were unable to get through the winter far
will now give you a report of an experi- enough to rally, but succumbed to their fate,
ment T made last year with a single hive, a queens and bees alike. Not a queen of all I pur-
second swarm of the previous year, chased, nor the hives to which they were introduc-
I made this experiment in order to test ed, survived, except the last hybrid I got of you ; so
the ability of bees to increase during one year, and that 16 died, leaving me 45, which up to date have
build their own cells and hatch their own queens, not had nor do they need, an ounce of feed,
and draw out their own combs from foundation, all I sold during the winter and spring, 27, which are
of which I compelled them to do by feeding. Sugar gone and paid for. Their valuation is as follows:

was the only means by which they were enabled to Sold 32 at $5 00 each $110.00

build up their stores, for there was no surplus hon- " 5 " 6.00 " 30.00

ey taken last year in this township, that I know of: Retained 18 at $5.00 each 90.00

and what little honey there was, was gathered in Total.. $230 00

the early part of the season. All the rest was hon- The above lg j kept andI pufc 'them at $5.00 each,

ey-dew, and, as a consequence, fully 50 or 60 per although they are now worth $7.00 each, for they

cent of the bees in this vicinity dwindled to nothing, have increased to full hives with top stories on, and

leaving their unhealthy stores behind them. I Bome have even swarmed. In regard to feeding, I

know of a number of persons who lost all their wa8 very particular to weigh every ounce that I

stands, and one man in particular (a friend of mine) feq- to the parent hive, her children, and grand-

who went into winter with 40 full colonies and lost children. They got no stimulation except what the v

all but one. I will now proceed togive you the result derived from the sugar I fed them. The sugar item

of the experiment, as copied from my memoran- is as follows:

dum-not in detail, however, as I fear it would Fed during April and May 30 pounds.

make my report too long. " " July 62

June 7, the hive in question swarmed; and know- " \[ August. "tSJ !!

ing that it would swarm no more, as the queen-cells " " October V.V .15(1 "

were cut down after the first queen hatched, I di-

vided them during June into nine colonies, placing Total 850 pounds.

them in one-story hives, contracting them by divi- iili_/2 cents'

sion-boards to the necessary space. My queens $70.00

then gave me some trouble, for I never before lost T extracted 45 pounds from the combs left by the

so many during mating time. Some of them were bees that died, which contained 32 pounds of sugar,

caught by bee-birds. I take the following note or its money equivalent, $2.00, leaving the total cost

from my memorandum: of sugar used, $68.00. My net profit then was $162.

June 27.— Only two of the eight queens of the ex- Had last year been such a year as 1886, or even

penment hive are laying. such a year as this, and had I known what I do now,

The following month I gave them frames of foun- I could more easily have increased the one to 100

dation as they needed them, and often they were with the same amount of sugar than I did last year

not full frames, for I was compelled to cut the to 61, and I am satisfied I would not have lost any

foundation into four starters, for fear I should run in wintering. But even this increase seems in-

out altogether. credible. Supposing the population of the earth to

August 3 I commenced dividing the aforesaid be fifteen hundred millions, this ratio of increase

nine hives, which had from seven to ten frames in for six years would furnish every man, woman,

each, by taking two frames of hatching brood each and child on the globe with a fraction over 5H colo-

day from the two hives that could spare them best, nies each.

and putting them in nuclei, made deep enough to If there is any thing you would like to have ex-
admit of feeding inside, on top of the frames. I plained in detail, put your queries in the form of
then closed the entrance of each one as soon as questions, and 1 will answer them very readily,
made, and let it remain so until the second night Wbigville, O, May 30, 1889. Henry Large.

about twilight, and sometimes until the third night. If we understand you, friend L., you com-

After the first ten days I was able to mature queen- menced June 7 with a single colony of bees

cells every day, and replace any that might have and its swarm. The parent and the swarm

been cut down or otherwise delayed, in this way I were again divided so as to make nine.

made one and two nuclei a day, sometimes none, as These nine would probably be fair- sized

for instance a wet day or Sunday. Of course, I re- two-frame nuclei, each nucleus containing,

placed every frame of brood taken out, with a perhaps, a pound of bees and one frame of

frame of foundation; and to each nucleus, when brood. The nine were then built lip to tol-

made, I also gave a frame. Thus i worked on till erably good-sized colonies as fast as they

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Gin

could be by sugar feeding, when no stores
were to be had. If one commences in the
fore part of June with any sort of a nucleus
having a laying queen it can be built up
strong very speedily. We presume you did
not get any brood from other colonies ; but
we infer that you took queens or queen-
cells. You also purchased LS or 20 queens ;
but as all the nuclei died to which these
were given, it is perhaps fair to make no ac-
count of it. The fact that you did winter
through 45, all made from this original colo-
ny June 7, is astonishing. I once increased
11 colonies to over 50, and wintered them
all ; and I did it much on the plan you have
mentioned. I suppose you did not keep any
account of your time. If you could tell us
just how many days' work it took to do this
we could tell better whether it is a paying
business. My impression is, that it will pay
handsomely whenever bees can be sold, say
for $5.00 a colony. We used to have a good
deal of sport in hunting wild bees, and
bringing them home ; but after I learned
how to make colonies by increase, in the
way you have outlined, I decided that I
could build up colonies a good deal cheaper
than to take them out of trees in the woods.

QUEEN - EXCLUDING HONEY-BOARDS.

BEE-JOURNALS, AND ARE THEY GUILTY OF PUFF-
ING UP THINGS TOO MUCH?

honey-boards. Ho will probably report his success
with it. Mclntyre and myself are the only bee-
keepers in this county who have ever used a honey-
board of any kind, I think. He has used probably
not more than one or two. 1 have used over 200
Heddon slat honey-hoards for the last three or four
years, but 1 think I will make them all queen-
excluding next season, for we have several thou-
sand drone combs that we want to keep the queens
out of. Can you tell me where I can get a machine
to make the strips of zinc, with two rows of perfo-
rations in them? There are many bee-keepers here
who count their hives by the hundred, who don't
know what a queen-excluder is.

The honey crop in California is very short this
year. 1 think it is less than a quarter of a crop. I
have a list, nearly complete, of all the bee-keepers
in the county, of the number of colonies each one
owns, and the number of tons of honey produced
by each. I will send you a report when complete, if
you wish it.

8N page 441 of Gleanings I notice an article
from the pen of my neighbor, J. F. Mcln-
tyre. Said article is headed, " A Big Testi-
monial in Favor of Perforated Zinc." Well,
that big testimonial brought back to my
mind what a friend of mine said to me on the Ojai
about six years ago, when I asked him why he did
not take a bee-paper, he being quite an extensive
bee-keeper. He said he used to take several East-
ern bee-papers, but he got tired of reading fine-
spun articles and big reports from men that kept
five or six hives of bees to experiment with. Well,
I think that was a pretty big hurrah for one honey-
board. If it had been 50 or 100, then I should have
said hurrah too. I have used the zinc honey-boards
again this season that we used last (see page 358),
with a little better result than last season. This
year four out of eight let the queens go through
about as well or as easily as the workers. One of
them we saw the queen go down through with per-
fect ease (this queen was a good-sized Italian); but,
as you say, those zincs may have been made on
your old machine that was somewhat worn. One
of them was about half full of drones, hung by the
neck, their bodies dangling down from the under
side of the zinc. The other four worked entirely
satisfactorily; and if I can get a queen-excluder
that is a queen-excluder, I will use over one thou-
sand of them next season.

I was at friend Mclntyre's a few weeks ago, and
saw, while there, one of Dr. Tinker's honey-boards.
It appeared to me that the bees can get through it
much easier than they can through the all-zinc
ones, as the strips of zinc have two rows of holes
in them; thus each row is close to the wood slats;
and I notice the bees can pull themselves up
through the perforations by catching hold of the
wood slats. 1 gave Mr. Intyre one of my zinc

hate.

Weight or Gain

DATE.

Gain in

DATE.

May.

in pounds.

May.

pounds.

June.

Gain.

10

2

29

ax

16

0

11

IX

30

m

17

X

12

1%

31

!'•

18

X

13

1%

June.

19

IX

14

IX

1

IX

20

0

15

1 . lost

2

3

21

1

16

0

3

3

22

1

17

ay.

1

IX

23

%

18

2K

5

2

24

IX

19

3X

6

IX

25

IX

20

m

7

IX

26

IK

21

5

8

IX

27

%

22

*X

9

2

28

ZH

23

3

10

3

29

%

24

4

11

2

30

X

25

X

12

1

2fi

3X

13

1

27

3

14

IX

28

3

15

1%

You can see by the record which I send you, of a
hive that I had on scales this season, that the hon-
ey came in very slowly. It does not look very big
for California, I assure you; but it will partly ex-
plain to you how myself and my four boys did all
the work of extracting and taking care of over 1100
hives of bees. Myself and the three youngest boys
extracted in 13 hours 3!4 tons of honey, and we did
not play much of the time either. Such rapid work
is in a great measure due to the very convenient
extracting-house that we have, a description of
w'lich I may give you in the future.

FOUL BROOD.

This is getting to be very scarce in this county.
I commenced experimenting about the time that
you were here last winter, with a very simple reme-
dy for the cure of foul brood. I take two or three
spoonfuls of sulphur, put it in an old fruit-can, and
pour over it enough kerosene Oil to make a thin
paint of it. Apply it with a small paint-brush to
the combs that have the diseased cells in them;
brush them all over with the sulphur and oil. It
will kill some of the healthy brood, but not all of
it; also brush it over the frames and as much of the
hive as you can without getting it on the bees.
One or two applications have cured six or eight for
me this season, or at least they are perfectly
healthy now, and some of them were very bad.

Several combs were nearly half diseased. If the
disease does not appear again in those same colo-
nies by next spring, I will shout " Eureka! " Now,
friend Root, don't say that you smell brown coffee
or chilled brood, or something else worse.

L. E. Mercer,

SanJBuena Ventura, Cal., July t>, 1889.

620

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

\s a protection to ourbee-keeping population, we propose in
tliis department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false stat. incuts in regard to Hi.- purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

HOW TO PREVENT THEIR PUBLICATION, AND HOW
TO CORRECT THEIR BANEFUL INFLUENCE ;
SOMETHING FOR OUR SUBSCRIBERS TO DO.

TF there is any tiling that the veracious
M scribes like to talk about in the press,
W and roll under their tongues as a pre-
"* cious morsel, and iinally spit out upon
the public, it is the subject of adultera-
tion. They seem to have gone wild on the
subject. They know people like to be told
that they are "being humbugged; and they
know that the story of" Yankee ingenuity "
will cause the gullible public to hold up
their hands, "Did you ever !" and as long
as there is a demand for it, so long the same
old story will be rehashed, unless there is
a stop put to it. " Manufactured comb hon-
ey," " artificial combs deftly filled and cap-
ped over by means of appropriate machine-
ry " — oh dear ! how stale it sounds ! If the
reporters could only change their tune a lit-
tle it would be gratifying ; but " appropri-
ate machinery " has to be stuck in every
time. Well, within the last few weeks, or
at least since the Philadelphia Eecord com-
menced republishing the comb -honey story,
the whole press all over the land has been
reiterating it in long and short squibs.
Clipping after clipping has been sent in un-
til we feel discouraged. We have published
them, and refuted them publicly, and sent
marked articles to the editors, calling upon
them for retraction. We have written pri-
vate letters, asking them in all fairness to
be kind enough to make some amends. Nor
has Bro. Newman of the American Bee Jour-
nal been less vigilant. We have about come
to the conclusion that the bee-journals need
assistance in helping to cry down the evil.
Jones sees a false statement about the
comb-honey business in one of the columns
of his local paper. lie cuts it out, marking
the date and issue of the paper, and sends
the same on to us, or to Bro. Newman, of
the American Bee Journal. Well, so many
clippings like this have come in that it
would almost fill one issue to make any
thing like an appropriate denial for each
one. Quite recently some four or five cor-
respondents, instead of sending the marked
article to us for refutation, have themselves
called upon the editor, showing the absurdi-
ty of the statement in a recent issue of his
paper. In two or three instances they have
written out a refutation themselves, and
this refutation appears in the very next is-
sue of the paper, so that the false impres-
sion is corrected right where the mischief is
done, and not' in the columns of a bee-paper
whose readers know perfectly well the un-
truth. The following is a spicily written ar-
ticle from the pen of one of our subscribers,
Mr. Julius Gerard, of Mariposa, Texas ; and
as it illustrates the point we are getting at,
we reproduce it here entire :

A PROFESSOR MISTAKEN.

GLUCOSE AS ARTIFICIAL HONEY ; A PRACTICAL
BEE-KEEPER'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE FACTS.

Editor Bracked News: — I suppose whenever you
want to get the real facts about any thing you re-
fer to your Encyclopedia Britannica; for instance,
if you wish to know how far it is from Bracket t to
the sun, you refer to the Encyclopedia; and what-
ever the given number of miles may be, you or any
one else will accept it as a fact. 1 am sorry to say,
however, that my confidence in the American En-
cyclopedia has been lowered 1U0 per cent, because I
see at least one instance in which hearsay is given
out as true science.

Mr. Chas. Morris, of the Philadelphia Academy of
Science, writes concerning glucose, in Vol. III. of
American Supplement, page ">:J7, in the left-hand
column, 21st line from the top, as follows:

"Glucose is used chieliy in the manufacture of
table syrups and confectionery, in the brewing of
ale and beer, and to some extent as food for bees
and in the making of artificial honey. No reliable
statistics can be had as to the quantity used in
brewing, since brewers seek to conceal the fact of
its employment. When it is fed to the bees, the
honey yielded by the bees is almost pure glucose.
In artificial-honey making, the comb is made of
paraffine, and filled with pure glucose by machine-
ry. For whiteness and beauty it rivals the best
white-clover honey, and it can be sold at less than
half the price. Tts one defect is, that it is not hon-
ey."

Now, sir, this falsehood is given by a professor of
science, and published as a fact in the Encyclope-
dia Britannica, a work to which thousands of peo-
ple refer as authority.

If the author of the article on glucose will take
the trouble to come out to the Mariposa apiary I
will convince him that his education as a bee-keep-
er has been sadly neglected, and that what he
wrote about artificial honey being made of glucose
and then put into artificial comb by machinery, is
false; and if he has taken no more pains in writing
the other parts of his work than he did in this, I
would not give a nickel for all the volumes of the
Encyclopedia Britannica.

Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, offers a reward
of $1000 to any one who will show or tell him where
artificial comb honey is made; this offer was made
because so many false reports have been cast
abroad about honey. Mr. Root has not yet found
anybody who claimed the reward.

If Professor Morris, the glucose gent, tells us
that the distance to a certain star is just 400,000 and
% of a mile, I for one am willing to swallow it, even
to a fraction of a mile. But when he wants to tell
me or any other progressive bee-keeper any thing
connected with our industry, he should be a little
more careful, as we never go by hearsay, but by
facts. That man is doing a hard-working class of
men a great injury. I can assure you, dear sir, that
there is no artificial comb honey made by machine-
ry, and that there never was any made.

Mariposa Apiary. Julius Gerard.

Another one of our subscribers, also sec-
retary of the Ohio State Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation, Miss Dema Bennett, of Bedford, O.,
who, after having read the usual yarn about
manufactured comb honey " deftly filled by
appropriate machinery," in a large Cleve-
land daily, called upon the city editor in
person, proving to him the falsity and ab-
surdity of the statement respecting manu-
factured comb honey, which appeared in a
recent issue of his paper. After telling him
that tons and tons of honey are produced
honestly, she referred him to us. As a re-
sult of this visit he wrote us a letter asking
for facts in regard to the honey business.
We immediately sent him a card, offering a
thousand dollars for a sample of manufac-
tured comb honey. " deftly filled by means
of appropriate machinery." We also wrote
him a long letter, detailing the importance
of the honey industry in the United States,
telling him where he could find out just

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

621

how bees " make honey," by sending a re-
porter. We referred him to Dr. A. B. Mason,
Auburndale, O., and to II. R. Boardman, of
East Townsend, O , and we requested, as a
special favor to bee-keepers, that he send a
reporter to either one of these gentlemen,
and report what they see in his own paper.

A personal letter, written to the editor
who has damaged the bee-keeping industry
by one of the falsehoods, or, better still, a
personal visit itself, will secure the atten-
tion that a prompt denial from a bee-journal
might fail to do. In the one case Mr. Ger-
ard wrote an article to the Brackett News.
In the other case a lady bee-keeper (and
what editor would not give one of the op-
posite sex a fair hearing?) called upon the
city editor and enlisted his interest so that
he even wrote to A. I. Root for information.
The point is, that the refutation or denial
should appear in the paper in which the false-
hood has been published; in other words,
those in whose minds the false impression
has been created should have a speedy de-
nial. These large papers will rarely deign
to publish any thing from a small paper, but
they will take something first-handed, as a
general thing, providing the right influences
are brought to bear. Now, then, we sug-
gest that, instead of sending so many of
these clippings to us, you sit down yourself
and write to the editor of the paper in whose
columns the false statement appeared. We
will furnish free all the $1000 reward cards
you can use, and other matter you may call
for. The more bee-keepers who will do this,
the more effect it will have. Be sure to
write in a courteous and gentlemanly man-
ner. Do not call them a " pack of fools " or
a "set of liars;" but write in such a way
that they will respect the writer. Of course,
we shall not cease pecking away at the
falsehood, as we have done in the past, but
we solicit the most hearty co-operation of
our subscribers. Do not forget that, when
the item appears in your local paper, a
prompt denial from yourself, especially if you
are a person of influence, and one whose
word even the editor himself has no reason
to doubt, will have more effect upon the ed-
itor than a denial from a bee-paper perhaps
several hundred miles away. Do not leave
any local editor unvisited, who dares to
slander our industry by publishing any thing
about " artificial combs deftly filled and
capped over by appropriate machinery."

DR. MILLER ON SWARMINGcAND ITS
PREVENTION.

THE CAGED-QUEEN PLAN.

T AM glad to see the views of Hasty, Doolittle, and
|jf Stachelhausen on swarming. No other matter
W connected with bee-keeping, at present, pos-
■*■ sesses more interest for me. In raising comb
honey.J swarming is the one great drawback
that upsets all plans; and if we know the conditions
nece«sary to induce swarming it may help us to-
ward prevention. Indeed, I care very little to
know the cause or causes of swarming, only as it
helps me to know how to prevent it. Sometimes I
think I have prevention of swarming just in my
grasp, and then like a " will o' the wisp," it's away

off. I don't like to tell how much I've done in dif "
ferent years to spoil my crop of honey by trying
experiments to prevent swarming. The experience
of this summer has muddled afresh some of the
things that I thought I had pretty well settled, and
leaves the whole matter an open question. Years
ago I practiced with considerable success the plan
then recommended by friend Doolittle for the man-
agement of swarms, which was, in brief, to cage
the queen when a swarm issued; in five days, cut
out all queen-cells, and in five days more destroy
queen-cells again, and liberate the queen. This
worked well, and I am not sure whether any plan
can be adopted that will give better crops where
white clover gives the only surplus. The great ob-
jection to it is, that it requires some one to be con-
stantly on the watch to ?ee the swarms issue. Aft-
er trying various plaus, and giving them up in de-
spair, I came back last year to caging queens again.
After following the Doolittle plan already mention-
ed, the colony thus treated never gave any trouble
again about swarming that season. It seemed rea-
sonable that the same plan might be used without
waiting for the bees to swarm, so 1 caged the queen
before the colony had swarmed, looking through
the brood-combs and destroying all queen-cells, if
any were already started.

The queen was placed in the cage, between two
top-bars in the brood-nest, and the bees always feed
her there. I think in no instance have I found
a queen dead in the cage after being so placed.
After remaining thus for ten days, all queen-
cells were destroyed, if there were any, and
the queen liberated. Sometimes no queen-cells
were started during the caging of the queen,
but generally several were found sealed at the
end of the ten days, and these cells were of the
best kind. You will see that this varied not such a
great deal from the old Doolittle plan, and I expect-
ed the same results but with some fears, as I have
been so often mistaken in what to expect from
bees. This year I have had a good many cases in
which the bees swarmed out after the queen was
liberated, sometimes iu two days after, and some-
times sooner, the queens not having made any
start at laying. Indeed, the year has, I thiuk, been
an unusual one in the matter of swarming. Many
colonies have swarmed out while the queen was
caged in the hive, and there seemed to be one or
more cases where the bees, I think, remained clus-
tered on a bush with no queen. At the Bslden apia-
ry a large swarm clustered on a low bush, remain-
ing there two days and nights. I suspected that a
clipped queen had traveled there with them, but I
found nothing of the kind. If a young queen had
been with them it hardly seems that they would
have remained so long clustered, as the weather
was fine. When I found them they had dwindled
to a pint or more, and had deposited on the bush a
mass of white wax of irregular form, sufficient to
make a ball the size of a hickorynut or walnut. I
cut off the bush and ran the bees into a hive in
which 1 put a eomb of honey and an empty comb-
no brood. I looked over the combs carefully, con-
fidently expecting to find a queen of some sort, but
could find none. Two days later I found them busi-
ly storing honey, having started two queen-cells
with pollen in them. I then gave them a sealed
queen-cell. I incline to the opinion that a colony
with a clipped queen had swarmed and settled,
most of them having gone back, gradually, to the

622

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

hive, the queen having been lost. At present I am
trying the plan of keeping the queen caged for
some days after destroying cells the tenth day. You
thus see I am still anxiously seeking to learn how
to prevent, not increase, swarming.

HOW TO LOAD HIVES.

Yon think, Mr. Editor, I should load hives on a
wagon with the frames running in the direction of
the road, to prevent loosening frames when bump-
ing down off bridges. So I should, if the road were
largely made up of bridges, and it is possible I am
wrong; but the bumps of that kind are very few,
and the wagon box is constantly shaking from side
to side in such a way that the swing would gradual-
ly loosen the frames, so I always load the hives
with the frames at right angles to the direction of
the road. Last spring I hauled nearly 200 to the
out-apiaries; and although pretty heavy with honey,
not a frame was loosened, and the same was true
about hauling home the previous fall when they
were very heavy with honey. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Yes, friend Miller, we do not care so
much about the cause as we do the preven-
tion of swarming. If the cause will give
us the clew to its prevention, well and good.
We would much rather have good strong
colonies— the stronger the better. It is true,
new swarms have a peculiar vigor; but th.e
parent colony loses sometimes four or five
days in serai-loafing in its preparation for a
swarm— days that are of utmost importance
so far as the production of honey is con-
cerned. We have one good strong colony of
imported stock that has not swarmed at all,
nor even built a queen-cell. It has kept
right on bringing iu honey while the rest
were getting ready for their picnic in the
air. Now, if we can make these restless
colonies behave like this one by caging the
queen, what a bonanza we shall have !

LETTER FROM ITALY.

A GLIMPSE OF BEE-KEEPING AS IT IS IN THE NA-
TIVE HOME OF OUR ITALIANS.

THj DITOR Gleanings:— It is a nice thing to com-
°E|) municate to your brethren in bee-keeping
RpV your victories and the number of pounds
■*■" harvested; but, American friends, what do
you think of 1889 up to date? Somehow or
other the pen does not seem to run so well. I'll do
my best, however.

When upon the Alps to look over my bees I asked
an old woman near my yard, 76 years of age, "Do
you ever remember such a year as this one?" She
answered me, "Yes, but once when I was yet a girl,
when it rained for such a long time that corn was
being sold for 18 cents a kilogram."

I wonder what honey will have to be sold for if
this weather continues. In fact, but a few days
excepted, this spring has been but a continual rain
—just enough to prevent bees from going out. A
warm temperature prevailed— just the thing want-
ed; fruit-trees were in full bloom, and the poor
bees inside nearly starving. Stores were used up
in a most wonderful way; but about the 20th to the
25th of May, brood-rearing came to a standstill, ow-
ing to shortage of stores, and scarcely any honey
coming in. About the 15th of June this year my
colonies had to be fed, and some at the Alp apiary

starved on account of rain, with plenty of honey in
the fields. Out of the 102 colonies which 1 had this
spring at the home apiary down in the valley, only
about nine swarmed, owing to the bad weather pre-
vailing during fruit-bloom. April 25th to the 20th
of May I did not care to prevent swarming, wanting
to increase the number of my colonies steadily. In
the valley, however, the bee pasturage is very
scarce; in fact, my only resource for the present,
of any account, is chestnut. Notwithstanding the
very beautiful hills, having at the back the lofty
peaks of Italy's crown, my bees would nearly
starve, or at least give but little increase, even in
good years, were they not migrated in due time to
fields more profitable to myself and enjoyable to
my faithful workers. You see, I combine the Alpine
holiday stay with the occupation on which I am re-
lying for my "bread and butter." Like you, I am
engaged in bee-keeping, not as a pastime, but as a
regular business, in which pursuit Mr. Dadant was
my principal master, without, however, having ev-
er seen his face, and the one who decided my shak-
ing hand to cut the rope which tied my frail bark to
the land of hesitation; and Gleanings is the al-
ways long-looked-for fortnightly visitor; and, more
than that, the regular companion on the lofty
mountains and along the Alpine valleys while on
apistic rounds. I have taken, besides, a partner in
business whom I hope you all have already taken
too, who promised me that, if I were faithful to
him, "every thing I would undertake would pros-
per." 1 am trying hard to do so, dear friends.

Mr. Dadant's controversy in the Apicultore of Mi-
lan, on the Berlepsch Italian small square frame
versus the Langstroth-Quinby frame, still enlarged
by Mr. D. himself, convinced me of the superiority
of the shallow-frame hive, with large brood-cham-
ber, with equally large surplus apartment; in fact,
the little experience I have had with them has al-
ready more than convinced me of the importance
of some conditions in preparing colonies for the
harvest, especially in moving them from one field to
another, which I have done for the last years, when
moving my hives from the valley to the pasturage
on the Alps; viz., migratory bee-keeping, which,
when done with care, and under certain rules, has
proven to me most profitable, about which I will re-
port later on if you care for it.

But I should want the Rambler's pen, to draw
out a sketch of the writer, the donkies, and the car-
riers of the "alveari" (hives), when, a few weeks
ago, notwithstanding all the care taken, some of
the yellow-jacket ladies got out and went for them.
O Dr. Miller! come and help, please.

SusernaS. Giovanni, F. Malan.

Waldensian Valleys, Italy, July 7, 1889.

And so, friend M., it transpires that the
great amount of rain through the spring
and early summer extended not only
throughout the United States, but even
across the ocean to far-away Italy. We are
glad to get this glimpse of bee culture from
you ; and we are more rejoiced than we can
tell, to know that you have taken Christ
Jesus our Savior as a partner in business.
Truly " we be brethren." If it should ever
be my good fortune to visit Italy, it will add
much to the pleasure of the trip to think
that I have real brethren over there— breth-
ren through Christ Jesus our common Lord
and Master,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

623

O. M. BLANTON'S VISIT THROUGH AR-
KANSAS AND TEXAS.

HOW THE COW-BOYS GET THE1K HONEY.

fRIEND ROOT:— I promised you that, when I
returned irom San Antonio, Texas, I would
write you of what I saw that would be inter-
esting to bee-keepers. T stopped on my way
at Hot Spring's, Arkansas, the great resort
tor the afflicted of almost all chronic diseases. I
found it quite a city, nestling- in the mountains,
with handsome buildings, and a population of
12,1X10. After a week's indulgence in the hot baths,
with great benefit, I left for Dallas, Texas, as one
of the largest and most prosperous cities in the
State; thence I went to Fort Worth, and on my way
I saw the magnificent fields of wheat, corn, oats,
and other cereals, which would have made you feel
as though you were in the Miami Valley, but for
the few hundred acres of cotton on those large
farms. The farmers were harvesting wheat, and
the harvesters and binders were in active opera-
tion.

From the phenominal city of Fort Worth, of 15
years' growth and a population of 45,000, I stopped
over at the beautiful city of Austin, and inspected
its capitol, one "of the grandest and most complete
pieces of architecture in North America; thence to
San Antonio to meet my children and seven grand-
children who were pleading to go home to Green-
ville, Miss. I had but four days to visit among the
bee-keepers, and had a poor opportunity to inform
myself. The honey prospect was very good, on ac-
count of the seasonable rains.

I met Bro. Flournoy. He had abandoned his
large apiary on account of the previous dry seasons
and the ravages of foul brood. Some of the comb
honey I inspected was very white and translucent,
and made in beautiful one-pound sections, and the
extracted was of excellent flavor, and light amber.
1 wa8 told it was from the " cats-claw " (una de gato)
family of the mimosa, which blooms in April.

From my observation, the honeys of Texas are of
a very strong flavor, owing to the great fragrance
of the flowers, and from that cause you soon tire of
it for a table luxury.

Some few of the honey-plants I will refer to:

1. The aiguita blooms in February; extremely
fragrant, and yields much honey for early brood;
flowers small, in clusters, and of orange color. The
berries are similar in color and size to currants, and
of acid flavor, used in making jelly and pies.

3. The mesquite also yields much honey; and a
singular feature about it is, that it rarely blooms
in a rainy reason, but flows abundantly in a dry
one. It belongs to the family of Lcguminm, the
beans of which the birds of every kind, and also
cattle, feed upon. The beans are ground, and made
into a kind of tortillia by the Mexican Indians, for
food, when other means of sustenance are scarce.

3. The lechuguilla (pronounced lai-chu-geel-ya).
It is a fiber plant, common on both sides of the Rio
Grande, and as far east as the Nueces. The Mexi-
cans use it for making rope. The flower blooms at
the top of a tall stem, and is remarkable for the
great quantity of honey it yields. It is of the yucca
family. A gentleman informed me that, in riding
through it, he grasped the flower with his buckskin
glove on, and his hand was moistened from its nec-
tar.

The wild heliotrope, Mexican willow, and hun-

dreds of other plants too numerous to mention in
this article, yield honey, and most of the flowers
are so fragrant that, in riding through the ehapar-
al, you are almost overcome by the odor.

Southwest Texas is a great country lor the bee-
keeper, especially Uvalde County, except when the
season is very dry, when the honey crop is almost a
failure. Tn the mountainous parts of the Pan
Handle (Northwestern Texas) bees are very abun-
dant, and they are found in the caves and clefts of
the canyons; and as the cow-boys' story goes, the
clefts are so filled with honey that large combs pro-
ject from them, and all they have to do to secure a
sufficiency of it is to take a Winchester rifle and a
bucket, and shoot off the comb and adjourn to
camp for a feast.

Here at Greenville the spring opened favorably
for a good yield, but the excessive rains now are a
great drawback. My apiaries were much neglect-
ed last winter, owing to my absence from home,
and I lost at least 60 colonies, and am now reduced
to about 400. I found time in the spring to put
them in good order and melt up a great portion of
old combs— some, I am satisfied, were 12 years old.
By this means I enabled them to make new comb
for the queen to deposit her eggs in. I have so far
secured only 8000 lbs. of honey, as much new comb
had to be constructed; and my absence from home,
and so tnany affairs to attend to, caused my apia-
ries to suffer. O. M. Blanton.

Greenville, Miss., July 8, 1889.

NOTES FROM MY WORK-SHOP.

DOUBLE-DECKED CELLS.

T BELIEVE it was Dr. Miller who lately called at-
llE tention t° the fact that bees sometimes build
W an extra tier of cells over the surface of a
■*• comb of sealed honey, after which the central
tier was never opened by the bees. My sur-
plus combs hang from the ceiling of my honey-
house. Twice, once last fall and again this spring-
when robbers were particularly searching and en-
ergetic, I opened the doors for several days, and
gave the bees free access to these combs until
they were satisfied there was no more honey in
them. In spite of this I found several combs con-
taining honey in a central tier of cells, which they
had not removed.

DAMPENING SECTIONS.

All sections that have been allowed to get
thoroughly dry will break largely in folding unless
they are dampened before using, no matter what
some manufacturers claim for their peculiar mode
of manufacture. I formerly dampened them by
piling them up in layers, wetting the back of each
alternate layer with a brush or sponge. This was
tedious, and often injured the appearance of the
sections. I now use a much better and more expe-
ditious way, as follows: Take the crate of sections
as it comes from the factory, and set it on the floor,
or, better, put two sticks under it to raise it slightly.
Take an old quilt or blanket, something that will
hold a great deal of water, and wet it, as much
as it will hold without dripping. Fold this
closely around the crate of sections. A dry cloth
thrown over the wet one to prevent evaporation
will be a help. Leave them over night or for sever-
al hours, and you will find them damp enough to
fold without breakage. It does not take much

624

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

moisture to toughen the thin film of wood where
the bend comes.

T SUPERS.

I am using- quite a number of these this year, and
so far I like them very well, after making some
changes. I did not like to have the sections held
so far apart by the T tins letting them get out of
square, and leaving great chinks for the bees to fill
up with propolis. So I took the tins to the vise and
flattened the fold until it was uo thicker than the
two thicknesses of tin. Perhaps they are not quite
as stiff that way, but they are stiff enough. Then 1
cut the sides & of an inch shorter, and, nailing
them so that the inside length was slightly less at
the top than at the bottom, 1 had a case that keeps
the sections close and true, and avoids a great
deal of propolizing.

GETTING THE LAST SECTIONS INTO T TUFERS.

Several devices for this purpose have been de-
scribed and illustrated, I believe. Nothing better
can be made than a piece of heavy tin the width of
the section, or less, and five or more inches long.
Bend it at right angles, 4J4 inches from one end,
and nail a small block close to the bend, on the out-
side, to handle it by. Two of these may be needed.
Their use is evident.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

Well, Dr. Miller, you have done it. I have been
wondering for a long time who would be the one to
make that point against the claim that sections fill-
ed with comb built the year before are unprofitable
to use. We all know that, in producing extracted
honey, empty combs a e very profitable to use, and
it really seems as though the same principle ought
to hold good with combs in sections. In my experi-
ence, though, it does not. Within the past week I
have taken finished sections of honey, built on
fresh foundation, from ;ill sides of sections, filled
with nice, clean, dry comb, nearly half of which
were still unsealed, both put on the hive at the
same time. Why is this so? Do the bees object to
the small size of the combs, or does it simply take
longer for them to ripen the honey put into the
cells of full depth V The latter seems to me the
belter explanation. Perhaps if we should give the
bees all the sections, of comb that they could fill
with honey, and then give them their own time to
seal it after it was thoroughly ripened, we should
find they would store as much or more honey than
in sections where they had to build their comb. I
confess I never tried this in just this way. This
would be managing them on the extracted-honey
plan.

With comb honey we very properly try to remove
the honey as soon as it is sealed, while extracted
honey should be left on the hive as long as possible.
To produce extracted hoi:ey profitably, too, a much
larger hive is needed than for comb honey. If we
should allow a colony storing honey in combs no
more room than is usually given to a colony pro-
ducing comb honey, aud not extract the honey
from any comb until it was perfectly sealed over,
should we get any more of extracted honey than
we should of comb? I rather think we should not
get as much.

1 have experimented with sections of comb in va-
rious ways this year. I have used a great many
bait sections, just as Dr. Miller advises, and I am
willing to take back a part of what I have said, and
admit that these bait sections often serve a very
good purpose; and as there need be only a few of

them, it does not matter very much if they are not
first class. I know of no better way to convince
anj one that sectionsof old comb are seldom if ever
finished so as to equal in appearance those built
new, than to use just this one bait section in each
case, all others being filled with fresh foundation.
Let such cases be filled during a good flow of honey
from white clover, and any one with eyes can see
the great difference in appearance. I am trying
another experiment which I wish the readers of
Gleanings could see in its progress. I have a
number of Heddon cases, new style. These have
seven single -tier wide frames, held together by
screws on one side of the case, which we will call
the front. The three back frames in each of these
cases are filled with sections containing foundation
put in them last summer, but little or not at all
worked. The middle frame contains sections filled
with comb built last year— nice ones, no candied
honey or any thing objectionable about them. The
three nearest the front are filled with sectionsof
fresh foundation. Very often, as I pass about the
apiary I lift the covers of these hives and note the
progress of work in the sections; and it is very
comforting to me to see in how many cases the
three front rows are in advance of all the rest, al-
though the row of combs in the middle has the
best place, and it deepens my desire to have just as
few unfinished sections as possible in the fall.
Dayton, 111., July 10, 1889. J. A. Green.

Thanks, friend Green. If you will turn
to page 306 of Gleanings for April 15 you
will see a diagram which represents the
"double-decked cells,'' as you call them.
We should like to know, however, whether
the combs containing these cells are of or-
dinary thickness. If so, it is a rather unusu-
al phenomenon. — Your method of dampen-
ing sections is rather novel ; but in our
climate we are of the opinion that the
damp blanket would have to be around the
crate of sections more than over night. If
left long enough it would surely do the busi-
ness, and you have our thanks for the sug-
gestion.— As to the matter of putting the
last section in the T supers, although we
fill a great many supers for hives set up, we
use no special appliance for getting the last
section in. It does sometimes cause a little
trouble ; but a little shucking of the crate
will usually cause it to slip into its place.
The point you speak of, of a space between
the sections, formed by the T tins, is one of
the objections against the T super, as ordi-
narily made. The one-piece sections have
a tendency to assume a diamond shape.
When two of these sections lean in opposite
directions from each other, we have noticed
sometimes a space of nearly a quarter of an
inch. The space formed by a T tin is usual-
ly just wide enough to cause the bees to
chink propolis in between the rows at the
top. This can be obviated, however, by us-
ing an extra set of T tins ; and this extra
set will at the same time hold the sections
perfectly square. — On the matter of unfin-
ished sections, we do not suppose there will
ever be an agreement among the mass of
bee-keepers as to whether their use is profit-
able. Our experience rather coincides with
Dr. Miller's. Quite a number of our colo-
nies would not go up into sections, although
they were strong, and their brood-nest was

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

625

crammed full of honey and brood. From
all such we removed one of the sections of
foundation and put in its place a section of
partly drawn-out comb. In most cases it
had the effect of starting the bees above at
once. Honey was first stored in the bait
section, and then the bees gradually began
upon sheets of the adjoining foundation.
On others of our colonies we put in a whole
row of unfinished sections, because they
were not as strong as some others. Al-
though the other rows contained full sheets
of foundation, the row containing the un-
finished combs of the previous year are the
only ones today that contain any honey at
all. In a heavier honey-flow, perhaps our
experience would be reversed.

M. H. HUNT'S APIARY.

HIS ONE-STORY CHAFF HIVE, ETC.

fHE cut shows only the central part of our
apiary. The large hive is the center, and
contains four swarms. It is made quite or-
namental, and we all think it a very handy
one to work with. The upper story is hing-
ed, and self-supporting when tipped half over. The

Chaff hives suggest outdoor wintering, which we
have always practiced, and, with the exception of
the great honey-dew year, we have been very suc-
cessful.

HUNT'S APIARY.

The grass in the apiary is always kept short; and
to keep it down close to the hives, so the mower
will cut it all, without hitting them, the sod is re-
moved for a space of eight inches all around each
one, and cinders packed in. As the grass sometimes
grows through this, we are experimenting with wa-
ter lime; andjf it stands the winter without crum-
bling, we shall use it around and under all our
hives.

We have always tried to make our yard attractive,
and I think it pays in the satisfaction one feels in
looking it over, and showing it to visitors. It also
stimulates others to do likewise, which certainly
helps our business.

We have sold both of our out-apiaries. We could
not attend to them as we wished, on account of our
increasing business. Our house and factory are a
few rods to the right of the honey-house.

Bell Branch, Mich. M. £. Hunt.

The apiary presents very much the ap-
pearance it did when we visited it a few
years ago ; in fact, a photographer, we fan-

hunt's chaff-hive apiary.

rest of the hives (ninety in all), except five or six,
are our new style, chaff in the lower part only. The
upper part is movable; and when off it is just right
to hang in brood or wide frames. Should you wish
to get at the brood-frames when the sections are
on, it is but a moment's work to remove them all at
once. The brood-frames come up even with the top
of the lower part. The space for surplus is 21 x 23
inches, and can be used for any kind of surplus ar-
rangement that one happens to fancy. The upper
part is made slanting in order to get the cover the
same size as the lower part, making it more handy
to pack and ship. The whole top is filled with ab-
sorbing material in the winter.

cy, might step into the yard at anytime and
take a picture, and friend Hunt would nev-
er have any regrets in having it presented
to the public. We do not know whether he
always keeps down the grass so that it pre-
sents the appearance of a nice lawn. If he
does he does better than the most of us.
Sometimes visitors call at our apiary, and
we have to apologize because of the grape-
vines that have grown over the hives,
and are sticking out in every direction,
or because of the long grass that has not
yet been mown. We generally get around
it by saying we have been " so very busy."

626

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Auc.

Last year, when we had foul brood, we used
to say that, as the apiary was a big expense,
yielding almost no revenue, we hardly felt
that we could put more money into it than
was absolutely necessary. Friend Hunt's
idea of keeping cinders under the hives to
keep away grass is a good one, though it
must be considerable labor at first. If the
weeds come through, sprinkle a little salt
where they start up. The cheapest way to
keep grass and weeds away from the entrance
is to sprinkle with salt. A couple of pails-
ful of rock salt will keep the entrances of
a hundred hives clear for the season.

AMONG THE BEEKEEPERS OF VER-
MONT.

CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE.

RS\ HISTOL is a fine location for a crop of bass-

{jal wood honey, as these trees are plentiful on

f^ the hills and mountains. This crop is gener-
■"^ ally gathered inside of two weeks. In 1883
Mr. Manum's best colony gave 312 lbs. of
comb honey. In 1885, when he obtained 19 tons of
comb honey, and 3 tons of extracted, from 150 colo-
nies, spring count, his best colony gave £28 lbs. of
comb honey; and that season, at the Mills Apiary,
near Bristol, his hive on the scales "gained in one
day while working on basswood, 33i4 lbs.; in 1 days,
123& lbs.; and in Ave days, 179)4 lbs."

White clover is more plentiful, and yields better
on the heavy clay soil in the towns along the shore
of Lake Champlain, and for this reason several
apiaries are quite a distance from Bristol on the
west and north, one being within a quarter of a
mile of the lake, and 10 miles from home.

We visited all the apiaries but two of the most
remote. All were of great interest to us, but we
were especially pleased with the situation of the
new one, apiary No. 6.

The valley is long and wide, large enough to give
quite a meadow pasturage, white clover being plen-
tiful \V2 miles away. On all sides, except the south-
west, were high ridges on which basswood-trees
were abundant. Here in an orchard on level
ground, well sheltered from cold north winds, they
were laying out the new yard.

At each apiary is a building containing work-
room and honey-room, and one hive standing on
scales. A piece of section on which the hive num-
ber is stenciled in black is tacked in the gable of
each. Records of each colony are kept on a piece
of section, or smooth piece of wood, which is left
on the packing inside the case.

In some hives we found the records of several
years giving dares of examination, when swarms
issued, when requeened, age of queen, etc., all kept
in a kind of shorthand familiar to many bee-keep-
ers. A book account of the important operations
requiring special attention at a certain time is also
kept in each bee-house. Hives are usually placed
in rows 5 feet apart and 1:2 feet between the rows,
when they face each other, and five feet between
when back to back. In setting hives, a long line is
used, the distance measured off, stakes temporarily
driven, and a hive set against each stake and
blocked up level. The packing is left about the in-
ner hive the year round, and hives are not changed
when once placed, unless to another yard. To pre-
vent an upset during gales in winter, each hive is

tied by a large cord to stakes driven into the
ground.

Most of the readers of Gleanings are familiar
with Mr. Manum's three-legged, swarm-catcher, in
the cage of which the clipped queen caught as the
swarm issues is confined, and on which the bees
cluster, and where they are left until there is plenty
of time to hive them. Mr. Manum places the catch-
er so the caged queen is as near as possible to the
Hying bees; or if they have clustered, he pushes the
cage into the cluster, or near by, and they soon
find the queen and settle around \v r. If the swarm
has gone some distance, or is in a high tree, the
cage is stood up in front of the old hive. When
tliey find they are without a queen they return,
find her, and cluster with her. That they may sure-
ly cluster instead of going back into the hive with-
out her, the hive entrance as well as that of one or
two hives next to it is covered with a sheet.

Instead of carrying hives for the swarms, the lat-
ter are carried to the hives. A part of each swarm,
about one-third, is shaken off in front of each old
hive, and two or three of these reduced swarms
with one queen are put in each new hive.

After the honey season, occasional trips to the
out-yards are sufficient. Then where bees are very
strong, and hanging out on the hive, new colonies
are quickly and easily made without opening hives,
by dipping off part of the bees and putting enough
with a nucleus, or into a hive of comb having a
caged queen.

The bees are mostly Italians. Some of the apia-
ries have a trace of Holy Land and black blood.
The queen-rearing stock is selected out of this
large number. Especially good stocks are set apart,
and gradually culled down to a few of the best.
We saw some tine queens here— good size, with
thick and plump bodies, and darker than the usual
type.

In the out-yards, the comb honey, when finished,
is disconnected from the brood-nest, and remains
in the outer case until cleared of bees. In the ga-
ble at each end is an auger-hole covered with a bee-
lead, which, if properly arranged, allows bees to
leave but not to return. In the honey season this
usually works well; but when robbers are trouble-
some too much dependence is not placed on it, and
there is on the inside a piece of wood or tin which
may be turned around over the hole, and so all pos-
sibility of bees entering be prevented. The cover,
which is fitted with a simple device, can be tipped
back, and is held by a cord. This saves lifting. To
hurry matters, the case is occasionally opened, and
a few puffs of smoke given; this causes many to
fly out, when it is again closed. When they ate
mostly out, the clamps are removed to the honey-
room and stood in piles just as they ate, except
that the propolis is first scraped from the top and
bottom to prevent them from being fastened to-
gether. There they are left until convenient for
teams to take them to the home houey-house.

The crop at the apiary near the railroad is clean-
ed, crated, and shipped from there. In loading,
the teams are backed up, the heads of horses cover-
ed with a coat or blanket to protect them from the
bees, the honey is put in as quickly as possible,
and covered with a sheet; the driver mounts the
load; and as the horses are started, this covering is
pulled off and the bees are soon left behind.

The home building is 16 feet by 31, and ll/2 stories
high. The upper part is used for storing fixtures.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

027

while below it is divided into three rooms. On the
east is the work-shop, fitted with desk, work-bench-
es, and tool-racks; with doors opening into the apia-
ry, and driveway with a stairway leading- to the left.
Next is the sorting-room, which receives through
an outer door the clamps of honey. Here they are
emptied, and the sections scraped, which are then
stored in the west room, which is 16 feet square,
and plastered. This has not been room enough to
store the large crops, and much had to be left in
store at the out-yards until room could be made.
The small crop of last season had been shipped;
but piles of clamps containing partly finished or
empty combs occupied much of the room. When
unloading, they back up to the door, quickly un-
hitch the horses, and get them under cover, and
unload, if possible, before the bees in the home
apiary realize their opportunity.

We noticed the hands were on the alert, and lost-
no time in getting the horses out of the way. The
harnesses were made especially for quick work,
snaps being used whenever practicable. The im-
portance of this has been learned from experience.
At Mr. Manum's farm, just out of Bristol, where he
had planned to build a new home and move his
home apiary, he has built a new honey-house and
work-shop, 30 x 48 feet, two stories high, with a cel-
lar basement. The sorting and storage rooms are
to be very large, and each has a wide outer door
opening into a shed, into which a team may be
driven, horses and all, the doors closed, and honey
loaded or unloaded at leisure, without fear of rob-
ber bees.

On the farm is another patch of Chapman honey-
plants. Altogether he has about a quarter of an
acre. He says the bees work on it all the time it is
in bloom, and are wild over it; but whether it is
best to plant it largely by the acre for honey alone,
he is not sure. The plants are quite ornamental,
four or five feet in height, and were then covered
with round balls going to seed. He also had sever-
al patches of Japanese buckwheat, which promised
much better than the ordinary kind.

Mr. Manum is interested in gardening and poul-
try, and he has a hen-house 65 feet long, 16 feet
wide, and 1% stories high, in which were Wyan-
dottes, Plymouth Rocks, and common fowls. The
house was conveniently arranged ; and in the yards,
by means of tubs and connecting troughs, he had
arranged his summer watering-fixtures so that, by
simply pumping a barreliul in the new building,
each yard was supplied. This disposition to sys-
tematize work and invent labor-saving devices, is
also seen in the hive-fixtures used in the manage-
ment of the apiaries.

In 1877 Mr. Manum was engaged in the harness
business, but was looking for another, on account
of failing health. Mr. Smith, now of the Arm of
Drake & Smith, persuaded him that winter to read
"Quinby'8 Mysteries of Bee-Keeping," which he
lent him. He read and became interested, and that
spring he bought two colonies; and by increase
and purchase he had 30 colonies in the fall. A year
or two after, he heard of Mr. Crane, whom he visit-
ed and found ready to give ideas which were of
help. He tried the American hive and many oth-
ers; changed and experimented, until by improving
and combining he settled upon the hive and fix-
tures he now uses. He commenced with the 5-lb.
b*ox, with glass in one end; then on recommenda-
tion of Mr. Crane he tried that with glass on four

sides. Later, they together worked out many sec-
tions, crates, and other hive improvements.

The first section he used held about 4 lbs. They
were made of pine, and nailed; later he used them
holding I Vt, Hi, 2 lbs., and 1 lb. ; and now he has dis-
carded all but the 1-lb. box. He has tested the
half-pound, and believes bees store honey in them
just as well, but does not care to use them, as there
are so many more pieces to handle, and make too
much work.

We believe Mr. Manum was the first to make a
white-poplar dovetailed section. His expenses the
last three years have been quite heavy, with a very
slight amount for the other side of the account,
and affairs have looked somewhat blue; but he
feels confident the coming season will be a good
one. He fed, the past season, for winter stores, 28
barrels of sugar.

While there we visited the factory of Drake &
Smith, who manufacture, as well as their celebrat-
ed white-poplar sections, a fine line of small-sized
locked-corner boxes, having a sliding cover. They
are also of poplar, and are turned out very white,
smooth, and perfect. We saw the various machine-
ry used, and were especially interested in that used
for gluing and putting together the boxes. This
firm also manufacture all kinds of hives and fix-
tures. Their foreman, Charles McGee, was one of
Manum's hands in the apiary, and now owns 170
colonies, which he keeps in two yards, and leaves
the shop to care for them during the swarming and
honey season. His crop the past season was 1500
lbs. of comb honey.

Another firm in Bristol, Prime & Gove, also make
very fine white-poplar sections, as well as hives.

We also visited the apiary of Mr. Edwin A. Has-
seltine, on a farm near Bristol. He had 75 colonies,
and his crop last season was about 500 lbs. He runs
the Bristol outer case.

After a visit both enjoyable and profitable, we
left the home of those who had done so much to
make it pleasant for us, and, by the kindness of
Fred Manum, were driven to Middlebury to see Mr.
Crane. Fred, a single young man of about 25, is the
only son. He manages an apiary during the sea-
son, and helps his lather at other times; but we
suspect he cares more for horses than for bees. We
were surprised to see the load of outer cases and
hive stands which he managed to pack and pile up
together on the double wagon, when they were
moving. We did not ask the privilege of riding
with him on the load.

Mr. Manum has since met with a great affliction
in the loss of his wife, whose helpful sympathy and
kind spirit made his home a home indeed. The
news of her death, coming when we were expecting
and hoping for good news, gave us pain, and roused
our fullest sympathy for the husband and son. We
shall always remember her kindness.

Pawtucket, R. I. Samuel Cushman.

To he CO>>ti)UK<l.

Thanks, friend Cushrnan. As we have
been following Mr. Manum very closely in
his writings, your visit is of more than ordi-
nary interest, because it details some things
in regard to our good friend Manum and
his work which he himself with rare modes-
ty omits to say of himself. We feel as if we
wanted to enjoy the privilege that you have
had, of visiting this energetic Vermonter ;
and we trust that this hope may be realized

628

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

by one of the representatives of Glean-
ings in a year or so. We are impressed
with Mr. Manum's system all the way
tli rough, and we are not at all surprised
that he is a successful bee keeper. We ad-
mire his good sense in using snaps on har-
nesses wherever practicable, for facilitating
hitching and unhitching his team to and
from the wagon. We often wonder now
why so many farmers and others will go to
the trouble of winding a hold-back strap
three times around the thill, and buckling,
instead of making the same attachment
instantly with a snap. In Mr. Manum's
case it might save him the destruction of
a wagonload of comb honey, and possibly
permanent injury to the team itself. If our
friend will adopt Mr. S. I. Freeborn's sug-
gestion of using a draw-pin to disconnect
the team from the wagon itself by a simple
jerk with a chain or rope, he will have his
harness rig very nearly perfect. On ac-
count of our recent mishaps in hauling bees
we appreciate thoroughly all these improv-
ments.

MANUM IN THE APIARY "WITH HIS
MEN.

MOVING BEES.

u

OOD-EVENING, Whittier. I have brought
you a load of bees from Fred's yard. He
k?K is getting- short of empty hives; and as
*■* j ou have a plenty here, I thought I
might as well bring the bees here now as
to move the hives. You will find there are but few
bees in each box, as I have brought only what bees
adhered to the combs after a swarm had issued.
While the swarm was in the air he simply transfer-
red the combs and adhering bees from the old hives
to the moving boxes, and let the swarm return, to
find nothing in the hive but foundation or empty
combs. The honey season is so nearly at an end with
him that I thought it better to get some more in-
crease now than to keep them all in one hive and
get nothing. I thick they will both build up strong
for winter."

" Well, I must say, Mr. Manum, that you have a
very convenient box for carrying bees in."

" Yes, I like it very much. I can move full colo-
nies in very warm weather, without danger of melt-
ing down the combs. Last year I moved 100 colo-
nies 11 miles when it was very warm. You see how
I have got it fixed. It is simply one of my brood-
boxes with a thin bottom nailed to it, and a three-
inch (high) rim covered with wire cloth for a cover,
held in place by dowels and hooks. This forms a
three-inch space over the frames for the bees to
cluster, which relieves the combs of so many bees;
and with 1%-inch holes near the bottom, covered
with wire cloth, gives them a current of air, which
is very essential in warm weather; and you will
also observe that each comb is secure. They can
not move, as each end of the top-bars is set in
grooves, as well as the bottom-bar. They are so
spaced that the box holds but 11 combs instead of
12, making a % space between each comb. Now,
you see all we have to do is to set the box near
the hive they are to be put into. Remove the rim-
cover, shake the bees adhering to it in front of or
in the hive, and lift out the combs one by one, and
Bet them in the hive, and the work is done. My

wagon-box is set on springs made of steel rods, so
arranged that the spring comes from the twisting
of the rods. I first set 12 of these boxes on the bot-
tom of the wagon-box, then this rack goes over
them, and on the rack I place 12 more, making 24
swarms for a one-horse load. We carry 50 in the
two-horse wagon, so that, when we wish to move an
apiary, Fred and I with both teams can move 74 col-
onies at one trip. I must now go home and take off
what honey there is finished up, as I want to get an
early start in the morning; for 1 am going to drive
out to Ferrisburgh to see how Leslie is getting
along."

JULY 20.

" Good-morning, Ed. I just thought I would call
a few moments and let old Bill take a rest awhile.
I am going out to see Leslie, and it is quite a drive
over these hills. How are you getting on requeen-
ing your apiary?"

" Pretty well. I have now young queens in all
the hives that had two and three year old ones; but
some of them are caged yet. I am to liberate the
last lot to-day. You got those queens all right that
I sent you, I suppose."

"Yes, sir; and they were nice ones too. What
kind of candy is that that you use for queen-cages'?
Is it what they call the Good candy?"

" No, it is the Manum candy. I have used it for
about ten years. It took me two years to get it to
suit me— or at least to suit the purpose for which I
wanted it. The beauty of this candy is, besides being
a perfect bee-food, it will never dry up and become
hard. I have kept it four years in an open dish,
and at the end of that time it was as good as newly
made candy. I kept the secret to myself until three
years ago, and then I told only one man how it was
made; but within a year I have told several."

" Then you have no objection to telling me, have
you?"

" No; I am willing all should have the formula
now, and here it is:"

MANCIM'S QUEEN-CANDY.

Take 8 spoonfuls of coffee A sugar; 1 of wheat
flour; 1 of glycerine; 2 of granulated honey.

"First thoroughly mix the flour with the sugar,
then pour the honey and glycerine in a tin dish;
then the sugar, and set the dish into another larger
dish partly filled with hot water (I use an ordinary
glue-pot); set it on the stove and let it simmer until
the sugar is dissolved, then remove to cool, when it
is ready for use. If the honey is thin it maybe
necessary to add more sugar or use less honey.

"Now one word before I go. Be very careful
about exposing honey after the bees stop getting it
from bass wood, and that will be very soon now.
When you notice them hanging around the honey-
house it will be a warning to you to be very careful,
as it will take but little to set them to robbing."

" How do you do, Leslie?"

"Good-afternoon, Mr. Manum. You are quite a
stranger here."

"Yes, I have rather neglected you this year; but
the truth is, I have had my hands full since the sea-
son commenced; and besides, I felt perfectly at
ease, knowing that you would do as well without
me, as you have worked ;it the bee-business long
enough now to be thoroughly posted."

"Well,! have done as well as I could; and by
corresponding with you often I have got along
pretty well so far."

"Well, Leslie, T have brought you something

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

629

new. You know I bave#been experimenting for a
number of years with queen-nurseries, and never
fully succeeded in getting one that suited me. The
little tin incubators I made four or five years ago
work very well, but I am always worrying for fear
they will set the building on Are. But the other day
T hit upon a nursery that works to perfection, and
here it is.

manum's queen-cell, pkotector.

" Simply a frame tilled with little boxes which
have a wire-cloth cover. You see, my frame takes
just 33 of them, but I prefer a half-frame holding
lfi, like this one. All you have to do is to hang the
cells on these tin points, and hang the frame in an
upper story in place of a comb, and let the queens
hatch; or if you prefer you jan hang the nursery
in the body of the hive under the sections, but it is
handier to get at in an upper story. I have now
eight of these nurseries filled with cells, in my
home apiary, and one to each of the other apiaries.
I am making more as fast as I can, so all can have
five or six.

" I want you to be sure to discard all queens over
one year old, unless you have one or two very extra
good two-year-olds that you will want to breed from
next season. I am thoroughly determined not to
winter any queens older than one year."

" Well, that is just what I am doing; and you will
find I have not increased the number of colonies in
this yard very much. When a two-year-old queen
swarmed out I killed her and let the swarm go back,
and I kept the cells cut out until they had nothing
to raise a queen from; and now I am giving them
virgin queens as fast as I can hatch them; and by
giving them plenty of room in the boxes T find they
work quite as well, but more especially after I have
given them a queen."

" Yes, after you give them a queen they carry up
the uncapped honey from below to make room for
the queen to lay. I am teaching Scott and Fred
this year how to run them in this way— especially
those colonies that have oast a swarm— by keeping
the queen-cells all cut out until the brood is too old
to build more; and in lti to 18 days after the swarm
issued, give them a virgin queen. There is no dan-
ger then of second swarms, and it is a very easy

way to requeen an apiary from choice stock; and
by the help of these nurseries it will now be noth-
ing but fun to hatch queens. Well, 1 have made
you quite a visit; and as 1 see nothing out of order
here, I will hitch up old Bill and start for home."
Bristol, Vt. A. E. Manum.

We are interested in your bee-candy. We
suspect that one of the elements which
contributes to the success of your candy is
glycerine. It is this, doubtless, that keeps
it soft so long. Just now we are making the
Good (or Scholz) candy as follows. We se-
lect some of the very nicest alsike or bass-
wood honey that we have in stock. This
we heat until it becomes quite thin. To
this we add confectioners' powdered sugar,
and knead it into a stiff dough. But this
candy, if allowed to stand awhile, will run
and become soft. To prevent this we add
common powdered sugar, kneading it over
to make as stiff a dough as possible. We
have found that a mixture of the two su-
gars gives better results than either one
alone, and our losses in bees and queens
sent out have been reduced to a very con-
siderable extent, so that now we scarcely
have reports of bees dying, even during hot
dry weather, most unfavorable for shipping
bees. Well, now, may be your candy is bet-
ter yet. We are going to give it a test at
any rate. — We received your sample queen-
cell protector, and instructed our engravers
to make a full-sized engraving of it. The
tin which supports the cell is shown in front
of the cage. It is passed through the little
slot shown on the top of the cage. The wire
cloth is made to slide in a groove, so the
hatched queen may be easily taken out and
another cell put in the place of the one now
empty. The principle of the queen-cell pro-
tector is about the same as that illustrated
and described on page 201 of Alley's Bee-
keeper's Handy Book ; and, as nearly as we
can judge, Alley's queen-cell protectors are
used very much on the same plan. Such a
queen-hatcher works well, and we have
tried them considerably.

MUD-WASPS, SNAKES.

fRIEND COOK:— I send you to-day a nest which
I first thought was a wasp's nest; but on in-
vestigation I found it full of spiders. I found
it in the upper part of a hive. Will you kind-
ly describe it in Gleanings?
Fremont, Mich., July 2, 1889. W. E. Gould.

Prof. Cook replies :

The nest is that of the mud-wasp, probably some
species of Sphnx. These wasps have long ped uncled
abdomens, and are interesting in that they do not
kill the insects which they furnish to their yet un-
hatched larvse. I have often found live spiders
entombed in these clay sepulchers. The wasp par-
alyzes the insect, spider, etc., places it in the mud
cell, lays an egg on it, and seals all with clay. When
the wasp egg hatches, the young or larval wasp
feeds on the still living food prepared by its parent.

COPPERHEAD SNAKES.

T wish to thank Gleanings, for through it I have
received from J. R. Atchley, Arlington, Texas, a
beautiful copperhead. This, though very poison-
ous, is really one of the most beautiful of American

630

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

snakes. I am delighted to get it. Though sent in a
close box all the way from Texas by mail, it came
safely, and was livel}' upon arrival. I should like
to get the other Southern snakes, especially the
moccasins. I would pay for expense and trouble.
They can be sent at my expense. I am told that it
is unlawful to mail them. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

A GOOD YIELD.

ORGANIZING A CONVENTION.

HAVE secured two tons of comb honey, and ex-
tracted three and one-half tons, making 11,000
lbs. All of it is clover, except some that is
mixed with linn. Prospects are good for more
honey yet. I have increased from a trifle over
120 colonies to 105. My bees are all Italians; but as
soon as I can find time I expect to experiment with
Carniolans, but more for amusement than in hopes
of finding a better bee than the Italian.

What is to prevent us bee-keepers of Western
Missouri and Eastern Kansas from having a rous-
ing convention in the fall? Doesn't it look too bad
to have such a host of bee-keepers in a good honey-
producing country, and never a meeting of any
kind! We could meet at some town that has the
proper conveniences, without very great effort; and
if it is not too f oon I would suggest that we have a
convention at Higginsville, where, I'm satisfied, we
could be furnished suitable accommodations at a
great deal less expense than at Independence or
Kansas City. I am satisfied that, if we would try,
we could get up a convention that would be of as-
sistance to us in the way of giving us a chance to
shoot off our ideas, and air them a little.

PREVENTION OF SWARMING.

I found a cure for swarming this season by re-
moving most of the capped brood and replacing
with empty combs. This plan, if used with judg-
ment, will not interfere with work in the sections,
and will prevent swarming if care is taken and
plenty of room given as it is needed; but unless
you have weak colonies or nuclei to build up, you
will increase some, which, if not wanted, can be
doubled back into the hives as fast as the bees
hatch out of the combs. R.L.Tucker.

Lexington, Mo., July 4, 1889.

BEES BITING HOLES IN CAPPINGS.

VAUUARLE SUGGESTIONS FROM DOOLITTT E.

HAVE read the different articles written by
friend Mamim, in late numbers of Gleanings,
with much interest, and I find that his mode of
working for honey corresponds very nearly
with my views on the subject. There is one
little item which T wish to notice, however, which
must be either a mistake of the typo or else Mr.
Minium must have fallen into an errcr, according
to my experience. On page 535 we find him saying
to Scott. " No, no! don't smoke them, as that will
cause the bees to bite holes in the cappings and
spoil the looks of the honey," while a few para-
graphs further on, Scott siys that the scale hive
showed the day before a gain of 18 pounds of hon-
ey, so that we infer that honey was coming in very
plentifully at the time friend Manum fears that the
bees will bite holes in the cappings if the bees were

smoked. Now, according to my experience those
bees could not have been smoked enough at that
time to make them bite into a single capping; for
when bees are getting honey at the rate of 18
pounds a day, nearly every bee is as full of honey
as it can well be, hence could have no desire to
take more honey, even if- it " lay around loose."
At such times as this it is only fun to get the bees
out of sections, for they are so heavy with honey
that a little shaking will cause them to rattle oil the
combs like beechnuts off a tree when they are fully
ripe. Here is a point in bee-keeping which 1 have
never seen noticed that 1 remember of, which is,
that the same number of bees will occupy nearly
double the space when honey is coming in plenti-
fully that they do in a time of honey dearth. Dur-
ing our peculiar season, the present year, the bees
were nearly starving just before the basswood
bloom; and as but little brood was reared 21 days
before basswood opened, there were but few bees
hatching to replenish those in the hive; yet when
they began to get honey from the basswood, the
bees which before occupied only the brood-cham-
ber to the hive so expanded that they now filled
nearly as much room in the sections as there was
in the brood-ehamber, or double the room they did
a few days before. I do not believe in smoking
bees anymore than do Messrs. Manum and Koot;
but in all of my experience I have never had holes
bitten in the cappings to honey except in times of
scarcity, and in such times it is hardly possible to
get the bees off section honey without their doing
more or less of this work, unless they are immedi-
ately shaken off the honey, or driven down into the
hive before the sections are removed.

DISTURBING NUCLEI.

On page 533 I see that friend Root was annoyed
when raising queens in upper stories by having to
disturb his nuclei in the upper hive every time he
wished to get to the lower one, and thinks that this
is an objection to my plan of working. To over-
come this difficulty I tack the queen-excluding hon-
ey-board lightly to the bottom of the upper story or
hive, so that at any time when I wish to get to the
brood-chamber all I have to do is to lift off the up-
per story and set it to one side, the same as I would
do were there no queen-excluding honey-board be-
tween the two, nor any queen-cells or nuclei about
the hive. When doing this the upper cover is not
touched, hence this upper hive is really' not disturb-
ed in the least in getting at the brood-combs below.
Perhaps it would not be more than right for me to
say that, during the time of scarcity of honey, and
when it was coming in very slowly from clover, I
did not have my usual success in getting queens
fertilized in uppec stories, so I fear that this part of
the plan, as given in my book, may not work with
all, especially those who do not have a heavy hon-
ey-How at any time during the year. As I had in
previous years sold myself short of bees, and used
so many from my stronger colonies to start the
queen-business early, I did not tier any hives for
extracted honey till into the basswood bloom,
hence I had an experience with it only in the
height of the honey-How and afterward. Now that
the basswood is in bloom I am having success
agaiu. The queens were allowed to hatch as usual
before basswood ; but when they became three or
loilrdays old the bees would begin to persecute
them, which finally resulted in their death, and in
one or two instances in a general row " upstairs,''

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

G31

in which many bees were killed. It may also be
that the reason lies in the fact that queens are more
easily superseded the latter part of the season, that
being the time in which the bees do the most of
this work where left to do it themselves.

While this part partially failed, the getting- of
nice queen-cells above the excluders was a perfect
success, even when the bees were living only from
hand to mouth, as not a single failure occurred.

PREPARING FOR WINTER.

Perhaps some will think there is time enough to
talk on this subject three months from now; but I
wish to say that I have found that August is the
month in which we lay the foundation for our suc-
cess or failure in wintering bees. All colonies
should be reinforced and made strong during this
month, or in the breediug, not in the fall. If any
queens are old and feeble they should be supersed-
ed at once, and not wait till into September, for the
eggs laid during this month are to make the bees
which are to go through the winter— yes, and those
that are to do the work the succeeding spring. I
had my eyes opened considerably on this point this
year. Last year I bought some hybrid bees, one
colony of which were nearly black. Into this I in-
troduced an Italian queen the 30th of August; and
as she did not breed very much last fall, of course
the bees going through the winter were mostly hy-
brids. 1 watched this colony very closely, and you
can see that I learned something new when I tell
j on that there were quite a number of nearly black
bees going in and out of the entrance July 4th of
this year; hence these bees were nearly if not quite
ten months old. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y, July 16, 18X9.

FOUNDATION VERSUS COMBS.

IN FAVOR OF EMPTY COMBS IN THE SURPLUS
APARTMENT.

Dr. Miller desired a statement from differ-
ent bee-keepers as to their success with sec-
' tions filled with old combs left over from the
previous yield, I herewith give you my plan:
I always have more or less comb left over
from year to year. In the fall of 1884 I had 3000 sec-
tions partly tilled with honey, it was extracted or
fed back to the bees. In 1885 there was no honey;
1886, clover yielded enough to rear large quantities
of brood, so the 25 old stands swarmed in June. I
sandpapered my sections and scratched off the end
of the cells ]4 of the way down to the base, and put
them on the 25 new swarms. As fast as the bees
hatched in the old hive, the bees were brushed off
into the new swarm, leaving just bees enough to
care for the young queen in the old hive. Bass-
wood opened July 10, lasted 14 days; and those 25
new swarms gathered and stored 3(J0J lbs. of bass-
wood honey in the 14 days, all sealed. I had over
1000 partly filled sections which were extracted.
The old combs looked as fine and white as those just
drawn from foundation. In 1887 we had no honey,
and not much in 18^s. This year I had 30 Heddou su-
pers tilled with sections containingold combs. I weut
through the former method, excepting that I filled
a good many crates alternately with old combs and
one with foundation. They are still on the hives.
The combs are filled with honey, and sealed, while
the foundation is fairly worked out with some hon-
ey. Some of the old combs are worked away out into

the next section of foundation. I use no separa-
tors. I prefer giving supers of foundation to heavy
swarms which will immediately occupy them.
Basswood will now soon open. It is just loaded
with buds. J. H. Reed.

Milford, Wis., July 10, 1889.

Your testimony is strong in favor of un-
finished sections. See our remarks at the
foot of J. A. Green's article, in the current
issue.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

THE DOVETAILED HIVE JUST THE THING.

fHE hives and other goods came all right, and
in splendid shape. You beat the world on
fine goods at low prices. The Dovetailed
hive is just the thing to put bees in; and the
section-holders are the nicest arrangement
for the double chaff hive, better than a crate. Ten
holders put crosswise fill the bill, and a person can
get them out easily.

SHIPPING BEES FROM NORTH Til SOUTH TO CATCn
THE HONEY-FLOW.

Tf nothing happens to prevent, I want to go to
Florida this fall with 200 swarms of bees to catch
the honey-How from orange-blossoms. I have been
thinking about the Dovetailed hive ever since it
came out. I have been shipping bees in light cases,
and I came to the conclusion that I would have the
Dovetailed hive shipped in the flat. But since I
saw your letter, explaining how it could be used to
ship bees in, I think it is just the thing to kill two
birds with one stone. You may think I am wild,
but I am not. If bees can be shipped from the
South in the spring, and do better than bees winter-
ed here, why won't the rule work both ways? They
claim the trouble is to get bees ready for the
orange-blossoms. I am going to take them there
ready for work. C. E. Jones.

Delaware, O., July 11, 1889.

Yes, sir, friend Jones, the Dovetailed hive
will be just the thing for shipping bees from
north to south. We should be glad to have
you report the success of the enterprise.

WHY THE BEES WILL NOT RAISE A QUEEN.

Please unravel the following knotty and to me
mysterious behavior on the part of a colony I have.
They cast two swarms, and afterward lost their
queen ([ saw her after she was hatched). I pre-
sume she was lost in her wedding-flight. The hive
has remained entirely free from eggs or larvsv,
showing the absence of even a fertile worker. I
gave them a frame containing eggs, which they
either destroyed or ate up. I then gave them a
queen-cell which they tore open and demolished. I
then gave them a frame containing eggs, larva1,
and sealed brood. The eggs were destroyed, and
the larvae, I think, sealed up; but no queen-cell
made— we can not find a queen in the hive. All the
frames are filled with honey, save the one with
brood, I gave. Would it do to give a queen, or
break up the colony and combine with other colo-
niea? We can not find any thing bearing on this
case in the ABC. W. B. ROHMER, M. D.

Bay St. Louis, Mo., June 12, Isko.

It is not at all unusual for bees to refuse to

642

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

AtKi.

accept a queen, after they have failed one
or more times in raising one I should
think it quite likely they had something
among them that they treated as a queen ;
and though she never lays eggs of any kind,
this bee will be the ruin of the colony if she
is not put out of the way. Treat them ex-
actly as you would a case of fertile workers.
(Jive the colonies several frames of brood,
with bees adhering, or unite them with a
weak queenless colony, which amounts to
the same thing.

BURR-COMBS; CAN THEIR ATTACHMENTS TO THE
SURPLUS APARTMENTS BE AVOIDED WITH-
OUT THE HONEY-BOARD?

Can we make our new hives so as to discard the
honey board and not have burr-combs built be-
tween the brood-frames and section-ease? If not,
why not? Yes. By making- the top-bar Va wide by-
is (hick, and closing- them to i3(i, you will not have
any more dauby messes by tearing off honey-
boards, nor will you have any burr-combs built be-
tween the brood - frames and the section-case. I
used this kind of frame last year, and this in about
80 colonies, and I have yet to find the first bit of
burr-comb between. It briug-s the sections close to
the brood-nest, and the bees are quick to enter
them. A. L. Kildow.

Sheffield, 111 , July 8, 1889.

We do not know but there is something
in what you say, friend K. We have a hive
out in the apiary, with top-bars H inches
wide, and spaced \-\. inchee apart. Although
there are fewer burr-comb attachments to
the cover it does not prevent them entirely.
It has been claimed before, that top-bars
one-half or even a full inch thick, and I
wide, will do away with burr-comb attach-
ments. We should be glad to hear from
others on this point.

A ")-CENT PACKAGE OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT,
AND WHAT IT DID.

Please find inclosed 17 cents, for which send me
some Japanese buckwheat and oje bee-brush. I
planted the 5-cent paper you sent, early in the
spring, and saved about a quart of seed. ] planted
that the first of June, and it is now in full bloom,
and very attractive to the bees. I wish to plant
some more; and if I wait until the seed matures I
fear it will be too hot and dry. I think it is the first
buckwheat ever grown in this part of the State,
that is attractive both to people and bees. I also
have a few of Simpson and spider plants, which the
bees do not notice. Mignonette, bee-balm, and bee-
clover they are continually humming over.

Mrs. Hose Riley.

Columbus. Tex., June 23, 1889.

COMBS BUILT CKOSSW1SE OF THE FRAMES ; WHAT
TO DO.

The first of last month I obtained three swarms
of bees from a neighbor, the first swarm I had ever
seen. I put two of them in Simplicity hives; the
other was put in a box hive with the intention of
transferring it. The trouble is, with the Simplicity
hives, the frame in one of them got out of place in
some manner, and they have built their combs be-
tween the frames attached to the shitted honey-
board, so that I can not take a single frame out.
The frames in this hive had starters in them, and
were contracted to six. The other one had no

starters in, but the lull number of frames, 10. The
bees, instead of building their comb to the comb-
guides, built to the bpace between the frames, so
that none can be removed except two on one side
that have not been built on yet. Would you advise
me to take out part of the frames containing hon-
ey, substituting frames of foundation? I want to
put Italian queens in them. There is nothing in
your book so indelibly stamped on my memory as
your advice about starting with a few colonies.
There are several small things I havelearned, that,
had I had several colonies, might have been costly
lessons to me. J. C. Singles.

Strickersvillo, Pa., July 6, 1889.

We should think, from the account you
give in your letter, that in one case your
frames were improperly spaced. In the
other case they were jarred out of position,
as you say. Either one would cause combs to
be built crosswise, or in between the frames.
We would advise you to pull the hive apart,
having previously given them a good smok-
ing. Select the cards of comb that have
brood in ; put them into frames, and fasten
them with transferring-clasps, or in any of
the ways that are usually adopted in trans-
ferring. The combs containing only honey
had better be used up on the table as chunk
honey. The rest of the space fill up with
frames of foundation. Be sure next time to
space each frame so their common centers
shall be If inches apart. The tips of the
fingers, shoved between the top-bars, will
usually make the right spacing.

DOES IT PAY TO FURNISH ALSIKE SEED FREE TO

FARMERS WITHIN A MILE AND A HALF OF THE

APIARY ?

I have something over 70 stands of bees. I have
an offer from some farmers within a mile of me.
They say they will sow all the alsike clover seed
that I will furnish. The question is, will it pay?

Sabina, O., July 6, 1889. N. Shumaker.

It is a hard matter to answer your ques-
tion by a direct affirmative or negative.
Perhaps we should say this : That we are in
the habit of furnishing alsike clover seed,
free of charge, to farmers within a range of
a mile and a half of our place. In like man-
ner we furnish the buckwheat. A good
deal depends upon your locality as to wheth-
er it will pay, and the amount put out.
One of our bee-keeping friends — a Mr.
Chase, in a neighboring town— buys his al-
sike and sells it to the farmers at a reduced
price. We believe he has within range of
his bees something over 100 acres of alsike.
Of course, where a bee-keeper is able to sell
the seed to the farmers, the question as to
whether it will pay or not is not so hard to
settle. Generally speaking, however, we
think it does pay to furnish farmers within
a mile and a half of the apiary as much al-
sike seed as they will sow.

BEES TOO NEAR A HIGHWAY ; HOW TO MOVE
THEM BACK.

I live within five steps of a turnpike road, and
my bees have been a source of great annoyance to
people passing. I have been very uneasy in hand-
ling my bees, for fear they might make some horse
run away, and do damage. So great has been my

18S9

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

638

fear that I have not been able to do any thing- with
the bees. 1 ought to cut out queen-cells and do a
great many other things, but I dare not for fear
of the annoyance to passers by. I have had a no-
tion of moving them back about 50 or 60 yards, but
I did not know whether I could do it or not. My
bees have been unusually cross this year, oq ac-
count of rainy and cool weather, and at this time of
writing they are most of them clustering in front
of the hives. They have been dragging out drones
for two weeks. If you think I can move them
back without any great loss, please tell me how.
If I can move them, when would be the proper
time. This fall or next spring? I leave bees on
summer stands all the winter. G. W. Reame.

Franklin, Tenn., July 3, 1889.

Under the circumstances we would not
advise you to keep your bees in their pres-
ent location. You had better move them to
the back part of your lot, at least far enough
from the highway so that no annoyance can
occtir. It is not usually possible to move
bees a short distance without some incon-
venience or loss ; but if you have only a few
colonies I would advise you to move them
all back at night, at once. Change the ap-
pearance of the old location, and make
every thing look as strange as possible. At
the same time, make the new location re-
semble as much as possible the old one; at
any rate, put each hive in the relative posi-
tion it occupied on the old location. If the
bees should cluster on the ground near the
old location, scrape them up, mix them to-
gether, and make a nucleus or colony of
them, and take them back among the other
bees. For further particulars, see " Moving
Bees." in the A B 0 of Bee Culture. Also
see R. Powell's article in Gleanings for
July 1, p. 531.

A VARIEGATED CALIFORNIA GARDEN.

Few people who plant gardens for beauty are
aware of the great number of plants with variegat-
ed or odd-colored foliage. True, we have many
plants which are almost constant bloomers, but a
plant with beautiful foliage is itself a flower which
lasts through the entire season. Do you wish to
plant fruit-trees in your garden? Our beautiful
purple-leaved prunus, Pissardi, bears a very fair
plum; and the fruit of the peach-tree with purple
leaves is by no means to be despised. Here in Cali-
fornia we have evergreen orange, lemon, and lime
trees, whose leaves are most beautifully marked
with yellow, white, and green. Some of my apricot-
trees are gay with light and dark green variegation.

You can have corn (Zed Japonica var.), and lovely
foliage beets of half a dozen varieties. Our Chilean
beets have been as much admired as any thing we
have in our garden. We raised our abutilons, with
their beautiful spotted green and yellow leaves,
from cuttings. They rooted readily, and in four
months were blooming profusely without a drop of
water from the time I planted them. I think our
dry summers heighten the variegations. I paid a
dime for my Althru var., but its yellow-white and
green leaves are not so pretty as those of the wie-
gela or the very showy euonymus. The wiegelas
grow easily from cuttings too. The purple-leaved
filbert which I bought proved to be plain green;
but the purpje barberries keep their colored leaves
the whole year. We have rubber-trees of the glos-

siest evergreen; but when my wife learned that
there was a variegated Ficus elastica, the glories of
the others were faded. Our beautiful green dra-
cena was forsaken when I brought home one with
red leaves, and our common maples looked faded
beside the varied foliage of their Japanese cousins.

Our spotted callas suffer from want of water, and
our sun is too hot and dry for the caladiums, cro-
tons, and the half-dozen kinds of coleus. I think
the last will do fairly well when it is a year old.
Trade8cantia multicolor fades in our hot sunlight.

Nothing is prettier of its kind than the old-fash-
ioned ribbon-grass; and it stands drouth and heat
very well, and keeps fresh all the year with me.
My Euhilia Japuitim looks very much like it; but
the Euhilia zebrina is an oddity, for its stripes go
across the leaf. No other plant is thus marked ex-
cept one other from Japan (the Scirpus).

But if I should tell you all about my acalphas,
alternatheras, aloes, amaranthus, stevia, etc., broth-
er Root would surely say, " Waste-basket," so I will
just wish, in closing, that you could see our gerani-
ums. Their leaves are gorgeous, and they stand
drouth better than almost any other plant, unless
it be the variegated myrtle, or vinca.

Springville, Cal. C.M.Drake.

EXTRACTING FKOM YOUNG SWARMS. ETC.

(1) Do you think it would be safe to extract honey
from the frames of the young swarms, after the 1st
of August, providing they have plenty of honey?

(2; Do you think bees could be moved a mile at
this time of year without their going back to their
old location? F. N. Perdew.

Henry, 111., July 18, 1889.

(1) You can extract from surplus frames,
but we would hardly advise you to take any
from the brood-nest. In most localities, or
at least in our own, there is very little cer-
tainty in getting very much honey after the
first of August. It is safer for beginners to
leave the brood-nest alone. If you get a
good fall crop, give the bees empty combs
in which to put it. These sealed combs will
come very handy for distributing stores just
before putting bees into winter quarters.

(2) Most of the bees would stay in their
new location, although doubtless some
would return to their old stands. If you
move them a mile and a half, we should ex-
pect very little going back ; two miles, ordi-
narily, none at all. If you move them a
mile,* change the appearance of the old loca-
tion as much as possible, and in the new lo-
cation put the hives in the same relative po-
sition they occupied formerly. See answer
to G. W. Reame, in the opposite column.

CLOSED-END FRAMES ; FRIEND HEDDON'S SUGGES-
TION ON P. 536 BEING TE8TED.

I notice on page 536, July 1, that Mr. Heddon has
exactly described the hive I am using. I never
liked the beveled edge nor the Heddon L. hive
with the bottom-board fastened, so I made a hive
with a bottom-board and cover the same as the pat-
ent Heddon. The brood-chamber is 18 x. 1 1& x 9 in.,
which holds 8 frames, the closed end resting on the
strip of tin extending in % inch on the bottom end
of the hive. This is a reversible frame or hive. I
use two of these stories on strong colonies for ex-
tracted honey, and a super with sections on top.
This hive has given me the best satisfaction of any

634

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aim.

I have tried yet. I can winter bees better in this
hive than in any chaff hive ever made; in fact, for
wintering bees outdoors I would rather buy the
above hive than use chaff hives furnished free. I
use a single brood-chamber of soft pine, unpainted,
for wintering, which is inclosed in another hive one
inch larger, or. rather, with an inch air-space be-
tween, which gives me a double-walled hive with
one inch of dead air space all around. My bees are
always strong in spring, and breed up early. This
and the Heddon hive are the hives of the future.
Clarion, Pa., July 13, 1889. J. T. Fletcher.

PURE ITALIAN DRONES ; IS THE DRONE ONLY THE
SON OF HIS MOTHER OR NOT ?

Is the question settled beyond dispute, that a
queen of pure Italian pedigree, but mismated, pro-
duces b> brid drones, or is if still open to positive
proof? I know that several well-known breeders
hold they are hybrids, but that's not proof. I am
interested in the mother, for the other day I found
a young Italian queen, without wings, layiDg, of
course, nothing but drone eggs, and the drones
were the brightest of any in the yard. Now, if
those drones were good, why should they not be
equally so if the queen could have Mown and been
mismated? H. F. Hart.

Avery, La., July fi, 1889.

It is commonly supposed that the drone is
the son of its mother only ; but G. M. 1 too-
little and one or two others have ventured
to question this statement. Our experience
and observation, however, have rather tend-
ed to sustain the statement of Dzierzon and
Berlepsch, that the drone has only one par-
ent. Here is a chance for careful experi-
menting.

THE FOOD COMMISSIONER SEEKS INFORMATION IN
REGARD TO ALLEGED ADULTERATED HONEY.

Mr. A, I. Root:— Cleveland papers charge that
parties are manufacturing an entirely artificial
honey-comb from paraftine, then filling it with glu-
cose, and selling it for pure honey, although there
is no part of it the product of the bee, or, at least,
not more than to give it flavor. I have looked the
markets through somewhat in this city, and talked
with men who seem to be conversant with bee mat-
ters, and I can not find, thus far, any foundation for
the articles in papers. It is claimed here, however
that bees are sometimes fed glucose or cane sugar,
and an inferior article of honey is produced, also
that glucose syrup is added to strained honey. I
am anxious to lend any assistance in my power to
the consumers and producers of honey, and write
you for information. Do you think that honey
made from or by bees fed on tugar or glucose
could be called adulterated? and do you know
whether there is any truth in the charge made in
the Cleveland press? Can it be done successfully?
and have you any means of knowing if strained
honey is being adulterated with glucose? and if so,
who is doing it? The whole subject is new to me,
and any thing that you may say will confer a favor
on all honest producers. F. A. Derthick,

Food Commissioner of Ohio.
• Columbus, July 13, 1889.

Upon receipt of the above we replied as
follows :

Mr. F. A. Derthich: — As we notice you are the
Ohio Dairy and Food Commissioner, we take plea-
sure in answering your kind letter of the 13th inst.

We inclose you hall a dozen cards, offering $1000 for
samples of manufacmred comb honey. These cards
will give you the whole status of the thing in a nut-
shell. This offer has been out uow for two years;
and although we have distributed thousands of
them, and although the same has been published in
a number of newspapers, no one has even taken
the pains to write us that he could fulfill the condi-
tions of the proposal. We also send you a sample
copy of our journal, "Gleanings in Bee Cul-
ture." Please read the article on page 543.

In regard to feeding glucose to bees, we would
say it (■«)!, be done, but it would not pay to do so,
because it would cost more to get the bees to put
the stuff into their nice combs than the bogus arti-
cle would bring afterward on the market, even if
sold at the price of A No. 1 honey. Liquid or ex-
tracted honey may be adulterated, but usually
there is not enough money in it to do it. When
good pure California honey can be bought for 4 or
5 cts. per pound by the carload, it is not at all likely
that dealers would go to the trouble of adulterating
it with glucose, an article which costs nearly or
quite as much per pound. Notwithstanding these
newspaper stories to the contrary, you will see that
plain common sense, and the application of a little
arithmetic, show that very little honey is adulterat-
ed. We should be glad to have you use your in-
fluence in removing the ban of suspicion from hon-
ey.

THAT TESTED QUEEN.

The first queen (tested Italian), received from you
May 14, was accepted May 15; introduced to a two-
frame nucleus of young blacks. She got down to
work in short order, and to-day $10.00 would not
buy her. She has t n frames full of mostly capped
brood, and the colony is large enough to swarm.
They are always working, while the others lie idly
about. The last two queens received from you
came in fine order. I introduced by dropping into
full colonies immediately after catching the old
queen. I can always tell by the way the bees act
whether all is well. One came out and flew around
four times, and doubtless would have been flying
yet, but I caught her and clipped a wing, and that
settled it. This has been

BY FAR THE BEST SEASON

we have had for some time, and honey has been
produced by the ton. Just here harvest is about
over, and drones are scratching, but the Italians
are very busy. In the timber, however,

FIRE WEED

is at the best, and bees are very busy. Oregon is
slow to adopt modern appliances, and but few en-
thusiasts are to be found; but as the State fills up
we shall be able to give better reports.
Portland, Or., July 11, 1889. E. J. Ladd.

JAPANESE INFERIOR TO SILVERHULL BUCKWHEAT
FOR HONEY.

Well, Uncle Amos, I have just come in from the
buckwheat. It is in full bloom, and there are ten
to one more bees on the silverhull than on the Jap-
anese. It was so last year on my place; but the
Japanese was so boomed through Gleanings I
thought I would hold still for a while; but when
the same thing occurs again with the two kinds
side by side, on the same kind of ground, I wonder-
ed if the booming had not been a little strong, in
order to sell the stuff. The Japanese stands up
some better and gives longer, larger grain, and will

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

635

bloom a little longer, and perhaps yield a few more
bushels per acre; but as a honey-plant, with me
the silverhull is far ahead. The 500 sections came
to hand all right. J. W. C. Gkay.

Atwood, 111., July 10, 1889.

Your experience doesn't seem to agree
with others'. The Japanese, according to
most reports, has fully equaled the other
buckwheats as far as the yield of nectar
was concerned ; but in grain yield, in every
case it has been vastly ahead. We should
be glad to hear from others as to the com-
parative yields of nectar.

TO GET THE BEES TO CAP THE TOP HOW OF CELLS.

I can't get my bees to cap the top row of cells in
the sections which are in T supers. What can be
done to remedy it? 1 couldn't find any thing about
it in the ABC. C. F. McColm.

Lexington, 111., July 10, 1889.

We sent the above to l)r. Miller, who re-
plies as follows :

The T super differs in no respect from wide
frames or other receptacles with regard to finish-
ing sections. The upper part of the section is seal-
ed over before the lower: but as a general rule the
row of cells adjoining the wood at top, bottom, and
sides, remains unsealed Sometimes they are filled
with honey, and sometimes left empty. I do not
know what the conditions are, to secure the com-
plete sealing of this outside row of cells, and I shall
be glad to hear from any one who does. Perhaps a
heavy flow of honey and a somewhat crowded con-
dition in the hive is all that is necessary; but the
majority of sections have this outside row of cells
uncapped, whether raised in T supers or what not.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

WINTERING QUEENS IN NUCLEI.

Is it possible to winter queens in three-frame nu-
clei, such as I have ordered, to have for building
up in spring? ABC and Boot's Quinby do not
mention it. Is it now too late, if possible? My sin-
gle box colony has grown to 6 very good ones; 2
are rather strong, and working in the sections— in-
duced to by Dr. Miller's plan. 1 shall increase to 15
or 20 next year. J. B. Enos.

Connellsville, Pa.

Yes, it is possible to winter queens in 3-
frame nuclei, providing that the same is
packed in chaff hive, between two division-
boards, or providing they are to lie put into
a good dry cellar ; but it is usually better to
have a stronger colony— one that will cover
6 frames will usually winter very success-
fully. AVe have wintered a great many 3-
f rame nuclei in chaff on their summer
stands, but we prefer stronger colonies.

SERIOUS STINGING IN THE THROAT, BUT NOT
FATAL.

A neighbor of mine who keeps a lot of bees in
box hives wished me to take some honey out of the
top they bad made ibere. I smoked them and took
a long knife and cut out the combs, which contain-
ed honey and some brood. When I had finished he
gave me some of the honey to take home, and that
honey came very near being the death of my wife.
She put a piece of the comb in her mouth; and as it
so happened one of the cells contained a bee, which
stung her on the tongue, which swelled so large,
and her throat also, that she came very near dyiDg
from suffocation. She could hardly speak so as to

be understood. You can just think how much I
thought of bees about that time. But the good
Lord spared her life. I wish you would print this
in Gleaninos, as a warning to others to look out.
Durham, Ct., July 10, 1889. C. L. Bose.

BEES IN A HOLLOW ROCK.

I havearauche in Texas, on which there is a canon
about 100 feet deep, and about half way up in one
of the solid walls there is a hole in which I have
seen the bees coining and going in a stream about
as big around as a barrel. It has never been rob-
bed, as no one cm get to it without infinite trouble.
I have written you for a smoker. I have one hive
here in the city, and four in the country. I think I
shall get more. The hive here is doing famously.
I see the bees rushing in, loaded down with honey.
They beat any thing I ever saw for hard and hur-
ried work. A. L. Redden.

New Orleans, La., June 29, 18S9.

There are several places in California
such as the one you mention ; and one place
was pointed out to me where a man lost his
life in attempting to take out the honey.
The bees went at him in such numbers, and
stung him so fiercely, he lost his hold and
fell upon the rocks. Where you speak of a
stream of bees as big as a barrel, 1 suppose
vou mean that a space equal to the size of a
barrel is pretty well filled with bees on the
wing, going to and fro.

J. D. FOOSHE EXPLAINS.

I shall bo glad if you will say that I have never
seen Mr. Doolittle's book. I read last year in
Gleanings, I think, where he gave his plan in de-
tail as to how he reared his queens by nature's
plan. At that time I think he said that he saved all
the old cell-cups, and transferred eggs or larva1 ;
and this year, in the Queen-Breeder's Journal, I read
another article giving the same plan, with perhaps
his plan, of using the manufactured queen-cell
cups, in which he said he transferred larva- and
had cells built out in upper stories, with queen
present. I tried transferring eggs, or larva1, to old
cell-cups, and made such a poor success that I
thought of the plan of letting bees start cells and
transfer them to upper stories. I gave friend Doo-
little credit for my plan for it was suggested to me
by him. Friend D. has a masterly article in the
April number of the Que en -Breeder's Journal, upset-
ting the Dzierzon theory. I can't help but believe
he is right, so far as my experience goes.

Coronaca, S. C, July 8, 1889. J. D. Fooshe.

NATURAL HONEY-COMB WITH SQUARE CELLS.

I have a piece of new honey-comb made entirely
by the bees, the cells of which are square (4-sided),
and the bottoms of the cells are quartered instead
of being in three parts; there are about 50 contigu-
ous cells like this, and the surrounding comb has
regular 0-sided cells. Is this new, or does it often
occur? C. W. COSTELLOW.

Waterboro, Me., July 3, 1889.

In the experiments made with plates for
foundation, some years ago, considerable
foundation was made with the cells square ;
and reports were made through the journals
that the bees used it just as well as six-
sided foundation. As, however, nothing
was gained, but something lost, the idea
was dropped.

636

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

A NOVEL BEE-CATCHER.

Herewith I send you a sample of my bee-catcher.
Well, who has got it patented? If by any possibili-
ty nobody has, then, if you wish to, you arc at liber-
ty to make and supply all demands.

A

ANDRUS BEE-CATCHER.

It is convenient for picking- bees off the windows
and turning- them outdoors, or, better, putting
them in a box like the one in which this is packed,
and then step to the door and let them out. Take
the ends only off the box, and pull out the catcher.

Almont, Mich., May 19, 1889. J. H. Andrus.

The bee-catcher sent by friend A. is a
very ingenious and pretty little machine ;
but I think very likely they will prove to be
more convenient for the women folks than
for a genuine bee-keeper himself. They
might serve very usefully, not only in get-
ting bees off the windows, but for picking
up and removing any bug, worm, or spider
that might invade the home

HONEY FROM TOBACCO.

In Gleanings for July 1st are some comments
upon bitter honey. I wonder if you ever stumbled
upon honey gathered from a tobacco-patch, when
other sources were lacking— perfectly clear, decid-
edly bitter, genuine to a T. This may have been
the cause of much of the bitterness alluded to in
your journal. I notice the bees prefer to gather
water from the outlet of a certain tile, although
there are many other outlets never visited. I won-
der if they distinguish any chemical properties
from this percolating through certain strata.

Assumption, 111., July 12, 1889. W. N. Root.

OLD COMBS IN SECTIONS.

As you ask for testimony from experience, I will
say I have us°d sections filled with comb, for the
past 8 years, and I can not get enough of them. I
always get the highest price paid in market for my
honey, and we use a large amount at home; and
while we object to. foundation honey, we see no
fault with old comb. If I use foundation at all it is
only as starters. I usually raise my starters in the
bee-hive, according to G. M. Doolittle's plan. Old
comb should be entirely clean from old honey.

Grattan, Mich., July 8, 1889. A. P. Cowan.

THE T SUPER.

As I use a lot of T supers I will give my plan how
to keep the sections down to their place, and at the
same time protect them from propolis. I put T
tins down from the top between the section rows;
this is not new, but you know some of the sections
will spring up— that is, they are not square. To
keep the T tins down I lay ^-inch tacks, one on
each end of the T tins, with the points toward the
sides of super. With one-hand 1 press the T's down,
and with an iron or an eight-inch tile I press the
tacks in the wood, which keeps the T tins down.

La Paz, ind. c. A. Bunch.

The same idea has been suggested before.

PROSPECTS GOOD.

fHE prospect for a crop of honey during the
next three months is very good. I have 170
hives, about one-half one story, and weak at
that, as the bees do not gather honey much
in June, and about June 1st they kill their
drones, and the queen sometimes stops laying. This
year they gave us a. few eggs all the time, but did
not lay more than half their usual amount. I have
just finished extracting 170 gallons of choice honey,
and the prospect is good for 15 tons extracted and 2
tons comb honey this year. G. W. Camp.

Armona, Cal., July 10. 1889.

I took from two colonies last summer nearly 300
pounds of honey. Around here, if they get 10
pounds they think they are doing well.

Marshalls Creek, Pa. J. Gilbert.

booming.

Bees are just booming at this date. I wintered
14 colonies in your one-story chaff hives. They be-
gan swarming May 5th-, and increased to 31 by
June'JKth. Bees in this section have had a great
swarming mania this season. F. W. Lamm.

Somerville, O., July 15, 1889.

" HONEY UP TO OUR CHINS."

The wax-extractor is just rolling out the yellow
stuff. The strainer is " boss," and our " other half "
says, " Bless Mr. Root;" and whoever saw a better
smoker? We are in honey up to our chins. I will
ship you some beeswax soon. D. H. Tweedy.

Smithfleld, Ohio, July 13, 1889.

HONEY FLOWS LIKE WATER.

I am rushed to death. Honey Hows like water. I
have taken off 2000 lbs. of white-clover honey. 1
have 75 swarms now. I had 15 swarms to-day. If I
did not understand some of the habits of bees I
should get clogged up; but so far every thing is
lovely, and every bee doing his level best. Bass-
wood is not yet open. When it opens 1 shall have
eave-troughs on. E. A. Morgan.

Chippewa Falls, Wis., July 3, 1889.

A BIG YIELD; 200 LBS. PER DAY FROM 25 COLO-
NIES.

I suppose you begin to think my orders are com-
ing thick and fast. If you were in my place you
would not wonder at it. My bees are gathering in
something like 200 lbs. of honey per day, and part
of them are out of storage room, and building comb
on the outside of their hives. I never saw such a
honey season. I started in with 25 good colonies
and 3 very poor ones; I had 58 supers filled with
sections and starteis, and have 62 very strong colo-
nies now. We had some heavy rains, which insures
a good fall crop of honey. J. A. Maxfield.

Saxon, Ills., July 15, 1889.

IfeipeTO Digceni^6iN6.

LITTLE SWARMING OR SURPLUS.

I had 31 colonies, spring count; very little swarm-
ing; and as to honey— well, I have not enough to
supply my table. Except one hive there is not 10
pounds of surplus on hives; i. e., on all, old and
new. G.F. Ayreb,

Atfaerton, Ind., July 5, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

637

0hr QaEg3Fi0]^-B6^,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 137. — a. Do you practice clipping queens'
winos? b. If so, do h<>ii do it because it saves trouble
inhioinij tlir swarms, or bt cause it prevents ahscond-
ing, or both?

No.

a. I do not.

a. Yes; b. Both.

a. Yes; b. Both.

a. Yes; b. Both.

a. Yes; b. Both.

H. R. Boardman.

RAMBLER.

Geo. Grimm.

A. E. Manum.

A. J. Cook.

S. I. Freeborn.

a. Yes; b. To prevent absconding-.

P. H. Elwood.
a. Yes, invariably, b. For both reasons.

P. L. VlALLON.

I practice nothing- of that sort, and am not trou-
bled much with swarming. C. F. Muth.

No; we never clip wings. We tried it, and got
disgusted after two^seasons. Dadant &?Son.

a. Yes. b. To prevent absconding. I very rarely
hive a swarm, as, three days out of four, no one is
present in the apiary. C. C. Miller.

a. No. b. I found more trouble in takiug care of
my swarms when the queens' wings were clipped
than when they are not. It might be different,
however, in less favored localities for hiving
swarms. James Heddon.

a. Yes. b. For both these reasons; but they are
only secondary ones with me, as I have too little
natural swarming to require any special attention
to that subject. By clipping her wing we keep
track of the queen, which allows us to practice cer-
tain methods of management on a certainty, in-
stead of by guesswork. O. O. Poppleton.

a. Yes, and it pays well. b. it does both if prop-
erly done. Four years ago my best colony swarm-
ed, and left without clustering. One of the queen's
wings was clipped, but not short enough to prevent
flying slowly; but they went over a piece of woods
filled with undergrowth, so we could not follow
them, and I lost them. A. B. Mason.

Principally because it saves trouble in hiving
swarms. I do not know that I ever had a swarm
abscond, even when my queens' wings were not
clipped, and I never knew more than one to make
any great effort to do so. Several important advan-
tages are gained by clipping queens' wings, in com-
parison with which I think the disadvantages hard-
ly worth mentioning. J. A. Green.

a. We clip all our queens' wings, b. We do it to
make sure that no swarms gooff in our absence.
We have no one to look after the swarms or care
for the bees in any way when we are not there.
Our visits to each yard, during the swarming and
extracting season, are from a week to ten days
apart. Very seldom do swarms come out while we
are away. We make all our increase by division of
the old colonies. E. France.

a. Yes. b. Both, and more especially because the
queen is so much more easily found, if she has the
larger part of all of her wings off, as I always cut
them. In strengthening weak colonies, and in
many other operations in the apiary, it is often nec-
essary to find the queen; and anything which fa-
cilitates our finding her, helps just so much in our
work. G. M. Doolittle.

a. I have, the past two years, b. I seldom if ever
have absconding bees here, perhaps mainly be-
cause there is no cave or trees to enter, and I some-
times wonder if they are not somehow held back by
the great throng of bees at home. I clip, wings to
help control swarming. I am not positive yet that
I shall always keep it up for that purpose, and to
enable me to know my old from" my young queens
when I wish to displace old ones. R. Wilkin.

I do not. I have never been troubled by bees ab-
sconding, or " going to the woods." My experience,
extending through many years and many hundreds
of swarms, leads me to believe that first, or prime
swarms, invariably cluster, after leaving the hive,
and that in cases reported of prime swarms leaving
without clustering, they had been out before on
some previous day, or even the same day, cluster-
ed, and, being unobserved, returned to the hive on
a second swarming. Such swarms will frequently
leave without clustering. Mrs. L. Harrison.

I am an anti-clipper, largely because I greatly
dislike to have swarms enter other colonies, as they
will do when compelled to come back by the ab-
sence of their queen. Clipping has no effect upon
that abnormal disposition to swarm known as
swarm-fever, unless it be to make it worse; and the
great host of second swarms, and thirds and
fourths, of course have virgin queens that must
not be clipped. In apiaries>vhere swarming is usu-
ally moderate, clipping is a practical method, no
doubt. E. E. Hasty.

Most of the respondents piactice clipping
queens' wings, both because it saves trou-
ble in hiving swarms, and because it pre-
vents absconding. James Heddon, Dadant
&Son, H. R. Boardman, Rambler, Mrs. L.
Harrison, and E. Hasty, are anti-clippers,
in the words of friend Hasty. For those
who produce extracted honey, and, as a
matter of course, keep strong colonies, clip-
ping queens' wings is not so necessary, as
very few swarms, comparatively, will issue.
But E. France does so because it makes a
sure thing of the swarm. With the Dove-
tailed hive, we have lately been putting an
ordinary queen-excludiug honey-board be-
tween the bottom-board and the brood-cham-
ber. Unlike the ordinary drone-excluders
or queen-traps attached to the entrance it-
self, it causes no obstruction to the bees
passing in and out. While it prevents the
bees from absconding with the queen, it al-
so keeps the queen in the hive, with no
danger of her being lost. Of course, if the
bees should make two or three attempts to
swarm in the absence of the apiarist, and
fail, they might kill the queen ; but this
they would not do with a clipped queen,
even without the perforated zinc. Those
who have a bottom-board with a bee-space
formed by a rim around the outside edges,
except at the entrance, can use their queen-
excluding honey-boards in the way describ-

638

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

ed. Perforated metal in front of the en-
trance will answer the purpose of clipping ;
but on account of the drones, and the gen-
eral hindrance of a limited number of holes
for the bees to pass, it makes considerable
obstruction at the entrance. A perforated
honey-board placed directly under the
brood -frames is about as perfect as any
thing we have ever tried, and it does the
business too. In the basswood orchard we
have restrained a number of queens in that
way.

Question 138 — a. Tf you )>n<cticr, clipping are you
not sometimes troubled by queen* getting lest In the
grass? i>. !>■' you estimatethat such loss is counterbal-
anced by an occasional absconding swarm with an un-
dipped queen?

a. No. Geo. Giumm.

a. Yos; b. Yes, and more. S. T. Freeborn.

I do not practice clipping. Mrs. L. Hahrison.

a. Yes. b. Ye?, many times over

C. C. Miller.
I have never had any experience in clipping-
queens. H. R. Boardman.

T should prefer to lose a swarm occasionally to
clipping the wings of queens. C. F. Moth.

Having- clipped but very few queens, I do not re-
member to have ever lost one in that way.

E. E. Hasty.

a. Yes. b. We have so few swarms abscond that
it is hardly worth considering as a factor against
us. James Heddon.

a. No; h. I have practiced this clipping for 20
years, and there has been no loss to counterbal-
ance. A. J. Cook.

a. Seldom, b. Losses from both of these causes
have been too small with me to need taking into ac-
count. O. O. Poppleton.

a. Yes. occasionally, when too careless, b. Yes,
especially now that queens can be bought so cheap
all over the country. Paul L. Viallon.

a. Yes, especially when we get behind in our
work. b. We lose very few, and the loss is not to
be c >mparcd to loss of swarms. P. H. Elwood.

a. There is no grass in my apiary for queens to
get lost in. I should not anticipate much trouble
if there were. d. Yes. J.A.Green.

a. I suppose I do not lose one queen in thirty at
swarming; but I reckon myself as more skilled in
finding queens than in any other part of my busi-
ness. R. Wilkin.

a. No. What on earth do you suppose I want
grass around for that is, tall enough for that pur-
pose? One of friend Root's 12-inch $4.30 lawn-mow-
ers docs away with that nuisance, and makes " flngs
look beauful " in the apiary. A. B. Mason.

a. No, not when the attendant attends to busi-
ness, b. Yes, as the loss of a queen at swarming
time is of but little value, compared with a swarm
of bees, as queens and queen-cells are plentiful at
this season, or ought to be, in every well-managed
apiary. A. E. Manum.

I formerly clipped all queens' wings; but in
swarming, unless the apiarist was looking at the
yard all the time, queens were liable to get lost. If
an apiary is run in a common-sense manner, there

is no swarming to contend with, and no loss of
queens. The Rambler has had but one swarm in
the past three years, and that swarm came from
somewhere else. Rambler.

a. No, I have lost but one queen in this way in an
experience covering a period of 19 years. If you
do not allow the grass to get tall, and no apiarist
should so allow, there should be no trouble in find-
ing queens, b. I have lost only the one queen as
spoken of above, and not a single swarm by ab-
sconding, so I shall keep up the practice of clipping
the wings of my queen, as I believe it is very profita-
ble for me to do so. G. M. Doolittle.

We do sometimes lose a queen when swarms
come out in our absence; but we lose but very few
in that way. I would rather lose 20 queens than
one swarm during our swarming season. The loss
of a swarm is the loss of the honey that they would
have gathered, but the loss of a queen at that time
i* no loss at all, as the eggs laid now would not be
hatched in time to gather any of our surplus honey.
Our surplus-honey season closes with the bass-
wood. If a queen is lost during our honey harvest,
the bees have plenty of time to raise another. We
want our workers all hatched before the middle of
June. From the middle of June to July 15 T would
rather not have any brood to feed, and we often
cage queens to prevent raising brood at this time,
as our honey harvest is short and we want to make
the most of it. E. France.

]^erajs wd Queried

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

HOW TO BURN SULPHUR.

The best way to burn sulphur is to melt it over a
fire and dip strips of muslin in it. The muslin will
burn like a tallow candle, and burn all the sulphur
it will take up. Make a trial and satisfy yourself.

Souderton, Pa , June 18, 1889. M. B. Bergey.

the best locality for honey.

What portion of the United States do you con-
sider best for the abode of a bee-keeper, every thing
considered? A. M. Doty.

Kansas City, Mo., July 12, 1889.

[Southern California and Southwestern Wiscon-
sin are as good as any. All the Northern are good
honey States. As to your own State, you might not
better yourself if you moved.]

HOW TO SILENCE THE BOGUS-HONEY STORIES.

I see a great deal in Gleanings about adulterat-
ed honey. Now, there are some right here who be-
lieve that honey and comb can be manufactured.
I argue by the hour some days, and tell them you
will give them enough to get married if they can
prove it. J. G. Earl.

Arden, N. Y., July 8, 1889.

THE QUEEN-EXCLUDING HONEY-BOARDS DO THE
BUSINESS.

The No. 1 honey-boards, 15 x 17!4, are the finest
thing for raising extracted honey I have ever seen.
I used the fifty I had of you in May, and used lull
frames of comb in upper hive, and not any brood
above in one of them. J. H. Haight.

Brothertown, Wis., July 8, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

639

ANOTHER ONE GONE.

Our good friend and bee-keeping brother J. Van-
dervort, of Laceyville, Pa., has lost his beloved
wife after years of suffering. She died of consump-
tion on the 12th inst. The blow is none the less be-
cause our friend was long prepared for it. Our
hearty sympathy is extended to him in this sore
affliction. C. P. Dadant.

Hamilton, 111., July 19, 1889.

SULPHUR FOR FUMIGATING.

Take a common iron pan; to every teacupful of
sulphur put a tablespoonful of alcohol in the cen-
ter. The sulphur must be thoroughly dry. It can
uot be too dry to burn up clean. Damp sulphur
will not burn well, and will run. It is not necessary
to have a great draft. It will burn with a little
draft. M. H Mendleson.

Ventura, Cal., July 3, 1889.

STINGLESS BEES.

Have you ever seen any stingless bees? Gov.
B. F. Flanders, while in Mexico, saw several hun-
dred hives (the hives being merely hollow logs piled
one on the other, pyramid shape), and the bees
were stingless. A. L. Redden.

New Orleans, La., June 29, 1889.

I. We have never seen any stingless bees, friend
K.; but our correspondents have before mentioned
the fact that they were pretty common in Mexico.
They are of little practical value, however. The
amount of honey they gather is insignificant. Like
some human beings in a warm climate they live
only from hand to mouth. A Mr. Grouen, writing
from Brazil to one of the German bee-journals,
speaks of 18 kinds of bees, the greater part of
which are stingless. 1

SWARMING OUT AND TAKING THE HONEY WITH
THEM.

We had a swarm of bees that came out the 26th of
June. We hived them, and they went right to work
carrying honey from the hive they came from into
their own, and kept it up two or three days. Now
they are all right. W. Burgess.

Kansasville, Wis.

[What you mention, friend B., is very singular,
although I believe that such things have been re-
corded once or twice before— a new swarm going
back to the parent hive and carrying off its sup-
plies. It has happened, I believe, however, only
when there was a dearth of honey after the swarm
goes out. If that state of affairs should continue,
of course the parent hive would be likely to starve.
When the honey-flow commences again, this bor-
rowing from the old folks ceases.]

SPIDER PLANT, ETC.

Do you still find spider plant as productive as in-
dicated in the A B C of Bee Calture? The cut illus-
trating the surprise of Novice, old Sol, and the
bees, presents an amusing tableau. What plants
are best adapted to rather light sandy loam soil?
What of the Simpson honey-plant? J. H. Hoag.

Waterford Works, N. J., July 2, 1889.

[We still find the spider plant as productive as
mentioned iu the ABC, providing it is on very rich
ground, and has good cultivation. Such ground,
however, if put into strawberries, would give a
yield of 100 bushels or more per acre; and so far
the 100 bushels of strawberries has proven to be
much more profitable than the honey from the spi-
der plant. With the latter, however, the bees gath-
er the crop without expense. With the strawberries
you have to have a swarm of boys and girls.]

being refined, crosin, ozo-cerotin, or ceresin. Wax
is taken from Myrica cerifera and Myriea Garoli-
unisis, etc. There are about six different kinds of
vegetable wax. It would make a long and interest-
ing article for Gle inings. Paul Peine.
Martinsburgh, W. Va., July 22. 1889.

7IN$WEI^ TO QaEg¥I0NP

FROM OUR ABC CLASS,

This department is designed primarily to cover questions
either not already an wered in the A B C of Bee Culture (price
in cloth 81.26), or. it incorporated in this work, are here dwelt
upon more in detail on account of the importance of the
question. While these answers are of vital interest to the
ABC scholars, they will doubtless he found, in many in-
stances, to be of considerable value to the more advanced
student. For lack of space, the question itself, instead of be-
ing directly stated, is omitted, the same being implied in the
answer. It is hoped that the class will first consult their
text-book before sending in their questions.

G. C, Connecticut.— If your bees are lying out,
smoke them in and give them a little more room,
adding a super, if they have not one already.
Sometimes it may be advisable to lift the cover up
a little temporarily, to give the bees a little more
ventilation.

TO GET RID OF ANTS AMONG THE HIVES.

J. K., Mi88owri.—To keep black ants out of
the hive, get rid of the ant-hills in the immediate
vicinity by pouring on them coal oil. Mr. A. B.
Manum recommends putting pieces of tarred pa-
per on top of the brood-frames.

TO MAKE SWARMS STAY AT HOME.

R. A. T., N. Y.—We can not discover anywhere in
your letter that you have taken the precaution to
put in a frame of unsealed brood into the hive
where you put your new swarm. If you are trou-
bled by the swarm leaving, try the unsealed brood,
and you will be surprised to see what an effect it
has in holding them. It is not infallible, but it ex-
ercises quite a stay-at-home effect on the bees.

J. W. M., Pennsylvania.— We have seen chilled
brood that looked in every way like foul brood,
with the exception of the dark-brown color and the
ropiness. We should rather incline to the opinion
that your bees are affected with chilled brood were
it not for the fact that you say it is spreading.
Taking it all in all, we should say it is foul brood.
To further assist you, please read the article, " Foul
Brood," in the ABC book which we send you.

mineral wax.

I was very much surprised to see your inquiry

about mineral wax in Gleanings. Near Boryslaw,

Galicia, 50,000 hundredweight of ceresin is dug out

every year. It is called, when raw, ozokerit; after

A. Y. B., Illinois.— The latest edition of our ABC
of Bee Culture gives very full directions how to get
bees into the sections. A recent article from G. M.
Doolittle recommends placing a small piece of
drone brood in the surplus apartment. Bees will
not enter the sections unless honey is coming in at
a pretty good rate. The colony should be strong.
When we say "strong" we mean ti or 8 pounds of
bees. There should be so many they can hardly be
accommodated in a single story.

A SPECIMEN OF FOUL BROOD.

J. W. M., Pennsylvania.— Your sample of brood
came to hand. After carefully examining it wo
can not be sure even now that you have real foul
brood. The odor from it is more distinct and per-
meating than that from the disease which we have
had. It can scarcely be called ropy, yet it has some'
what of this characteristic. As you say jt is spread--

640

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

iug, it is quite likely you have foul brood. We
should be glad to have you keep us posted in re-
gard to it. If there is some disease which is very
similar, or akin to the disease which we have had,
we should like to know it.

DHONE CELLS FROM WIIHKEH FOUNDATION.

A. W. O., Wisconsin.— Bees will seldom work
worker foundation out into drone comb. Some-
times, when the foundation is not wired, it sags,
and the cells elongate, and the result is drone-cells,
or at least the same are sometimes filled with drone
brood. If the foundation is wired, and there is a
young queen in the hive, you will not get a single
cell of drone brood; in fact, you will rarely get
drone comb out of worker foundation under any
circumstances.

SWARMING AS A RESULT OF A SURPLUS OF CELLS.

C. F. S., Massachusetts.— The reason your bees
swarmed is because you allowed them to build
queen-cells. Immediately after the issue of the first
swarm you should have examined the parent colony,
and pulled out all the queen-cells but one. As long
as there is a surplus of young queens or cells, so
long, probably, will you have swarming. If they
still continue to swarm, give them a young laying
queen, and they will be likely to settle down to
business. The latest edition of our ABC book will
give you further hints on this point. Please read
" Swarming and its Prevention."

CAN THE PURITY OF AN ITALIAN QUEEN BE DE-
TERMINED BY HER LOOKS?

C. M. H., Wisconsin.— The queen and your letter
came to hand. Allow us to correct the wrong im-
pression that you have. Pure Italian queens vary
in color, all the way from black to a bright golden
yellow. In fact, the Italian queens are the most
variable in color, stripes or no stripes, of any race of
queens. It is utterly impossible to say from looks
of a queen whether she is Italian, hybrid, or black.
Her purity must be judged entirely by her prog-
eny—the number of their yellow bands, their dis-
position, etc. The other colony which you speak
of, which were first Italian, and then turned out to
be blacks, probably lost its Italian queen, and the
hybrid was reared in its stead.

J. L. U., Mississippi.— The Golden bee-hive is a
swindle, and the venders of the same are rascals.
The less you or anybody else has to do with them,
the better. You can make any hive you please,
and they have no right to interfere. If they threat-
en you with suit, tell', them to come on. They will
do nothing but talk. Their hive is virtually the
Laugstroth hive, as Prof. Cook says, and this hive
is the property of the world. The Golden bee-hive
people may possibly have a patent on some insig-
nificant feature of the hive, but that need not trou-
ble you. If they are going to enter suit so fast, tell
them to sue A. I. Root. He is one of the biggest
infringers on their alleged patent, and we do not
care if you show them this letter. We have pub-
lished the Golden bee-hive as a swindle for years.
They work only in localities where the people are
ignorant of modern apiculture.

HOW TO ITALIANIZE ECONOMICALLY.

0. B.f Kentucky.— The best way to Italianize is to
purchase three or four untested queens of some re-
liable breeder, if you want to do it with as little
money ag possible. After these have produced a

lot of Italians, are populous and strong, give to
each of the queens a frame of drone brood; cause
as much Italian drone brood to be raised as possi-
ble. In the meantime, keep all black-drone brood
shaved down. If you have any black drones Hying
in the air, trap them with perforated zinc. After
you have raised a lot of Italian drones, start raising
young queens from your tested Italians. These
will probably be fertilized by the Italian drones.
If your neighbors have black bees in box hives,
put perforated zinc successively in front of each
hive until you have trapped out all the flying
drones. Your neighbors will not object if you tell
them what you wish to do. We can not very well
send you drones by the pound; but you can rear
them in the way stated above— enough so to make
quite a decided showing of pure Italian queens
from those you raise.

FOUNDATION IN HIVES SET UP ; OLASS IN THE
SIDE OR ENDS OF HIVES.

I/., Pennsylvania.— We do not furnish foundation
for the brood-nest of our regular hives set up, un-
less it is specially ordered. Foundation is a great
convenience, and prevents the comb from being
built irregularly; but as it is not absolutely neces-
sary, we do not send it out. In regard to the ar-
rangement of your hives, we would not advise you
to put them upon benches. Put them on a nice
clean place directly on the ground. Very few good
bee-keepers recommend having the bees raised up
from the ground. To put glass on the sides of all
the hives so that you can see what the bees are do-
ing would make a big bill of expense. The glass
would break in shipping, and we can not see that
it would be of any particular advantage. If you
get more good colonies, we think you will agree
with us that we don't want any glass at the sides or
ends of a hive. The best way to examine a hive is
to open it and pull out the combs. To watch the
bees to the best advantage, get an observatory
hive.

HOW TO MAKE A COLD-BLAST SMOKER CONQUER.

J. E., New York.— We do not make any smoker hot
blast. If you will use excelsior and sawdust mixed,
or even planer shavings mixed with a little saw-
dust, pack them solid in the fire-box, make a little
ventilating hole with a lead-pencil or other instru-
ment through to the grate, ignite with a match, and
get well a going, you will have a volume of smoke
that is equal to any hot-blast smoker. When we
have filled the smoker in this way we have some-
times wished, on account of the abundance of
smoke, that there was no such thing as a smoker
around the bees. Yes, we have even had to drop
the smoker and step a little distance away and get
a chance to breathe. The great secret of making
shavings and pine sawdust burn is so make a draft-
hole right through its center, after packing it solid.
As it burns, this hole continually enlarges. Anoth-
er point: Suppose you have a hybrid colony to han-
dle. They are very cross, and you want an extra
amount of smoke. Fill the smoker as before di-
rected ; place your thumb over the end of the smok-
er, closing the nozzle. Work the bellows until the
fuel of the fire-box is ablaze, and the flame shoots
out at the rear end of the smoker. Now then:
Turn on your hybrids; and if you can not conquer
them, smoke will not do it. You may think you
would burn yourself to close the orifice to the
smoker with your thumb, but you w^l not;.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

B41

^0B^CC0 O0MOT-

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO

STOP USING TOBACC".

First, tlic candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what lie has seen and read in this
department. Second, lie promises to pay for the smoker
Should lie ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must lie a subscriber to
GLEANINGS. Any subscriber may. however, have smokers sent
to neigh burs or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

THE UNION IN TOBACCO.

Come, one and all, and hear me tell
How those who smoke can ne'er do well;
They smoke that they may taste and smell.
And for tobacco they will sell

Their rights to social union,

Their rights to social union.

They clean their pipestems with a wire.
Then All the bowl and stick in fire.
And smoke till it doth quite expire;
Nor do they ever seem to tire

Of this tobacco union,

Of this tobacco union.

Sometimes from two to ten you see
Collected in one company,
And all agreeing in high glee,
To have a jolly smoking-spree,

A jolly smoking union,

A jolly smoking union.

And as they smoke the fumes arise
Like morning mists beneath the skies;
Then woe to him who hath weak eyes,
Unless he gets him up and hies

Away from such a union,

Away from such a union.

Some folks there are who smoke and chew,
Tho' oftentimes it makes them spew,
Makes them drunk as a tippler too.
And still the habit they pursue,

And boast of social union,

And boast of social union.

Sometimes about their neighbor's door
They cast their quids -two, three, or four,
And spit upon the hearth or floor,
Perhaps a pint, or less or more,

And talk of social union,

And talk of social union.

Sometimes within the church you view.
Some persons there will sit and chew,
And spit upon the floor or pew,
Until it spreads a foot or two,

And sing of heavenly union,

And sing of heavenly union.

The quids are oft so large within,
The juice runs out and stains the chin ;
And then I always have to grin.
And think there is no little sin

In this tobacco union,

In this tobacco union.
Willow Springs, Mo. J. S. H. Black.

Please send a smoker to my friend M. E. Dickson,
of Days, Desoto Co., Miss., who has resolved to quit
the use of tobacco. If he commences again I will
send you the price of the smoker.

Horn Lake, Miss. James K. Elmore.

Please send a smoker to Mrs. S. A. Eley, for she
has taken the pledge to quit the use of tobacco;
and if she uses the weed again I will see that you
get your money. J. VV. TAYLOR.

Hickory Creek, Ark.

I have a young friend who is slightly interested
in bees. I have been loaning him Gleanings to
read. We have lols of talk. I induced him to quit
the use of tobacco. He has seen your offer as a
pledge, and has requested me to write for it. If he
ever breaks his pledge I will send you $1.00 for the
smoker. His address is Jno. T. Dedmon, Navasota,
Tex. W. W. Somerford.

In the May issue of Gleanings I notice in your
Tobacco Column you offer a smoker to any one who
stops using the weed. In case this entitles me to
your offer 1 stand ready to contract with you under
the conditions in Gleanings. As I have a few col-
onies of bees I hope to profit by them through your
liberal offer of the smoker, and through your jour-
nal; and lastly, but not least, quit smoking.

Maple Creek, Neb. J. H. Kline.

In your Tobacco Column you state the conditions
under which you give away smokers. I read in
Gleanings how that cancers and other diseases
are caused by the use of tobacco. New Year's day,
1888, 1 thought I would stop the use of the cursed
plant. I have abstained from the use of it ever
since; and feeling no desire to return to its use, I
feel confident that I shall not have to pay for the
smoker in the future. You may take my name and
use it to the best advantage, as it may be instru-
mental in inducing others to quit.

Burlington, N. J. Sherman Borden.

How thankful I am that there are so many drop-
ping off the filthy habit of using tobacco! and I am
glad in my heart that I belong to that little band,
after using tobacco ever since I was 13 or 14 years
of age (I am now 42). I have read Gleanings for
some time, and have been a subscriber since Janu-
ary last. I read many good pieces before I came to
the conclusion that it was a filthy habit ; and seeing
that some had used the weed longer than myself,
and had given it up, I said to myself, "Why can't
I ? " So I thought to myself, " I will try, but not in
my own strength alone, but ask the good Lord to
help me, and take away the appetite;" and I feel
to thank him for what he has done for me in this
one thing alone, with all the other blessings that
come from his bountiful hand. I feel that I owe
some of it to you and Gleanings. So let others
take warning, and don't say, " I can't quit," for
that is a mistake; for I have said the same. Un-
dertake it, and ask the good Lord to help and
strengthen you, and give you grace to overcome
the evil, if it is one, and I believe it is. Now, friend
Root, if I am worthy of a smoker, send me one, as I
quit tobacco in all forms seven weeks ago; and if I
ever take to it again 1 will pay you for the smoker.
I don't waut to be hired, or any thing of the kind;
but it is to keep me in mind of my pledge. But I
have no desire for the weed now, and am deter-
mined not to touch it again. N. J, McAdams,

Western, Neb,

641

CLEANINGS IN liEE CULTURE.

Aug.

dim 0wn Jlnnw

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

THE HOPATCONG-, A NEW HAT FOR THE
APIARY.

Tip MONTH or so ago, one of our engrav-
^Im ers (who by the way is interested in

0» bees), seeing a peculiar kind of hat in
-^^ one of the shop windows in Cleveland,
sent a rough peu - drawing of the
same, with a note, asking if such a hat
would not be very cool and desirable for a
bee keeper. Upon receipt of this I wrote
him, asking him to have one sent, that we
might try it. After testing it a couple of
weeks in the apiary, durinar some of our
hottest weather, I requested him to make
an engraving of it, showing it in different
views. This he has done, and I append the
result below.

A NOVEL BEE-HAT, ALIAS THE HOPAT-
CONG.

The engraving is so complete as to make
a detailed explanation almost unnecessary.
You will observe that the hat is supported
by a light rim, an inch or so above the
crown of the head. Its special feature is the
perfect access of light breezes to all parts of
the head. An ordinary hat, it should be
observed, incloses the top of the head in a
tight box, as it were, leaving very little op-
portunity for the escape of the heat formed
by the rays of the sun on the top of the hat,
and heat formed by radiation from the
crown of the head. The result is that most
hats in the hot sun, while they ward off the
direct rays of the sun, do not leave suffi-
cient ventilation around the crown of the
head. This Hopatcong is very airy ; and in
practice, I can confidently say, is about as
cool a sun-shade as I ever wore. I liked
the light cloth hat we advertised, but it was
hardly sufficient protection from the sun,
although it allowed the breeze to circulate
through the light fabric of the crown. I
have exchanged hats with different persons,
and the verdict is always that the Hopat-
cong is the coolest hat they ever wore. It
is the same sort of hat that we see repre-
sented in pictures of scenes in China and In-

dia. Although not a very handsome head
protection, it is extremely comfortable ; and
if the natives of India and China use this
hat to any great extent, they have more re-
spect for comfort than some of their more
civilized neighbors.

There are two objections to the Hopatcong.
While it projects far enough forward and
back to properly shade the face and neck, it
is hardly wide enough to give sufficient pro-
tection to the sides of the neck, as the dia-
agram at the upper left-hand corner will
show. Again, it is rather too expensive to
be adopted very generally. The one that I
wore cost $2.0u at retail, and I have not yet
learned where they can be obtained for less
money. I understand that they are being
used to some extent in the Southern States,
and that they are retailed at a dollar apiece.
They can certainly be made for less money ;
and as soon as the people who are necessa-
rily obliged to work in the hot sun know of
their comfort, they will be adopted more
generally, in spite of their oddity, I think.
Now, please do not send in orders to us for
these hats— at least for the present. I am
quite sure that you can get them in most
cities, and your local retail dealer in hats
and caps ought to be able to procure you
one if you wish.

A VERY GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HO-
PATCONG.

Just after I had gotten the Hopatcong,
our Mr. Spafford, who is in the apiary con-
stantly, struck upon an idea which I think
is certainly worthy of being given to bee-
keepers at large. It is this : He purchased
an ordinary palm-leaf hat, but one or two
sizes too large for him. He then wet the
hat so as to make it assume a conical shape,
the same as shown on page 249, 1887, where
Dr. Miller is seen emptying a T super of
sections. He then took two corks, about f
of an inch in diameter. These he cut into
halves longitudinally. These four halves
were then sewn on the inside of the crown
of the hat, equally distant from each other.
When the hat is adjusted to the head it is
supported from the head by means of these
four corks. In other words, the hat itself —
at least that part which would ordinarily
come in contact with the head— is kept f of
an inch away. This leaves quite a good op-
portunity for the circulation of air around
the head. Mr. Spafford and I often traded
hats, and I have been surprised to note that
his hat was nearly as cool as the Hopatcong,
and his did not cost more than about an
eighth as much as mine. It had this addi-
tional advantage, that the drooping rim
thoroughly shaded the head and neck on
each side as well as before and back.
While all the breeze would not circulate
over the crown quite so freely as in the
Hopatcong, yet it was decidedly cooler than
the ordinary straw hat, where the rim fits
closely around the head. On some accounts
I should prefer it to the Hopatcong. Now,
may I suggest that Dr. Miller take his bee-
keeping hat, or, rather, get one a size larger
than he ordinarily wears, if he can, and ad-
just the little pieces of cork in such a way
as to keep the hat away from the sweaty
heady If he does not think it is a great im*

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

643

provement over his old hat, then I will send
him my Hopatcong all the way to Marengo,
free of charge.

Oh ! hy the way, as I was wearing the
Hopatcong constantly. I very thoughtlessly,
on my way to the basswood orchard, one
day went through the streets of our village
with this odd-looking head protection. I
could not quite imagine why everybody was
staling at me; nor could I guess, when I got
back further into Iloosierdom, why the
farmers would constantly look at me. Then
I reflected that it was my Hopatcong. Well,
I consoled myself with the feeling that 1
was not considering looks but comfort. I
mention this incident to show you that it is
an odd-looking hat, and if you wear one you
must not be surprised if you are stared at
by visitors.

THE CANADIAN HELMET.

While on the subject of hats I may men-
tion the Canadian helmet— such a hat as is
worn by bicyclists and others, made on the
same principle as the Hopatcong, as above
illustrated ; and if they only afforded a bet-
ter shade they would be as cool. I have
myself worn one during one season ; and
my brother-in-law, Mr. Calvert, wears one
every day (he is a Canuck, you know). As
years go by, I begin to see these hats more
frequently on the streets. When I visited
I). A. Jones, he insisted that I should wear
one of his helmets, which I did under pro-
test ; but I very soon learned to like it ; and
after I came home I seized the first oppor-
tunity to get one.

SWARMING AT 1TIE HOME OF THE HONEY-
BEES.

Very soon after the last issue was mailed,
swarming began to " let up," and we had
only about one swarm a day. We now have
none at all. I am satisiied now that our ex-
cessive swarming was largely if not entirely
due to the number of old queens in the
apiary, some being three years old. This
apiary, on account of foul brood during last
year and the year before, has not been used
for filling orders, consequently this year al-
most all the queens are old.

HOW MANY BEES IN A POUND?

A short time ago a prominent pharmaceu-
tic concern in the city of New 1 ork gave us
an order for 1000 beestings. Perhaps I
should explain here, that from bee-stings a
medicine is prepared called apis melifica.
This medicine is used only by homeopathic
physicians, who give it to patients in cases
of swellings, skin ruptures, etc. To return :
Stings can not be extracted from the bees
in any wholesale way. It must be done one
by one, and with suitable tweezers. Our
method of procedure was as follows : A
frame of bees was put in a comb-holder,
just before the window. Our Mr. Spafford
took a pair of tweezers and grasped the bee
by the thorax. A slight pressure caused the
bee to protrude its sting a trifle. Another
pair of tine tweezers grasped the sting and
pulled it out. A cruel operation, you say.
Yes, but the bee was crushed immediately
after the removal of the sting, by the tweez-
ers holding the thorax. There was no other

way than to count each individual sting as
it was pulled out and dropped into a recep-
tacle to receive it. In the tray, after the
whole job was completed, we had 1000 sting-
less bees. These bees were placed on some
very delicate scales, and weighed. As near-
ly as we could get at it, 1000 bees weighed
2% ounces, minus their stings; but as the
sting itself is such an exceedingly small in-
strument—much smaller and more delicate
than the point of the finest cambric needle,
and very much lighter, it would not play
any very great part in the weight of the bee.
However, it would be fair to suppose that
1000 stings might weigh I of an ounce— not
more, I think.' These bees, at the time of
killing, had very little honey in their honey-
sacs— about as much as bees usually have
when sold by the pound. In round num-
bers, then, 1000 bees will weigh three ounces.
At this rate a pound will contain just exact-
ly 5333. If the bees have very much honey
in their sacs, this number would be reduced
to something like an even 5000, or perhars a
little less ; so it is fair to suppose, under or-
dinary circumstances, if my estimate was
correct, that a pound of bees would contain,
on an average, about 5000 bees. For several
years back we have said in our price list,
"As nearly as we can make out, there are
4000 bees in a pound." In our next edition
we will put it 5000, unless somebody makes
out that I have made a mistake. I should
like to have some one else experiment and
see if my figures are correct. There is no
practical bearing as to how many bees there
are in a pound ; but it is interesting to know,
when we are talking about the numerical
strength of a colony, how many thousand
bees there should be in a hive to bo able to
take advantage of a honey-flow. Some col-
onies of bees contain 8 pounds, and some
even 10; the average working colonies, not
much over 5 pounds. The number of bees
in a colony might range, then, all the way
from 5000 up to 50,000. Now, will not some-
body be kind enough to weigh the bee's
load, and tell us how many grains or ounces
of nectar 1000 bees can carry V

Since writing the foregoing, I discover on
page 313 of Dadant's Revised Langstroth
that a Frenchman, L*abbe Collin, has found,
by careful experiment, that, in a normal
condition, it takes about 5100 bees to make
a pound. Considering the difference in
bees and circumstances these figures are
pretty close to mine. He says again, while
in a natural swarm supplied* with honey it
takes less than 4300 bees. Now, on the sup-
position that the latter figure is correct, howr
much does one bee-load weigh? Heieisa
chance for our young bee-keepers to use
their arithmetic. Well, I will give my an-
swer. One bee-load weighs in round num-
bers 2.->(\„o of a pound ; or, in other words, it
takes'25,000 bees to carry a pound of honey.
According to this it must take a tremendous
big swarm, say 12 lbs. of bees (estimating
4300 to the pound), to carry on the wing
with them even 2 lbs. of honey. It seems
as though there must be a mistake some-
where, for an average swarm ought to be
able to carry with them more than a pound
of honey.

B44

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

A. I. Boot Among the Bee-Men of Illinois and
Wisconsin.

WHAT HE SAW ANI> WHAT HE [.KAI1NED.

,T is now 15 minutes of train time, on the
afternoon of July 11, and myself and
«. Blue Eyes are all ready for a trip. Mrs.
x Root decided that she could not go this
time. My first point is Chicago, and
thence to Dr. C. C. Miller's, Marengo, 111.
More anon.

July 11.— At Elyria we found the train
two hours late, and so we found our way in-
to a meeting of the Salvation Army. I felt
that the sphit of Christ Jesus was there, in
spite of their queer methods. The leader
was a woman of middle age, evidently a
hard-working woman ; but the earnestness
and zeal with which she prayed was hard to
be resisted. The audience was few and
scattering, but the melody of their simple
hymns still lingers in my ear, and, I trust,
in my heart also.

July 12. — This morning we saw the sun
rise on the great grain-fields of the West—
the wide acres where bread for the world is
grown. How beautiful are the harvest-
fields with their modern machinery ! The
village gardens, many of them, look shabby
compared with neat, clean, orderly grain-
fields.

July 13. — I have been getting an appetite
for breakfast by helping friend Miller hoe
out one of his little gardens of roses. You
see, I am here a week before I expected to
come, and so their plans of having the roses
(and bees too) all in apple-pie order were
rather upset. When I arrived the doctor
was at the Wilson apiary ; but his good wife
sent me over, and I begged to go out among
the bees and take them by surprise. The
bees were making such a roaring, and the
doctor's long hat came down over his face
so much, I easily got up right by his side,
unperceived. The hat is the one on the ta-
ble in the picture (see Gleanings for 1887,
p. 249). I watched him make his examina-
tion, but said nothing. Finally he very lei-
surely straightened himself up, but even
then did not see me until he became con-
scious of a shadow near by; then he grad-
ually tipped back his head until he could
look over the apparition that had so noise-
lessly come close to him. For a brief second
he seemed "sort o' dazed," and stared with
open mouth in a way that seemed to say,
" Well, who are you, and what do you want,
and how came you here, any way'?1' until I
really began to fear he wasn't going to be
glad to see me; and then what a laugh we
did have ! Miss Emma was but a few feet
away ; but the roar of the bees, and the fas-
cination of finding T supers with section
after section filled and capped over with
snowy-white cappings, held her spellbound
until I went up and startled her too, by tell-
ing her I wanted to see the lady who is not
ordinarily very much "stuck up."'

Well, Dr. Miller has propolis enough in
liis apiaries so there is quite a chance to get
stuck up, and therefore both of them were

clad accordingly. They didn't expect me
for a week, and they were just " going for "
the bees, in order to get the work ahead be-
fore I came. Some fire had dropped out of
one of the cold-blast smokers, and burned a
great hole in Emma's dress, and— then we
all had another big laugh. She was just un-
der one of her father's own apple-trees, close
by her own home; and if she wasn't rigged
to receive company, it was my fault and not
hers. Had I knocked at the front door, and
then sat in the parlor while she went in the
back way and took half an hour to fix up —
but I didn't, and I didn"t feel bad about it
either.

I just got one of the smokers and helped
"make honey." I do wish the publishers
of the cyclopedias could be with us so as to
tell accurately just how honey is made. Dr.
Miller controls swarming by caging the
queen just before swarming time, and keep-
ing her caged ten days. All queen-cells are
carefully destroyed when the queen is caged,
and when she is let out the bees are shaken
from the combs, and a most thorough exam-
ination is again made for queen-cells. It
is some work, but it does the business. As
fast as the sections are capped, or nearly all
capped, the T supers are stacked up over
one of the hives until we get time to carry
them away. As fast as one full T super is
removed, an empty one takes its place. I
tell you, the honey is coming in lively, and
we are having fun for sure.

TAKING HONEY FROM TIIE IIIVES.

Dr. Miller handles T supers only, and no
sections are ever pushed out or sorted out in
the apiary. When a T super has all the
sections nicely capped but one or two, it is
removed from the hive. They do not stop,
however, to get all the bees out, but just
drive most of them out with the smoker,
and then they are laid up in tall piles over
some hive of bees that stands in a conveni-
ent place. Here they are left until ready to
be loaded up. Then one person stands on
a hive or box, so as to hold a smoker easily
over the pile, and drives the bees down,
while another lifts them off. By this means
the youug bees left in the supers are all
driven down in the hive under the pile, and
none are lost. The old ones fiy to their own
hives if they want to. When all are hauled
home, the sections are removed all at once,
as we have already described — see page 249,
1887 — and the unfinished ones are put in a
super, to be put on some hive again.

I have before spoken of the doctor's plan
of preventing swarming. Well, there is a
sequel to this "matter of caging queens for 10
days. When Dr. Miller told me the bees
would start queen-cells where a queen is
caged and laid between the top-bars, almost
as soon as if the queen were removed en-
tirely, I was incredulous. Years ago I
found so many times that bees would not
rear queen-ceils when they had a caged
queen in the hive, 1 had set it down as a
settled fact ; but right before us were hives
by the hundred where the queens had been
caged about ten days previously, and I was
invited to look them over, and see whether
there were queen-cells or not. I had to give
up. In thinking the matter over afterward,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

645

I discovered, I think, the reason why my
bees built no queen-cells while they bad a
laying queen in the hive. The doctor com-
menced caging his queens just when swarm-
ing began. I lis colonies were also crammed
with bees and crammed with honey. They
were up to swarming pitch, as they have to
be to work fairly in boxes. In my experi-
ments, both honey and bees were kept out
of the way by extracting and selling bees
by the pound.

If no cells are destroy ed until 11 days
after the queen was caged, most colonies
will, during a honey-llow, start a nice lot of
cells, and on the 11th day these can be cut
out, or, as often happens, you can pick them
open and get live virgin queens to introduce
to nuclei. We got half a dozen line queens
from one hive where the queen had been
caged 11 days before. Dr. Miller keeps some
laying queens constantly on hand in nuclei,
for emergencies. These nuclei are simple
L. hives, with a thin wood division-board
in the middle. This division-board is made
to stay absolutely tight, by slipping a strip
of folded tin on each end and the lower edge.
Now, instead of tacking this tin to the di-
vision board, it is tacked to the hive, there-
fore the board can be slid out or put back,
and no bee can ever pass under or around
the ends. Along the top edge of this divi-
sion-board a quilt, or enamel sheet is tacked,
so the loose sides will cover the nuclei. The
entrances are, as usual, on the portico, only
they are as far apart as they can be, while
the two nuclei are as close up to the thin
division-board as they can be, so as to make
them virtually one cluster of bees, so far as
saving the animal heat is concerned. I
know this is all old, but the doctor uses
such nuclei very successfully.

A DAY WITH E. FRANCE.

Friend F. has at present seven apiaries,
and has extracted 24,000 lbs. of honey. He
is somewhat eccentric, as original geniuses
usually are. It is amusing to see how wide-
ly the plans differ among different bee-keep-
ers. Dr. Miller works for comb honey only,
therefore he has every thing adapted to it.
When I first saw him work I criticised and
found fault with a good many things ; but
when he gave me his reasons for so doing,
and especially after I had worked with him
one day, I became gradually quite a convert
to his methods. Well, it has been so with
friend France. The latter produces only
extracted honey, and his out-apiaries and
every thing else are specially adapted to it.
First, he says he would rather have all black
bees than either Italians or hybrids; next,
he prefers a frame about 21 inches high by
about 12 wide, and this frame stands on
end. Lastly, he prefers tenement hives,
tall enough to take this tall frame, two stories
high. These hives are so tall and "tower"
like, that his boys have christened them
" shot-tower " hives. Each hive contains 72
of these great frames, and the outside is all
chaff-packed. He has used them now four
years, and sa3S all the hives he makes for
the future shall be these. He lets the bees
have both upper and lower story for winter.
He has, of course, rousing colonies, and has
never lost a colony in wintering in them.

When he extracts a " shot- tower " he some-
times gets a barrel of honey. The bees
(four colonies to each hive) have entrances
on each of the four sides. Each colony has
an upper and lower entrance. The upper
one at the bottom of the upper frames. The
bees work about equal at each entrance.

At Dr. Miller's I found they were using
the cold-blast smoker. They were not us-
ing them because they expected me to come
around there, for I came a week before I
promised to. I laughed at them some about
it, especially as they had before decided in
favor of the Bingham smoker. They said,
however, that, after trying first the largest
Bingham smoker, then the Clark, and
changing from one to the other repeatedly,
they had at last settled down in favor of
the cold-blast smoker. Please, dear friends,
do not think that I mention this solely be-
cause I want to recommend the Clark
sm( ker. We bee-keepers, the best of us,
have not only lots of notions, but we also
change about and get into habits. I am not
sure but that Dr. Miller and his helper will
eventually come back to the largest-sized
Bingham again. At one place where I stop-
ped, when I mentioned that the doctor had
laid aside the Bingham and was using the
cold-blast, they turned on me so vehement-
ly, and abused the cheap Clark smoker so
emphatically, that I was almost sorry I had
said any thing about it. A higher- pi iced
smoker ought to be better; and for very
large apiaries, they will doubtless be con-
sidered better in the hands of many ; but
the cold-blast surely does very well for a
moderate number of colonies. But some of
the friends of the Bingham will hardly ad-
mit that Now, then, I am coming to a
point. What do you suppose E. France,
with his seven large apiaries, uses in the
way of a smoker? I do not believe you
could guess in a week ? Well, it is the old-
fashioned mouth-smoker, used by Doolittle,
only a little bit modified. A block of wood,
perhaps four or five inches long, has a hole
bored in it, may be an inch and a half in
diameter. Near the bottom a small tube is
put through the side. The mouth is placed
over the large opening, and the smoke is
blown out through the small tube. Tobac-
co is used exclusively, and friend France
buys a cheap grade of it by the wheelbar-
row-load, if not by the wagon-load. A very
little smoke from tobacco, of course, does a
very large business with cross hybrids ; and
friend France has more cross hybrids than
any other man in the State of Wisconsin,
without question. I at once suggested that
his boys would learn to use tobacco by hav-
ing the mouth so near tobacco smoke. Im-
agine my surprise, then, when told by
friend France that he never used tobacco
in any shape. One of his boys admitted
that he used tobacco, but he said he did not
think that the tobacco smoker had any thing
to do with it. This thing is certain, how-
ever: A young man who is breaking away
from the bondage of tobacco would find it a
pretty hard matter if he kept on using
friend France's tobacco smoker.

When I first arrived I found a good deal
of fault with friend France's plans, just as

646

GLEANIKGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

I did with Dr. Miller's ; but after two days
of questioning, and practical experience
with his hives and fixtures, I began to think
that, for extracted honey exclusively, friend
France might have decided on the very best
arrangement, especially for out-apiaries as
far away from home as his are. Those im-
mense hives will hold all the honey safely,
in case he should have trouble about getting
around promptly. The bees never starve,
for he winters them with the whole 36 large
frames ; and when they come to raising
brood in the spring they never lack in
stores. I am very much inclined to think
these great hives have an amount of brood
in spring, right along year after year, that
we shall seldom get with small hives; and
this is one reason why I am very loth to give
up the ten-frame Langstroth and adopt the
eight-frame. Dr. Miller has cut down all
his hives to eight-frames ; but he winters
entirely in the cellar. Of course, friend
France lets his great shot-tower hives stand
right where they are placed, winter and sum-
mer ; and he has no fussing to do from the
time honey ceases in the fall until it com-
mences again in the spring. Of course, he
does not extract very closely in the fall, pre-
ferring to leave them too much rather than
not enough. Now, dear reader, before going
any further with my Notes by the Way, I
want to ask you to read My Neighbors.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor.— Ex. 20: 16.

July 16. — While waiting for the train at
Woodman I have just had one of the pleas-
antest visits of my trip. I found some
bees belonging to an old gentleman between
•SO and 90. While talking with him I no-
ticed an old gray-haired grandma, standing
in the back doorway. I wondered if it was
likely she w7ould care to talk with A. I. Hoot ;
but it has always taken a little effort on my
part to make advances toward an acquaint-
ance, even with old people, and 1 thought
once I would not crowd myself into their
home. Then the thought came, that, if it
were Prof. Cook, he has such a gift that
way, he would easily and naturally get ac-
quainted and entertain her. I walked to-
ward where she stood, and very soon her
face broke into a smile as she asked if it
were indeed true that A. I. Root had visited
their home. She is a devoted Christian, and
soon I had heard about her children and
grandchildren, and especially about one son
— the one who first started them with the
bees. He succeeded with the bees, became
a storekeeper and then postmaster, but
finally left their little town of 30 or 40 in-
habitants, and went west, where he is still
prospering, for he is a God-fearing son.

" Grandma " insisted that I should go
down into their cellar and see where "grand-
pa" did the work. The cellar was dry and
clean— yes, cleaner and sweeter and nicer
than most of the extracting-rooms T found
among a good many bee-men. But I might
say this and not say a great deal either ; but

this underground extracting-room was a
cool and pleasant place wherein to sit down
and talk. During exceedingly hot weather
I could imagine that it was a very nice place
to work, and bees are not very much in-
clined to go down into a cellar. Before
leaving, the old couple, with another son
and his wife, with grandchildren, gathered
under the trees in front of the little cottage.
In my poor way I tried to strengthen their
faith in the great Father, and also in their
fellow-men. I gave them some suggestions
on " what to do, and howr to be happy while
doing it."

When I got into the town of Woodman I
was told I should have to stop three hours.
There are only two bee-keepers there ; but
the landlord told me that six miles further
on my road, at Boscobel, there were a great
lot of them. Accordingly, after an hour's
pleasant chat with the bee-keepers there, I
employed a man to take me ahead to the
next town, that I might waste no time. He
hadn't the change for a five-dollar bill, so I
went into a store. The storekeeper did not
like to spare his change, but suggested that
I might get it at one of the saloons. Now,
the town of Woodman has only about thirty
or forty inhabitants, probably ; but there
were two buildings nearly if not quite as
large as the dry-goods store, devoted to the
saloon business. I told him I did not like
to go into saloons, even to get change. I
suggested that two saloons for so small a
town were about two too many ; but he did
not agree with me. He further added, that
people need not go into saloons unless they
choose, and that, if nobody went into them,
there certainly would not be any. My
friends, I want you to hold that idea right
in your minds. If nobody goes into saloons
there will not be any ; and if you stop now
patronizing and encouraging them they will
very promptly stop existing.

Men whom you find around railroad sta-
tions carrying passengers, driving hacks, or
keeping livery-stables, are not, as a rule, I
believe, godty men. I do not know just why
it is so ; but I am sorry that I have found it
so ; but it seems to be the rule. Of course,
I commenced getting acquainted with this
new friend, as I always do, while we were
on our six-mile trip. I told him I was the
editor of a bee-journal, and we talked about
bees and honey. Then I spoke of the nice
old couple I had just left. Said he :

" Mr. Boot, you would hardly believe it,
but those old people cheat so fearfully by
putting sugar in their honey that nobody
will buy it any more."

Of course, I expostulated ; but he declar-
ed the more vehemently that everybody
knew it, and seemed to think that was much
the way with people who read the Bible,
and sing and pray. I plead for Christians,
as I always do. He afterward informed me
that these old folks had a son, some little
time back, who was a notorious cheat. He
kept the store and postofhce. He was right
smart, of course, and got rich by cheating.

" Why," said he, " it was amazing, the
amount of sugar that man had shipped into
town. Even the station agent said the
quantity was unheard of for a town the size

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

647

of Woodman; and what else could it be
used for except to manufacture something
they called honey, and then make believe
the bees gathered it V "

I presume most bee-keepers will readily
surmise that the sugar our enterprising
young bee-man and storekeeper had brought
in was to feed his bees, and keep them from
starving during drouths and poor seasons.
But his neighbors, especially those who did
not know him intimately, would have it
that he was manufacturing honey. May be
it was wicked, but I led my companion
along until he had given the whole family a
regular setting-out; then I stopped him.

" My friend," said I, " I have let you talk,
and now I want to teacli you a lesson. How
much does nice white sugar sell for in the
town of Woodman ?"

He said he did not know exactly, but
probably about 10 cents.

" Very good. Now, do you know what
they are retailing honey for in your town ? "

He saw the trap he had got into, and did
not answer. I went on :

"These friends of whom I have been
speaking are selling beautiful basswood hon-
ey, even by the single pound, for only eight
cents. Now tell me, pray, how anybody can
buy sugar for 10 cents and put it into honey
for which they get only <?." He was used
up ; but he made a faint plea that he was
sure they put sugar in the honey when the
sugar was cheaper and the honey was high-
er.

Now, dear friends, it is not only the men
who drive stages and liveries that are guilty
of bearing "false witness" against their
neighbors in just the way I have indicated.
You and I are both guilty of uncharitable-
ness, and of being in haste to think evil in
just this line. If I were riding with you an
hour I think I could convince you of it, and
without question you would have a chance
to reprove me, providing I kept talking, as I
should be pretty sure to do. It is just this
kind of work and just this kind of spirit
that have brought things to such a pass as
to get these false statements in the papers
in regard to comb honey being made of glu-
cose and paratiine. As a rule, I believe that
those who lack in education and culture are
most guilty. Traveling among people at
large, with the right spirit in the heart,
helps one to overcome this habit.

Not many days later, another man carried
me, with a pretty span of colts, eight or
nine miles over the hills. His charges were
very reasonable, and he was in many re-
spects a nice old gentleman ; but he gave me
a glimpse of one of the worst cases of
"bearing false witness'1 I have ever met.
Of course, he found out in a very short time
that I was a Christian. Then he warmed
up and " went " for me. His good wife was
present, for she went along for the ride. I
turned to look at her face, and it expressed
so much trouble as she said, " Please don't ;
it can't do any good," that she had my
earnest sympathies at once. I breathed the
little prayer. " Lord, help," and then ' went "
for him. He attacked professing Chris-
tians, declaringl'our land was not a land of

liberty,* and then pitched into ministers.
He said one of their best and biggest minis-
ters around there was detected in horse-
stealing, and that live horses were found in
his possession. His wife looked pained, and
shook her head. Then he said that he had
some neighbors across the way who belong-
ed to the church, and read the Bible, and
prayed, and sang hymns, yet their children
wrould steal like every thing.

" Oh ! no, Mr. F., you must be mistaken."

" No, I am not mistaken. They stole my
iron wedges ; and every thing they can get
their hands on they steal and carry home."

"But, my good friend, their parents cer-
tainly would not approve of their stealing.
If they knew it they would most assuredly
make them carry your iron wedges back
again, or any thing else."

"No, they don't. They just encourage
them in it, and teach them to steal more."

" My friend, it is possible that a man may
be so depraved ; but I am sure that no wom-
an— no mother of a family of children— can
go to church, and sing and pmy, and at the
same time encourage the children in steal-
ing. Either the stealing would have to be
dropped, or else the prajer-meeting would.
The two can not possibly exist long togeth-
er ; and the same way with the man who be-
longed to a gang of horse-thieves. He
might have been a good minister once ; but
when he commenced dishonesty, either the
religion or the dishonesty would have to (jo.
' Ye can not serve both God and mam-
mon.' " For nearly an hour I repeated text
after text. I hurled them at him like clubs,
but of course I did it smilingly. He dodged
and evaded, then started out on a new
track ; but I could see that I was gaining
ground. I told him of the pious old couple
who were accused of adulterating eight-
cent honey with ten-cent sugar, and plead
for the charity that "thinketh no evil." His
wife looked more hopeful, and he, poor man,
began to admit that all humanity except
himself are not hypocrites. As I reached
my destination he said something more
about the Bible being the work of man. As
I extended my hand to him in parting I
said, " Mr. Fiddler, do you think it was a
human voice, and was it in a line with hu-
manity as we find it all around us, that ut-
tered the words, ' Love ye your enemies, do
good to them that hate you, pray for them
that despitefully use you and' persecute
you?' Don't these words savor more of
God than of man ? and does not the very
thought savor more of heaven than of
earth V "

He smiled good-naturedly ; and as I shook
hands with them both I felt that my poor
plea had not been altogether in vain ; and
as I walked down the lane to another bee-
keeper's home, it was not altogether the hum
of the bees above my head that made me
feel buoyant, joyous, hopeful, and happy.

" Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor."

* The man who has no faith, either in Ooil, his
neighbor, or his country, is but a step away from
anarchy.

648

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

A VISIT TO J. M. SMITH, OF GREEN BAY, WIS.

aEAK friends, since I last wrote you I
have made a visit to J. M. Smith, of
Green Bay, Wis., the great horticultu-
rist and market gardener of the State.
All that I saw that was interesting to
me during that half-day would almost make
a book. Friend Smith has 40 acres of land
under the highest state of cultivation, and
now covered with wonderful crops of vege-
tables and small fruits. He keeps an accu-
rate account of his daily receipts, and these
have been averaging for the past few weeks
just about $100 a day. Of course, he em-
ploys a large amount of labor— perhaps 30 or
40 full grown men ; then there are enough
boys to make quite a little Sunday-school,
especially if we include- the girls also, who
were picking berries. Friend Smith first be-
gan on a single acre. His growth and prog-
ress were, as it usually is, by easy steps.
When he made a single acre produce great
nice crops, another acre was added to it,
and so on. His first step was to thoroughly
underdrain his ground. His soil is not nat-
urally good — not as good, perhaps, as yours
and "mine ; but it was all he had, and he
started out to make the best of it. His
ground is so near on a level with Lake Mich-
igan that he can not, by doing his best, get
a fall of more than one inch to every hun-
dred feet of tile ; therefore you may be sure
the underdraining was carefully done.

Now, besides the careful underdr&mmg I
was agreeably surprised that friend Smith
lias decided just as I have done, that we
need surface draining also. The underdrains
are about two rods apart, and right over
them he has surface drains through all his
40 acres. This makes his ground in beds
about two rods wide. These beds are high-
est in the middle, and slope gradually to-
ward the surface drains. The surface drains
are so shallow the cultivator or loaded wag-
on crosses them without difficulty. During
the present season, when we have had such
excessive rainfalls, I knew our ground was
injured by becoming so saturated with wa-
ter that it settled down just about as hard
as it was before it was plowed. It was
worth my whole trip to Green Bay to satisfy
myself oh this single point of surface drain-
age as well as underdrainage. Of course,
the crops were all in long rows parallel with
these surface drains.

( 'onsiderable has been said about cropping
ground continuously, without seeding it
down and turning under the sod. Even Pe-
ter Henderson recommends that market-
gardens be rested occasionally. Now, friend
Smith does nothing of the sort. In fact, he
says he could by no manner of means spare
his expensive highly manured ground for a
crop of clover only to be turned under. Al-
though his season is so much shorter than
ours, be gets two and often three crops on
the same ground every season. For in-
stance : On his first acre of ground (which
was so mellow and rich one could kick his
foot down six inches or more, almost any-

where) I found young currant-bushes just
commencing to bear. Between these, on-
ions had been grown, and the boys had just
pulled them, piling them in these shallow
surface drains so as to be out of the way.
Let me say. these shallow surface drains
also make convenient nai row roads, or by-
paths, for gathering the crops. Well, the
great white onions were piled here in long
winrows, where they could dry out ; and
just as soon as they were up, the ground
was manured again, the manure cultivated
and worked in with modern tools, then the
celery was planted.

Friend Smith plants celery or cabbages
when he gets ready, no matter whether it
rains or not. The hottest day I have expe-
rienced this season was Thursday, July 18;
and during this day, friend S. with his boys
set out about two acres of cabbage-plants.
While I was wondering that they dared to
set them out during such a fierce heat, one
of the boys came up and suggested that it
would be only a waste of time and shoe
leather to replace what cabbages had died.
None of them died worth speaking of. I ex-
pressed a curiosity to see how it was done.
While friend S. has never had facilities for
irrigation to any great extent, he has a tank
and windmill. The tank would hold per-
haps 200 barrels. In different places on his
ground are hydrants covered by square
wooden boxes. When transplanting celery
or cabbages during very dry weather, a com-
mon iron pipe, perhaps 200 or 300 feet long,
is attached to the hydrant, and carried along
these surface drains. Then a hose, perhaps
100 feet long, is attached to the iron pipe.
By means of the iron pipe and hose, barrels
of water stationed all along the paths (or,
rather, surface drains) are readily filled with
water. Then the small boys, by means of
watering-cans, put a pint or quart of water
in the hole where each cabbage-plant is to
be placed. The plant is then put in, then
some soft dry earth pulled over the wet sur-
face, to prevent baking. In this nice, rich,
highly manured soil, cabbage-plants take
right hold, and grow, rain or no rain ; and
the same way with celery. Wagon-roads go
through the grounds at intervals, and bas-
kets and wheelbarrows bring the products
along the paths 1 have mentioned, to the
wagon.

Another thing about these surface-drain
paths : I was told that I could hardly find a
weed on friend Smith's whole 40 acres. Our
good friend was obliged to own up, how-
ever, that, during the past season, the ex-
cessive rains had made the ground so wet
many times, at the same time making the
weeds grow so fast, he had got behind, like
many of the rest of us. The weeds, how-
ever, were being rapidly cleaned out. They
were all thrown into these surface-drain
paths, then pitched into carts and carried to
the compost heaps in various parts of the
grounds. I did not see any weeds going to
seed, and I presume that none were allowed
to mature. On one piece of ground I saw
about 3000 currant-bushes. Each bush was
an extra-fine one, about like a few you have
seen and can remember.

On this extra highly manured and well-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

649

drained ground, the currants were of im-
mense size, and bush after bush was bend-
ing with its beautiful load of fruit. Why,
I should not be surprised if they got almost
a whole bushel from some of the bushes.
They were far enough apart so that they
had "sun and air enough to ripen thorough-
ly. His crop of strawberries was about 250
bushels per acre ; but he plants the old
kinds, the Wilson and Crescent.

With his soil and his method, the new
kinds do not answer so well. In talking
about underdraining, where you can get a
fall of only one inch in 100 feet, 1 asked him
if he had a scientitic engineer to lay out the
work.

k .Not at all," said he; and he added,
lt whatever you do, do not ever get a scien-
titic engineer to help you Jay your under-
d rains."

He manages a good deal as Terry does.
He gets down into the ditch, and lays the
tile himself; and. if I am not mistaken, he
pours water into all the ditches to be sure
that it will run off before he lays the tile.

Of course, he keeps quite a number of
pigs to consume the refuse ; and I was very
much pleased to find that he had been keep-
ing cabbage refuse in a silo. All the leaves
left where the heads are gathered, and all
the poor or immature heads, are put into
this silo ; and he showed me a tine sow that
he said had had nothing else for months but
cabbage from the silo. This cabbage was
put away last fall.

I do not remember now how many horses
he keeps ; but there are something like a
dozen. He also has some fine cows. His
stables are as neat and clean as any I have
ever visited.

Green peas is one of his special crops ; but
when the market will not pay him a certain
price, the vines are cleared from the ground,
and peas, vines and all, are given to his
pigs, and so with almost every crop. In
order to have enough to supply the demand,
he often raises line crops to go into the com-
post heap or to the pigs. For instance, I
saw a hue bed of Henderson's New York
lettuce— beautiful, crisp, large-sized heads ;
but as lettuce is very perishable, and there
is no market for it just now, he said the
whole crop must go at once into the com-
post heap. Of course, such things do not
happen very often ; but it is better for the
market-gardener to have too much than not
enough. I shall in future touch upon inci-
dents of my visit, probably, quite often.

July 39. — At the present writing, the Hen-
derson lima beans are making nice little
pods in great abundance. I am sorry to say
that two or three of the Kumerles are going
up the poles lively. The most of them, how-
ever, behave considerably like the Hender-
son bush lima.

The boys sold all the berries at good
prices in my absence ; and now there is a
good demand for something for pies. A
currant-plantation, such as I saw at friend
Smith's would be a big investment in Medi-
na just now. We are getting 12 cents a
quart for blackberries, and the market is
not half supplied. We need four times as
many as we have now. Green apples for

making pies would also be a fine thing if
we had them.

Notwithstanding the repeated rains there
is an excellent demand for all kinds of gar-
den stuff. The Stratagem peas and wax
beans still sell readily at 40 cents a peck.
Where people once become acquainted with
Stratagem peas there will be a good demand
for them all summer long. This season our
Stratagems are true to name. We have not
found a bogus one among them.

GARDENING FOR AUGUST.

I have before mentioned the sad sight that
most of the gardens presented that passed
under my eye during my recent trip. Many
of the lawns and front yards were beautiful
to behold ; but the back yard and vegetable-
garden, whenever the railroad gave us a
view of them— oh my ! what a sight ! Fad-
ed, wilted, and useless crops; weeds; pea-
vines and potato-tops, and every thing else
that was displeasing to the sight, seemed to
be the rule. In a few places I saw the ref-
use cleaned up, and neat bright-green rows
of celery taking their place. But these were
the exception and not the rule. At Green
Bay, iu the vicinity of friend Smith's won-
derful work, there was a different order of
things. Such a man's example is conta-
gious ; and in front of the stores and grocer-
ies of Green Bay I saw the neatest assort-
ment of garden vegetables I ever saw any-
where. The sight would have done credit
to the market places of our great cities ear-
ly in the morning.

Now, friends, it will pay you just as well
to make garden in August as it will to make
it in April and May. Let us see what can
be done with the ground now cumbered
with weeds where your early peas, pota-
toes, and other crops have been growing.
Celery is always in order under such circum-
stances. A nice strawrberry garden in -Inly
and August is a thing of beauty, and I saw
just such a one at Boscobel, Wis. It be-
longed to one of our bee-men, and I believe
he bought the plants of A. I. Root. If you
have water at your command you can put
out asparagus roots in August. You can
sow the seeds, any way. Purple-top Globe
turnips, or White Egg, are seldom without
a purchaser. JSow is the time to sow the
seed. Wax beans, in our locality, will give
a good crop if we have the usual amount of
rain. The Eclipse beets will also make nice
beets tor the table, and most markets will
use a large amount of them. If you have
very strong large plants of Jersey Wakefield
cabbage, if set now in the ground with
plenty of manure, thay will make nice heads
before winter. Early carrots also usually
do fairly when sown the first of August.
Corey's Extra Early corn mav make roast-
ing-ears, if we have plenty of rain and a
warm fall. If it does not, it will pay cost
for fodder for your cow. Cress usually does
nicely if sown "now. Cucumbers tor pickles
rarely fail when put in by the first of Aug-
ust, and you may fill your whole garden
with these and do well. Most kinds of let-
tuce will give a good crop late in the season,
if sowrn now. Onion seed for onions for
bunching, or onion-sets, if there is plenty of
rain, will also answer. If you did not get

650

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

out your Egyptian onion-sets in July, they
will do almost as well if put out now.
Parsley will be right for winter, if sown in
August. Alaska, or American Wonder peas
will probably give at least a few before
frost. All kinds of radishes, and especially
the winter radishes, will give a crop. Spin-
ach is just in time to make large bushy
heads, without running to seed; and it will
usually stand without protection until
( hristmas or later.

There, haven't I made out a pretty good
list for gardening, for the month of August?
Now, you can have your choice — a nice
beautiful garden where every thing grows
from the word l,go," or an unsightly
crop of weeds and rubbish. The seeds of
the weeds (if the latter are allowed to go to
seed) will make you trouble as long as you
live on the place. If you do not do any thing
else, mow them down or cut them off with
a scuffle-hoe, and burn them up. Kill the
weeds, even if you do not raise a nice crop.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Month I >/.

-fiu. X. ROOT,
EDITOB AND PUBLISHER,

rkf EIDI2ST.&., OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Chfting Eatee, See First Page of Beading Matter.

iLv/ciEnDiiisrj^, iLua. i, iss9.

In my Father's house are many mansions : if it
would have told you. John lli.

We have 8939 subscribers.

THE HONEY FLOW.

We had a slight flow from basswood. It was good
while it lasted, but ceased abruptly after three or
four days, and then robbers began to make their
unwelcome appearance.

A POINTER FOF{ EXTRACTED-HONEY PRODUCERS.

Square cans are now actually cheaper than new
kegs or barrels, and the return freight no higher
than on kegs. Remember, the cans are adapted lor
any climate, and they do not shrink or swell like
the wooden packages.

HONEY FROM RED CLOVER.

Honey is coming in again (July 31st), this time
from red clover. In the supers of some of the
stronger colonies, the bees have begun to store
honey. With the amount of rain we have been hav-
ing we may get something from this source.

J. M. .JENKINS.

We have had a very pleasant visit from J. M.
Jenkins, Wetumpka, Elmore Co, Ala. He repre-
sents our establishment in the South, and reports
an unusually good year for bees. Friend Jenkins
is alive to the bee-keeping interests of the South,
and no doubt has done as much, or more than any
other man for the advancement of modern apicul-
ture in Di"xie.

MUCH ADO ABOUT BEES.

Our correspondence has grown at such a rate
that our letter postage alone now costs us, on a close
estimate, #10oo per year, to say nothing of the cost
of stationery and printing, directing, etc. Verily,
there is much ado about bees in other ways than
through the medium of conventions and bee-jour-
nals, and it will take more than falsehoods about
manufactured comb honey to squelch it.

SEASONABLE "LOOK OUTS."

Look out for robbers. Look out and don't leave
a comb of honey leaning against the hive over
night, nor a cover not tightly fitting. Look out for
that honey-house door. Put a sign on it in big let-
ters, YOU shut the door. Look out for the en-
trances of small nuclei. Look out when robbers
get started while you are working over a hive.
Close up and go to another part of the apiary.
Lastly, take a lookout over the apiary to see if all
is well. Leaving a comb outside by mistake, man
result in a horse being stung, and the loss of the
horse, or, possibly, the loss of human life may fol-
low. I have just hud a tussle with "old Charlie,"
because one of the boys left a comb leaning against
a chaff hive over night.

BEE-KEEPING1 NOT A NUISANCE.

Our co-worker, Thomas G. Newman, of the Amer-
ican Bee Journal, Chicago, 111., has gotten out a
pamphlet relating to the Z. A. Clark case, in Arka-
delphia. Ark., entitled "Bee-keeping Not a Nui-
sance." The whole history of the case is given in
full. Those who desire full information on the sub-
ject can obtain this pamphlet free of charge, either
of us or by applying to the editor of the American
Bee Journal, as above. Inquiries still come in as to
how to join the Bee-keepers' Union, the entrance
fees, etc. The entrance fee is $1.00, and that pays for
the dues for the unexpired year. The annual dues
are *1.00, and must be paid within six months to re-
tain membership. The fees and dues must be sent
directly to the General Manager, T. G. Newman, 9:25
West Madison St., Chicago, 111., who will record the
names and send receipts.

MY TRIP TO WISCONSIN.

I reached home on Thursday, July 25, after an
absence of just two weeks. There are many things
I should like to tell you all at once, but I have
thought best to preserve them for future issues. I
will say this, however, that the basswood yield of
Richland Co., Wis., was fully up to all that it has
been represented. The day I visited friend Free-
born, he brought in a load of 1800 lbs. of honey, and
his boys brought in from another apiary, the same
day, 1400 lbs. If I am correct, this yield was from
less than 500 colonies, and was all gathered in about
three days. Friday morning the hives extracted
llrst were full again, and the boys were at work ex-
tracting when I came away. I am told that they
never have poor seasons in Richland County— that
is, there is always at least a fair crop of honey.
They have had trouble in wintering, however, like
the rest of us; but they seem to have got pretty
well the upper hand of it now.

Italian and Garninlan Queens.

Thirty years a queen dealer. Prices low. Circu-
lar free. HENRY ALLEY, Wenham. Mass.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

655

Contents of this Number.

Bee— Henderson's Parody.. .6*7

Bees in Germany 678

Bees, Cost of Moving 666

Bee-disease. N.w 671

Bee-hats for Women 670

Brood, Removing 682

Clover-bloat 672

Com mission Houses 663

Cuba, Again 6T0

Beat and Dumb Apiarist 675

Editorial 685

Flood in Pennsylvania .... 673

Harrison's Talk 679

Heads of Grain 672

Hive-legs in Water 673

Hive-cart 671

Ignotuni Not Early 674

| Manum in the Apiary 663

News in a Hive. Spreading. .673

Orange-trees 673

our Own Apiary 683

Out-apiaries 659

Pharmacy, Remington's 675

gueen. Killing 672

Queen's Age <g. B.) 677

Question-Box... 676

Reports Encouraging 675

Reversing Sections, etc 674

Sulphur. To Burn 674

Superseding (Q. B. i .076

Swarming, 3 Clusters 675

Top-bars, Wire 669

Vermont Bee-men 667

Workers, Fertile 673

ITALIAN BEES AND QUEENS.

One untested queen, 75c; three for |2.00; one
tested, $ 1.25. Bees by the pound and nucleus.
16d H. G. FRAME, North Manchester, Ind.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

ITALIAN QUEENS by return mail; tested, $1;
untested, 75c. LEININGER BROS.,

16tl"db Douglas, Putnam Co., Ohio.

[HE EEVISED LANGSTEOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

SPECIAL BARGAINS.

In looking- over our stock we find the following-
lot of old-style honey-packages, which we offer at
these very low prices simply because they are rem-
nants of stock that we should like to dispose of :

Eleven 50-lb. round tin cans with handles and 1*4-
inch screw caps. Old price 50c. Will sell for 30c.

Nineteen 100-lb. round tin cans, with handles and
154-inch screw-caps. Old price jfl.OO; will sell .for
60e each.

Seven 100-lb. cans as above, with a rim added to
bottom; also an extractor honey-gate; very handy
for retailing from. Old price $1.75; will sell for
$1.50. Japanned and lettered "Pure Honey," 50e
extra. mK

"Iron-Jacket" Honey Cans.

These are wh;it we used to sell and recommend
before we began to use the square cans. They are
strong, and don't need to be boxed to ship when
full. We have some of the 3 smaller sizes, which
we offer as follows:

15 1-gal. cans, old price, 25c; will sell for 20c

•'57 2 ' 38 " " " 30

34 3 ' 47 " " " 40

If you take the whole lot of any one size of any of
above cans, you may deduct 5 per cent. If you
take the whole of 3 or more sizes, 10 per cent may
be deducted. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

A POSITIVE FACT

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL

From the Old and Reliable Knickerbocker liee-

Farm f Established I88OJ.

Circnlai: .-« ncl Price Ijist Free.
1:5-14 ltd G. II. KNICKERBOCKER,

BOX 41. Pine Plains, Dutchess Co., N. V.

I?" In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

For Sale Cheap.-

4 H. P. Engine and Boiler, Complete, $180.

B. W. Payne & Sons Eureka Safety Power.

Almost new. Now at Higginsville, Mo. Who
wants this bargain?

We have also to sell at a bargain a 1 H. P. Ship-
man coal-oil engine. It was a second-hand which
we sent to the factory and had made over new. Is
now as good as a new engine. We offer it for $80.
For any one who wants only a small power it is a
bargain. Price of a new one I believe is f 125.00.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

I received the queens in fine condition, not a dead
bee in either cage. G. W. Camp.

Armona, Cal., July 10, 1889.

The honey tumblers you sent me were received
with but one cracked in the barrel. I am well
pleased with them. A. L. Kildow.

Sheffield, 111., July 8, 1889.

The bees arrived yesterday in good condition. I
am much pleased with them. The queen is a good
looker. If she will raise bees like those sent with
her she is all right. D. H. Zepp.

Nokomis, 111., July 26, 1889.

GOOD ADVERTISING.

Please do not insert my advertisement in your
issue for Aug. 1, as I directed, for I am getting be-
hind on orders. It will take me until about Aug.
8th to catch up with orders. J. P. Moore.

Morgan, Ky., July 22, 1889.

[No wonder, friend M., when you send out such
nice queens.]

The bill of goods, shipping-bill, and remittance,
reached us in good order last Monday. The bee-
hat and veil, as well as some other conveniences,
went immediately into service, and are just right.
Even this "glorious Fourth " is made brighter by
the hammock. W11. A. Adams.

Eaton Rapids, Mich., July 4, 1889.

The extractor I ordered of you, which was ship-
ped July 2, I received in good order. It has been
thoroughly tested. I don't see where you can make
any improvement in it. We think it a model of
perfection. I much prefer your gearing to any up-
right gearing I ever saw. F. M. Peck.

Spring Green, Wis., July 31, 1889.

You requested us to renew if we had found
Gleanings a good investment. We have found it
so, and should not like to be without it, as we are
beginners in bee-keeping, and have found many ar-
ticles which have helped us in our work with the
bees. We started this spring with 4 colonies; they
have increased to 10. From one frame of brood, y2
lb. of bees, and untested queens received from you
July 28, 1888, we have now 3 strong colonies, which
are the best workers we have. The season so far has
been too wet for much honey; but the weather is
drier now, and we may have a good fall How. We
wish Gleanings success, as a journal of it9 kind
should have. Rurk Brothers.

Burrel, Pa., Aug. C, 1889.

656

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Aug.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiae, Mich.; O.G.Collier, Fairbury,
Nebraska; B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee. Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. K. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111.; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Falls, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewauder, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertovvn,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio. Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon. Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co.. 1409 15th Sr., Denver. Colo.: Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co.. Uock Falls, 111.; J. A. Huberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Gould & Co.. Brantford, Ontario,
Canada: J. N. Heater. Columbus, N'b. ; E.C. Eagles-
field, Berlin, Wis.; C. D. Batter, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, Ind., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
tn nampte in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH BOOK

Edition of 1889.

3tfdb

CHAS. DADANT A SON,
Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

EP"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

pOLONIES Italian bees at $5; tested Italian queens
^ at$l; untested (vounar laying) Italian queens at
00c. Address OTTO KLEINOW,

15-16d 150 Military Avenue. Detroit. Mich.

PURE ITALIAN QUEENS.

50 tested queens now ready at $100 each; 100 un-
tested queens, every 3 days, at 70c each: 3 lor $2 00.
A few selected breeding queens at $2.01 each. All
bred from imported and best selected home-bred
queens. Safe arrival by mail guaranteed.

D. Q. I03MI ISTON.
15tfdb Adrian, Lenawee Co., iTIieli

U^*In responding to this.advHili^tiK. n: i..,.!i ■ ■

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois.

tsTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

B

Italian and Garniolan Queens.

Thirty years a queen dealer. Prices low. Circu-
lar free. HENRY ALLEY, Wenham, Mass.

ees» &# poultry
ees TTKa. oultry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $1 00 per year. Liye, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.

THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO. CAN
r^"In responding to this ad vetTi.-emenl mention Gleanings.

FOR SALE.— Italian queens, tested, at $1 00
each. 6 for $5.00; untested, 75 cents each. No
foul brood. ]2tfd L. A. Ressler, Nappanee, Ind.

THE SES ?/ YELLOW ITALIAN
QUEENS AT $1.50 EACH.

I also wish to sell my newspaper subscription
agency on account of the press of other work. Cat-
alogue, and any other information free on receipt
of postal request. The highest bidder takes it.
Good reference given and expected.

C. M. GOODSPEED, 4-50d THORN HILL, N. Y.

t3"l)tresuoiiiiin^ i.i . .:i~ :u1hiUm.'mk -hi mention Gleanings.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knile
No. 4, 1.25: No. 5, l.OO; No. 6, 65 | $1.15

On receipt of t he above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will I c sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood
burning clear smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

Gsfln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings,

MUTH'S
HOSFEY- EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN UiJCKETS, BEE-H9VES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, Arc.
PERFECTION COLD-BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Tfc-KffMiprp." (Mention (Heaninu*-) Itl'db

STRAWBERRY PLANTS

By mail at 75 cts. per 10.). Varieties, Jessie, Jumbo,
Captain Jack, and Crescent Seedling.

Address JACOB GUISINGER. Ada, O.

EF"In responding: to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

A

NEW B03E ON BEES, and DAEANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

JA5, F, W908, NITH mSCOTT, Ml

Will now ship by return mail, his warranted queens
to any address, for 7"> cts. each, 'or $8.0.1 per dozen.
Single queen to Canada. 85 cts. Being isolated from
all black bees I am able to warrant every queen
purely mated, and safe arrival guaranteed. Every
queen is of good shape, and all have filled several
combs with eggs before being shipped. I will re-
place every queen that hatches a black bee with a
select tested queen, worth $2 1)0.

If you want the best queens promptly, send me
your orders. I am bound to suit you. Address as
above. IStfdb

IF VOIT ARE IN WANT OF

BEES or BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES,

Send Cor our New Catalogue.

OLIVER HOOVER & CO.,

4tfdb Snydertown, Pa.

I AM AWAITING YOUR ORDER

FOR 3-FRAME NUCLEI.

Price, with untested queen, $3.00. Best tested
queen. $4.00; 2 frame nuclei, 50 cts. less. Combs
straight and true; all worker comb, and bees finest
of llalians. One untested queen, $1.00; 6 for $5.00.
Best tested, $2.50 each.

JNO. A. THORNTON,

Exp. Office. Ursa, 111. Lima, III.

Mention Ulkaxlngs. 12-17dh

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

G57

HOME

EMPLOYMENT. — AGENTS

wanted everywhere, for the HOME

JOURNAL— a grand family paper

at $1 a year. Big cash premiums.

Sample Fhee. THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,

923 & 935 West Mad isou Street, - CHICAGO, ]LLS.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gl.KANINoa.

FOR SALE CHEAP !

75 COLOITIES OF BEES,
Mostly Italians, in Hoot's Simplicity and chaff
hives, $4 per colony, hive included. Special prices
for the entire lot upon application. Combs built on
wired frames of foundation. I have other business,
and the entire lot must be sold.
1516d B. T. BLEASDALE,

983 Woodland Ave., Cleveland, O.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

California.

FOR SALE.— A well-established trade in the sup-
ply business. For particulars apply to
16-1 7-1 8d Box 2, Duarte, Cal.

MIAN

The BEST Late

Strawberry

ON EARTH!

PRICE RECUCED

New testimonials and a fine lithograph and photo-
engraving of the fruit. All leading varieties for
sale. Send for price list and pamphlet to the origi-
nator, J. D. KRUSCHKE, Box 824, Piqua, Ohio.
tS"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

NOTICE.

Sections, One - Piece,

4^x4^x2, open four sides. We have about 200,000
nice ones in stock at $3.00 per 1000.

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

For sale, 4 Carniolan queens mated with Italian
drones, 50c each.

J. B. Kline's Apiary, Topeka, Kan.

Hybrid queens, 25c each, or 4 for $1. Blacks, 5
for $1. Guarantee safe arrival.

Frank Howard, Fairfield, Wayne Co., 111.

Fine hybrid queens for 25c; from imported moth-
ers, 40c. W. A. Sanders, Oak Bower, Hart Co., Ga.

Ten choice hybrid queens for sale by return mail,
at :50c each, or 4 for $1.

G. H. Denman, Pittsford, Mich.

Three very prolific mismated Italian queens at
35c each. R. W. Turner, Medina, Ohio.

To reduce my stock I will sell a few mismated
Italian queens for 25c, and purely mated, 50c.

C. G. Fe.vn, Washington, Conn.

A few young mismated queens, at 25c each.

Geo. L. Jones, Grand Ridge, 111.

Hybrid and mismated Italian queens, for 35 and
50c. Geo. L. Ferris, Five Corners, N. Y.

Fine mismated Italian queens, reared this season
from select tested mothers, will sell for 28c each, or
4 for SI. Stamns taken. Safe arrival guaranteed.
('. F. Grubb, Jubilee, Davidson Co., N. C.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

We are now selling our No. 1 V-groove sections,
in lots of 500, at $3 00 per 1000; No. 2 sections at $2.00
per 1000. For price of Italian queens, foundation,
smokers, etc., send for price list.

J. STAUFFER & SONS,
Successors to H. .1. Mill, r <C Co.,
16tfdb ■Ssippj , I iid.

%Wln responding: to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS,

AN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

Crawford's Folding Paper Boxes

For Inclosing Section Honey.

THE

BEST BOX FOR THE LEAST MONEY !

and less, according to quantity. Send for sample
and price list. A. 0. CKAWFOED, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.
(t^"In responding to this n'iveitisement mention Gleanings.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange 3 L. frame nucleus, with
yellow Itallian queen, in one-story Simplicity
hives, worth $2.00, for white paint, or offers.
Mrs. Oliver Cole, Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Italian queens for
extracted honey. Please correspond with de-
scription of honey and price, f. o. b., cars at your
station. Wm. W. Carv, Coleraine, Mass.
15tfdb

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange bees for extracted hon-
ey. J. F. Michael, German, Darke Co., O.
15-16-17d

WANTED.— To exchange fine Damascus double-
barrel b. 1. gun, for 3 or 4 h. -power engine. Also
Model press and type, for power fodder-cutter.
15-16d O. Brtjmfield, Brumfield, Ky.

WANTED.— To correspond with parties having
land for sale, or to exchange for property in
this county. For particulars address
-17d L. C. Calvert, Poplar Flat, Lewis Co., Ky.

WANTED. — To exchange Bubach, Jessie, and
Sharpless strawberry plants, for comb honey,
or offers. F. S. McClelland. New Brighton, Pa.

WILL exchange my apiary, 30 colonies, prime con-
dition, all fixtures, iy2 acres, good house, fruit,
small barn, for desirable personal property; price
$500; a home at a bargain.

D. E Darrow, West Eaton, N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange choice colonies of fine
Italian bees, for good extracted honey. Please
write, sending sample and price delivered at your
station. W. J. Hillman, Green River, Vt.

WANTED.— To exchange full colonies of bees for
a 2 to 4 H. P. engine, Barnes hand-ripper, or
foot-lathe. M. Ludtman, Hannibal, Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange box of Florida sea shells
for tested Italian queen.

J. Cross, Liverpool, Fla.

f;.„s

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

JlBNEY 06MMN.

wrr MAHKETS.
New York. — Honey. — Market is rather unsettled
yet. We quote extracted, California, at 7'4@8o;
orange bloom, 7J4@7}4; common Southern, 65@75c
per gal. White clover and basswood, extracted, 7V4
@8e. As to prices tor comb honey it is too early
yet to form an opinion.
Aug. 10. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co..

New York.

Chicago.— Hiuk;/.— Receipts of comb honey are
quite up to the present demand, which is by no
means active. Sales are made at 14@.16c for one-
pound sections. Extracted is selling quite well at
from 7@8c, and the receipts are not accumulating
to any extent.— Beeswax is scarce and in good de-
mand' ai 25c. R A. Burnett,

Aug. 8. 161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

Boston.— Honey.— We have received quite a little
new honey since writing you last, and we find it of
very good quality. We are selling from 17@18c.
Sales a little slow on account of warm weather. Ex-
tracted selling from 8@9c. — Beeswax, 25.

Aug. 9. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Kansas City.— Honey.— New crop is coming in
slowly; lib. sections, white clover, 16c: 2 lb., white,
14. Extracted, white clover, 9c in 6(l-lb. cans; dark,
6J4@7. Demand light/ Hamblin & Beabss.

Aug. 9. Kansas City, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— Demand is good for comb
honey in 1 and 21b. sections, at 12@15c in a jobbing
way. Trade is good also in extracted honey in
square gla^s jars tor table use, and in barrels for
uiHiiufaciiireis; it brings 5@8c on arrival. — Beeswax
is in good demand at 2(l@22 on arrival for good to
choice yellow. Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Aug. 9. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Columbus.— Honey.— The arrivals of honey are
more liberal. Owing to the high prices at which it
is held, it is moving slowly. We are trying to get
16@17c for choice goods in pound sections. A num-
ber ot our best customers claim that they can buy
it for less money from outside parties.

Aug. 8. Earle Clickenger,

Columbus, Ohio.

New York..— Honey.— Extracted in very good de-
mand at the following prices: Orange blossom, per
lb., 7}4@734c: white clover and basswood, 8@.8^4 ;
off grades. Southern, per gal., 6i!@70c. We have
some new comb honey which we quote as follows:
Fancy white, 1-lb. sections, unglassed, 16c; off
grades, 1 lb, 14c; fancy white, 2 lbs., glassed, 14c;
off grades, 2 lbs., 12c.

Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

Aug. 12. New York.

Albany.— Honey.— Some inquiry for new honey,
no receipts to speak of yet. Light, comb, 15@18c;
dark, 12@13. Light, extracted, 8c. H. R. Wright,

Aug. 8. Albany, N.Y.

St. Louis.— Honey.— Market quite dull. We quote
extracted, bright, 5V£@6c; dark, 4@4Js£.— Beeswax,
2:514. D. G. Tutt Gro. Co.,

Aug. 1(1. St. Louis, Mo.

Philadelphia.— Honey. — Honey as yet not want-
ed. Market usually starts here about Sept. to Oct.
I generally open at 14@16c for prime No. 1 in 1-lb.
boxes.— Beeswax, bright yellow wax, is wanted here
at 2:i(?>),24c. Chas. E. Shoemaker,

Aug. 9. Philadelphia, Pa.

Detroit.— Honey.— New comb coming in slowly,
and selling from 13(gtl5c. Extracted. 8(5)9c— Bees-
wax, 23@24c. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich.. Aug. 9.

For Sale.— 1 have a quantity of choice clover
honev in scant 1-lb. sections and 12-!b. cases, at 16 c
(for 1( 0 lbs or more). Al<=o 60 lb. screw-cap cans of
extracted clover Mom y, at $5 per can, Safe arrival
guaranteed by freight

Oliver Poster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co , Iowa.

Wanted.— Choice comb honey in 1 lb. sections.
F. S. McClelland, New Brighton, Pa.

For Sale.— 25,(100 lbs. choice extracted white-clo-
ver honey, in barrels holding about 550 lbs. net,
each. I put it up also in packages of any size de-
sired, in either wood or tin. There is no finer honey
than this in the market. Write me what you want,
and I will give you prices.

Emil J. Baxter, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., 111.

For Sale.— Eight tons of white clover and bass-
wood honey, in 25-gallon kegs. Also a few tons of
good amber and dark honey.

Frank McNay, Mauston, Wis.

For Sale.— In 601b. screw-cap cans, boxed singly,
4000 lbs. white-clover extracted honey, of the finest
quality, all from supers on the tieringup plan.
Price $5.00 per can in small lots; Scans or more,
#4.75 each. Rufus Porter, Lewistown, 111.

Wanted.— 500 lbs. of nice comb honey.

A. D. Ellinowood, Milan, N. Y.

BEES

ltitfdb

SEND for a free sample copy of the
BEE JOURNAL - 16-page Weekly
at $1 a year— the oldest, largest and
cheapest Weekly bee-paper. Address
BEi: JOURNAL., Chicago, III.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-

pies free. w. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Please mention GLEANINGS. IStfdh

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

BEES AND QUEENS. Tested
queens, $1.50. Untested, 75c.
Bees, per lb., 85 cts. Frame of
brood, 50 cts. Nuclei a specialty. Send card for
price list. MISS A. M. TAYLOR,

9 Kltfdb Box 77. Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.
$3Tlii resixHiiling to this advertisement mention ';i k>m-

DR. TINKER'S

QUEEN-REARING CHAMBER

The only practicable invention for rearing and
securing the mating of a number of queens, and
getting them all laying at once in full colonies of
bees. Patented July 16. 1889. For particulars ad-
dress with stamp, DR. G. L TINKER,
15-16d New Philadelphia, O.

|E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

The Secrets of Success in the Grow-
ing of Small Fruits

Gives you the benefit of several years' experience
in growing berries for market, together with my il-
lustrated catalogue and price list of berry-plants;
sent free on application. Now is the time to set
strawberries for next year's fruiting. Jessie, Cloud,
and other new varieties. 16-19db

I. A. WOOLL, Elsie, Mich.

hi responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts.;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

Est ion's Improved

SSZEOTIOKfl" CASS.

Bees and Queens. Send for
free catalogue. Address

FKANK A. EATON,
5-l6db itliiirtou, Ohio.

s|H>nding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Vol. XVII.

AUG. 15, 1889,

No. 16.

TERMS: $1.00 Per Annttm, IN Advance;") Jf ,, + „ 7,7V o h />/-7 -inn 1 8 'Y <%
2Copiesfor$1.90;3ior82.75;5for$4.00; JllS LUjUl/ib IV&lA/ Lib JL O iO.

>r more, 75 cts. each. Single mini- I published semi-moxtiii.y ry

. 5cts. Additions to clubs may be |

^\?£Z?£Sio^tearoJlto\A, I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

10 o
ber
inn (I
bo

I Clubs to different postofficcs, not less
I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in the
) U. S. and Canadas. To all other cotin-
I tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
els. per year extra. To all countries
I. not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO XII.

NUMBERING HIVES -RECORD BOOKS.

TN the main, the management of an out-apiary
fa! does not differ from tliat of any other; and af t-
W er years of experience you have had in the

"*• home apiary you are pretty well settled in
your plans. 1 will, however, offer some sug-
gestions to any whose experience is yet very limit-
ed, as to some of the things that may be especially
appropriate for out work, and you can judge wheth-
er any of them are worth adopting, for you. Some
things, too, may come up that would never be need-
ed in home work.

In numbering hives it will probably be found con-
venient to adopt some system by which the num-
bers can be easily changed. A satisfactory way is
to have tin tags painted white, with black figures
on them, fastened on the hives with half-inch wire
nails.

TAG FOR NUMBERING HIVES.

About4x2l/£ inches is a good size, with figures
two inches long, so that they can be plainly seen at
a distance. These tags can be easily changed from
one hive to another, and with out-apiaries you may
find it very convenient, if not necessary, to change
them quite frequently.

Jt is well to adopt some system of numbering by
which you can tell, from the number, to which
apiary a colony belongs. A good way is to let the
first numbers belong to the home apiary, then the
next series to another, and so on. This will be very
satisfactory if you never run higher than lOQin.

each apiary, for then you can tell at a glance that
87 belongs in the home apiary. 187 in the Wilson
apiary, etc. If you expect that, before fall, some
of your apiaries may contain as many as 125 colo-
nies, then it may be well to let the numbers 1 to 125
belong to the home apiary, 126 to 250 to Wilson's,
251 to 375 to Hasti na:s, and so on; but in that case
you may not think so quickly whether 380 belongs
to the third or fourth apiary. An easier way to dis-
tinguish would be to let the first apiary run from
1 to 200, and the second from 2J1 to 400. An objec-
tion to this whole plan is, that you may feel un-
pleasant some day to have some one, on seeing a
tag marked 240, ask you, " Why! have you 240 colo-
nies?" when in fact you have only half that num-
ber. A way to avoid this is to commence at the
number 1 at each apiary, preceding it by an initial
letter. Then two hives, marked " H 87 " and " B 87,"
would be recognized as belonging respectively to
the home and the Helden apiary. On the whole I
think I prefer the simple figures. If you bring all
your bees home to winter, you need pay no atten-
tion to numbers, but place them next spring indis-
criminately. Thus you may find the first row in
the home apiary commencing with the numbers 42,
17. 183, 260, and so on. Their new numbers are to
be 1, 2, 3, 4, but the old numbers should be left on
till you have entered them on your record book for
this year, and transferred any item you may wish
to keep about them, which will usually be only the
age of the queen, noting in the new record the
number they had the preceding year, so that you
can at any time trace back their history. After
your record is all straight, then take off all tags and
number the hives in order. I am^well aware that
many of our best bee-keepers do not keep any rec-
ord book, but have little slates, on hives, or a system
of stones, etc I suspeot, however, that at least some
of them, after establishing out-apiaries, would find
advantages In the record system tbatdid not exist sq

660

GLEANINGS LN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

long as only one apiary was kept. If you have
only a single colony, you will probably remember
all about it without book, slate, or stone.

As the number of colonies increases, the demand
becomes more imperative for some aid to the mem-
ory. Still, with even a hundred colonies I knew
my colonies somewhat as I would know a herd of
cows, and a glance over the apiary would bring to
mind pretty well the condition of the different colo-
nies, and what was to be done. But when it comes
to having more than one apiary, especially if there
are several, you can't run out and in five minutes
see what shape you left any hive in at last visit.
With the record-book you can sit at home and look
over the condition of all your apiaries, and on a
rainy day you can do this just as well, when you
would not like to be out looking over your slates.
It is sometimes pleasant and profitable to look over
the records of past years, and a comparison of
them in long winter evenings may be of some
value.

A 20 cent blank book makes a good record-book,
and it will be found convenient to have a pencil
tied to it with a string. A pencil is better than ink,
for it may sometimes get wet. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

There are some things in favor of the book
plan. The fact that the condition of the
apiary may be noted on a rainy day, and
preparations and plans be made for work
when the weather clears up, is quite an
item in its favor. As you know, we use
slates on each hive, and do not make use of
numbers. Since we have had the apiary
located at the bass wood orchard, we have
been filling orders for bees and queens from
this place. Sometimes we have gone down
with the horse and wagon, and taken with
us an order-book. Not knowing the condi-
tion of the apiary, any more definitely than
memory would indicate, we found that, on
several occasions, we were unable to fill the
orders which we expected to, at that apiary ;
and even after having arrived there, in
order to find out where a two-frame nucleus
or a select tested queen could be obtained,
we might have to glance over the slates of
herhaps two dozen hives before we found
what we wanted. This entailed the neces-
sity of carrying with us a smoker, shipping-
box, etc. With the record-book we could
have determined beforehand just where the
order could be filled ; and instead of run-
ning all over the apiary, have made a bee-
line for the spot. On several occasions I
have gone into our home apiary and made
some alterations in one or two hives, in the
absence of our apiarist, Mr. Spafford. As
we have no numberings to our hives, I
could not tell him in the office when I saw
him next which hives I had changed, other
than by a certain bungling circumlocution
which might be something after this fash-
ion :

Mr. Spafford comes in in the morning,
and inquires after the work, when this con-
versation takes place :

t; Oh ! by the way, before you came this
morning I rilled an order for an untested
queen, in the north apiary — let me see— in
the third row from the north side, fourth
hive from the end, counting from the west."

Mr. Spafford looks at me a little puzzled,

" In the north apiary, you say V " he re-
peats ; "in the fourth row, and — "

He has gotten it wrong, and I interrupt
him by saying the third row. Several times,
as I could not not tell directly, I have had
to go out and point out the hive. Now,
then, if the hive had been numbered I could
have said, " From No. 123 I have sold a
select tested queen. From No 206 I took
out a best imported." Knowing the loca-
tion of the various hives, or about where
the various numbers should be, he can
make a bee-line for it. To the former he
can give a cell or hatched queen, and the
latter he can start to raising cells. If we
should adopt the book plan, I should not
care to dispense with the very convenient
slates. If the two could be combined in
some way, I should like it better. As to
the numbering of hives, I am sure it is a
convenience many times. Ernest.

P0JVEY jSWMgJFICg

FROM ALL PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

In order to read understandingly the reports given below, it
will be necessary to observe the following points: First, the
State is given ; then next in their order are the names of the
reporters, with their respective postoftlces. To indicate local-
ity, the usual abbrevations are used — N.,S.. E.and W., for
north, south, east, and west; N. E. for north-east, etc. The
letter C indicates the word " central;" E. C, east central, etc.
In the following list, the first figure represents the month, and
the second figure the date at which the report was rendered.
The small letters, a, b, c, d, etc., indicate the answers to the
questions propounded in questions a, b, c, etc., just below.

E decided Jx) send out the same set of
questions that we did a year ago
last July, in order that we might
the better get the comparative re-
sults of the two seasons. Although
the entire honey crop has not been taken off
the hives in all localities, yet a report is
rendered which shows quite decidedly
which way the wind blows, as affecting the
price of honey and the average production
throughout the United States. The ques-
tions which we submitted are as follows :

(a.) What is new comb honey wiling at in your
vicinity?

(b.) What is new extracted honey selling at?

(c.) What per cent of an average crop of honey <lu
you estimate has been secured in your vicinity this
season? Please answer this question simply by per
cent; for instance, 50, 75, 175, or 200 per cent.

(d.) How many pounds of honey, both comb and ex-
tracted, have you taken from your bees, and from how
many colonics so far?

(e.) Was the season witlt you this year goad, average,
poor, or bad?

ARKANSAS.

W H. Laws, Lavaca. W. C. 8-10.

a. 15; b. 15; e. 75; d. 1000 from 80 colonies.

ALABAMA.

W. P. W. Duke. Nettleborough. S. W. 8-6.

a. 15; h.lO; c. 200, or a full crop of white honey; cl. 3000 lbs.
comb from 40 colonies; e. good.

J. M. Jenkins, Wetumpka. Q. 8-J.

a. 10 to 15; b. 7 to 10; c. 100; d. 100 comb, 650 extracted. 16 col-
onies; e. average.

ARIZONA.

Jno. L. Gregg, Tempe. C. 8-5.

a. 10 to 12; b. retail 6, wholesales; e. 40; d. 10) colonies have
produced 20.280 lbs.; e. rather poor.

CALIFORNIA.

W W. Bliss, Duarte. S. E. 8-7

a. 12>^ wholesale, 15 retail; b 7 to 8; c tU; d. about 7500 lbs.,
)50; e. poor.

G. W. Cover, Downieville. N. 8 7.

ft. 20; b. 30; 0. 100; d. 1000 U|<. n)i]]b f nun 1)3 colonies; e. good.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

(itil

CONNECTICUT.

Daniel H. Johnson, Danielsonville. E. 8-2.
a. 20 to 25; b. 18 to 20; e. 2ft or less; d. 60 lbs. from i colonies.
Nothing from most of them; e. poor.

FLORIDA.

J. L. Clark, Appalachicola. W. 8-6.

a. 1ft; 1>. 9; c. 200; (1. nearly 5000; 68, spring count ; e. excellent.

John Y. Detwiler, New Smyrna. E. C. 8-5.

a. None produced; b. retail 10; o. 25; d. ls< extracted Island
apiary, 36 eol mies, 1000, amber honej : ex1 t-acted home apiary,
75 colonies. 2ft hives extracted 500. Balance allowed to fill up
in expectation of poor season. Colonies deficient in strength
from continual depredations of mosquito hawks during three
weeks of drouth, e. Poor.

GEORGIA.

T. E. Hanbury, Atlanta. N. 8 1.

a. From gums 18. No section honey, b. 16; c. 200; d. 20 colo-
nies, 100 each; e. good.

J. P. H. Brown. Augusta. E. C. 8-9.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 50; d. about 500 Mis. from 10 colonies that were
kept especially for this purpose The balance of colonies
were run for queens, e. The first part of the season was very
good, while the latter part is very poor

Walter McWilliams, Griffin. W.C. 8-3

a. 15; b. none offered; c. 175; d. 4ft per colony on an average;
run for queens; e. good; line prospects for fall crop.

ILLINOIS.

Reuben Havens, Onarg.i. B. 8 12.

a. 16; b. 12; c. 10; d. none; 4ft colonies; chad.

Frank Howard. Fairfield. S. 8-7.

a. 12M; b. 10; c. 25; d. 100 comb; spring 15, now 35; e. bad.

C. C. Miller. Marengo. N. 8 2.

a. 15; b. none; c. 75; d. 6000 from 245; not all off yet; e. nearly
average. On the road to Belden's, on the trot. Em burned
her dress again; anti-spark smoker anxiously awaited.

Mrs L Harrison. Peoria. W. (J. 8-.'i.

a. Wholesale, 10 to 12; retail. 12' : to 15; b. about the same.
for a choice article; c. 10ft; d. about 2000; 76 colonies, spring
count; e. average.

C. Dadant, Hamilton. N. W. 8-3.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 150; d. 35.000 from 400 colonies; e. very good.

INDIANA.

T. H. Kloer, Terre Haute. W. C. 8-12.

a. 15 to 16; b. none in market; c.25: d. 18(10 lbs. from 60 colo-
nies; e. poor.

Mrs. A. F. Proper. Portland. E. C. 8-2.

a. 20; b. no extracted on market; c. 10; d. 200 from 55 colonies;
e. very bad.

Joe. A. Burton, Mitchell. S. C. 8-1.

a. 15; b. %%; c. Vy, d. 500 from 13; e. poor.

I. R. Good, Nappanee. X. VV. 8-3.

We have not secured one particle of honey; and there is
none in the market. This is the poorest season we ever had
since I kept bees.

IOWA.

A. Christie, Smithland. W. 8-5.

a. 15 retail; b. 10 retail; c. 100; d. Have scarcely yet com-
menced taking off honey ; e. very early, good. In fruit bloom,
cold and bad, necessitating feeding; later, average.

Oliver Foster. Mt. Vernon. E. 8-2.

a, 15 retail; b. 9 retail; c. 100; d. 2000 extracted, 500 comb ;
from 350 colonies. Most of the crop is still on the hives, e.
average. My locality overstocked.

J. M. Shuck. Dcs Moines. C. 8-3.

a. 15; b. none selling; c. 100; d. I don't know; e. good.

Eugene Secor, Forest City. N. 8-1.

a. 15andl6; b. 10; c. 90; d. have taken off but little. Have
" in sight" 1500 from 40 colonies in spring; e. average, nearly.

Z. T. Hawk, Audubon. W. C. 8 7.

a. 20; b. none on the market; c. 10; d. 50 from 20 colonies.
All comb; e. basswood and clover season bad. Fall season
just opening. Ask us later.

KANSAS.

B. F. Uhl. Boling. 8-4.
a. 16; c. 100; d. 50; e. good.

G. L. Hall. Burlington. 8-1.

Honey crop. My own, none. Pasture poor.

KENTUCKY.

D. F. Savage, Hopkinsville. S. W. 8-2.

a. 20; b. 10: c. 50. Fall honey will probably be very abundant,
d. 50 comb, 300 extracted ; from :in colonies, e. Bad, very bad.

Jno. S. Reese, Winchester. C. 8-1.

a. 15; b. 15; c. 150; d. 1500 from 12 colonies; e. extra good.

J. P. Moore, Morgan. N. 8-2.

a. 15; b. 10 to 11; c. 175; d. My whole apiary was devoted to
queen-rearing, except 2 colonies. They filled about 25 L. combs
each, making about 125 per colony, e. Good.

LOUISIANA.
J. W. K. Shaw, Loreauville. S. C. 8-7.

a. None sold in quantity; b. 75c per gal. at retail; c. 100 per
cent spring; d. little; 105 lbs. per colony to July 1st; e. good.
H. L. Lewis, Osyka, Miss. E. 8-6.
a. 15; b. 8ftc per gal. ; e. 175 per cent; e. extra good.

MAINK.

J. Reynolds, Clinton. S. E. 8-7.

a. 2ft; b. 17; c. 30; d. 500 comb from 40 colonies; e. very poor;
too much wet.

C. W. Oostellow. Waterboro. S. W. 8-5.

a. 30; b. 20; c. 50; d. run for increase entirely, e. Poor.

8. H. Hutchinson, Mechanic Falls. 8-1.

a. 24); b. none in market; c. 50; e. poor: too wet,

MARYLAND.
S. Valentine. Hagerstown. N. W. 8-6.

a. 15 to 20; b. none in market; e. about 35; d. one yard 2663
from 90 stands, e. Poor; too much rain.
Simon P. Roddy, Mechanics town. 8-5.
a. 20; b. 15; c. 75; d. 400; 20 colonies; e. poor.

MASSACHUSETTS.

J. E. Pond, No. Attlcboro. S. E. 8-6.

a. 25 to 30; 18 to 20 in 10 to 15 lb. lots; b. at same prices at re-
tail; c. 50 to 75; d. none, as I have only experimented; e. good,
early; wet and poor through June till present time.

E. W. Lund. Baldwinsville. N. C. 8-5.

a. 22; b. none in market; c M0; d. 150 comb; 20 colonies; e. bad.

Wm. W.Cary, Cole rain. N. W. 8-3.

a. 16; b. 10; c. no surplus gathered; bees in almost starving
condition. Poorest season since 1866. d. None, and am feea-
ingnow to prevent starving; e. very poor.

MICHIGAN.

A. J. Cook, Lansing. C. 8-1

a. 15 to 20; b. 10 to \iy,\ c. less than 25; d. we have not taken
our honey off yet ; e. poor.

George E. Hilton, Fremont. W. 8-1.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 25; d. 15(10: 200 colonies; c. poor.

James Heddon, Dowagiac. S. W. 8-1.

a. 16 to 20 retail; b. 10 to 12; c. 25; d. from 200 colonics here,
about 2000; e. the worst season .in record; very bad.

R. L. Taylor. Lapeer. 8-5.

a, b. No price established; c. 25; d. 4000 comb honey from 400
colonies; e. very poor.

H. D. Cutting, Clinton. S. E. 8-3.

a. IS; b. 10; c. 75; d. 28 comb from 65 colonies. But honey is
not quite ready to come off; will take off in about 10 days; e.
poor.

W. J. Carroll, Otsego. S. W. 8-10.

a. 16; b. 10; c. not more than 60; d. extracted 450, comb 100;
about 40 colonies, e poor; prospects for fall honey good.

MISSISSIPPI.

W. A. & E. E. Montgomery. Pickens. 8 6.
a. 10; b. 7; c. about 50; d. haven't kept a record of how many
pounds; e. poor.

MISSOURI.

Jno. Nebel & Son, High Hill. E. C. 8-5.

a. 10 to 15; b. 5 to 8; c. 65; d. 2500 extracted, 700 comb, from 52
colonies; e. average season so far. The fall how is often as
good as from white clover.

E. M. Hayhurst, Kansas City. W. 8-3.

a. 15 wholesale, 20 retail; b. 10 wholesale, 15 retail, e. 150; e.
good.

James Parshall. Skidmore. N. W. 8-3.

a. Retailing at 12^ to 15; b. 10. I sold one barrel at 9; c; 200;
for we never yet got any surplus before August until this sea-
son; d. 1500; 34 spring count have 72 now; e. extra gootl.

Chas. L. Gough, Rock Spring. E. C. 8-8.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 25; d. about 40 lbs. extracted; e. bad.

S. E. Miller, Bluffton. EC. 8-5.

a. 15 to 16; h. 10; c. 45 to 50; d. 1250 extracted, 125 comb, from
37 colonies, spring count; e. very good. Expect a good How
of fall honey.

MINNESOTA.

A. F. Bright, Mazeppa. E. 8-5.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 100: d. 3000 from about 80 colonies; c. about
average.

D. P. Lister, Lac Qui Parle. W. C. 8-2.

a. 20; b. 12J4; c. 75; d. 750; basswood 27; e. good, if bees were in
proper condition.

J. H. Johnson, Fairmont. 8-9.

a. 20c at retail; b. don't know of any in market; c. 100; d. 40
lbs. each from 13 colonies; e. average so far.

Win. W. Hamilton. Jackson. 8-1.

d. Bight pounds from 3 colonies; e. good for swarming, poor
for surplus in basswood bloom.

N. P. Aspinwall, Harrison. C. 8-3.

a. 15 to 20 wholesale, 20 to 25 retail; b. none on the market ; c.
100; d. 650 comb; 20 colonies. Season not over; e. good. In-
crease 1(10 per cent .

NEBRASKA.

Jerome Wiltse. Kails City. 8-5.

a. 16 to 20; b. 10; c. 100; d. 800; 52; e. good.

A. E. Maley, Auburn. 8-10.

a. 20 to 25; b. 15; c. 85; e. very good.

J. W Porter. Ponca. N. E. 8-2

a. 20 and 25; b. 12' -j and 15; c. 10; d. 400; 130 colonies; e. very

bad for surplus h y.

NEVADA.

E. A. Moore. Reno. W. C. 8-6.

a. 15 to 25; b. 16; none here only what I have; c. 175 per cent ,
d. about 8(ii) lbs. comb, 12(H) extracted. e.Very good; I shall prob-
ably get 1500 lbs. more if it is not too dry.

NEW HAMPSHIRE.

S. F. Reed, No. Dorchester. C. 8-5.

a. 20; b. 15; c. 50; d. 100, from 5 run exclusively for honey; e.
very bad so la p,

C. E Watts, Rumney. C. 8-3.

a. 25; b. 25; c. 10; d. have taken only one finished section from
8 colonics yet; e. poor.

L. A. Freeman, Lancaster. N. W. 8 7.

a. 20; b. there is none in the market; c. 100; d. perhaps 100
from 4 colonies; e. good.

NEW JERSEY.
J. D. Coles, Woodstown. S. W. 8-3.
a. 20; b. none; c. 75; d. 25 per colony; e. average.
Watson Allen, Bernardsville. N. C. 8-8.
a. 16; b. 12; c. 10; e. 200 lbs. from 50 colonies; e. very ba<}.

B62

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

NEW YORK.

G. M. Poolittle, Borodino. C. 8-3.

a.b. No market here for honey ; c. 25; d. the little I have is
mainly on the hives yel ; e. poor.

H. P. Langdon. East Constable. N. E. 8-8.

a. 20 to 25: b. 12 to 16; c. 75; d. -" ;« m m > extracted from fio colonies
with 100 per cent increase; e. poor.

Frank Boomhower, Gallupville. E.G. 8-1.

a. No price, no honey. Have not seen a pound of comb hon-
ey so far this season; 11 is of rain; bees have done nothing

SO far; c. d. 0; e. bad.

M. (( Young. Highland. 8 1.

a, b. Have sold none; c. 30; d. about 800 comb from 40 col-
onies, e. Poor.

NORTH CAROLINA.

Abbott L. Swinson, Goldsboro. E. 8-5.

a. IOtol2K; b. none here; c. 90; d. 50 comb from one hive.
( itbers run for queens; e. average.
OHIO.

(•has. 1". Muth. Cincinnati S. W. 8-5.

a.l2tol*for best in a jobbing way; 20 retail; b. 9 to 10 for
best by the lb.; 15 retail; c. perhaps 75; d. about 800 from 28

eel nicies, spring count ; e. poor.

s. A. Dyke. Pomeroy. O. 8-1.
a. VZy,; b. none; c. 100; d. 75 from 2 hives ; e. good.
Dr. H. Bespe, Delaware. C. 8-2.

a. 20; b. 18; c. 100; d. about 600; 40 colonies; e. good.
Dr. G. L. Tinker. New Philadelphia. N. E. 8-1.
a. 18; b. 15; c. 100; d. 1000 of comb. 500 ready to extract; from
25 colonies; e. average.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Geo. A. Wright. Glenwood. N. E. 8-8.

a. 12XA\ b. 10; c. 75; d. my honey is still in the cases; e. fair.

S. W. Morrison. Oxford. S. E. 8-2.

a. 25; b. 12; c. 50; d. apiary engaged in queen -rearing; e. hon-
ey \ cry abundant, but too wet; e. bad.

Tims. ('. Davis. Idlewood. C. 8-2.

a. 20; b. 20; d. 500 comb from 12 colonics. Will extract 600 from
13 colonies. Increase, 50 per cent.

RHODE ISLAND.
A. C Miller. Providence. E. 8-3.
a, b. None on the market, either old or new; c. 100 to 125; d.

225 from 3; others not heard from; e. good.
SOUTH CAROLINA.

W. J. Ellison, Stateburg. C. 8-fi.

a. V2V,; b. 8 and 10; apiary 1. 50; apiary 2, 100. Only kepi a rec
ord of 9 in apiary 2— 744; e. apiary 1, bad; apiary 2, good; five
miles apart.

J. D. Fooshe, Coronaca. 8-5.

a. 10; b. 8 to 10; c. about 50; d. 350 extracted from 12 colonies;
e. average.

H. T. Cook, Greenville. 8-3.

a. 10; b. 20; C. 150; e. good, till in July.

TENNESSEE.
C. C Vaughn. Columbia. C. 8-5.
a. 15; D. 8; c. 75; e. poor.
Gaston B. Cartmell. Jackson. W. 8-7.

a. 10 to 15; b. none in market; c. 25 or less; d. not 5 to the col-
ony; 50 colonies; e. bad.

TEXAS.

J. E. Lay. Hallettsville. S. W. 8-5.

a. 15; b. 10; c. 25; d. unfinished; e. poor.

L. Stachelhausen, Selma. S. C. 8-10.

a. 10; b. 8; c. 50. d. 10,000 extracted ; 2000 comb from 200 colo-
nies; e. less than average.

J. P. Caldwell, San Marcos. S. W. 8-6.

a. 10; b. 8; c. 25; d. 200 from 20 colonics: e. the worst within
my knowledge.

VERMONT.

Howard J. Smith. Kichford. N. C. 8-2.

a. 20; b. 12; c. 100; d. 50 comb honey pel colony; e. good; the
best ever known.

A. E. Manum, Bristol. W. 8-5.

a, b. No price yet; c. 30; d. about 15,000 comb from 500 colo-
nies; e. poor.

F. M. Wright. Enosburgh. E. 8-5.

a. 18 and 20; b. 13 retail ; c. 50; d. 2500; 50 colonies ; e. average.

J. W. Porter, Charlottesville. C. 8-5.

a. P.". .; b 10; C 120; d. 1500 from 30; e. bad for me; my bees
have foul lir I

Will Thatcher. Martinsburg. W. ('. 8-8,

:i in and r:M;b. none in market; c. 40; d. 1600 or 1600 tiered
on in colonies; e. not average.

J. E. Crane, Middlebury. W. 8-10

a. 16 to 18; b. 10; C 50, d. 6000 lbs comb and 200 extracted
from ::ihi hives, one-half of my bees; e. season poor.

VIRGINIA.

H. W. Bass, Front Royal. N. 8-8.

a. I";' .; b. same; C. 65; d. has been 30 wej thai our honey is
no! finished, and we have taken but 1000 lbs. off as yet. Never
knew bees to seal up honey so slowly, il is so thin and watery,
on account of so much rain.

WEST VIRGINIA.

J. A. Buchanan, Holliday's Cove. N. 8-1.

a. 15 to 18; b. 15; c 60; d. 6000 extracted from 100 colonies; e.
below average.

Jno. C. Capehart, St. Albans. S. W. 8-1.

n. Vice 20; b. 10; c. 25; d. 10, average of 20 colonics , e. poor and
bad.

M. A. Kelley, Milton. S. W. 8-fl.

a. 15 1 b. none; ■ entire failure; 2 per cent; d. 25 from 02 colo-
nics e bttcj. im'ld'T, baddest,

WISCONSIN.

J. C. Sayles. Hartford. S?E. 8-10.

a. 14; b. 7; o. 150; 1 worked for increase; e. good.

S. I. Freeborn, Ithaca. S. W. 8-2.

a. 12J4; b. 8; c. 100; d. 300 colonies; 32,000 extracted. 200 comb;
e. good.

Frank McNav, Mauston. C. 8-3.

a. 12 to 15; b. 8; c. 100; d. 20,000 from 350; e. average

E. France-. Hatteville. S. W. 8-3.

a. 16; b. 8 to 10 retail; 7 to 8 wholesale; c. 75; d. 26,000; 630; e.
good but short.

Joshua Bull, Seymour. E. 8-2.

a. 15 wholesale, 18 retail; 1). 8 wholesale, 10 reta 1; c. 100; d
2500 nearly all comb from 10; e. average.

TOO I. ATE FOR GENERAL CLASSIFICATION.

A. A. Sanborn, Westfield, Mass. S. W. 8 7.

a.b. None in market; c. 4to5; 6 to 8 lbs. from one colony; e.
very bad .

J. P. Israel. Olivenhain, Cal. S. 8-8.

a. 7 in San Diego; b. 5 to 5y,\ c. 20— honey season is ended ; d.
2500 lbs. from 80 colonics ; e. bad, very bad.

On account of the cool wet weather in the
early part of the season, which, according
to the reports, seems to have pervaded al-
most all of the United States, the honey-
crop is considerably less than it might have
been. First, because this weather contin-
ued clear up, in a good many of the places,
into the time of year when the main nectar-
bearing flora was in bloom. Second, the
bees were unable to breed up properly on
account of the cool and rainy weather, and
hence the actual working force of the bees
was considerably lower than it should have
been. But in spite of all this, the season
has been decidedly better than last year, in
most localities, although there are some ex-
ceptions.

Twenty States report a good season :
namely, Alabama, Arkansas. Georgia. Illi-
nois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Minnesota, Missouri. Nebraska, Nevada,
New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn-
sylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,
Wisconsin, Arizona.

The following States report a poor season
generally : California, Connecticut, Florida,
Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire,
New York, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont,
Virginia, VVest Virginia.

Michigan, though usually among the fore-
most, gives as unfavorable a report as any
of the States enumerated.

It is interesting to note that a number of
States report 200 per cent as the average
crop of honey received. W. P. W. Duke, of
Alabama, and J. L. Clark, of Florida, re-
port 200 per cent, while a large number of
others give 175 per cent as the average crop.
Taking it all in all, we find that the average
per cent of question C, as to what has been
the average crop of honey secured in the re-
spective localities, stands 75 per cent. The
same average a year ago was only 50 per
cent ; so that, according to the reports, 50
per cent more honey has been secured this
year than last, although the general aver-
age is still down.

Perhaps we should remark, that the report
has probably been underestimated rather
than the reverse. The tendency of human
nature, and especially when its hopes are
set high, is to look down instead of up.
Farmers, as well as bee-keepers, are much
inclined to complain about the poor season,
too much drouth, or too much wet, or some-
thing else that is not just exactly right,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

663

MARKETING HONEY AT COMMISSION
HOUSES.

SOME FACTS NOT TO THEIR CREDIT.

HERETOFORE I have marketed my honey in
barrels, 50 gallons each. From year to year
1 shipped two or three barrels and managed
to retail the remainder at the small towns
within 25 or 30 miles of my apiary. Last
year everybody who kept bees had honey for sale
at about 5 cents per pound. It has been my obser-
vation, that box-hive bee-keepers cut out their
comb honey, carry it to town, and sell it for what
they can get, and pay 35 cents per gallon for black
sorghum for their family to eat, that is hardly fit
for hogs, and do without during half of the year,
unless they raised the sorghum. In that case they
have sorghum all the year, provided they can not
sell it. I can not hope to have a home market under
such circumstances. Last year I extracted 10,000 lbs.
of honey, and for the want of a market I left all the
supers full of comb honey, which would have
amounted to about 4000 lbs. if I had extracted it.

I made a mistake somehow, and realized less for
my honey than some previous years with a much
less crop. I have a barrel of my last year's honey
on hand yet. I shipped two barrels of honey to
D. G. Tutt & Co., of St. Louis, about two or three
months ago. It was horsemint honey, and had
granulated. It was capped over before I extracted
it. I never raised better or sweeter horsemint hon-
ey. Tutt & Co. wrote to me, in a few days after
shipping it, that it had soured, and that one of the
barrels had been burst in transit, and that they sold
the remainder at 5?4 cts. per lb. I got $30.00 for the
two barrels of honey. If such transactions as that
would not burst a bee-keeper from shipping honey,
I should like to know what it would take to break
him from sucking eggs.

When I commenced writing I did not think of
writing more than an order; but since I have men-
tioned carrying over comb honey in supers I will
tell you how I lost a good customer a year ago last
winter. I carried over 1000 lbs. in supers to the fol-
lowing spring. The winter was very cold, the ther-
mometer going down to zero one day and night,
and my honey granulated in the hive. I always
carry over some comb honey in supers to the fol-
lowing spring for weak colonies and swarms. I did
not use it all for that purpose, and the first two or
three barrels of extracted was mixed with granu-
lated honey. I thought it the best honey I ever
extracted. I liked it better than all-liquid honey.
I got an order from Colorado City for a barrel of
honey, and it so happened that I shipped one of
the barrels mixed with granulated honey. The
parties wrote immediately to know what was the
matter with it. They said it had granulated. They
never saw granulated honey at that season of the
year before. I honestly explained, but could not
satisfy them, and have not had an order from them
since.

I sent a sample of granulated honey to a friend
in Mills County, Texas, last winter. I am not sure
that I know what the bees gather it from; but
when first extracted it is almost as clear as pure
water. The dry granulated is as white as the whit-
est sugar (I extract from one to three barrels of
that kind every year). He wrote me that the mer-
chants said they did not want it; that it was not
honey; that they never saw honey as white as that;

that it was artificial honey, or that I fed my bees on
something to produce it.

In the fall of 1881 1 had five weak colonies that I
fed. I have not fed since, except one frame of
honey stored by bees. When spring opened in 1883
I had two weak colonies, about one pint of bees
each. I have at this writing more than 200 colonies.
I have extracted over 500 gallons this year. 1 don't
know any thing about bad years for bees and honey
in Texas. Since my failure in 1881, every year has
been good, some better. Texas is a land of honey.
God has in a special way blessed it with honey and
bees— and with men, too, who love black thick sor-
ghum better than honey, and who have been edu-
cated to hate the bee. E. Y. Tyrral,

Co. Judge of Milam Co.

Cameron, Tex., July 20, 1889.

Friend T., I am afraid you are a little too
severe on our friends Tint & Co. Perhaps
they made a mistake in calling the honey
sour, instead of having a disposition to
cheat. I know there is quite a disposition
to suspect bee-men of adulteration and
fraud, or of feeding bees something to pro-
duce honey ; and when we think of the ti-
rade of falsehoods that are constantly being
published in this direction, can we really
blame them? I do not know what more we
can do than to keep on fighting these mis-
chievous falsehoods. We want to get stanch
men in every community to stand up
squarely and steadfastly— men who will not
be weary in contradicting and explaining.
Personal interviews with the editors, I do
believe, is going to be the next work before
us. Who will enlist in the work?

MANUM IN THE APIARY WITH HIS

MEN.

VISITING NEW HAVEN APIARY, LET OUT ON
SHARES TO H. B. ISHAM.

u

OOD-MORNING, Henry, and good-morn-
ing, Mrs. Isham."
lirT " Why, good-morning, Mr. Manum. I
^^ had nearly made up my mind that you
had forsaken us entirely. Just think of it!
You have not been here since the first of May. I
was telling Henry only yesterday that I believed
the loss of your good wife, and the past three poor
seasons, had so discouraged you that I feared you
were neglecting your business. Well, I am very
glad to see you once more."

"Thank you, Mrs. Isham. But I have been here
once since May, though I did not see you. I only
called at the apiary a few moments to see Henry
and the bees; and as to neglecting business, I nev-
er looked after the bees any more closely than I
have this season. Why! the three past poor sea-
sons have nerved me up to the highest point of am-
bition; and I am toiling on with all my might, in
the endeavor to regain what I have lost in the past
three years in dollars and cents. The loss of my
good wife, it is true, has cast a gloom over my
home, which loss I can never regain while I remain
in the body. But when 1 reach the other shore I
expect to regain what I have lost. Although I am
not a professing Christian, yet I believe— yea, I
Htiow-my wife still lives, and 1 believe it is well
with her; and when my work here is done, I too

BB4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

shall be ' born again ' from this to a higher life.
Hence I try to take a philosophical view of the
matter, and to do the very best I can while I am
permitted to remain here. You know, Mrs. Isham,
our views differ somewhat in regard to religion;
and as I am in something of a hurry, we will not
discuss the matter now.

" Well, Henry, how are you getting along with
the bees?"

"Very well, except in one thing. I want you to
come to the apiary with me, and I will show you a
pitiful sight. There, just look on the ground and
see the bees crawling around. They are all over
the apiary in this way. They seem to have lost the
use of their wings. They come out of the hives in
the morning, apparently to go out to work, and try
to start; but they seem to be unable to rise, and
then they walk off on the ground and in the grass,

Cook all about it, and sent him some of the affected
bees, and I hope he will bj. able to give us some
light on the matter. You wrote me that you could
spare a few combs, and I guess I will take, some as
we need them in some of the yards. Well, Henry,
I must say that you have taken good care of them,
so far as keeping the worms out of them; how did
you do it?"

" Simply by looking them over often and picking
out what worms I could find, and then hanging the
combs on these racks, and placing each comb one
or ll/2 inches from the others, when, if I had placed
them close together, it would have been impossible
to keep the worms out."

"Well, there! I have all I can carry th's time.
Now I want a few combs of brood, if you have any
hives that can spare it I have drawn on my home
bees all I dare to at present; and as your bees have

MR. MANOM AND HIS HELPERS.

and are lost. They are dying by the thousand every
day; in fact, so many die that there is a very offen-
sive smell in the apiary, caused by the dead bees.
Can you tell me the cause of all this?"

" No, Henry, I can not. I have observed it in my
home yard and in three others. I notice only the
young bees are affected— that is, those that seem to
have just commenced to work. I have picked them
up and tossed them into the air to see them fall to
the ground like so many peas. I also notice that
their wings are perfect; none of them have'ragged
wings as old bees have, nor do they appear to be
sick. I have caged some of them, and kept them
caged four days without their showing any signs of
being sick; but upon liberating them again they
could not then fly. I fear this will cut our honey
crop short from what it would have been were it
not for this trouble, because the colonies are be-
coming very light in bees. I have written to Prof.

not swarmed very much, there must be some that
would be benefited by taking away a card or two.
I want the brood with what young bees will adhere
to the comb for making more nuclei. Jly carrying
the bees so far from their home, 1 find they stay
much better than where they are used in the same
apiary. There, I think I have now about all the
load I can carry. How does the solar wax-extract-
or work?"

" Nicely. See what a nice cake of wax I have tak-
en from it. Why, it will pay for itself several times
over this year."

" Here, Mr. Manum, here is a bouquet for you
that I have just made."

"Thank you, Mrs. Isham. How pretty it is! I no-
ticed 7your flower-garden when I first oame. I see
you love flowers as well as ever. 1 shall place this
bouquet on my wife's grave as I pass by the come'
tery on my way home."

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

665

" Yes, do. I thought of her when I was making it.
Good-by."

"Good -afternoon, Whittier. Here area few young
queens I have brought you to introduce here where
you have killed off old ones. They are daughters
of that choice queen I have talked so much about.
They are very promising young queens."

" Sure enough, Mr. M.. they are beauties in form,
though I have seen much brighter-colored queens."

"It is not the color 1 am after; it is the quality;
though the old queen's workers 6how the three
bands yet, instead of being a bright yellow they are
nearly brown; but they do get the honey, and that
is what I want."

"There, 1 promised you a picture of that group of
my bee-help, taken three years ago, and here it is.

tons of comb honey in one-pound sections. The
next season (188(i) the apiary contained 117 colonies,
and she got only 250 lbs. of not very nice honey.
She has since passed to the other shore.

" The next is Charles McGee, who commenced to
work for me when I first started the supply-busi-
ness. One day I got him to go to my then only out
apiary to help si. ingle the new edition to the honey-
house, it being a slack time in the shop, and at the
height of the swarming season he became wild
with excitement in seeing swarm after swarm come
out; 15 swarms issued >tbat] day. Finally, while we
were eating our lunch at noon he offered me $5.00
for the next swarm that came out, which offer I ac-
cepted. In a few moments out came a very large
swarm of pure Italians. I put them in a box, and

MANUM S SIDE-HILL APIARY.

The first one on the right, standing near the row of
Chapman honey - plants, is E. O. Tuttle. He is a
young man from Massachusetts, who worked for
me six seasons. He is somewhere in New York
running a photograph gallery. The next is Duane
Wcatherbee, of Moriah Center, N. Y. He was with
me two seasons, and is now at home on his farm.
The next is Leslie Bissonette. He commenced to
work for me when a mere boy, packing sections in
boxes for shipment. He worked his way along up
until I sold my supply business to Drake & Smith.
He was my foreman. Since then he has worked for
me at the bee-business.

"The next is Mrs. Eugene D. Sturdivant, a widow
lady who had charge of one of my apiaries two sea-
sons. The yard that she ran for me in 1885 contain-
ed 96 colonies, and she took from that apiary five

at night he carried them home. He now has about
175 colonies in two apiaries, and is a very success-
ful apiarist.

"The next is Henry Isham, who has been with me
off and on for over 25 years. For the past six years
he has run my New Haven apiary on shares. He
has half of the honey, without any increase of the
bees. He does all of the work there, such as keep-
ing the hives painted and repaired, etc. I furnish
all supplies at cost, and he pays for half ; he also
pays for half the sugar fed to the bees.

" The next two are your humble servant and his
son Fred— at the extreme left. Fred has taken but
very little interest in bees until the past two or
three years, since which he has run one of my apia-
ries during the honey season, and he is doing very
well indeed; but even now he prefers to handle

666

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Aug.

horses, and work on the farm, rather than to work
among the bees.

" Now I have explained this picture, I will present
you this one, which is a view of this apiary you are
running, as I make a practice of giving each new
man a view of the apiary which he runs for me.
This view was taken eight years ago, while Mr.
Will Hinds was taking care of it. You will observe
that the yard looks very much different now from
what it did then, as there were no fruit-trees on the
plat at that time, while now the hives are nearly all
shaded by pear and cherry trees that I set out here
the second year after I located the apiary, and near-
ly all are in bearing. I located this apiary here by
request of Mr. H. B. Williams, who owns the land.
He was anxious for me to do so, as he said he be-
lieved the bees would be a benefit to his crops. I
chose this spot because the ground is descending,
as I prefer to locate an apiary on a side-hill when I
can, to secure good drainage; and I believe the
bees can locate their respective hives much better
than on a level plot, especially the yonng queens
when they go out to mate; and as the honey-house
is at the lower side of the apiary, I find it much
easier to carry the honey down hill than on a level.
Again, as each and every hive can be seen from the
honey house, the attendant can be watching for
swarms while at work inside; and if a swarm issues
he can locate the hive at once. This picture some-
what misrepresents the apiary, as one would imag-
ine by looking at it that the ground is quite de-
scending; but, as you know, it is not any too much
so. The picture also represents the hives as being
set on the amphitheater plan, when they are not,
but instead are set in straight rows. I have three
apiaries located on level ground ; and I find in the
spring, when the snow is melting, that snow-water
often settles around the hives, making it too damp
for the welfare of the bees. Here I stand in front
with a brood-comb in my hands, and Mr. Hinds is a
little way further up, with a swarm-catcher in his
hands; and a little further up stands Mr. Williams;
and a little to the right, standing on the edge of the
ledge, is a neighbor's boy; while back of the boy,
in the distance, is a mountain two miles and a half
away. I am sorry this apiary does not face east or
south east, as nearly all my other apiaries do; but
instead it faces south-west; however, perhaps the
bees do as well as though they faced some other di-
rection, as four years ago Mr. McFarland took from
117 colonies, 6pring count, in this apiary five tons of
comb honey and 500 lbs. of extracted honey, and in-
creased to 176 colonies." A. E. Mandm.

Bristol, Vt.

Friend M., we are exceedingly obliged,
not only for your excellent pictures, which
we think our engravers have succeeded won-
derfully in copying, but as well for your
pen-pictures. The group of helpers is won-
derfully lifelike and suggestive. No wonder
you enjoy your work. Your boy Fred looks
as if he might do a pile of work, and possi-
bly a pile of mischief, if it were the order of
the day. We are very glad indeed to see
one lady among your number ; and it will
doubtless be encouraging to her sex to know
that she succeeded in getting a crop of hon-
ey that would be a credit to almost any of
the men-folks. Very likely your helpers
have different plans and ways of working;
and may be they are as unlike in their dis-
position as in their looks; but the very

thought of having such a lot of friends, not
only willing but capable, round about you,
to lend a helping hand, when many duties
press, is in itself inspiring. We can not all
very well set others at work, for God has
given us different talents and abilities ; but
we can, each and every one of us, be helpful
to those round about us ; and in my opinion
it is right in this line where the greatest
happiness and enjoyment come to every hu-
man being. " Not to be ministered unto,
but to minister." Your apiary on the hill-
side was a very attractive and suggestive
picture to me when I first set eyes on it. In
our first apiary, as you may remember, we
had a honey-house in the center, and the
hives all around it ; but although the honey-
house had a door at each end, there was al-
ways something going on behind the house,
which we could not see. For this reason I
decided that our apiary at the Home of the
Honey-bees should have no building, tree,
or other obstruction, in the center. But
your arrangement of hives placed on the
hillside, facing the honey-house, fills the
bill exactly. Providence permitting, I hope
to see it some time, friend M.; and may be
you or Fred, and perhaps some of the other
helpers, if they are not too busy, will go
with me to the top of the mountain, away
off in the background. Hills and moun-
tains, with running springs at their bases,
will probably be hobbies of mine so long as
I live ; and when I come to visit you, I want
you to point out to me all the springs and
all the running water that is to be found
round about your home.

COST OP MOVING BEES.

FRIEND DOOLITTLE RECONSIDERS SOME OF THE
ANSWERS.

ITH your permission, Mr. Editor, I wish to
say a few words regarding some of the
answers to question 134, relative to moving
bees to and from out-apiaries. Dr. Ma-
son's answer to that question was simply
astounding to me. Ts not the bee-keeper to have
any pay for the labor which he or she preforms?
He says it does not cost him any thing, generally,
to move bees, for he has his own horse, etc. Has
he got such a kind of horse that it does not cost
him any thing to keep him? If so, 1 wish he would
purchase one of the same kind for me and ship it
out here. If he will do this for me, using that same
kind of time which he uses in moving bees, that
kind which costs nothing, I will say "thanks" to
him for his pay, and mean it from the bottom of
my heart. The whole thing reminds me of a little
incident which happened several years ago, when I
was obliged to economize as closely as possible the
money which came in from the bees, to make it
meet the outgoes which I had to furnish by way of
hives, etc. ; for I resolved, after the first outlay on
the bees in the beginning, that I would not pay out
a cent further on them unless they brought it in to
me to use for them. Having this in view, I went to
see a neighbor who had some nice whitewood lum-
ber, thinking that I could buy it cheaper than I
could hire a team and go to the city and buy pine.
When I asked the price of the lumber, he said it
would be $30 per thousand feet. When I demurred

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

667

a little, and replied that said price was all he could
get for his lumber drawn to the city, many miles
away, he replied that " he had to go to the city oc-
casionally, and when going he could draw a load of
lumber just as well as not, so that the drawing cost
him nothing." Seeing my opportunity, I said: "I
have been hesitating about buying this whitewood
lumber for some time, because I prefer pine at the
same price; and as you are going to the city occa-
sionally, I should be pleased to have you put on a
load of pine the next time you are there, and draw
it back to me on the same terms you draw this
whitewood lumber there."

Did he draw it for me? Oh, no! but he said he
would do so for 15.00 a load. Now, Dr. A. B. Mason,
it costs you just as much to move those bees as it
would to hire it done; hence I say that the cost in
moving bees does figure in the matter of honey-pro-
duction at out-apiaries. I believe that it costs the
doctor much more to move those bees himself than
it would to hire it done; and if he will stop to think
a little I believe he will agree with me. Suppose
he had put the same energy that he has put into
the bees into some other calling in life, say dentis-
try, would he not have received as good pay for his
time as he now receives from the bees? Undoubt-
edly; for I know of dentists that average their $10
a day, or at least it is reported that they do. Now,
if a dentist (as I believe Dr. Mason is), and having
your time fully occupied with that specialty with-
out " dabbling " with bees, how much would it take,
doctor, to hire you to move bees for me, were you a
near neighbor of mine? The point I wish to get at,
is, that every man deserves pay according to the
skill and energy which he puts into his profession,
and that the bee-keeper is worthy of just as much
pay for the skill, energy, and labor performed as he
would be were he in any other profession in life.

In answering the same question, the Rambler
says that the cost should be about 25 cts. per hour
for labor performed by a man skillful enough to do
such work as it should be done. I would ask him if
he would work for that price during the hurrying
part of the season of some four to six months,
when many who have put no more thought into
their profession than he has in the bee-business,
get three times that pay for their labor. I would
not. Look at what he expects to do in a little more
than four minutes; prepare a colony of bees for
shipment or hauling, carry it to the wagon and see
that it is properly loaded, go with it five miles, then
unload it, carry it to the stand it is to occupy, see
that it is properly placed thereon, then take off the
fixings that were used in shipping, getting it in
proper shape to work during the season ; doing all
this for less than two cents! Surely bee-keeping
must be light and pleasant work, for " the bees
work for nothing and board themselves," while it
costs only about two cents to do all of the above,
where a skillful apiarist is permitted to furnish the
muscle. Brethren, let us hear less of this non-
sense, else the consumer will ere long think we
should give them what honey they want to eat, and
bring it around to their doors in the bargain.

QUEEN-CELLS OVER A QUEEN-EXCLUDING
HONEY-BOARD.

On page 590 of Gleanings for July 15th I see Bro.
Stachelhausen says that in his locality, during the
horsemint honey-flow, queen-cells will be destroy-
ed over a queen-excluding honey-board. I am very
much surprised at this, unless by mistake he has

let a queen hatch above, in which case the cells are
always torn down which are already built, and
those in process of building are deserted; but so
long as there is no queen at liberty in the apart-
ment where the cells are, I have never had a single
cell destroyed, out of thousands so reared, at all
times of the year, when bees could fly, and cover-
ing a period of over six years. I also have had re-
ports from many who have tried the plan, and Bro.
S. is the first one who has ever reported such a
thing as a failure in getting queen-cells built and
matured over a queen-excluder. I am now having,
after our honey season is over, and bees trying to
rob, queen-cells built and completed, virgin queens
from one to ten days old kept in nurseries, virgin
queens hatched and mated, and laying queens do-
ing good work above queen - excluding honey-
boards, with the old queen doing duty below, just
as I gave in my book, and have been having the
same success ever since the basswood opened. By
the addition of a little wire cloth, I believe I have
perfected the plan of having queens fertilized, as
I give in the book, so it will work at any time and
in all localities. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Aug. 2, 1889.
Very good, old friend. I am glad you
have taken up this side of the question.
The only plea that can be made in favor of
charging nothing for your work with bees,
that I know of, is that it is recreation out-
side of office hours. I think if Dr. Mason
had as many out-apiaries, however, as some
of the Wisconsin brethren, he would begin
to think that the bees were the business, and
recreation of some other kind would in time
be needed. In summing up the expense of
any such work, I think the operator should
charge the time, or mention the amount of
time consumed. Even if it were done
nights and mornings, or outside of regular
business hours, statements for print should
figure in the cost. Our agricultural papers
give glowing accounts of what may be done
with many of our rural industries, omitting
entirely to mention the time occupied, and
brain and muscle consumed, for it does
take time, brain, and muscle to make a suc-
cess of any of these enticing industries.

AMONG THE BEE-KEEPERS OF VER-
MONT.

A VISIT TO J. E. CRANE AND J. H. LARRABEE.

K. CRANE has an attractive home toward the
outskirts of Middlebury. In the rear of the
modern house, with its lawn - bordered
porches, are connected buildings of similar
style containing the stable, work-shop, and
honey-room. Here he and one of his men were
busily engaged weighing and crating comb honey
for market. Crates taking 20 sections were placed
upon the scales, and filled, the laRt few sections be-
ing changed until the weight came out even
pounds. Piled near by were a lot of filled crates
ready to be shipped. Part of the sections were
glassed; the rest were in paper cartons, neatly
printed with his address.

Mr. Crane, who has long been known as a produc-
er and dealer in comb honey, has probably mar-
keted all together more than any one else in the
State, if not in New England, and is, therefore, not

GtEAMNGS Ifc BEE CULTUKE.

AUG.

unfamiliar with what the trade demands. He be-
gan with a few colonies in 18Cfi, and has followed
the changes and improvements up to the present
time. As an advanced and experienced bee-rnaster
he has few equals. His location, one of the best
for white clover, has been favorable to success.
At one time, when canal-boats were the means of
travel, he took his crop to New York and sold it at
a price that would bring a fortune to the extensive
producer of to-day.

Although we came rather unexpectedly, he oblig-
ingly left his work and showed us about. In an in-
ner room, another hand was sorting and cleaning
sections. Here we saw a section crate made to
hold the ordinary closed-side section with separa-
tors, and which met cur ideas nearer than any
thing we had ever seen or heard of. It was simple,
easily and cheaply made, protected the sections
both top and bottom; and by a follower and simple
wedge, sections were crowded tightly together. It
was a simple box, with solid sides and ends, with
slat bottom tirmly nailed. Slats were as wide as
the narrow piece of section. Movable wood separa-
tors were used, and the* ends projected into slots
sawed in the sides of the case. These were wide
enough to give some play. There was no bee-space
at either top or bottom of the crate. When on the
hive, the space above the frames gives one bee-
space beneath the first crate, and none is allowed
between the others.

Sections come out cleaner than from any arrange-
ment we had ever seen; and what cleaning is nec-
essary is done with less labor. The tops of a crate-
ful are all cleaned and scraped before removing;
and when emptied, and the crates cleaned, they
may be loosely filled with the cleaned comb honey,
and tiered up in the honey-house to ripen. Blocks
may be put under the corners of each case to raise
each a little from the other, to give a free circula-
tion of air. It was made to cover the brood-cham-
ber of the large hive he uses. We should be inclined
to make it in two parts, so that the outside could
be brought to the center when desired. He uses
the large Quinby hanging frame, and in the home
apiary were many of these hives. Here we were
shown some very fine Italian queens. He manu-
factures a smoker of heavy tin, with double valve
to protect the bellows from Are, and which differs
from others in many respects.

We were driven to the out-yards, in wThich we
were much interested. They are from three to six
miles apart. All colonies were in chaff hives, with
movable outer case, although different from what
we saw at Manum's. Entrances were level with
bottom-board instead of being underneath. Hives
were numbi red, and arranged in groups of four or
five, facing outward instead of in rows. At each
yard is a small work-shop. To get the bees out of
sections, cases of honey are taken from the hives,
placed in a dry-goods box, and covered with a cloth
which is occasionally turned. One apiary is located
in the edge of a wood where they are protected
from winds. The underbrush is cleared away, and
we think the apiarist in charge must appreciate the
situation in the heat of summer. Queens are kept
clipped, and at the beginning of the honey season
they are removed to prevent the issue of natural
swarms. This plan has been described in Glean-
ings. Mr. Crane, with Captain Hetherington and
P. H. Elwood, who have been studying this prob-
lem, have adopted it in preference to any other.

Sweet clover is very plentiful throughout this re-
gion, the roadsides being covered with it, and It
furnishes some honey. Id 18(58 Mr. Crane commenc-
ed to plant alsike clover; and since, many in that
vicinity have grown it.

The season of 1869 was one of the best, and he se-
cured 3000 lbs. of comb honey from about J20 colo-
nies. In 1883, 26,(00 lbs. from 300 colonies. In 1885
his crop was 23.000 lbs. In 1887, 18,500 lbs. ; ami last
season, from 550 colonies in the spring he secured
about 11,000 lbs. of comb honey. During the sea-
son, this number in five yards of about 150 colonies
each are cared for by himself and three men.

Although long an " advocate of wintering on
summer stands," he has lately come out in favor of
cellar wintering.

Mr. Crane is of middle age, of good height, spare,
rather nervous, and of light complexion. He has a
wife and one boy, a bright child of six or seven
years, of which he is very proud. He is a promi-
nent Prohibitionist in his town, and is interested in
church wor'j. He has followed bee-keeping be-
cause his health was not of the best, and he was
obliged to give up other aims. For the same rea-
son he does not further extend his operations nor
write more for bee-journals. He informs me that
the first bee-book published in America was printed
in Middlebury, just fifty-two years ago.

Our time being limited, we reluctantly took leave
of Mr. Crane and family, and boarded the train for
Larrabee's Point, where we hoped to find Mr. J. H.
Larrabee at home.

The station is on the Addison branch, between
Leicester Junction, on the Central Vermont Rail-
road, and Ticonderoga. After passing the stations
of Whiting, Shoreham, and Orwell, and just be-
fore the train crossed the trestle and drawbridge
over Lake Champlain, which is here quite narrow,
we were dropped at a crossing near which was
friend Larrabee's home.

After making inquiries we started off across the
fields; and after a half-mile walk reached our des-
tination. Here the bee-keeper's eye at once noted a
good number of neatly painte.t chaff hives, ar-
ranged on ground which slopes to the south, from
the pleasant and comfortable-looking farmhouse,
with its wide front porch and guard of trees and
shrubs.

We were heartily welcomed by both Mrs. Larra-
bee and son, the only ones of the family at home
during our stay, which they made very pleasant.

John Larrabee is a bright young man of about 25
years, and is social and very friendly. He has had
bees five years, and now keeps 98 colonies, mostly
blacks, with a few colonies of hybrids and pure
Italians. All are in chaff hives with movable outer
eases.

The soil here is a heavy clay, and white clover is
very plentiful. There is some basswood on the
ridges, and sweet clover abounds on all the road-
sides, although the latter, he informs us, gives no
surplus. His bees have paid their way from the
start. Tn 1885 he increased from 8 to 18 colonies,
and obtained, 500 lbs. of comb honey besides. That
season the bees gathered clover honey from the
middle of June till the middle of September. In
1887 he obtained from 30 colonies, 20(0 lbs. of comb
honey. Last season he secured, from 98 colonies,
8300 lbs. His comb honey was put up in cases hold-
ing twelve 1-lb. sections, and the quality and flavor
were fine.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

069

His home being within half a mile of Lake Cham-
plain, and about opposite Ticonderoga, there is a
fine view of the lake, with its passing boats, the old
fort on the further shore, and the Adirondack
Mountains in the background.

Pawtucket, R. I. Samuel Cushman.

In your opening paragraph you hint at an
idea i have often longed for, but did not
know that it had ever been made practical ;
namely, having crates holding an exact
number of pounds. -lust think of telling
your grocery or commission man that your
load contains 50 cases of honey, with 120 lbs.
in a case, just 1000 lbs.! and you might add
that, as the agreed price was 15 cts., he
could just hand over his check for $150, and
that would be all of it. Now think of the
other plan of having every one of the 50
cases have odd pounds and ounces, to be fig-
ured and added and blundered over! It
seems to me, however, that it would need
quite a little assorting to make them come
out right. With an expert hand, however,
I^do not know but that it might be done. I
think that Dr. Miller might do it without
very much trouble, especially if he had his
wife and sister to handle the sections, with-
out bumping them or making any of them
leak. — We remember friends Crane and Lar-
rabee as progressive bee-keepers for many
years past. 'We are glad indeed that you
dropped down on them and let us know
what they are up to. We are glad to know
that they have not been letting the grass
grow under their feet, even though they
have not given us very much for the jour-
nals of late.

WIRE TOP-BARS.

QUEEN-TRAPS, ETC.

TrorOTIClNGyour foot-notes following A. L. Kil-
|\| do's letter on page 633, 1 wish to say that I
"¥^1 began making the Langstroth hive from di-
•*■ t rections given in father Langstroth's old
edition of " The Hive and Honey-bee." In
that book you will find that the top-bars are to be
made 1}8 inches wide; aud you will see that, by put-
ting them in a 14J-4 space, they will be pretty close to-
gether. I was very glad to change to one inch, and
from that to 7i , aud found each change beneficial.
While it may be true that a few less brace-combs
maybe built between the top- surface of the top-
bars, and any honey-board or surplus receptacle
above, it is a fact that it by no means prevents a
good many brace-combs being built there; but then
the worst of it is, they plug in hard combs, or more
properly wax plugs, between the edges of the top-
bars when put so close together, which makes the
frames well nigh immovable. I am very sure that
whoever makes any top bars to frames more than
7« wide will regret it. Some 12 years ago I experi-
mented quite largely with making top-bars so thick
that the right-angled sides ran down toward the
bottom of the hive % or % of an inch before the V
began. I liked these bars very much because they
were stiff, and bees were less inclined to build
brace-combs either between or above them. Still,
they would build more or less. I should use such
bars now were T not using frames wired with full
sheets of foundation which 1 consider preferable to

every thing else, and % is the right width for the
Langstroth frames, and ,'0 less for the Heddon
frames.

QUEEN AND DRONE TRAP.

This subject has interested bee-keepers to no
small extent. On page 22 of my book is illustrated
and described the best trap of the kind which, to
my notion, has yet been devised, and yet 1 have
abandoned it. On page 637, last Gleanings, in
your foot-notes to Query No. 137, you pen the fol-
lowing: " With the Dovetailed hive we have lately
been using an ordinary queen - excluding honey-
board between the bottom-board and the brood-
chamber. Unlike the ordinary drone-excluders and
queen-traps attached to the entrance itself, it
causes no obstruction to the bees passing in and
out." And you should have added, "To the ven-
tilation of the hive or the air passing in and out."
But to show you that I have experimented laigely
with this principle, and, I believe, ante-dated all
others in writing about it, let me refer you to page
104 of my book, written in 1884, and from it I quote
the following regarding the " New" hive:

I believe that, by virtue of the style and method
of adjustment of the bottom-board, cases, and hon-
ey-board, by using the latter, made queen-exclud-
ing, we can place them in such a way as to control
swarming and flight of drones, without the serious
objections realized by the use of entrance attach-
ments, which we have enumerated on pages 22 and
23.

If you place one of the queen-excluding honey-
boards on the bottom-board, and the brood-cases
upon it, you will preserve proper bee-spaces
throughout, and force all bees to pass through the
honey-board, in leaving or entering the hive. The
drones and queen can not leave or enter the cases.
By experiment we found that this arrangement did
not retard ventilation, nor in any way disturb the
normal tranquility of the colony; but further than
this we have not experimented. What shall we do
with our imprisoned drones? How can we catch
our queens, when they attempt to go out with the
swarms?

I have faith in a simple arrangement for catching
and holding them imprisoned, in a movable box,
adjusted to the side of the brood-chamber, near the
front end, but not in front of the entrance; thus in
no way retarding ventilation, or egress and ingress
of the workers. As soon as perfected and tested,
it will be publicly described, and attached to the
New hive, if proven a practical success.

I will add, that further experiments with the
queen - excluding honey-board below the brood-
chamber prove very satisfactory in some cases;
yet there is some trouble with it which I will not
take space to detail here. However, it is far ahead
of any entrance arrangement, in my estimation. I
will further add, that it is better to have the honey-
board which is used in this position all metal, such
as I wrote you about when father Langstroth was
visiting me a year ago last spring.

Now, as to the " simple arrangement " for catch-
ing and holding drones and queens at the side of
the hive near the front, mentioned in my book as
above quoted, it is a perfect success; and although
any one skilled in the art could go on and success-
fully make it after simply giving the above hint, I
will, if you desire, describe it in a future ax-ticle.
That this arrangement is far ahead of any entrance
arrangement for the purpose, there is no doubt.
Still, I do doubt whether or not, in rapid and cheap
honey-production, any of it is of much value; and,
further, I wish to add that, in the production of
comb honey, queen-excluding is of very little value
—perhaps not enough to pay bee-keepers at large
for using queen-excluding metal, provided they
use the bee-space break-joint honey-board, which

(170

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

will as surely come into general use among practi-
cal honey-producers as did the Langstroth hive.

James Heddon.
Dowagiac, Mich., Aug. 5, 1889.

Your experience with wide top-bars has
been ours almost exactly. I first commenc-
ed with a hive made after Langstroth's
book, as yon did ; and L kept making tbe
top-bars narrower until I got down to f of
an inch. Then I increased their width un-
til we had them A, and settled down upon
the latter dimension as the best for the pur-
pose. Our metal corners were then made
just right for the f lumber. I know that
top-bars very thick up and down do a great
deal to discourage brace-combs ; but by the
use of wired frames, we, like yourself,
greatly prefer to have brood in place of the
useless wood, as much as we can.

BEE-HATS FOR WOMEN.

BY AN AMATEUR LADY BEE-KEEPER.

"JTp S an amateur bee-Keeper I was much interested
gilk, in Mrs. Harrison's article on " Attire for the

jRlf Apiary," in Gleanings of April 1st. She
-^*- seems to have found some difficulty in mak-
ing a suitable hat; and as I have nowhere
seen or heard of a hat which so perfectly meets the
demand of lady apiculturists as that arranged by
Mrs. K. H. Holmes, of Shoreham, Vt., I should like
to give the readers of Gleanings the benefit of
her idea.

MRS. HOLMES' REE-HAT.

The first thing needed is a wide-rimmed straw hat
—mine measures five inches. For the veil, take a
strip of mosquito-bar, wide enough to reach from
the base of the crown on the outside of the hat to
the arm-pits, and long enough to fit loosely around
the shoulders, with the exception of about twelve
inches, which is of the finest black bobinet lace.
Join the ends. Turn in one edge and gather on to
the base of the crown. Face the other edge with a
strip of cotton cloth, fitting the shoulders tightly.
At the back of the arm, attach a strap which passes
under the arm and buttons on to the band in front.
If necessary, run into the band a cord to tighten, as
the occasion may require. The black bobinet is less
trying- to the eyes than anything else, and is al-
most no obstruction to the sight. If properly made

there is no falling in on the neck, and no rubbing
of the nose and chin, yet perfect freedom of move-
ment to the head. I wore one last summer, and
found it perfectly comfortable, as Mrs. Holmes as-
sure <1 me I would. Miss G. M. Wolcott.
Shoreham, Vt., June 5, 1889.

Miss W., we are exceedingly obliged to
you for the description you have given, and
also for the excellent photograph you send
along with it. Our engravers have suc-
ceeded excellently, we think, in reproduc-
ing it. We think, however, yon would find
the silk brussels net, which we use for our
bee-veils, still better for the eyes than the
bobinet, which you mention.

CUBA AGAIN,
o. o. poppleton gives us some additional

FACTS CONCERNING THE ISLAND; BEE-KEEPING
AND PROTECTION.

fRIENDHOOT:-On page 585 you ask me some
questions which I will try to answer as briefly
as possible. Our 50,000 lbs. of honey was sold
to a firm in New York at 55 cents per gallon,
all round, in bond; that is, Mr. Dussaq pays
all expenses on it until delivered in a bonded ware-
house in New York, purchaser paying all after ex-
penses, including the import duty of 20 cents per
gallon. This last item amounted te over $800, so
you and your readers can have some idea how the
American idea of protection benefits our own bee-
keepers. Were that duty taken off by our Govern-
ment, a few score of our experienced American apia-
rists could and probably would supply the markets of
the States with cheap Cuban honey in a very short
space of time. Our former year's crop was sold in
bulk to friend Muth, in Cincinnati, he paying prices
according to the different qualities.

A large part of the honey produced in Cuba goes
to Antwerp, Belgium, where, I am told, it is used
in making a certain grade of wine, and where the
demand is able to absorb all honey raised in Cuba,
but at a price less than is obtained by our bee-
keepers at home. I do not know any thing about
the correctness of this information. A great deal
of honey is shipped from here to New York, and re-
shipped direct from there to Antwerp, if the mar-
ket in New York will not warrant paying duty and
selling there.

In the third paragraph of the second column,
on page 584, you will find your question as to quali-
ty alreadj answered. The hive on the scales was
only an average colony; that is, it gave about 125
lbs. of honey, which is what the entire apiary, weak
and strong, averaged, while some of the best colo-
nies in the apiary gave about 2^4 times as much,
and, of course, their record, if on scales, would have
been about 16 or 17 lbs. on the best days. Mr. Man-
ure's record was probably from one of his very best
hives. In studying conditions, etc., I prefer to use
the record of an average colony instead of either
an extra weak or an extra strong one. I think we
are then more apt to reach just conclusions. This
is the mistake that has been made here in Cuba,
taking into account the work of only the strong
colonies in an apiary, instead of estimating from
the entire apiary.

Excuse me, friend Root, for smiling at your
question about irrigating; but I presume you had
California in your mind when asking it. So far as

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

G71

rains are concerned, Cuba is almost the direct op-
posite of California. There, not a drop falls for
several months during- the summer, and no large
quantity during the winter. Here, rains come and
Hoods descend, I might almost say daily, during the
six hottest months in the year, and the wish is for
less irrigation instead of more.

Yes, friend Hoot, Gleanings comes to a spot
right here where bees gather honey every month
in the year. Last summer, during the short period,
notwithstanding our 40(1 colonies in one locality,
nearly :!0 of our colonies gathered their own sup-
plies, sufficient to keep brood-rearing going in at
least 8 or 10 frames each, and gave from 15 to 5 lbs.
of surplus honey each mouth to their weaker
neighbors. With a small apiary of, say, 50 to 100
colonies, 1 have no doubt but that a small amount
of honey could be extracted every month in the
year. Bees fairly roar on blossoms of the " royal
palm" for half an hour each morning during this
the shortest season for honey during the year.

Cuba contains nearly 4(1,000 square miles— some
6000 more than does the State of Ohio; and from all
I can learn, 1 judge that nearly or quite all of the
island will average as good for honey as does this
locality, some places better. As we can calculate
on a steady annual yield here of from 40,000 to 60,000
lbs., a few moments' calculation will show any one
what an immense factor in the world's markets
Cuban honey would become were all trade restric-
tions removed. It will be well for our people to
ponder these facts whenever the question comes
up of removing our protective duties.

Havana, Cuba, July 31, 1880. O. O. Poppleton.

MOKE ABOUT THAT BEE -DISEASE IN
CALIFORNIA.

SOME GOOD HINTS FROM ONE OF LARGE EXPERI-
ENCE.

T N the issue of July 15th, page 5S3, Mr. VV. A. Web-
|jf Bter warns the Ventura Co. bee-keepers of the
t|[ new bee disease. I am sorry to say that we
-*• have had it here for several years, but it has
caused noseriou9 apprehensions until recently.
There are but three apiaries in the county that
have suffered much loss from it as yet. I know of
no colonies dying out eutirely from it, except in
those three apiaries; but they have lost several
hundred colonies.

This disease appears every spring and summer,
in a very few hives in nearly every apiary in the
county; but it has caused no serious alarm until
recently. The bees usually get over it themselves;
but we do not get much honey from the hives that
are so affected. A friend on the Ojai has been ex-
perimenting a little with the swarms that were thus
diseased. He took the queen out and replaced her
with another from a healthy hive. The disease en-
tirely disappeared; and by putting the queen from
the diseased hive into a hive that was per-
fectly healthy, it also became diseased in a very
short time. This experiment was tried on only one
or two hives in the same apiary. 1 will try to have
others try the same experiment, and report. 1 have
none so affected, or I would try the plan myself.

THE HONEY CROP A FAILURE.

The honey crop has been almost a failure here —
only about 150 tons of honey in the county. That
much, 150 tons, or 15 carloads, is a good deal of

honey, but we often have in this county 600 tons.
Our crop is 32,000 lbs. Honey is selling here in
Ventura to-day at 6J4 cts., in 60 lb. tins.

OUT-APIARIES, AND MOVING BEES IN CALIFORNIA.

1 have just read C. C. Miller's " Out-Apiaries No.
XI." with interest. In California we do a great
deal of moving bees. In the spring of 1888 I moved
two carloads of bees to the Costac (near Newhall).
One load was the apiary that I bought of It. Wilkin,
on tbeSespc-tbe one that you have shown in the
ARC. The other was one of my own that I moved
from Ventura. The entire lot was moved without
accident, but I do not always get off so well, for I
have had many pretty narrow escapes for myself
and team.

SUGGESTIONS ON MOVING BEES.

If friend Miller will pardon me, I should like to
make a few suggestions. First, always have the
bolt or wrench that holds the doubletrees to the
tongue loose, so that it can be jerked out instantly.
Second, be sure that the neck-yoke is so arranged
that it will slip off the tongue without catching, so
that, in case of an accident, you can jerk out the
bolt with one hand, hold the doubletree with the
other, and get the horses away from the wagon
right speedily. Third, if you drive four or six
horses, as we do here, always have the leaders at-
tached to the tongue with hooks, so that you can
unhook the leaders and drive them out of the way
without having to stop to unhitch all of the tugs.
Fourth, use snaps on the lines, and everywhere pos-
sible, especially on the holdback straps on the thills,
if you use a one-horse wagon.

Two years ago I was moving an apiary. We used
six horses, and had about 85 hives on the front wag-
on, and about 60 on the trail wagon. One of the
hives on the front wagon burst with the weight of
so many hives on top of it. They were piled up
six high. The hive burst so that nearly all of the
bees got out; but we got the six horses unhitched
and out of the way without any of them getting
stung, and had no assistance but a boy 24 years old.
What a scrape we should have had if we had not
taken the above-mentioned precautions. Since I
have been in California I have moved over 2000
hives of bees, and have had no serious accident.
But I used to get into all kinds of scrapes when I
first commenced to move bees. When Dr. Miller
comes to California to move bees he will have to
put the combs lengthwise instead of crosswise of
the wagon, to get over our roads without having a
general smashup. L. E. Mercer.

San Buena Ventura, Cal., July 24, 1889.

Thanks for your additional information,
friend M. The more I think it over, and
compare symptoms, the more I am inclined
to the opinion that this California bee-dis-
ease is something similar to the nameless
bee disease described in the A B C book.
The latter is always cured by the removal
of the queen, so far as we have ever known ;
and you say that, in one or two instances
already tried, the peculiar disease which has
visited you in California yields to a similar
treatment. I have written to friend Web-
ster, asking him to send a few of the affect-
ed bees to Prof. Cook, who will doubtless
give us further information in regard to it ;
also whether he considers it the same as the
ordinary nameless bee-disease. Your sug-
gestions on moving bees are good ; and

672

GLEANINGS in BEE CULTURE

Am.

friend Miller would, no doubt, indorse all of
them, even to the last clause, were he in
California.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELD;

now TO CURE CLOVER-BLOAT WITHOUT MEDICINE
OR THE KNIFE.

I read with much interest the article on clover-
bloat, by Prof. Cook, in Gleanings for June 15,
page 488, and I was greatly surprised to hear him
recommending the use of the knife "in severe
cases." Now, I have never failed to cure a case of
bloat, without either knife or medicine. I will in-
stance one ease. When I arrived I found the ani-
mal leaning against the fence rit was a milch cow),
bloated apparently to the full extent the skin would
hold, moaning pitil'ully, and wet with sweat, and in
ten minutes after my arrival the bloat was gone
and the cow was comparatively easy. My remedy
is not original with myself, and is pretty generally
known in some sections where I have been, and I
have been waiting in the hope that some one more
capable than myself would reply to the professor's
article, and give

THE REMEDY.

Take a billet of wood, l'i to 2 inches in diameter
(round is preferable), and 18 to 20 inches long. Tie
a stout cord to each end; force it back into the ani-
mal's mouth, and tie the cords to the horns; if it
should be without horns, put a strap around the
neck to tie to. This prevents the animal from clos-
ing the gullet, and the gas will rush out of the
mouth with a sound that can be heard for some
distance. In severe cases it is well to give half a
pint of melted lard after the bloat is gone.

Galion, O., J une 22, 1888. A. W. Mumford.

Why, friend M., what you tell us is aston-
ishing, at least to me. 1 did not know be-
fore that such a thing is possible. As I un-
derstand it, the cylinder of wood is simply
to prop open the jaws. In the absence of a
cord or any thing of the sort, could not re-
lief be given by simply grasping the stick in
both hands, putting the arm around the
horns, and holding it in place until relief
comes V So important a remedy should
surely be generally understood and widely
published. Have others succeeded in a
similar way V

CARRYING OUT CAPPED BROOD.

T am writing for a little information concerning
my bees. There is something wrong that I can't
account for. I got one of your ABC books, but
that does not appear to treat the trouble. The bees
are carrying out the brood just about the time the
larvae are getting their legs and eyes, and they still
have life in them. I will inclose one in this letter,
to show you the size when carried out, and the
brood-comb is apparently all wasting. It is in holes
that T can put my Angers through in places. The
comb appears to have a natural color for brood-
combs. I have two colonies affected in the above
way. They are both young swarms— one on the
15th of June, and the other on the 27th. They are
from the same colony. Now, if you can give me
any advice it will be thankfully received, as I
should like to do a little in the bee-business. They

are the common bee. I intend to change thera to
Italians in the spring, if I can keep them over win-
ter. L. F. BlNGAMAN.
Wilkiusburg, Pa., July 29, 1889.

There is only one thing we can think
of, in view of the state of affairs you de-
scribe. We once left some combs where the
moths could get at them. I think they were
taken from the hives and left out a week or
more in the month of June. Finally they
were taken to the bees; but the moths
had laid so many eggs in the combs that the
miniature worms went to work in the larva-
just as you describe. There was nothing
for the bees to do but to tumble them out,
even when they were alive and kicking. In
fact, they were obliged to dig all through
the combs to get the worms out. Some of
these moth worms, however, were so small
as to be hardly visible to the naked eye. Of
course, when the worms were all hatched,
the trouble was all over. Italian bees will
prove a remedy— that is, if the matter has
not righted itself already.

WHY DID THE BEES KILL THEIR QUEEN?

A neighbor of mine got me to divide his bees.
Although it was late in the season, I told him it
could be done, but he would have to feed them up.
The colony was very strong, and good Italians. I
looked the combs over once to find their queen, and
missed her; then I looked the second time very
carefully, and failed again. I thought she might be
on the side of the hive, so I got an empty hive to
set some of the frames in, so I could see her. I
lifted out a few frames and saw a ball of bees on
the bottom of the hive. I knew that the queen
was in it. I called for a pan of water, which was
soon at hand. I dropped them into the water,
and they soon let go of the queen, but she was
stung to death. The bees were very gentle, and as
they were getting plenty of honey from the bass-
wood you know that they were not disposed to rob.
Could they just have been in the act of superseding
her at that time? There were no queen cells in the
hive, but plenty of brood in all stages. The queen
was very prolific.

BEES BY THE POUND.

In selling bees by the pound, can you take the
bees from one place and get the queen from an-
other place and put her with the bees that are not
her own, in the cage together, without the bees
killing the strange queen? Nimshi Nu/.um.

Boothsville, W. Va., July 29, 1889.

It sometimes happens that, when we dis-
turb the brood-nest, the bees will commence
balling their queen. They know that some-
thing is wrong, and in trying to locate the
blame they pitch into the poor queen, and
sometimes kill her, as in your case. But as
a general thing, if you smoke the ball until
dispersed, close the hive up immediately,
and leave them alone, you will probably find
the queen all right in a day or so afterward.
Now, here is the point : Those who intro-
duce their queens think they must look
them over every four or five hours, instead
of letting the bees release them by the Peet
or candy plan. When the bees release the
queen quietly, without any disturbance
from the apiarist, they are much less in-
clined to sting her than if the apiarist
himself releases her— an operation which

1S8§

CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

673

requires the pulling-apart of the hive and a
general disturbance of the bees as a result.
We try to emphasize to beginners to let the
introducing-cage do the work itself. In re-
gard to taking the bees from one hive and
the queen from another, and mixing them
in the shape of a pound package, we think
the queen will be accepted in a majority of
cases. .Sometimes when we have had an
untested queen that we wanted to send out
with a pound of bees in a nucleus that
could hardly spare the bees, we have made
up a pound from three or four different
hives, mixing the bees thoroughly together.
After that we drop in the queen. We have
never yet had a report that the queen in
such cages was killed. It is simply carrying
out the Doolittle plan. Ordinarily, the bees
and queen should be taken from the same
hive, as it is better not to take any risk-
especially so as every shipper should guar-
antee safe delivery of a live queen, together
with the pound of bees, to his customer.

AN APIARY VISITED BY A CYCLONE AND THEN BY
A FLOOD; RECOVERY FROM THE WRECK.

Six weeks ago I almost made up my mind to
write and tell you to put mine among the Reports
Discouraging. Last January, if you remember, I
wrote to you telling you of tbe cyclone playing
havoc with our bees. Well, this time it is the flood.
The flood of June 1st destroyed nearly all our bees
(60 hives). A number of the hives were completely
destroyed, and in the rest there were more than
one-half of Ihe bees drowned in each hive. If I
had not made a boom of timbers around our bee-
yard, bees, hives, and all would have gone away.
Before the flood, our hives were full of bees, and
we were in hopes we should get a good crop of
honey; but our hopes are blasted. To date 1 have
taken about fifteen pounds of honey, and it will be
about all we can get this year. But it is surprising
how they have built up since the flood. All the brood,
sealed and unsealed, in the hives during the flood,
the bees carried out, and now the hives are full of
bees again. Within a square of our place, nine
houses, two large ice-houses, and two bridges, were
carried away, besides a number of barns, etc. At
one of the bridges fourteen persons were drowned.
Newberry, my postofhee address, is a suburb of
Williamsport, and I suppose you have read how
Williamsport, has suffered.

Frank W. Liqhton.

Newberry, Pa., July -29, 1889.

HOW I GOT RID OF FERTILE WORKERS ; FORMING
NUCLEI, ETC.

Not having time to go through with any scientific
operations to get rid of fertile workers, I continued
to give them brood from other colonies as fast as I
thought they could take care of it. After awhile
the fertile worker ceased laying; they raised a
queen from the brood given them, and she is now
tending to business with " neatness and dispatch."

HOW BEES SPREAD THE NEWS IN A HIVE.

I took a frame of brood with the bees adhering,
and put them in a hive by themselves. 1 put an
empty frame beside the one with the brood, and
then a division-board. Then 1 brought another
frame and shook the bees into the new hive, and
returned the frame. I fastened a queen-cell on to
the frame that had brood. I knew the young queen
was about ready to emerge, because when T put

the small end of the cell up to my ear I could hear
her at work inside. Well, in an hour or two 1 went
to see how they were getting along, and found
them contented and happy. Quite a number of
them were around the entrance, going through all
the operations usually found when bees have es-
tablished themselves and are contented.

While I was watching, a bee came out in a tre-
mendous state of excitement. It rushed pellmell
against the first bee it came to, then whack head-
first against another, over the top of the next, un-
til it had visited every bee around the entrance.
In fact, its whole anatomy seemed to vibrate with
excitement. This took place late in the afternoon,
toward evening; and next morning I found the
young queen on the comb. Now, Mr. Root, do you
suppose that that bee was on hand when the young
queen made her appearance and was carrying the
good news to the rest of the bees? I wonder if she
heralded the advent of that queen throughout the
length and breadth of the new settlement; and I
wonder if there will be as great rejoicings when she
returns (if she does) from a successful wedding-
trip. Arch. Duncan.

Wyoming, Ont., Can., July 27, 1889.

Giving plenty of brood in all stages of de-
velopment to any colony having a fertile
worker will sooner or later cure it. In fact,
fertile workers are only the result of keep-
ing the hive too long without queen or
brood. I have never noticed the kind of be-
havior of the bees you describe, when a
queen is hatched ; in fact, I have never
seen them make any demonstration of the
kind unless it was when a laying queen was
given them, or a comb of brood. Bees that
are hopelessly queenless, and have been so
for some time, will usually manifest their
joy when either queen or brood is given
them, and they manifest it in much the way
you describe. The hatching of a young
queen might, under some circumstances,
produce such an effect. But, as I have said,
I have never been able to see that the colo-
ny took much if any notice of such an event.

HIVE-LEGS IN BOWLS OF WATER; PALMETTO
HONEY.

Every thing we ordered came, and there was no
damage of any kind. I guess you wondered what
we wanted with so many bowls. I have my hives
on stnnds, each having four legs. The bowls are
placed so that each "leg" stands in a bowl. The
bowls are kept full of water. In some I put a little
salt. The bees get water and salt as they need it,
while the large ants can not get at the bees. I be-
lieve in shade, and have my six colonies under pal-
metto-trees, which are just commencing to bloom.
The bees get a nice honey from it, something like
white-clover honey, if I remember aright. I may
send you a sample if I find a piece of comb of small
enough size. When I send samples I like to send
comb honey.

ORANGE-TREES.

I do not think orange-trees give honey every
year alike. While the conditions were so that at
Orlando a drop of honey could be seen in the blos-
som, I looked ever so often at them here, and at
first imagined the bees were getting pollen; but by
observing them closely 1 found they went home
loaded with honey. Each bee visited quite a num-
ber of blossoms, and the trees " hummed " with the

674

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

busy workers. I also noticed some trees loaded
with bloom which the bees scarcely looked at. The
scrub-palmetto was a failure here this season.
Just now bees are " at home," and cross.

Miss Claha Slough.
Daytona, Fla., July 22, 1889.

We did wonder a little what was to be
done with the bowls, my friend, but it is all
very plain now. Perhaps our three-cent
bowls are the cheapest thing that can be
furnished for this purpose. One objection
has come up against their use in this way,
and especially where 1 hey are used in hot
climates — the rapid evaporation of the wa-
ter ; but to prevent this, the surface of the
water has heen covered with a layer of oil.

THE IGNOTUM AS EARLY AS THE DWARF
CHAMPION.

Yesterday, Aug. 6, I picked my first Ignotum to-
mato, but at the same time picked one from both a
Mikado and a Dwarf Champion, so that with me
they are not proving1 any earlier than the others.
It is a smooth tomato, weighing a little over a quar-
ter of a pound, but 1 have others which will be
much/ larger. K. A. Clarke.

Groton, Ct, Aug. 7, 1889.

Why, friend C, nobody ever claimed that
the Ignotum is -an early tomato, so far as I
know. It was not intended for such ; but
notwithstanding, I did mention that the
first tomato I had ripen in the open air was
the Ignotum last season. Now another sea-
son has proved that it is as early as the
Dwarf Champion, for which so much has
been claimed. Our experience is like yours.
Our first-ripe tomatoes were picked aboutthe
same day, from the three you mention, also
from two others which I shall speak of in
another column.

ANOTHER REASON WHY ONE SnODLD JOIN THE
CHURCH.

Will you allow me to add one more thought to
your four good reasons why one should join the
church? It is a reason which would come with con-
vincing force to every reader. It is found in Matt.
12:30: " He that is not for me is against me; and
he that {/athcreth not with me, scattereth abroad."
What will that sound like to the large mass of
church goers— that the blessed Jesus himself ex-
plicitly declared that he considers every one who is
not positively working under his standard as really
working for the evil one? Just as in a harvest-field,
one cuts the grain, another binds the sheaves, and a
third gathers them into the barn, while the fourth,
though he may be hi the field, and even looking on
with complacency, yet, if he is not actually (tssistimj
in the harvest, will not be entitled to the reward.

Mons, Va., July 26, 1889. A. H. Van Doren.

A GOOD SUGGESTION ON HOW TO BURN SULPHUR.

I put one or two pounds of lump or stick sulphur
into an old cast-iron dish; set it outdoors on three
stones, over a slow tire, to melt. While I am watch-
ing it I tear old calico into strips, a couple of inches
wide and as many feet long; put some of these into
the melted sulphur; and when they are saturated I
take hold with pincers on one at a time, and raise
it straight up to let it drain off. After a few sec-
onds, when it is dry 1 throw it aside, going on in
this way till the dish is wiped dry. For use, take
one or two strips, according to your tight box or

closet; put into an old pan; fix a raised cover of
another one to protect your goods close by; apply a
match, and you will be surprised to see what a
great smudge you can make with a minimum of
sulphur and heat. Wm. Goldspohn.

Lodi, Wis., July 29, 1889.

Your description reminds me of the way
in which I used to see them fix their sul-
phur matches for brimstoning bees in my
boyhood. I believe they did it exactly as
you describe. Hut in this case is there no
loss of sulphur from sublimation? or does it
all get converted into sulphurous acid by
burning^

hive barrow— another device of h. fitz hart.
Mr. Root:— In reply to your favor of July 2 I had
forgotten to send you a drawing of my modified
hive-eart. After sending you my idea that your art-
ist so ably worked out in Gleanings of May 15, I
chanced to see an old wheelbarrow, something of
the pattern of your Daisy. I knocked out the bot-
tom, put on two more legs, as shown, nailed a hori-
zontal piece 2!4 inches from the ground, on the
legs, in such a way that it would be level when the

barrow was being wheeled. To use it, I run it up
to the hive I want to move, and drop it over; then
I put a stick on the side-pieces, at each end of the
hive, under the bottom-board. For use when taking
out frames for extracting, 1 put a board on the
two side pieces, and then pile my hives of full or
empty frames on that. If made with two wheels
instead of one 1 think it would be one of the most
valuable articles about the bee-yard, especially
where one is working 150 hives single handed, or
has to move them in and out of the cellar.
Avery, La., J uly 6, 1889. H. Fitz Hart.

Very good, friend Hart ; but we do not
quite see what will hold the handle-bars of
the barrow rigid. Is there not a liability of
their wabbling sidewise, as you have repre-
sented it? On a good many accounts we
think your hive cart illustrated on page 410
is better.

REVERSING OF HIVES AND SECTIONS ; A CALIFOR-
NIA APIARIST CONSIDERS IT.

I am greatly interested just now in some kind of
a reversible frame or hive, or both. 1 have had a
great deal of trouble this season to get the bees to
go into theT supers to work in the sections. They
would fill the lower part of the hive nearly to the
bottom-bars with honey, and then laugh at me
when I would look into the super to find it entirely
empty. I fastened the frames in two hives so that
I could reverse the whole hive. One of the colo-
nies thus reversed took immediate possession of the
super, and filled the 28 sections in about one week.
The other did not go above after being reversed
until I put on a super that was partly tilled; then it
went to work in earnest. I think that, if I could
have reversed about 100 hives at the same time, I
should have now several hundred dollars' worth of

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

675

comb honey. R. Wilkin has one of the Shuck re-
versible hives, which I have been examining. I
think I should like it as a brood-chamber, to be used
with the T super. Where can I get a few of the cast-
ings for the Hetherington reversible frame, shown
on page 514? I wish to get as many reversible hives
as I can this winter, and then select from them the
one that I consider the most practicable for comb
honey. I think it will be a long while before we get
a more convenient hive for extracting from than a
common L. hive. L. E. Mercer.

San Buena Ventura, Cal.

I am exceedingly glad to see you give the
above testimony in regard to the benetits of
reversing. The same thing came up a year
or two ago. But so many of our good bee-
men have abandoned the reversing business
entirely we were almost inclined to think it
was a mistake. Very likely many of them
never tried it. You ask why we do not try
it here. Well, the truth is we seldom have
our hives so crammed and loaded with hon-
ey as they do in places where there is a
greater honey-yield, or where there ate not
so many colonies kept in a place. I think,
friend M., if I were you I would experiment
a little more before going largely into rever-
sible hives. Our friend E. H. Cook, of the
Bee-hive, says he always regarded the re-
versing craze as a " harmless lunacy." Will
he try it a few times and see what he thinks
of it? Perhaps he has ; if so, we will take
it all back.

A DEAF AND DUMB BEE-KEEPER.

I have been keeping 7 swarms of bees. I am deaf
and dumb. 1 learned to handle bees about 3 years
ago. I can tell signs of bees swarming out of the
hives. I can't hear any humming, but my eyes see.
I watch them every morning. I study your ABC
of Bee Culture. I should like to keep a good many
swarms of bees. Last week I took 35 sections of
white honey. I expect to take about 75 more this
week. Edson Hulett.

Pawlet, Vt., July 22, 1889.

We are glad to hear from you, friend H.
We have at different times had quite a few
bee-men on our list who were deaf and
dumb ; and, strange to tell, they are almost
always good bee-keepers. What they lack
in hearing, they somehow contrive to make
up by sharp seeing.

SWARMING OUT, AND FORMING THREE CLUSTERS.

Quite a large swarm came off from my Heddon
hive (I have only one of them) three weeks ago last
Sunday morning, and settled in three separate
clusters on a small peach-tree. I hived them all,
in one hive, a one-story chaff, and they went right
to work and have been doing well. How do you ex-
plain three separate clusters from one swarm?

Indiana, Pa., July 23, 1889. W. B. Marshall.

Very likely there were three queens, one
in each cluster, and two of them, no doubt,
were virgins, which went out with the
swarm. The circumstance is nothing un-
usual.

REMINGTON'S PHARMACY ; MORE GLUCOSE

NONSENSE.

On pages 675 and 676 of Remington's Pharmacy
the following is found. I give it verbatim, and you
can draw your own conclusion, and remark there-

from: " It is not known whether honey is secreted
by the bee or whether it exists ready formed in
plants. The nectaries of flowers contain a sweet
substance which is extracted by the insect. Large
quantities of honey are obtained from California,
the Southern States, and the West Indies. A still
larger amount, however, is manufactured by flavor-
ing and coloring artificial glucose." * * * * "Owing
to the difficulty of obtaining pure honey in large
cities and towns, its place in many officinal prepara-
tions has been filled by substituting syrup or gly-
cerine." Geo. F. Williams.
New Philadelphia, O., July 22, 1889.

That is the kind, friend W. Pitch into
the cyclopedias and pharmacies, and dig up
all their false statements. Ami now let us
all go for the publishers. Can you not give
us the address of the publishers, and the
date when it was put out? The closiug sen-
tence is pretty cool indeed. Will the phar-
macy please tell us the name of the city or
town where pure honey is not to be had ev-
ery day in the year, and in any quantity?
If our cyclopedias and such like books of
reference are going so much on the Rip
Van Winkle style, they will soon find that
our progressive American people will leave
them high and dry on dusty shelves, unused
and uncared for.

KEP6TO ENceaRTieiNG.

Plenty of honey; from 14 to 31 colonh s, and 800
lbs. of honey; best ever known here.
Thornville, O , July 26, 1889. Geo. Beagle

I started with 19 colonies and now have 43. Have
taken off 6U0 lbs. of section honey.
Little Rock, 111., Aug. 5, 1889. Jesse Brady.

I have 12 colonies of bees. They are doinjr finely.
Honey is only 8 and 10 cts. a pound for the hot
clover. Newton Nixon.

Olds, Iowa, Aug. 6, 1889.

We had 13 colonies in the spring, which have in-
creased to 70. Though the season has been very
dry, we have extracted a little over 3600 lbs of hon-
ey, chiefly clover and basswood. Fanny Pond.

Bloomington, Minn., July 30, 1889.

NO LOSS FOR THE LAST FOUR WINTERS, AND HON-
EY COMING IN AT IRE RATE OF 5 LBS. PER
DAY, ON THE SCALE HIVE.

Vou will have to put me in Reports Encouraging.
I have wintered in the cellar four winters without
the loss of any bees. I had 17 colonies, spring
count, for 1889, and have had IS new swarms. I use
the Heddon method of hiving on the old stand, and
do not have any after-swarms. My hives were full
of honey when set out of the cellar, and have con-
tinued so up to basswood bloom. They put in a
larjre amount of honey from the basswood, which
closed a few days ago; but the honey-How still con-
tinues from other flowers, Myscale hive indicates
about 5 lbs. per day, of fine white honey. The hon-
ey-flow will continue here until frost comes. Cue
swarm came out, and it left without clustering. 1
followed them to a hollow tree, about half a mile.
I have Italians and hybrids. The Italians are the
best honey-gatherers with me. J. ROUSE,

Camdon, Minn., July 27, 1889,

676

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

THE GREATEST HONEY-FLOW EVER KNOWN.

There has been the greatest honey-How this year
1 have ever seen since 1 have had bees. I divided
mine early, and both parts pot strong, and swarm-
ed. I started with 60 colonies, and increased to 130,
and have taken over 4000 lbs. of honey— one-third
comb, the rest extracted. The clover is still fair,
with a good prospect of a full crop.

George Briggs.

New Sharon, Iowa, July 28, 1889.

ENCOURAGING FOR COLORADO.

This is the finest season for crops ever known in
Colorado, and promises to be fine for honey. There
are great fields of alfalfa, and it is being raised
more and more, and very fine honey is made from
it. Colorado promises to be a great honey State.
Henry Knight, an extensive bee-keeper ten mil- s
from Denver, sold six tons of honey last season.

Denver, Col., July 21, 1889. J. L. Peabody.

0qr (j)aEgJFieN-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in .for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 139 —a. Do you let the bees supersede the
queen naturcdlyt b. Ordoyou tliink it pays to super-
sede, as (( rule, yourself, say in one or two years?

a. No; b. Yes. A. E. Manum.

a. Generally; b. Ye6,if she shows signs of failure.

S. I. Freeborn.
a. Generally I do. b. That's an unsettled ques-
tion with me. C. C. Miller,

a. Not as a rule. b. It pays, because you can se-
lect your breeding stock. Rambler.

a. Yes, unless I have a poor one. Then I do the
superseding. A. B. Mason.

a. Yes, unless the queen has ceased to be prolific,
b. I don't think that superseding queens pays, as a
rule. C. F. Muth.

I always let the bees do the superseding, as they
know best when to do it. Paul L. Viallon.

a. Very often we do. b. But it pays well to super-
sede, in all cases, yourself. P. H. Elwood.

a. Yes. b. As a rule, I think it pays better to let
the bees do their own superseding. They can do it
cheaper, and with fewer mistakes, than I could.

J. A. Green.

a. I have usually left this to the bees; b. I shall
look after it more in future. I believe it will pay
to do so. if we can manage it so as to lose little or
no time. A. J. Cook.

a. No, not asXrule. b. Yes, 1 think it pays for us
to take this business into our own hands. For a
fuller answer to thi6lquestiou see article in Glean-
ings forvl888, page 525. O. O.JPoppleton.

a. Yes, if they'do so in time; b. When the queen
begins to play out, and the bees do not supersede
her, I kill her, and either supply the colony with
imother or let the bees raise one. Geu. Grimm,

In conducting large apiaries I think It pays best
to leave this matter pretty much with the bees.

H. K. Boardman.

Let the bees do it, as a rule, unless you notice
that a queen is failing, when it is a good plan to re-
place her. Dadant & Son.

a. As a rule, I do; but many times, when I find a
queen is faulty in some respect, I supersede her;
b. I should not supersede a queen that was a good
layer and her progeny docile and good workers,
even if she were three years old.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

a. Generally; b. Not unless I wish to change the
strain of bees which certain colonies have. There
are very few colonies indeed in my apiary which I
could benefit by taking this matter into my own
hands, as the bees know their wants along this line
much better than I do. G. M. Doolittle.

My practice is to let the bees attend to that mat-
ter. I think they know rather better than I do
when a queen needs superseding. Yet the practice
of superseding, at two years old, all queens not
known to be specially excellent, seems to commend
itself as a sensible plan. B. E. Hasty.

a. Yes, in many instances, b. Were I running an
apiary exclusively for queen - rearing, I think I
6hould do the superseding myself; but in running
for surplus honey I should let the bees do it, except
in a few instances here and there, when I happen-
ed to blunder on to the necessity, and had every
thing in readiness to supersede with.

James Heddon.

a. Sometimes we And that a queen is not doing
good work, then we kill her and give brood from
some other good colony, and let them raise a queen.
But as long as a queen is doing good work we don't
destroy her. b. I think it pays to supersede a
queen when she doesn't do good work, regardless of
of her age; but I would not supersede a good pro-
lific queen on account of age. Let her remain as
long as she does good work. E. France.

a. Ordinarily I let the bees supersede the queens
themselves; but if their merits are in any way
doubtful, I kill them. I started cropping, intending
to kill all two-year-olds; but I am thinking they will
not give me a chance. In March, 1888, 1 cropped the
left large wing of 283 old and young queens; in
March of this season, only 80 of those queens were
left, and I think that more than half of them are
gone now. I am inclined to think that bees are
more reckless of queens in California than in the
States east. b. It will take a little more experience
to decide about the paying. R. Wilkin.

I am inclined to think there would be
more superseding than there is if it were
not so much bother, especially where there
are large apiaries and out-apiaries besides.
A great many start out with the determina-
tion to supersede every queen that is not
first-class, as soon as she is discovered ; and
after awhile it becomes too much of a task
to keep track of them, and, like Hasty's
book, is abandoned. Most bee-keepers I
visited, however, promptly replace poor
queens when they come across them ; and
in several places, by asking questions I
found they were in the habit of superseding
queens where the bees were very cross, even
though they produced gQod crops of honey,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

677

Question 140.— a. What is the longest time you

have known a queen to give good service? It. How long
will queens usually give good service in the hive?

a. Five years; b. Two years. A.J.Cook.

a. Three years; b. Two years. S. I. Freeborn.

a. Four years; b. Three. Dadant & Son.

a. Three years; b. I think two years, on an aver-
age. E. France.

a. Between four and Ave years; b. Three and
one-half years. James Heddon.

a. I have had some for four years, b. Usually
two years. Paul L. Viallon.

a. Four years, b. Not over three years, and very
often not over two. J. A. Green.

a. I hardly know; but 1 think not to exceed 3lA
years; b. Three years. Geo. Grimm.

a. Almost four years, b. They are often as pro-
lific as the best, in their third year. C. F. Muth.

a. If no mistake has been made in my entries,
five years, b. Perhaps two to three years.

C. C. Miller.

a. Five years; b. Two years. Usually, a queen
hatched in June or July will be in her prime the
next season. A. E. Manum.

a. Four years, b. Queens carefully bred, three
years; but as a rule, I try to have queens not much
over two years old. Rambler.

a. Four seasons, b. For two full honey seasons.
I am inclined to think, that here in Cuba not more
than one full season. O. O. Poppleton.

a. Five years, b. Good queens, two years; the
best, three years, if not crowded too hard, and two
much hardship in wintering. P. H. Blwood.

a. Four years; b. For two years; some, perhaps a

half, for three years. I think that most begin to

fail " a leetle " the third year.

Mrs. L. Harrison.

I doubt if the average queen can be made profita-
ble more than three years; and 1 think the most
useful period of their lives is spent in two years.

H. R. BOARDMAN.

a. Five years, b. With me, two years usually, al-
though one of the best colonies T now have has a
queen three years old, and is now better than ever
before. A. B. Mason.

a. Five years; b. The average life of my queens
is not far from three years. If they do not do good
work, the bees find it out and supersede them, this
being done with some in the second year, and not
till the fifth year with others. G. M. Doolittle.

a. Years ago, while living in Cadiz, O., I got a
queen from Italy. I do not know how old she was
when I got her. T kept her three years, and sold
her, with the colony she was in, for $15.00. The
purchaser, the next season, had her stolen from his
hive, so we lost the run of her. While I owned her
she had one wing off, one leg off, and the foot off
another leg, yet hohbled around and laid as many
eggs as any queen I had. b. I should be inclined
to consider queens good for three years, in the
East, and for two years here. They get to rest
more in the Bast. R. Wilkin.

As I neither clip wings nor raise queens for sale,
nor run many colonies for extracted honey, my fa-
cilities for knowing the age of my queens are much
less than usual. The long period that sections are
on, where surplus comes in in September, as well as

in previous months, is a serious bar to knowing
when queens are superseded. When 1 began bee-
keeping I got a blank-book and entitled it " Queen
Ledger," and was going to have the life history of
every important queen all down in black and white.
But somehow or other the thing didn't run well,
and not a record in the book would be of any value
if published. E. E. Hasty.

I am surprised to find that so many re-
port having had queens that would do good
service for four or rive years. In regard to
superseding queens, I once had a queen that
I thought did not lay up to the standard, so
I took her out of the hive and gave her to a
friend who happened to be there. She was
a line Italian, and her bees were beautiful,
and good workers. But the colony had been
weak so long that I decided it was her fault.
My friend, however, put her in a strong colo-
ny, and afterward decided that she was one
of the best queens he had, even though she
was in her second year. This incident has
led me to be more careful in deciding too
hastily that a queen ought to be superseded.

THE OLD GERMAN BROWN BEE.

BY W. P. HENDERSON.

How sweet to our taste was the honey of childhood.

When corn was in tassel and robbing time came!
The honey from linden, from poplar, and red-bud.
From clover and vervain, was sweet "all the
same."
The long line of gums, and the bark shelter o'er
them,
The big roll of rags, and the buckets hard by—
The neighborhood old folks, with cob pipe and long
stem,-
And e'en the old black bee which stung near the

eye.
The wicked old black bee, the old native brown

bee,
That stinging old black bee that closed up the eye.

Such nectar! such sweetness! oh, who but a laddie
Could relish such chunks as they passed to and
fro?

For bee-bread and larva1 were mixed just as cut from
The top of the gum to the cross sticks below.

The mead and metheglin, and cherry-tart pies !
Oh ! who in his raising e'er wished or asked more?

Come back, ye old times, and enliven our dotage,
And give us the bee and the honey of yore—
The thick linden honey— the honey-dew honey,
The rich candied honey and stinging brown bee.

How fondly we cling to and cherish the mem'ry

Of hollow elm gums and the comb they contained !
Of piggins and pails full, stored by in the pantry.
And boiler with wax through the old meal-sack
strained.
Alas, what a change! now with sections and sling-
ing.
And fancy-marked bees from beyond the broad
sea!
No swarming, no tin pans to gladden life's evening,
We sigh for the ugly old German brown bee.
The old stinging workers— the brown colored

workers,
The dark-colored, homely, old spiteful brown bee.
Mwrfree&oro, Tom.

678

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

Every boy or girl, under IB years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuablk fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OB OTHER MATTERS, will receive
one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you And in
Sunday-school hooks costing from $1.00 to $1.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits. Mowers, etc.. suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

HOW ALBERT MADE A NUCLEUS.

I had one stand of bees myself. When papa was
extracting honey he would cut off the queen-cells
and throw them away. I picked them up. leath-
ered young bees off the ground, and put them in a
box, and the queen hatched out and became fer-
tile. Papa extracted 120 lbs. of honey from my
bees last year. Albert Deglandon, age 9.

McDade, Tex.

BIKDS AND DUCKS.

I do not know much about bees, so I will write
about birds and ducks. There are many different
kinds of birds. A little speckled bird has a nest in
a small tree in our yard. There are four little birds
in the nest. The old bird is very tame, and comes
close to the door and eats the crumbs we throw out.
We often throw crumbs out for them. Several
years ago we had some ducks and a fish-pond. In
the summer the water got low, and the ducks wor-
ried the fish to death. We sold the ducks and have
raised none since. Ida Hower, age 13.

Macy, Ind., July", 1889.

WHAT A LITTLE GIRL THINKS OF THE SERMON OF
ILTLY 15.

I think the sermon of July 15 is good. 1 think
that Christians ought to join the church as soon as
they are converted. I joined the church when 1
was II years old, and I never have regretted it and
never shall. I intend to live for Christ as long as I
live. A protracted meeting begins at Dyer to-night,
and I hope we shall have a revival of religion at
this place. The county Sunday-school convention
will be held at Dyer this month. I am very much
interested in Sunday-schools, and I wish to attend
and learn something if I can.

Dyer, Ark. Rosa Manuel, age 14.

BEE-KEEPING IN FILLMORE CO., MINN.

Six years ago my father got two colonies of bees,
and now we have 115. Mr. Shaw, one of our neigh-
bors, hail a colony of bees that swarmed three
times in three days. Did you ever hear of such a
thing? People say they never saw so much white
clove as there is this year. There is a large number
of runaway bees this year. One of our neighbors
had a swarm of bees go into his barn, and another
swarm went down the chimney of his house, Do

you think bees are deaf? Most people think bees
can hear, but father says they can not. My broth-
er found a swarm of bees at one of the neighbors'.
He helped put it in a box, for they had no hive, and
the last we heard from them they were doing nice-
ly. Peter H. Sevey, age 12.
Preston, Minn., July 22, 1889.

Yes, friend Peter, bees will swarm three
times in three successive days ; and it' the
queen's wings are defective this is nothing
unusual. Tell your papa that those compe-
tent to know think bees can hear. We all
have good evidences of it.

THROWING WATER AT SWARMS.

When our bees swarm we throw water at them,
and they settle. We put salt water in the hive, and
they go in. Hattie Forrey.

Harrison, Kan., Mar. 39, 1889.
Water is a good thing to bring down
swarms, but salt water, we feel sure, has
little to do with making the swarm accept
the hive.

PAPA'S BEES; THE NICE WniTE SECTIONS, ETC.

Papa has about 50 stands. We have had about 9
swarms this summer, and could have had more if
we had wanted them; but papa cuts out the queen-
cells, and that stops the swarming. He uses the
Simplicity hive, and he thinks it is the best. He
also uses the yucca brush when extracting. I like
the little white sections you send us, when they
come out of the hive, full of nice white honey.

Papa has taken the premium at the fair, and
everywhere he has exhibited. He took out about
4000 lbs. of nice honey last season. He has the A B
C book, and I like to read it very much.

Reno, Nevada. Flossie Moohe, age 10.

PAPA'S BEE-CELLAH.

Pa moved all his bees, about sixty hives, two
miles, a year ago last December, and put them in a
new cellar under our new house, which looked nice
and clean, with a cement floor. During the winter
the cellar got awful damp and cold, nearly freezing.
We did not move to the new house until March.
About two-thirds of the hives were dead by the
middle of May. We had no honey last year. Pa
fed the bees on white sugar syrup last fall. We
have a furnace in the cellar where the bees are this
winter. Pa has a thermometer hanging on one
hive, which stands about 47° or 4S°.

Florence M. Hartman, age 10.

Woodbridge, Ont., Can.

BEES IN GERMANY.

The last report I have had from Germany, bees
are doing well. They are gathering heather honey
at present. Heather honey is about the best, and it
blooms for a long time. This honey is sold in the
comb, as it can not be extracted. The hives papa
sent out with mamma are now tilled with bees.
Bee-keepers from all around have been looking at
our hives, etc., in our German apiary.

To-day papa bought a large swarm. It cost about
$2 00; but he gave a smoker and an A B C book for
it. Do you think it is worth it? Our bees are Ail-
ing up boxes very fast. We had a lot of weak
stocks which we united, and papa thiuks that hon-
ey will bring a large price next fall. In Gleanings
of July 15 I noticed that the price of extracted hon-
ey was 7 ets. per pound. We sell all our honey at

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

679

25 cts. per pound in New York, and have no trouble
in getting this price. Anna Blanken, age 12.

Jersey City, N. J , Aug. 1, 1880.

A TALK TO THE CHILDREN.

A LITTLE WOOLLY-HEADED BEEKEEPER AWAY
DOWN IN LOUISIANA.

T HAVE been thinking a good deal about the
/fflf juveniles of late. The way it came about was
W this: I took out the head of a barrel that A. I.

"*■ Root had sent us, containing honey, cases, etc.
It was the pretty nails, that I drew out with
the hammer, that pleased me so much. How smooth
and bright, and how nice they felt to my fingers—
so different from the rough ones I have been ac-
customed to handle! I hope that you will enjoy
wire nails as much as I do. These nails made me
think of what an old man once said to me : " My old
days are my best days. When I was young, and we
lost the fire, what a time we had to kindle it with
flint and tinder-box! and now we can so easily
strike a match! " I remember one of my cousins
telling me that their fire went out, and they lived
in a new country, far from neighbors, and that her
"daddy" had to fire a gun into some shavings to
kindle it. What I was thinking about, children,
was this: That you are going to live in a yet better
age than we are now living in. I thought about it
as I sat in my rocking-chair and whacked together
the pretty one-piece sections. How different our
honey is from what I used to eat, taken from log
gums, after the poor bees were smothered with
burning sulphur! It tasted mighty good, though;
and, didn't we have a licking good time for awhile,
although the comb was black, and honey mixed
with bee-bread?

We enjoyed ourselves just as much as you do
now, and I sometimes think more, in going to
school in log houses, carrying our dinners, and
building playhouses at noon, visiting one another,
and treating with sumac berries passed around on
broken dishes. How delicious they were after
frost ! I was a child on the frontier, and there were
no apples but crabs; wild strawberries had a bet-
ter flavor than any tame ones I have ever tasted,
and plenty of blackberries and plums.

By the way, I had a letter lately, from a lady
away down in Louisiana. I got acquainted with
her at New Orleans when I was at the bee conven-
tion, during the Exposition. Here is an extract:
"I am a raiser of orphan children. I have raised
five— three are with me now— one white and two
negroes— all bound to me, as that is the terms of
our taking them, in this State. I have had but one
girl in the lot, and she is with me now. 1 have two
boys of my own, and one white orphan boy. They
are smart, industrious bojs; but the little negro
boy is a treasure. He is twin with the girl I have,
but smaller and frail. They are both as black as coal.
The boy is my right hand in the bee-yard. He is
neatness itself, and keeps my things all in order.
The white boy and he do the marketing together.
They are each about ten years old."

Children, how many of us have as good a reputa-
tion as this little African? Wouldn't you like to
gee him in the apiary, with his woolly head? I
should, I wish Mr. Root would get his picture, and
put it jn Gleanings, and the apiary with its beauti-

ful Southern flowers, pomegranates, and figs.
Don't you? Mks. L. Harrison.

Peoria, 111.

Thanks, Mrs. Harrison. We have enjoy-
ed your talk very much. It would afford iis
great pleasure to make an engraving of the
little woolly-headed bee-keeper, and the
apiary with its beautiful Southern fiowers,
pomegranates, etc. Just tell your lady
friend in Louisiana to procure a photograph,
at our expense, and have the same forward-
ed direct to us. We should be glad if she
would also give us a short item to accompa-
ny the engraving.

0ai^ pejiEg.

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, be-
cause he loved him: for he loved him as he loved
his own soul.— I. Sam. 20: 17.

SNCE in a while we see friendships
among men, somewhat like the friend-
ship of David and Jonathan, as ex-
pressed in our text. At least, a few
times in our lives we meet with those
in whom we have such perfect confidence
that nothing can shake it. There is a class
of people who seem fond of telling that even
such friends have been proved false ; but I
do not believe it. Whenever you meet a
man who seems always rehearsing the frail-
ties and wickednesses of his brother-men,
be a little slow in giving him your confidence.
The one who sees evil in his fellow-men,
very likely judges others by himself. In my
business relations I have found a good many
in whom I have such perfect confidence that
I should have no hesitation whatever in giv-
ing them my pocket-book, telling them to
use what they like, and I should never care
to count the money afterward to see what
they took. Their word would be just as
satisfactory, or more so, than an inspection
of the pocket-book. While it is true, that
we ought to be careful about putting so
much confidence in anybody, and while we
do best, perhaps, to wait till years have test-
ed and tried our friends, I think we ought
not to be backward in recognizing and ac-
cepting the good that is in our fellow-men,
when we find it. So much for a preface to
my little story.

After 1 had visited the bee-keepers of
Boscobel, Wisconsin (as I will tell you about
elsewhere), I was on board the train again
for Richland Center, the principal point of
my visit. Part of the trip was to be made
on a caboose car attached to a freight train,
and it got along rather slowly. In my pock-
et was a letter from a friend at Orion, Wis.
In mapping out my trip, however, I decided
— or, rather, Ernest and John decided for
me— that I could not very well make Orion
without considerable delay. Below is the
letter I have been speaking of :

Brother Root, Dear Sir:— Here I come, with an in-
vitation to you to come and see us at the Riverside
Bee-farm when you make your visit to friend Free-
born and our great hasswood belt. Come, brother
Root; come, if you can. I will lend you my Bible
while you are here, to read. I will sit down and
bear you read and, explain; in fact, ajl you have to

680

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Aug.

do is to ask and you shall receive all within my
power. I will meet you at Muscoda; bring you
home to breakfast, dinner, supper, or even your
noonday sleep: show you the beautiful valley of
the Wisconsin Kiver for miles and miles, by taking
a small walk up on the bluff. I would make you as
happy as I could while you are here. I would take
you back to the station, bid you good-by; and then
if my dear wife were alive and could have enjoyed
your visit I should have been the happiest man liv-
ing, having seen A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio. My
prayer is, and shall be, that it is the Lord's will that
1 may see you. F. L. Snyder.

Orion, Wis., June 15, 1889.

You may be sure I read the above letter
several times, and it was with much regret
that I made up my mind to forego such a
kind invitation. For one thing, I felt curi-
ous to know why an entire stranger should
so greatly desire to see me. I felt a little
surprised, too, at the devout tone of the let-
ter, expressed as it is in humble phrases. I
decided 1 had never met exactly such a man
as the writer. Well, while I was on that
freight train waiting for them to unload and
load at each station, I happened to listen to
the conversation of a couple of men sitting
on a pile of lumber near the track. One of
them happened to speak the word " Orion."
I at onced stepped from the car, and, ap-
proaching him, said :

"Will you excuse me, sir? but you just
now mentioned the name of the town of
( )rion. Will you please tell me how far dis-
tant it is from this point ? "

" Why, it is only the matter of a mile and
a half or so, just over the river ; " and he
pointed over his shoulder with his thumb,
and went on with his talk.

Only a mile and a half from the man who
wrote that kind letter ! It was already
near sundown, and I had bought my ticket
to Richland Center ; but as I looked along
the sidewalk in the direction he pointed, the
temptation to exchange the dusty freight
car for a walk on foot was too strong to be
resisted. Perhaps I am a little dull, but I
did not remember at the time that the name
of the town where we were stopping was
Muscoda, the very place that friend Snyder
mentions in his letter. Never mind the
name of the town. I was within a mile and
a half of the good friend who wrote that let-
ter, and that was enough.

" All aboard ! " shouted the conductor ;
but as I did not respond to his call, he spoke
again.

" Here, you man, get on board quick."

I replied that I had decided to stop where
I was.

" But you have paid your fare to Richland
Center. If you want to go there, get on
quick, for we haven't any time to lose."

I thanked him, but started off along that
sidewalk that seemed so enticing, with its
pretty shade-trees illumined by the rays of
the declining sun. Before leaving home,
my wife gave, as one plea to be permitted t<>
stay, that I would always be pushing off in-
to the country, or going off crosslots on
foot ; and then a woman— -even such a one
as her dear self (she did not say just that in
bo many words, but she knows very well

that no companion on earth is so pleasant to
me as her own clear self) would only be a
hindrance. Well, this was just one of those
places where I enjoyed the liberty of going
where I pleased and doing just as I pleased.
There were livery stables, doubtless, in Mus-
coda, but I would not have exchanged the
prospect of the walk in the evening, along
that street, for the best livery rig that could
have been furnished just then. Before I
had gone many rods, however, it occurred
to me that, if my good wife were present,
she would have spoken something as fol-
lows :

" Now, look here, dear husband, you cer-
tainly should go to the hotel and get your
supper before you go into that household
and surprise them, and possibly upset them,
by coming unexpectedly. Your good friend
spoke of his motherless home. You can
forego the livery if you choose, but get your
supper first, so as not to make trouble."

I took my wife's advice — I mean the ad-
vice she would nave given if she had been
present. And by the way, friends, I have
got much into the habit of late years of ask-
ing myself what my wife would "do or advise
under certain circumstances. So, very like-
ly a great part of the credit you have given
meat different times justly belongs to her.
I had a very nice supper ; and I enjoyed it
the more because a nice pleasant gentleman
sat at the table with me. Now, a good
many people go through the world, especial-
ly while traveling, without talking. YTou
can do as you please, of course ; but I think
we ought to get acquainted. Perhaps you
have heard me say something of the kind
before. Of course, I asked my companion
at the table about the town of Orion, and
whether he knew Mr. F. L. Snyder. After
a little explanation he said he knew him.
Then we talked about bees and other things.
Several times I felt a little surprised that
my companion seemed to get the hang of
things as he did ; and at the close of the
meal he put out his hand and said some-
thing like this :

" Mr. Root, I am exceedingly glad to have
had the pleasure of even twentv minutes1
chat with the author of the ABC of Bee
Culture."

He smiled a little as 1 replied :

" Why, my good sir, 1 have not even told
you my name; and as you are not a bee-
keeper vourself. what should you know of
the ABCbook?-1

" Well, it is true I am not a bee-keeper,
and never have been ; but notwithstanding,
I have read the ABC book, and enjoyed it.
I wish vou much pleasure in your visit
among the bee-men of our State of Wiscon-
sin."

It was now so late that I walked off
hurriedly. The town of Boscobel seemsato
have been drawn out toward the river. We
found pleasant residences and churches,
and other tine buildings, for almost a mile ;
then we came to a toll-gate and a great long
bridge. It was not a railroad bridge, but
just a bridge for pedestrians and vehicles.
And now burst on my gaze for the first
time the Wisconsin River. Just as the sun

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

681

was disappearing I reached the further
shore, and a little further on I reached the
town of Orion, resting on the banks of the
Wisconsin. The banks were grassy, clear
to the water's edge. The waters were pure,
and as clear as crystal, while many beauti-
ful islands dotted the stream here and there.
Now, I want to say, that, although I have
seen many beautiful rivers in my travels,
north, south, east, and west, I have never
met any sight so entrancing as the Wiscon-
sin River as it appears from the town of
Orion. Seeing a group of men near the
postoffice I approached them. As I came
up I gathered that their conversation was
about buckwheat. I smilingly broke in
upon them, and asked if it were not likely
there was a bee-keeper among the number,
judging from their topic. Almost the first
person I addressed proved to be Mr. Sny-
der. As he introduced me to the doctor I
spoke to the little crowd something as
follows :

"My friends, has it often occurred to you
that you ought to thank God for the surpass-
ing beauty that is spread out here before
us around your home f "

The doctor replied :

"Mr. Root, the man who has lived to the
age that most of us have here, and who has
neglected or forgotten to do so, would be
low and base indeed.1'

I love that village doctor, and always
shall. A few more steps, and fr'end Snyder
showed me his home. It is right on the
banks of the river, directly opposite one of
the most beautiful islands. The pasture lot
for the cow is right on the hillside, sloping
toward the river. Said hillside is so steep
that I suggested to friend Snyder that I
should be afraid the children in their plays
might roll down into the river. But he said
they never did.

After my walk 1 felt a little thirsty. I
had planned to hunt up a glass of lemonade
somewhere in the town, before going to
friend Snyder's ; but I came on him so sud-
denly that I did not have time. When,
however, I invited him to go with me and
get some lemonade he replied :

" Oh ! we have lots of lemons at home,
and nice cool water. Just see if I can't fix
you up some that will fill the bill."

My wife says my only excess in the way
of drinks is lemonade. And if she had not
seen me drink a whole pitcherful after the
labors of a hot summer day were over, so
many times, she might feel worried as to
the result. But it never hurts me a bit — no,
not even if I drink a pitcherful just before
going to bed. (Of course, I mean a small
pitcher.) Well, if somebody siiould ask me
where I found the nicest lemonade I ever
tasted in my life, I would say that it was
the pitcherful that friend SnydeUs mother
made for me that evening after my walk.
Before I got the lemonade, however, I had
to be introduced to the little ones of the
household. They had all heard of Uncle
Amos. Why, bless you, the baby's name
was Ernest R. Since God had taken their
mamma to jher far-away home, friend Sny-
der has been almost father, and mother too,

to the little ones. They help him make
garden, and they help him handle the bees ;
and, oh ! isn't that a pretty garden and
apiary on the banks of the river i No won-
der friend Snyder has christened it '■ River-
side Apiary." We looked at the Ignotum
tomatoes, and at various vegetables and
plants that adorn their pretty little garden,
grown from seeds bought of Uncle Amos ;
and the show of Chapman honey-plants was
larger and finer than any thing of the kind
1 ever saw anywhere else. Why, the great
balls were away up above our heads. The
bees did not pay much attention to them,
however, for basswood was just in its prime
at the very time when these were blooming.

It was getting to be bed-time for the lit-
tle folks, however, and I was duly installed
in the big arm chair and given the family
Bible. Before opening it, however, I want-
ed to know a little more of the particulars
just why Uncle Amos came to be such a
welcome guest in that little home. Friend
Snyder is a " big man " — big in a good many
ways. His home is but an humble cottage ;
but for all that, it is a home far pleasanter
to me than the finest palace our land can
furnish. One of the most beautiful sights
I have ever beheld is to see a strong man
devoted heart and soul to his own home, his
garden, his bees, his children, and to the
work of making the home for the little ones
around him a pleasant and happy place ;
and, above all, letting Christ Jesus be
" Lord of all " in the home. In answer to
my inquiries my friend spoke something as
follows :

"Mr. Root, my wife and I began reading
Gleanings before we kept any bees at all.
I am a carpenter by trade, and one of our
neighbors here in Orion employed me one
winter to make some bee-hives for him.
One day while I was eating my dinner I
happened to see a sort of magazine on the
work-bench, that Mr. Stewart had been
reading, and he probably forgot to take it
home. I turned the pages over absently,
and finally began to read the coarse print.
The style of teaching rather pleased me, al-
though I then neither knew nor cared about
bees more than to make the hives as 1 was
directed. I became more interested, and
asked Mr. Stewart if he would just as soon
lend me a few more of those journals. Of
course, he was glad to do so, and through
them I became acquainted with A. I. Root.
I talked with my wife about it, and in due
time we had some bees of our own. Of
course, it did not take us very long to find
out that A. I. Hoot was more devoted to
one other matter than to the bees ; and as
we had begun to consider him as our teach-
er, wTe followed him through the Home
Papers and Our Neighbors. Pretty soon
we felt it a duty and a privilege to unite
with the little band of Christian workers
here in our town, and now you know why I
wanted to see you here in my home."

My stay was necessarily short, in order to
meet all the friends I expected to meet, or
had promised to meet, and on this account
I got only, a glimpse of the pretty little
church by starlight where friend Snyder
and his wife had united with the people of

682

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Auo.

God. Very soon after they had become
rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, it be-
came evident that God was calling his dear
companion and the mother of his children
to a home beyond. But cheerfully and
peacefully she went down through the dark
valley; and now that his loved companion
is on the other shore, it is not strange
that friend Snyder feels all the more drawn
to the work of laying up treasures in
heaven, as well as doing what he can to
make proper provision for the motherless
ones in his home. I planned to take a view
of the river after sunrise in the morning,
and also to visit the bluff mentioned in his
letter, before taking my departure; but,
alas for human plans ! in the morning it
was so foggy that getting a photograph of
the river was out of the question; I did
manage to get a couple of views of his ex-
ceedingly neat and pretty apiary, although
I had to get it without direct sunshine,
which is especially needed for the Kodak.
A picture of the apiary will be given in a
future numher. In the morning, while we
were talking, friend Snyder's oldest boy,
who helps him with the bees, came in to say
that a certain colony, calling it by number,
was " hanging out."

" Well, what if they do hang out, my
young friend ; what do you do about it? "

He replied that his papa did not allow his
bees to do that way.

"Ah, indeed," said I. "Well, friend
Snyder, if you have a plan for keeping bees
from hanging out, I should be glad to see
it."

He smilingly replied, that, if he remem-
bered correctly, it was a plan he learned of
A. I. Root. His hives have movable bot-
toms, and in a minute or two a little block
was put under each of the four corners.
Then the lid of the hive was raised a little
so as to let a draft of air through. It did
the business. In a little time the bees that
were on the front had all gone inside. In
this way our friend manages so as to keep
all of his bees in the hives ; and I am inclin-
ed to think that he accomplishes a good
thing by so doing; for when the bees com-
mence to go out in the morning, no clusters
are observed hanging about on the fronts of
the hives while the others are at work. In
other apiaries during my visit, many and
many a time could I see bees, almost by the
bushel, hanging idly on the outsides of the
hives, even while the basswood flow was at
its height. I am firmly convinced that tons
of honey are lost by letting bees loaf when
they should be at work. The shop and ex-
tracting-room were as neat as a pin. Great
broad doors/could be swung open>t both
ends of the buibling, so as to get any
amount of air during the extracting time;
and when the bees become troublesome,
wire-cloth doors; takeithe'place of the ordi-
nary ones.

Another attraction to me was thejbeauti-
ful springs that bubbled forth at the base
of the rivei\bank near the water. There are
beautiful fish in "the Wisconsin Biver, and
the way they keep fish for sale is to keep
them alive in a basin made by one of these
springs ; then when you want a fish, instead

of going to a meat-market you j ust go and
weigh up a live one, picked out of this
spring, with the hands, and there it is, all
ready to be dressed.

Some years ago the Wisconsin Biver was
navigable for steamboats ; but the Govern-
ment, in attempting to improve the channel
by means of some costly experiments, run-
ning up to something like half a million of
dollars, did the very opposite of what they
intended to do ; that is, the theory of the
plans did not work, and the river was made
entirely unfit for steamers, while it an-
swered very well before they did any thing
to it. It is bad enough for individuals to
make blunders with their own property ;
but what shall we say when such blunders
as the above are made?

Now, dear friends, I waut to tell you that
a peculiar tender relation always exists, or
at least always should exist, between the
one who has been led to Jesus and him who
did the leading. There are doubtless many
friendships in the world like the friendship
of David and Jonathan ; but there ought to
be a hundred times more of them. Jona-
than's father was David's most bitter ene-
my ; but although his persecution and in-
justice were perhaps as great as any other
man ever bore, David would not, even to
save himself from harm, touch a hair of
Saul's head, or, in his own words, " The
Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my
hands against the Lord's anointed." His
wife was Saul's daughter, and his best
friend on earth was Saul's son. No wonder
that his forbearance stands out like a land-
mark to encourage and cheer generation
after generation not to become weary in
well doing. Sometimes in going over our
ledgers the clerks tell me that a certain one
is behind in making his payments. When I
glance at the name, old recollections come
up. Perhaps the one in question was led to
Christ years ago by the Home Tapers. My
directions are at once, " No, no ; do not
trouble him."

" But," replies the book-keeper, " we have
waited a long while."

But my reply is, " Never mind ; he will
surely pay if it is a possible thing for him to
do so ; and if he is not, I am willing to lose
it."

You see, after the letters that have passed
between us we have learned to know each
other, and a faith has come up that nothing
can dim or diminish. I know this friend
will pay me when he can. without taking
the trouble to write to him at all. What a
pleasant thing it is to have such a faith in
your fellow-men !

And now, dear friends, we who are mem-
bers of the different churches, or. if you
choose, we who are followers of Christ,
should have just such confidence in each
other. We should be of one family, and
there should be an especial bond or tie be-
tween us, that should say in our hearts, if
not in words, " No, no; you must not speak
nor write harshly nor unkindly to that
man." Sacred and solemn ties make you
of one kinship and one .blood,. "We be
brethren."

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

683

0aR 0wn Jinnm

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

USES AND RED CLOVER.

N the Question - Box department not
many issues ago, the value of red clover
was very lightly esteemed. This year
Neighbor II. had 15 acres of peavine
clover within an eighth of a mile, or
such a matter, of his Lafayette apiary. Our
bees had ceased working on white clover
and bass wood, and robbing was the order of
the day. But the bees in the Lafayette
apiary, some two miles south, instead of
robbing, were busy on red clover. Neigh-
bor II. thought they were just as busy on
this as he had ever seen them on white clo-
ver; and as he desired me to see it I hitched
up Hess (that is my new horse) and went
down, accompanied by Elizabef/i. Yes, there
was that same happy roar in the apiary that
we hear during our regular honey season,
and bees were tumbling down in front of
the entrances heavily loaded. The hives
showed that a large amount of this new
honey was being gathered. The flavor of
tlte honey was very pronounced. While
Elizabeth stayed by Bess to see that she did
not break off the end of the thill and kill
herself, as did my other horse, I started off
a few rods in the direction of the peavine
clover. I just wish that those who have
any doubt as to whether Italians will work
on red clover could have seen the sight that
I saw, have seen, and expect to see again.
There was the same contented hum of thou-
sands of bees here and there, stopping to
take a sip of those great big rosy heads of
clover.

THOSE HONEY QUEENS.

It may be that there are some Italians
that work better on red clover than others.
Perhaps it should be s:iid that the bees of
the Lafayette apiary are almost wholly
from those two imported honey queens,
spoken of in this department before. As
the progeny of these queens have shown
themselves to be greatly superior to the
progeny of other queens, Neighbor H. has
made the bees of this apiary almost entirely
the descendants of these queens, and the
drones are reared entirely from them.
While the particular strain of bees may
have shown unusual energy on the red clo-
ver, yet it is a fact that the average Italians
are red-clover bees— at least in our immedi-
ate vicinity. Even at our home apiary,
when there is a field of red clover within
range we almost always notice bees at work
on it to a greater or less extent.
smokers; now to make a clark smo-
ker GO ALL DAY WITHOUT GOING
OUT.

I notice that our friend Dr. Miller has
some trouble with his smoker going out.
As he tills his smoker in much the same way
that we do, and as our smoker never goes
out after being set fully going, I must lay
the difference to the fuel. We use a kind
of excelsior, such as I have before explain-
ed, that comes from the hand-holes of hives
and crates. It is a rather spongy sawdust,

lasts well, and, I think, it never goes out
when once fully lighted. Dr. Miller's plan
of filling the smoker now is, I believe, the
same as our own. We grab up a handful of
the excelsior, after having made sure that
the grate is clear ; shove it into the fire-box,
and cram in as much as we can, till we have
quite a solid mass of packed sawdust and
excelsior mixed. We then, with the point
of a pencil, or with the end of the finger,
punch a draft-hole centrally clear through
the fuel. A match is lighted, and the bel-
lows worked. The flame of the match will
shoot into this draft-hole, and ignite. The
bellows should be worked vigorously for
some little time, until the fuel is well on
tire. After that the smok? will last for
some two or three hours, and never go out.
At the end of this time we simply replenish
by cramming in more excelsior sawdust,
omitting, however, to make a draft-hole,
which is unnecessary, on account of the
remnant still burning from the first filling.
To help Dr. Miller out, and his able assist-
ant Emma, I have decided to send them a
bag of this kind of fuel. If it does not work
in his hands as it does in ours — well, I will
lay it to locality.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

OUR REPORT IN REGARD TO THE NEW
VEGETALLES.

ITp UGUST 15.— The kidney wax bean has
^rj^ once more proved itself so greatly su-

jR» perior to both black German wax and
-*^** the golden wax bean, that we are
strongly inclined to drop the latter al-
together. The black German wax is per-
haps more tender and succulent when it
gets old than the new kidney wax; but it
rusts so badly that we feel almost like giv-
ing it up. The kidney wax is just as early
as either. The pods are much larger, in
greater profusion, and the one fact of hav-
ing great long tender pods of immaculate
whiteness, without a speck or blemish, is a
big advance. If the beans are hoed when
they are wet, they will be spotted, and show
something like rust. They answer also very
well for the first shell bean ; but unless
cooked immediately, the beans soon turn to
a brownish color which is very forbidding.
The white kidney beans are not nearly as
forbidding in this respect ; and as the York
State marrow is a little earlier than any of
them for a shell bean, we think we shallput
it back in our price list again.

Henderson's bush lima bean is behaving
itself admirably. None of them are yet ripe
enough to show; but every stalk is loaded
with beautiful broad pods, about the size of
good-sized peapods, only having the appear-
ance of a regular pole lima bean. The foli-
age also looks exactly like that of the pole
lima.

The beans received from Colorado, that
looked so much like Henderson's, all ran up
poles. They are therefore, without ques-
tion, the Seewee, or Carolina pole beans,
while Henderson's is the same thing dwarf-

684

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

Aug.

ed. As an illustration of how wonderfully
prolific they promise to be, I will mention
that I counted 100 pods on a single stalk.
But very likely, these will not all mature.

This year again emphasizes the value of
the Jersey Wakefield cabbage, H. A.
March's strain, above any thing offered in
the catalogues. The heads are so hard and
solid that, if you undertake to handle a bar-
rel of them, you begin to think it must be
rilled with cast iron ; while if you purchase
a barrel of cabbages from the city markets,
you can toss the barrel into a wagon, with-
out any trouble whatever. We have been
planting the Jersey Wakefield pretty much
altogether for cabbages during the whole
summer. The only trouble is, they burst
unless they are gathered promptly ; but they
are so much harder aud so much crisper
than any other, our customers willingly pay
more for them.

Our celery has given us a great deal of
trouble this season, because it runs up to
seed, especially during hot weather. If
anybody has a strain of celery that will give
us early stalks, say in June, and not run up
to seed, we should like to get hold of it.
The Golden Self -blanching comes the near-
est to lilling the bill.

The Corey extra-early sweet corn has this
season done wonders. We have had roast-
ing-ears on the market for over four weeks
before anybody else had any at all ; and for
all of two weeks we got 2 cts. an ear. We
have managed this year so as to have one
crop follow another just exactly as we want-
ed it. There has been no glut in the mar-
ket, and we have had enough to supply all
the demand at fair prices.

We are overloaded with cucumbers, how-
ever. We sold them for a good while at 10
cts. a pound, and then at 5 cts.; and now we
offer them at a penny apiece, or 60 cts. per
100; and customers can have them just as
big or just as little as they choose. The ob-
jection to selling cucumbers by the pound
when they get to be very plentiful, is, that
people begin to call for small ones ; and of
course we can not sell pickles by the pound
at the same price that we do great big cu-
cumbers ; therefore they had better be sold
by the hundred.

Grand Rapids lettuce and Henderson's
New York are the standard kinds of lettuce
for hot weather.

The Silver-King onion is the one for the
market-gardener, providing he does not have
too many at one time. They need to be
sold about as fast as harvested, or they will
rot.

The Stratagem pea is the standard for us,
after we get through with the Alaska and
American Wonder. It is not much trouble
to sow them or drill them in, every ten days
or two weeks.

I am very much pleased to be able to re-
port Henderson's Puritan potato as stand-
ing with us at the head of the list. We
have never, had a nicer potato for cooking,
especially for baking, in our household.
Well-ripened potatoes, nicely baked, can be
shaken out of the peeling by rapping on
it with a knife, and the quality is equal to
any. The shape is also equal to if not bet-

ter than any other potato we have ever got
hold of. They come out of the ground so
clean and white that one almost imagines
they are Brahma hens' eggs. They are not
quite as early as the Early Ohio ; ?o the lat-
ter will still be retained as a first early pota-
to. Last, but not least, they are wonder-
fully productive. To get our Early Ohios
extra early, we planted large-sized whole
potatoes ; and, by the way, whenever you
want potatoes before anybody else, plant
whole ones, or, better still, sprout them in
the greenhouse, and pick out the largest po-
tatoes you have. Now, the Puritans were
cut, most of the pieces, very small, in order-
to get the most possible from a limited
quantity of seed ; but the yield per row was
fully equal to the Early Ohio. If it does
everywhere as it does with us, it is going to
be one of the staple potatoes.

Out of our IS early pumpkins sent us by
kind friends, just one has a ripe pumpkin
on the vines at this date. It is not a yellow
pumpkin, however, but it is of a light
cream color. We are indebted for it to the
writer of the following, which came to us on
a postal card last winter :

Mr. Riiot:—! send you to-day a packet of pumpkin
seed. It is light yellow in color, a new kind with us.
It is excellent for pies. J. T. Van Petten.

Linn, Kan., Feb. 25, 1889.

Burpee has certainly given us an improve-
ment in crook-neck summer squashes. His
Mammoth Summer crook-neck is a sight to
behold, on account of its immense size, and
at the same time the quality is fully equal
to the old kind.

The Ignotum and Dwarf Champion to-
matoes fully sustain their reputation ; but
somebody, 1 can not now remember who,
has given us a new tomato that threatens to
overturn every thing else. It is the "•Peach"
tomato. They are wonderfully like peaches,
and just as early as any thing we have.
They are not very large, however ; and the
vital point is, can Livingston or somebody
else make them larger? Now, it seems to
me that friend Livingston and the catalogue
makers were all of them singularly dull
when they forgot or omitted to tell us that
the Peach tomato is in one respect ahead of
and above and beyond any other good-sized
tomato. It never rots. How do I know?
Why, because I recognized it as belonging
to the Plum and Pear tomato family just as
soon as I saw it, and these have never been
known to rot. You may remember that we
have discussed this matter before. We had
seriously thought of holding on to the King
Humbert ; but it was shaped so much like a
flat-iron instead of egg-shape, as the cata-
logues gave it, that nobody would have it.
Now, the peach tomato has just as pretty a
shape as any tomato ever brought out. Some
of the specimens are as large as fair-sized
peaches, but there are a great many rather
small ones. Can it be made larger, and how
soon can we have it? I should not omit to
mention the fuzz, or bloom. It seems really
comical to think that Nature, in her sport-
ing, has copied the fuzz on the peach. But
it is so. If you arrange them in a basket so
that only the blossom end is visible, you

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

685

could cheat people very well. When they
turn them over, and look at the stem end,
then they discover that it is not a peach.

The Lorilland tomato, with us, rots the
worst of any thing we ever got hold of ; and
almost all of our tomatoes, except the Peach,
are rotting at the blossom end before they
get ripe. Perhaps after they get down to
the business of bearing ripe tomatoes, they
will get over it. May be the great abun-
dance of rain has something to do with it.

Our garden for testing honey-plants is
now looking very pretty. A bed that was
made of a rive-cent package of mixed port-
ulacas takes the shine, and also takes pretty
much all the bees. The melissa, or bee-
balm, is pretty well covered with bees ; but
owing to the fact that only a few blossoms
are out at a time, comparatively, it does not
present the scene of activity as do the fig-
wort and some others.

Gleanings, in Bee Culture.

Published Setni-Monthly .

-&.. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

2*£EIDIliT.£-, OHIO.

*»*~40«

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Clubbing Bates, See First Page of Heading Matter.
JMIEIDIiT-a., ^TTGr- IS, 1889.

Thy way is in the sea, and thv path in the great waters, and
thy footsteps are not known.— Psalm 77: 19.

We notice by the last issue of the Revistit Apieola,
published in Spain, that Frank Benton's present
address is Krainburg, Haute Carniole, Austria.

THE ILLUSTRATED HOME JOURNAL,

Published by Thomas G. Newman & Son, of Chica-
go, 111., we are glad to recommend as being a first-
class publication of the kind. It is well illustrated,
and the matter all of it as it should be, suitable for
the home. The price per year is now $1.00 per an-
num, or we will club it with Gleanings for $1.75.

A GREAT HONEY-YIELD IN TEMPE, ARIZONA.

You will notice by the statistical department that
our friend Gregg, of Tempe, Arizona, reports 30,280
lbs. from 190 colonies. Now, this is the more as-
tonishing to me, as Tempe is dependent entirely
upon irrigation. They do not have any rain to
amount to any thing at all, if I am correct. My
younger brother lives there, and I believe he is in
the near neighborhood of Mr. Gregg. Now, then,
friend G., if you have secured a crop of over 20,000
lbs. of honey, you can certainly afford to tell us all
about it— what it came from, how you did it, etc.
If the honey was produced by irrigation, may be
some of the rest of us may bring in irrigation to
make our honey crop a little surer than it is at pres-
ent. In this connection perhaps it would be well to
remark that Frank McNay, of Wisconsin, produced
3(1,000 lbs. from S3 ) colonies, and S. I. Freeborn, of
the same State, 32,000 from 300 colonies. This latter
about equals Mr. Greek's yield per colony. Chas.
Dadant & Son secured 36,000 lbs. from 400 colonies.

RAISING CELLS ABOVE QUEEN-EXCLUDING HONEY-
BOARDS NOT NEW.

Friend Heddon has called our attention to the
fact that the subject given in the heading is not
new, and that, tome five or six years ago, he dis-
covered it was possible to raise cells and young
queens above a queen-excluding honey-board. He
has referred us to an article which he wrote on
page 518 of Gleanings for 1885. A paragraph of it
reads as follows:

I have also discovered that two queens can be
kept in the hive, one on each side of the excluder.
In fact, wherever 1 have used the excluder, as soon
as I put eggs and young larva* above it (where the
queen could not go), queen-cells were started in
quantity. In several instances last season, young
queens were hatched. In two such, where we had
put the queen above (to test the excluding powers
of the board) she remained above, and a young
queen was reared, hatched, and fertilized, below.
This point is going to be of value to us in future.

He mentions the same thing in his book (publish-
ed in 1885), on page 78, in similar language. Mr. J.
D. Fooshe published the plan as new, and Doolit-
tle corrects him by saying that the same was al-
ready given in his book. Now, Mr. Heddon bobs
up and says he published it before either, and pro-
duces the printed proof. Notice, in friend H.'s last
sentence of the paragraph quoted that he (Heddon)
had succeeded in having a queen reared and fertil-
ized above the perforated metal. Now, who will
bob up and antedate the published report of the
whole lot of them? Verily there is nothing new
under the sun, or at least it looks that way some-
times.

A KIND WORD FOR THE ABC BOOK.

In the Review for August, one of its correspon-
dents complains of the ABC book. The editor is
kind enough to make the following points in his
reply :

While we do not agree with all of the teachings
contained in the A B C of Bee Culture, we regard it
as one of the most consistent books ever written.
Instead of bewildering the beginner with a thou-
sand and one descriptions of different hives, " traps
and calamities," its author sticks to one hive, one
system, and one every thing else down through to
the last chapter. And while they may not be the
best, they hang together; each part fits the other;
and if Mr. Root can furnish these things cheaper
than the reader can make them, said reader ought
to be thankful. We think many of the accusations
of " ax-grinding" are unjust. A man doesn't al-
ways think an article is best because he adopted it;
rather he adopted it because he thought it best.
We don'twish to be understood as saying that the
ABC mentions only one hive or system, but that
the reader who follows the instructions given will
never find himself in a muddle by having adopted
the parts of two opposing systems.

Many thanks, friend Hutchinson. During my
early experiences in bee culture I was so much
mixed up and mystified by the advice contained in
the different books and agricultural papers on the
subject of bee-keeping that I made up my mind to
write up a plain, simple book of directions; and
you have perhaps put it in words better than I
have seen it before; in fact, better than I could
have told it myself. The fact that I invented and
manufactured many of the goods I described, I
have always felt to be in one sense a drawback.
On this account I tried to have the ABC book as
free from any thing like ax-grinding as possible.
If I am correct, nowhere in the ABC book is it
mentioned that we have the articles for sale, al-
though I have several times said that the expense
ought not to exceed a certain amount; and T also
gave the very fullest directions possible to enable

686

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Aug.

each bee-keeper to make bis own implements. At
the same time, it was dillicult to ignore the fact
that hives and a good many other things are neces-
sarily made much cheaper when made by machine-
ry than they could be made by hand.

ITALIANS ON HED CLOVER.

Ernest's remarks in another column remind me
of a talk 1 had with E.France. We were riding in
a buggy past a clover field, and he was so positive
that Italians did not work on red clover that I spoke
something as follows: "Friend F., if I can't find
you Italians— lots of them, on the heads of red clo-
ver over in that field, then I shall be very much
mistaken." He stopped his buggy, and I clamber-
ed over the fence; but to my great astonishment I
looked in vain, even where the heads of clover
were thickest. Not a honey-bee was to be found,
although there were some bumble-bees. Now, in
our own State I never before found such a field of
clover as that in the month of July, without being
able to find at least some Italians on the blossoms;
and usually T find them in great numbers; in fact,
I have convinced those who were skeptical, by just
taking them out into a clover-field. Now, please
remember, when you feel like being positive, that
things of this kind are quite different in different
localities. Perhaps I should add, there were plenty
of Italian bees close by the field mentioned.

MARKING SPECIAL HIVES IN THE APIARY.

While at Dr. Miller's I noticed him several times
grasping a bunch of grass, clover, or even green
foliage from the trees, and tossing it on top of the
hive; anil as I was making it my business to find
fault with every thing, I commenced in this fash-
ion: " Look here, old friend; that green stuff will
soon dry up in the sun, and the wind will blow it
away. Why don't you take a stick or stone? "

He stopped long enough to put bis hand on my
shoulder, saying, "My dear brother, that is just ex-
actly what I want it to do. If we can get time we
are going to examine the hives thus indicated, be-
fore we go away to-day; but if we can not, we do
not want any mark left on it. If there is not wind
enough to blow it away before we get around
again, from its wilted and dried up appearance we
shall know that it was put on at the last visit, and
not during this present one."

Do you see the point, friends? The green stuff
not only indicated that the hive was to be looked
after, but it also, by its appearance, made a sort of
date, indicating roughly the time the mark was put
on the hive. If 1 am not mistaken, I saw other
bee-keepers making use of exactly the same idea.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The Iowa bee-keepers are anticipating: a good time at their
annual meeting, to be held on the fairground, during the
Mat.- Pair, Aug. 30 to Sept. u. J. W. Moore, Sec'y.

Ues Moines, la.

The Cortland Union Bee-keepers' Association will hold their
annual basket picnic al the Floral Trout Park in Cortland, N.
Y., Tuesday, Aug. 20. 1889. M. H. FAIRBANKS, Sec'y.

The fifth semi-annual meeting of the Susquehanna County

Hi-i -keepers' Association will be held at New Milford, l'a.. on
Saturday, Sept. 14, 1889. All ale cordially invited to attend.

H. M. Seelky, Sec'y.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court bouse. Brantford, Canada, Dec. 1, 5. 6, 1889.
All bee-keepers are Invited to attend, state and district bee-
keepers'societies are invited to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting willbe given in due

time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, ami r< i\ ring

the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding 81.00 to
the secretary. ' R. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.

Brantford, tint., Can.

gPEcr/m ]^0¥ice$.

MORE ABOUT THE FAIRS.

No doubt many of our readers will make exhibits
at their respeciive fairs, and will exhibit goods you
already have, and not take advantage of our offer
made a month ago. If any of you who thus exhib-
it care to distribute advertising matter for us, we
shall be pleased to supply you wilh our usual out-
fit, and will send along' with it free a copy of our
cloth bound A B C as remuneration for your ser-
vices. We send along wilh the outfit, instructions
for using it. The outfit consists of 1(10 advertising
cards, 25 $ 1000 reward cards, 10 price lists, 10 copies
of Gleanings and 10 Gleanings posters. If auy
of you can use more to advantage, please say how
many more, and we can send all together.

TIN AND GLASS HONEY PACKAGES.

We call our readers' attention to our page of hon-
ey-packages on the inside of cover to this number.
Manvof you are already familiar with these and
their merits from the way your orders have been
coming in. The 5-gallon square cans are now about
as cheap as barrels— in fact, cheaper than barrels
of the same capacity, and they are better in many
ways They are very convenient to draw from, es-
pecially with the little honey-gate to screw on to
the cap. When we get honey in barrels, the first
thing we do is to empty it into square cans. If we
don't, it will very soon get to leaking and making
us trouble.

Our new lot of 1000 nests, raised-cover pails, have
a handsome swedge and fancy cover, which add
much to their appearance. Our carload of glass
tumblers and pails have been going so well we have
had to get 47 bbls. more stock since the carload
came, not two months ago. We have also received
many words of praise concerning them from cus-
tomers.

PRICE LIST OF JONES

LITHOGRAPH

LABELS.

size in

I'n ce.

POP

tage

Print'g Add's

Name of Label.

Inches.

100

1000

100

1000

1000

all!)

250

Kill

5-lb. Jones Lithogr'h.

OX x 14

1 00

9 lift

.12

1.20

1 (HI

T5

hO

30

2>4 ditto

S>4 x 14

0(1

5 no

C»

52

1 (III

7h

50

30

1 ditto light.

I ■- .:)

Ml

4 (HI

.4

.35

1 (HI

7h

50

so

1 ditto darker.

i% x 9*;

.Ml

t mi

4

.35

1 (in

75

h(l

30

'.ditto.

2 \ x s%

2a

" mi

.a

.28

.90

7h

60

Ml)

% ditto.

2 x 7K.

.25

-, nil

.3

.25

'.in

7ft

60

30

% ditto.

I1- X 51.,'

i;.

1 (III

a

.18

'.in

75

50

30

A do., for Mb. Cart'n.

t'-i X 4',

411

« 50

.8

.20

) (HI

75

60

HO

Hdo.Joi

• 'i x I'.i

41)

3 mi

3

20

1.00

75

50

30

C do., for 2-lb. "

v, x r>',

4fi

1 III!

.4

.30

1 llll

7fi

50

30

1) do., for "

•"•'i x 5'4

45

1 (HI

4

.30

1.00

7ft

50

30

E ditto.

2>, v 10

,50

4 511

.4

£6

F ditto.

V4. x 16

SO

4 .ill

4

36

G ditto.

2-, x 13'.,

55

a III!

.5

.42

1.00

7ft

60

30

H ditto.

■:\ x 13)

55

5 00

a

.42

I ditto.

3% x 14

«(l

h ho

6

.52

1.00

7b

..a

30

J ditto.

■t\ \ 16

00

ft 50

.6

.52

Abbott oval Lith'ph.

2*8" * 2^

.30

2.00

Those of you who have never seen these labels
can form little idea how handsome they are; and
that you may see them without much expense we
will put up a sample package of 1 of each kind, and
mail postpaid for ten cents. Eight of the above may
be divided into 2 and 3 labels each, so that you can
get a small lot (over 30) of handsome lithograph la-
bels, no two alike, for only 10 cts. These sample
packages would be very good for laoeling a small
fair exhibit. They would at least add variety. We
can not, of course, print your name and address on
the sample package or any number less than 100,
and those opposite which we give no price for
printing, have no blank place for such printing,
and hence can not be printed. All the above are
ungummed. You can not get lithograph or many
colored labels on gummed paper.

IF YOU WANT BEES

That will just "roll" in the honey, try Moore's
Strain oi Italians, the result of ten years' care-
fiil breeding. Reduced prices: Warranted queens,
each, 70c; 3 for $3 00. Strong 3 L. frame nucleus,
with warranted queen, $2 50. Safe arrival and sat-
isfaction guaranteed. Those who have never dealt
with me, I refer to A. I. Root, who has purchased
of me, during past nine years, 405 queens.

Address J I». ITIOORE,

IVIoru'aii, I»«'ii<lleton Co., Ky.

J3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

(>9i

Contents of this Number.

Alfalfa 708

Bees, Malformed 707

Bees on Fruit 711

Bees, Poisoning 707

Boardman on tne Season. . .70:!

Burr-combs 708, 709

Caraiolans, Cross 698

( larniolans S warmers 708

Catnip 711

Cellar vs. Outdoor 7lo

Cells, Top Row 708

Cuba— King's Letter 702

Cyclopedias 710

Disease, Bee. New 708

Extract, When to 710

Hani. son's Letter 698

Heads of Grain 708

Honey in Maryland 699

Honey is Digested Nectar.. 706

Honey, Bush 709

Honey-dew 711

Ice-making 711

Increase, Possible 707

Introducing 705

Introducing <y. B. i.7ia

Myself and Neighbors 715

Notes and Queries 711

Notes of Travel 719

Out-apiaries 695

Pollen, Amount 711

Queens, Clipped 710

Queens, Several in a Hive. .696

yueenlessness 696

Reports Discouraging 71:2

Reports Encouraging 711

Silverhull for Honey 711

Singapore Fruits 700

Skunks 697

Snakes of Florida 709

Spider-plants 709

Stings arc No Relief 711

Stings and Whisky 699

Strawberry, Ever-bearing. .709
Strawberries on Clay Soil.. 721

Veils, Glass-front. 697

Vermont Apiaries 704

Virgin Queens tQ. B. 1.712

Whisky for Stings 699

We have at this date 91160 subscribers. Thank you.

THE BUSH LIMA BEANS.

Well, dear friends, the bush limas are finally big
enough to cook, and they are all right, except in
size. With us, however, they are not a bit earlier
than our extra-early pole lima beans. They are,
however, a real bush lima bean, and wonderfully
prolific. The little bushes are just bending- under
their loads of pods.

The lima beans from Northrup, Braslin, Goodwin
& Co. did finally stop running up poles, and turned
out to be a tolerably fair bush beau. When ready
to cook, they look, when shelled, much like a very
thick lima bean; and the quality, when cooked, is
something about half way between ordinary white
beans and a lima bean. It hardly has a lima-bean
flavor, and the plant does not look at all like a lima
bean. But they are a very rich, toothsome bush

bean. When we first shelled them I decided that
we would raise them for a shelled bean for the wag-
on; but in a few hours my wife called to me tbat
our lima beans had all turned a reddish jellow. Ex-
posure to the air for just a little while made them
begin to assume the color they are when ripe and
dry. This one thing would unfit them for sale on
the wagon, shelled. On the whole, 1 do not think
they have any right at all to be classed with liman.

THE KUMERLE LIMA BEAN

This is a true lima bean, and it is fully equal in
size to the pole limas. The plant, however, seems
to demand a tropical climate. It, as well as Hen-
derson's bush lima, is more tender than our pole
limas. I am very much afraid that the Kumerle
will not escape frost unless we have very favora-
ble seasons. At present the number of beans on a
plant does not begin to compare with the amount
on the pole limas. It is true, that, under the in-
fluence of heavy manuring and extra cultivation,
our pole limas are bearing a tremendous crop; but
the bush limas were given the same or better
ground, and the very best care. Here is something
further that is a little queer in regard to suitable
soil for lima beans: Wtiile our creek-bottom land,
that we thought was so greatly superior for almost
every thing, will not raise lima beans worth a cent,
our hillsides of heavy clay give beautiful crops sea-
son after season. Now, this clay land will bake
down as hard as a rock unless it is kept constantly
stirred iu the summer time, and lightened up by
lots of manure. The creek-bottom land has, how-
ever, so much sand that its cultivation is always
quite easy.

SAVE THE SEED OF YOUR IGNOTUM TOMATO.

The prospect is, we are not going to be able to
anywhere near supply the demand for the seed dur-
ing the coming season. In fact, we have orders al-
ready booked for $42.00 worth. Save the seed from
every tomato; and if you do not want it all, I can
probably take it off your hands at a good price. You
will notice that the Ignotum is so " full of meat"
that it produces very few seeds comparatively.

A STEP FORWARD TOWARDS SUCCESS !
After carefully studying the demand of consumers and dealers,
and selecting of the many styles of packages for comb honey the
very best and the most attractive, we have now prepared an im-
proved paper carton combined with a comb-protector. Honey.

put up in these packages, will be bought in preference to all

others at highest market price. Our patent comb-protector will
^ prevent leakage and soiling of sections. Comb honey can be

easily and quickly put up in our cartons. These advantages and
the small cost of our cartons and comb-protector will save labor,

time, money, and honey. Strohmeyer's patent comb-protectors
• require | inch of the inside height of crates. Price list and sam-
_ pie carton sent free on application.
1 F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

122 Water Street, New York.

THE REVISED LANOSTROTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

u

FOR PURE ITALIAN BEES,

POLAND-CHINA SWINE, WHITE AND BLACK

FERRETS, WHITE RABBITS, WHITE

AND BROWN LEGHORN CHICKENS, AND

MALLARD DUCKS, ADDRESS

N. A. KNAPP, ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

lTtfdb

Gash Paid for Beeswax.

CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
H. H. LJEA.UX & VO Higainsville, Mo.

17-18-19d

20,000 feet select white linn lumber, well season-
ed; all under roof: mostly 2 in. thick; will sell.
Want to buy 10,000 raspberry tips, black caps. Also
want to buy 20 bushels Scott wheat. Will pay $1.00
per bushel. J. B. MURRAY, Ada, Ohio.

&9*lu responding to thiu advertisement mention Gleanings.

Everbearing" Strawberry.

Plants, by mail, 1 cent each. Bears from frost to
frost. SETH WHNQUIST,

Mount Tabor, Oregon.

ITALIAN

Q.IJEENS. Tested, $1.50. Un-
tested, 75c. Mismated, 35c. Send
for price list.

Miss A. M. Taylor, Mulberry Grove, Bond Co.. 111.

17tfdb Box 77.

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

SIX pure Italian queens, 51 c each; 10 mismated,
30c each ; 15 hybrids, 20c each.

F. C. Morkow, Wallaceburg, Ark.

ITALIAN QUEENS by return mail; tested, $1;
untested, 75c. LEININGER BROS.,

lOtfdb Douglas, Putnam Co.. Ohio.

692

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

BEEHIVES, SEGTIONS.ETG.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
l)4.x4}4, sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 10U0.

f5^~ Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

It^"ln responding i" this advertisement mention Gleanings.

CaJif ornia.

FOR SALE.— A well established trade in the sup-
ply business. For particulars apply to
16 -17-18d Box 2, Duarte, Cal.

MIAM

The BEST Late

ON EARTH!

PRICE RECUCED

New testimonials and a fine lithograph and photo-
engraving of the fruit. All leading varieties for
sale. Send for price list and pamphlet to the origi-
nator, J. D. KRUSCHKE, Box 824, Piqua, Ohio.
!L?rhi responding to this advertisement mention O i.kaxi.nG!

Sturwold's Show-Case

FOR THE PROTECTION AND DISPLAY OF
HOITEY.

In well-equipped retail stores you will find many
goods displaced in show-cases* This is because,
from their nature they are liable to damage from
dust, exposure, and frequent handling. What is
more worthy a place under glass than our honey?
By adding to its attractiveness it calls the attention
of more people to it, and thus increases its sale.
We have just made a new lot of cases, similar to
the one shown above. We have used chestnut in-
stead of walnut, and have improved the construc-
tion of the case so as to make it stronger, lighter,
and simpler. To save transportation charges we
can finish these all up and then take out the four
corner standards and ship 'knocked down " aud se-
curely boxed. They will thus go as first-class
freight, while put up they charge three times first-
class rates by freight. By express there would be
no difference. Price of the case, put up with glass
in. or boxed separately, or knocked down and box-
ed any of the three ways, will be the same— $4.00.
With name and address on the front glass, $1.5(1.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts.;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for buna-tide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To correspond with parties having
land to sell which they know is in a good honey
location, or exchange for property in this county.
L. C. Calvert, Poplar Flat, Lewis Co., Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange extracted honey for a
Barnes improved saw, sections, foundation,
family Bible, or Webster's Dictionary.
17d Wm. Pearson, Oswalt, Iowa.

WANTED.— To exchange bees for a Barnes com-
bined saw in good order.
Dr. A. W. Tufts, Musson, Iberville Parish, La.

WANTED.— To exchange 3 L. frame nucleus, with
yellow Italian queen, in one-story Simplicity
hives, worth $2.00, for white paint, or offers.
Mrs. OliverCole, Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange pure Italian queens for
extracted honey. Please correspond with de-
scription of honey and price, f. o. b. cars at your
station. Wm. W. Cary, Coleraine, Mass.
lf.ti'db

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange bees for extracted hon-
ey. J. F. Michael, German, Darke Co , O.
15-16-17d

ANTED— To exchange bees, for top-buggy,
road-cart, surgical or dental instruments.

Dk. Cokya, Moore's Hill, Ind.

W

BUBACH, Jessie, Warfleld, Hoffman's Seedling,
May King, and Crescent strawberry - plants,
cheap, in exchange for comb or extracted honey,
sections, or beeswax. Plants true to name.
Write to E. T. Flanagan, Belleville,

Box 995. St. Clair Co., 111.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

Fifty untested Italian queens, 50 cents each.

M. Isbell, Norwich, Chenango Co., N.Y.

Hybrid queens of the best strains, producing en-
ergetic workers, 50c each.

Edward Young, Boonville, Mo.

Fine hybrid queens for 30c each, or 4 for $1.00;
guarantee safe arrival.

Frank Howard, Fairfield, Wayne Co., 111.

One dozen Italian hybrid queens for sale at your
own price. They are good, serviceable queens.
Some of them produce mostly three-banded worker
bees. J. H. Johnson, Middaghs, Northam. Co., Pa.

I want to sell 30 full-blood Italian queens that are
united with black drones; they are tine, good, pro-
lific queens. Will send them by mail to any ad-
dress in the U. S. for 30 cts. each. All are youngr
rai scd ibis season. I want to sell them bad.

H. J. Hancock, Siloani Springs, Ark.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

093

gPECI^Ii j^FICEg.

DECLINE IN BEESWAX AND COMB FOUNDATION.

We quote a further decline in beeswax, as fol-
lows: We will pay, for average wax delivered here,
21 cts. cash or 24 in trade. For bright yellow, from
1 to 3 cts. extra. Our selling price will be 26 for
average, 30 for selected. We drop comb fdn. back
again to the old price before the rise, which is as
follows:

Hacked in neat boxes, with tis

sue paper between every

two sheets.

10 lbs. per lb.

200

Heavy
brood,

4 to 6
ft to lb

40

Light
brood,
about?

ft to lb

13

Thin,

Extra

surplus

t'n flat

about

bott'm

10 ft lb

about

12 ft lb.

SO

60

19

59

48

5S

47

57

46

56

25

WRITING AND PENCIL TABLETS.

We have secured a bargain in these, and propose
to give you the benefit of it. We have thirteen dif-
ferent styles, of which we give size, number of
leaves, name, and price, in the following table. You
can write with a pen on any of the tablets, although
most of them are designed for penciling.

Size in j No. of Post. Price of
Name or Designation. inches. Leaves, on 1. 10

Our Pets Ruled Pencil Tablet.. 5 .\8 60

No. 0 Ruled Pencil Tablet.. 5>£x8 I 70 5 3

Ideal Unruled Pencil T ablet... 7 xlO

Monumental Unruled ditto ... 8 .\12 65 10 6

Greenawav Ruled ditto 7>*\lo\

No. 00 Ruled Pencil ditto 10

Geographical ruled ditto fl x9

Student's Nbte-B< .ok 5^x8^

America Writing Tablet 6 \!l

No. 36 Writing Tablet 5Xx8Jf

No. 65 linen Writing Tablet r>xhx8\

Tn case we get out of any one style we reserve
the rigrbt to substitute one as near like it as possi-
ble. Notice, the cost of mailing is greater than the
original cost, so that you don't get much benefit of
the low price unless you can order with other goods
by freight. "Our Pets" has assorted chromo pic-
tures of children with pet animals on the covers.
" Ideal "has assorted child's faces. " Monumental "
has a picture of Garfield Monument. "Greenaway"
series have assorted chromo pictures. " Geograph-
ical " have assorted maps of different States. Stu-
dent's note-book is thoroughly bound, cloth back.
"America" has lithographic views of several cele-
brated scenes in America.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas: and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-

pies free. w. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Please mention Gleanings. 13tfdb

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

stfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

t3TIn responding to this advertisement mention Glkaninos.

The Secrets of Success in the Grow-
ing of Small Fruits

Gives you the benefit of several years' experience
in growing berries for market, together with my il-
lustrated catalogue and price list of berry-plants;
spnt free on application. Now is the time to set
strawberries for next year's fruiting. Jessie, Cloud,
and other new varieties. 16-19db

I. A. WOOSLL, Elsie, Mich.

t»"Iu responding t<> this advertisement mention Gleanings.

RARE CHANCE !

Fifteen colonies of bees in 10-frame Simplicity
hives, in first-class condition, ready to ship by re-
turn express, at $3.00 per colony. Send in your
orders at once, as they must go quick. Five or
more at same rate. Dr. Carl Tuttle,

17d Berlin Heights, O.

ES"ln responding to this advertisement mention Ci.k. • \.

BBG-K66PBrS ^Poultry-KBBDBrs

Buy a World Type-writer and print your own
price lists, and save 90 per cent. Send for price list
of World type-writers and Columbia bicycles to

ROBERT B. GEDYE, La Salle, III.

C^In responding to this adv

Italian and Garniolan Queens.

Thirty years a queen dealer. Prices low. Circu-
lar free. HENRY ALLEY, Wenham, Mass.

tSTIn responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DADANT'S FOUNDATION

Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman &
Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O. ; Jas.
Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; O. G. Collier, Fairbury,
Nebraska; B. J.Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind.;
E. S. Armstrong, Jersey ville, 111.; E. Kretchmer,
Coburg, Iowa; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.,
M.J. Dickason, Hiawatha, Kansas; J. W. Porter,
Charlottesville, Albemarle Co., Va. ; E. R. Newcomb,
Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y. ; D. A. Fuller,
Cherry Valley, 111. ; J. B. Mason & Sons, Mechanic
Fails, Maine; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.,
Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green,
Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown,
Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, Atwater, Ohio, Oliver
Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg,
Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M.
Clark & Co., 1409 15th St., Denver, Colo.; Goodell &
Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111. ; J. A. Roberts,
Edgar, Neb., E. L. Goold & Co., Brantford, Ontario,
Canada; J. N. Heater, Columbus, Neb. ; E. C. Eagles-
field, Berlin, Wis.; C. D. Battey, Peterboro, Mad.
Co., N. Y.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne, lnd., and
numerous other dealers.

We guarantee every inch of our foundation equal
tn sample in every respect. Every one who buys
it is pleased with it.

Write for free samples, and price list of bee-sup-
plies and specimen pages of the new

REVISED LANGSTROTH ROOK,

Edition of 1889. 3tfdb

CHAS. DADANT & SOM,
Maiuiltou, Hancock «'«>., Illinois.

E5*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Crawford's Folding Paper Roxes

For Inclosing Section Hour//.
THE BEST BOX FOR THE LEAST MONEY!

$S.OO Per 3.000

and less, according to quantity. Send for sample
and price list. A. 0. CRAWFORD, S. WEYMOUTH, MASS.
J^rin responding to this adveiti.-.

it mention Oi.kamu

B

ees
ees* ^

S ¥3°""-- try

oxiltry

A oultry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the bost paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $1 00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
THE D. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

694

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

JI0NEY (36MMN.

CITY MARKETS.

I'm i ladelphi a.— Honey. —As nearly as we can
learn, the crop of white honey through the East
will be short, owing- to the wet season, hence the
present outlook is favorable for good price* for
comb honcv put up in 1-1 b. and 2-lb. sections, pack-
ed in cases of 20 to 24 lbs. each, and put up in neat,
clean, and attractive packages. We beg leave to
inform all bee-keepers that we are in a position to
handle large quantities of honey in the comb, also
extracted, and will take an active interest in dis-
posing of honey to the very best advantage. Our
commission for doing business is 5%. The season
for the crop of honey is just opening, and prices
are not fully established. We quote: Fancy white
clover, in I -ib. sections, per lb., lB^c; 2 lb., 14; or-
dinary grades, 1 to 2c less. No buckwheat honey to
quote. Extracted honey, white clover, per lb., SY2;
orange bloom, 7V4@8; Southern, off color, 60(5t70c
per gal.; California extracted, in 60-lb. cans, ffa;
comb, in til-lb. cases, 13@I4. Beeswax, Southern,
crude, 2;iV4@24i4; Northern. 23

Aug. 15. Walker & McOokd,

32 & 34 So. Water St., Philadelphia, Pa.

New York.— Honey.— We received several lots of
new comb honey, white, I and 2 lb. sections. The
demand is fair; the market just about opening,
although the weather is very warm. We quote:
fancy white, 1 lb., glassed and unglassed, lfic; 2 lb.,
14c; fair white, 1 lb., 14c; 2 lb., 12c. Extracted re-
mains firm, with a first-class demand for all kinds,
and brings the following prices on arrival: Orange
blossom, 7'4(a»8c per ll> ; white clover and basswood,
S"Si2; Southern strained, average quality, 65@70c
per gal. Send in your extracted honey now and
get immediate returns.

HlLDRETH BROS. & SeGELKEN.

Aug. 21. New York.

Cincinnati. — Honey. — Demand for extracted hon-
ey is fail- from manufacturers, and fair from con-
sumers for table use. It brings 5@8c on arrival.
Arrivals are good. There is a good demand for
best qualities of comb honey, while inferior grades
tind a slow sale. It brings ll@15c in a jobbing way.
Beeswax is in good demand and sells readily at 20(§
23c on arrival for good to choice yellow.

Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Aug. 21. Cincinnati, Ohio.

St. Louis. — Honey. — The market is very quiet.
Too much fruit at low prices to leave any room for
rushing it. Moving slowly; choice white clover,
comb, in 1-lb. sections, single tier preferred, 12@12i;
larger sized sections, 10@11. Extracted, in cans,
5^@6l/4; bbl., B@5J4; Southern, i%@5. —Beeswax,
prime, 23V»; small orders more.

W. B. Westcott & Co.,

Aug. 21. St. Louis, Mo.

New York.— Honey.— Extracted, California, 7V4@
8c; orange bloom, 7V4@8; common Southern, 65@75
per gal.; vibite clover and basswood, 7i4@8; comb
honey, 1 lb., taucy white, 16c; 1 lb., fair, 14; 2-lb.
sections, 2c less. As prices are about lit per cent
lower this season than last year, we expect a very
active demand early in the season.

Aug. 21. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co.,

New York.

Columbus.— Homy. — Home honey about exhaust-
ed. White-clover honey in 1-lb. sections, 16@.17c.
Early consignments would be profitable, and meet
with ready sale. Last week we closed out 75 cases
(13 lbs. to the easel from 15@17c. Extracted honey
slow. Earle Clickenokr,

Aug. 80. Columbus, Ohio.

Kansas City. -Honey.— New crop arriving free-
ly; demand light; 1-lb. sections, white clover, lfic;
2 1b., 14; extracted, 8'/2<T/i<»; dark, fi'/2@,7.

Hambi-in & Bearss,

Aug. 21. Kansas City, Mo.

Boston.— Honey.— Honey has arrived quite free-
ly. Sales are a little slow; 1-lb. comb is selling from
17@18c: 2 lb. from I5@17c; extracted from 8(»9c.

Aug. 21. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Receipts of comb honey
large. Market slow, at 14@15c for 1-lb. white comb;
13@14c for 2 lb. White, extracted, 7@8c; dark, 6c.
/>V/ sintx, 20@25c. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Aug. 22. Kansas City, Mo.

Albany.— Honey.— Weather too hot yet for much
of a demand in honey, but as soon as changes, look
for good prices. Honey consignments and corres-
pondence solicited. H. R. Wright,

Aug. 21. Albany, N.Y.

St. Louis.— Honey. Market very quiet, and de-
clining. We quote extracted at o@5'/2; comb, white
clover, 12@12J4; fair, 10@11 -Beeswax, 24. ■

D. G. Tutt Gro. Co..

Aug. 21. St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— New honey coming in very
slowly, and selling at 14@,15c for 1 lb. sections. Bees-
wax, 23. M. H. Hunt.

Bell Branch, Mich., Aug. 21.

Wanted.— 500 lbs. of nice comb honey.

A. D. Ellingwood, Milan, N. H.

For Sale.— 1000 lbs. extra choice clover and bass-
wood honey, in 1-lb. sections and 12-lb. cases, at bee-
per lb., delivered at the depot of anyone of five
different railroads.

Frank Durand, Esdaile, Pierce Co., Wis.

For Sale.— 2500 lbs. of choice white clover and
basswood honey, put up in 60-lb. screw-top cans, at
8c per lb.

F. W. Holmes, Cooperville, Ottawa Co., Mich.

For Sale.— 4000 lbs. extracted clover and bass-
wood, in 10-gal. kegs, at 10c per lb., kegs thrown in.
M. Isbell, Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y.

For Sale.— Quite a quantity of white clover and
basswood honey, put up in 6i)-lb. square cans. Will
take $4.75 per can at ray place. Correspondence so-
licited. 17-18d H. L. Rouse, Republic, Iowa.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant 1-lb. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can; 2 cans
in 1 box, $9.60. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Yernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

For Sale.— 10,000 lbs. of choice white-clover hon-
ey, in first-quality 1-lb. sections, 24 and 48 lb. cases,
delivered free on board cars at Dixon, at 13 cts. per
lb. If you want 10U0 lbs. or more, write for special
prices. 17-18d Ezra Baer, Dixon, 111.

For Sale.— 25,000 lbs. choice extracted white-clo-
ver honey, in barrels holding about 550 lbs. net,
each. I put it up also in packages of any size de-
sired, in either wood or tin. There is no finer honey
than this in the market. Write me what you want,
and I will give you prices.

Emil J. Baxter, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., 111.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The Iowa bee-keepers are anticipating a good time at their
annual meeting, to be held on the Fairground, during the
State Fair, tug. 30 to Sept. 6. J. W. Mooke, See's

lie> Moines, ia.

The fifth semi-annual meeting of the Susquehanna Count;

I;. . keepers' Association will be held at New Milford, Pa., on
Saturday, Sept. It, ISS'.i. All are cordially invited to attend.

H. II. Seki.f.y, Sec'y.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court-house. Brantfurd. Canada, Dec. 4. 5. 6. 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend, state and district bee-
ke. pei s' societies are invittd to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting will be given in due

li Any one desirous of becoming a member, and receiving

the lasl annual report, bound, may do SO by forwarding $1.00 to
thi ecretary. R. F. Hoi.termann, Sec'y.

Brantford. Ont., Can.

The Northwestern Bee-keepers' Society will hold its annual
convention at the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake and Dear-
born sis., Chicago, on Kriday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12. at 9
\.m \rrangements have been made with the hotel for back

i ii, one bed, two persons, W 76 per day. each ; front room, (2

per day. each person. This date occurs during the exposition,
when excursion rates on the railroads will he one fare for the
round trip, good from Oct. 10 to ll. inclusive. There has been
afaireropof honey in the West, and an old-time crowd may
te<i at this revival of the Northwestern from its "hi
hernation." W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec'y.

Vol. XVII.

SEPT. 1, 1880.

No. 17.

:RMS : $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance; "I T7i,,-f-~ 7, 7,' 0 7, ., /] ,'^ 1 Q 'Y ^ f Clubs to different postoffices, not I
lopies loi-Sl.90; 3for*2.75;5for$i.00; I JjjSld/UiLti ridVU Lib ±0 I O. than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in

*ut"\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO

TERMS

2 Copies

10 (

ber

made at club rates. Above ai

be sent to one 1'Ostoffice.

less

the

eoun-

ion. 18

per year extra. To all countries

not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO. XIV.

MEMORANDUM OF WORK TO BE DONE.

UCH method and planning- about your work
is not so necessary with only a few colo-
nies; but as the number increases it be-
comes more necessary; and when your
bees occupy two or more apiaries it be-
comes very necessary that you know beforehand
just what you are to do. So it is important, not on-
ly to keep a record of what has been done, but to
keep a concise memorandum of what is to be done.
This can be kept very conveniently in your record-
book. I usually put it in the back part of the book.
On the left-hand margin of the page, write the
dates of the month and the days of the week; and
as fast as you know what is to be done ahead, enter
the number of the colony to be treated ; and if you
think best, use some character or letter to indicate
what is to be done. I don't mean to say that every
thing of your regular work is to be put down, only
the unusual things that you might forget, especial-
ly those things that might make considerable trou-
ble if you did forget. A part of your memorandum
might be like this:
June.

1. Sat. 5, 18, 57, 63.
- o cl y

3. Mon. 219, 234, 238, 242,

a o

4. Tues 128, 146.

259.

5. Wed. 304, 315, 322.

— y

This means, that on Saturday, June I, queen-cells
are to be destroyed in No. 5. See if there are any
eggs in 18; clip the queen of 57, and so on. You will
have to look at your record to see what is to be
done with 219, and others which have no marks

under them. Sometimes a rainy day will occur,
making it necessary to change your arrangements,
and then you will find it of great advantage to
have your memorandum and your record, for then
you have all your apiaries before you, and can plan
understandingly, and not leave some important
thing1 too long.

In another place in your book, make a memo-
randum of any thing that you want taken to any of
the out-apiaries. For instance, at a certain apiary
where you are to-day, you find you will need so
many empty hives, frames, boards for stands, or
what not. If you trust to memory you may go
next time and leave some needed thing at home,
the lack of which may discommode you very much.

OUT-APIARIES RUN WITH NATURAL SWARMING.

If you are a strong advocate of natural swarming
you will have some one at each of your apiaries
during- the busy season, and it depends upon cir-
cumstances and your own views of management
whether you shall have some cheap hand, merely
to watch for swarms and get them hived in some
sort of shape, or have efficient help at each apiary
while you go around from one apiary to another
and have a general oversight over all. Adam
Grimm followed the latter plan, I believe. One of
the most successful bee-keepers in the country has
for each apiary a man capable of running it, and
each one of these lives in the village and makes a
report at headquarters, every evening, of the do-
ings of the day, going- back to his own apiary the
next morning. In this case each man has his own
conveyance, and hauls for himself the necessary
hives, sections, etc. In the other cases you will
take with you to the different apiaries whatever
may be needed.

I say nothing about management of first and sec-
ond swarms, for I don't know that there is any
thing about it peculiar to out-apiaries.

696

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

OUT-APIARIES WITHOUT SWARMING.

Without attempting- to discuss whether it is bet-
ter to encourage or discourage natural swarming,
I may say that there are many bee-keepers who
think it better on the whole to suppress swarming,
either to some extent or as much as possible. If,
like some others, you have been trying to find
some way by which you could get your bees to
work right on through the harvest without any at-
tempt at swarming, when working for comb honey,
I am quite safe in saying that your desire to find
such a way will be greatly intensified when you
come to establish one or more out-apiaries. For
whatever may have been the case with one apiary,
if you do not desire swarming it will certainly be a
great convenience to be able to leave an out-apiary
for three days or a week with little or no anxiety
about what the bees may do in the way of swarm-
ing-. To prevent increase is quite an easy matter,
for any one can double up; but to prevent swarm-
ing is quite another thing. This is not the place to
discuss plans to prevent swarming; but I may say
that, although I am not without hope that some
one may find out a better way, I am not sure now
of any way except the one which is probably fa-
miliar to you, of keeping the queen caged or out of
the hive during- the swarming season. " But," you
say, " doesn't the absence of the queen or the loss
of so much brood during the working season prove
detrimental? " Quite likely; but the fact that such
men as Capt. Hetherington and P. H. Elwood prac-
tice on this plan, shows that they think more is to
be gained than lost by it. Even if it should require
just as much work during the season as to allow
natural swarming, the work can be more evenly
distributed; for if you have 100 swarms in 10 days it
is any thing but certain that you will have exactly
ten each day. Besides, I suspect that three or four
persons can take care of more bees by going about
from one apiary to another than if each one were
obliged to stay in his own place.

Another thing that is quite an item to some, is
that it is very much pleasanter to have company,
and go together from one apiary to another, than
to work alone each day.

Mind you, I'm not insisting that for you it is best
to try to have no swarming. If you have great
faith in natural swarming (and some of our best
men have), swarm away to your heart's content.
I'm only saying that, if you have a leaning toward
the suppression of swarming, you will lean away
over when you have more than one apiai-y. What I
have said applies particularly to apiaries run for
comb honey. If you run for extracted, of course
the danger of swarming is very much lessened.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

ITEMS FROM THE APIARY.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A COLONY IS QUEENLESS.

T|pTthis season of the year we often examine
9fl^ the old colonies in our apiary which have
fix cast swarms, to see if the young queens in
■*^*- the same have commenced to lay. In doing
this we often find colonies which have the
cells all cleaned out and prepared for the queens,
yet there are no eggs in them. I used to think, that
where I found cells thus prepared it was a sure
sign that the queen was present and was about
commencing to lay; but years of experience have
taught me that this can not always be depended up-

on; and if a hive is left without further looking aft-
er, it often happens that they remain queenless so
long that fertile workers get possession of the
combs, in which case it is about as well to break up
the colony as to try to make them accept a queen.
Finding some colonies in the above shape, appar-
ently with queens just ready to lay, I thought I
would not wait and look again, as I generally have,
often hunting some time for the queen when I did
not see eggs, so I went to some of my other colo-
nies, and took frames from them which contained
plenty of brood in the egg and larval state, and
placed it in the center of each of these doubtful
colonies. In four days I went to these colonies
again, when all I had to do to tell whether they
were queenless or not was to lift these combs I had
set in and see whether there were queen-cells on
them or not. To my surprise over half of them had
queen-cells on them, thus proving conclusively
that they were queenless. Now, being positive that
they had no queens, all I had to do to introduce
one was to take away these frames of brood, put
them back in the hives where they came from, and
in an hour, when these were mourning because of
the loss of this brood, roll a queen in honey and
drop her in the hive at the top of the frames, rest-
ing assured that she would be well received, for I
never lost a queen when put in a hive under these
conditions. A frame of brood containing eggs and
larvas placed in any doubtful colony will always
tell whether they are queenless or not, yet from the
many reports of losses of queens which I have re-
ceived, it would seem that queens are largely or-
dered for supposed queenless colonies, and then
lost in trying to introduce them to a colony having
something they are reverencing as a queen.

SEVERAL QUEENS IN A HIVE.

Just before the honey harvest closed, a swarm
came out unexpectedly one day, and, not caring to
bother with it at that time, as I was in a hurry, I
paid no attention to them, except to cage the queen
at the entrance of the hive, and in an hour or two,
when passing that way, liberate her, letting her run
into the hive. I intended to look the hive over in a
day or two and cut the queen-cells off, if the bees
had not already done so; but being extremely busy
I did not get at it till over two weeks had passed.
Passing by this hive one day I saw that this colony
had many drones flying, while nearly every other
colony in the yard had killed off their drones. I at
once resolved to open the hive, which I did. On
lifting the first frame I found two queen-cells from
which queens had hatched, neither of which showed
any signs of being gnawed into at the sides, as they
generally show where a young queen hatches after
swarming is given up, for under such circum-
stances the bees and young queen soon destroy all of
the rest of the cells. The next comb contained
another queen-cell, showing that this one had also
hatched a queen from it, and so I kept on finding
queen-cells from which queens had hatched to the
number of six or seven, all looking as if the queens
had been out of them for several days. On the sec-
ond frame I found a young virgin queen, evidently
a week or more old, and others of about the same
age on other frames, till I had counted five. There
was no piping or quarreling on the part of the
queens, and the bees did not pay any attention to
them. The singular part of it was their age, and
the time of year. It is nothing singular to find sev-
eral very young queens at liberty together in the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

697

height of the honey-harvest; but to find queens a
week or more old, all dwelling: in harmony, at a
time when robbers were so thick that a tent was re-
quired to work with the bees to any amount, seems
a little singular. Has any one else had a like expe-
rience?

SKUNKS IN THE APIAKY.

Under one of the hives at the end of the apiary
nearest the woods which come close to one side of
the same, and which act as a windbreak, was a
large bumble-bee's nest, judging from the number
of bumble-bees which were seen going in and out
a couple of weeks ago. 1 had known that they
were there, for some time, and had left them from
curiosity, showing them to visitors when they
came. One morning in passing by this hive I saw
that the nest had been dug out the night before,
and the bees and most of the comb eaten. One
bumble-bee and a little comb was all there was left
of the once prosperous family. I was sorry, for I
believed this was only the commencement of a
raid on my hives, for this is not the first time I have
been bothered with skunks. The next night but
one the hive next where this bumble-bee's nest was,
was disturbed; and now the apiary is visited night-
ly by these gentlemen. I am about setting traps for
them, but I should have much preferred that they
stay away, for it is no pleasure for me to have any
thing to do with them. Their mode of procedure
is to go to a hive, keep scratching on the front of it
till the bees come out, when they catch them and
eat them. In this way the hives visited the most
are badly depopulated ; and if they are not caught,
much harm to the colonies is the result. If the
hives were well up from the ground they would
not be troubled; but where low down, the only way
I know of is to catch and kill them. I think that
they prefer the bees with honey in their sacs, and I
believe that they scratch on the hives so that the
bees will partially fill themselves with honey, for
dead drones and some workers are thick in front of
some hives, yet none of them are touched.

G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Aug. 16, 1889.

I am very glad, friend D., that you have
mentioned this matter of ordering queens
for hives when they are not queenless.
Over and over again novices have imagined
that their hives were queenless, and some-
times have bought expensive queens, only
to have them killed in trying to introduce
them. You may remember that I have re-
peatedly urged that unsealed brood should
always' be found in every hive. While a
colony is rearing a young queen, and just
about the time she is taking her wedding-
flight, I should greatly prefer that there be
somebr.'Od in the hive for the very reason
you mention. A glance at this frame of
brood, to see when they have queen-cells
started, will always tell when any thing has
happened to the queen. Now, in your case
I should by no means take out this frame of
brood and put it back, when I wanted to in-
troduce the queens. Just let it alone ; and,
if you will excuse me, neither would I roll
the queen in honey. Whenever we have
reason to suspect that a colony is queenless,
and rind queen-cells started after giving
them brood, I should let any laying queen
loose at once without any ceremony. It
has been such a very rare thing in our expe-
rience to lose a queen under these circum-

stances, I prefer to take the risk of loss.
Besides, I do not believe the risk will be
much if any greater than by any other mode
of introducing under such circumstances.
Please remember, however, the conditions.
The colony must first have been queen-
less, and without any brood from which to
rear a queen. Now give them some brood,
and, after the cells are started, to indicate
you have made no mistake, they will accept
any laying queen let in by any method that
is handiest ; and turning her loose at the en-
trance is just as good as any other way. If,
however, robbers are troublesome, I think I
would wait until so near dark that no rob-
bers will be flying. I do not remember of
ever finding several virgin queens in a hive
under such circumstances as you mention.
—In regard to skunks, why not poison them,
as I mention in my California notes V A
method of poisoning is also given in the A
BC book. One who is acquainted with the
habits of skunks can tell at a glance where
they have been at work, by the scratching
of gravel and weeds in front of the hive,
and also, usually, the marks of their claws
on the hive around the entrance.

BEE-VEILS.

THE GLASS FRONT.

TF you will excuse another head-dress for bee-
||[ keepers, I beg leave to introduce to your read-
W ers what is known as the " Ideal " glass-front
■*• veil. The great objection, at first urged,
of the moisture of the breath forming upon
the glass in cool weather, and thereby obstructing
the vision, has been overcome in adjusting the glass
a little higher, hringing it above the mouth, the
breath passing through the veil below; but I must
admit that our manner of fastening glass in the
body of the veil has not altogether succeeded
against the excessive heat in the extreme Southern
States for long-continued use.

w

THE GLASS-FRONT VEIL.

The majority of veils made have been of grena-
dine, rubber cord at top and bottom, some prefer-
ring- the bottom loose to tucK under the vest or sus-
penders; but my "better half" suggests a cord
with a slip-knot below, by all means to come around
the dress collar and hook on the dress button, for
the wives and daughters. For the glass front we
lay claim to the following advantages:

698

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

Convenience of arrangement; absolute protec-
tion of face and head; freedom of vision; while the
glass is large enough to allow a good range of vis-
ion, it is 60 light and strong and ingeniously insert-
ed in the body of the veil as to remove all objections
to glass on account of liability to be broken, hence
durability. It will not injure the eye by continued
use, as friend A. H. K. Blood, of Quincy, Mass.,
wrote me has happened hi6 eyes by the use of the
no-glass veil.

The glass will be broken only through careless-
ness, and will last for seasons. The sense of com-
plete comfort, and freedom of vision, will more
than pay for the care of the glass. I am a practical
bee keeper who believes that there are times and
conditions necessitating the most experienced to
protect their face; at least, discretion is the better
part of valor. Jno. C. Capehart.

St. Albans, W. Va., July 19. 1889.

We tried your glass-front veil, and did not
like it. The glass would continually get out
of range— one eye would look through the
glass and one eye through the meshes of the
veil. The only way to remedy this difficulty
would be to make it larger, and that would
be impractical. Again, moisture would
with us rise from the breath and collect
upon the glass, and then it was about as
transparent as— well, cheese-cloth. A fine
silk brussels-net facing affords almost no
obstruction to the eyes, and at the same
time it may be made large enough so that it
is not at all likely to get out of range. Our
glass front finally got broken, and we thought
we were careful too.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH CARNIOLANS.

GREAT SWARMERS, AND NO MORE GENTLE THAN
ITALIANS.

Tf> AST September and October 1 bought eight
I§) Carniolan queens of Dr. Morrison. I had an
4^1 unusual amount of trouble in introducing
"*™ them, losing three. One of the three was ap-
parently introduced and then was missing. I
thought perhaps she was a virgin queen, and flew
out to meet the drones. I think Dr. M. afterward
stated in Gleanings that he failed to get his young
queens to lay in September and October. At any
rate I could not persuade them to lay, and I do not
think T raised a bee from one of them until spring.
Two of the fine queens were lost in wintering, from
lack of stores— the only ones lost in winter out of 37
colonies. This left me three to commence this sea-
son with. They bred up rapidly, and began to
swarm in May, and have swarmed ever since, or
would if permitted to. I think they are rather
more inclined to swarm than Italians or blacks. All
three hives after swarming filled up with bees from
the young queens, and swarmed— one the 12th of
July, in a dearth of honey, and one last Friday,
Aug. Kith, with no honey coming in. It was a rous-
ing big swarm. To-day I have returned them. I
will tell j on the condition of the hive:

Common shallow L. hive, 10 frames, and set of
sections over them, with no honey-board. Were
the sections full of honey? Not a drop. The first
comb removed, an outside one. had no honey in the
outside; the other side was perhaps a third full,
and a few capped cells. The next two combs had

some honey, but no brood. The remaining seven
had brood and honey, and perhaps 5 queen cells
capped, which I removed. Then I returned the
swarm which stood close by. 1 should have done it
the same day, but I had other work to do. I do not
see that they handle any better than the gentle
strains of Italians, though I have not had enough
of them to give this point a thorough trial. With
regard to their honey-gathering qualities, I can
form no opinion in this disastrous year.
Walpole, N. H., Aug. 19, 1889. J. L. Hubbvrd.

MRS. HARRISON WRITES A BLUE
LETTER.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

E received a letter lately from Mrs. Chad
dock, who is still playing on the same harp.
She says, "It does not pay to bother with
bees in this part of the country. I have
said so before— I say it again." She is sell-
ing honey at 10 cents per pound. How does this
compare with the price of honey? I sold six gal-
lons of blackberries at 10 cents per gallon, the pur-
chaser picking them. "Just as nice blackberries
as I ever saw have been selling all the season in
Ipava for 10 and 1254 cents a gallon." "Wheat
crop is poor— some kind of a bug is in the stalk;
oats lodged, and wasted about a third."

I saw in the morning's paper that oats were sell-
ing at a railroad station in an adjoiuing county for
18 cts. per bushel. It would be well for those who
are continually complaining of the low price of our
product, to compare it with other agricultural pur-
suits. Compute the interest on land, implements,
teams, seed, and labor, and note the result; also on
our investments in hives, implements, etc., used in
the apiary, and compare notes. There has not
been a large crop of honey, so far, in Illinois, that I
have been able to learn. To much rain, and such
cool nights; yet choice honey in one-pound sections
has been selling in this city and neighboring towns
at a less price than I ever knew it to be sold at
before. Some was sent here to a commission
house who wanted it out of their way, and they
sold it to a huckster for 8 cts. per lb. He must now
get his money back, and he hawks it around for 10
cts.; at the same time, grocerymen were retailing at
15 cts. " What are you going to do about it? "
Peoria, 111. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Mrs. H., suppose you stop raising honey
and blackberries and oats, and, in fact, farm
crops in general, what other business
would you go into ? There has been a
constant demand — an unfilled want, per-
haps— for some kind of business or industry
that does not have its ups and downs. But
no such thing has been found, that I know
of. Remember the statistics Farmers suc-
ceed in at least making an honorable living,
95 times out of 100. No other industry
makes a showing any thing near as good ;
and, in fact, the whole mercantile world
makes a showing of 95 failures, sooner or
later, out of every 100. I think that, in
your own locality, large quantities of honey,
blackberries, yes, and oats, have been sold
at good prices, notwithstanding the short
intervals when these things for a time went
away down.

1889

GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

699

CASES OF SEVERE STUSTGING; WHIS-
KY AS AN ANTIDOTE.

IS THB IIEMEDY WORSE THAN THE DISEASE?

SAVING seen the clipping referred to in the
St. Louis Republic I will say that the circum-
stance was published in two of our county
papers. One said that the man referred to,
Mr. Henry Wright, was stung- on one ear,
and the other on both ears, which last I think is cor-
rect, and that he died from the effect of the stings
in about 30 minutes. I don't know this to, be a posi-
tive fact, but I believe it is. I was at Paris, our
county seat, last Wednesday, and was told there
that it was a fact. T can also give you some more
instances of stings that wore serious. I have a
special friend that lives about nine miles from me,
and I have the statement from himself, that, about
three weeks ago, his wife received a sting on the
back of her head which came very near proving fa-
tal. She became deathly sick, and turned very
sick at her stomach. She ate honey very freely,
which she could not do when well, and drank whis-
ky freely, which she could not do when well, and
two bottles of liniment were used on her, called
" Wonderful Light." She turned spotted all over.
My friend thinks it was a very narrow escape.

Auother case was my little boy, 10 years old, who
received a sting on his left breast j ust a little below
the heart, from a bumble-bee. Hedid not complain
much for about half an hour, when he began to
swell up in his throat, and could scarcely get his
breath. When I saw liim in that fix I went.for a
doctor, thinking he would know what best to do;
but while I was gone, my wife, who had a little
whisky, gave my boy a little, and he was some bet-
ter. When I got back with the doctor, which was
only a few minutes, he gave some more whisky and
some other medicine; 1 do not know what, but I
think it was the whisky that gave him the relief. I
am a strong temperance and prohibition man; but
my wife had her arm broken some three weeks
ago, and the doctor recommended whisky for her.
I don't believe it did her a particle of good; butiu
the bee-stings referred to, I believe it did. There
might be, and I believe are, other remedies that
would answer in the place; but the doctors will rec-
ommend whisky; and as long as we don't know any
thing better, we shall have lo use it or take noth-
ing.

I will give you one more case— that of myself. I
received about 35 stings one day while hiving a
swarm in the rain. I got them all over my hands
and face, and neck and head, but I did not give up.
I should very likely have got very sick if I had
given up; but I kept going, and soon got all right
again. J. w. Rouse.

Santa Fe, Monroe Co., Mo., July 30, 1889.

I am glad to hear you say that you are a
strong temperance man. When I began
reading your letter I felt afraid that you
were not sufficiently aware of the danger of
recommending such a remedy. Now, I do
not want to be unreasonable, nor do I want
to be considered a fanatic in the matter of
temperance ; but I do think that we had bet-
ter let a few people die-rather than to rec-
ommend whisky for every one who becomes
frightened at the effects of a bee-sting.
You have given us an instance of one man
who died from the effects of bee-stings.

Now, is it certain that whisky would have
saved him V and is it certain that your
friend's wife was saved by whisky ? In the
case of the little boy who was in danger of
choking to death, it was a desperate state of
affairs, and I presume likely we should have
done as your wife did. But, for all that,
have we any good reason for thinking that
it was the whisky that saved him ? I have
already told you of being stung myself, so
that my throat began to swell in a way that
frightened me. But the swelling ceased
and disappeared itself, and that without
any remedy whatever. In your concluding
sentence it seems to me that you strike at a
great truth that can not harm any of us to
consider well, and put in practice. You say
you should have been very sick if you had
given up. Now, I do believe in keeping on
at your work when you are stung, or when
you are injured in other ways. I believe
that nature will take care of things better if
you keep on about your regular business—
that is, within the bounds of reason. Per-
haps while you keep at work you keep up
the circulation ; and Ernest, who is sitting
by while I dictate, suggests that whisky
may possibly start the circulation so as to
help the system to rally and keep up till the
effects of the poison begin to abate. If this
is true, whisky may, in this way, save life in
some cases. In this matter I feel a great
longing for wise counsel from our ablest
physicians — those, too, who are not preju-
diced in favor of whisky. Nay, further:
Let us all pray that the kind Father may
guide us safely, and that Satan may not
lead us astray in this matter of using so
dangerous a poison as a remedy for bee-
stings. Once more : It surely is better that
a few people should die now and then for
the lack of whisky (if they ever do, which I
am by no means sure of) than that thou-
sands upon thousands should keep dying
continually, and in spite of every thing that
the whole world is able to do, because some-
how or other they get the taste of whisky
and become enslaved by the bad habit.

NO HONEY.

THE SEASON WORSE THAN THE TWO PRECEDING.

fHOSE were false prophets who predicted a
good honey crop this year. It is even worse
than the two or three preceding years.
The Middle Atlantic States have been sub-
jected to a literal downpour of rain for the
last three or four months, with a fair prospect of a
continuance of the same. Apple-bloom was about
two weeks earlier than common, and the weather
was warm and reasonably fair, so the bees did well
and got a good start. Some of the strongest colo-
nies prepared for swarming. Locust, which is
abundant here, and poplar (tulip) came into bloom
early, following closely the fall of the apple-blos-
soms, and the bees for a day or so after the open-
ing hail warm weather, and fairly tumbled over
each other when carrying in their harvest. But
the second day after the honey-How, came the flood
of rain, which did not let up till the locust and pop-
lar blossoms were destroyed. White and alsike
clover were in the meantime pushing out their

701)

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

blossoms, but the bees could snatch only an hour
now and then — seldom a whole day — to gather the
nectar. Some of the very strongest colonies filled
a case of sections, mostly in a skimped, rounded-
off, indifferent manner, after their fashion when
supplies are scarce.

The rain has continued, day and night, allthetime;
and the bees had to live partially on what they had
gathered. If it ever clears up, the asters, goldenrods,
heart's-ease, and other fall honey-producing weeds
will give a good fall crop, the wet season having
given them a good start; but that little champion
"if" stands in the middle of the path of prediction,
defying the wisdom of sages. No honey worth
naming is the return from allot the Atlantic States,
which I believe will include all the country east of
the Alleghanies. E. E. Ewing.

K.sing Sun, Md.

TROPICAL FRUITS.

DESCRIBED AND PICTURED BV ONE OF OUR MIS-
SIONARIES ; ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT THE
EUUITS OF THE MISSION WORK.

a EAR BROTHER:— Most of the fruits in this
country grow in their natural state; and
when your horticultural readers see what
splendid specimens we have they will won-
der what they might become with proper
culture, and effort at improvement. Many of the
larger fruits, such as the huge " jack-fruit," on the
upper left-hand side of the picture, grow on very
big tiees. In the States they would he classed
among forest-trees, and they appear very strange
to the new comer, with these watermelon-shaped
fruits hanging from the trunk or larger limbs, just
as though they had been artificially tied or fastened
there. The durien (doo-re-eri) tree is also a big one;
bigger, indeed, than the "jack." It grows forty
and fifty feet, with a spreading top. There is one,
however, in our compound that shoots up thirty
feet a straight and rather rugged trunk, and then
suddenly spreads out, umbrella fashion. The co-
coanut is the most kingly and majestic of all trees.
The green cocoanut is seen on the left next to the
"jack." A cocoauut orchard is a sight never to be
forgotten. Their slender, graceful stems, rise from
thirty to fifty feet, unbroken by any branch or
bump, and terminating in the victorious cluster of
waving flouds. The trunk is a drab brown, the
branches a rich greeu. The seashores are here and
there lined with orchards. Only last Saturday we
(Chinese schoolboys, teachers, missionaries and all)
went across the harbor and spent the day picnick-
ing under the shade of a cocoanut-palm orchard.
We bathed in the surf, ate green cocoanuts (the
pulpy meat of which is very nice), lunched, gather-
ed shells from the beach, and toward evening were
rowed home over the two miles' journey by Chinese
boatman. They stood in the wide rear end of their
"sampans," and propelled their boats, facing ahead,
by holding the end of their right oar in their left
hand and the end of the left oar in their riffht. I
leave it to jour readers to find out how they could
do this, but I leave them with the assurance that
hundreds of them earn a livelihood working in
just that position in rowing.

The small round fruit with white pulp in a dark
purple shuck is the mangostine. It is seen just at
the bottom, on the right of the picture. This is a
most luscious aud refreshing fruit. The flavor of

a rich grape comes the nearest to it of any thing
you have in the States. It is about the size of an
ordinary apple, and the tree strongly resembles an
apple in shape and in the appearance of the leaves
and fruit. The shell makes an imperishable dye,
like the walnut shuck. It stains a knife black, and
nothing but the juice of the pulp will remove it.

The small fruit, of a hairy appearance, down in
the left corner, is the ramhutan (ram-bont-an). Its
name means "hair." Bambut is the Malay word
for hair. The fruit is inclosed in a leathery husk or
skin which fits closely upon the egg-shaped ball
within. When it is opened, the fruit looks like a
California grape, but is not so acceptable for eat-
ing. It has a big seed, and the juicy, tart (or
sweet) pulp adheres firmly to the seed. It is eaten
by being put into the mouth, and worried and suck-
ed until the juice is all extracted. It makes fine
jelly. Most fruits here are sub-acid, although the
oranges on the island are very sour. Some may be
seen on the tureen.

The fruit on the left— long, labeled, and corked, is
exceedingly common here. More of this is con-
sumed than of any other or all others combined.
It produces a peculiar sensation when eaten, and
causes sound-minded people to do very foolish
things. Other varieties of the same species flour-
ish in America, but I think it will be abandoned
there after a few years. It affects Tamils and Chi-
nese just the same as Englishmen, and yet is a
source of very great revenue to the Government.
I think all who see the picture will agree with me
that it is an evil thing, and should be cast out, root
and branch.

I ought not to leave the fruits without mention-
ing how the durien is eaten and relished by some,
and how it is not eaten but disliked, even hated, by
others. The pulp is very soft, having the consis-
tency of a rich cream custard, which is distributed
over the surface of a seed about the size and shape
of a bantam's egg. The pulp is kept in shape by a
thin film covering the custard. If you add a 6trong
extract of the odor of Limburger cheese and a
slight onion flavor, you have the durien. It is very
difficult to learn to eat it. Some rever learn; but
when once acquired, the taste for it grows until it
becomes almost a passion. I think there is no fruit
in the world so fine. They sell for ten and fifteen
cents a pound. Two crops of all fruits grow here
every year.

But there are other good fruits I will mention in
closing. We have in our Anglo-Chinese school 360,
mostly Chinese boys, with their smooth-shaven
heads, long pig-tails, and wide coats and trowsers.
I teach seventy of them every day, and I have
learned to love them dearly, and some of them
have already learned to know and to love Jesus
Christ.

We have sixteen of them in the boarding depart-
ment, most of whom come from thewealthiest Chi-
nese homes in this city of nearly 300,(XH) people,,
most of whom are Chinamen. One of these board-
ers is a bright fellow of fifteen who is studying
Latin, English analysis, English history, and ad-
vanced arithmetic. He is something of a musician,
and draws beautifully lor one never taught. He
heard the Child's Story of the Gospels read at
morning prayers for three years; he heard and saw
Christianity simplified, and soon came to know and
love Jesus. He gave his whole heart to him, and
not a day passes but he regularly prays. He has a

702

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

Bible, too, which he reads in English. On last Sab-
bath for the first time, he having asked to go to our
church with me, went up, and, kneeling at the altar,
commemorated with us the death and sufferings of
Christ. How my heart rejoiced to see it! I brought
the cup to him, and by faith I could see him, years
hence, preaching Christ to his people, and giving
the cup to them as I was then giving it to him. Let
all who pray, ask God to bless this dear boy, and
make him a blessing to his people.

May 13, 1889. R. W. Munson.

Singapore, Straits Settlement, East Indies.

Friend M., we are exceedingly obliged to
you for the beautiful picture and the excel-
lent photograph from which our people
have succeeded in making so good an en-
graving. The picture and description fairly
make one's mouth water. I think I should
especially like that great big jack-fruit, for
I almost always like any thing that anybody
else does; and as they are God's gifts, I
think it is our duty to be careful how we
pass them by with careless indifference. If
you had the arranging of the display, I
don't quite see why you put in the bottle
and glasses. But very likely somebody else
who does not feel as you and I do did the
arranging. You did not tell us about the
beautiful ferns ; but I suppose they were
put in to set off the whole. I suppose it
would not be possible to have these fruits
shipped to us as they ship bananas, pine-
apples, and cocoanuts, else we should have
had them before this time. Aud now may
God bless you in the work yon allude to in
your closing remarks, t was especially
touched with the expression, " I have learn-
ed to love them dearly." Dear brother,
that is the kind of spirit that wins souls.
When we love humanity for Christ's sake,
we are on the right path ; yes, when we get
where we can love even our enemies, the
work is almost done ; for, in the majority
of cases, before we have loved them long they
are enemies no longer. "We say amen to
your concluding sentence. May God bless
not onlv that dear bov, but a thousand more,
and raise him up to do the work that needs
doing.

CUBA AND ITS HONEY RESOURCES.

OUR OLD FRIEND A. J. KING DISCUSSES SOME OF

THE POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPMENT ON THIS

ISLAND : AN INTERESTING LETTER.

fCCA-SlGNAL letters of inquiry, and articles
from time to time in your columns, relating
to bee-keeping in Cuba, induce me to con-
tribute a paper for the information of any
who may be thinking of emigrating thither
in order to better their condition as honey-produc-
ers or otherwise. To premise, I have visited the
island three times, and, in the aggregate, 'spent
more than a year in founding and operating apia-
ries, so that what I have to say is derived from
experience rather than theory or secondhand in-
formation.

The island of Cuba, from its most eastern point
to its western terminus, is about TOO miles long, and
has an average breadth of about 66 miles. A range
of mountains, occupying nearly a central position,

traverses its entire length, in miniature much re-
sembling the backbone of a fish. In the eastern
portion they attain a height of from 50(0 to 6000 feet
above sea-level. As they approach the west, they
gradually diminish in height and abruptness, until
within 300 miles of their western terminus they will
average only from 1000 to 1500 feet high, and the
declivities are so gentle that in many portions they
admit of profitable cultivation over their entire
surface. Numerous small streams, originating in
these mountains, flow north and south to the sea,
being often diverted from their courses by solitary
peaks and ranges of hills, giving rise to numerous
beautiful and highly fertile valleys, capable of
supporting a dense population. While most of the
coast-line is undulating, yet there are in some por-
tions near the river-mouths quite extensive tracts
of level lands, sometimes marshy. Considerable
forests abound, especially on the eastern and south-
ern declivities, and are, or should be, valuable on
account of their fine hard woods. I obtained at
one mill 19 varieties, cut in the immediate vicinity,
embracing ebony, cedro, hookero, mahogany, and
others equally valuable, but of names not easily
pronounced. The proprietor was under contract to
f urnish a railroad company several hundred thou-
sand ties, 5x8 inches square, and mostly mahogany.
It seemed to me a pity that such magnificent tim-
ber, fit for the finest of cabinet work, should be
used for such a purpose.

ITS VEGETATION.

Nearly all vegetables raised in the United States
do fairly well here. Northern fruits are cultivated
to a very limited extent on the higher portions of
the island; but as a rule they are not well adapted
to the climate. Tropical and semi-tropical fruits in
great variety are plentiful in nearly all places, and
at all seasons of the year, so that one does not
greatly miss any thing in that line. Oranges, limes,
lemons, etc., which in our own Florida require for
their successful culture time, money, and knowl-
edge, grow here in profusion with little or no
attention.

The production of sugar, tobacco, and coffee, are
the three leading industries depended on for money-
making. Yet with a little American sagacity there
are scores of other occupations which might be
made equally remunerative, both in the agricultu-
ral and manufacturing line. A field of sugar-cane,
once planted, is good for from 10 to 20 years with-
out replanting, and the enriching of the soil by
manuring is something I never yet have witnessed
in Cuba. To give your readers a more concrete
idea of the immense fertility of Cuba lands, it may
be stated that, in 1878, over one-third of all the
world's supply of sugar was produced on this island.
Couple this with the fact that only a little more
than one-fourth of the land is under cultivation,
and only a portion of this devoted to cane-fields,
and you begin to realize something of the future
possibilities of this neglected country, should it
ever come under the starry banner of Uncle Sam-
uel.

I should like to speak of the romantic and beauti-
ful scenery of mountain and valley; the caves and
grottoes glistening in the torch light like millions
of diamonds; the hillsides covered with royal
palms (the queen of all trees); the splendid water,
the general healthfulness of the climate, and a
dozen other subjects of more or less importance;
but as I am writing for a bee-paper I must forbear,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

70S

and devote the remainder of what I have to say,
more in a " bee-line."

a. j. king's apiaries.
On my first trip to Cuba I took 100 colonies of
Italians, and located them near Havana; but as
this apiary has been noticed in several back num-
bers of Gleanings, I refer the reader to those no-
tices. The second apiary I located near Puerto
Principe, about 500 miles east of Havana, starting
with less than 2J stocks of Italians, and transferring
native bees. They were increased to 400 stocks;
but as I could not remain, and the help provided
for their care being mostly native, and all inexperi-
enced in modern bee-keeping, they have not pros-
pered as they surely would have done under proper
management. The third and fourth apiaries I es-
tablished near Sagua la Grande, 180 miles east of
Havana, on the headwaters of the Sagua River,
midway between Toboca on the north and Cien-
fuegos on the south side of the island. One of
these was fitted up on the best principles, and with
all modern appliances, at a cost of over $3000. It
had just commenced to realize our most sanguine
expectations, and would to-day, I believe, be the
finest apiary in the world, had it not been for that

TERRIBLE CYCLONE

which last year devastated many parts of the is-
land, and of which Sagua was the center. The hur-
ricane, accompanied by a terrible downpour of
water, continued with unabated fury for many
hours, completely wrecking every thing in its
course. Sagua alone, a place of 6000 inhabitants,
suffered to the extent of 100 lives lost, and $4,000,000
worth of property destroyed. The forests were
wrecked. The water in the river backed up and
covered large spaces never before inundated, and
of course tne new apiaries shared in the general
ruin.

A WELL-EQUIPPED APIARY DESTROYED.

The main shed in our best apiary was 300 feet
long, 12 feet wide, and 10 feet high. The posts were
10 inches in diameter, set 10 feet apart and 3%. feet
in the ground. The peak roof was well provided
with rafters, and heavily thatched with the leaves
of the fan palm, which extended down below the
eaves to within four feet of the ground. The ex-
tracting-room, connected with one end of this shed,
was a frame building 20 feet high, of fine propor-
tions, and built in the most substantial manner.
Throughout the length of this shed and extraeting-
room, and 500 feet further, down to the shipping-
room on the river-bank, was a narrow-guage rail-
road track, provided with low platform cars on
which the long boxes of comb were carried to and
from the apiary to the extracting-room and thence
with their 1200-lb. tierces of honey to the shipping-
room. Our extracting-room was provided with a
receiving-pan of galvanized boiler iron, 14 feet long,
7 feet wide, and 14 inches deep, with large faucet at
one end by which the honey was conveyed into the
bungs of the tierces, with no dipping or lifting at
all. The honey from the uncapping-table, after
passing through a strainer, also emptied into this
pan. The two-story hives, one foot apart, were
placed just inside the line of the eaves of the sheds,
and faced outward from each side, so that the
sheds were comparatively free from bees, and were
cool and invigorating, even in the hottest weather.
The frames in the upper story came flush with the
top of the hive, were covered with enameled cloth
on which the flat cover fit closely, and were kept

from warping by two cleats, which also held them
securely in place. By this arrangement the cover
is never stuck fast, and the tops of the frames are
always clean. The fact that, with an assistant, I
have extracted 120 of these top stories in a single
day, and replaced the combs, will give the reader
some idea of the value of the most perfect appli-
ances possible in our work. This apiary is rebuild-
ing, and replenished under the direction of an
American, although born in Cuba, and will doubt-
less speak for itself soon. A. J. King.
New York, August, 1889.

To be continued.

Why, friend King, what a grand place
Cuba would be for gardening— no frost, no
prolonged drouths, and, to crown it all, no
need of fertilizers or manure ! Why should
she not furnish the world with sugar, or al-
most any thing else? I confess that I for
one am greatly obliged to you for these in-
teresting particulars. No wonder that Cu-
ban honey can be sold at a low price.

H. K. BOAEDMAN REVIEWS THE SEA-
SOW.

MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPING, AND ITS POSSIBILITIES.

T AM always quite anxious, at the close of the
||j> honey season, to compare notes with my
W neighbors; and especially is this so when 1 am
■*■ short in my honey crop, as is the case again
this year. If any one has a larger yield than I
have, I want to know it and find out how he got it;
accordingly, when the season closed and I had tak-
en a long breath and a brief inventory of what had
been accomplished in my own apiaries, I started
out on a tour of inspection among my neighbors. I
have been able to gain but the one consolation—
that I am no worse off than my unfortunate neigh-
bors, or, in other words, that my neighbors have
done as poorly as I have. I found about the same
condition everywhere I went. At every apiary I
visited it was the same story of cold and wet weath-
er in the fore part of the season; starvation at the
critical time when breeding would have furnished
bees for the harvest, and little or no surplus is the
universal result. Where colonies were braced up
by a little judicious feeding at the proper time, the
extra care and expense of such feeding was liberal-
ly repaid, as it always is.

I was pleased to find in one instance an exception
to this general poor condition of the apiaries. It
was in the Bronson apiary of Mr. S. P. Newman, of
Norwalk. You may remember that he reported
quite a boom at that apiary last season on pea-vine
clover, which is extensively raised in that locality.
This apiary is again showing the advantages of lo-
cation at particular seasons. I found the bees at
this place doing good work in storing surplus, while
they were almost entirely idle at other localities
only a few miles distant. Mr. Newman was quite
pleased over his good prospects, as well he might
be.

This suggests the subject that was uppermost in
my mind in my excursions, and about which bee-
keepers seem anxious at the present time to learn
more.

MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPING.

Does it pay to move bees to catch the local honey-
flow? and If so, how can we best make it pay? I

704

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Sept.

think it certainly docs pay, if— and upon this If
hinges the whole of migratory bee-keeping. If we
could determine beforehand as to the resources of
the different localities within our reach, so that we
could have our workers at the desirable place in
time for the honey-flow, then it would pay to move
our bees to these best places rather than leave
them in a poorer one.

Bee-keepers are beginning to realize, as they nev-
er have before, the value of location. The differ-
ence in the honey-flow of places only a few miles
apart is sometimes astonishing. Rut it is impor-
tant that we know of this difference before the
honey-flow has demonstrated it, or else we are too
late to take advantage of it. We can sometimes
guess pretty close, and then, again, we might guess
and get left. To illustrate: I decided this season to
consolidate my apiaries as far as possible, in order
to curtail expenses. Of course, 1 desired to aban-
don the poorest locations in favor of the best.
Accordingly, T abandoned No. 2 and moved the
bees, part to Berlin, which has always been my best
location, and part to my home apiary. Hartland
apiary 1 also proposed to abandon, and move the
bees to the same yards, as it had always been my
poorest location. But one thing crowded upon an-
other until near the beginning of the honey season;
and the prospects being so very discouraging, I
changed my mind. Tiering up the colonies in this
yard with empty combs, T left them to care for
themselves, except an occasional visit to see how
they were getting along. Now see how wisely I
had planned: Hartland apiary proved the best loca-
tion T had this season, and Berlin the poorest. That
was the result of local showers, a cause entirely be-
yond human foresight.

Last season, in a trip out upon the prairie, ten or
twelve miles distant, I discovered that the bees
there were doing quite rapid work upon the exten-
sive buckwheat fields raised in that locality, while
the bees in my apiaries were entirely idle. I rushed
home and prepared a load of bees, and moved them
to this locality with as little delay as possible, for
the bees there had been doing this good work al-
ready for about ten days. They were busy at work
bringing in buckwheat honey in a few minutes aft-
er being released, as though they had known all
about these prairie fields for a long time. In just
one week I visited them again. The work they had
done in those seven days surprised and delighted
me. In preparing these bees to move, I shook
them off the couibs into hives with empty frames,
with only starters, so they began anew without a
cell of comb or a drop of honey, unless they were
thoughtful enough to bring it with them. I found
at this visit the hives averaging two-thirds full of
most beautiful all worker comb, well stored. But
here the work stopped. Cold and unfavorable
weather came on, and continued until the bloom
was past. Had I been able to place my bees there
ten days earlier, and had favorable weather pre-
vailed during the bloom, the result would have
been very gratifying. As it was, I decided that the
seven days' work that I did get paid me for moving.
I felt quite enthusiastic over the result, and
thought I saw some grand possibilities in the fu-
ture of migratory bee-keeping. I decided to have
my bees out upon those prairie fields the next sea-
son, and not be caught napping again. This was
among the localities visited by me; but the pros-
pect looked quite different from last season. The

usual amount of buckwheat had not been put out,
and the locality offered no inducements for moving
my bees there again. This season I was a little dis-
appointed—yes, sir, I was; yet I shall endeavor to
keep posted in the local prospects for a honey crop,
and move my bees whenever I think it will pay to
do so. Although I failed to discover any desirable
fields to which I could profitably migrate with my
bees, I did discover in the bee-j ards of my neigh-
bors quite a large-sized hone which I may take oc-
casion to pick with them some time in the near fu-
ture. H. R. Boakdman.
East Townsend, Ohio, Aug. 1, 1889.

Friend 13.. , you have given us some very
valuable points. I am very glad to hear
this testimony in favor of the peavine clo-
ver, for I feel sure that this clover is a fore-
runner of prosperity in any locality, not
only for the bee-keeper, but for the farmer ;
for whether he plows it under or whether he
cures it for hay, he does a good thing, as a
rule. 1 have long thought of just this very
thing you mention in migratory bee-keep-
ing ; and, you may remember, in the ABC
book I suggest planting colonies in different
points throughout the country, to indicate
what is going on. This fact will confront
us, however, that one colony will do a pretty
big thing where 40 or 50 will not. I think,
however, it will pay the man who proposes
to move his bees to catch the honey-flow, to
test different points, say within ten miles or
more of his home. I was also already aware
that the locality that proves best one season
may be the next just the other way. I did
not know, however, that it was local rains
that caused it. The crops a farmer may
take a notion to raise may have a great deal
to do with it, as in your case of the buck-
wheat. Why not have some land in a buck-
wheat region, or rent some land, or, if you
choose, pay the farmers in that vicinity so
much per acre for having them sow buck-
wheat rather than some other crop V Fur-
nishing the seed will often turn the scale.

AMONG THE BEE-KEEPERS OF VER-
MONT.

A VISIT TO MR. HOLMES' APIARY AND OTHERS'.

fHE next day, after visiting awhile, and enjoy-
ing this view, we were driven northward to
the Cream Hili apiary of Mrs. Wolcott, of
Shoreham, whose husband, now deceased,
was a leading and successful bee-keeper.
This apiary is now managed by Mr. R. H. Holmes,
who has an apiary of his own in another part of
the town. Here were 143 colonies in chaff hives,
numbered and arranged in groups. The spring
count was 123, and :S30:) lbs. of comb honey was
secured. Here was the best and most convenient
little honey-house and work -shop combined we
have seen anywhere. It was 16 by 22 feet, one
story and a half high, and clapboarded and
painted. Below were two rooms, the honey-room
ocenpjing the south half and the work-room the
remainder. The latter contained a stove, and was
fitted with convenient work-benches. Above was a
loft with one window in the south end, and con-
nected with the work-room by convenient stairs.

Every thing seemed adapted to its purpose, and
was neatly arranged. A good part of the crop was

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

705

in the honey-room, and was very fine. The ship-
ping-cases here were marked in colors, and with
the most tasty and attractive stencil designs we
have seen.

The next apiary visited was that of B. W. Hall, a
few miles away. He is a manly and gentlemanly
young man, the son of a farmer. He keeps bees
because there is money in it, and not from any
special taste for it. He has 70 colonies in chaff
hives, with movable outer cases. He had in spring
53 colonies, and obtained :.'000 lbs. of honey, comb
and extracted, the former in 2-lb. sections.

He has a honey-house similar to Mrs. Wolcott's,
though larger. After being courteously entertain-
ed here we made a call on Miss M. A. Douglas, well
known as the secretary of the Vermont Bee-keep-
ers' Association, and a successful lady bee-keeper.
Our time being limited, we were obliged to make a
hurried call. This lady had in spring 29 colonies;
increased to 34, and obtained TOO lbs. of honey in
2-lb. sections. Her comb honey was the finest ex-
hibited at the Bay State Fair, held in Springfield,
last fall, and was awarded first premium. She
commenced in 1883, and finds she can do most of
the work herself. When there is occasional lifting
or heavy work she calls on one better fitted to do it.

We next visited the home yard of Mr. Holmes;
but as he was away we were obliged to postpone
our interview ; and instead of continuing our jour-
ney by rail we availed ourself of friend Larrabee's
hospitality another night. The next day both of us
dined with Mr. Holmes, and inspected his apiary;
and I must say that the finest and neatest prepared
sections of comb honey we have seen were at this
gentleman's place. In scraping sections he uses a
narrow-handled pocket-knife, with the thick blade
ground short and to a point. He is assisted in this
work by his wife and daughters.

In the springof 1888 he had 92 colonies; increas-
ed to 100, and obtained 2200 lbs. of comb honey in one-
pound and half-pound sections, which are put on the
market both glassed and in paper cartons. He
uses the movable outer cases lor winter, though
somewhat different from those used by either
Crane or Manum. He packs beneath the colony al-
so. He uses the Langstroth size of frame, because
on it bees are more salable. The hives are painted
and numbered, and arranged in rows. Mr. Holmes
was at one time in the employ of Mr. Crane, and
partly follows his methods. He was formerly sec-
retary of the Vermont Bee-keepers' Association,
and is now its pres.dent. We found him well post-
ed and thoroughly practical. An opinion express-
ed was first carefully weighed. He is a professing
Christian, and, in our opinion, is a reliable man.

After a profitable call and very satisfactory din-
ner here, friend Larrabee took us to the train,
where we took leave of him, hoping that we might
have an opportunity to return his favors, and feel-
ing that the bee-keeping world would hear from
him in the future. This winter he was elected sec-
retary of the Vermont Bee-keepers' Association,
Miss Douglas having resigned. We would whisper
aside, and in confidence to our friends, that, though
John is very kind and friendly, his hair is inclined
to be sandy, and it won't do to pull it roughly.

Our next stop was with Mr. N. V. Forbes, a bee-
keeping farmer in West Haven. Having a good lo-
cation he has done well, and thinks some of renting
his land and attending to the bees. He had 75 colo-
nies, and a crop of 2(>0J lbs. of comb honey as the

season's results. In 1887, from 80 colonies in two
yards he obtained 6IKH) lbs.; and in lswi, 80 lbs. per
colony. Mr. Forbes kindly took us to visit Mr.
Eugene Lee, of Benson, a neighboring bee-keeper,
and quite an extensive dairy farmer. Among
those bee-keepers we could not visit were V. V.
Blackmer, of Orwell; H.L.Leonard, of Brandon;
W. H. Proctor, Fair Haven, an.l many others.

Mr. Blackmt r, a bee-keeper of ten years, has 100
colonies, which have paid their way from a small
commencement. Mr. Leonard has 100 colonies.
Some of the bee-keepers in the region have become
well off through their bees.

Pawtucket, R. I. Samuel Cushman.

To he continued.

INTRODUCING.

A METHOD OF INTRODUCING QUEENS TO FULL

COLONIES, WITHOUT REMOVING A COMB OR

EVEN OPENING THE HIVE.

fHERE are many novices and others interest-
ed in bees who would buy a queen of a given
race or strain if they could only introduce
them in a simple and sure manner without
opening the hive after dequeening it. Then
there are the box-hive people and those careless
people who allow their bees to build crosswise on
the hanging frames, all of whom would buy queens
if they could be introduced with safety. There are
many who are afraid of their bees, and hardly dare
open the hives at all. A man wrote me recently,
saying, " I want a queen of your strain, but, to tell
the truth, I dare not introduce her. My bees are
very cross."

My method of accomplishing this end is as fol-
lows: On the day the queen arrives, or before, go
to the hive where you wish to introduce her and de-
queen it, either by drumming out or removing the
frames. Adjust a small box-feeder, that can be
closed tight to the top of the hive, directly over
the combs, and so arranged that the bees can enter
the feeder directly from the brood. Give them
about a pint of thin syrup; close the hive and leave
it for 24 hours in this queenless condition.

On the next day, about 4 o'clock, go to them with
the queen that was received the day before, and,
after turning in more of the feed, place the cage on
the float, so arranged that all the bees can cluster
over the screen-cloth on the cage, and " get ac-
quainted with her majesty," as Mr. Root terms it.
I do this so that the new queen, cage, and attend-
ants, may absorb the same odor as the hive, rather
than for acquaintance' sake, which I think is a
more correct way of putting it.

After you make sure that the cage is above wa-
ter, and will remain there, and that you have left
plenty of room for the bees to pass over the cage,
close the hive, and leave them until about 9 o'clock
the next morning, when you will go to them again,
remove the cage, and turn back the wire cloth at
the provision end far enough to allow the queen to
pass. Plug this entrance full of candy; pour a lit-
tle syrup into the feeder, place the cage back on to
the float, and close the hive. Do not open again
for a week.

The above is almost infallible. I have used it
two seasons successfully. I have allowed queens
to leave cages after the first 24 hours, with success.

If robbing is rife, do all feeding at sundown, and
do not release the queen until after 4 o'clock. For

706

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

Sept.

introducing- by this method to a hive which has
just cast a swarm, precaution must be taken that I
will not state here. The feeding- drives the old
bees to the field with a rush. Old bees are enemies
to strang-e queens. Queens can be kept for several
days without injury, by placing- them, as shipped,
in a small light-proof box in any dry cool place. I
always keep mine in the honey-house on a shelf
near a small window. During- cool weather, take
the box into the kitchen. 1 never feed queens hon-
ey while in confinement. It does more harm than
good.

I do not introduce by the Peet method of attach-
ing to the comb and removing slide— it is too fussy,
amounts to nothing, and is lalal to the queen, in
the hands of a novice. I am using the Peet cage,
though 1 do not like it. It is expensive in every
sense of the word. E. L. Pkatt.

Marlboro, Mass.

Friend P., while we publish your plan of
introducing we want to protest a little in
regard to the heading which you put on the
article. Drumming out bees to get the
queens is not a new method, but one so old
that it was in use before movable combs
were known ; neither is feeding a colony to
make them good-natured new ; and I do not
see very well how we are going to do this
feeding without opening the hive. It is
true, you may put the leeder on top of the
hive, but then you must make an opening
in the top board and have some sort of cap
or box over the feeder.

In regard to the Peet method, I presume
that I am the one who first suggested sell-
ing queens at the low price of one dollar
each; and I think that, without question,
during the past ten years we have sent out
more queens by mail than any other one
person— perhaps more than all of the rest of
the world together. In fact, during all the
spring, fall, and summer months, the
queens are constantly on our table, ready
to be mailed by the first train, to any one
who wants them, south, north, east, or
west. As a matter of com se. it has been of
the utmost moment to us to select some
method, not only of sending queens by mail,
but some plan that would permit our pa-
trons to introduce them with the least pos-
sible risk. Well, after having tried so
many different plans that everybody began
to get out of patience, to say nothing of the
expense of such experiments, we finally set-
tled down on the Peet cage. We have used
this cage for years, and I am firmly satisfied
that, for a feeble queen (and they are gener-
ally more or less weakened by a long trip
through the mails), there is no other plan to
be compared with letting the queen right
on the comb in the hive, and letting her
help herself to the honey in the cells, at the
same time having her In the center of the
brood-nest, her natural and proper place.
Queens get discouraged, dejected, and
ready to die. I have oftentimes thought
that 'they get homesick, just as we mortals
do. Well, now, can any tiling revive her
drooping spirits, and make her feel as if
she were once more at home among the
loved ones, like being on a honey-comb, in
the center of a hive V I do not believe on a
float in a feeder. The feeding part is all

right. During a dearth of honey in the fall,
a good heavy feed will contribute very
greatly toward putting the bees all in a
friendly and amicable mood, provided you
do not get robbing started. I have replied
thus at length, because of late there seems
to be a fresh interest starting up in this
matter of introducing.

HONEY IS DIGESTED NECTAE.

Shall the Great Big School of Humanity be

Taught the Truth, or shall We Now and

Then Keep the Truth from Them?

PKOFESSOK COOK FINDS A LITTLE FAULT.

@t'R friend Demaree has now a recruit— a doc-
tor. This doctor— see last Ami rican Bee Jour-
nal—makes several assertions that just a
little knowledge of chemistry would have
prevented. Is it possible that our " M. D.'s "
know nothing of chemistry? Such articles may
possibly be excused in a lawyer, but from a doctor
they are certainly indefensible. Even a lawyer
should not attempt to enlighten the public on what
he knows nothing about. His ignorance may be
excusable; his misrepresentation and pose as a
teacher are never venial. To say that nectar and
honey are the same, or that sugar syrup fed to bees
is identical with the honey placed in the combs, is
to show entire ignorance of the subject. It is too
bad that such men will write. Now, Mr. Editor,
why do not you editors get a little blue litmus
paper and a little copper sulphate, or, better,
Fheling's solution, and prove for yourselves the
truth of this matter? Then when such articles are
sent in, throw them into the waste-basket. You
would not insert an article about the king-bee. To
say that honey and nectar are the same, is as ab-
surd as to say that there is a king-bee.

Again, it is urged that calling honey digested nec-
tar is revolting, and will injure the sale of this
delightful sweet. This is fear with no cause to
stand on. Honey is good, and will he eaten. Almost
all our green peas are wormy. People know it. but
they eat pe«6, and will so long as they are so good.
To the uninitiated, the idea of eating oysters would
be revolting. Here the animal is eaten entire, with
the digestive canal and its entire contents. Yet
oysters are good, and will be eaten in extent*, so
long as tin- quality remains, and men have a taste
for good food. So it will be with oysters. Truth
and honesty are always the best policy. Better
"tell the truth and shame the devil " than to preach
lies and delight him, even though we could sell a
little more honey.

VIRGIN'S BOWER.

Our friend Geo. E. Hilton send6 me the following
letter: " The inclosed liowers are from a plant that
grows abundantly here in the swamps. It clings to
bushes which it orten entirely covers, and is a great
favorite with the bees. In watching closely to-day
I could see no pollen. As you will remember, I
had a sample of the honey at Detroit. What is it?"

This is the beautiful "virgin's bower," Gkmabte
Virginiana. It is not strange that Mr. Hilton did
not see any pollen. This plant is ditecious; that is,
the stamens bearing the pollen are on one plant,
while the pistils which are to receive the pollen are
on another. In such cases the flowers must secrete
nectar to exist, as bees or other sweet-loving insects

1889

GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE.

707

must act as the so-called " marriage-priest." We
have only to know the structure of such plants, to
know that they are honey-plants. We may be glad
that this clematis is a honey-plant, as it, like the
goldenrod, willow hern, and clover, is exceedingly
beautiful.

SPRAYING AND POISONING BEES.

Do not think me over-sensitive. I am sure I am
not. I do not believe I have a morbidly sensitive
hair in my capillary covering; but when I say that
I was dumbfounded to read Mr. Alley's censure, in
the last Apiculturist, of my earnest endeavor to in-
form all the people of the wroug and evil of spray-
ing fruit-trees while yet in blossom, is to put it
mildly. Think of an American, in the nineteenth
century, and a Massachusetts man at that, urging
against giving information on an important practi-
cal question because, forsooth, some person might
make use of this information to work evil! Mr.
Alley says I have informed the people how they may
destroy bees; and thus the enemies of bee-keepers
will have opportunity, and will use this opportunity
to injure those whom they dislike. This is certain-
ly a sorry opinion of our people. I believe it is a
wholly unwarranted suspicion. The truth that it is
dangerous and wrong, and utterly unnecessary to
spray fruit-trees with poisons while the blossoms
are still on, should be sown broadcast. Every fruit-
grower should know and keenly appreciate the fact
that, to poison the nectar in the blossoms, is to in-
jure both his neighbor bee-keeper and also himself.
He needs the work of the bees no less than does the
apiarist. I would have laws enacted against this ear-
ly spraying, and make the punishment both fine and
imprisonment. Not that this is necessary to secure
against the evil, but it would be a very rapid edu-
cator. I believe it is very important that bee-keep-
ers take all pains to make the truth in this case
generally known. If people know the consequences,
they will practice the correct method.

Agricultural College. Mich. A. J. Cook.

Friend Cook, as a rule we prefer not to
publish any thing criticising other journals
or writers of other journals ; but we trust
that our good friends of the American Bee
Journal and the Apiculturist will excuse us
this time, especially as it comes from Prof.
Cook, and as you give us so much truth.
One little remark you let drop caused me to
smile ; viz.. " Almost all our green peas are
wormy." Some time ago my sister inform-
ed me that the peas we were selling had
little worms in them that could be seen with
a magnifying-glass. These worms are doubt-
less the larvae of the pea-weevil. Of course,
the peas planted contain no weevil, because
we get them from northern localities where
the weevil has as yet been unknown. Now,
the question came up, " Shall we sell peas
to people, knowing that the peas contain
little worms that could be found with a
magnifying-glass?" I said at once just as
you say. If the peas are good, and no one
can possibly discover by the taste the pres-
ence of these embryo weevil, without the aid
of a magnifying-glass, 1 would certainly
pay no attention to them. In fact, there is
such a thing as making one's self disagree-
able by being over-fastidious. At one time
our folks in charge of the lunch-room in-
formed me that there were worms in the
rice. T suggested that it was probably near

the mouth of the bag, aud that they could
easily be removed. Then we could heat the
remainder of the rice in the oven until all
the germs were killed. Some of the board-
ers found it out, however, and there was go-
ing to be quite a breeze because we used
articles for food that should be thrown to
the chickens or into the compost-heap.
Now, T have no doubt that good food has
been thoughtlessly thrown away because of
a certain foolish notion that nothing should
ever be used where the worms have been
found in it, even near the mouth of the bag.
I attempted a little remonstrance; but pub-
lic opinion was against me. In a few days
after that, we had some high-priced chest-
nuts. Somebody found a wormy chestnut;
whereupon I suggested that the whole bag-
ful, which cost between five and ten dollars,
be given to the pigs. They opened their
eyes in astonishment. Wormy chestnuts
and wormy apples are so very common that
folks are used to them ; and even if the
worms should get into your mouth, there is
no need of fainting away or of sending for a
doctor. Now, I heartily agree with friend
Cook. If people will refuse to eat honey be-
cause we teach that it is taken in at the
m<mth of the bee, and then thrown up in
the same way, when it is put into the honey-
cells, let them refuse ; and the same way with
green peas or with oysters; and I think ex-
actly the same way about the dissemination
of information in regard to spraying fruit-
trees. I am sure that I have no neighbors,
or, rather, no enemies, that would willingly
poisou my bees ; and when it becomes nec-
essary for me to keep the community in the
dark, or in ignorance, I shall have a poorer
opinion of my fellow-men than I now have.
It is this same ignorance that lias caused
the foolish and wide-spread belief that comb
honey is manufactured.

MORE ABOUT THAT INTERESTING
EXPERIMENT.

KUUTHEK FACTS UPON HOW IT WAS DONE.

TN answer to the queries which you raise in
M Gleanings, p. 618, 1 will say it is true that 1
W commenced June 7 with a single colony and its
"*■ swarm, each of which contained nine frames. I
divided the said colony, six days after it swarm-
ed, into three colonies, and I also made one out of
the swarm shortly after the brood was sealed, by
taking the queen and the three frames which had
the least brood, and a small share of the bees, leav-
ing the remaining six frames ten days longer to
make queen-cells, when I divided it again, making
use of all the queen-cells. This made six colonies,
so that 1 had not less than three frames in any of
them. This brought me to the 2Tth of .1 une. About
the 5th of July I made three more colonies from
the six, making nine in all.

You say you presume I did not get any brood
from othtr colonies. No, not an egg nor a queen-
cell, nor any stimulation whatever, other than the
sujrar 1 led them, for that is what I set out to do, as
I stated in the beginning of my report; viz., to
compel them to draw out their own combs, lay their
own eggs, build their own queen-cells, and hatch
their own queens: and 1 did so.

708

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Sept.

I should have said in my report, that I had no
other colony than the one in question, save one;
for that spring-, and the spring preceding-, I sold my
bees, keeping hut two— one for honey, for family
use, and one to experiment upon. Of late years I
keep bees only for the love of them, and for the en-
joyment of sitting- under the cherry-trees and
watching- them at their work. The above, I pre-
sume, is an answer to j our last query, viz., if I kept
any account of my time. I can only say that there
was no time lost; but if it must be considered lost,
I can say that I enjoy that loss more than I do the
profit (however great) or the employment of my
time. 1 may say that I am an invalid, entered upon
my 73d year, and am very feeble— more so than
some in this vicinity 15 or 20 years older. Of course,
then, my time would be of little consequence.

Whigville, O., Aug-. 7, 1889 Henry Large.

Many thanks, friend L. Your further
facts remind me of my strawberry story in
another column.

JlE^Dg 0F fillips

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

HALF DRONE AND HALF WORKER.

I mail you to day some Italian bees from a fine
select tested queen reared this season. Five of the
bees have heads and shoulders like drones, and ab-
domens like workers. They also have stings; and
as soon as they hatch they crawl out of the hive on
to the ground. All of the bees are fine yellow,
three and four banded, except a lew of the queer
ones, which are black, like the one in the cage.
This is the first queen that I ever raised that pro-
duced half worker and half drones, as I call them.
As I do not recollect of seeing any account of such
strange bees, I should like you to explain through
Gleanings what they are, and whether you think
there is any black blood in the queen by some of
the queer bees being black. My bees have done
very well this year. C. F. Grubb.

Jubilee, N. C, July 29, 1889.

Half drone and half workers have been
noticed a great many times, and have fre-
quently been mentioned. It is nothing
more, I believe, than a freak of nature, or a
malformation.

THAT NEW BEE DISEASE IN CALIFORNIA ; LATER
DEVELOPMENTS.

I am happy to say that the plague, of which I
wrote, see page 583, is now apparently subsiding;
and bees that have survived seem to be rapidly re-
cuperating. Losses in the apiaries under my im-
mediate control amount to about 250 stands-
enough to make one feel decidedly sick, and to test
thoroughly the virtue in man for which our ancient
friend Job was celebrated. I am negotiating, with
the view to aequiriug new slock, should indications
continue favorable. A feature of the disease is,
that in all cases it doesn't prove fatal. A number
of colonies that were badly affected last season
have pulled through, and are strong and prosper-
ous now. The same might be said of this season. I
also put new colonies upon combs and honey from
diseased hives of last season, many of which are in
good condition to-day. I learn from an old resident,
that this is the third time bees have died in large
numbers here within twenty years. Whether it

has affected other localities, I am not as yet able to
learn. Why we should be thus afflicted is at pres-
ent mysterious. While in the coast counties foul
brood is common, none has ever been seen in Kern
Co. We are a dry county, and depend entirely up-
on irrigation. The average rainfall is about 4
inches per annum. The heney crop will not be
over 50 per cent of the average yield this season.

ALFALFA.

In your comments on friend Burr's letter you ask
for information in regard to alfalfa. My opinion
is, that, as a honey-plant in the States, it would
have little value, for the reason that it appears to
secrete honey only under the most favorable condi-
tions of dry heat, and only in the middle of the day;
that is, no doubt, the reason why so many doubt its
value as a honey plant. With us it is the founda-
tion and superstructure of the honey yield. We
have several plants and willows which build up the
bees in spring, but alfalfa is the backbone of the
crop. W. A. Webster.

Bakersfleld, Cal , July 25, 1889.

CARNIOLANS EXCESSIVE SWARMERS.

Since writing our article on Carniolans,
we have noticed the following in regard to
them, which we take from the British Bee
Journal, page 309 :

There were some remarks lately about these bees,
and I must corroborate what is mentioned; and 60
far as I am concerned they are nothing less than a
nuisance, owing to the way they swarm. I got a
nucleus last year, from a good source, a well-known
party in the B. B. J., and I now wish 1 had let them
alone. Let me give you the result. First swarm
came off about a month ago. I then changed stock
to a new stand, and put swarm on the old one. Sec-
ond swarm came out of the old stock about a fort-
night after, and up to the present the first swarm
has thrown three swarms, good-sized ones too, and
I can not get them to work on the sections, though
I had them on all the swarming time. My hives
are all standards. What is to be done with them?
No doubt they are good breeders, but what good is
that if it is honey you want and not bees? Up to
the present I find no bees working as well in the
sections as they ought and have done other years.
I wish others would give their experience of the
Carniolans.— H. J.

TOP-BARS, ABOVE WHICH NO BURR-COMBS WILL BE
BUILT.

In answer to the inquiry concerning the modifica-
tion of the top-bar of the frame to prevent burr-
comb, I will say that it can be done. In 1888 I made
a number of frames having top-bars % inches
square, and spaced them ?3 inches apart in the hive.
There has been no burr-comb built on them thus
far (two years), though other frames immediately
alongside of them had them. I have tried them
with honey-board and without.

TO GET THE TOP ROW OF CELLS IN SECTIONS
CAPPED.

C. F. McColm can get the top row of cells capped
over by tiering up and not leaving a bee-space be-
tween the sections, and then crowding the bees;
but they will likely build them against the separat-
ors, so that his sections will drip badly. Such has
been my experience.

TOBACCO PLEDGE

I quit using tobacco about a year ago, after read-
ing Gleanings. If I am entitled to a smoker, send
it along. I will pay for it if I begin again.

Lewisburg, Pa., Aug. 6, 1889. W. C. Mauser.

May God bless yon, friend M., in holding
on to your tobacco pledge. No honey report
gives me such a thrill of pleasure as does the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

709

news that another friend has given up to-
bacco, washed his hands (and his mouth),
and taken a step a little higher up among
clean, pure people, even though it has cost
something to say, " Get thee behind me, Sa-
tan."

HEC1PE FOR RAISING SPI11EK-PLANTS.

Feed the seed to your poultry. Clean out the
fowl-house and sow the contents on the borders,
and you will probably have an unlimited supply of
strong- plants. I have never sown a seed except
the first packet I got from you. My fowls are fond
of the seed, and help themselves from the plants.
I could supply hundreds of plants any time all the
year round. It grows here equally well, both in
summer and winter time. I have always some
phiuts in bloom. The bees are particularly fond of
playing about it ; but so far as 1 can make out, they
do not get a large quantity of honey from it. This
has been an exceedingly poor season for honey all
over Australia.

IGSOTUM TOMATO.

1 duly received the packet of Ignotum tomato
ee< d from ,\ ou. I planted them and got a beautiful
row of plants, just ready lor transplanting, when a
most wretched goose got into the garden and nip-
ped off every solitary head of the Ignotum close to
the grourd, although there were hundreds of the
commoner sorts she might have feasted on. Will
you oblige me with another packet of seed, of
which I certainly will take greater care?

.<Eneas Walker.

Red land Bay, Queensland, Aus., May 13, 1889.

Well done, friend W. I am provoked al-
most every season by failing to get spider-
plants in our greenhouses or hot-beds; but
a little later on, when the weather is warm,
they come up with astonishing rapidity
among the weeds in different parts of our
grounds, where they were cultivated per-
haps years before ; and of late we have sort
o' given up, and depended for what we
raise for our honey-garden, on the chance
of picking them up. The consequence is,
we do not get any bloom before August. It
seems a little singular how many mishaps
like the one you menti >n occur with the
Ignotum tomato-plants. We always keep
seed on hand to replace that destroyed by
such mishaps.

TOP BARS 7s JN. SQUARE, AND NO BURR-COMBS.

In corroboration of the experience of A. L. Kil-
dow, given on page 632 of Gleanings, I wish to say
that I am never troubled with burr-combs between
brood-frames and sections. The top-bar of my
brood frames is 7« of an inch wide by % thick, and
there are ten of them in a hive 13 inches wide. The
sections are raised ,56 of an inch from the top-bar,
with no honey-board between, and I have never yet
found any brood in the sections. I can see no use
in compelling bees to squeeze through a perforated
honey-board in order to reach the sections.
1 Pontiac, Mich., Aug III, 1889. F. N. Hilton.

The fact you uive is valuable — the more so
as it confirms the former statements of oth-
ers. Who else can give corroborating tes-
timonj V

AN EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRY.

In our advertising pages will be seen an
advertisement headed as above, coming

from one of our friends in Oregon. At the
very low price they are offered, you can well
afford to try a few and see if they will bear
the year round in your localities. I believe
there has never been an ever bearing straw-
berry that obtained much favor ; but even if
it does not bear very many berries, many of
our strawberry amateurs may like to test it,
and possibly keep a few. Here is what our
friend says about it :

Our strawberry patch of about one acre is now
bearing fine large berries, and we have now on our
peddling wagon, which goes to the Portland mar-
ket in the morning, over one hundred pounds of
strawberries, which retail at two bits a pound.
They bear from frost to frost. For our responsibil-
ity, see our record. Seth Winquist.

Mount Tabor, Oregon, Aug. 14, 1889.

We also give below a clipping from the
Portland Vindicator, of August 8 :

FINE STRAWBERRIES.

Seth Winquist, of Mount Tabor, called at The Vin-
ilicatur office Saturday morning and left a sample
box of delicious strawberries just picked from his
garden. He brought in over 1U0 boxes for the mar-
ket, and finds ready sale at twenty-five cents per
box. It seems incredible that strawberries should
be raised and sold iu the market at this season of
the year; but it is nevertheless true, and ihey are
of a tine quality too. Mr. Winquist informs us that
his is a continuous-bearing variety of plant, and
has been bearing berries from early in the spring,
and will continue until late in the fall. During this
unusually dry season the plants in Mr. Winquist's
garden do not yield largely, but from a patch of an
acre he informs us he gathers some 400 boxes per
week. '1 hese he has been able to dispose of at
twenty-five cents a box— a gross revenue of $100
per week for one acre of land. Who said there was
nothing in raising strawberries in Oregon?

WHITE CLOVER VS. THE BUSH HONEY OF
AUSTRALIA.

We extract the following from the Aus-
tralasian Bee Journal of July 1, page 5 :

White-clover honey is undoubtedly the best, both
for consumption and as a marketable article. In
fact, the difference between clover and bush honey
is as great as could possibly be imagined. That
from clover is of a delicate, smooth, and enticing
flavor, which does not pall on the palate, whilst the
color is a rich amber, and the granules very fine.
On the other hand, most bush honeys have an ex-
tremely strong, coarse flavor, leaving a disagreea-
ble after-taste in the palate. There are, however,
one or two bush honeys that are not so objection-
able, but still even these are a long way inferior to
white-clover honey. The greatest difference also
exi6ts with regard to color, that of the latter being
very superior. The granules of bush honey are
usually very coarse, aud like the granules of
coarse sugar. Perhaps the point most concerning
bee keepers is, that clover honey will always meet
with a more ready sale and command a higher
price in the market.

POISONOUS INSECTS AND SNAKES OF FLORIDA ;
INFORMATION WANTED.

In the issue of Aug. 1st, p. 629, our good friend
Prof. Cook thanks Gleanings for having obtained
through it aflne specimen of a coppeihead snake,
and would like to have other Southern snakeB. I
plead for this little space in Gleanings to recall
this notice, and remind our Florida friends who
read Gleanings, that, when they are sending Prof.
Cook snakes, to be sure to send him a black "gram-
pus," the sting of which is said to be very fatal, so
we can have it described in Gleanings; or if Prof.
Cook is acquainted with this insect, he will confer a
great favor on us who anticipate going to Florida,
if he will give us a description of it. It will be very

710

GLEANINGS IN BEL CULTURE.

Sept.

interesting- to have him tell us about the Southern
snakes, and I hope our Southern friends will avail
themselves of this opportunity. I saw some snakes
in Florida that would break short off when struck
witli a stick, the piece with the head going on as if
not hurt. I was told they would grow out again if
not broken too near the middle. I have seen the
ground-rattler and the coach-whip. The former is
said to be very poisonous; the latter is a very saucy
fellow. James W. Walker.

Green Spring, West Va., Aug. 18, 1889.

We second your request, friend W. By
all means let us know all about these nox-
ious insects and reptiles. I should especially
like to have Prof. Cook tell us about the
snake that breaks in two when struck with
a stick. Does it break in two without the
shedding of blood?

cellar wintering compared with outdoor
wintering; are the latter more hardy?

I want to ask a question. Are bees that are win-
tered in a cellar, or are buried, or kept in any other
similar way, more liable to spring dwindling than
bees that are wintered in chaff hives? I have kept
from 10 to 75 colonies of bees for 15 years. Part of
my bees I have wintered by burying them, and a
few colonies I keep in chaff hives. I find no diffi-
culty in wintering my bees by burying them. They
winter equally well in chaff hives, and even better.
The bees that I bury seem to be more liable to
dwindle after I remove them from the ground in
the spring than the bees in chaff hives. But it
should be borne in mind that tny chaff hives are not
like the ordinary chaff hives in use. 1 have two
styles. The style I like best has the brood chamber
10 inches square in breadth, and 24 inches in depth,
containing 20C0 cubic inches inside of the frames;
7 tall narrow frames to a hive only. With this chaff
hive 1 have wintered my bees, not finding on the
bottom-board during the whole winter and spring
over one-eighth or one-fourth of a gill of dead
bees. This is not as many as would apparently
naturally die from old age. 1 found on the ground,
outside of the hive, scarcely more than 25, 50, or so
dead bees, and no spring dwindling.

Willistoh Connor.

Rensselaerville, Albany Co., N. Y., Aug. 12, 1889.

We think, as a general thing bees are less
liable to spring dwindle in chaff hives on
summer stands. Beginners, as a rule, will
have better success with the outdoor plan ;
but experts, while they will have no better
results, will winter with less stores per colo-
ny in the cellar.

In addition to what Ernest says, I wish
to add that one great reason why I aban-
doned wintering in the cellar or wintering
in a house with sawdust walls, was because
of what you mention. I could winter the
bees very well either way ; but the trouble
was to get them through April and May.
In the chaff hives we have no such trouble
to speak of, while indoor wintering always
troubled tis more or less.

article referred to is there published. The article
on bees in that work was written by John Hunter,
secretary of the British Bee-Keepers' Association,
and, of course, is free from this sort of foolishness.
1 have carefully searched through the volumes,
and find no reference in any place to this false al-
legation; the only mention of glucose in this con-
nection being that it is sometimes used as an adul-
terant of honey, which statement is, unfortunately,
beyond doubt, true in some instances. The fact
that a cheap American reprint of the genuine ency-
clopedia contains the libel and slander is an in-
stance of the common error of purchasing or read-
ing cheap books in which cheap popular science, so
called, is retailed by cheap writers. Like a mud
spot on a bright surface, this slander will remain in
perpetuity, no doubt, and as a proof that the adage,
" truth will prevail," does not apply to present cir-
cumstances, under which truth has no chance
against the persistence of a lie once gaining wide
circulation. Possibly if the lie were left unnoticed
it might remain in oblivion.

I have frequently referred to this matter in the
New York Times as a foolish libel on bee-keepers, a
class of men who are specially free from tricks in
trade and such like meanness. H. Stewart.

Highlands, N. C, Aug. 14, 1889.

We are exceedingly glad to hear that the
genuine original Britannica does not con-
tain this slanderous falsehood. The whole
thing is a sad reflection on the American
people in two ways, and every new newspa-
per statement in regard to the matter is a
disgrace to us as a people.

falsehoods in cyclopedias; a plea for the
britannica.
I have noticed the frequent justly indignant pro-
tests in Gleanings in regard to the foolish story
about the manufacture of artificial comb and hon-
ey with paraffine and glucose. But it is not a just
charge against the EneycUt-pedin Britannica that the

WHEN TO EXTRACT; HONEY RIPENED BY BEES
SUPERIOR.

I arranged four hives for extracted honey. Dur-
ing basswood bloom all of them filled the upper
stories, but only one was completely capped over,
the others not being more than half. Now, were
the four ripe enough to be extracted, or only the
one that was fully capped over? The honey was all
gathered in the same ten days. From reading your
works I should say no; but common sense might
suggest yes. Alfred J. Lamb.

Jefferson, la., Aug. 11, 1889.

It is generally better to wait till most of
the honey is capped over before extracting.
Some bee-keepers extract before and ripen
the honey in large open tanks. We never
yet tasted artificially ripened honey that we
thought was fully equal to that ripened by
the bees, although some of the former is
very nice. If you wish to get nice thick
honey of extra quality, leave the combs of
sealed honey on the hives through the sum-
mer, and then extract.

CLIPPED QUEENS A FAILURE.

I should like to ask if you ever had any trouble
with your clipped queens in failing to issue with the
swarm, or getting them killed by the bees. I have
lost 30 out of 40 queens this spring. Two-thirds of
my queens failed to issue with the swarm. I had
three colonies swarm twice in succession without
their queen, and so they became demoralized. I
have almost concluded to stop clipping my queens.

Brackettville, Tex. • R. Heyman.

Years ago we had some trouble by losing
queens, but we had no such proportion of
loss as you have had. See Question-Box de-
partment for this issue.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

11

fltoTEiS ^ND QlIEIRIEjS.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all QUESTIONS, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

HONEY-DEW, AGAIN.

Bees are storing honey very fast from honey-dew.
It is so plentiful that it is dripping from the tops of
the tall timber, down on leaves of the underbrush.

Garfield, Ark., July 27, 1889. G. W. Reddick.

10 swarms from all my stands, and not much honey.
It has been wet and too cool for bees to work.
Atwood, 111., Aug. 13, 1889. J. W. C. Gray.

THE CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT.

My Chapman honey-plant has just ceased to
bloom. It bloomed about one month, and the bees
were busy on it from before sunrise till after sun-
set during the whole time it lasted. I have seen
ten bees at a time on a single pod.

T. K. Massie.

Concord Church, W. Va., Aug. 17, 1889.

ICE-MAKING AND BEE-KEEPING COMBINED.

I am rushed with the ice-business just now. We
are turning out, every 24 hours, from 66,000 to 69,000
pounds of bright clear ice. I have a poor chance
to attend to bees and ice, both booming in hot
weather. Thos. D. Lewis.

Knoxville, Tenn., Aug. 12, 1889.

SHALL WE UNDERTAKE TO REGULATE THE SUPPLY
OF POLLEN IN THE HIVES?

There is a question in regard to pollen which I
should like to ask. Should colonies be allowed to
regulate their own supplies of pollen, or is there
any rule to be governed by? Edward Holling.

Henrietta, Mich., Aug. 6, 1889.

[In our locality we never have an excess of pol-
len, therefore nothing need be done in regard to it.
In fact, in the early spring we often feed large
quantities of rye flour as a substitute for pollen.]

BEE-STINGS NO RELIEF FOR RHEUMATISM.

I have seen so many letters in Gleanings about
bee-stings being a remedy for rheumatism, I
thought I would add my mite. I have suffered with
that disease for three years, and have handled bees
every season, and this summer I was badly stung
while hiving a swarm, and I am sure I never got
any relief from the stings. Mrs. John Burr.

Bracevllle, 111., July 24, 1889.

[I am exceedingly glad to have you give us this
adverse report. To get at the truth of any matter,
we want reports of failures as well as of success.]

BEES ATTACKING SOUND FRUIT.

I desire some information. On my farm, all the
early peach-trees had fruit which decayed on the
branches. The bees then attacked this fruit and
afterward went for the sound fruit that matured
without decaying. I can't account for it. My bees
are doing nicely, and my apiary is ten miles east of
this city. A. O. Brummil.

Washington, D. C, July 18, 1889.

[You will get exactly the information you wish on
page 682, Sept. 1, 1888, issue. 1 then made some care-
ful experiments with bees on early peaches, and, I
think, proved conclusively that the bees do not,
and, in fact, apparently can not, cut into a peach
until it begins to decay.]

HONEY STATISTICS FOR MICHIGAN.

I send you the following figures, taken from the
"Farm Statistics of Michigan," collected by the su-
pervisors, and just issued: There were, in the
spring of 1888, 4080 apiaries, containing 44,326 colo-
nies; 52,199 colonies in the year 1887 produced 579,820
lbs. of comb honey, and 19,814 colonies produced
150,019 lbs. of extracted honey, and 8567 lbs. of wax
were produced the same year; 21,S47 colonies died
in the winter of 1887. F. N. Hilton.

Pontiac, Mich., Aug. 17, 1889.

SILVERHULL VERSOS THE JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT
FOR HONEY.

I have just come in from the buckwheat patch.
The bees are on the silverhull in goodly numbers,
while the Japanese is almost ready for the sickle,
and nary a bee to be found in all the patch. My
bees have not done much toward swarming— only

catnip; will it pay to plant it?

White clover, with us, comes about the 25th of
May, and lasts until the first of July; and then we
have but little honey until buckwheat, which comes
about the middle of August. Would it not pay to
plant catnip on our farm, for it lasts about three
weeks in July? Sherman Borden.

Burlington, N. J., July 30, 1889.

[We think we can pretty safely say that it will
not pay to cultivate catnip or any other plant for
honey alone. Many experiments have been tried,
from an acre up to several acres; but no experi-
menter ba<* been sufficiently well satisfied with the
result to keep it up. Buckwheat, alsike and pea-
vine clover, are all right; also rape in some locali-
ties, as the seed is saved for oil.]

i^EP0R¥5 ENC0O^6IN6.

A CONTINUOUS HONEY-FLOW.

The bees have not let up since the apple-trees
bloomed in April, and there is a prospect for good
picking for the next two months. John Long.

Vesta, Ind., Aug. 15, 1889.

BEST SEASON FOR BEES EVER EXPERIENCED.

We are having the finest season for the bees I
ever experienced. Basswood and clover were both
splendid, and now the bees are booming on buck-
wheat and fall flowers J. C. Hand.

Abbot, la., Aug. 12, 1889.

LARGE HIVES: 51 BARRELS, OF 550 LBS., FROM 245
COLONIES.

My crop of white-clover extracted honey is very
large, and of the very finest quality. I gathered 51
barrels, of 550 lbs. each, from -245 colonies, spring
count. So much for large hives and a favorable
season. Bmil J. Baxter.

Nauvoo. 111., Aug. 8, 1889.

24,127 LBS. OF HONEY FROM 325 COLONIES, SPRING
COUNT, AND INCREASED TO 402.

I received the extractor to-day. I did not get to
try it this year, as I finished extracting to-day. I
have taken out 24,127 lbs. of honey, and 720 of wax.
How is that for 325 colonies, spring count? I in-
creased to til.', with only $38.00 paid for help.

Rush Point, La., Aug. 10, 1889. Wm. J. Dawson.

250 LBS. OF HONEY IN 15 DAYS, FROM ONE COLONY,
AND 400 COLONIES IN ONE MILE SQUARE.

I had one hive of bees this year that gained 250
lbs. in 15 days from July 11th to 25th. I extracted
in this time 234 lbs.; average daily, 16'3 lbs. I have

712

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sett.

112 colonies, and there are over 300 more within one
mile of my bees, making over UK) in an area of one
mile square. All are doing well. F. B. Jones.

Howard, Minn., Aug. 6, 1889.

21,000 LBS. FROM 160, SPRING COUNT.

Our bees did quite well this season, considering
the help I had, and condition of the bees in the
spring. We had to buy sugar, and feed, so they
were not strong. We had 100 colonies in the spring,
and now have 250 colonies. We have taken off
21, COO lbs. of honey— 1C00 lbs. of comb honey, and the
rest extracted. Our honey is very nice, all as good
as you saw when j ou were here.

Mrs. W. J. Pickard.

Richland Center, Wis., Aug. 10, 1889.

$ 15 PER COLONY, AND HONEY ALL SOLD AT 20 CTS.
PER lb.; "HOOSIERDOM" explained.

This has been a great honey year: but as I have
not given the bees the care they ought to have had,
much has been lost. The home apiary has yielded
about $15.00 per colony, spring count, while those
that I left at my old home have done a little better.
My honey is nearly all sold at 20 cents per lb. Hugh
Vankirk will have about 5000 or 6000 lbs., 1 under-
stand. Will jou please ask Ernest what he meant
in Aug. 1 G leanings, p. 643, by " Hoosierdom "? It
made me feel bad when 1 read it, but perhaps he in-
tended us to extract some other meaning than the
one given the term here. L. W. Vankirk.

Washington, Pa., Aug. 17, 1889.

You have given us a grand report, al-
though Indiana, by the Statistics, reports in
general a poor season. In regard to that
term " Hoosierdom," we meant no unpleas-
ant reflections upon any good people who
live by the sweat of their brow in a literal
sense. If you will excuse another coinage,
we meant farmerdom, or the region occupied
by the tillers of the soil, as distinct from
those little spots occupied by" town chaps/'
See?

I^ep@to Di£ceu^/iGiN<i.

TWO THIRDS OP THE USUAL CROP.

We have about two thirds of our usual crop of
light honey, which is very nice. The outlook for
fall or dark honey is poor. It still continues very
rainy, and is getting somewhat colder.

Jefferson, N. Y., Aug. 9, 1889. Leslie Stewart.

NOT A POUND OF SURPLUS.

From 1(0 colonies in good condition, not a pound
of surplus honey was secured. Bees got plenty to
live on, and we yet live in hopes of getting some for
ourselves when the tie - vines bloom. So far as I
can learn, t he honey crop is a failure in all the sur-
rounding counties. Jno. H. Miillin.

Oakland, Tex., Aug. 10, 1889.

THE POOREST SEASON IN FIFTEEN YEARS.

We had excessive swarming from June 12 to Aug.
9. Bees have brought in honey enough to keep up
brood-rearing. I have 80 colonies, and not a third
of them ha\e honey enough for winter. We shall
have to feed unless we have an extraordinary fall.
1 do not look for that. We had a frost on the night
of the 10th of this month that killed all buckwheat
on low lands. L. Reed.

Orono, Mich., Aug. 13, 1889.

0a^ (|ue£>fi8N-B0&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 141.— a. Do you regard the virgin queen
traffic as a benefit to bee-keepers, particularly to nov-
ices? b. If it is a, benefit, what are the benefits? c.
Have ;/"" found any practical plan to introduce virgin
queens four or five days old, so that they can be intro-
duced cis quickly ami as easily as fertilized queens'! If
so, please give it i)i detail.

a, b. No. S. I. Freeborn.

I do not. I condemn it in toto.

Mrs. L Harrison.

a. As a rule, it is not a benefit; c. No.

Geo. Grimm.

a. No. c. Introduce them on sheets of hatching
brood. P. H. Elwood.

a. No; c. I think there is too much uncertainty
about it. H. R. Boardman.

a. No; c. None that will work so as to commend
the practice. Dadant & Son.

a. 1 have my doubts; b. I give it up; c. No. We
are experimenting now it that very line.

A. J. Cook.

I have not been fortunate enough with the intro-
duction of virgin queens to say any thing in favor
of the traffic in the article. C. F. Muth.

a. I think it may be. b. I think they may be fur-
nished at lower prices than laying qucenB. c. My
experience in that line is very limited.

C. C. Miller.
a. No. b. No. I have practiced Alley's plan,
with a loss of one out of every five. I have prac-
ticed no other plan. Any plan is very uncertain.

Rambler.
a. No, unless the novice will first learn to intro-
duce them successfully, c. Yes, by first making
the colony hopelessly queenless, when they may be
introduced directly without caging.

A. E. Manum.

1 don't think the virgin-queen business will be of
any benefit to any one except the queen-breeder;
c. No. In making our swarms by division, we some-
times have used virgin queens just out of the cells,
with good results. E. France.

a. No, neither to novices nor to experts, c. Let-
ting them loose at the entrance is as good as any
other way. Some seasons I have no difficulty at all,
but at other seasons 1 can hardly have one out of
four accepted. Paul L. Viallon.

My answer to the first must be a mere matter of
opinion. My opinion is unfavorable to it. I let vir-
gin queens run in the door and take their chances
—with perhaps the help of a little smoke. 1 have
never tried aged ones. E. E Hasty.

a. No, not at present. Whether or not it can be
made practical I will not offer an opinion, but leave
it to those who know more about it than I do. b. I
do not know. c. No, not as quickly and easily as
fertilized queens. Not with the certainty.

James Heddon.

I do not. With novices especially, I think it is
likely to prove unsatisfactory. Any one ought to
be able to get at least one good queen, and after

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

713

that any one with a little experience in bee-keeping
ought to produce virgin queens about as well as
any one else; and considering risk of loss, etc.,
much cheaper. Those who can not are not likely to
succeed with virgin queens several days old, pur-
chased from a distance. I have always introduced
virgin queens when less than two days old.

J. A. Green.
a, b. I have had no experience in that line. c. No;
the best way I found was in the Betsinger cage,
the same as though they were fertile. I have had
a good deal of experience in introducing virgin
queens of different ages, but abandoned all except
the introduction of very young ones, after noticing
the fact that they never took their wedding-flight
until the same time had elapsed after their introduc-
tion, whether they were one hour or five days old at
time of introduction. I have often wondered
whether any others have had this same experience
or not; but I have noticed no mention of it by our
writers. O. 0. Poppleton.

a. If virgins could be safely introduced it would
be a great benefit; but with my experience in in-
troducing them, T would look on the trade in them
as an unmitigated nuisance. The greatest annoy-
ance I ever had was thirteen years since, in adopt-
ing your (?) lamp-nursery, and introducing virgin
queens. I could hatch them by the hundred; but
nine out of ten were lost in introducing, b. I have
not succeeded in any plan of safely introducing
virgins.

P. S. — I do not insist that Providence warned us
against the use of such a device as above named,
but the great lamp used in that nursery afterward
burst, and set fire to the house of J. F. Mclntyre,
my son-in-law, and narrowly escaped burning it
with the family. R. Wilkin.

a. How is a novice ever to become a bee-keeper,
except as he goes to work as a bee-keeper should?
It is in this way that he becomes a practical bee-
keeper. So I answer the question, yes. Every vir-
gin queen a person handles makes him just so
much the wiser along this line of our pursuit; and
until a person can successfully handle virgin
queens, he does not arrive at full "'manhood " in
our pursuit, b. Through a direct crossing of the
best stock which you have, with the best stock the
best apiarist in the world has succeeded in produc-
ing. A direct cross of the best specimens of a
given race always gives vigor and strength not ob-
tained in any other way. c. No, not as easily as a
fertile queen can be introduced; but by the plans
given in my book, I succeed nearly every time; but
these plans are too long for this department.

G. M. Doolittle.

a, b. I don't know any thing about it; but it
seems to me that " novices" had better purchase
only fertilized queens, except as an experiment, c.
I have introduced virgin queens several days old,
but not as quickly as fertilized ones. My method
was to fix a stick in such shape that one or both
ends would be of the size and shape of the inside
of a fair-sized queen-cell. Wet the ends and dip
them in melted beeswax two or three times, just as
is done to sheet wax for foundation. Place in cool
waier a moment, and the wax can be readily re-
moved from the stick. Make as many as may be
needed for the season. Before using, prick three
or four holes, with a good-sized pin, through the
closed end of this wax cell, just about where the

queen would naturally gnaw out of a natural cell.
Put the queen in head first, and carefully equef ze
the open end together, and fasten to the top-bar of
a frame that is in the center of the cluster of bees
in the brood-nest. The holes should be large
enough so the queen can get her tongue through,
to be fed by the bees. This is not original with me.
I read it somewhere years ago.

Dr. A. B. Mason.

Our friends may perhaps remember that 1
was one of the first to recommend introduc-
ing virgin queens— that is, when first hatch-
ed by means of the lamp nursery ; but 1 nev-
er succeeded in any satisfactory way, unless
the queens were introduced when only a
few hours old. As an illustration : One eve-
ning during swarming time a young bee-
keeper drove up to our yard with some
queen-cages in long strips ; in fact, they
looked a good deal like ten-foot poles, only
they were about half as long. Every cage
contained a nice-looking queen ; but I
thought at the time they looked rather white
and fresh. He said he had bought an ABC
book ; but as he lived only a few miles awav,
he raised the queens expressly for us. We
purchased the lot, and commenced intro-
ducing. In two or three weeks we had in-
troduced most of the lot ; and some later a
few were laying. We were, however, satis-
fied that he had brought us virgin queens.
We hunted him up, and he admitted it. He
said he hadn't got the hang of the thing, and
he supposed that getting the queens hatch-
ed was all there was to it. Now, I am sure
that neither Ernest nor myself would think
of accepting such a lot of queens again as a
gift. I do not mean that there was any
thing the matter with the queens. They
were strong, lively, and active ; but they
had not been fertilized.

Question 142.— By what method do you introduce
fertile queens? Explain the plan in detail, if not al-
ready generally known.

See 141. Paul. L. Viallon.

The plans as given in my book. A. J. Cook.

Cage them a couple of days before letting them
loose. P. H. Elwood.

My method is generally known and practiced by
others, which is, by the use of a surface-cage.

A. E. Manom.

By caging the queen on the combs with a wire-
cloth cap that crowds into the comb after remov-
ing the old queen. H. K. Boakdman.

By various methods, depending upon the time
and the condition of the swarm. A fertile queen is
almost always safe when running over the combs.
Mrs. L. Harrison.

I have nothing new to offer. I have practiced
most of the methods given in the books. Most of
them will prove successful during the swarming
season, with a good flow of honey.

S. 1. Freeborn.

Generally 1 let her go at once among the bees on
a comb, lifted from the hive where I know they
have been without a queen a few hours or days. If
they treat her well I set her with the bees back in
the hive; if the bees seem to doubt her right among
them, I put her in a Peet or other cage, arranged
so she will get out within a day or two. More valu-

711

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

able queens 1 introduce to a few young bees only
on hatching brood, and build up with hatching
brood. R. Wilkin.

I use more than half a dozen methods— first one
ami then another, according to the circumstances.
To explain all these methods in detail would be te-
dious: besides, they are all explained in back num-
bers of journals and bee-books.

James Heddon.

a My plan is the good old way that never fails.
Take out all escort bees, and cage the queen three
days. 1 have tried various other plans recommend-
ed, but have had indifferent success. I wish to try,
this season, Cheshire's plan of running them in in
the evening. Rambler.

When surplus queens are raised in nuclei in the
yard, I frequently use the " Simmins direct-intro-
duction " method. Ordinarily 1 decidedly prefer
the use of the old-fashioned Betsinger cage. Both
of these ways have been frequently described in all
the bee periodicals. O. O. Poppleton.

1 put the queen in a small wire cage and suspend
it between two combs, near the brood, but so that
she can reach honey through the meshes. I leave
her caged from 21 hours, or some less, to 3 or 4
days, according to circumstances. One can tell
very readily from the action of the bees whether it
is safe to release her, and that is my guide.

Geo. Grimm.

By several plans, all of which have appeared in
Gleanings. For a very choice queen I always
use the " caged bees " plan, as I have given in back
numbers of this journal, and I have never known a
failure, and I have had but one report of such a
failure from the many who have used the plan. I
consider it absolutely safe in the hands of the nov-
ice or the expert. G. M. Doolittle.

Kill the old queen just before introducing the
new one; then cage the new one in the hive for 48
hours, and release her by putting a piece of comb
honey in place of the stopper of the cage. With an
already queenless colony, we do not release the
queen till we are sure there are no queen-cells, and
that there have not been any for several days past;
i. e., till we are sure they are otherwise hopelessly
queenless. Dadant & Son. ■

I generally use the Peet shipping and introduc-
ing cage. Sometimes I make a cage out of a piece
of wire cloth 3 or 4 inches square. Cut a piece
about half an inch square from each corner, and
bend the four edges to a right angle with the rest
of it, and as deep as the corners have been cutout.
Shake the bees from a comb and place the queen
and a few of her bees on the comb when there is
honey, and set this cage over them and press the
edges into the comb. This is not a new way, but
I've never failed with it, neither have I with the
Peet cage. A. B. Mason.

My methods are mostly those recommended in
( i lean i ngs and ABC, and thus so familiar as not
to require detail. For introducing a valuable
queen, in times when bees are cross and no honey
coming in, cage a whole comb of hatching brood;
put the queen on it, and hang it in the center of the
colony. Another and perhaps better way is to
shake the bees all into a box, Doolittle-nucleus
style, and give them the queen after they have
been worrying for an hour or two. On giving them
combs, give different combs, as far as brood will al-

low, and a different hive— but, of course, on the old
location. Make them feel like strangers in a
strange land, and they are not likely to attempt the
overthrow of the dynasty. E. E. Hasty.

I make an introducing-cage by taking a piece of
wire cloth about five inches square, and bending
the edges up at a distance of about seven meshes
from the edge. Take a piece of tin of the same
size; bend up two adjoining edges, and cut a 38-inch
square out of the opposite corner. Lay the cage
on the tin slide, and put in the queen, and, if neces-
sary, a few young bees. Select a level spot on a
brood-comb where there is some honey, and, if pos-
sible, hatching brood. Lay the cage on the comb,
tin down; withdraw the tin slide, and press the cage
into the comb just enough to hold it firmly. Leave
the queen caged 48 hours, then remove the cage,
unless the bees seem hostile. J. A. Green.

We introduced several old fertile queens last year
by putting them into the Peet cage and fastening
the cage to the comb, with the tin slide drawn out.
I had but one failure in 30; but I lost a 14 00 Car-
niolan queen last week. I had a colony with
queens in cells almost ready to hatch. She arrived
at 6 p. m. We looked over the combs, and supposed
we had taken out all of the queen-cells. We put
the Carniolan in a Peet cage, and did not take the
tin slide out. We put the cage in the hive, left it
36 hours, and then removed the tin slide and fast-
ened the cage to a comb. About 4 days after, I look-
ed the combs over. The queen was out of the cage.
I found one queen-cell hatched, and my Carniolan
queen dead in front of the hive— just because there
was one cell left. E. France.

The best way to introduce queens, and the safest
of all I have tried or seen described, is the cage sys-
tem. Cage the queen of the hive for a day or a
night, or for three or four hours only, so that the
bees are aware of their queen being in the cage,
which, of course, is suspended (or sticking) be-
tween two brood-combs. Next, take out the cage,
put away with the old queen, put the new queen in
her place, close the cage with a piece of comb hon-
ey instead of the cork, and place it between the
combs again in the old spot. The cage, having the
scent of their old queen, and the bees knowing her
to be in that cage, are cleverly fooled. They liber-
ate the queen and receive her every time. Excep-
tions to the contrary are very rare. No bees
should be in the cage with the queen.

C. F. Muth.

Suppose I want to introduce a queen from a nu-
cleus to a full colony. 1 take from the nucleus a
frame of brood on which is the queen, with its ad-
hering bees, and put it, without any preparation,
in the full colony. The plan is so little trouble that
I can afford an occasional loss by it. If the colony
is queenless, and has started queen-cells, I often
lift out a frame and put the queen on it upon the
brood, right among the bees, without any formali-
ty; but the first plan is safer. To introduce an im-
ported queen I put frames of just hatching brood
in a hive with the queen and no workers, except
those attending the queen; close the entrance and
put this hive over a strong colony with a double
layer of wire cloth between, so there can be no
communication between the bees of the two hives;
but the heat can rise from below. In four or five
days, open the entrance SQ the young bees can fly.

C. C. Miller.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

715

.Just at present, Ernest and myself do not
quite agree about introducing queens. Aft-
er the years of experience we have had in
sending queens out, I do not feel satisfied
that any thing else will succeed any better,
even if as well, as the Feet cage, as we now
have it. New inventions will come up, as
they have been coming up, year after year ;
but sooner or later the decision is, they are
no better. Then why should we make a
change, and multiply, and confuse not only
the rising generation but many of the veter-
ans also ?

JalYgEIfF Tip MY ]^EI6}IB6^.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with
good.— Rom. 12:21.

fHIS whole matter of ''doing good " to
those that hate you has been so often
repeated, and so much talked about,
that these beautiful texts fall upon
our ears almost without notice ; and
yet almost every one of us, when we get into
trouble with our neighbors, forgets to make
the application. Last evening our minister
made the remark, that, when Melancthon
was converted, he felt sure he could make
the matter so plain that the world would
have to see it ; and he had faith enough to
believe that the world would be converted.
To his great sorrow, however, he soon
found that " old Adam " was more than a
match for " young Melancthon." I remem-
ber very distinctly when I had something of
the same feeling. Our older readers will
perhaps remember, too, the energy and ve-
hemence with which I started out to explain
and talk about the Bible truths here in
these pages. For a good while, the princi-
pal point on which I exhorted was our
homes. Further along it seemed to me as if
God called me to consider next our neigh-
bors; and here we are, dear friends, this
bright Monday morning, once more consid-
ering this matter of our neighbors. Some
of you may say, " Why, our neighbors are
all right as they are. Our relations to them
are all they need to be. What is the use of
having any more talk on this hackneyed
subject of ' our neighbors' ?"

Well, sometimes I am tempted to think
there is not much use. Some time after my
conversion, in thinking the matter over I
felt sure that, if I could have a good long
talk with a brother of mine, who was then
away, I could surely present the matter to
him in such a way that he would at once
embrace Christianity. He and I had dis-
cussed different matters from childhood,
and a good many times I had been convert-
ed to his way of thinking, while at other
times he had been brought over to my way.
It seemed as plain as the multiplication ta-
ble to me, that, if I could have his undivid-
ed attention, say for half an hour, he must
assent to the truths and the claims of Bible
teaching. lie came home, and we took a
walk together out in the country. Some
way it is always natural for me to talk best
when I am out in the open air riding or
walking. Well, he gave me his attention,
and I went over the whole ground. He as-

sented to many of my propositions, as 1
knew he must assent; but no such direct
change took place in him as I hoped and ex-
pected there would. He was not ready or
willing to let the world, and what it had to
offer, go, and accept in its stead Jesus
Christ. 1 have had the same experience so
many times since, that I have got over be-
ing disappointed or discouraged. I learned
long ago to sow the seed after my own fash-
ion, as best I could, and leave the result
with Him who rules over all ; and as a gen-
eral thing I feel happy when I have done
my work, whether immediate results follow
or not. Now to business.

In my recent travels I have had so many
pleasant experiences when stopped in some
unexpected place that I have rather learned
to enjoy it. Whenever I am told that the
time has been changed, or miss connection,
my first thought is, '• Well, what has the
Lord for me to do here?" and then I set
about finding out. At one place in Wiscon-
sin, in reply to my oft-repeated inquiry, the
station agent said, "Oh, yes! there are
quite a lot of bee-men here ; if you walk
down the track three-fourths of a mile you

will see Mr. , who has a great snarl of

hives ; and up on the hill, in another direc-
tion, is a man who has lately commenced,
and he is quite enthusiastic in the business,
and I have no doubt he would be glad to see
you. Off over the hill is another one," and
so on. But as I had only three hours to
wait, and my supper was to come out of the
three hours besides, I concluded that he
had given me directions enough. Three-
fourths of a mile down the track I saw
thirty or forty hives arranged under an old-
fashioned shed. They were on the north
side of a very pretty little garden. Every
thing was neat and tidy, but they evidently
were not quite up to the times in every
thing. I talked a little while with the old
gentleman who owned the bees, but he did
not seem to know much about the bee-
journals nor about their editors. He said
his son was out harvesting, but added that
he would be home soon, and he would doubt-
less be very glad to see me. So I walked
back to the depot ; but just as I had reached
there, however, a young man (the son) drove
up briskly, and expressed great pleasure in
meeting A. I. Root. He said he was work-
ing hard to get money enough to complete
his education, and, of course, he and I were
friends at once. I proposed making a brief
call on one of his neighbors; but he seemed
to be a little bit backward. There had been
differences between them, mainly in run-
ning each other on the price of honey. 1
urged him, however, to go over with me,
suggesting that, if they got better acquaint-
ed, they might possibly agree on some price
so as not to cut each other. After a little
urgimr he replied, " Why, of course I will
go ;" and we three had quite a pleasant lit-
tle chat together. The last-named friend
had his hives neatly painted, and set each
one under a forest-tree, where a partial
clearing had been made in the edge of the
town. It was a very pretty place, and the
hives were very neatly cared for ; although
I found in a fewr moments that some of

716

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

them were crammed full of honey, and the
bpes were hanging idly on the outside, it be-
ing in the height of biisswood bloom. These
were both tine, intelligent young men. They
had it in their power to assist each other
greatly, and yet they had been on bad
terms, just on account of the value of a few
cents. At another place I met the same
state of affairs. One man said to me :

" Mr. Root, we used to have a bee-conven-
tion here, and 1 loaned books to my neigh-
bors, looked over their hives, and showed
them how. I let them take a hive for a
model, and things of that sort. Rut how do
you think it turned out ?"

I replied that I hoped it turned out pleas-
ant and profitable all round.

" Not a bit of it. Just as soon as they
had got a pound of honey to sell, they rush-
ed into town with it, found out what I had
been getting right along for mine, and then
offered to sell it to the grocery man for two
cents less, if he would take their honey in-
stead of mine. I am clear disgusted with
this work."

The above sums up one of the most griev-
ous troubles among neighbors, especially
where both keep bees. They get along very
friendly and nicely until it comes to the
matter of disposing of the crop. Honey
can not be rushed off as many other things
are, and these beginners are almost al-
ways in need of a little ready cash. For-
getting the accommodation they have had,
they too often, in their sudden eagerness
to turn their work into cash, do some-
thing like what has just been described. I
should not wonder if quite a lot of my read-
ers say , as their eyes take in this thought,
" There, that is just my experience exactly.
But I have got done with teaching people
how to keep bees, just for the fun of it, and
then having them undersell me, just as soon
as they get a few pounds of honey."

Please do not be in haste, dear brother, to
come to such a decision. I know these
things are bad, but it only shows the selfish-
ness of humanity. It is not our neighbors
alone, but it is ourselves ; and this same in-
born sin exists in our own families and in
our own hearts. The remedy is in the beau-
tiful little text at the head of my talk to-day :
" Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good." What a grand thought it
is! and, oh how much better than to say
you will not have any thing more to do with
them, as we often do! Of course, I recom-
mend Christianity and a Christian spirit
when these things are told me ; but too oft-
en the reply is, " Mr. Root, the church-
members do not do a bit better. The very
neighbor I was telling you of belongs to the

church." Some go still further and

say, " Why, even the minister did so and so."

One afternoon I was having a very pleas-
ant chat with a particular friend of mine.
He and his wife, with their children, were
sitting out in the shade of the apple-trees,
close by the apiary. While we were talk-
ing, a man came up and wanted just one
planed board, such as friend has stack-
ed up ready to make hives. He is a supply-
dealer, and has a small engine and buzz-
saw. He keeps the regular hives in stock ;

but as orders frequently come for something
different, he keeps a limited quantity of
nice boards right close to the saw-table,
ready to be cut up as wanted, at a moment's
notice. Well, this neighbor wanted just
one of these boards. My friend, in a gentle-
manly way, explained that he would very
much rather not let them go. After he had
gone, I suggested :

" Why, friend , can't you get enough

for those boards to afford you a good profit,
and at the same time accommodate your
neighbor V I noticed that you did not say
any thing about the price, neither did he.

Now, I would have said, 'Neighbor , I

do not like to spare these boards ; but if you
need one bad enough to pay me so and so
for it, I will let you have one, and replace it
soon/' He glanced at his wife, and just
then it occurred to me that perhaps the
neighbor might be slow pay. or something
of that sort. It was as I surmised. Instead
of paying for the board, he would have
wanted it charged, and that would have
been the last of it. A little more question-
ing brought out the fact that this neighbor
was their minister.

" Why, friend , you do not mean to

say that your minister does not pay his
debts, do you?" He assented, and then
said that the same individual owed them a
milk-bill that had been standing so long
he had no hope of getting it at all. At this
I rose to my feet. The wife assured me that
it was all so. I insisted that there must be
some extenuating circumstances, or some-
thing I did not know about. Now, my bee-
keeping friend is a pretty good man, even if
he is not a member of any church. He re-
plied in a manly way :

" Yes. Mr. Root, there is an extenuating
circumstance. This man receives such a
miserable pittance for a salary, that he can
not very well be honest, even if he wanted
to ever so much. His congregation is small,
there are no wealthy members, and I really
do not see how the poor fellow does get
along as well as he does. Now, I do not
mind the amount of the milk-bill, even if it
is hard to furnish milk regularly, and not
get any pay for it. If he or his people had
asked me outright to donate the amount I
would have given it willingly. But that is
not the point. I do not like the way of
promising to pay, and then not paying."

Now, friends, we are getting to the bot-
tom of the matter, I believe. The real truth
of this trouble, and a good many other trou-
bles of this sort, is that Christ's cause is at
a very low ebb in these localities. The
churches are small, and even those who do
attend and try to support the minister are
weak in faith, and, as a consequence, weak
in finance. They scrimp their minister, and
he scrimps by not paying his honest debts.
The consequence is, he can not possibly
preach a real gospel sermon. His ( 'hristian-
ity is pinched and starved out of him. Who
is to blame V It is just like living in a com-
munity where boys steal melons and honey.
Instead of laying the blame all on the boys,
it lies on the community in general. They
lack the spirit of the little text. In one of
our prominent agricultural papers a few

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

717

weeks ago a well-known writer spoke of
watching his berry-patch on Sunday. It
took so much of his time that he could not
go to church ; and in spite of his efforts, the
boys and even men came there and carried
off his berries in tin pails. Finally he caught
a little fellow and kicked him with his great
boot. What should he do V Why, bless your
heart, dear friend, I should do exactly as the
Bible teaches. "Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good." I do not
want to boast, dear friends— far be it from
me to do so ; but I do want to say that our
honey has never been stolen, and our melons
and berries have never been stolen — that is,
to amount to any thing. Some of our small
boys did at one time last June get into a
habit of cramming their pockets with great
green Jessie strawberries ; but the saddest
part of it to me is, as I look back, that even
Uncle Amos lost his equilibrium, and scold-
ed one boy, and made him take the great
berries out of his pockets. The boy had
been hoeing, and was tired and thirsty ; and
the berries with their pink cheeks looked so
tempting to him, who could blame him ?
Yes, I scolded ; but I afterward felt bad
about it, and he felt bad too ; and I talked
the matter over with him pleasantly and
good-naturedly. I told him that, if all my
boys did that way, there would not be any
berries to get ripe.

He assented, and promised not to touch
another berry unless I gave them to him,
but to go and buy them at 5 cts. a pint box-
ful, the way everybody else did ; then he
would not have to stick them in his pockets,
and feel guilty while he was eating them.
I never knew him to touch a berry after-
ward. He and I are real good friends. He
helps me and I help him. Now about the
ministers :

There are a great many ministers who
read Gleanings. God bless the dear hard-
working brothers ! How I do love to get
hold of their hands <md talk over these mat-
ters ! They know me pretty well, most of
them ; and even if I do touch on something
that reflects on them just a little, I think I
know beforehand that they say in their
hearts, " Go on, brother Root ; don't spare
us." I say this because I do firmly believe
that they are hungering and thirsting after
righteousness and godliness, and that they
will rejoice at any thing that helps right-
eousness to prevail. During in y travels I
urged a good friend of mine very hard in-
deed to go to church one Sunday evening.
He said he was pretty certain that it would
not do him any good ; but as I was his
guest, he of course gave way. Well, I wras
very anxious, as a matter of course, that the
sermon should be spiritual and inspiring. I
felt anxious for him during all that dis-
course, and I found out afterward that he
felt anxious for me in the same way— that
is, he wanted the minister to do well, so as
to give me a good opinion of their neighbor-
hood and people. I am sorry to be obliged
to say that the sermon did not have very
much heart in it. There was a great deal
of Scripture quoted, but it did not have any
particular application that I could see. The
minister pounded the desk, let his voice sink

to a whisper, and then spoke in thunder-
tones. It was a kind of old-fashioned
preaching that some of you may have heard
years ago. On the way home my friend ex-
plained that the regular pastor was absent,
and that this man was called in, rather than
have the audience go back without any ser-
mon. He went on :

" Of course, I need not tell you there was
no particular point in any of his remarks ;
and I think I will just mention that one rea-
son why I did not find very much good in it
was because that man has been owing me
for three or four years for honey."

" Oh ! but, friend ■ . he will pay it, even

yet. Perhaps he has had bad luck."

" Yes, Mr. Root, he has had bad luck, and
always will have ; and he has probably got
discouraged because he is owing more than
he can ever pay, possibly, and now I am
afraid he buys every thing he can get trust-
ed for, without any expectation of paying
for it The sad part of it is, that our peo-
ple will, knowing these things, occasionally
ask him to preach."

Well, my frier d who sold the milk went
on, and we were discussing ministers' sala-
ries. He maintained that, to get a good hon-
est minister, as well as to get a good honest
man for any purpose, you must pay him a
decent salary. There are, in the market,
doctors, schoolteachers, and even ministers,
of all grades. If vou take up with a low-
priced man you will have to take the conse-
quence. It is a sad state of affairs, dear
friends, I know ; but is there not some
truth in it V Suppose your pulpit is vacant,
and you are looking about for some one to
fill it. You will have applications from a
good many directions ; and when you have
some one in view it is natural to make in-
quiries. Well, suppose the inquiries result
in something like this :

" Mr. So and so is au excellent man in
many respects. He is a fine orator ; quotes
Scripture accurately, fluently ; is a good
leader; is pleasant and courteous, etc." But
suppose the letter should end up by saying,
" He has one grievous fault ; he makes pur-
chases unwisely, and is always behindhand
and in debt You can, however, get him at
a very low price.'1''

Now, I do not know that such a state of
affairs exists ; in fact, the bare thought of it
gives me pain that any of God's appointed
servants should be so inconsistent, or blind
to the sacredness of their calling, as to ut-
terly spoil and ruin all their chance of lead-
ing souls to Christ. I proposed to my
friend that he go right over to his neigh-
bor's, and have a plain talk with him in re-
gard to the matter ; but he thought it was
out of his line.

Now, I do not remember that I ever knew
personally a minister who did not pay his
debts. I have, however, known several
church-members who were very slow— yes,
some who were quite active Christian work-
ers. Some little time ago one of these
brothers was under discussion, and one per-
son remarked, " He has owed me something
toward twenty dollars for three or four years,
and I have not any idea that he ever ex-
pects to pay it." Of course, I remonstrat-

71 8

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

nrl. but he insisted that it was true. In a
few days I saw this brother, and told him
plainly that I feared his being so dilatory
was a reproach on the cause of Christ. Of
course, he had a number of extenuating cir-
cumstances to tell me. There had been
much sickness in his family, and he did not
know that the man he owed felt as he did
about it. He, however, admitted that it
was a shame, and that the account ought not
to have been allowed to run as it had been.
As he had not the money to settle it just
1 hen, I proposed loaning it to him, telling
him he could pay me when he found it con-
venient. He seemed deeply touched. The
account was promptly settled, and in a few
months he paid me, and interest also, for
the use of the money. Now, friends, this is
one of the wrays of overcoming evil with
good. I hardly need tell you that I felt hap-
py over that investment. Why, I do not
know when fifteen or twenty dollars has af-
forded me so much pleasure and real satis-
faction. Before this we were not on par-
ticularly friendly terms either ; but since
then it is always a pleasure to me to meet
him, and I am sure that he feels exceeding-
ly kind and friendly toward me. If I knew
a minister who did not pay his little debts,
I think I should go to him in just that way.
If his salary is small, and you can afford it,
just donate him right out enough to set him
free from his little embarrassment; and if
you do not find that you have been laying
up treasures in heaven by so doing, I shall
be disappointed.

Now, just a closing word to the bee-
friends, especially those who have had trou-
ble with their neighbors in the ways I have
mentioned. Do not try to cure these trou-
bles by letting them alone. Do not repeat
to your other neighbors and friends the
story of their delinquencies and faults. Go
to them in a friendly way. If you have the
spirit of the little text in your heart they
will not be offended. You need not fear
that they will think it none of your busi-
ness; but if you should have a neighbor so
hardened as that, do not be troubled. It
does not hurt a Christian to be snubbed,
when he is trying to do his duty. Our pas-
tor, who has gone to China, once said," A
real true follower of Christ can not be snub-
bed or insulted ; " that is, an insult can not
be given where none will be taken. The
true Christian forgives unkind words, al-
most before they are uttered, and makes
haste to overcome evil with good. Why,
God bless you, my friend, you do not need
to be put out, even if some thoughtless
neighbor has sold his honey lower than he
need to, and thereby spoiled the established
price. Go and talk with him about it ; let
him see that your heart is large enough, and
that you are magnanimous enough to be
friendly and kind, even if he had done ten
times as much to injure you. You can not
afford to be spiteful and unfriendly because
of such troubles. One of our bee-men
raises blackberries after the honey season is
over. I think I will not tell his name.
Well, he has a very large patch, and carries
them to the surrounding towns. They were
going off nicely at 12 cents, and the proba-

bility was that there would be no need of
selling cheaper. Finally some neighbor
who had a small patch began selling his for
10 cents. Our bee-keeping friend remon-
strated, and finally offered to pay him cash
down, right at his home, 10 cents for all he
raised. I should have supposed that this,
of course, would have settled the matter
pleasantly. It seems it did not, however.
The ten -cent neighbor refused to sell them
in that ivay, but was just contrary enough to
insist that it was his privilege to carry them
around and retail them out at 10 cents, if he
wished to. A case of the same kind occur-
red in friend Freeborn's neighborhood, with
honey. Perhaps some of you say, " Now,
Bro. Root, what are you going to do with
men who are stubborn, contrary, and ugly,
as in the above case V " My reply is, that I
am still going to overcome evil with good.

If you will turn to the 12th chapter of
Romans, where our text comes from, and
look at the verse just above the text, you
will find this :

If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap
coals of Are on his head.

These friends have to be conquered by
heaping coals of fire on their heads. Very
much depends on how you do it. It re-
quires skill and tact, and, above all, a kind-
ly spirit of love for your neighbor, in your
heart. Few men like to be "bossed"
around, or, if you choose, most of us dislike
to have our liberty of action interfered with.
Satan gets his finger in the pie, and some-
times it takes quite a little effort and quite
a little time to rout him entirely. But it
can be done. Do not, I pray you, be weary
in well-doing. Do not get discouraged, and
say, " It will not work with this man."
Make up your mind that you are going to
say, as did Gen. Grant, " We will tight it
out on this line, even if it takes all summer."
Grant was fighting an enemy, and you, my
friend, are fighting an enemy ; but the ene-
my is not your misguided neighbor. It is
Satan. Why, you can not enjoy life at all
as God intended you should enjoy it, with-
out being at peace and on friendly terms with
your neighbors. Quite a few times, when I
have asked one bee-keeper to drop his work
a little while and go with me to see some
bee-keeping neighbor, he would say, " Why,
the truth is, Mr. Root, we do not have much
to do with each other nowadays." I be-
lieve, however, that I have always succeed-
ed in getting them to drop both work and
hostilities, and go with me ; and it has hap-
pened more than once or twice, that ex-
planations and misunderstandings were
straightened up right in my presence Now,
do not be cross, dear brother, even if people
are greedy and selfish. It is nothing at all
strange ; in fact, it is nothing strange if you
find me at times greedy and selfish. If you
do, however, I want you just to grab right
hold of me, and give me a good shaking. If
you can not do that, say in your letter, " See
here, old friend, why don't you practice a
little better what you preach ? " I shall
not be mad, I assure you. May be I will
straighten up. Now, then, whenever you
meet evil in any form, especially among

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

719

your own neighbors, please believe your old
friend when he tells you not to think of
overcoming evil with evil ; but please bear
in mind that it is a thousand times better in
every way, shape, and manner, to " over-
come evil with good."

NOTES OF THAVEL.

A. I. KOOT AMONG THE BEE-MEN OK WISCONSIN.

f EH. II A PS I was in a happy frame of
mind that afternoon when 1 came into
the town of Boscobel. I had just been
exhorting my friend the stage-driver
to have more faith in humanity and in
Christianity ; and I do not know but that
this made me feel happy. Besides, Bosco-
bel is a very pretty place. Before we fairly
got inside of the corporation we saw a very
pretty group of bee-hives ; but as my time
was limited I did not stop. I had in my
memorandum the name of Edwin Pike, and
we soon found that he was near the center
of the town. When we were pretty near
where we were directed, I told my compan-
ion that he might drop me before the gate
of a very pretty little residence, with hives
orderly arranged, and painted in tasty col-
ors. Bight near was also a very pretty gar-
den, and some thrifty young strawberries
just taking root. I took it for granted that
this was friend Pike's ; but I soon fouud out
that it belonged to Benjamin Rice. Friend
Rice was at work with a helper, among the
bees. They stopped extracting, however,
when they found that A. I. Root was their
visitor. Friend Pike's place wras only the
second house from where we were talking.
I suggested that we go over and find him,
as I had only about an hour before train-
time. Now, I felt pretty sine, when I look-
ed over friend Rice's apiary, that 1 should
not find another so neat and so pretty, in
the whole town of Boscobel ; but friend
Pike was not one whit behind. Why, it is
really funny to see two such very nice men
with such wonderfully nice homes so close
together. I wonder if they ever have any
trouble about cutting under prices in the
sale of honey. I did not have much chance
to get acquainted with their wives and
children ; but I felt glad to find myself a
welcome visitor among such really intelli-
gent, progressive people. Well, I soon
learned there was a Mr. Dexter, not half a
mile away, who kept a great lot of bees.
Two or three hundred, if I recollect right,
were in one locality ; and when I told them
how soon 1 must leave, they managed to
enable me to have a few minutes' call on
friend Dexter. Friend I)., too, had been
extracting ; in fact, he was pretty well tired
out when I came there. When I went to
look at his apiary 1 expressed surprise that
so many bees would do well so close togeth-
er.

tk VVhy, Mr. Root," said my new friend,
l' it would not make any difference if I had
500 instead of UUO right here in this yard.1'

I suggested that perhaps that was an ex-
tra good season.
" No, it is not," said he. " We have sea-

sons like this right along— that is, when the
basswood is in bloom."1

There were such exceedingly great clus-
ters of bees hanging to the front of his
hives that I asked him if he was sure they
all had room inside. He replied :

•• Why, I am perfectly sure they have not
all the room inside. See here. Do you see
along that row of hives? Well, you notice
that at one particular point the great clus-
ters on the outside suddenly cease, and the
hives are comparatively clean."

I nodded.

" Well,"' resumed he, " we got just so far
in that row with extracting, and every hive
was crammed full as fast as we came to it."

I suggested that, if they were my bees, I
should keep on extracting until dark, any
way ; but he shook his head, and said that
he had already done hard work enough for
one day. His friends told me afterward
that he was one of the sort of men who do
not worry themselves greatly, no matter
how much honey is goiug to waste ; and
very likely there are extremes both ways in
this matter; but I think there are quite a
few among our readers who would not only
extract till dark, but possibly till midnight
or later, rather than let the bees hang by
the bushel on the outside of the hive? for
want of room. It was about train time.
As I started for the buggy I told friend D.
that, if it would not make too much trou-
ble, I should like to shake hands with the
women folks, even if I did no more. Did it
ever occur to you, dear reader, that there
are lots of happy and pleasant homes in this
wide world of ours ? It is true, there are
some contrary and difficult people to get
along with ; but I tell you there are ever
and ever so many good people also ; yes, and
even among the bad ones there is a good
side to almost everybody. I guess I was in
a mood that day of catching hold of the
good, and not seeiug the other, if there was
any ; but I shall always remember Boscobel
as a very nice place with mauy nice people
in it. I told you, in Our Homes for last is-
sue, about my visit that same evening with
friend Snyder. With your permission we
will just skip along until I step from the
buggy and say good-by to Mr. Fiddler and
his wife. This was just before the residence
of Mr. Pickard, at Richland Center. Mr. P.
had just got on his mowing-machine to cut
some grass. He saw me come down the
lane with my Kodak strapped across my
shoulder ; but he remarked to his hired man
that he thought I must be some book-agent,
and so he drove to the other end of the lot
just as fast as he could, indicating that he
was very busy. I wonder if there are any
book-agents among my readers. If so, this
gives you something of an idea of how peo-
ple, many of them, feel when they see you
coming. ' Well, I did not bother friend P.
just then. The young ladies at the house
told me their mother was in the apiary ; but
before I got there my attention was called
in another direction by a babbling brook
that came forth from a beautiful little
spring that just poured out of the ground on
one side of the spring-house. A little way
off from the spring I found a very bright,

720

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept

intelligent lady taking entire charge of
something like 200 colonies. With the help
of an assistant they had been extracting ;
but a swarm had just come out, and while
we were talking another came. The day
was intensely warm, and I could not but
admire the energy that this lady showed in
going right out in the sun and giving the
bees the needed care which came all in a
heap, as it were, during the height of the
basswood yield. Her attention was first
directed to bees when friend Freeborn, a
year or two before, planted an out-apiary in
her vicinity. She became interested, and
linally purchased the apiary complete. Her
first venture was in paying $<i(J0 for 1(10 col-
onies of bees, and this while she knew next
to nothing about bees. I should have said
at once that it could result in nothing but
failure. Not so, however. If I remember
correctly the bees were all paid for with
the first crop of honey, and now she is a
well-to-do bee - keeper. " Who does the
housework?" do you ask? Why, a couple
of nice bright daughters manage it nicely,
and it probably does them as much good, as
it does the mother to manage the bees.
Think of it, ye of the fair sex, who are
thinking the heat is too great to do more
than fan yourselves, sit on the sofa, and
wait till it gets cooler.

Before I reached friend Pickard's my at-
tention was taken up with a queer-shaped
bluff in the neighborhood of the apiary.
The ground rises so abruptly on all sides
that it takes a man or woman of pretty good
wind to climb it on a hot day ; and when
you arrive at the summit you are confront-
ed with a ledge of rocks rising perhaps fifty
feet higher than the summit of the hill.
By a sort of winding stair, of nature's own
make, filled out in one place with a crotch-
ed tree, you are enabled to climb to the
summit. I tried taking this bluff with the
Kodak. Tt was a pretty large subject for so
small an instrument, and the view was
hardly worth reproducing. On the way
down the hill I rather forgot the warm
weather and the perspiration my climbing
had put me in, at the sight of a blooded
Jersey bovine belonging to friend Pickard.
He devotes his attention to fine cattle,
while his wife tends to the bees. We tried
the Kodak on his majesty— that is, when we
could get him to stop bellowing and pawing
long enough to get his picture ; but for
some reason (probably the operator's inex-
perience) we did not get a picture fine
enough to reproduce. I should have enjoy-
ed myself greatly had it been possible for
me to stay a day or two ; but my leave of
absence was coming so near to a close that I
fear it pained my good friends by declining
to stay to dinner; and a little later on,
friend J', and myself were speeding behind
a couple of blooded ponies, on the way to
friend Freeborn's. You will remember
that it was to call on this latter friend that
my visit was mainly undertaken. More
beautiful springs enlivened the way, as we
passed through the basswood timber of
Richland County. But I think I shall have
to tell you in our next of my visit to friend
Freeborn's.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

ENLARGEMENT AND MULTIPLICATION IN
OUR DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES.

f^HE question has often been asked,
T " What may a single colony do in the
I way of increase in a single favorable
season?" 1 do not believe that any
of us yet know the possibilities, even
by natural swarming. In poultry-raising,
how many chickens may one hen become
the mother of in a single year, or say two
years? Before you answer, perhaps you had
better think about it a little. Again, how
shall we manage to get the largest number
of colonies that will winter over, or, in the
other case, the largest number of good
strong healthy chicks? Just at present I
am having a good deal of enjoyment in see-
ing what four strawberry-plants may do in
one season. They are in the middle of one
of our highly fertilized plant-beds. The
ground is nearly half manure, and it has
had considerable bone dust worked into it
besides. The soil is nearly two feet deep.
Whenever I want to enjoy myself I just go
and take a look at those strawberry-plants.
I especially enjoy the beauty of the foliage
when the dew is on the leaves. Well, how
shall we make a single strawberry-plant do
its utmost? I did think at one time that re-
moving strong plants by means of our trans-
planting-tubes would be a gain ; but now I
am inclined to think you would do as well,
or better, as follows : Set your one straw-
berry-plant in the middle of a bed of fine
rich soil, say a plot of 20 feet square, and
may be more. As soon as a runner makes
its appearance, encourage it to grow in a
straight line until the new plant appears ;
then lay the runner in a shallow trench,
may be half an inch deep. Push the fine
dirt over all except the little plant at the tip
end of the runner. Divide the runners all
around the plant in the shape of spokes to
a wheel ; but make each one reach out just
as far from the center of the plant as possi-
ble : that is, make them come out into new
ground and sunlight just as soon as you can
without severing the runner. If you com-
mence early in the spring, and keep off all
fruit-buds, by July or August you will have
a pretty fair strawberry-patch. It is quite
an exciting little problem to so manage as to
give each little plant as much room as you
can, and at the same time let dame Nature
have full sway by putting out just as many
runners as she "wants to. The plant will
seem to catch the enthusiasm, and strain
every nerve in the effort to propagate its
own species and build up a thriving little
family. Pick out every weed as soon as it
gets barely visible to the naked eye. Assign
a place to each runner, and cover it with
a little dirt, keeping the ground constantly
raked fine, and your 20 feet square of straw-
berry-patch will be a surprise and joy to you.
When the plant gets to booming, it wants
care almost every morning. What will you
do next year if you are ready for fruit?
Well, I have not figured out just yet. You
can take up the plants with the transplant-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

721

ing-tubes tbis fall or in the spring ; but I
don't exactly know how to manage it as it is,
without a great amount of hand- weeding.
( <an anybody help meV

If you are going to see how far you can
increase one strawberry, or perhaps half a
dozen, it will pay you to commence with
some of the high-priced new varieties ; and
we suggest the Jessie, Bubach, Haverland,
or the new Miami. The latter has recently
been brought out by one of the bee-friends.
See advertisement in this issue.

You can get a large amount of fruit by
letting plants st tnd without any transplant-
ing at all; fortius is exactly what they do
in the matted-row system. But it is disor-
derly, and very apt to be weedy. There is
not nearly room enough, especially if you
want large-sized berries. I will tell you
how we manage to get our large berries. In
fact, this 28th day of August (although right
in the midst of a tremendous hot dry spell)
we are putting out our plants. The ground
is where we grew Ford's Early sweet corn.
Just as soon as the last ears were picked,
the stalks were cut down and taken off the
ground ; then we covered it with the best
stable manure we could get, until we had
on as much as could well be plowed under ;
in fact, a boy followed the plow with a stick
in his hand, to push the manure out of the
way whenever it piled up in front of the
coulter. After plowing, it was harrowed
first with the Acme, then with the disk har-
row, and then rolled down level with the
roller. Then we spread on another coat of
very line manure with the manure-spreader.
This fine manure was " harrowed in " with
the grain-drill, while we sowed 500 lbs. per
acre of Mapes' ll Complete " fertilizer. Per-
haps you think this is a tremendous manur-
ing ; but 1 tell you, friends, when you are
fixing ground for strawberries, there is a
chance for getting your money back, even
if you do " manure tremendously."

Now, then, we are ready to fix the ground
for plants. Our ground is heavy clay ; but
we get more and larger berries on our heavy
clay than we do on the creek-bottom land.
The creek bottom is the place for nice
plants with great bushy roots ; but the clay
hills are the place for fruit. Of course, the
ground is underdrained. But this is not
enough. We have suffered so much from
wet that we plow our ground into pretty
high furrows, a great deal as people fix it
for sweet potatoes, and plant our berry-
plants on the top of the furrows. Of course,
for strawberries the furrows are flattened
on top. With our disk marker we go over
the ground and furrow it until it looks ex-
actly like the cut below.

A

FIXING THE GROUND FOR STRAWBERRIES ON
CLAY LAND.

Our disk furrower makes the bottom of
the furrow concave or trough-shaped, as we
see at A. Now, while we mark it for straw-
berries we fasten a piece of board between
the disks so as to make a small furrow at
the top of the ridge, just as you see it at B.
This morning, we, by means of hose and
several lengths of iron pipe, carried water

from the hydrant right over to the straw-
berry ground. As the ground was baked
hard, and dry, the water was first turned
on the plants that were to be taken up.
When it was wet enough, our transferring-
tubes were pushed down over every good
strong plant. They were then placed on a
wheelbarrow and carried to the new ground.
Now they are set just about a foot apart in
this shallow trench B. While they stand
here, before the tins are taken off, run a
Planet wheel-hoe so as to throw the sharp
ridges of dirt each side of 15, up against the
transplanting - tubes. Now a boy comes
along with a watering-pot and tills the tubes
with water, as I have explained. When the
contents of the tubes become soft, like mud,
they are shaken a little, and the tins are
withdrawn ; then we go after another load
of plants. The tine earth thrown up by the
wheel-hoe settles around the plants so as to
protect the wet ground from baking under
the influence of the hot August sun. With
three or four hands that are used to it, the
work goes on so rapidly that we do not find
it expensive ; and in several thousand
plants, scarcely one dies. In our plot, set a
year ago in just this way, the losses were so
few that we never went over it again to re-
place them ; and the crop of Jessies in June
abundantly paid all expenses. But a better
crop is to come next spring. The cultiva-
tion is very simple. Whenever they get
just a little weedy, this same disk marker is
again drawn through the field, the horses
walking in the paths A, and the disk scrap-
ing the ground perfectly clean and smooth,
at the same time throwing a little hue earth
around the plants. All the rest of the work
is a little hand-weeding along the narrow
ridge where the plants stand, and cutting
off the runners as fast as they appear. Now,
I think that this matter of watching for
runners, and pinching them off, is just the
nicest work in the world ; but I can not find
a man or boy that seems to like it ; in fact,
the greater part of them will say it is all
done, when I can see runners starting out
here and there all over the patch. It is be-
cause they do not love the work as I do. The
sight of a runner indicates that the plant
is getting hold of the manure and " feeling
its oats," as we used to say of a spirited
horse. At this stage, pinching off the run-
ner is laying the foundation for those great
berries that look like peaches in size, and
are away ahead of them in flavor. Why, I
just wonder that the whole world does not
grow happy and healthy in raising berries.
Some of you have thought friend Terry a
little extravagant in recommending straw-
berries instead of patent medicines. Now,
look here, friends : I have been in very poor
health ; in fact, they had to turn me out
—not to "grass," but to gardening and
berry-raising, to save my life. I am now
exceedingly strong and well, and can work
out in the hot sun from daylight till dark,
and just laugh. Several have criticised
friend Terry because he spoke about eating
a quart of strawberries at a meal. Why, you
are beside yourselves. I not only eat a quart
of strawberries at a meal, but ever so many
more, between meals. When I get tired and

?22

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

thirsty, between ten and eleven I take a
pint basketful and eat them just as you
would an apple. Strawberries are gone now,
so I have to take blackberries.

Well, a great many say we must not eat
things before going to bed. Now, I have
repeatedly taken a pint of blackberries, just
at dusk, to see what the result would be.
There was not any bad result at all ; but I
felt just as fresh, happy, and strong in the
morning as one might who has never known
any thing of sickness. In fact, I have tried
repeatedly so see what harm it would do to
eat berries in excess at almost any time of
day. While I am engaged in my outdoor
work it does not do a bit of harm. I notice
this, however, that I am getting a real dis-
like for meat victuals during hot weather.
Give me berries and milk and good bread
and butter, and you may have the rest.
Plenty of berries is a great saving of the
meat-bill ; and where you raise the berries
yourself they are certainly the cheapest.
Why, my good friend, have you not felt re-
peatedly, especially as you get up in the
morning, during hot weather, that you do
not want any cooked breakfast at all? A
bowl of good milk from the cellar or refrig-
erator, some nice ripe berries, and a little
good bread and butter to go with it, seems
to be a relief. Possibly your good wife may
tind it a relief also. Of course, there are
things raised in the garden that seem to
take the place of berries ; but although I
have been, at different times in my life, a
great advocate of meat, and I am yet in
fold weather, I do believe that health and
happiness come with fresh fruits and berries,
instead of animal food, in fwt weather.

THE PEACH TOMATO, ETC.

After my remarks in the last issue, we re-
ceived the following from W. J. Green, of
the Ohio Experiment Station :

A VEGETABLE-WAGON BELONGING TO OUR OHIO EX-
PERIMENT STATION.

Friend Knot:— You speak favorably of the Peach
tomato, but say nothing' concerning- its quality. In
iny opinion it is unexcelled for slicing. We send
out a wagon, after your plan, to dispose of our gar-
den products, as so many people came here to buy
vegetables and fruits, and annoyed us not a little.
To get rid of this annoyauce we commenced deliv-
ering our products at the houses of our customers.
We find this part of our work to be much more use-
ful than we supposed it would be. We simply
thought to turn our products into cash, and then
put the money into improvements in other experi-
mental work; but we have found that we can now
carry our work a step further than we had thought
of doing. We now not only learn the comparative
value of the varieties in the field tested, but, what
is often quite as useful, we learn what sells the
best in the market. By retailing we learn this
much better than by wholesaling. The Peach to-
mato would hardly pell at the groceries; but some
of our customers got a taste of them, also to using
them, partly for table decoration, as they would
peaches or any showy fruit. That is, they set the
tomatoes in dishes on the table, whole, and slice
and eat as wanted. The result is, several different
ladies want all we have, and our salesman (Mr.

Turner, a Medina Co. boy) says that he could sell
Peach tomatoes the season through at five cents
per quart.

I can not say where or when the peach tomato
originated; but it is not new. It seems to have
dropped out of cultivation, nearly, for years. Lan-
dreth catalogued it a year or two ago. Livingston
brought it before the public more prominently last
year, and now I hope it will not be allowed to drop
again. Careful selection oughtto increase its size.

W. J. Green.

Ohio Experiment Station, Columbus.

Many thanks, friend G. But I am a little
surprised, even now, that you lay no stress
on the fact that the Peach tomato never rots.
As you suggest, it can not well take the
place of our large tomatoes, on account of
its inferior size ; but its other qualities, es-
pecially its unexcelled flavor, are, I think,
going to give it a prominent place in our
gardens. I am rejoiced to know that you
are sending out a wagon. Why, it can not
help but be a splendid thing in connection
with your work of testing fruits and vegeta-
bles. I had not thought of it before, but
there is no better way to test things in the
world than to take them fresh from the gar-
den and present them to the attention of
people around at their homes. And I think
it will demonstrate that many a man — yes,
and woman too— who is out of employment
may earn a good livelihood by raising and
disposing of things in this way. There is
another thing that I much enjoy in connec-
tion with our vegetable -wagon : It comes
around about nine o'clock for fresh berries
and vegetables. Well, in front of our store
we have a long stand for the display of fruit
and garden-stuff. As the boys bring the
things in from the field, it is my privilege,
when not too busy, to arrange them on this
stand. We, have apples, pears, peaches, ber-
ries, grapes, etc. ; cabbages, squashes, toma-
toes, little yellow pumpkins (the early ones
I have told you about), summer squashes,
beets, turnips, and every thing that grows.
Well, I have learned that, by making a pret-
ty show of these things, people will stop as
they go by, and I have often made quite a
few sales in this way. A great deal depends
on having things look well. For instance,
Livingston's Beauty tomatoes are put in
clean new baskets holding half a peck, each
tomato being wiped with a damp cloth until
its glossy surface shows to advantage. By
the way, I am inclined to think that there is
not a prettier tomato grown than Living-
ston's Beauty. When people ask what kind
they are, I reply, ''Livingston's Beauty.1'
They often exclaim, " Well, they are beau-
ties, sure enough. " The larger Iguotums and
some other varieties are mostly round and
smooth ; but the Beauties are all handsome,
every one of them. This year we have not
an ungainly tomato on these vines. Brother
Livingston, we thank you for having given
us the Beauty tomato, and we feel a little
bit proud of the fact that you are an Ohio
man, and right near our Experiment Station
at Columbus. Now, Bro. L.. cant you take
hold of this Peach tomato and make it just a
little bit " bigger " ? May be Bro. Green
can help a little.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

727

Contents of this Number.

Apiary, Piatt's 739

Averages 7IS8

Bee-escape, The Reese 785

Bees by Mail 758

Bees for Honey (Q. B.i.746

Her-, Tearing Starters 742

Blacks on Buckwheat 742

Carniolans, Temper of 740

Cell-protector. Do., lit tie's. ..751

Cloths. Enanieleil 743

Clover-bloat Remedy 744

C>m1>s, Double-decked 741

Cuban Hives 737

Editorials 756

Foul Brood, To Cure 738

Gardening In September 755

Heads of Grain 742

Honey, Artificial 757

Honey, Poison, in New Z'd.743

Honey-dew 744

Hybrids (Q. B.1.745

i ncrease, Artificial 733

Minorcans 755

Non-swarmers 732

Our Own Apiary 753

Out-apiaries 731

Pollen, Surplus 744

Queen-excluders 741

Queen-rearing, New 733

Scale-hive Record 741

Sections Built Out 740

Tobacco, Evils of 744

Tomato Seed. Saving 750

Ventura Co. Crop 734

Vermont Letter 734

Weather in California 744

Wolves anil Bears 744

World's Fair. 1892 743

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The next meeting of the Fayette Co., Ohio, Bee-keepers' As-
sociation will be held at the residence of Mr. Joseph Bonham,
Washington C. H., O., on Wednesday, Oct. 2. 188y, at 10 o'clock.

S. R. Morris, Sec'y.

The annual meeting and basket picnic of the Progressive
Bee-keepers' Association will be held at the residence of Mr. F.
E. Dutton, near South Newbury, Geauga Co., O., on Thursday.
Oct. 3, 1889. All interested are invited to attend.

Bedford. 0., Sept. 10. Miss Dema Bennett, Sec'y.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court-house. Brantford, Canada, Dee. 4, 5. 6. 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend. State and district bee-
keepers'societies are invited to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars id' the meeting will be given in due
time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, and receiving
the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding $1.00 to
the secretary. R. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.

Brantford, Ont., Can.

The Northwestern Bee-keepers' Society will hold its annual
convention at the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake and Dear-
born Sts., Chicago, on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12. at 9
A.M. Arrangements have been made with the hotel for back
room, one bed, two persons, $1 75 per day, each ; front room, $2
per day, each person. This date occurs during the exposition,
when excursion rates on the railroads will be one fare for the
round trip, good from Oct. 10 to 14. inclusive. There has been
a fair crop of honey in the West, and an old-time crowd may
be expected at this revival of the Northwestern from its " hi-
bernation." W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec'y.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale.

Fifteen choice untested Italian queens, at 35 cts.
each, or four for $1.10

G. H. Denman, Pittsford, Mich.

Four very prolific hybrid queens, two of them
nearly pure Italians, at 30c each, or all four for $1.
Frank Moore, Frost, Ky.

BEE-KEEPERS and FBIIT-GROWBKS,

Send for mv price list of

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES AND STRAWBERRY - PLANTS.

Twentv-tive varieties to select from.

Address F.W.LAMM,

BOX 106, SOMEKVILLE, - - BUTLER CO., OHIO.

18-23db

Writing and Pencil Tablets.

We have secured a bargain in these, and propose
to give you the benefit of it. We have thirteen dif-
ferent styles, of which we give size, number of
leaves, name, and price, in the following table. You
can write with a pen on any of the tablets, although
most of them are designed for penciling.

Name or Designation

Our Pets Ruled Pencil Tablet.
No. 0 Killed Pencil Table!.

Ideal Unruled Pencil tablet
Monumental Unruled ditto
Greenawaj Ruled ditto.,
No. 00 Ruled Pencil ditto
Geographical ruled ditto

Student's Note-Book

America Writing Tablet

No. 86 Writing Tabid

No. 65 linen Writing: Tablet.

In case we get out of any one style we reserve
the right to substitute one as near like it as possi-
ble. Notice, the cost of mailing is greater than the
original cost, so that you don't get much benefit of
the low price unless you can order with other goods
by freight. "Our Pets" has assorted chromo pic-
tures of children with pet animals on the covers.
" Ideal " ha6 assorted child's faces. " Monumental "
has a picture of Garfield Monument. "Greenaway "
series have assorted chromo pictures. "Geograph-
ical " have assorted maps of different States. Stu-
dent's note-book is thoroughly bound, cloth back.
"America" has lithographic views of several cele-
brated scenes in America.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, O.

Size in

No. oi

Post.

Pi

inches.

Leaves

on l

1
::

5 x8

60

5

5Kx8

70

5

:;

7 xIO

:10

5

4

8 xl2

65

10

ft

,'.- m ;

42

6

5

i'UX-IO',

70

10

,

6 x9

180

13

,

80

8

V

6 x'.l

60

8

V

r,'.,xS'4

65

8

7

.V'vxSv

80

7

lb

BEES

16tfdb

SEND for a free sample copy of the
BEE JOURNAL — 16-page Weekly
at $1 a year— the oldest, largest and
cheapest Weekly bee-paper. Address
BEE JOURNAL, Chicago, 111.

BURNED OUT!

My bee-hive and section factory was burned to
the ground Aug. 13. All orders sent will be filled
as before. I will not rebuild, but buy and sell.

W. D. SOPER, Jackson, Mich.

Cash for Beeswax!

Will pay 21c per lb. cash, or 24c in trade for any
quantity of good, fair, average beeswax, delivered
at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those
who wish to purchase, at 30c per lb., or 33c for hest
selected wax.

Unless you put your name on the box, and notify
us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself
responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen-
eral thing to send wax by express.

A. T. ROOT. Medina. Ohio.

THE KEVISED LANG-STKOTH, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
I See advertisement in another column.

NOW IS THE TIME

FOR MARKETING HONEY, AND NEW YORK ^
IS A GOOD MARKET.

We make liberal advances in CASH on consignments, sell quick-
ly at highest obtainable market prices, and pay the net proceeds

IMMEDIATELY after honey has been sold. We charge for com-
mission and GUARANTEE of payment, five percent. Ship by
freight to F. G. STKOHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

122 Water Street, New Yokk.

728

GLEANINGS IN liEE CULTURE.

Sept.

KIND WOPS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

The scales and other goods came to hand all O. K.
The scales are very nice, and are cheaper than we
could g-et them here by having a merchant to buy
them at wholesale. Miller Bros.

Bluffton, Mo., Aug. 1,1889.

1 received the bees in very good order and shape.
The evening I received the bees, I put them in a
hive, and next day the Ohio emigrants were work-
ing splendidly. Many thanks.

.1. M. G. Kallish.

East Portland, Oregon, July 27, 1889.

THE BUCKEYE S.YSn-LOCK.

The goods ordered from vou came to hand in good
shape. The buckwheat (Japanese) is up and doing
well. I expect an immense crop. T never saw
buckwheat stand nicer. The Buckeye sash-locks
are nice. My mother says they are just the nicest
things to fasten up windows. I wonder how you
can sell them so cheap. FI. D. Friend.

Douglas, O., Aug. 10, 1889.

ONLY 20 BEES DEAD OUT OF A POUND, IN GOING
CLEAR TO TEXAS.

The bees and queen came through safe and
sound, not over 30 dead bees in the case. 1 could
not find the queen at first, or I would have answer-
ed sooner. We have found her now. She is all
right. J. B. Fulton.

Dripping Springs, Tex., Aug. 10, 1889.

2000 EGGS A DAY, IN ONLY 4 DAYS AFTER GOING
THROUGH THE MAILS.

The tested queen I received from you was success-
fully introduced the 19th, and on the 23d I found
her depositing eggs at the rate of 2000 per day. I
also wish to say the queen you sent me is a very
handsome as well as a very large one for a young
one. Please accept thanks for prompt shipment.

Reinersville, O., Aug. 24, 1889. J. E. Peck.

THE WHITMAN PUMP A TERROR.

The Whitman pump arrived in good condition.
Thanks for your promptness. The pump is a jewel,
but I don't know but I shall regret the day 1 got it,
for in the hands of my little boy it is a terror. The
cat, dog, chickeus, his sister, and even papa, have
to feel the force of that Whitman pump.

Dehesa, Cal., Aug. 23, 1889. A. W. Osburn.

DOUBLE QUICK.

1 received my goods yesterday at noon. I think
it was the quickest time on record. I wrote my
letter and dropped it in the postoftice on the
evening- of the 30th, but it did not go out till the
next morning. Your card states you received it
the 22d, and I received the goods the 23d at noon.
Who can beat it? Jos. C. Deem.

Knightstown, Ind , Aug. 24, 1889.

CHEESE AND HONEY.

The goods came to hand all right; and to say that
1 am pleased, would not near express my feelings.
The goods all through are the nicest I ever saw. I
have had but little time this year to devote to bees,
as my work has been of such a nature that I could
not give them any time except at night, as I have
had cnartre of acheese-factory, and we have manu-
factured from 500 to 600 lbs. per day: and, as you
state in your last journal, mv time was my employ-
er's until night; however, 1 have increased from 24,
sprintr count, to 70, and have secured all of 2000 lbs.
of comb honey; so you see my bees were busy as
well as I. M. D. Johnson.

Webster, la., Aug. 15, 1889.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A WATERMELON IS RIPE,
ETC.

1 raised nearly $50 00 worth of sweet-potato plants
this year. 1 got every thine I knew about raising
them, from Gleanings. Market-gardening is not
quite so glorious as with you. Our city has
3500 people, and only two or three market-garden-
ers; but the foreign farmers bring their produce,
cabbages, etc., to the stores, and raise havoc with
prices. Peas are only60to80 ots. per bushel for
American Wonder, and big lima, like Stratagems, at

that. I wish you would start people to writing
about how to tell a ripe watermelon by sight. My
hearing has broken down, and how can I tell when
my Green & Gold'6, White Gems, etc., are ripe? I
wish Mr. Terry or Mr. Henderson could be heard on
this point, as much loss comes from picking green
melons. M. S. Benedict.

Crete, Neb., July 5, 1889.

THAT SINGER SEWING-MACHINE.

I have received and tried the No. 4 Singer ma-
chine. It is not only a beauty, but does good work.
We consider it a bargain. I must compliment you
on being able to offer such a machine at so small a
price. It gives entire satisfaction. I have 110
stands of bees. They have done very well.

Civer, 111., Aug. 27, 1889. James F. Newton.

S5.00 Secures a Home in the
"Sunny South."

There has been placed in my hands for sale, 100
lots in a newly laid-out "city," in one of the most
beautiful and healthful portions of Nature's great
sanitarium — Western North Carolina, at prices
ranging from $5.00 to $25.00 each, according to size
and location. Title perfect ; warranty deed given.
Near the junction of two-trunk line railroads, one
completed, the other nearly so; climate unsurpass-
ed, winters mild, summers pleasant; fine water,
beautiful mountain scenery, good soil; gold and
other minerals in vicinity; building: material
abundant and cheap. Lots selling rapidly. Several
farms for sale. For particulars address

C. F. PARKEK, Mentone, Ala.

K^*In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings.

ANEW BOOK ON BEES, and BABANT'S FOUNBATION.
See advertisement in another column.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must say you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
live lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this bead. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange, country-store building
and one-half acre in Barry Co., or 80 acres
fine land in Emmett Co., Mich , for shihII place in
good locality for honey and fruit. Would take
some farm stock, or bees in part. J. L. Cole,
lsd Boyne City, Charlevoix, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange Partridge Cochins for
Apiarian supplies. F. Weatherill,
isd Jonesville, N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange For honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. (Has. Daijant & Son,

LStl'db Hamilton, Hancock Co , 111.

WANTED.— To exchange 3 L. frame nucleus, with
yellow Italian queen, in one-story Simplicity
hives, worth $2.00, for white paint, or offers.
Mrs. OliverCole, Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— To sell or exchange, Italian bees and
queens, and supplies. Address

Otto Kleinow,
4tfdb No. 150 Military Ave., Detroit, Mich.

BUBACH, Jessie, Warfleld, Hoffman's Seedling,
May King, and Crescent strawberry - plants,
cheap, in exchange for comb or extracted honey,
sections, or beeswax. Plants true to name.
Write to E.T.Flanagan, Belleville,

Box 995. St. Clair Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange extracted honey for a
Barnes improved saw, sections, foundation,
family Bible, or Webster's Dictionary.
17d Wm. Pearson, Oswalt, Iowa.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

729

A POSITIVE FACT

QUEENS BY RETURN MAIL
From the (Hit and Reliable Knicherbocher lice-
Farm (Established 1880J.

Circular mid Price Iiist SPree.
13 -14tfd G. H. KNICKERBOCKER,

BOX 41. Pine Plains, Dnteliess Co., N. V.

5!F"Iu responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE BES V YELLOW ITALIAN
QUEENS AT $1.50 EACH.

1 also wish to sell my newspaper subscription
agrency on account of the press of other work. Cat-
alogue, and any other information free on receipt
of postal request. The highest bidder takes it.
Good reference given and expected.

C. M. GOODSPEED, 4-oOd THORN HILL, N. Y.

tl^lii responding to tuts udverl Uenienl mention Gleanings.

QIEE\S. Tested. $1.50. Un-
tested. 75c. Mismated, 35c. Send
for price list.

Miss A. M. Taynor, Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., 111.

17tfdb Box 77.

THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

FOR PURE 1TALTAN BEES.

POLAND -CHINA SWINE, WHITE AND BLACK

FERRETS, WHITE RABBITS, WHITE

AND BROWN LEGHORN CHICKENS, AND

MALLARD DUCKS, ADDRESS

N. A. KNAPP, ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

17tfdb

Cash Paid for Beeswax.

CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
K. li. LEAHY X- CO.. - - - Higginsville, Mo.

17-18-19d

ITALIAN QUE «NS by return mail; tested, fl;
untested, 75c. LEININGER BROS.,

Hitfdb Doug-las, Putnam Co.. Ohio.

~MUTH'S
H01TEY-EXTRACT0R

NQS'lltK IJLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN KITKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, Ac, Ac.
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SITIOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S. —Send 10-eent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Ree-Keeper8." (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdr

Italian and Garniulan Queens.

Thirty years a queen dealer. Prices low. Circu-
lar free. HENRY ALLEY, Wenham, Mass.

t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife
No. 4, 1.25: No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, 65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stove wood
burning: clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

tyin responding to tins advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEE-HIVES, SECTION ETC.

We are now selling our No. 1 V -groove sections,
in lots of 500, at $3.00 per 1000; No. 2 sections at $2.00
per 1000. For price of Italian queens, foundation,
smokers, etc., send for price list.

J. STAUFFER & SONS,

Successors to li. ./. Miller A- Co.,
lOtf'db Napnanee, End.

iO"In responding to this r.r'.v •'■ emenl mention Gleanings.

HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
tions, etc.. in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering our choicest white one-piece
454x4% sections, in lots of 500, at $350 per 1000.

131'" Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO,, Watertown, Wis.

It^~lnrr i tiiis advertisement mention Gleanings.

California..

ITiOR SALE.— A well-established trade in the sup-
ply business. For particulars apply to
16-17-18d Box 2, Duarte, Cal.

EMPLOYMENT. — AGENTS

wanted everywhere, for the HOME

JOURNAL— a grand family paper

at $1 a vear. Big caxli premium*.

Sample Fkee. THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,

923 & 925 West Madison Street, - CHICAGO, ILLS.

t^"In responding to tills advertisement mention Gleanings.

For Sale Cheap.

We have to sell at a bargain a 1-horse-power Ship-
man coal-oil engine. It was a second-hand which
we sent to the factory and had made over new. Is
now as good as a new engine. We offer it for $80.
For any one who wants only a small power it is a
bargain. Price of a new one I believe is $125.00.
A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-

pies free. w. 2. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Please mention Gleanings.

18tfdb

APIARIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

|t3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

AN OLD BEE-BOOK REVISED, and DADANT'S FOUNDATION.
See advertisement in another column.

The Secrets of Success in the Grow-
ing of Small Fruits

Gives'you the benefit of several years' experience
in growing berries for market, together with my il-
lustrated catalogue and price list of berry-plants;
sent free on application. Now is the time to set
Strawberries for next year's fruiting. Jessie, Cloud,
and other new varieties. 16T9db

I. A. WOOLL, Elsie, Mich.

espouding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

730

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

P6NEY (38MMN.

CITY MARKETS.

Philadelphia —Honey. — Honey in the comb is
now arriving, and the demand increasing' accord-
ingly- We have advanced our prices, and feel con-
fident of their remaining- as quoted. We quote as
follows: Fancv white, lib. in neat cases, 17@18;
same. 2-lbs., 14(515; fancy buckwheat, 1-lb., in neat
cases, 12@,13; same, 2-lbs., 10^11. Off grades of all
klnd^ l@2c less than above. Extracted is same as
our letter of Aug-. 15.

Sept. 5. Walker & MoCord,

32 & 34 So. Water St., Philadelphia, Pa.

COiiUMBDS.— Honej/.— Our market remains about
the same for No. 1 honey in 1-lb. sections. Poor
and off stock meets with slow sale, trade wanting
fine white clover or basswood. The market on ex-
tracted honey about cleaned up; a shipment of that
kind would meet with ready sale We would ad-
vise all parties that ship to this market to ship by
freight, as the charges are less, and goods come in
better condition. Eaule Olickenger,

Sept. 9. Columbus, Ohio.

New York. — Honey.— Good demand for both
comb and extracted honev. We quote: Fancy
white, 1-lbs., 16; 2-lbs.. 14. Off grades, about 2c a lb.
less. Buckwheat, 1-lbs.. ll@12; 2-lbs., 9®10. Ex-
tracted, basswood and clover, 8; orange blossom, 8;
buckwheat, 6@6J4; California, amber, 7@7}£; South-
ern, 65@70c a gallon.

Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

Sept. 10. New York.

Milwaukee.— Honey.— The new crop of honey is
coming in and is of very fine quality. The demand
is fair, and values easy. Will quote: Choice white,
1-lb. sections. 14@15: second quality white, 12>4@14;
old 1-lb. sections, 10(5jl2. Extracted white, in tins
and pails. StgiS1/^ ; same, in barrels and kegs. 7@8;
dark, in barrels and kegs, nominal. 5@6. Beeswax,
22@25. A. V. Bishop,

Sept. 5. Milwaukee, Wis.

Cincinnati.— Honey— There is a fair demand for
all kinds of honey. Arrivals of extracted honey
are good, while good comb honey is scarce in our
market. The latter sells at 11(5 16 in a jobbing way.
Extracted honey brings 5@8 on arrival. Beesienx.'
There is a good home demand for this, which brings
20@22 for good to choice yellow on arrival.

Chas. F. Muth & Son.

Sept. 11. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Boston —Hone;/.— Honey has arrived quite free-
ly, and it has been the disposition of some receiv-
ers to sell. Owing to the warm weather, prices
have had to be shaded. Our market to-day is: 1-lb.
white. 16@18; 2-lh. white. 16@17. Extracted. 8@9.
Beexwar, none in stock. We look for better prices
later in the season, and would not advise bee-keep-
ers to rush their honey on to the market.

Sept. 9. Blake & Ripley.

Boston, Mass.

Kansas City.— Honey.— The market is still slow.
White comb 1-lb., 14@15: same, 2-lbs., 13@14; dark
comb, lib., 10@.12; same. 2 lb . in Extracted, white.
7(5 8; a m l >er, 5(§ 6 B>, s wax, 21 1(§ 22

Sept. 8. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Kansas City. Mo.

Philadelphia— Honey.— The inquiry for No. 1
honey. 1-lb. sections, has heifiin. 1 imagine the
price will start at about 14@15c, the latter being my
usual starting price. Fellow beeswax is in demand,
at 23c. Chas. E. Shoemaker.

Sept. 9. 44 So. Water St., Philadelphia, Pa.

New York.— Honey. — Extracted, California, or-
ange bloom, white clover and basswood, 8c. Comb
honey. 1 lb. fancy white. l«e; 1 lb, fair, 14; 2 lb.,
fancy. 14; 2 lb., fair. 12. Demand very good for
tirst quality. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co..

Sept. 10. New York.

Detroit. — Honey. — Very little coming in; de-
mand slow. Best selling at 14(§ 15c. Beeswax. 24c.
Bell Branch, Mich., Sept. 9, M. H. Hunt.

Chicago.— Honey.— Honey is not selling very fast.
We are now expecting trade to be better, as the
weather has got colder. The market is well sup-
plied, and sales are made in some instances very
low. No lots can be sold at over 13@14c, and some
less, if at all out of prime condition. Extracted
6@8; sales chiefly at 7c for best white in barrels or
kegs. Beeswax, 25; very little offered.

Sept. 10. R. A. Burnett,

161 So. Water St., Chicago, III.

Albany.— Hone, \j. —Market firm on all grades of
comb honey; receipts now not equal to demand,
and we think prices are now the br-st of the season.
Comb, white, 16@18; mixed, 14@15; dark, 12^13;
mixed, 12@14. Extracted, white. IV^i 8H ; dark. 6@7.
Consignments solicited. H. R. Wright,

Sept. 8. Albany. N.Y.

Wanted— 200 or 300 lbs. of good extracted honey.
Who will furnish it the cheapest, delivered at Brat-
tleboro, Vt., or Greenfield, Mass.?

W. J. Hillman, Green River, Vt.

Wanted.— Several hundred pounds of white ex-
tracted honey, in 60-lb. square tin cans. Price
must be low, because freight charges are very high
to this distant place.

G. G. Mead, Ferris, Wyoming.

For Sale.- One barrel of A No. 1 basswood hon-
ey, 550 lbs., at 7c, and 800 lbs. of honey-dew honey,
at 5c. No charge for package.

H. O. McElhany, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

For Sale.— 9000 lbs. of honey, in scant 1-lb. sec-
tions, crates holding 12 sections; will take 13c for
white clover, and lie per lb. for dark, f . o. b. here.
John Handel, Savanna, 111.

For Sale.— About 1000 lbs. of white clover and
bass wood each, of extracted honey; will deliver on
railroad, in 60-lb. cans, for 8c per lb. I have also
about 1500 lbs. of white comb honey in 1-lb. sections;
will take 12c per lb., delivered on track.

W. R. Haslett, St. Anthony, Iowa.

For Sale.— 1000 lbs. extracted white-clover hon-
ey, at 8c per lb. This honey is in 60-lb. tin screw-
cap cans; is well ripened and heavy. Will sell part
or all, and deliver at depot here, at the above price.
R. B. Leahy & Co., Higginsville, Mo.

For Sale.— 6000 lbs. honey, 5000 white and 1000
dark. White honey at 7c per lb., f. o. b. here in
barrels of 540 and 550 lbs. each; in tin cans of 60 lbs.
each, 2 cans boxed together, at 75£c per lb. Dark
honey at 6c. Shipped same as above.

Robt. Quinn, Shellsburg, Iowa.

For Sale.— Quite a quantity of white clover and
basswood honey, put up in 60-lb. square cans. Will
take $4.75 per can at ray place. Correspondence so-
licited. 17-18d H. L. Rouse, Republic, Iowa.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant 1-lb. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can; 2 cans
in 1 box, $9.60. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

Fur Sale.— 10,0(10 lbs. of choice white-clover hon-
ey, in first-quality 1-lb. sections. 24 and 48 lb. cases,
delivered free on board cars at Dixon, at 13 cts. per
lb. If you want 1000 lbs. or more, write for special
prices. 17-18d Ezra Baer, Dixon, 111.

For Sale.— 25,000 lbs. choice extracted white-clo-
ver honey, in barrels holding about 550 lbs. net,
each I put it up also in packages of any size de-
sired, in either wood or tin. There is no finer honey
than this in the market. Write me what you want,
and I will give you prices.

Emil J. Baxter, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., 111.

CHOICE ITALIAN QUEENS.

Tested, $1.25 each; untested, June to Oct., 75 cts. ;
3 for $2.00. Annual price list of nuclei, bees by the
pound, and bee-keepers' supplies, free,
lltfdb JNO. NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo.

Vol. XY1I.

SEPT. 15, 1889.

No. 18.

DP'^;S^«1 Established in 1873

PUBLISHED SEMIMONTHLY UY

2 Copies forjl.90:

10 or more,75cts. each. Single num- 1

ber. 5cts. Additions to clubs may be f

^S^S^S^SSmAu,\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO,

f Clubs to different postofflces, not less
than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the

J U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun-

| tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18
its. per year extra. To all countries

I not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO. XV.

HAULING SECTIONS, KTC.

T AM sorry to say I know very little about what
fflf kind of conveyance others use in doing- the
wl necessary hauling- to and from out-apiaries.
■*• Propably each one uses just what he happens
to have, and I should very much like to see a
plan of a wag-on specially gotten up for bee-keep-
ers. As trips are made almost every day it is a
matter of some consequence in what they are made.
An easy-riding- concern leaves you In better shape
for work, and, for this reason, spring-s are impor-
tant, even if they were not necessary for sections
filled with foundation or honey. It seems to me it
would be quite nice to have a cover over the whole
wagon, so as to give shade from a hot sun, and pro-
tection from the rain. I should hardly like to start
with a load of comb honey without some way of
keeping it dry in case of a heavy shower. If a
shower comes up while you are at work in the api-
ary it may be more convenient to run to shelter in
a covered wagon than into a house or barn. Tour
wagon should be heavy enough to be sufficiently
strong for the loads of honey you hope to haul, and
it should be as light as possible, so you can make
fast time on the road; for during the season, when
every minute is precious, it makes a good bit of dif-
ference whether you go along at a smart trot or
drag along at a walk.

If running for extracted honey, no preparation is
needed for a bulky load; but if you run for comb
honey, supers of sections will need more than an
ordinary wagon-box to enable you to carry a good
load. I say "supers of sections," for I presume
your sections will be got, ready during the winter
or spring, and ] use the word super in the most gen-
eral way with its literal meaning, "over," to apply
to any arrangement for holding surplus receptacles

placed over the brood-nest. It depends somewhat
upon the kind of supers used, as to how you will
carry them. If you discover no better way, you
can increase the height of your wagon-box by using
a modification of the rack that western farmers
use for hauling hogs. Mine is made of common six-
inch fence-boards; and to save weight, spaces are
left between the boards, these spaces being small
enough so there is no danger of a super coming
through between the boards, and falling out of the
load. Looking at the cut you will see that it is a
very simple affair.

LIGHT TOP BOXES FOR HAULING SUPERS, ETC.

The two lower frames are held together by cleats
nailed on the outside, these cleats continuing down
over the outside of the wagon-box, thus holding the
rack on. Stops nailed on the inside of the cleats
keep the rack from fitting down close on the wagon-
box, so that there is the same space between the
lower frame and the wagon-box as there is between
the two frames. The upper frame is a separate af-
fair set on the lower rack, stops nailed on the inside
of the cleats holding it up so as to make the space
between it and the lower rack. The reason for hav-

732

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Sept.

ing the upper part ol the rack separate, is that it ia
easier to put on the first part of the load with the
upper rack off. After the lower rack is filled, then
set on the upper one and fill it. When hauling the
filled supers of honey home, there will be no need
of the upper rack. The rack is short enough not to
interfere with the wagon-seat.

While talking about hauling sections, I may as
well speak of starters dropping out. If you use
narrow starters you are not likely to have any trou-
ble. Probably, however, you fill the section with
foundation, in which case, unless very securely
fastened, the starters may drop out in hauling. I
used a Parker fastener, and turned the sections up-
side down when hauling. It was some trouble, but
not so much as to have the starters fall out. Then
I got a Clark fastener; and since using that, I haul
the sections without inverting, and it is a rare thing
for a starter to fall out. The Clark, however, must
be used correctly, or I wouldn't have it. Simply
press the foundation with a kicking motion of the
feet, using no sliding motion of the foundation;
and if the edge of your foundation is soft enough
you will make a very secure job. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Why, friend M., when you went around
to the house-apiaries when I was there, you
had a nice easy-riding buggy, with a top to
it to keep off the sun. Was that only be-
cause I was along ? I supposed it was the
regular programme. I noticed, however,
that you did not carry very many supplies
in the buggy. We have quite a variety of
top boxes for farm work, but none, perhaps,
quite as light as yours. On our big lumber
wagon, the front-board is permanently
higher than the rest of the box ; then to
make the box higher we have some very
thin light side-boards permanently attached
to an end-board. This sits over the edge
of the box, and catches fast to the front end-
board. The idea of having a top-box in sec-
tions, so you can take oft' a part of it at a
time, is a very good one. I suppose bee-
keepers with out-apiaries will need some-
thing of an assortment of vehicles. Where
you make a hurried trip alone by yourself,
the common road cart, 1 should think, would
be very nice, for you can make great speed
without fatiguing the horse. Next would be
a bug^y or spring wagon, that would carry,
say, 1000 lbs.; but when honey, hives, or
bees are to be moved, weighing several tons,
then I should think that two horses with a
big stout wagon would be the best economy ;
and perhaps it would pay to have springs.
By slow driving, however, one can get along
without them. The number of out-apiaries,
and the amount of business one does, would
probably have to decide somewhat in regard
to vehicles, and the number of horses also,
for that matter.

NON-SWARMERS.

G. M. DOOLITTLE I'liOPOSES A I'LAN.

C5| ¥ page 031 of Gleanings for the present year,
IV I see that Dr. Miller is still desirous of know-
fH| ing how to keep bees from swarming, Hiid

■^"^ quotes " Doolittle " quite largely in his arti-
cle on that page. Doctor, please accept

thanks for kind words found on the page above

quoted; and now I wish to lead you and the readers
of Gleanings out in a new direction along this
line of non-swarming, for Doolittle has been ex-
perimenting a little more the past summer on this
vexatious question— vexatious to those who have
all the bees they care for. Why I wish to give my
experiment at this time is, so that you can prepare
a hive or two the present winter to try the plan, and
then with me, next summer, help perfect it to a
greater extent than I have been able to do with all
my cares. We have all heard of non-swarming
hives during the past, yet none of these ever prov-
ed capable of doing what their inventors claimed
for them, for which reason no one has any faith in
a non-swarming hive. Well, I do not claim a non-
swarming hive as any part of my plan, but I do
claim that hive preparation and manipulation may
yet be made the very item which is to do away
with swarming, only as the owner has a desire for
swarms. Now, after reading what is to follow, I
want every reader of Gleanings to set his or her
mind to work to see how they can improve on what
I have done, hoping that each one may take a dif-
ferent line of thought from mine, or from any oth-
er person, and next season work out what they
think, when, according to my belief, some of us will
have a sure way of keeping all colonies from
swarming, even if the plan I tried this year does
not work as satisfactorily another year as it has
this. What I did was as follows:

Last winter I cut three hives in two, so as to
make two half-depth hives of each. I now made
half-depth frames to fit these hives, which gave me
a frame 5 inches deep and 10% inches long, inside
measure. That your frames should be like mine is
not at all important. To cut your hive through the
center the up-and-down way, and make the frames
to fit the hive, is all that is necessary to try the
plau. I made the bee-space at the top of each part,
but I do not know but it would work equally well
with this space at the bottom. To get the bee-
space at the bottom, I nailed ft strips on the bot-
tom-boards, for the hives to rest upon. When
spring arrived I transferred colonies into these
hives, using only one part of the hive at first till the
bees became strong enough to want the whole hive,
when the other half was put underneath that part
which the bees had occupied till this time. In oth-
er words, these half depth hives were tiered up as
soon as they became strong enough to work to ad-
vantage in both parts. For this purpose I used the
standard Gallup hive, rather than the hive holding
only nine frames, which I use the most largely in
my apiary, for my object was to get the largest
force of bees possible at or just before the time of
swarming; and by using the standard Gallup hive I
could use 20 half depth frames, in both parts, when
all were in the hive.

A little before swarming time, say a week, and as
soon as honey began to come in so that the bees
were building little bits of new comb, the part of
the hive having the most sealed brood in it, or, in
other words, that part having the least unsealed
brood in, was raised off the other part, being sure
that the queen was in the lower part, a queen-ex-
cluding honey-board put on, and on top of this a
case of sections, while on top of the sections was
placed the upper half of the hive which had been
taken iff. This was done to start the bees in the
sections at once, on a plan somewhat similar to D.
A. Jones's idea of putting the sections in the middle

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

733

of the brood-nest in an ordinary hive. They were
now left till Iho brood in the raised part of the hive
was mostly sealed over, when this part was set op a
separate stand, after shaking- a part of the bees out
of it, if it was thought that they would have more
bees than would be needed to take care of the brood
alter the old bees had returned to the old stand;
then a queen-cell was given them, as 1 desired in-
crease this season. If I had not so desired, this
part of the plan would be left off, putting both
parts ;ibove the sections, as about to be described.

Having- the bees all in one part of the hive and in
the sections, the next thing I did was to bring
another halt- hive, and, after taking- the colony
from the stand, this half-hive was set in place of
that set off. This half-hive contained frames hav-
ing- starters only in them, said starters being about
Vi inch of foundation the whole length of the under
side to the top-bar of the frame. The sections and
honey-board were now removed from where they
were, to the top of this new hive, and the passage-
ways down into the sections were closed by putting
a sheet of enameled cloth over the top of the whole.
The hall-hive having- the bees and queen was now
opened, the queen found, and set out of the hive,
when about two-thirds of the bees were shaken in
front of the new part; and, lastly, the queen was
placed with these shaken-off bees so she would be
in the lower part of the hive where new comb was
to be built. The part containing- the brood and
bees which were left to protect it was now set on
top of the sections, over the enameled cloth, and
the hive closed. These hives were worked inside of
the shell of a chaff hive, the chaff being- removed.
In a day or two, an entrance was opened, which
had been previously prepared, at the bottom of
each part to the hives, so that the bees in the up-
per hive had to run down the sides of the section
case and lower hive when they wished to get out,
going- in at the bottom of the lower hive, and out at
the entrance. After having their playspell they
would stay in the lower hive and in the sections,
so that, when all had hatched, the upper set of
combs was free from both honey and bees, when
they were taken off and stored away for another
season. Young beep enough seemed to remain to
hatch the brood, while they went down into the
lower hive just right to keep the colony at its
strongest point all the while storing honey. The
sections were tiered up as needed, or removed, and
the bees seemed to think that they had swarmed, or
at least they appeared to so think, after they were
shaken into the empty part below. If an empty
shell is not used, I would leave one corner of the
enameled cloth turned back a little for the bees to
pass through the sections down below; but in this
case probably the bees might store a little honey in
the empty combs after the brood had hatched.
This has worked well this season, a season when
not many swarms have issued, and 1 believe it will
work in any season, giving us no swarms and lots
of honey. I have time only to briefly outline it,
but trust it will be sufficiently plain so that all can
understand what the plan is, and help to perfect it
still further. G. M. Doodittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1*89.

I should expect the above plan to work,
unless the bees had gotten the swarming
mania before it was started. I am afraid,
in such a case, they would swarm in spite of
us. The objections to the plan are, that it

is a little complicated, and fully as much
work, if I understand it correctly, as mak-
ing an artificial swarm. Would not the final
result be something like the plan so often
given, of hiving the new swarm, and setting
it on top of an old one, then in a few days
destroying the queen-cells below and shak-
ing the bees and queen in front of the lower
one V In the above case the bees would
probably conclude that they had swarmed,
and therefore give it up until circumstances
or the honey-yield should get them into con-
dition to swarm again.

ARTIFICIAL INCEEASE VERSUS BUY-
ING BEES.

HENRV LARGE'S EXPERIENCE REVIEWED.

TFnoone else has criticised H. Large's experi-
|i[ ment, page 618, Aug. 1, permit me to say, while
W it is worthy of notice as to the amount of in-

■*• crease possible, and also the amount of sugar
necessary to expend to obtain that result, the
balance-sheet itself is incomplete, and, to begin-
ners, misleading. From the dates given in the arti-
cle, 1 beg to submit an approximate balance-sheet,
leaving out the question of time and labor, which,
for the five months, could not have been obtained
for less than $50. And another point is not made
quite clear, whether they were full colonies sold, or
only three-frame nuclei— see page fil8, right-hand
column, 4th and 5th line. If the latter, then bee-
keeping might be profitable.

Dr. i Cft.

1 stock on hand $ 6 •)(» 22 storks at S5.00 $110 00

U hives at SI. 20 52 80

20 queens at SI. 00 20 00

Sugar 70 <M>

4iki shifts of foundation,

say 50 lbs. at 42 21 00

Tobalamv 62 20

$232 00 $232 00

You will see that I beg to differ with you in
charging the 20 queens. They should be charged,
even if Mr. Large had them given to him; and
hives also have to be charged, and also foundation,
as per his letter.

Now, is the game worth the candle? I can buy
colonies in February and March right here, and I
have no doubt most bee-keepers can elsewhere, at
from $3.00 to $3.00 per colony, and the cost of build-
ing up friend Lirge's 45 was ¥1.75 each, exclusive
of labor, hives, and foundation. H. Fitz Hart.

Avery, La., Aug. 25, 1889.

5 stocks .a $6.00 30 oo

is stocks at 85.00 90 00

Suga r 2 00

NEW METHODS OP QUEEN-REARING.

ZINC-EXCLUDERS, ETC.

"Up N interesting question now before our leading
**Vt apiarists is, Can young queens be fertilized

g$m from a hive where there is a laying queen in
-^*- the brood-chamber, the queens being exclud-
ed from the brood-chain ber aud each other,
and given separate entrances?

This matter has been considered in the American
Bee Journal, see page 26, Vol. XXV., where a in ga-
tive view is taken. That view is still held. While
it may occasionally occur, as in a great honey-How,
or where there is a failing queen, still it is an ex-
ception to a great law in the nature of the honey-
bee; and that law is, that, so long as a vigorous
queen occupies the brood-chamber, she reigns
practically supreme as regards all rivals. But if
for any cause she deserts the brood-chamber for

m

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

another and remote part of the hive, and begins
laying; or if she loads out a swarm, the conditions
for queen-rearing are essentially changed. The
bees of that brood-chamber will then start queen-
cells, and, with proper mechanism, the bee-keeper
may get every one of them hatched, fertilized, and
laying, all in the same hive; at the same time, the
bees have access to all of the queens.

Thus we may rear and get young queens fertiliz-
ed from a hive while the mother-queen is actively
depositing eggs in the same hive; but it is impera-
tive that her operations be transferred to a part of
the hive remote from the brood-chamber.

In storifying a lot of brood-chambers containing
combs of honey upon a colony (without excluders
to prevent the queens going up), I found shortly aft-
er that she had gone up to the third story, and the
bees below in the first story had started queen-
cells. The queen was laying vigorously, and her
attending bees were flying from the first story and
the only enti-ance.

This liability of the queen to leave the brood"
nest will account for the probable fact that colo-
nies of bees in caverns and other places in a wild
state have many laying queens, although all of the
bees are seen to issue from a common entrance.
In no other way can we account for the large
numbers of bees seen to fly from some of these
wild colonies. In the instance above noted, of the
queen deserting the brood-nest, I put her back in
the first story; put on an excluder, and then the
seven other brood-chambers I had on this hive.
The bees then balled and killed the mother-queen,
and raised a queen above and below the excluder.

In two other cases, where I had put swarms con-
taining the mother-queen above the sections, the
bees reared young queens below while the mother
was laying above. So in this case, where the moth-
er-queen had gone up to the third story, if I had
left her there she would not have been disturbed,
and there would have been two laying queens in a
short time. Hut I have yet to record a single in-
stance among many cases I have had in the last
three years, of a young queen becoming fertilized
from an upper story above an excluder, where
there was a laying queen in the brood-chamber.

One of the many plans of using the new queen-
rearing chamber is to take the old queen from a
hive and put her in an upper story, above an ex-
cluder, or, wait till she leads a swarm, and hive in
the usual manner; then place all above the exclud-
er. Before the queen-cells are ready to hatch, set
the combs over the new chambers, so that there
will be one cell to each of the compartments, and
all of the young queens that hatch will become fer-
tilized, and begin laying in due time.

The many and highly successful uses to which
queen-excluding zinc maybe put, hails the advent
of great changes in our methods and fixtures. My
prediction on page 88 of Gleanings, Vol. XVI.,
see the three closing paragraphs, will speedily
come to pass, and other much-needed changes with
it, not the least of which will be the sacrifice of the
present largely used Langstroth brood-frame for
one of a smaller size, or one about V x 17 inches.
The new conditions and requirements brought
about will compel these changes, which are des-
tined to place bee-keeping upon a more successful
and profitable basis. It will be soon made to ap-
pear, if it is not already apparent, that bee-keep-
ing, as a pursuit apart from other business, is not a

profitable one (barring a few exceptions in favored
localities!, with our old methods and fixtures for
handling bees. The new system, with its larger re-
turns and financial success, will work its own way
to popular favor. 6. L. Tinker.

New Philadelphia, O., July 27, 1889.

I proved by some expensive experiments
years ago that queens can be hatched and
fertilized in a colony having a laying queen ;
but said colony required adegree of watch-
ing and manipulation that made it out of
the question to raise queens at a profit. If
we could develop a strain of bees where
young queens would be raised continually,
while their mother kept on laying eggs, then
we should have what we want.

THE HONEY CHOP OF VENTURA CO.,
CAL., AND VICINITY.

FRIEND MERCER GIVES US THE FIGURES.

T P your correspondent from Los Angeles Co. still
||j> thinks we shall have a fair crop of honey, I
W think he had better dust around among the
-*■ bee-keepers and learn what is going on; for
there is less than one-fourth of a crop in all of
the southern part of the State. The crop has most-
ly been sold for about 6 cts. per lb. The comb hon-
ey crop was nearly an entire failure There was
only about 3 tons produced in Ventura Co.

NAMES

AND

POSTOFFICE ADDRESS

Bee Keepers.

T. Barrows, Nordhoff

G. E. Stewart, Nunlhoff

s. c. Gridley, Nordhoff

\ Vancusan, Nordhoff •

George Bey, Nordhoff

.1. a. Ireland, Nordhoff

J. W. Denlson, Nordhoff

.1. II. Cooper, Nordhoff.

P. W. Sopher, Nordhoff

J. J. Rapp, Ventura

Robert Lynns. Ventura

S. G. Wills, Ventura

Mr. Sheldon, Ventura

R. Wilkin, Ventura

M. II Mendelson, Ventura

George Reynolds, Ventura

Lewis Walker. Ventura

J. McFarlan. Ventura

.Inlin Fox, Ventura

L. E. Mercer & Sons, Ventura

J. M. Brooks Ventura

Mr. Quesnel, Ventura

C. Healey, Ventura

Mr. Twininu', Ventura

Mr. Lowery, Santa Barbara

Mrs. W. 1). Alexander, Santa Paula .

Mr. Basset, Santa I 'aula

J. Lugar, Santa Paula.

C. E Hoar, Simi

Woods Earley, Simi

I', i larmichel, simi

\V. G. Richardson, Simi

i ! M. Drake. Springville

s. stew art, Hueneme

S. Fox, Hueneme

s. Mahan, Hueneme

.1. M. Stewart. Hueneme

r I diver, Hueneme

M. 1". Butts, Hueneme

Savers ,v Davenport, Hueneme

.1. P. Mclntyre, Fillmore

F. Jepson, Fillmore

Thos. Arundel, Fillmore

S. Kinney, Fillmore

Josiah Keene, Fillmore

R. Strathern, Fillmore

M. Encinos.Piru City

Robert Dunn. Pirn City

Mr. Moffit, Piru City

.1. A. Canaway, l'iru City

W. Whittaker, l'iru City

T. Whittaker. l'iru City

i. Stockton, l'iru City

H. D. Dunton. l'iru City

John Holder, Piru City

i: Ri :e oner, Piru City

(I. P. K vis. mer, l'iru City

W. ,V G. I.eelller. l'iru City

San Buena Ventura, Cal.

VA

■

2

ioy.

v.

5&

IX

:;■

80

4 1 Ml

■Mb
76
100
ISO
500
150
1300
160
Mall
L60
170
150
170
160

L. E Mercer.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CtJLTUfeE.

735

THE REESE BEE-ESCAPE.

AN EXCEEDINGLY IMPORTANT INVENTION.

TN ray work in the apiary this summer there is
vK. n°thing • have used with greater satisfaction
W than the Reese bee-escape. This was illustrat-
■*■ ed in G LEANiMis somewhat over a year ago, I
believe, but since then 60 little has been said
of it that it does not seem to have come into gen-
eral use. With me it has proved not only a labor-
saver, but has largely done away with one of the
most unpleasant operations of the apiary. The
usual way of ridding extracting combs of bees is to
remove the combs separately, shake the bees off
as much as possible, and then brush off those re-
maining.

With many bee-keepers, comb honey is handled
in about the same way, except that things are oft-
en made worse by handling each section separately.
This shaking and brushing bees from the combs
is a tedious, wearisome, dauby, and exasperating
task. The nice comb honey is uncapped by the
bees while the operation is going on; irritated
bees take revenge on the operator, and often rob-
bing is the natural result of the exposure of honey.
All supers, whether for comb or extracted honey,
should be of such construction and size as to be
readily handled as a whole. Any form of super that
must be taken to pieces to remove the honey from
the hive is defective. With properly constructed
supers the removal of honey by means of the bee-
escape is an easy matter. The finished super is re-
moved, a bee-escape placed on the hive, and the su-
per and cover replaced, alarming the bees scarcely
at all, requiring the use of but little smoke, and al-
lowing almost no chance for robbers. In a short
time the bees will have quietly passed below, and
the honey may be removed. Usually I put the bee-
escapes on in the forenoon, and remove the honey
late in the afternoon, or put them on in the eve-
ning, and leave them over night. Very often less
time will answer, but usually it is well to allow six
or eight hours for the bees to get out. When suf-
ficient time can be allowed they are just the thing
for an out-apiary.

I use single cones, making them two inches in di-
ameter, and the same in depth. A form for mak-
ing them is easily made from wood. Sometimes
the bees cluster on the cones in such numbers that
some find their way back; but this does not often
happen. To prevent the possibility of leaving the
escape on so long that combs will be built in it, it
should be painted some color strongly contrasting
with that of the hive.

Those who use hives with a double brood-cham-
ber can use the bee-escape to very good advantage
in preparing their bees for winter. Wait until all
brood has hatched, then remove the lower story,
and run the bees out of it through a bee-escape.
The upper story contains most of the honey, the
lower story nearly all of the pollen, and your bees
are thus contracted for winter in the best possible
shape, and without handling a frame, and with
very little contact with the bees at a season when
manipulation is particularly difficult.

Dayton, III., Aug. 27, 1889. J. A. Green.

You certainly have succeeded in making
the bee-escape a great labor-saving imple-
ment ; and as I read over what you have to
say, I felt ashamed to think that this had
not been brought out so prominently before.

As an illustration : In our experiments
with the house-apiary we came to a point
where we decided that, if some method be-
sides shaking and brushing could be devis-
ed to get the bees off the combs and sec-
tions, it would be a success. But we decid-
ed then that it could not be done ; and un-
less you have tested the matter thoroughly,
I am inclined to think that the bees will,
many times, stick to their combs day after
day (especially if the combs contain a little
brood ). The only way in which we succeeded
in getting them to leave entirely has been
to wait for cool weather, and sometimes
even then they would stick to the supers
until they became too stiff to move. Your
idea of having the escape painted some dif-
ferent color from the body of the hive is a
bright thought. A great many times, very
annoying omissions can be prevented by
simply having tools or implements painted
with contrasting colors. You know we
have our covers for sap-pails red on one side
and white on the other, so as to tell when a
pail has been filled. You will remember
that I mentioned that Dr. Miller piled his
honey up in tall piles, in order to get most
of the bees to leave of their own accord be-
fore he came to finally getting them out.

AMONG THE BEE-KEEPERS OP VER-
MONT.

POINTS OF THE JOURNEY SUMMED UP.

TTp FTER a Sunday in Rutland, spent both plea-
gMgi, santly and profitably, we went to Bradford,

jR» where lives Mr. Hilos Davis, a bee-keeper
■*^ and hive manufacturer. This place is east
of the picturesque Green Mountains, be-
tween White River Junction and Wells River,
and near the New Hampshire and Vermont line.
The location is not equal to the region across
the mountain, for honey production. As Mr. Davis
was obliged to leave his business on account of
failing health, he came here in 1878, and began bee-
keeping. He commenced in the spring, with 278
colonies, and then had 310 in three yards three or
four miles apart. In the home yard, situated on
quite a steep hillside, were 96 colonies. These are
cared for by a young lady member of his lamily.
Miss l.ucy Crehose, who is enthusiastic in the work.
At the factory, three miles away, where Mr. Davis
owns a nice little water-power, are 150 colonies
which he looks after. Mr. Davis was a designer
and inventor, and was with one firm in North An-
dover, Mass., in this capacity ten years. His facto-
ry here was burned a few years ago, and he lost not
only much stock and valuable machinery, but a
large number of the finest tools which can not be
replaced, having been made and collected during
his former occupation. The present factory is well
fitted with improved machinery, adapted to making
hives, sections, crates, etc. He is a skilled work-
man in wood as well as iron, and the goods turned
out are well and accurately made. He has made a
number of different hives, and experimented on
and invented various fixtures. His present hive is
very ingenious, with many good points; but in our
opinion it has so many complicated and accurately
fitted parts that the labor required to manipulate it
would be a great objection in a large apiary. He

736

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

uses eight Langstroth hanging frames, which are
held at fixed distances by projecting pieces at each
end of the brood-chamber. The surplus case con-
sists of section-holders with a double wood separa-
tor fastened on one side. These are held together
by a wooden frame; the side or end boards are
wedge-shaped, and the frame is crowded up tightly
about them. The double separator is his invention,
and has become favorably known to quite a num-
ber of bee keepers. It is claimed for it, that, as
bees can go through these passages they do not
walk over the combs as much, and it saves their
being stained, and also gives freest access to the
cases above. The same crate is used as a feeder,
shallow troughs taking the place of the rows of sec-
tions, while the bees enter through the passages
between these separators. Tn winter, the brood-
chamber is turned on end, making the shallow
frames into deep ones. An outer case, similar to
Manum's, is used, and packing is placed beneath as
well as around. The fresh air passes up between
the case and an inner partition, and enters the
brood-chamber near the top, when, he claims, it
falls to the bottom and forces out the foul air
through the porous cloth at the top, and all conden-
sation of moisture is prevented; there is also no
draft on the cluster.

He has invented and is testing an ingenious au-
tomatic swarming arrangement. It consists of a
brood-chamber, containing combs with wire cloth
on one side. It is set on end on a shelf or bracket
on the front of the hive. A passage leads to it from
the entrance, and the outer entrance is covered
with queen excluding zinc. When the swarm at-
tempts to leave, the queen can not go through the
zinc, and either finds her way to the catcher, or re-
turns to the hive. If the apiarist is on hand as soon
as they begin to issue, he shuts the lower entrance
entirely; and the swarm, led by the light, pours up
into the catcher. When clustered, the brood-cham-
bers are changed, the new one put inside the hive,
and the cases of sections from the old one are given
them, and the work goes on. The old swarm is left
then until united or given a permanent stand.
His experience with queen-excluding zinc is, that
the Jones and Falconer zinc does not hold the
queen every time. Last season the third apiary
was in charge of Mr. Davis' daughter, a bright child
of eleven years. She managed every thing, with
the help of a man near by, who would lift clamps of
honey, or do any heavy work when called upon.
In going to the yard she walked a quarter of a
mile to the station, took the train to the next sta-
tion, walked two miles to the apiary, and when the
day was over she walked the whole distance home.
Sometimes she had a chance to ride home with her
father, who came to see how she was getting along.
The past two seasons have been very poor with
him, and Mr. Davis is "living in hopes "of some-
thing better soon. In 1885 his best hive gave him
lit" lbs. of comb honey, and did not swarm. When
he has a good crop he takes a lot by freight to the
different cities and sells it himself. Sometimes he
takes a wagonload to the nearest large places.

After a short stay here, owing to our limited
time, we took leave of the family in which was such
a promising young bee-mistress, and were driven
to the station by Mr. Davis, when, after thanking
him for the pains he had taken for us, we took the
train and were safely delivered in Pawtueket that
evening.

In summing up our trip we have learned so much
that is both new and valuable to us that we are at a
loss to mention the most important helps; but we
would say we admired the tireless energy and prac-
tical ability possessed by Mr. Manum, as shown in
the simplicity and completeness of the hive used,
and in the systematic arrangement and manage-
ment of his extensive apiaries.

At Mr. Crane's we saw the section-crate that won
us (also used by Holmes and Larrabee and others),
and noticed that he was able to get along with less
help during the season than the others who allow-
ed their bees to swarm; and we decided to try re-
moving queens from part of our colonies the com-
ing season. Manum and Crane fasten a hook to
the bellows of their smokers, which is hooked over
the edge of the hive and holds it convenient for
use, or so that smoke from it may blow across the
open hive.

At Mrs. Wolcott's was the best honey and work
shop lor 160 colonies we have ever seen, and the
most attractive cases of comb honey ready for
market, the credit for which is due to Mr. Holmes,
we believe. At Mr. Holmes' home yard was the
finest finished as well as the cleanest prepared sec-
tions of comb honey we have ever seen. His bees
are blacks, with a lew hybrids.

All the parties visited used the four-piece dove-
tailed section, made of white poplar, ghud at the
corners when put together. This is what we have
used for several years, and we should like to see any
thing stronger, whiter, or squarer. We have driv-
en them together with a block of wood, after touch-
ing the corners in white glue, and then put them in
the angle of a carpenter's square to leave them
true. There they use various machines for put-
ting them together. Mr. Manum used to make
and sell a lightning gluer, which was attached to a
horse, similar to a harness-maker's, but it is now
used somewhat changed, and is attached to his
work-bench. Nearly all in Addison County have
made something on the same principle, and " which
does the work."

Mr. Ishara, one of Mr. Manum's apiarists, has an
attachment for his machine, with which founda-
tion is mashed into sections with ease and incredi-
ble rapidity. These machines we think should be
more generally used.

Mr. Forbes picked up a wagon-spring, cut off part
of one end, fastened a square piece to this thick
end, and bolted the thin end to a block fastened to
his bench, then attached a treadle to pull it down
with, put in a stop beneath, to prevent it coming
too far, and I don't see but he has the simplest and
cheapest arrangement of all.

Larrabee, Holmes, Hall, Forbes, and others, have
the Barnes improved foot-power saw, and make all
their hives, crates, and shipping-cases with it. Out-
door wintering is practiced almost exclusively in
the region, though Mr. Crane has lately started the
practice of wintering in the cellar.

If any one should have secured any help from
ideas given in these articles, we are glad; but these
bee-keepers deserve the credit of it, and we would
advise all who can to take the trip themselves, for
very likely they will be better able than we were to
improve the opportunity. Samuel Cushman.

Pawtueket, R T.

Friend 0., we are glad to get reports from
any bee-keeper who manages to have his
sons and daughters assist him; and your

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

737

account of the w;iy in which a daughter
eleven years old managed an apiary is real-
ly wonderful. I presume that, of course,
friend Davis will watch carefully to see that
the child is not overtaxed, either mentally
or physically. She is just the age of our
daughter Caddie.; and while we were talk-
ing it over at the breakfast-table, Caddie
thought it was a pretty big undertaking.
As a rule, where children do show special
gifts in such matters, they ought to be al-
lowed to have vacations quite often, and of
pretty good length. Any little girl who
loves* her father, and who also loves bees,
can oftentimes do surprising things in this
line. It reminds us of the story of Katie
Grimm, and the wonderful feats she per-
formed in the way of extracting honey in
one of her father's out-apiaries. Some of
the younger ones might very naturally want
to know how big pay Miss Davis received
for her share of the work. The accounts of
your visits have been very interesting in-
deed.

CUBA AND ITS HONEY RESOURCES.

THE NATIVE CUBAN APIARIES AND HIVES.

Tip NATIVE Cuban apiary usually consists of
qflk from 50 to several hundred log gums, each
j""~W 10 to 18 inches in diameter, and 6 to 6 feet
long, lying flat on the ground or on poles, in
rows about 2 feet apart, and open at both
ends, from which the combs often protrude a foot
or more. The shell of these palm logs being very
thin, dry, and free of limbs or knots, is easily and
quickly split open in transferring. The tools used
in this operation consist of a smoker, long-handled
ax, whisk-broom, and a long iron rod with a handle
at one end, and flattened at the other into a broad
gouge, sharp and circular in shape, to conform to
the inside surface of the gums. Two blows with
the ax, directed between two long rows of combs,
usually suffice to divide the hive into halves. We
now remove with knives all the large and heavy
combs of honey and brood, and, after jarring off the
bees, finish up with the long gouge, leaving the
shell as smooth and clean as though the bees had
never occupied it. When the day's transferring is
done, all the brood-combs are gathered into one
place at the entrance to the hive of a strong
stock; here it is carefully arranged into a long pile,
and covered with palm bark and coffee-sacks. We
now close the other end of the strong stock, and
thus compel the bees to pass through this pile of
brood in leaving and returning to their hive. In a
couple of weeks the hrood is all hatched, and we
have millions of bees to use when needed, besides
plenty of old combs to turn into foundation, which,
by the way, I prefer to any very old combs, no mat-
ter how straight and nice they may appear. In this
manner we have, with an assistant, transferred an
apiary of 86 gums into our hives in il/2 days, which,
when we consider that the gums will average in
their contents twice as much as the old box hives of
this country, must be regarded as rapid work. The
honey-flows at this time of the year, January and
February, are so plentiful and constant that no
trouble is experienced from robbing.

THE TWO MAIN SOURCES OF HONEY.

While most of the trees, shrubs, and plants, bloom

profusely, and the larger part furnish honey, yet
the apiarist in this part of the island re'ies for his
large crop of surplus mainly on two sources — cam-
panea, or bellflower, and the cam peachy (logwood).
The former is a vine, much resembling our morn-
ing-glory, and blooms profusely from December
till in February. It is considered a perfect pest by
the Cuban farmer, as it grows almost everywhere,
and is difficult to kill out. The latter is a beautiful
wide-branching tree with a most peculiar body, often
nearly square instead of round, like an ordinary
tree. It blooms three times during the year; and
each time, for the space of about two weeks, it af-
fords large quantities of rich golden nectar, in
quality and color much like the honey from the
pumpkin-bloom. When in bloom the hum of the
bees among its branches can be heard quite a dis-
tance, and reminds one of the basswood forests in
this country, except the large tresses of flowers,
which are yellow instead of white.

NO WINTER PROBLEM TO CONTEND WITH.

Here in the North the great problem of safely
wintering and " springing" the bees occupies the
thoughts of our apiarists, while in Cuba the prob-
lem is, " how to have our hives overflowing with
bees at the commencement of the great honey-
Hows," commencing in December. August, Sep-
tember, and a portion of October, are probably the
worst months in the year for the Cuban bee-keeper.
There are flowers in bloom, but they do not seem to
afford much honey. The Italian queens diminish
wonderfully in their laying capacit y, and the blacks
to a less extent. To solve as nearly as possible this
problem we use hybrid queens; and as our hives
are large we place a close-fitting division-board in
the center, and as good and prolific a queen as we
can find in each part, adjusting the entrance so the
bees will not mingle on the alighting-board. We
now give them a very little thin feed each evening,
continuing till near November, when we remove
one queen, take out the division-boards, and place
all the brood in the lower stories of the hives; and
as honey is now coming in moderately, feeding is
discontinued: and by December we have, say, on
an average, from 60,000 to 80,000 bees to each hive,
and this means an average, at least, of from 350 to
500 lbs. of honey. I know of one large hive contain-
ing a Syrian queen, which gave an average of 600
lbs. of honey for three successive seasons. I will
now give our method of wiring foundation.

ANOTHER PLAN OF WIRING FRAMES.

Punch two holes in the side-bars of the frame,
equally distant from the top and bottom. Place a
small tack on the outside of one side-bar, near each
hole. Now, facing your work-bench, with frame in
left hand and wire reel fastened to the bench on
your right, insert the wire in the upper hole, across
the frame, parallel with the top-bar, through the
upper hole On the left side, then back through the
lower holes. Now securely fasten the wire to the
upper tack, and pull the lower wire very tight, and
fasten to the lower tack; clip them off and drive
home the tacks, and you are ready to insert the
foundation, which should have a play of not over v'n
inch from side to side. Tack a board on your bench,
which fits the inside of your frame, and of half its
thickness. Place the sheet of foundation on this
board and bring the frame down over it so that the
wires rest tightly against the foundation. Now
with a small awl, with groove in the point to ride
the wires, imbed them in the foundation; and if the

738

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

work is properly done, no sagging or breaking of
combs will occur in extracting-. I have thoroughly
tested this method, and believe it superior to any
other; besides, it is inexpensive, simple, and speedy.

Of course, there are some "drawbacks" to Amer-
icans carrying on business in Cuba, but they are
not so serious as many suppose, and these we may
notice in some future number. A. J. King.

New York, Aug., 1889.

Well, I declare, old friend, you have really
worked up almost a system of bee culture
specially for Cuba. Your plan of placing all
the brood in front of a strong colony, so as
to have a regular storehouse of young bees
from which to draw them, by the pint,
quart, or bushel, is a new idea, at least to
me. I3y this means we get all the brood,
and get rid of transferring old combs into
frames that would be only a detriment. I
think if I should do any transferring I would
adopt a similar plan ; viz., save all the bees,
but melt up every square inch of comb from
the old hive. Your plan of wiring frames,
I presume, applies particularly to the Amer-
ican frame, about a foot square. For this
frame it will no doubt answer nicely. With
the Langstroth frames, two diagonal wires
work very well in a similar way. We should
be very glad indeed to receive further re-
ports.

COAL OIL AND SULPHUR NO REMEDY
FOR FOUL BROOD.

SOMETHING FROM OUR OLD FRIEND .JOHN G. COREY,
OF SMOKER FAME.

TN a late issue of Gleanings, I see that Bro.
||£ Mercer, our foul-brood inspector, has gone
W back ten years and is novv actually going over

"*■ the same ground that some of our old Ventura
County bee-keepers did during our foul-brood
panic, commencing in 187V.

lam sorry this old coal-oil and sulphur remedy
has been revived, and doubly so because it re-ap-
peared in this county, where we, like a band of
brothers, united in reading up on the subject, and
finally united, and, I can safely say, stamped it out
of existence among the progressive bee-keepers of
this county. 'Tis true, we had bee-owners who
would experiment with coal-oil and sulphur, the
same as the celebrated African " medico," who
prescribed " rosum and shot" for a broken leg, and
foul brood stuck to them like a brother as long as
they owned a single colony of bees. Hut our wide-
awake bee-keepers accepted the well-established
theory that the disease existed in the honey; and
that, as long as there was a drop of that diseased
honey in a hive, foul brood was liable to re-appear
whenever that drop of honey was used to feed
brood; and as Bro. Mercer is our inspeotor, we feel
a pride in having him both practice and teach the
true and accepted theory, namely, that foul brood
is a fungoid disease, and exists in the honey; that
the diseased, dead, and putrid brood is only the ef-
fect; that to cure the disease we must remove the
cause. Still, 1 am willing to hear Bro. Mercer de-
fend his coal-oil and sulphur remedy, but I can not
feel otherwise than that any such nonsense is mis-
leading, and eventually works a great wrong.
When beginners in bee culture read the discussions
on this disease, and examine the best authorities

on the subject, and afterward find a large bee-
keeper advocating so simple a remedy as Bro. Mer-
cer proposes, he is liable to say, " What a set of old
fools those old beekeepers were, to make so much
ado about such a trivial affair as foul brood ! "

I can tell Bros. Mercer and Mclntyre how to
make a queen-excluder for one-third of a cent, if it
would not be considered too cheap, and be an inju-
ry to the perforated-zinc trade.

Jno. G. Corey.

Santa Paula, Cat, Aug. 13, 1889.

Eriend Corey marked the following " pri-
vate;" but as it contains the good news
that he is about to enter into our ranks
again, he will excuse us for using it.

P. S.— Bees came and entered some of my old cast-
away hives on my lot. I have cared for them, and
imported some queens, and am preparing to go
back into bee-keeping this winter. I have been
lonesome since I sold my apiaries, and I can't live
without bees. J. G. C.

Perhaps I should explain to our readers,
that friend Corey is the one who first
gave us the idea of the cold-blast smoker.
I had quite a visit with him while in Cal-
ifornia, and he explained to me that, as
his life has been mostly spent with machin-
ery, making him necessarily conversant
with the principles of steam, air, and liq-
uids, it was no very great invention for him
to suggest making the smoker on the in-
jector principle — at least he so states it.
But we can thank him none the less. He is
a man well informed, and well calculated to
detect and throw out any so-called false sci-
ence. If he uses a remedy or any thing at
all for foul brood, it would have to have the
stamp of common sense on it before it could
pass him. I entirely agree with him in re-
gard to the coal oil and sulphur — that is, I
can not see by any process of reasoning how
it should be an antidote against foul brood.

WHAT IS AN AVERAGE CROP OF HON-
EY, COMB AND EXTRACTED?

E. FRANCE BRINGS UP A PERTINENT QUESTION.

TN answers to the third question in the statisti-
|flp cal report in Aug. 15th Gleanings, for the
W present year, there appears to be a big differ-

■*■ ence in opinion as to the amount of a full crop
of honey. We base our calculations on a full
crop of extracted honey as 100 lbs. per colony,
spring count; and for comb honey, 51) lbs. per colo-
ny. This year we got about 50 lbs. average, which
we call half a crop. My report for this vicinity was
75 per cent; but my neighbors got more honey per
colony than I did. Mr. Freeborn, of Ithaca, Wis.,
gives 1(10 per cent ; his crop 32,000 lbs. from 300 colo-
nies, an average of 107 lbs. per colony, besides 200
lbs. of comb honey. Mr. F. McNay, of Mauston,
Wis., gives in his report 100 per cent; his crop 20,000
lbs. from 350 colonies. His average was a trifle
over 57 lbs.; but still he reports 100 per cent. See
the difference in opinion about percent. McNay
must think he got a full crop, while Freeborn
doesn't appear to think he got over a full crop. Mr.
J. L. Clarke, of Florida, reports nearly 5000 lbs.
from 08 colonies, an average per colony of 73)4 lbs.,
and he reports :200 per cent. Mr. C. Dadant, of Illi-
nois, reports 35,000 lbs. from 400 colonies, 87'/2 lbs.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

739

average per colony, and lie reports 150 per cent.
Mr. James Heddon, of Michigan, reports 3000 lbs.
of honey from 200 colonies, an average of 10 lbs. per
colony, and he calls it 25 per cent. Mr. R. L. Tay-
lor, of Michigan, reports 4000 lbs. of comb from 400
colonies, and he says 25 per cent. Mrs. L. Harri-
son reports 2000 lbs. from 75 colonies, an average
per colony of 26% lbs., yet she says 100 per cent.
Mr. W. P. W. Duke, of Alabama, reports 3000 lbs. of
comb from 40 colonies, an average of 75 lbs. per
colony, yet he says 200 per cent. Mr. Chas. F. Muth,
of Ohio, reports 800 lbs. from 28 colonies. He says
his per cent is perhaps 75, and his average is about
28 lbs.

Now, friends, it is amusing to look over the re-
ports and note the difference in the per cent re-
ported. The most of these that I have quoted are
prominent bee-keepers and writers on bees and
honey. But just see the difference of per cent
quoted on the amount of honey taken. What does
this " per cent " business amount to? If we had

them. Perhaps the reporter has done bet-
ter than those about him, or the case may
be just the reverse. I believe, however, that
the parties you mention generally do a little
better than others in their vicinity, for they
are leading bee-men.

PRATT'S QUEEN-REARING APIARY.

CARNIOLANS, ETC.

f| HE engraving herewith shows the northeast
L corner of what is known as the " Pratt Bee-
Farm," of Marlboro, Mass. This apiary is
wholly made up of the Carniolan race of
bees, and is run for queen-rearing exclu-
sively. It is located in the center of a city of 13,500
population. A small brook is in the background.
The large hives in the foreground are stock hives,
of the Cary type. The first three or four rows con-
tain imported queens, and they are constantly

PRATT'S QUEEN-REARING APIARY.

nothing but the per cent report for a guide, our
conclusions as to the amount of honey taken would
be as wide as the rate of per cent quoted. But
fortunately we have the pounds of honey taken
and the number of colonies, and that is valuable.

Now, friends, can we not settle on some amount
of honey, both for extracted and comb, so that we
all may know just what is meant by a full crop of
honey? We often read about a crop, half a crop,
one fourth crop, etc. Let us call a full crop of ex-
tracted, 100 lbs.; comb, 50 lbs.; then every pound of
extracted is one per cent, and of comb honey two
per cent. We ought to have a standard.

Platteville, Wis., Aug. 28, 1889. E. France.

Many thauks, friend France, for calling
us all to order in this matter. I would,
however, suggest that possibly the friends,
in mentioning the per cent, have in mind
the general ..product in the vicinity around

drawn upon for brood to strengthen nuclei, etc.,
which keeps them from swarming.

Those hives just to the left of the operator con-
tain the finest breeding queens procurable. These
bees will submit to rougher usage without anger,
and will endure the severest weather with less risk,
than any other bees that we are.familiar with.

In the distance, among the grass, are shown a few
of the nuclei hives— one hundred in all.

These hives all take the Cary frame, with ten to
the large and from three to five to the nuclei.

The operator is your humble servant. He is just
opening an itnported-stock hive, without the use of
smoke, during a clover harvest.

During this season, 1889, not a [single queen has
been lost at mating time, out of the hundreds
reared. This is on account of vigor of the young
Carniolan queens, keeping all nursery hives a good
distance apart, and allowing the grass to grow up

740

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

about them. All the breeding- is done from very fine
home-bred queens, and mated with the finest
drones from tested imported stock. We are firm
believers in breeding from the best drones as well
as from the best queens. E. L. Pratt.

Marlboro, Mass.

Perhaps our readers may not all recog-
nize friend Pratt as the editor of the Queen-
Breeder's Journal. The picture seems to in-
dicate that his apiary is a very pleasant
place, and one would hardly think, from
the view of the shruhbery, that it is in
a city of 13,500 inhabitants. The descrip-
tive letter above sounds pretty strong for
the Carniolans, as well «is for the skill of the
proprietor; but it may be well, perhaps, to
bear in mind that friend Pratt is an enthu-
siast in the matter of queen-rearing. He
has certainly gone beyond any thing within
the scope of our experience if he has raised
hundreds of queens without losing one dur-
ing mating time. As we are told that the
Queen- Breeder's Journal has been recently
sold to another bee-paper, we infer that the
business of queen-rearing was too arduous
and exacting to admit of conducting a peri-
odical in regard to the subject at the same
time.

JOTTINGS BY AMATEUR EXPERT.

THE TEMPER OF CARNIOLAN BEES.

TN a recent issue of Gleanings, Ernest remarked
fl[ that a stock of Carniolan bees placed in the
W care of a Mr. Harrington were not more docile
■*■ than Italians. I should like to say, that plenty
of them are not so; but on the whole they are
a far more amiable race, although they can sting if
need be, and are good at defending their homes.
They need very little smoke, and do not rush about
on the tops of the frames during manipulation.
They are very still if you handle them carefully,
and they do not rush into balls, especially at the
lower corners of the frames, as some bees do. On
the other hand, they never seem to gorge so ex-
cessively as many bees, which makes it difficult to
change them from one hive to another, or run them
in at the entrance, as one sometimes wishes to
when uniting or adding to a stock. But all this is
running away from " temper."

The question I wish to broach is this: If 1 get a
queen from a dealer who warrants her as from a
quiet strain, why are her progeny more or less sav-
age? I suggest, chiefly two reasons: 1. Because,
probably, she has been reared from the egg by sav-
age nurse bees; or, 2. After you get her you proba-
bly introduce her to a stock of very cross wretches,
because you hope to improve their tempers. I be-
lieve there is a little in the first reason, but there is
far more in the second. We know the effect of a
foster mother on a child. True, children bred on
goats' milk do not butt; and if on asses' milk they
do not work their ears backward and forward when
they tilk, although they may do mamy characteris-
tic things when they prow up; but many a weakly
child from a weakly parent has grown into a finely
developed adult through being brought up by a phy-
sically strong foster mother, and hasinherited many
of the physical and moral characteristics of the par-
ents and family who has nurtured them in child-
hood, instead of those of its natural parent. I beg
that lady's pardon, but I mention her name to draw

her out of her silence. What has Mrs. Chaddock to
say to this? Well, if this is true of men, and how
much more true of animals, why not bees, who
have such control over the future of a bee through
the quality of the milk given it when young? So
much for theory. Now for a fact or two:

I have a friend who is a very enterprising bee-
keeper; he is one of the first to get hold of every
new race; he makes his bees pay him well; he has
had every conceivable kind known; and the conse-
quence is, he has an apiary full of hybrids, and, to
use his own expression, they are all " naughty."
He has had Carniolans, and from several dealers
too; but even his Carniolans are the most savage I
ever met with. He has introduced his queens to
savage hybrid stocks to cure their tempers, but
only to find the young Carniolans are only a shade
" less naughty " than his young hybrids.

Another bee-keeper, who sells bees with Carnio-
lan queens introduced, always finds the first batch
of Carniolan brood is not nearly so amiable as those
following later, and he confessed to me it has been
a great drawback to him. On one occasion I lent
an old tough-combed stock, in a straw skep, for
manipulation at a bee-show, in a tent, and a very
noted bee-keeper complained of their bad temper,
killed the queen, and gave me a nice young queen
from a very quiet race, and I was disappointed to
find her progeny were not much improved on those
of her predecessor in the way of stings, but that
same old stock afterward got to be as quiet as any,
and I took it to many shows, and it did not seem to
make them as bad as the original bees were, al-
though they had plenty of drumming and knock-
ing about.

THE QUESTION OB" THE YELLOW BANDS.

Some say they are not a pure race. Of this I am
not able to speak with authority. I have had them,
and seen them in other apiaries for the past nine
years; and although I have seen others' bees breed
yellow bands, mine have not, and this year I have
tested the progeny of from 40 to 50 queens purely
mated, and have had no yellow-baud breeders.
There are two things I have remarked; and that is
that, while many of the queens are as yellow as
Italians, others are very black; but it does not
seem to affect the color and markings of the prog-
eny; the second is more curious still; and that is,
the presence of a few workers, say one in about
1000, with their abdomens a jet black, and so smooth
that, at first sight, the ring6 are scarcely discerni-
ble. They work as well as any, and their heads,
legs, and thorax, are like their fellows'; but these
black bodies look very strange. Now you will kind-
ly give me credit for not mistaking them for the
black, hairless, shiny bees, which we often see be-
ingexpelled from their hives, and are suffering from
a disease known as bacilli depletus, and are often
mistaken for robbers. The bees I allude to are not
those. 1 have given some other facts about this
race, and also some of their vagaries, elsewhere in
another bee-paper, consequently I will pass on.

SECTIONS BUILT OUT WITH COMB THE PREVIOUS
YEAR.

If you wish these to be finished as fast, aud look
as well as others, you must, with a keen and warm
knife, pare them down to within nearly half an
inch of the midrib before you put them on; they
will still act as a bait to draw the bees into the
super, and will be built out with the other sections,
and look as well,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

741

DOUBLE-DECKED COMBS.

I have had two cases of this occur in two of my
supers this year. They are bars ilA inches deep,
and spaced 2 inches apart instead of IV2, and the
bees first built out the combs to the ordinary thick-
ness, and sealed thom, and afterward built another
row of cells on the sealed surface of one side of the
comb, and filled that with honey, and sealed the
cells the second time. T discovered it when I came
to extract, but the bases of the outer row of cells
were fiat, not natural based, as illustrated in Glean-
ings for April 15.

EXTRACTING FKOM COMBS THAT HAVE BEEN USED
FOB BREEDING.

Breeding in the combs toughens them considera-
bly, and they will bear the extractor much better;
but the color of the honey is not so fine, and the
bees are far more disposed to store pollen in them
than they are cells that have not been bred in. The
top corner cells of the frames in the brood-nest are,
I may say, never bred in. Did any one ever see
any pollen stored in them? Consequently I do not
use frames for extracting- if they are pollen-laden
and brood-stained the previous year. I have to be
very careful over my honey, as I have a good pri-
vate trade, and command my price. I can make
one shilling per section of the comb honey, and the
same price per pound for the extracted when put
up in white tlint-glass bottles. I do not mind tell-
ing you, as you are not near me to compete with
me for price, I allow a storekeeper, who sells about
half my crop, 15 per cent discount for his trouble
and risk, and am usually cleared out by Christmas.

I am well content with my harvest, although I
have sold lots of bees to a dealer who took as many
swarms and queens as I cared to sell, consequently
I allowed them to swarm as they chose, and even
my nuclei stored surplus some days while the
queens were getting fertilized. I have had 200 acres
in my radius, of white and alsike clover, and the
largest tract lay to the northwest of my bees, and
they have had to cross a high road to get at it, and I
have been called out by passers-by, who have in-
sisted they were swarming, as they boom backward
and forward after this clover honey.

Nature has evidently righted the mortality of last
year by causing bees to swarm excessively this
year, and the good yield has induced many faint-
hearted ones to hold on and not give up yet.

England, Aug., 1889. Amateur Expert.

My friend, I quite agree with you in the
point you make, that gentle bees may be
taught to be cross, and vice versa. I have
several times been inclined to conclude that
young bees^were'vicious simply because of
the example before them from childhood
up; notwithstanding, I have several times
killed the queen of a cross hybrid stock, just
because they were so vindictive. In fact, I
have had hives that were the terror of the
whole family; but after giving them an
Italian queen I have astonished the whole
family Jby Itakiug^the ,.hive'"all; to! 'pieces
and showing them only gentle Italians
where, butjj a few weeks**before, had been
those stinging tigers. I have seen these oc-
casional black bees, but ul always sup-
posed they were stragglers that were driven
from some other colony, although that ex-
planation never seemed satisfactory. — I
think the idea has been before advanced,
that honey from old dry combs is not as

nice as that extracted from white new
combs. I believe, however, that where ex-
periments were made for the purpose of
getting at this matter directly, just as fine
honey was obtained from the old combs as
from the other. Any admixture of pollen,
however, is surely detrimental. — I am very
glad indeed to hear so good a report from
clover sown purposely for bees — at least I
suppose it was, as you state it.

McINTYRE'S SCALE-HIVE RECORD.

DOOLITTLE'S METHOD OF RAISING CELLS.

INCLOSE my scale-hive record for this season.
You see it differs from Mr. Mercer's, page 619,
in being longer at both ends, and my best
honey days do not come on the same day that
his do. I believe his scale-hive was located
about 20 miles further from the coast than mine.
If those scale-hive records are as interesting to
others as they are to me they are worth printing;
and if the hive has not been packed to make a big
report, they tell very accurately what a location
will do. This was one of my best colonies that did
not swarm.

a>

C m

09

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QJ

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c fi

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a

S3

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a

■5 =

a

Bi O

n 0

03 0

e3 0

CSPh

OPh

C5H,

OOh

April.

May.

June.

June.

20

1

17

2

G

2

27

2

21

3

18

3

7

m

28

1

22

i

19

3

8

zy

29

2

23

2

20

2M

9

3

30

2

24

' .

21

m

10

3}4

July.

25

1

22

1

11

5

1

iy

26

1

23

IK

12

6

2

1

27

0

24

*x

13

3

3

1%

28

0

25

■i

14

V4

I

sy

29

y

26

3

15

1

5

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30

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27

4

16

9

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May.

28

3y,

17

2

7

y

1-8

0

29

3

18

1

8

y

9

1

30

3

19

1

9

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10

2

31

i

20

1

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X

June.

21

IK

12

1

6

22

1'A

13

1

2

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23

1

14

1

3

5

24

2

IB

1

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25

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26

2

My average for 500 colonies was only 50 lbs. per
colony.

QUEENS AND QUEEN-EXCLUDERS.

1 put on 25 queen-excluders last month to try
Doolittle's method of rearing queens; 5 colonies re-
fused to build the cells, although I gave them the
second batch of prepared cells. One queen got
above the queen-excluder, and the cells were torn
down; the rest built out the cells in good shape. I
intended to let the young queens supersede the old
queen below, so T left a cell to hatch in each super,
which it did in due time; when the young queens
were about a day old I removed 15 excluders. Two
days after, I looked in front of the hives to see if
the old queen had been killed. Instead of finding
the old queens I found all of the virgins, but one,
dead in front of the entrance. The one I did not
find, superseded the old queen. The other 5 were
left above the excluders, to become fertilized
through a hole in the super; but they were all
killed.

Although this part has failed with me, I still feel
under great obligations to Mr. Doolittle; for I never
before succeeded in getting queens that suited me,
from eggs or larv.c intended for workers. Queens
reared in the brood-chamber of a colony preparing
to swarm or supersede their queen are better than

712

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUltE.

Sept.

those reared above a queen-excluder; in fact, I
don't think we can improve on the plan of going to
a colony that is preparing to swarm or supersede
their queen, cutting out all the queen-cells they
have started, and giving a frame of started cells
from your best queen I have over 100 queens in
my apiary, reared this season in that way; and
they are nearly all superfine xxx queens, and I
don't regret the time spent in rearing them.
Fillmore, Cal., Aug. 26, 1889. J. F. McIntyre.

And so, friend M., you had only one day
during the season when the hive gave as
much as 9 Ihs. You surely have not had a
very bountiful season. It seems a little sin-
gular tliat your honey-yield commences
pretty nearly as ours does here— at least not
very much earlier ; and it closes toward the
middle of July, just as it does here in Ohio,
as a rule. Where such an experiment is
made, it were no more than fair to state
how many colonies there are in the apiary,
and also how many in the vicinity, that we
may see how fully stocked was the field.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

RAISING QUEENS ABOVE QUEEN - EXCLUDING
HONEY -BOARDS, AGAIN.

Several years ago a question of priority of a cer-
tain discovery pertaining to bee-keeping arose in
a western bee-paper, wherein one of the claim-
ants gave plenty of printed proofs of his claim, yet
he was misquoted, misrepresented, and misused,
till he began to think that, if he ever made any
future valuable discoveries, he would use them to
his best interests and let others And them out as
best thoy could. Still, I believe there are some who
are willing to give " honor to whom honor is due."
In Gleanings, page 685, it is conceded that Heddon
has the oldest claim on raising queens over a laying
queen. His writing dates back to 1885. See Glean-
ings, page 518. Now, will you please turn to
Gleanings for 1883, page 13, to my article under
date of Dec. 18, 1882, headed "Two, Three, or More
Laying Queens in one Hive"? nearly three years
ahead. I believe this is essentially the same prin-
ciple that Dr. Tinker has just got a patent on. Next!
A. A. Fradenburg.

Port Washington, O , July 25, 1889.

Friend F., I have just turned to the pas-
sage you mention. I had not forgotten it at
all, nor my foot-note to the communication.
Why I did not mention it at the time I gave
Doolittle credit, was because you succeeded
in getting only one of the queens fertilized,
and this at the time seemed to be rather ac-
cidental. That is, I have been well aware
for years that I could get an extra queen in
almost any hive about one time in three, by
making the brood-nest larger or cutting it
nearly off, as you did, by slipping back the
cloth cover; and I am inclined to think even
now that there will be so many failures,
queens will not be reared and fertilized to
any great extent above the queen-excluding
honey-board. I have before suggested the
difficulty, when you want to examine the
brood- combs in the hive below, Some one

says it can be done without any trouble.
Well, I had a great deal of trouble when I
experimented in this line. The queen be-
longing to the upper story would sometimes
take wing when the upper story was set off
on the ground, and alight in the lower story
while I was handling it. Now, unless I got
the hive together again, and got her back
where she belonged, there was trouble. 1
should much prefer to have a part of the
brood-chamber divided off by a queen-ex-
cluding division-board, and then either one
can be examined without interfering with
the other. But this idea was given by D.
A. Jones when he first brought the queen-
excluding zinc so prominently before the
attention of the American people. It seems
to be the old story over again. It is hardly
safe for anybody to say in bee culture,
"This is my invention.'1 When it comes
before the public, it transpires that a dozen
others have been at some time or other
working along in the same line, and very
often the thing has been described very
closely in print years before.

BEES TEARING DOWN STARTERS, ETC.

How high do Alaska peas grow?

Do you have any trouble with bees eating the
starters in section boxes?

Where bee-keepers cage the queen to prevent
swarming, what kind of cages is used most?

Monroe, N. Y., Aug. 8, 1889. Millard Mapes.

Alaska peas grow to about the height of
two feet.— Bees will sometimes, when they
have nothing else to-do, eat away starters in
the section boxes. They rarely do this,
however, and you need apprehend no seri-
ous trouble from this source. With flat-
bottom foundation we have sometimes no-
ticed the bees tear it down and rebuild it. —
For caging queens in the brood -nest during
swarming time, no particular cage is used.
Perhaps as good as any thing is a piece of
wire cloth folded into a cylinder, one end of
which is stopped by a wooden plug, and the
other by a plug of " Good " candy. This lat-
ter should be protected so that the bees of
the colony can not get at it, otherwise they
will liberate the queen in 24 hours. Dr.
Miller never places any food in the cage,
and I think has never found a queen dead.

BLACK BEES FOR BUCKWHEAT, AND ITALIANS FOR

CLOVER; WHICH ARE THK BEKS THAT

GATHER THE WHITE MONEY?

The two bushels of Japanese buckwheat I got of
you I sowed June 20th on four acres. June 29th
there came a terrible hailstorm and cut nearly all
of it down. I did not think there was enough left
to- stand on ten rods square of ground; but it has
come up to nearly a quarter of a crop. I was look-
ing over it this morning, and the bees were fairly
roaring over it; but they were nearly all black bees.
I saw but one Italian on it, and two or three hy-
brids. I then examined the white clover. The bees
were working lively on it, and nearly every one was
Italian. I saw two black and a few hybrids. I wish
others would examine and see if bees are working
the same way in their locality. 1 have 29 swarms of
Italians, 2 or 3 of blacks, and 13 hybrids, within 100
rods of the buckwheat, while my neighbors have
plenty of black. One correspondent writes that

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

743

bees worked very little on the Japanese, while they
were fairly swarming- on the silverhull. From what
I can learn by observation, tastes differ in the dif-
ferent races of bees. I should like to know if there
is a difference in the quality of honey made by the
two races; and if so, which is the best? In looking
over my bees last week I saw two queens in each of
two hives— one old one and one young- one. I knew
the old ones, for their wings were clipped; but they
were much smaller than the young- queens. Is it a
common occurrence? B. S. Hanson.

La Otto, Ind., Aug. 7, 1K89.

It is not uncommon to see black and hy-
brid bees gathering dark buckwheat honey,
while Italians are gathering light honey
from clover.

HONEV-POISONING IN NEW ZEALAND.

I send you a clipping from one of our papers, on
honey-poisoning. It is the first case of the kind I
have heard of in New Zealand. Thomas Dixon.

Masterton, New Zealand, July 12, 1889.

A few days ago a northern telegram gave partic-
ulars of a remarkable case which had occurred near
Matata, in the Bay of Plenty, where three brothers,
who had gone into the bush in search of honey,
were poisoned, and two of them died. It was sup-
posed that this fatal result had been because they
had eaten of honey which contained some poison-
ous ingredient. Mr. Hopkins, who is our best au-
thority on the subject of bees and honey, wrote to
the New Zealand Herald, stating that the only plant
which had ever been known to convey poisonous
qualities to the honey was the wharangi, but it
could not have caused these deaths, and, besides,
this was not the season when the bees could gather
any thing from it. Mr. R. de Thierry has given the
Herald some important information on the subject.
He states that on one occasion he was traveling
along the sea-coast with some Maoris when they fell
in with a store of honey accumulated by some wild
bees. Mr. de Thierry and one of the natives ate
heartily of the honey as they found it. Soon after
Mr. de Thierry was affected with giddiness, and fell
down, feeling very ill. The native who had eaten
with him was similarly affected. The Maoris
promptly adopted remedial measures, such as they
had probably tried before in similar cases. They
kindied a fire, piled some seaweed upon it, and held
Mr. de Thierry amongst the fumes till he became so
sick that he vomited freely. By and by he got bet-
ter, and the native, under similar treatment, also
recovered. Mr. de Thierry says that the poisoning
arises from the bees having access to the karo
{ptttosporum crassifolium), a tree or shrub which
grows all around the coast of New Zealand. At a
certain season a kind of gum exudes from the karo,
which the bees use for the wax of the combs. The
poison is in the wax, not in the honey. This matter
is of importance, for bee-keeping is now general,
and the karo is being generally planted, as it makes
a pretty and useful hedge. Tt can stand any
amount of stormy weather, and also the spray of
the sea.— Evening Post, Wellington, New Zealand.

shall the bee-keeping industry be repre-
sented AT THE WOKLD'S FAIR IN 1892?

It is now a pretty well-understood fact, that in
1892 we are to have a grand " World's Fair " in New
York, and in that case it is important that the ex-
hibit of bees, honey, and supplies, be the finest
ever seen in this or any other country. A grand
exhibit of this kind would do wonders in increasing
the market for honey, and would do our whole in-
dustry a world of good. Let us therefore put our
shoulders to the wheel by recommending some one
to act exclusively for our industry, on the proper
committee, and have an exhibit that will show the
world that we are the foremost nation in bee-keep-
ing. It would be well for our conventions to rec-
ommend some one who has the welfare of the
whole industry at heart, and who is within reach of

the city. If the several conventions will send me
their i-ecommendations I will see that they reach
the proper authorities, as I am constantly in New
York. I have already written to the Mayor, urging
the appointment of some one to look after bee-
keepingand beekeepers' supplies; but the recom-
mendation of our different conventions would be of
far greater weight. Let us start the ball rolling,
and we shall see such an exhibition in our line as
was never seen before. John Aspinwall.

Barrytown, N. Y., Aug. 26, 1889.

Your suggestions are good, friend A.,
and we heartily indorse the scheme. Why
wouldn't Dr. A. B. Mason, the president-
elect of the N. A. B. K. A, be the man?
He has had more experience in this line
than any one else we know of. He is big
enough in every sense of the word to talk
down the comb-honey slanders. Let's vote
for the doctor.

A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOR ENAMELED CLOTHS,
ETC.

In a late issue of Gleanings you say that the
bees will always cut out paper. I have used manil-
la tag-board, 100 sheets, 24 x 36, 100 lbs., worth $2.25,
for a number of years, for covers, in place of cov-
ers or enamel cloth, and I very much prefer them.
The bees never cut them unless I am careless and
let them get at the edges, by leaving, say, % inch
bee-space. I paint the board with oil andi ocher.
From the above you will see they are cheap. Sev-
eral issues back you speak of sulphur. Have you
tried melting it in an iron kettle or ladle, and dip-
ping in it strips of strawboard or several folds
of coarse wrapping-paper? This was the way my
grand-paronts used it in England, and I have failed
to have an improved way pointed out. Nail one or
two uprights on a block; set the block on some-
thing not combustible; lay in the sulphur; match
and fumigate as you wish.

Our bees are doing the best they have done for a
number of years; though our best harvest (golden-
rod and fall flowers) is not yet opened.

Erametsburg, la. J. C. Bennett.

No doubt, manilla tag-boards as heavy as
you mention would answer the purpose nice-
ly. They are very apt to get injured, how-
ever, and can not be peeled over the frames
like the enamel cloth, and therefore they
have not found much favor.

RAISING CELLS ABOVE A QUEEN-EXCLUDING HON-
EY-BOARD ; WHO HAS THE PRIORITY OF THE
IDEA NOW?

In the spring of 1882 I adopted a plan of artificial
swarming by shaking the bees off the combs on to
frames filled with foundation, and placing the
brood in a third story on top, or over the wide
frames. I found, by cutting out the ends of the
wide frames, that enough, bees would go up to care
for the brood, and that they would build queen-
cells every time. I used a queen-excluding honey-
board over the frames in the lower story. 1 com-
municated the above facts to Mr. W. J. Rasin, of
Jenkintown, Mont. Co., Pa. (since deceased). He
wrote to Mr. Heddon, asking his opinion of the
plan. Mr. Rasin told me that Heddon did not think
very favorably of it. I am not sure, but I think he
also wrote to Mr. Hutchinson about it. I mention-
ed it in a letter to Doolittle, and I also wrote to you,
stating that J would describe the method in an or*

744

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

tide for Gleanings, if desirable. Not receiving
any response I came to the conclusion that you did
not think it worthy of note, lean furnish affida-
vits of two other bee-keepers in this locality, to
whom I communicated the facts, and who have
practiced this method for four or five years.
Ashbourne, Pa., Aug. 23, 1889. W. E. Flowers.

MUMFORD'S CLOVER-BLOAT REMEDY A SUCCESS.

A W. Mumford's remedy for clover bloat (see p.
ti',^'1 is good, I know, as 1 have practiced it for sever-
al years. I had a cow some years ago that would
have the bloat nearly every day when first turned
on clover. She got so she would come to the barn
when first taken, seeming to know she would get
relief. I hud a stick about a foot long and ll/2 inch-
es through, with a cord on each end, in a handy
place; and when she came up I would put it in her
mouth like bits, and tie it back of the horns and let
her go. In a short time she would be all right. It
has never failed with me. If used in time I think it
will cure any case of bloat. S. H. Mallory.

Decatur, Mich., Aug. 24, 1889.

Thanks, friend M. Your testimony set-
tles the question in regard to the value of
this simple mechanical remedy. The above
may have been published in our agricultural
papers, but I have never come across it.

EXCESSIVELY HOT WEATHER IN CALIFORNIA.

We are having the hottest weather this season,
since 1885. One day the thermometer went up to
1H in the shade. I ventilated my bees early in the
morning, mid did not have any melt down; but
some of my neighbors were less fortunate, and lost
a number of colonies entirely, by melting. If you
never experienced such hot weather, it is interest-
ing: the perspiration starts from every pore; and
the only way to keep cool is to keep your clothes
wet. Every thing in the house feels hot, even the
marble on the bureau; and wife says the wheel on
the sewing-machine almost burns her hand. You
feel like saying, "Excuse me," when asked to take
a chair. I kept the lawn-sprinkler running, and
every half-hour the children and myself would go
out and stand under it until our clothes were wet
through. It would be foolishness to try to work
out in the sun, for the thermometer says 134 out
there, so I will sit in the house and work the type-
writer. 1 put a wet cloth around the thermometer
to see how much it would go down. It went from
114 to 80. That is nature's way of keeping the blood
cool; but when the thermometer is 114 I prefer to
pour the water on the outside rather than take it
inwardly. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., Aug. 24, 1889.

Friend M., we are very sorry that it was
so hot ; but we are much obliged to you for
your valuable report and suggestions. You
ought to be thankful for that beautiful irri-
gating canal that runs just back of your
ranch, along the mountain-side, away up
above the tops of your orange-trees. I think
I could stand 1 14 very well, if I could have a
spray of that beautiful spring water playing
constantly over me ; but I am greatly aston-
ished to find that a wet cloth could reduce
the temperature from 114 down to 80. Give
my respects to the little girl who beat Uncle
Amos climbing the mountain, and carried
her dolly besides.

^weris to QaEgwie^

FROM OUR ABC CLASS.

This department is designed primarily to cover questions
either not already answered in the A B C of Bee Culture (price
in cloth $1.25), or, if incorporated in this work, are here dwelt
upon more in detail on account of the importance of the
question. While these answers are of vital interest to the
A BC scholars, they will doubtless be found, in many in-
stances, tn be id considerable value to the more advanced
student. Kur lack of space, the question itself, instead Of lie-
ing directly staled, is omitted, the same being implied in the
answer. II is hoped that the cla^s will tirst consult their
textbook before sending in their questions.

THE CHAHACTER OF HONEY-DEW.

F. C. F.. Massachusetts.— Honey-dew is not neces-
sarily fatal for wintering, but it is usually safest to
extract it or remove such combs containing it, and
use them during the latter part of spring for feed-
ing. They are just as good'for stimulating brood-
rearing. Honey-dew is usually dark, almost black.
The flavor is very unp'eisant — almost sickening.
See " Aphides," also " Honey-Dew," in the ABC.

HOW TO START IN BEE-KEEPING THE MOST
ECONOMICALLY.

M. D. S., Massachusetts. — We would not advise
you to buy a black queen with Italian bees. Your
better way is to buy an Italian queen with black or
hybrid bees. This will in time give you a very nice
Italian colony. The cheapest way to start an Ital-
ian apiary is to purchase two or three swarms of
black bees; catch and kill their queens and intro-
duce to each an untested Italian from some good
breeder. If you can not purchase the black bees,
the next cheapest way is to buy a pound of Italians
with an untested Italian queen. Put these on some
frames of foundation, and give them stimulative
feed, and in two or three months you will have a
pretty respectable colony to go into winter quarters.

SURPLUS POLLEN IN COMBS, AND WHAT TO DO WITH

IT; WHEN THE BEES WILL PULL OUT

FOUNDATION.

C. N. L., Michioan.— We would not advise you to
cut out the pollen in the frame, and insert in its
place comb foundation. As there is no practical
way of getting it out of comb mechanically, keep
such combs over till next spring, when they will be
quite valuable for stimulating brood-rearing. As
it is desirable to get colonies as strong as possible
for the honey-flow, which comes later, these combs
containing some pollen will save quite a little in the
way of stimulative feeding. It will be very much
cheaper to use frames of foundation, rather than
to mutilate combs containing pollen. The best
time in the year to have foundation drawn out is
when honey is coming in. As a general thing, bees
will not pull it out at other times, except under the
stimulus of feeding.

H. L. S., Ohio. — You might choose bee-keeping as
a means of livelihood, but j ou must be prepared to
stem over now and then a bad season, when the re-
turns from the apiary or apiaries would barely if at
all cover expenses. It is usuall> safer to combine
some other pursuit with bee keeping, if the locality
is not always to be depended upon for honey.
Whatever you do, we would advise you to make a
small beginning. By all means make the bees pay
the expense of all needed improvements conse-
quent upon their increase. As to which branch of
bee-keeping will pay best, the production of ex-
tracted or comb honey should be settled by your

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

745

market. You can transfer safely now, although
you will have to be careful, on account of the large
amount of honey in the combs, to keep robbing
from getting started. A six-inch saw would ans-
wer your purpose for hive-making. Of course, a
larger one would be many times convenient.

0a^ (|aEgJFi0]\[-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 143.- a. June* prefers hybrids because
they are as good or a " leetle better " workers than the
pure Italians; and, further, because he can shake them
{the hybrids) off the combs easier, for extracting. Be-
si<hs till Hi is, lie snus it is considerable trouble to keep
Italians pure. Brown does not agree. Whitehead-
mits that the hybrids are, as a general thing, as good
workers as the pure daughters of Italy, he prefers ttie
latter; because, as then are less inclined to sting and
rob, he can get through with mure workinaday. He
avers that the time gained in handling gentle hees more
than compensates fortheextra trouble and expense in
keeping tin- race pure. N<>w, tlie question is, whose
Side would you taket l>. Whose side do you take Vn act-
ual practice'.'

a. Jones; b. Jones.

H. R. BOARDMAN.

I side with Brother Brown, every time.

C. F. Muth.
a. Jones, b. Jones, Jones, Jones.

P. H. Elwood.
My bees are mostly pure Italians.

S. I. Freeborn.
In theory or actual practice I take Brown's side.

P. L. Viallon.
Brown's side, every time. We are always sorry
when we neglect to keep up the purity of our stock.

Dadant & Son.
Brown's side, as I find that the dark Italians are
as good workers as hybrids, and they are equally
hardy. A. E. Manum.

a. Jones's side; yet my dislike of so much sting-
ing, and my love of the beautiful, have led me in
practice to follow more after Brown. K. Wilkin.

a. As a honey-producer, I am with Jones; as a
queen-breeder, with Brown, b. In practice I have
only hybrids between Carniolans and Syrians, with,
quite likely, some Italian and some German. So
far as I have got, I like my present bees.

A. J. Cook.

a. Brown is right; while some hybrid swarms are
as good workers as the Italians, I do not think they
will average as good; besides, there is the pleasure
and comfort of handling gentle bees. b. Brown's;
my " other half " says, " Durn the hybrids."

Mhs. L. Harrison.

a. Brown's, b. Brown's, as near as I can; but I
question whether, in ordinary practice, it pays to
supersede every queen not absolutely pure. All
good methods can be carried to an excess, and
judgment has to be used in this as well as in many
other matters connected with bee-keeping.

O. O. POPPLETON.

a. I prefer the hybrids, or a bee that will show
two bands, and many three bands. They look well
and work well. 1 have bad very bright Italians,
and the results from them were not so satisfactory.
I take but little pains to keep my bees up to a gold

en standard. I am discarding the shaking aud
brushing plan for something better, where even
cross hybrids keep their temper, b. Jones.

Rambler.
Both my theory and my practice favor the hy-
brids. I dissent from the theory that hybrids are
specially vicious, so far as it concerns carefully
bred ones. I think, also, that the reputation of the
Italians for gentleness needs a good deal of dis-
counting—their gentleness being a matter of ap-
pearance rather than of reality. I fear that very
gentle bees of any race will be found deficient in
energy. E. E. Hasty.

I think Mr. Jones'6 main reason for preferring
hybrids is the one least emphasized—" considerable
trouble to keep Italians pure." There is little dif-
ference between some hybrids and Italians gener-
ally. Italians sell better, and are a little nicer to
handle. The working qualities average up about
even with hybrids. On the whole, for practical
purposes I would not take the trouble to keep
them pure; and this is what I practice.

Geo. Grimm.

Now look here, i'ou're not going to get me to
side with either. For a number of years I have
tried to increase the Italian blood in my apiaries;
but without a good deal of trouble there will be
plenty of hybrids, and I think well enough of them
to take very great pains to be rid of them. As to
the matter of gentleness, I take them as they come;
only when some colony shows a bad pre-eminence
in the way of crossness, their queen's head comes
off at the first convenient opportunity.

C. C. Miller.

a. Brown's. Jones is certainly mistaken, in my
opinion, in regard to hybrids being better workers
than Italians. If he will weigh all the honey in
all parts of the hive from either race, he will find,
if I am not very much mistaken, that there will be
a little amount in favor of the Italians, especially
in a poor season. Because the hybrids put all of
their honey in the sections, thereby leaving them
in a starving condition after the sections are taken
off, does not make out that they are the best work-
ers, b. After trying all the different races of bees
which have come to our shores, I have now nothing
but Italians. G. M. Doolittle.

a. I'd take Jones's side; but I want some pure
bloods to raise queens from. I don't raise drones
(I guess 1 will this year, though, in spite of mysell,
for the bees are playing hob with the lower corners
of most combs), and not one in five of my queens is
purely mated, b. Jones's. My hybrids are not so cross
as many write about. 1 have opened the hive of
every colony 1 have, and examined them at least
once each week, since March 24th, and have used
smoke only twice on a few colonies. I generally,
but not always, wear a veil, and I've been stung
but little. The crossest colony I have has an im-
ported Italian queen from A. I. Root. Do you
know him? May be my bees are good-natured be-
cause I don't scold them. A. B. Mason.

a. Jones; b. Jones. Our bees are, most of them,
more or less mix ''d Italian and blacks, or brown bees,
and the nearer they come to being pure brown
bees, the better I like them. I have several Italian
queens from queen-breeders, and I bad two import-
ed Italian queens, and I never had a strain of Ital-
ian bees yet that were as good natured as the

746

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

blacks. All the Italian bees that I have had have
been cross, and ugly to handle. We are now going
to try the Carniolan bees, as they are recommend-
ed to be less inclined to sting, and I believe they
will be more gentle than the Italians, as they look
more like the brown bees. As for myself, I can
handle any of them without gloves or veil; but
other folks have to be about them, and for that rea-
son 1 want good-natured bees. .E. France.

a. 1 agree with Brown. I think that Italians are
as good as hybrids in all respects, and, in some
points, as those mentioned, a great deal better.
Cross bees certainly cost a great deal of time, to
say nothing of comfort and temper. I am not fond
of shaking and brushing bees off the combs for ex-
tracting. I would rather let them crawl off. The
Reese bee-escape does the business, and saves
time, trouble, and stings, b. In practice, hybrids
are always to be found in my apiary, because there
are black bees around me, and I do not think it
worth while to replace a good queen simply be-
cause she is mismated. Nearly all my queens, though,
are reared from selected Italian stock. My breed-
ing queens are selected, not because of the looks of
themselves or bees, but principally because of the
work their bees do. Yellow bands do not gather
honey. J. A. Green.

a. Although I am a strong advocate of judicious
crosses between the best strains of German and
Italian bees, I do not prefer such bees as Jones de-
scribes. Judicious crosses (call them hybrids if
you will), while they shake from the comb more
readily, they do not leave the combs when the hives
are opened, and tl3' into the air and roll down in balls
at your feet any more than pure Italians. Again,
they differ from Jones's hybrids, because they do not
sting or rob any more than any other bees extant.
If these crosses were not as good natured as any
other good working strain of bees, I would say, get
the good-natured strain and discard the others.
The above is my practice. I know of no bees any
more easy to handle, nor as good honey-producers,
nor as excellent comb-builders, as the crosp-bred
bees above described. James Heddon.

Well, friends, I am a little bit surprised,
and may be somewhat disappointed in your
reports, especially as so many side in with
Jones. There is one point, however, where
I should agree. The man who destroys

good queens simply because the workers
ave not all the marks and stripes to accord
witli his notions, seldom becomes very
much of a honey-producer. We meet such
individuals now and then. What I mean is,
those who lay great stress on looks and
markings, and little or none on other quali-
ties as honey-gatherers. In visiting the
great honey-producers I almost invariably
find they have more or less hybrids ; but
their colonies are all populous, and most of
them are great workers. Another thing,
one must have a good deal of time to spare
who watches the markings of bees of every
particular colony when he has stocks by the
hundred. A great many honey-producers
also, if I am correct, are in the habit of de-
stroying queens where the bees are exceed-
ingly vicious ; and they do this, too, even if
said vicious colony gives extra yields year
after year. It is true, that blacks as well
as Italians occasionally give us very gentle

bees, and the reverse is also true. I can not
remember now, though, that we ever had
a colony whose queen was imported from
Italy, whose bees were so cross that we re-
garded them as a nuisance. Dr. Mason, are
you sure that you did not " scold " that col-
ony of imported bees? You should have
written right back to A. I. Hoot, that he
was an impostor and a fraud, because he
sent you a hybrid queen when you ordered
and paid for an imported queen.

Question 144.— a. Which }>ccs, as a general rule,
give the must hauii accord/bng to your experience—
leather-colored Italians, <>>• the very uellow beest '-.
Are the so-called four-banded golden Italians any lat-
ter workers than the average Italians:'

a. Leather-colored, b. No. Rambler.

a. I think the leather-colored Italians deserve the
preference; b. No. Geo. Grimm.

a. The leather-colored Italians; b. No, not as
good with me. A. E. Manum.

a. Leather-colored ; b. Not according to my ex-
perience. A. J. Cook.

a. Leather colored, part black, b. I don't know
them. P. H. Elvvood.

a. The leather-colored Italians, every time. b.
No, not that I know of. James Heddon.

a. The leather-colored, b. No. As a general rule
they are not much better workers than German
brown bees. Paul L. Viallon.

I never saw much difference in the honey gather-
ing qualities of bees as to color, b. I never had
any. E. France.

a. My experiments have not been sufficiently ac-
curate to justify an answer in favor of one or the
other. R. Wilkin.

a. The dark Italians, or a cross between the yel-
low and black bees. b. I think not.

H. R. BOAHDMAN.

a. I have not made close enough observations to
have a decided opinion, b. I don't think I ever had
any four-banded bees. C.C.Miller.

The brightest Italians are good enough for me.
But the greater propensity for honey-gathering
among those mentioned above is imaginary, accord-
ing to the best of my judgment. C. F. Muth.

a. I have not got that conundrum answered yet,
in my own mind. When I do I will report. 1 have
two swarms of very yellow bees, that are certainly
very fine in every respect. Mks. L. Harrison.

Very yellow Italians may be very good if they
have not been bred " in and in," with sole regard to
color, as is too often the case. For this reason we
feel safer with the leather-colored bees.

Dadant & Son.

a. My first experience with yellow bees was not
satisfactory. I have had for some time very light
bees that are equal to any in color lor honey, b. \
know nothing about the four-banded Italians.

S. I. Fkeeborn.

The leather-colored Italians. The stock 1 prefer
is neither very dark nor very light. The yellowest
bees I oversaw were also about the poorest work-
ers. Some strains of these yellow bees produce
comb honey with dark cappings. 1 would not keep
aaueen which produced such bees, in my apiary.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

747

There are Italians which produce as nice comb
honey as the blacks, and I aim to keep only such.

J. A. Green.
a. In Northern Iowa the light Italians gave me
the best honey-yields, b. 1 have had no experience
with the four-banded golden Italians, but I pre-
sume they are only a very light strain of pure Ital-
ians. O. O. Poppi.eton.

a. The leather-colored, b. My prettiest, that is,
very yellow bees, are my poorest workers. A few
years ago 1 bought a beauty of an imported queen
of A. I. Root. Her progeny were perfect beauties,
and all just alike, and she kept the frames full of
brood, but they did not swarm, and gave no sur-
plus, while the apiary of To colonies, this one in-
cluded, gave an average of 60 pounds of basswood
honey to the colony. A. 15. Mason.

' Spects that " leather-colored Italians " is mostly
a nice, gentle term for a well-established strain of
hybrids— imported bees by no means excepted from
this remark. If you want Italians, get Italians.
Then if you want them mixed, mix them yourself.
I have owned but few colonies of very yellow bees;
but I think very bright color is sometimes accom-
panied by lack of energy. The four-banded Italian
is an " animile " I am not familiar with.

E. E. Hasty.

a. According- to my experience there are three
strains of Italians in this country— the dark, or
what is called "leather-colored;" the orange, and
the light yellow, or lemon-colored. Of these 1 place
the orange-colored first; the leather-colored sec-
ond, and lemon-colored third, b. Why say "so-
called"? Bees either show four golden bands on
the horny scales to the abdomen, or the person say-
ing they do is telling that which is fallacious. If
said four-banded bees are as good workers as any
of the others, are we not a point ahead in keeping
them? for, surely, A. I. Root places a higher price
on queens of beautiful yellow color than he does
on the dark ones. Hence, according to Root, such
bees are the best, if they are as good honey-gather-
ers, which 1 claim they are. G. M. Doolittle.

Well, well ! There seems to be far more
unanimity in this matter of leather- colored
Italians than in the former question.
Scarcely one favors very handsome bees as
honey-gatherers ; and yet what a deal of
wrangling there has been in years past over
this matter of nice-looking bees ! I have
found men who laid so much stress on the
looks of the worker-bees that they would re-
fuse to take a queen as a gift, because the
stripes were not just according to their no-
tion, paying no attention to the fact that
the queen might be extraordinarily prolific,
or that the bees might have gathered a
wonderful crop of honey. As a rule, how-
ever, the large honey-producers are not of
this class of people. Our good friend Dr.
Mason seems bent on pitching into A. I.
Root to-day. Doctor, what did you do with
that imported queen whose bees were such
beauties, and just alike? It must be that
was a strain of some sort of aristocracy that
did not propose to labor for a living. We
have occasionally had colonies of very hand-
some bees that were also excellent workers,
and several times I have been tempted to de-
cide that bees for honey are, pretty nearly
all, ugly to handle.

Every boy or girl, under 16 years of age, who writes a let
ter tor this department, containing somk valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BKES OB OTHER MATTERS, will receive
one of David Cook's excellent live-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school books costing from 81.00 to 81.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Uiant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part 1., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

SOMETHING ABOUT BEARS, WOLVES, AND
OTHER WILD ANIMALS.

WRITTEN FOR THE .1UVENIL.ES, BY UNCI.E AMOS.

ELL, little friends, I have not told you
a story for quite a spell ; at least, I
have not written any thing specially
for your department; but I have
had one in mind for some little
time. When I went to visit that great bee-
man, Mr. E. France, I found one of his
out-apiaries away back in the woods. They
are all located near some farmhouse, as a
matter of course ; and when I came near
this special farmhouse there were several
things that attracted my attention. The
first thing was a brood of beautiful little
ducklings While friend France was un-
hitching his horse I looked over a low fence
and saw those little ducks in charge of a
speckled hen. The children had given them
a trough of water, and, oh my! how that
old hen did sputter and worry because the
ducks jumped into the water" and splashed
about, just as if water was ever so much
nicer than air during that summer after-
noon ! Pretty soon a very nice little girl
came out to look after the ducks, and I be-
gan to get acquainted. By the time friend
France had got around, the little girl's
mamma came up, and Mr. F. introduced
me as Mr. A. I. Root, probably not thinking
that Mrs. Craven had ever heard of such a
man as I. At the mention of my name,
however, she uttered an exclamation of sur-
prise, and replied :

" Why, this surely can not be A. I. Root,
the author of the A B C of Bee Culture r "

Then I pleasantly told her it was. Friend
France expressed surprise that they were
acquainted with the A B C book, as they
were not bee keepers themselves at all. She
replied that they once belonged to a horti-
cultural society, and among the books pur-
chased for their library was the A 1! <'.
When their society disbanded, the books
were divided up, Mr. Craven and his wife
receiving the A 15 C book, which, although
they owned no bees, had been read till they

748

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

felt quite well acquainted indeed with its
author. Then she blew a tin horn, and her
husband dropped his work in the fields, and
came in. While we sat down to a good sub-
stantial farm dinner, he looked at me smil-
ingly, and remarked : " Well, I never ex-
pected it would be our good fortune to have
Mr. A. I. Root sit down with us at our ta-
ble."

Of course, after this I felt perfectly free
to get acquainted, not only with the chil-
dren, but with the pack of hounds and the
puppies. Friend ('raven is a genius, and
liis special hobby is hunting, trapping, and
studying the habits of wild animals. In
Wisconsin a large bounty is offered for the
scalps of wolves, bears, etc., on account of
the damage they do to sheep and other farm
stock. Mr. Craven informed me that the
wolves some years ago destroyed fifty dol-
lars' worth of sheep in one night on that
very farm. The bounty paid for wolf-scalps
is something like this : Ten dollars for a

THE WOLF THAT DIDN T WANT TO HAVE HIS
"PICTURE took."

young wolf, and fifteen for a she-wolf. You
see, they pay extra for destroying the mother
of a lot of cubs. I want to say right here,
that friend France is also a celebrated wolf-
hunter. In one room of his building at
home he and his boys have fitted up about
as interesting a museum of stuffed wild an-
imals as we see at our colleges.

After dinner we went into the front room,
and one of the curiosities on the table was
the skull of a bear, with a hole broken in at
one part of it. By the side of the skull lay
a hatchet, and friend Craven told me he kill-
ed that bear in a hand-to-hand encounter,
with no weapon but the hatchet. Friend C.
has a pack of thirteen hounds, to assist him
in hunting wolves and bears. In a pen near
by they had eight puppies just old enough
to be pretty and cunning. Inside of the lit-
tle building, or barn, was a young wolf
which the dogs had chased into a brush-
heap, if I remember correctly. But friend

C. has the dogs so wrell trained that he for-
bade any one of them biting the wolf at all,
and he went in and caught him and put a
collar around his neck. When we went in
to see the wolf, he turned his head one way
and then another, and even pushed it down
in one corner, out of sight, covering it with
his paws. He seemed to say by his actions,
" I do not want to see you at all. Flease go
off and let me alone."1 And then he fairly
whined, because he felt so bashful, and so
much embarrased in the presence of stran-
gers. His master, however, pulled him out
of the corner by a chain, and made him
stand up and show himself. I told friend < '.
that, if he would get the wolf out into the
sunlight, I would take his picture with the
Kodak. For a long while he kept putting
his head down between his paws, or down
against the woodpile. But finally we got
him to look up; and while he was glaring
at me, and showing his teeth, I snapped the
key of the Kodak, and here is his picture.
I just wish you could have seen the
glare of his eyes as he showed his
teeth at me, as he thought I was go-
ing to shoot him, or possibly scare
the life out of him in some way or
other.

Just as we were ready to start I
was greatly interested in seeing the
thirteen hounds jumping and caper-
ing around Mrs. Craven, who was
just going out into the yard with a
small-sized tub, or something of the
sort, in one hand. It was time to
give them their dinner, and I laugh-
ingly remarked that they were inter-
ested in their daily food about as
much as any of us. Mr. Craven, how-
ever, replied :

li Friend Root, it would perhaps
surprise you if I should be able to
draw their attention to something
else so effectually that, hungry as
they are, their dinner would be for-
gotten and deserted in an instant.''

I replied that I could hardly see
how it were possible ; but he bade
me please watch him carefully. I
saw smiles on the faces of the rest
of the family. Well, what he did
was to slip into the house very quietly,
and presently return with his gun. He
kept the gun out of sight as much as possi-
ble, screening it by his body. But pretty
soon one of the grayhounds caught a
glimpse of it. In an instant it uttered a pe-
culiar call, or bay ; and as if by magic every
one of the beautiful animals left the food
and started after their master. He slowly
walked toward the gate, still keeping the
ri fie out of their sight ; but their eyes and
instincts were keen. The whole pack set
up a chorus of voices, and in their joy they
leaped and bounded around him as if they
would spring over his head. Some of them
bounded on as if to lead the way ; and
you never before, perhaps, witnessed such
rejoicing by a lot of dumb animals. All
this was just because they supposed he was
going out for a hunt. Ferhaps miles upon
miles of travel lay before them, so far as
they knew, and doubtless hours of time

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

749

without food ; but for all that their dinner
was abandoned without hesitation, and, to
the greater part of tliem, untasted. (Ian you
wonder that my heart bounded with the en-
thusiasm which I caught from themV and I
fairly longed to go with the dogs and their
master, off on a hunt. As I mentally go
over the scene I can not help but wish now
that I had stayed, even if it made me a
week longer in getting home. Next time I
will tell you about a wolf-hunt.

A BLACK BEE.

Here is a black bee, and it has long white hair on
two of its legs. I never saw any like it before. We
have 10 6warms of bees. I help hive the bees when
they swarm. Mr. Root, what kind of a black bee is
this ? Custer R. Brown, age 12.

Colora, Md , Aug. 23, 1889.

The bee you inclose we should say was
nothing but an old black bee. He has been
in the service a good while, and has worn
the fuzz all off his body, which makes him
look real black and shiny.

HEAVY RAINS.

We have two new swarms of bees, and we had
another one; but it went back into the hive. The
last one stung papa eight times, because they were
so cross. We had a heavy rain here in July, and
the wind blew branches off from trees, and it blew
the wild cucumbers oft from the windows. We
have not had any surplus honey yet. Our main
crop comes from heart'sease. The Japanese buck
wheat that papa got of you is in bloom.

Everett Thiery, age 9.

Waco, Neb., Aug. 16, 1889.

uncle's bees.

My papa has no bees, but I was down to Mr.
Stuck's, and he has 45 stands. I watched them a
little while. They are making lots of honey just
now. Uncle Joseph was hunting bees, and found 4
swarms; 2 were in large trees, and the men didn't
want them cut. He cut 2, and brought them home,
and each tree had about 25 pounds of honey. Mr.
Stuck told me he took off :S00 pounds of honey this
summer, and has a lot more ready to take off. We
live in the country. I go to Sunday-school. I love
to go. We have Sundayschool after church. I
wish all little boys and girls would go to Sunday-
school. Maggie Krebs, age 11.

Schoolcraft, Mich., Aug. 19, 1889.

THE EVILS OP THE TOBACCO HABIT.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE TOBACCO MANUAL.

PAPA'S BEES.

We live up here in Minnesota where there are a
great many who keep bees. Six years ago my papa
got two colonies, and he has now 115. Last winter
he got Mr. B. Taylor to make him 50 hives. Pa
thinks they are just the thing to have. He has a
place fixed off in the cellar that he winters his bees
in. Papa takes Gleanings, and he said that he
couldn't get along without it. And he also has the
ABC book. Papa never did feed any of his bees,
as other people do that keep bees. Papa had 4 or
5 swarms go off this summer. Do you think a
swarm of bees would go off without clustering first?
Some people that keep bees up here say that they
had a swarm of bees come out and go right off.

Emma Levey, age 10.

Preston, Minn., Aug. 27, 1889.

Swarms do not generally go right off with-
out first alighting, though they have been
known to do so.

a EAR BROTHER:— I usually read your Tobac-
co Column in Gleanings. In the issue of
Aug. 15th, 1 think there is no such column.
In seeing that it was wanting in one in-
stance, I thought that I would write you a
sketch of what 1 am doing this summer; and if you
can find nothing better to put in your columns you
are at liberty to use this. I thought that I could
not use a little of the latter part of the evening of
life better than to give a few lectures on the tobac-
co habit. In cold weather I am not able to be out
much, on account of a bronchial affection with
which I have been afliicted for some years. I be-
gan in May, after it became so warm that I would
not be exposed, and shall continue till cold weather.
I met with far less opposition than I expected in
this work. One fact I try to emphasize in all my
lectures, is the ease by which a person may fall in-
to, or contract, a habit, that it is so hard to get rid
of. Few are the boys that would wish to contract a
habit that would be galling to them the rest of their
lives. And yet this is just what most of them are
doing when they are smoking their first cigar. One
man said to me, just the other day, " I would give a
hundred dollars if I could quit the use of tobacco,
and be myself, without it." Another who had quit
said to his friend who wanted he should take anoth-
er smoke with him, "I would not do it for a hun-
dred dollars. 1 would not have the fight over
again." Still a third, who had four sons that he
wanted to keep from using tobacco, stopped him-
self to be an ensample to them; and on being im-
portuned to use it again he said, "Not for a thou-
sand dollars." That was his estimate of his exam-
ple to his sons. And yet a fourth, who had learned
to use tobacco— and yet a young man, but little
more than twenty, had the habit so firmly fixed
that he said, when importuned to stop, " I would
not promise to do it for a thousand dollars." It ap-
pears a matter of but small moment to smoke now
and then a cigar or take a quid of tobacco; but
when one has been beguiled into the habit, the
quitting is not so trifling a matter. I found an old
man the other day who had not used tobacco for
two months, and that day he was chewing hops vig-
orously, and the women in the neighborhood were
sympathizing with him in his effort, if possible, to
break up the habit of using tobacco. I don't know
how it will turn out; but a woman told me but yes-
terday that her husband, on quitting the use of to-
bacco, chewed poplar twigs for a whole year, carry-
ing them all the time in his pocket. So hard is it
often to break up the habit that is so thoughtlessly
acquired. A sure way to stop the tobacco habit is,
never begin.

I find many wives, wherever I go, who tell me
that, if their husbands are out of tobacco, they
would go and get it for them, if they had to pay for
it by taking in washing; because they are so irrita-
ble and cross, if, perchance, they are without. One
of my gravest charges that I bring against tobacco
is that it is capable of bringing a person into such a
condition, in body and mind, that he can not be
pleasant and agreeable without that draught of
prison. There is not that family of children, whose
father ordinarily uses tobacco but knows, too well,
when he is without it.
The great evil that tobacco is doing in the com-

750

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

munity is not generally sufficiently understood, ex-
cept by physicians, nor by all of them. For in-
stance, last Sunday I dined with a man in a small
town of a few hundreds, and he told me that he had
so used himself up \% ith tobacco that he could not
write with a pen, and with a pencil only as he
steadied one hand with the other, barely to write
his name. By the advice of physicians, and with a
very great trial, lie succeeded in giving it up; and
now he can write with a pen, and is enjoying quite
good health. He also told me of another man,
quite young, in that town, who had to give up busi-
ness; he called him demented; said he was able to
walkabout town some, and that doctors were try-
ing to keep tobacco from him. They hope to see
this young man recover, and he probably will, if
they can keep tobacco from him.

The effects of tobacco are functional, at least for
a time; and if the habit can be broken, and not re-
turned to, we can be hopeful of a permanent cure.
I have met with two physicians in my lecture-tour
who have told me that, during the past year, they
have met with patients who did not know what was
ailing them, and all they had to do was to prescribe
the non-use of tobacco. In both instances, they
said, the prescription was' followed rigidly, and
proved efficacious. There have been, in former
years, two difficulties in the way of such prescrip-
tions as I have just mentioned. Some patients
have not been willing to believe that the doctor has
rightly diognosed his diseas-e, and perhaps still
more who have been unwilling to follow the pre-
scription. However, we will hope, as more light is
being shed on the subject, that physicians and pa-
tients will get along better in the future than they
have in the past.

In my lectures (giving but one lecture in a place,
of course), 1 can say only very little of what might
be said on the subject. After a brief introduction
I give the poisonous properties of tobacco, as
shown by analysis, and then lay down a few well-
known propositions, such as are easily proved by
undoubted testimony. They are substantially as
follows: Tobacco interferes with physical develop-
ment; it hinders intellectual attainments; it lowers
moral character; it is disease-pioduciug; and I
close by showing the influence of tobacco on the
present condition and future prospects of the
church. Under the last head I attempt to show the
vast amount of waste of time and money, a portion
at least of which rightly belongs to God. The no-
torious fact that there are twice as many names of
females as males on our church rolls, when taken
in connection with the fact that at least nineteen-
twentieths of all the tobacco used in our land is
by the males, is significant in the discussion of
the last proposition. Do away with the production
and sale of liquor as a beverage, and tobacco, and I
believe we should see our boys and young men as
willing to take the vows of the Lord upon them as
are our girls and young women. I am quite tired
of hearing it argued, as is done in some quarters,
that our all-wise Creator " has formed the female
mind, by nature, more trustful than he has the
mind of man." 1 would rather trust the mercy of
God now than to bring the charge against him, at
the judgment, that he did not form my mind as
" trustful " as he did the mind of my wife, or the
mind of my son as " trustful " as he did the mind of
my daughter. I would not restrain the grace of
God; but I must confess that 1 have but small hope

of seeing the boy, or young man, converted, if he
keeps himself narcotized with tobacco.
Mapleton, Minn., Aug. 19, 1889. N. A. Hdnt.

Your array of facts prompts me to give
something from actual experience here in
our own town of Medina. One of our prom-
inent physicians, perhaps the most promi-
nent, was a few months ago very sick. In
fact, it was currently reported that he must
die, and I never expected to see him out on
the street again. In a ftw weeks, however,
I was surprised to meet him. Some little
time afterward 1 asked him what it was
that brought him up so quickly — whether it
was some important remedy or the skill of
some city physician. In short, I told him
that I should very much like to know what
doctors did when they were dangerously ill.
He laughingly replied that he guessed it was
a duty of his to tell me all about it. He
finally said that, so far as he could deter-
mine, his recovery came solely and simply
from leaving off a bad habit.

" Why, doctor, you don't mean to say that
you were addicted to bad habits while on a
sick-bed, and near death?"

"Yes, Mr. Root, I do mean to say just
that. And when I decided it was tobacco
that was killing me, I cut off right sharp,
and got well at once."

But he did not stop his story there. Some
little time before the above events, a promi-
nent druggist in our town had a strange
affection that made him fear he was losing
his mind. He kept getting worse, ami he
was finally unable to attend to business.
He just stayed at home and brooded over
the dark cloud that hung over him. He
had not even the solace of sleep, for, to tell
the truth, he could not even sleep nights.
Now, this druggist has a father-in-law who
is an old and skillful physician. Of course,
the father-in-law did all he could for the
patient, but all to no avail. He had already
given up business, so as to have his mind
free from care or anxiety, but tw was nothing
better, but rather grew worse," as we read
in the language of Scripture. Finally, at
the very urgent solicitation of his friends, he
called in the physician who had recently re-
covered. The symptoms were but too well
known to him, and he pronounced the whole
trouble the result of using tobacco— nothing
else. Now, this man rather thought he had
not used more than three or four cigars in a
day. or possibly half a dozen. The cigars
weie stopped, when, presto! nature pro-
ceeded to build up ; reason settled down
squarely on her throne, and our friend was
able to take care of his business, and to en-
joy life. Well, I should like to add that he,
like the doctor, cut right square off. Truth,
however, compels me to add that the old
tyrant did not let him go quite so easily.
The last I kuew of the case was when I
overheard him telling a friend that he could
not accept his invitation to smoke, for his
physician had cut him down to only three
cigars a day — one after each meal.

Our proof-reader just now points me to an
item in the Pacific Bural Press, for June 15.
Here it is :

Dr. Hammond has a wise remark on cigarette-
smoking— that laws to prevent children from smok-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

751

ing them are impossible of enforcement; that this
can be clone only by educating parents to let tobacco
alone. Nearly all the States have indulged in legis-
lation against children. Minors must not do what
they see their fathers do. The manufacture of
cigarettes may be forbidden, and probably ought to
be stopped, as they are, almost without exception,
drugged. Dr. Hammond considers the use of to-
bacco a greater evil than the use of alcohol, and he
has the argument with the facts.

0HR P©J£E£.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto
my path.— Psaijvi 119 : 106.

J FOUND friend Freeborn not only a bee-
keeper, but a nurseryman and fruit-
grower; and, best of all, a humble
follower of Christ Jesus. During my
brief stay we did not have time to talk
on the many subjects that were of great
interest to both of us. But just before I
left 1 found him to be a brother indeed, in
more senses than one. Years ago, when the
Home Papers were lirst started, tbey struck
home away out in Richland Co., Wis., in a
way that I should never have dreamed of, had
it not been for my visit. Brother F. told me
of some of his experiences, and how he had
learned, in the language of our text, to say,
" Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path.1' As I look back over
the years that are past since 1 first com-
menced pleading for Christ Jesus, especial-
ly since during my travels I have found a
brother here and there whose heart was
reached, and, may be, through my earnest-
ness, led to that l' Rock that is higher than
I," I can only say, t- May the Lord be prais-
ed for what he has been pleased to do with
my humble efforts ! " It seems strange and
wonderful that I should, without having any
knowledge or conception whatever of what
was needed in a certain home, have sent
just the message that was perhaps required
to start some poor soul on the upward grade,
from darkness into light.

Friend Freeborn kindly took me in his
buggy off over the hills (that are really
miniature mountains), to the beautiful place
of his son-in-law, Mr. C. A. Hatch. Mr. H.
is one of the wide-awake, progressive young
horticulturists of the State of Wisconsin. I
greatly enjoyed a ramble around friend
Hatch's place, especially through the nur-
sery and among the blackberries, raspber-
ries, currants, etc. Friend Hatch has a silo,
and is working in a line with all modern im-
provements. If 1 am correct, he is pres-
ident of the Wisconsin Bee-keepers' Associ-
ation. In a line with the bear stories that I
got hold of while in California, friend H.
said tliey had one to tell. Not very long ago,
a bear, after killing several sheep and calves,
came into Mr. Hatch's apiary, turned a hive
over, scooped out all of the honey he wanted,
then came up to the window of the honey-
house, which was simply covered with wire
cloth. He peeked through the wire cloth,
to see what there was interesting inside,
gave it a few digs with his claws, and then
went on. He evidently was not particularly
interested in honey-extractors, one-piece
sections, and other apiarian appliances.

The bear was followed up, and killed shortly
afterward.

There was a good deal of scolding when 1
told them that 1 must take the train for
Green Bay in the morning. Friend Free-
born said that ever so many had been mak-
ing great calculations on seeing me, and one
of their ministers had planned to have me
talk to some of his people, who would not
listen very much to a preacfter. I felt a great
deal touched at this exhibition of his faith
in my poor efforts; but it made me sad to
think how disappointed this good friend of
mine would be if he knew A. I. Root as well
as some of his intimate friends know him.
Toward evening friend Freeborn and I had
a grand ramble, sampling the new varieties
of berries away up on the steep hillside.
Why, I should never think of using a horse
there to cultivate, any more than any thing
in the world, where the ground is so sloping
that one fears every minute he will tip over
and roll clear to the bottom of the hill. But
1 tell you, the berries grow on these hillsides.
Next morning, before train time, we visited
his apiary at Twin Bluffs, and saw the boys
commence extracting again from the very
same hives that had been emptied complete-
ly only about three days before. The station
agent there was also a bee-keeper, and of
course he had a friendly greeting for your
humble servant. Twin Bluffs derives its
name from two beautiful round-topped hills
that look almost alike.

My visit to Green Bay I have already de-
scribed. When that was finished I made all
haste to get a steamer at Milwaukee, that 1
might be enabled to pass the Sabbath with
my sister in Manistee, where I expected to
join Blue Eyes. But, alas! with all my
haste I was obliged to stay in Milwaukee
over Sunday. The steamers leave every
night in the week except Saturday. 1 tried
to find out some bee-keeper or honey-dealer
before night set in, but i did not succeed ;
and finally, tired out with the labors of the
week, hungry for supper, and somewhat
homesick, it must be confessed, 1 sought the
nearest respectable hotel. Now, 1 did not
intend to stop at the finest hotel in the great
city of Milwaukee; but by some sort of
bludering I got there nevertheless.

I am rather glad 1 did, however, for the
Plankinton House afforded me a grand op-
portunity of studying humanity among the
higher circles. When told their prices per
day were from $2.50 to $5 00, 1 asked for the
$2.50 accommodations. Even at this price my
room was a beautiful one— a good deal finer
and nicer than 1 deserved, as it seemed to
me. I made up my mind at once that I was
going to see what there was particularly
different in this great fine hotel from ordi-
nary ones. Well, now, I was greatly pleas-
ed and gratified to find that, if it were not a
Christian spirit that pervaded this fine
house, it was something very near like it.
For instance, when I first asked the clerk
some questions, he very pleasantly, and
without a bit of the superior air that we
sometimes find, directed me to a desk ad-
joining his own. Here I found a good-look-
ing man standing ready to answer all the
questions that anybody might need to ask.

752

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

Not only this, he had the city directory right
before him, and seemed to have learned it
so as to have it at his fingers'1 ends. lie at
once spoke as kindly, and with as much in-
terest as if he were your S. S. teacher. Be-
sides, errand-boys were ready to do his bid-
ding. He told me all about the churches,
Sunday-schools, Young Men's Christian As-
sociation, Women's Christian Temperance
Union, etc. When I asked him about A. V.
Bishop he told me that Mr. B. was but a
few doors away, and that a boy would go
with me and see if he was in his place of
business. When we found he was not, I
was directed to Mr. Bishop's residence.
Well, he had moved away. But our friend
who is employed by this rich institution to
help people— in fact, to " minister" to their
wants— did not propose to give up, by any
means. lie found out where Mr. Bishop
had moved to ; but by the time we got
there, no one seemed to be at home, and so
we gave it up. Of course my good friend
would have assisted me to make Mr. B. a
call on Sunday, had I been so inclined. Of
course, I did not wish to do so. However, I
apologized for making so much trouble, and
asked to be shown the building of the Y. M.
C. A. I was assured, with a smiling face,
that such was their business, and that they
were always glad to assist the guests in any
thing they wanted. Now, I tell you, friends,
there is a moral in all this. This great firm
had, without doubt, taken pains to pick out
a man whose patience was almost inexhaust-
ible, who could answer questions from
morning till night, look over directories,
listen to any long stories that any of the
guests of the house might tell in explaining
his wants, and then go to work and help
him, in the strict sense of the word. This
clerk was not an exception. The waiters
all over the establishment seemed to be
picked men. A bright colored boy takes
your hat when you go in to meals, and when
you go out he gives the right hat to the
right man every time, and does it with a
smiling face. When you remember that
there are a hundred or more hats and a hun-
dred or more men, you can see that our
young friend must be something of agenius.
He takes a good look at the hat and then a
good look at the man, and I never saw him
make a mistake. Perhaps these good
friends were all Christians? They certain-
ly acted Christianlike ; but I am afraid it
was more because they were paid for exhib-
iting Christianlike virtues than because
they loved God and humanity. Sunday
morning I was up between five and six as
usual. My good friend had told me, the
night before, that there was no place of
worship open before half-past nine. At
this hour there was a Methodist prayer-
meeting in one part of the city ; and wish-
ing to attend as many religious services as
possible, I proposed to be on hand ; there-
fore when I had got my breakfast (there
was no trouble at ail in getting breakfast at
six o'clock in the Plankinton Hotel) I look-
ed around for a Bible in order to study my
Sunday-school lesson. Well, our obliging
clerk, who knew the directory from begin-
ning to end, and who could have furnished

me any thing to cat or drink that can be
found in almost any part of the world, was
stumped when I asked him for a Bible.

" Why, my friend, there are probably Bi-
bles in the house somewhere, but I do not
know just where to put my hand on them at
this hour. I have one at home that my
mother gave me, that would be most cheer-
fully at your service if I could get it just
now. But as it is, 1 do not know what bet-
ter we can do than to wait until the Y. M.
C. A. is open at half-past ten."

When I was at Woodman, the storekeeper
that was offended at my plain talk, said
that, if nobody patronized the saloons, there
would not be any. He rather threw it in
my teeth. This good friend here said it
very kindly, but he rather intimated that
few people ever called for Bibles at half-
past six on Sunday morning ; but that if they
did, the proprietors of the hotel would cer-
tainly have had them in abundance. In
fact, they make it one of the fine arts to
minister to the wants of the great sea of hu-
manity that is found in our large cities. I
was a sort of eccentric or peculiar individ-
ual, or I should not have wanted a Bible— I
was going to conclude this sentence by say-
ing, " at such an unseasonable hour;'" but
my good friend to whom I am dictating was
going to put in, when my attention was
called to other matters for a moment, "be-
fore most men wanted their every-day gar-
ments." Now, I would have cheerfully
given the price of a good Bible for the use
of one for just those two or three hours.
My friend at the desk suggested that I could
probably get one at the bookstores ; but 1
told him that the bookstores that were open
on Sunday would not, on general principles,
have Bibles to sell. I did not go out on the
streets and try it, for you may remember
that it is not very many months ago that a
good friend gave me quite a smart repri-
mand for patronizing people who do sell
things on Sunday. While doing every thing
I could think of to keep the Sabbath holy,
without a Bible, my thoughts ran in the
line of our text to-day. May the Lord be
praised that 1 have found the word of God
"a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my
path "! If I could not have a Bible, I con-
cluded I would go real early to the Metho-
dist prayer-meeting, and so I started off a
good deal before the time. My good friend
the clerk told me how many blocks it was
away, but I did not think very much about
" blocks." When I neared the great Trini-
ty Methodist church I felt glad to know
that such large numbers of people wrere,like
myself, going to the prayer-meeting. From
their talk, however, 1 judged they were not
just the kind of prayer-meeting people that
1 had been in the habit of meeting.

When 1 first came into Milwaukee I no-
ticed some great showbills telling by pic-
tures, as well as by great big letters that
some girls were going to play a game of
base ball. I now noticed that this game of
base ball was to come off on Sunday. The
girls who wrere to play were to be rigged
out like ballet-dancers; and as we neared
Trinity church, the number of pictures in
regard to this game of base ball became

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

753

more frequent than ever. When we came
to the church, the streets were literally filled
with crowds; and then I discovered that
the game was in a park a little beyond the
church. I had been, for a mile or more back,
in with the crowd of Sabbath-breakers, go-
ing to see girls play base ball on God's
holy day. With a sad heart I reached the
church. Its doors were not open, and I sat
down on the steps. Nine o'clock came ;
quarter-past ; then half-past. Not even the
sexton came to open the doors of the mag-
nificent structure that the worshipers might
go in. The crowd still surged past to the
ball-grounds, and finally two women, but no
men, came to prayer-meeting. I could not
help thinking then of the time when all the
world had given up and lost faith in Christ
Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and only a
couple of women came in the early morning
to perform the last rites to his dead body.
It just then occurred to me that I was then
so far away from the Congiegational church,
where I pioposed to attend preaching, that
I could not get back in time, even by the
aid of the street-cars. But by inquiry I
found there was a small Congregational
church not far away from the Trinity Meth-
odist church. I reached there in good time,
only to be told that, for some unaccounta-
ble reason, the minister had failed to come.
Where was the sexton V and where was the
leader of that Methodist prayer-meeting at
half-past nine? Where, too, was our Con-
gregational minister at half-past ten? Now,
don't be hard on me, dear friends, if I did
wonder just a little whether it was not pos-
sible that these brothers had caught the
infection, and gone with the rest of the
multitude to see girls play base ball. By
the way, is it customary to have base ball
on Sunday? How is it where you live?
May God forbid that this custom should
ever get to be common ; and a thousand
times more may God forbid that the other
sex should take up the game on that holy
day — the sex that we have been taught from
childhood up to regard as a model of every
thing that is pure and holy. May be I am
finding a good deal of fault with the city of
Milwaukee ; but I do feel that it was a
burning shame that the good people of that
city should allow at least a great portion of
it to be hung with posters as it was on that
pleasant Sabbath morning — posters that
were conspicuous because of the display and
prominence that was made of the bare legs
of the women or girls who were going to
play base ball.

I am now going to tell you what I found
in Milwaukee that was good. The Sabbath-
school in the little church I have mentioned
was well attended, and a true Christian
spirit seemed to pervade every heart. My
heart went out in love to the dear brother
who conducted the Bible class, wherein I
found a place. His voice betrayed a slight
foreign accent ; but his words, that came
from the very depths of his heart, showed
unmistakably that he was intimately ac-
quainted with the dear Savior. The Y. M.
C. A. building is one of the finest edifices I
was ever in. I think I have been told that
it cost something like a quarter of a million

of dollars, and that there is perhaps no other
Y. M. C. A. structure like it in the United
States. The address to the young men was
most grand, and fully up to the times. The
city is one of the neatest, cleanest, and pret-
tiest that I have ever visited. The rooms of
the W. C. T. II. were in plain sight, light
across the street from the Plankinton Hotel,
and I intended to call there; in fact, I did
think of applying there for a Bible; but I
was a little timid about going out, even on
such an errand, so early on Sunday morning.
1 suppose that Milwaukee is as well supplied
with Bibles as perhaps any other city, and
perhaps there were thousands that very
morning who would gladly have extended to
me the family Bible, had my wants been
known. The absence of worshipers at the
places of worship may perhaps be explained
by the fact that my visit was about the sea-
son when many ministers take their vaca-
tion. But I tell you, dear friends, it seems
as if we ought to bear in mind the fact that
Satan vircr takes a vacation ; and 1 should
not be at all surprised if he plans his work
and masses his forces so as to make his very
biggest hits just about vacation time of the
church and Sunday-school. The thought of
the little ones being led by their parents to-
ward that base-ball game on Sunday morn-
ing still haunts me— those little ones rigged
out in their Sunday best, and in tiptop trim
for Sunday-school— little ones ready to be
led to Sunday-school, or ready to be led into
the very clutches of the evil one. Dear
brother and sister, how is it with you ? and
how are you leading your children? l)o
they know, and have they already learned,
that God's word is a lamp unto your feet
and a light unto your path ?

dim 0wn jinnw,

CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT.

RAISING CELLS A LA DOOLITTLE.

J^URING the last few weeks we have
|Jc|| been raising, or, rather, completing
wj cells, in the upper stories, above per-
*& forated zinc, of two or three strong
colonies. The plan is a success after
cells have been given them already started.
Although vve anticipate doing so soon, we
have not yet made the little cells with the
rake tooth, described in Doolittle's book,
and giving the same, when filled with larvae,
to the Doolittle upper stories, as we call
them. So far we have been selecting here
and there cells started, and which have al-
ready in them the larva and its royal food.
These have beeu stuck on to the combs in
the Doolittle upper stories. In process of
time they were built out nicely, and com-
pleted. At tirst our Mr. Spafford thought
they were larger than cells built in queen-
less colonies ; but now he thinks lie sees no
difference. Those cells that I examined
were very nice, but 1 did not think them
any larger than cells built in queenless col-
onies. But more anon on this subject

THE DOOLITTLE QUEEN-CELL PROTECTORS.

Some years ago we illustrated and de-

7-54

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

scribed the Loolittle device as above. Lat-
er, having tested them, we gave a report
as to their workings. This report was rath-
er unfavorable. Luring the latter part of
this summer we have been using them
again ; and where colonies seem determined
to tear down cells, they are no doubt a good
thing. Our Mr. Spafford says he does not
know how we could get along without them,
in some cases. When we first tried them,
they seemed to be more the cause of cells
being torn down than an actual protection ;
but we now know that we did not insert the
cells properly. Some of the readers may
have forgotten just what these protectors
are, and I here reproduce an engraving
which we gave a couple of years ago.

THE DOOLITTLE (JUEEN-CELL PROTECTOR.

To put in the cell, insert it so that the
apex will close the mouth of the protector.
It should also retreat a little from the out-
side edge. Twist the strands of the four
corners together, and push it down between
the brood combs. When bees tear down
cells they usually make a hole in the side,
and rarely attack the end of the cell where
the queen gnaws out. As the bees can not
get at the sides of the cells, the queen is al-
lowed to hatch when she pleases. One very
pleasant thing about these cages is the fact
that a cell in one of them is protected from
the careless handling of the apiarist. It
can be crowded down between the combs,
and when the hive is opened again after the
lapse of a couple of days, to see if the cell is
hatched, the frames can be pulled apart
without danger of tearing open the cell.
The protector can be lifted out ; if the cell
is not yet hatched, it can be reinserted be-
tween the combs.

A QUEEN - EXCLUDING HONEY -BOARD AS
AN ANTI-SWARMER, Oli (HJEEN-TRAP.

On page 637 of the issue for Aug. 1, in my
answer in the Question-Box department, I
incidentally mentioned the fact that we had
been using a queen - excluding honey-
board between the brood-nest and the bot-
tom-board, for the purpose of preventing
the queen from going forth with the swarm.
Although the idea was original with me, I
did not at the time so state it, because I felt
quite sure that some one else had antedated
me iti something so obviously simple and
suggestive, in the style of a hive such as the
Dovetailed. By an article which we pub-
lish on page 66y you will see that Mr. James
Ileddon tried the same thing in 1NS4, or ear-
lier. Since that time Mr. .lohn II. Howard,
of Holme, near Peterboro, England, a sup-
ply-dealer, and a well known writer for the
British Bee Journal, writes that we have
been using the honey-board in the combina-
tion above named, without giving him cred-
it, and says that he used the same thing in

1886, and has since been granted a patent
on it in Great Britain, and intimates that
he may patent it in the United States. If
friend Howard will turn to page 669 he will
see that Mr. Ileddon has antedated him by
two years, which entirely sets aside his get-
ting *a patent on the same in the United
States ; and, if I am not mistaken, it would
render the one in Great Britain useless so
far as giving him the exclusive use of it is
concerned. Now, I should not be at all
surprised if some one had used the same
idea earlier than 1884. I do not bring this
thing up here to provoke controversy, but
simply to show that, when we think we
are original in a thing, we are pretty apt to
be mistaken in these days of progressive
bee culture. Please read our comment in
reply to A. A. Eradenburg's article, in an-
other column, in regard to priority and ear-
ly use of raising queen-cells in the upper
story of a colony already possessing a queen.

BEES WORKINO ON JAPANESE BUCK-
WHEAT; PHOSPHATE.

For some reason or other, reports have
seemed to indicate that the bees pay more
attention to other varieties of buckwheat
than to Japanese. One of our lady bee-
keepers, a Mrs. Shane, of Chatham, Ohio,
had four acres of Japanese in bloom. Her
apiarist told me that the bees fairly swarm-
ed on it during the morning, and sometimes
even during the afternoon. By an accident,
a part of it was phosphated and a part not.
The former was in every way superior to
the other. Neighbor H. had some 20 acres
near our basswood apiary. He said the
bees were working upon it very heavily.
He phosphated a part of it, and the rest was
put in without phosphate. Bees were work-
ing altogether the best on the phosphated. 1
went down a couple of mornings to see the
bees at work ; but before I got around to go
down, the weather became so dry that but
very few bees were upon either patch, al-
though the piece with the phosphate showed
some .few bees. The stalks on this piece
of buckwheat, I should say, were on the
average twice as high as the stalks on the
other piece without phosphate.

ANOTHER RED-CLOVER QUEEN.

In our home apiary we have a genuine
red-clover queen. She is, I think, fully
equal to the one which we had several years
ago, that showed such remarkable qualities.
While the other colonies in the home apiary
have been doing little or nothing lately
in storing surplus, the bees of this red-
clover queen have been storing honey from
red clover in the sections right along. There
has not been a day, I think, but that they
have been busy. Lay before yesterday we
took off 50 lbs. of section honey, a large por-
tion of which was from red clover. Lesir-
ing to raise some queen cells, we took out
two of the brood-combs and inserted a cou-
ple of empt] ones in their place. Before the
queen could deposit an egg in either of
them, her bees crammed them full of honey,
and this during a time when drouth has
been prevailing for almost a month back.
The worst pan of it is, ihe quttn is already
two years old. We .shall do all in our power

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

?55

to preserve her as long as possible, and in
the mean time will give her an ample op-
portunity to raise drones, so that the latter
will infuse their blood into some of our own
home-bred queens. We shall also commence
rearing queens from her. Although not an
imported queen, she is a daughter of one.
She is not very light-colored and her work-
ers are not extra yellow, although having
the three characteristic yellow bands.

OUR MlNORCANS.

A couple of months ago, Mr. F. C. An-
dreu, of Port Mahon, Spain, editor of Revis-
ta Apicola, sent us a Minorcan queen. The
bees have hatched out, and some of them
are now a month old, so that we have an
opportunity of judging somewhat of their
disposition. They are nervous, and rather
more vindictive than Italians. The queen
is exceedingly prolific. The Minorcan bees
themselves are black, and look very much
like the common blacks of this country.
They might also be easily taken for Carnio-
lans, both in color and in general disposi-
tion, although I think the Carniolans are
not quite so nervous. I will report further
in regard to them later.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

MAKING GARDEN IN SEPTEMBER.

cTUST as soon as it begins to be cool
cJP weather, I begin to feel an unusual in-
|U terest in all sorts of gardening that
^ cau be done in the fall. Some way or
other— I can not exactly tell why — the
mellow soil has a wonderful fascination for
me just before frost comes, or perhaps a
little after frost. At this season of the year,
ground that has been tilled is usually in
fine nice order ; and it has always seemed to
me too bad to let it lie idle. Then the ques-
tion comes up, What is there that we can
plant and nurse and care for in the months
of September, October, and November?
What is there to look fresh and green and
thrifty, that frost won't harm? Well, so
far as planting seeds is concerned— that is,
planting to do any good— our list is a rather
small one. Just as soon as any crop is fin-
ished and clone for, I want to see the ground
cleared off, and have something take its
place. What can we plant, as one crop
after another disappears. At first I was go-
ing to say there are only two things that will
stand the severest weather here in Ohio.
These two are rye and spinach. Spinach,
with us, stands just about as severe freez-
ing as does rye. The first is a profitable
crop to raise, and can be sold in the winter
at any time when there is a thaw ; there-
fore I would have plantings of spinach ev-
ery week or ten days. Just now is perhaps
a good time to start spinach to be wintered
over. Rye is sown only to be turned under
in the spring, for no one presumes a mar-
ket-gardener is going to make it pay to
raise rye. Well/there is another thing.
The winter onions may be planted this
month or next, and they will come right up

and grow, and seem to do all the better
when the weather gets colder.

Oh, yes ! there is still another thing that
you can plant, and plant largely, during
this month and next, and you can manure
the ground and fertilize it, and work it up
fine to your hearts content, and with a
pretty good prospect of making it pay too.
Shall I tell you what it is? Why, strawber-
ries. They will grow and send out runners
for two months yet, and the frost just
makes them handsomer, until it gets to be
severely coin; and even then, if there is a
tolerable covering of snow, they do not
seem to be hurt any. Strawberries are my
special favorites in these fall months. You
have plenty of time to pick off the runners
as fast as they appear, and loosen the dirt
around the plants, and give them liquid
manure. I know some writers say you
should not encourage a rank, strong growth
late in the fall ; but I have never seen a bit
of bad effect from it. The plants that I
fairly covered up with little chunks of ma-
nure, so that when a shower came, the wa-
ter all around them looked like green ink,
gave the biggest crop the next season, of the
biggest berries. I do not believe you can
hurt a strawberry by excessive stimulating,
no matter when you do it. In getting
plants for sale, our boys have been in the
habit of laying a little lump of dirt or a
stone on the runner, to keep it where they
wanted it. 1 saw them at it, and said,
" Why, bless your hearts, boys, don't use
stones or lumps of dirt. Just get a wheel-
barrow full of chunks of rich manure, and
lay a lump of manure over each runner,
close to the embryo plant."

GARDENING UNDER GLASS

The one who learns to- love to see plants
grow, will, as frost approaches and in-
creases, very soon begin to feel a longing
for some sort of protection. Cucumbers, to-
matoes, and ever so many other things, run
up in price very quickly when frost appears.
Something to keep the frost away will often
prove a good investment. Cloth frames an-
swer very well until snow comes. When
you begin to get snow on top of your cloth,
it is a nuisance. Then you must have wood-
en shutters, or, better still, glass. Just
now thousands are turning their attention
to cold-frames, or cold-frame greenhouses to
be wanned in different ways. A cold-frame
greenhouse is one so made that one can go
inside of it. Now a word in regard to set-
ting glass. For the past year we have been
using the Iv?s putty-machine, advertised in
our floral and gardening periodicals. With
this the putty is diluted with good white
paint until it can be forced out in a liquid
form, where the glass touches the sash.
Dry sand is then blown on the sticky paint
as long as the. paint will hold it. When dry
it is as hard as stone. Now, the Ives putty-
machine costs $1.50* but we decided it was
well worth four times the price, because of
the saving of labor in setting the glass. One
of our boys happened to be in the counter
store, and picked off from the lo-ceut coun-
ter what is called the Atlas insect-powder
gun. This is made for blowing pyrethrum
or any other powder on the insects. It is

758

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

simply an oval rubber ball, with a nozzle at-
tached to one end. By cutting off the
strainer from the large end of the nozzle,
we had a putty machine all ready for use.
Mix your paint and putty just right, till the
rubber ball, then by squeezing the ball you
can send a stream of the liquid paint exactly
where you want it. Two of our men decid-
ed at once they could work faster with the
15-cent machine than they could with the
$1.50 machine. This insect-powder gun can
be sent by mail at an expense of only 1 cents
for postage.

SAVING TOMATOES FOR SEED.

In answer to several questions, you may
save the seed from any tomato that pleases
you ; and even if you have a dozen varieties
in the same row, there is no danger of mix-
ing—at least I have been told so by the ex-
periment-station folks. The present indica-
tions are that the Ignotum tomato-seed will
command a big price next season — perhaps
$1.00 or #1.50 au ounce; therefore you had
better save every seed. To pave the seeds,
just scoop them out of the tomatoes before
you cook or can them ; set them in a bowl
or dish, with a little water, in some warm
place, until the whole mass gets sour. When
it is sour enough to begin to smell bad, the
seeds will wash out as clean and handsome
as you please. Spread them on plates or
boards to dry, and that is all there is to it.

COLD-FRAME CABBAGE- PLANTS.

If you are going to have some sash, or
even wooden shutters, to cover your cold-
frames, this is the month to sow your Jersey
Wakefield cabbage-plants. It is often said,
that just as good plants can be obtained by
sowing them in the greenhouse in February;
but my opinion is, that, even if we can, we
do not often succeed in getting them. Plants
properly wintered in cold-frames may he
planted out just as soon as the ground can
be worked, even in the latter part of March ;
and as they have already been frozen up
hundreds of times, freezing does not hurt
them a bit ; and your first cabbages will, as
a rule, be from the cold-frame plants. Start
them about the middle of September, and
get nice plants, just as you would do in
spring. In order to get a good stand— that
is, just as many and no more than can oc-
cupy your cold-frame, you must transplant
them. They also want to be in the ground
clear up to the first leaves, and you can not
secure this without transplanting.

THE KU MERLE LIMA BEAN.

The Henderson lima bean is now ready
for the table, and some of the pods are ripe
and dry. It is all right, except being so
small. Its size, in my opinion, is going to
rule it out. We are glad to report, however,
that the Kumerle has proved to be very pro-
lific, and many of the beans are ready to
shell. The probability is, that most of them
will escape frost. The Kumerle is a real
honest bush lima bean : the Henderson is
not, for the reasons above given.

400 BUSHELS OK POTATOES TO THE ACRE.

I have this season succeeded in getting
over 100 bushels of potatoes from a quarter
of an acre. They were Lee's Favorite. At

an expense of 3 cts. per bushel they were
dug, picked up, and stored. In my next I
will tell you how I did it.

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi-Monthly.

«o»-»o«

J^.. I. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.

2*f IEI3Xltf.A., OHIO.

1ERMS Sl.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Clotting Rates, See Firct Page of Reading Matter.

:Mi:E::iDi:isr^„. seft. is, 18S9.

Thy testimonies have 1 taken as a heritage for ever: for
they are the rejoicing of my heart.— Psalm 119: ill.

FRENCH, GERMAN, EKGL1SH, AND AMERICAN BEE-
KEEPERS.

Our proof-reader, in glancing over foreign ex-
changes for August, found the following iu the
Schweizer Bi&nenfrcund, from the pen of Mr. T.
Kellen, of Luxemburg. Mr. Kellen writes from
Paris, in regard to the apicultural display. After
describing the American exhibit he says:

This American display is the most noteworthy,
practical, and beautil ill of all that Americans have
till now produced. An enumeration, with a short
description of all the hives, implements, products,
etc., would fill several volumes. Whoever would
describe the same must needs write a complete
handbook of American apiculture; and that is
something that Europeans still lack The English
and Americans have noticeably surpassed the Ger-
man bee-keepers (not to speak of others) in many
respects. They may at first have learned many
things of Germans, I admit ; but they have learned
how to apply science, and do not remain stationary.
To-day can the German and Frenchman go to the
English and Americans for instruction. Already
what belongs to bee-lore, the Europeans can no
longer measure with the Americans. It will be a
long time before we in Europe shall have such a
work as Root's A B C book, or Langstroth's. The
only one, till now, worthy of notice, on this side of
the ocean, is Gravcnhorst's; and as opposed to that
we have numberless works and "worklets;" and
the most wonderful part of the whole is, that such
books have ever seen the second and third edition.

A VISIT FROM J. W. JENKINS, OF JAMAICA, W. I.

We have just had a very pleasant call from our
Jamaica correspondent, Mr. J. W. Jenkins, of Prov-
idence, Jamaica, who for three years back has been
laboring as a missionary among those semi-civilized
people. The island, on account of the interference
of various nations, has been drained of its wealth,
and the people are almost poverty-stricken. Mr.
Jenkins become interested in apiculture, and at
once began bee-keeping in his missionary field.
His idea was to teach the natives a new source of
income; and thus while he was ministering to their
spiritual wants he could at the same time give
them the means to administer to their own bodily
wants. The bees of the island are black, and the
honey resources are almost unlimited. Mr. Jen-
kins is sure that apiculture can be made a profita-
ble means of livelihood, and he is very anxious that
the nntives have a start in this line. While they
have no wintering problem to contend with, they
have various species of ants which are very fond of
honey, and which, unless checked, would in time
prove the total destruction of the colony. Tq

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

757

prevent their depredations, the hives are placed
on benches, the legs of which stand in zinc pans of
water. There is a species of black ant, which, al-
though very small, will in time rob a colony of its
honey. One colony was put upon the ground; and
it was a very noticeable fact, he says, that this colo-
ny was not doing- as well as those upon the benches,
the little black ants having visited it so much that
its stores were reduced to almost the daily gather-
ing. There is a species of red ant there which is
much worse. They will come in droves; and if their
nest happens to be at a distance from the hives,
they will move into quarters in the immediate vi-
cinity of the bees. From here they will continually
sap the colonies until they have, from the ill-gotten
stores, become so strong that they will in a single
night destroy the colony upon which they have
been preying. In most tropical countries these
various species of ants are one of the greatest hin-
drances to bee culture. Our friend A. A. Bunker
spoke of their untiring depredations in Burma on
his visit to Medina.

PERSONAL, LETTERS TO EDITORS WHO PUBLISH
FALSE STATEMENTS.

Since our article on page 620, of our August 1st
issue, urging bee-keepers themselves to write per-
sonal letters to offending editors, one of our sub-
scribers has taken up the gauntlet in the following
pointed paragraph. He says, in writing to the
Pittsburgh Dispatch:

In your issue of Sunday, August 25, appeared an
article on impurities in sugar by Chevalier Q. Jack-
son, M. D., in which he undertakes to describe
American ingenuity in the manufacture of comb
honey. I was greatly surprised on reading this por-
tion of the article, for I had thought that Dr. Jack-
son prepared himself on the subjects which he
wrote, before submitting them to the reading pub-
lic.

I am convinced that he is mistaken in his state-
ments. If he is not, he should prove their truth
and claim the $10011 reward ottered by Mr. A. I.
Boot, of Medina, O. The latter gentleman stands
pledged to pay that amount " to the person who
will furnish evidence that comb honey has been
manufactured, filled with honey, and capped by
machinery: or who will furnish information of any
place where comb honey is manufactured by ma-
chinery." The Encyclopedia Britannica made the
same error in an article on "glucose " in its Ameri-
can supplement; but on being notified by Mr. Boot,
the publishers wrote that they had started an in-
vestigation and found that the author " had not as
good grounds for his assertion as he should have
had."

Those who write to instruct the public should not
take hearsay statements and tell their readers they
are so. J. B. Black, M. D.

Duncan, Pa., Sept. 7, 1889.

That's right, doctor. This is just the way to do
up these falsehoods. Editors will publish a correc-
tion, brief and courteous, when they will not notice
a reprint from a bee-journal. Let more of our sub-
scribers follow the matter up.

GREAT IS TRUTH, AND WILL PREVAIL; THE NEW
YORK WORLD IN DEFENSE OF BEE-KEEPERS.

While hundreds of daily and weekly papers have
been slandering the comb-honey business by alleg-
ing that the article was manufactured and " deftly
filled by appropriate machinery," one large daily,
without any solicitation from bee-keepers, has
come out and stated the honest truth. The daily to
which we refer is no less than the New York World,
which by all odds is the largest daily in the United
States, aud perhaps in the world. This is the clipping,
which has been sent us by one of our subscribers:

HOW HONEY-COMBS ARE MADE.

Helen of Troy, Sea Cliff, L. I.—" Can you tell me

whether honey-combs are always made by bees, or
are there such things as patent ones?"— Honey in
the comb is always made by bees and never by ma-
chinery. When you buy honey in that shape you
may feel quite certain it is the genuine article, and
that there is no patent on it. Comb foundation
made of beeswax is in quite common use. On this
the bees form the cells, fill with honey, and cap
them.

If this is not coming out " square-toed " in favor
of our much-abused industry, then we do not know
what better we could have. We desire, in these
columns, to thank the editor of the World for tak-
ing the pains to find out the truth of the matter, in-
stead of copying the slander, which has no founda-
tion. Now, why can't the editors of some of these
smaller dailies be just as eager to copy this truth as
to scatter broadcast the lying statements of some
smart reporter, or the statement of some other
periodical? If the World is as careful in other
things as in this one, no wonder it has the largest
circulation, and it deserves it. Give the World a
boost, every chance you can get, so long as it sticks
by the truth; and give the go-by to papers that per-
sist in publishing falsehoods about comb honey.
If more bee-keepers would stop those papers that
come into their homes, which have maligned our
industry, and refuse to make amends, it might help
to open the eyes of these editors who have " not
time to investigate the truth," but take slander be-
cause it is cheap.

Since the foregoing was written, the following
item, clipped from the Family Herald and Weekly
Star, of Montreal, Can., has been sent in. It reads
as follows :

ARTIFICIAL COMB HONEY.

The Family Herald and Weekly Star recently pub-
lished, under the heading " Curious Pacts " a state-
ment copied from an American paper, to the effect
that artificial honey had b«en made of potato starch
and oil of vitriol, the comb being manufactured
out of parafiiue wax. The item referred to has been
going about in the American papers for some time,
and the author of it is alleged to be Professor
Wiley, of the United States Agricultural Depart-
ment. Mr. Stewart, of Nairn, Ont., writes that he
is willing to give one hundred dollars, and that A.
I. Boot, of Medina, Ohio, will give one thousand
dollars to any one who will show them artificial
comb honey and tell them where it is manufactur-
ed. But Mr. Stewart and Mr. Boot are likely to
keep their money, for there is no doubt that they
are right. The statement that artificial comb hon-
ey has been successfully produced from potato
starch, oil of vitriol, and parattine wax, is not worthy
of credence. However, even if the statement were
true, it would not in any way reflect on the bee-
keepers, who are, undoubtedly, a most conscien-
tious and upright class of persons. Even those
who believed the item was trustworthy would not
suppose that the artificial honey was made by bee-
keepers anymore than they would suppose that
the oleomargarine substitute for butter was made
bydairjmen or farmers' wives. If such artificial
honey could be made it would come into competi-
tion with the bees and bee-keepers just as oleomar-
garine comes in competition with honest butter
and those who make it.

Good for the Star! Give it a boost, ye Canadians !
Let's patronize the papers that tell the truth about
our industry. Let more papers follow suit. Surely
truth will triumph in time, but we must keep fight-
ing the falsehoods, and that, too, by personal letters
from beekeepers.

And here comes the Maryland Farmer for Septem-
ber, with a good square contradiction in regard to
artificial comb honey. Friends of the Maryland
Farmer, here is our hand; and we hope every bee-
keeper who lives in your vicinity will express his
thauks in the shape of a dollar for your magazine,
for one year at least.

758

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

A GOOD REPORT FROM I>H. MILLER.

/ ■'/ a iid A. I.:— I don't know how many times dur-
ing the last few weeks Mrs. Miller has said to me
something like this: " Why don't you write a note
to Mr. Root, telling- him of your success? He seem-
ed much pleased and interested when here, in the
honey-flow you were getting." Well, you know that
at the time you were here the bees were taking a
fresh start at'storing. Since that time they kept it
up straight along, although rather slowly, still with-
out stop, till last week, about Sept. 5. So I have
taken 11,000 or 12,003 lbs. of honey, and have sold it,
and am now crowded to get it ready for shipment.
You're glad, aren't you V C. C. Miller.

The above came in a private letter; but I am sure
the doctor will pardon us for letting some other
friends of his have a glimpse at it. To be sure, we
are glad, old friend.

SENDING BEES BY THE HALF-POUND THROUGH
THE MAILS.

Our good friend Pratt, of Marlboro, Mass., has
actually succeeded in doing it; yes, even where the
bees were missent, so as to be out four or five days,
instead of two, and they came through with only
two or three dead bees. Full particulars are given
in the American Bee Journal for Sept. 14. Now,
while we are pleased to hear of the success of this
experiment, we are greatly troubled, for fear the
postal authorities may not only rule out bees by
the half-pound, but bees and queens. In fact,
queens have been sent us repeatedly in such shape
that I would not blame the department for shutting
down on us. If friend Pratt is permitted to send
half-pounds through the mails, other bee-keepers
must of course have the same permission; and per-
haps not one in a thousand is as well able to put up
their bees as is friend Pratt. I do not exactly see
how half a pound of bees can well be put up so that
the package may not be smashed by some accident;
and one such smash-up would perhaps finish the
business for us. As Prof. Cook was instrumental
in getting queens through the mails when they
were once cut off, I should very much like to know
his opinion in regard to the matter. Friend Doolit-
tle, who writes the matter up, as well as the editor
of the American Bee Journal, do not either one seem
to apprehend very much trouble in the matter.
Besides, sending this trial package through the
mails is, if we are correct, a direct violation of our
present laws. We have this week received through
the mails a glass bottle containing a full half-pint of
honey. It did not get broken, but it is a wonder.
Friend Doolittle suggests that the powdered sugar
rattling down in the mail-bags would be an objec-
tion. So far as that is concerned, grinding the
sugar in a paint-mill, or otherwise, so that there are
no grains at all, will, I think, fix that part of it.
Sugar and honey ground together would be like
paint or cream. In that state, I feel sure the bees
would eat every particle, both of sugar and honey.

gPECITIli ]S[0TOEg.

WINTER ONION-SETS.

These will do nicely if planted now. Price 10c per
quart, or 75c per peck. If wanted by mail, send 10c

per quart e\l I a.

GRAND RAPIDS LETTUCE.

Now is the time to plant Grand Rapids lettuce in
the open ground, so as to have fine strong plants
for Betting in the greenhouse. It is economy to
have them make as much growth as possible out-
doors, on account of the comparative cheapness of
the ground and the saving in expense of watering,
airing, etc. With a little rude protection you can
get very nice lei luce Thanksgiving and Christmas
from seeds planted iti the open ground.

STRAWBERRY-PLANTS IN SEPTEMBER.

Since our bountiful rain we are fully supplied
with the very linest, well-rooted strawberry-plants,

grown on our river-bottom. We can furnish Sharp-
ies at 10 cts. for 10; 50 cts. per LOO, or 84.00 per 1000;
Jersey Queen and Jessie, 10 cts. for 10; 75 cts. per
100, or $5.00 per 1000. At present writing we place
the Jessie ahead of every other strawberry we have
ever had, for general purposes. The new Bubach,
we have not tested as thoroughly as we have the
Jessie; but so far as we have tried it, it gives great
promise. Prices of the Bubach, 15 cts. for 10; $1 00
per 100, or $7.50 per 10iK). The latter is perhaps the
largest berry we have ever had any thing to do
with: but when ripe it is very soft, and must be
handled carefully. By using pint boxes, however,
and getting them before customers pretty quickly
after they are fully ripe, you can get along very
well. If you are having rain, 1 do not know any
better month to set out strawberries than Septem-
ber. We have been obliged to increase the postage
on our strawberry plants, because they are so much
larger and heavier than any we have ever before
raised. If wanted by mail, add 5 cts. extra for 10,
or 20 cts. for 100. __

DISCOUNTS TO THOSE WHO ORDER GOODS FOR
NEXT SEASON'S USE NOW.

According to our usual custom, we offer the fol-
lowing discounts for early orders. The reasons for
this are many, and the reasons why you should
take advantage of our offer are many more. Our
main reason for making the offer is to divert as
much as possible of the trade out of the very
crowded months of the spring into the fall and win-
ter, and thus equalize business as much as possible.
If you know pretty well a large part of your next
spring's needs, you should, by all means, anticipate
these needs for these reasons, and many more that
might be named.

1. It is to your profit, if you have the money to
invest, both in the first cost of the goods and in the
economy in preparing them for use. You can nail
your stuff together more economically iu the win-
ter time, when there is not much else to do, than at
any other time. Hives painted in the winter will
become thoroughly dry by the time you are ready
to use them, and will last much longer.

2. By anticipating your needs you can give the
goods ample time to reach you by freight. Time
and again the past season, customers have sent
large orders for goods by express, and said they
knew the charges would be high, but they could
not wait for freight; they " must have the goods at
once." These high charges might have been saved
by a little forethought.

3. By ordering early you avoid the danger and
worry of having your orders delayed, and the risk
of losing a large part of your honey crop thereby.
The past season, as near as we have been able to
learn, all supply-dealers were more or less behind
on their orders. This is no more than should be ex-
pected with such an unusual demand. Our goods,
from their nature, being bulky, it is manifestly im-
possible to stock up sufficiently to meet such a de-
mand, and it is also impossible to meet the demand
by extra help and machinery, because competent
help can not be had in a day, and the extra work
must necessarily be of poor quality. The easiest
and most sensible way out of the difficulty is for
you who know your needs to have them supplied
ahead; and if you haven't looked far enough, and
should want more goods in the spring in a hurry,
we will try to remember how you helped us out,
and will in return give you as prompt attention as
possible.

We have decided on the following discounts,
which are sufficiently liberal to make it a profit-
able investment for you, and the discounts will
apply to every thing in our catalogue ordered for
next season's use. They can not, of course, apply to
large orders for counter goods or honey-packages;
but if only a few of them are included with an or-
der for hives, etc.. then the discount may be taken
from the whole bill.

Up to November 1st, discount will be 5 per cent.
Alter that date, one per cent a month for each
month before March; i. e., 4 per cent in November,
:j per cent in December, 2 per cent in January, and
1 per cent in February. One per cent a month is
equal to 12 per cent per annum, and money can be
had in most places for fi and S pe>- cent, so that you
see that, although ouroffer is not quite as liberal as
formerly, it. is still profitable, and we trust that
many of you will find it to your advantage to avail
yourselves of it. Kemember. our discounts for
large orders on page 2 of catalogue are applicable
in addition to above discounts.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

7h3

Contents of this Number

Albinos 774

Answers to Questions 785

Australia Letter 773

Beans, Dwarl L'ma 793

Kees in South Afi ioa 771

Bees in a Pie-store 781

Bees Drowning 768

Bees, Types ot 771

Binders 788

Black Grampus 777

Bloat ..773,783

California Fires 779

( larniolans Good 782

Castor Bean 778

Chapman Plant 773

Combs Breaking Down. .778

Commission Men (Q. B.) 783

Editorial 784

Entrances, Small 780

Extracting, Cost of 785

Extractors, France's 775

Fertilization above Zinc — 782

Florida Reptiles 777

Frames, Closed-end 772

France's Extractor 776

Gaura Coceinea 778

Gearing, Upright 775

Heads of Grain 778

Honey-boards 781

Honey, To Ship 779

Honey, Artificial.

He

Ivy

.Machinery of Universe

Mating of Bees Witnessed. .

Milkweed

Notes and Queries

( >iit apiaries

Package, Honey, Cost of....
Pharmacy, Remington's —
Queen-cell on Drone Comb.

Queens, Fattening

lied Clover

Reports Discouraging

Reports Encouraging

Bobbing, To Prevent

liubher v. Tin for Roofs. . . .

Ruts, Old

Sections, One-piece

Sensitive Plant

Skunks

Snake that Breaks in Two.
Slmgs and Rheumatism . .
Strawberries, Everbearing

Wax, Miners

Weight of Dovetailed Hive.'

Wine from Honey '

Wisconsin Trip '

Zinc, Perforated '

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court-house, Brantford, Canada, Dec. 4, 5, 6, 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend. State and district bee-
keepers'societies are invited to appoint delegates to .the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting will be given in due
time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, and receiving
the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding $100 to
the secretary. R. F. Hoi

Brantford, Ont., Can.

R. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.

The Northwestern Bee keepers' Society will hold its annual
convention at the Commercial Hotel, corner of Lake and Dear-
born Sts., Chicago, on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12, at 9
a.m. Arrangements have been made with the hotel for back
room, one bed, two persons, $1.75 per day, each ; front room, $2
per day, each person. This date occurs during the exposition,
when excursion rates on the railroads will be one fare for the
round trip, good from Oct. 10 to 14, inclusive. There has been
a fair crop of honey in the West, and an old-time crowd may
be expected at this revival of the Northwestern from its '• hi-
bernation." w. Z. Hutchinson, Sec'y.

Wants or Exchange Department.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

18tfi)b Hamilton, Hancock Co ., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange good Italian bees for a
good loot-power saw. W. S. Bisel,

19d Atchinson, Kansas.

WANTED.— To exchange for honey, a Given fdn.
press, with L. size die-book, and wax - boilers
and dipping-boards for same. H. D. Bukrell.

Box 386, Bangor, Van Buren Co., Mich.

ANTED.— To exchange 2 canary-bird singers for
any thing we can use in our home.
Helena and Charley Snyder, Orion, Wis.

W

BUBACH, Jessie, Warfleld, Hoffman's Seedling,
May King, and Crescent strawberry - plants,
cheap, in exchange for comb or extracted honey,
sections, or beeswax. Plants true to name.
Write to E. T. Flanagan, Belleville,

Box 995. St. Clair Co.. 111.

WANTED.— To exchange 10,000 Cuthbert raspber-
ry-plants, for sections, foundation, or extracted
honev. I will give a bargain on the above plants.
19 20d P. D Miller, Grapeville, Westm'd Co., Pa.

WANTED— To sell my hive-factory and bees, or
one to take charge of the business. A good
chance for one understanding the business. For
further information write to

P. L Viallon, Bayou Goula, La.

WANTED— To exchange bees, for top-buggy,
road-cart, surgical or dental instruments, watch
or clock. Dr. Corya, Moore's Hill, Ind.

V17ILL exchange Elgin watch for World type writ-
Vi er. E. Hostetler, East Lynne, Cass Co.. Mo.

WANTED.— A situation with an apiarist, for any
length of time. Will give good reference; will
tio to any part of the United States. For further par-
ticulars address S. W. Whit, Box 179, Liberty, Mo.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

A few hybrid queens at !J0 cts. each.

M. ISBELL, Norwich, Chenango Co., N. ¥.

I have about a dozen mismatcd Italian queens*
which I will sell at 40c each, by return mail.

J. M. Kale, Newton Falls, Trumbull Co., O.

Twelve black queens, at 25c each. I guarantee
satisfaction. C. H. Ehlf.uk,

Pleasant Valley, Scott Co., Iowa.

I shall have 30 or 40 black queens between this
and the first of November, that I will sell at 15e, if
any one wants them. W. T. Lyons,

Decherd, Franklin Co., Tenn.

Italian hybrid queens for sale at 22c each. Young
and prolific. J. H. Johnson,

Middaghs, Northampton Co., Pa.

The Secrets of Success in the Grow-
ing of Small Fruits

Gives; you the benefit of several years' experience
in growing berries for market, together with my il-
lustrated catalogue and price list of berry-plants;
sent free on application. Now is the time to set
strawberries for next year's liuiting. Jessie, Cloud,
and other new varieties. 16-19db

I. A. WOOI.L, Elsie, Mich.

. ,."i:i [espiindinu to llus advertisement mention Glf.ANINOS.

BEE-KKEPEKS and FRI II -(iltOH KKS,

Send for mr price lint of

BEE-EEEPEES' SUPPLIES AND STEAWBEEEY- PLANTS.

Twciity-flve varieties to select from.

Address F.W.LAMM,

BOX 106, SOMERVILLE, - - BUTLER CO., OHIO.

18-23db

NOTICE.— I have just received a shipment of
imported Carniolan queens from Frank Ben-
ton, and the 1st of Oct. look for a shipment from
Michael Ambrozie, Austria, Europe.

J. B. Kline, 924 Kansas Ave., Topeka, Kan.

Crawford's Folding Paper Boxes

For Inclosing Section Hone;/.
THE BEST BOX FOR THE LEAST MONEY!

&S.OO I»er *.000

and less, according to quantity. Send for sample
and price list. A. 0. CEAWFOED, S. WE7M0UTH, MASS.
J^"In responding to this advertisement mention ci.i-axinos.

HOME

EMPLOYMENT. — AGENTS
wanted everywhere, for the HOME
JOURNAL— a grand family paper
at $1 a year, liiii rash premiums.
Sample Fkee. THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,
923 & 925 West Madison Street, - CHICAGO. ILLS.

B

gno^

oos ^ poultry
oojs rt^.* onltry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $ 1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Marl column.
THE S. A. JONES CO.. BEETON, ONTAEIO, CAN.

r,f,i

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

gPECITm "^©iFICEg.

SPIDER-PLANT SEED WANTED.

Have any of the readers of Gleanings any fresh
seed for sale? If so, tell us on a postal card how
much, and what you want for it, delivered here in
Medina.

GILT-EDGE EXTRACTED HONEY.

On another page of this number you will find an
ill nst ration of the apiary of F. L. Snyder, Orion,
Wisconsin. We have secured from this man over
:!000 lbs. of the nicest basswood honey we ever tast-
ed. It was produced in the apiary shown; and no
man, however skeptical he may be in regard to the
manufacture of honey, after lasting this, would
call it any thing but pure honey of the best kind.
The secret of its being- so nice is, that friend S. lets
it stand in open barrels and cans for several weeks
for it to ripen. As a result, it is so thick it will
hardly run. We have also secured from friend
Baxter, of Nauvoo, 111., about 10,000 lbs. of very fine
clover extracted honey. We have only the sample
here yet; the stock will arrive in a few days.
Judging from the sample, we should say it was as
good as friend Snyder's. Both lots of honey are in
barrels of from 500 to 550 lbs. each; and the price
by the barrel is 9c per lb. We will put it into 60-lb.
square cans, and ship in lots of 1, 2, or more cans,
at 10c per lb. We have some of Snyder's honey in
kegs of from 50 to 55 lbs. each, which we will sell at
9y2c per lb. We have some choice white comb hon-
ey in 20-lb. cases, which we offer at 16c per lb.

RK\ USED PUKE LIST OF THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

We have revised the table of prices of the Dove-
tailed hive, which appears below. New prices go
into effect from this date. You will notice a slight
advance. Having added a price list of parts this
was necessary to make things agree. As some
have not understood just how to put this hive to-
gether, we have made a diagram, with minute in-
structions, which Ave give below, and which will also
be included with each lot sent out.

DOVETAILED HIVES PUT UP AND IN THE FLAT.

Description. Price each. -In lots ot—s Weight of

(Please order by number). 1 5 10 10

No. 1. Eight-frame Dovetailed hive, shown to the
left, above, with one bottom, body, one super,
with sections, separators, and foundation starters,
slatted honey-board, 8 all-wood frames and cover,
l'/2 story, for comb honey, complete, put up and
painted | 1 50 | I 45 | 1 40 | 300 lbs.

No. 1. Eight-frame Dovetailed bive in flat, complete,
same as above | 1 20 | 1 10 1 1 00 | 380 lbs.

No. 1. Eight-frame Dovetailed hive, in Hat, empty,
same as above, leaving out sections, separators,
and starters j 9J | 77 | 72 | 250 lbs.

No. ;'.. Eight-frame Dovetailed hive, shown to the
right, above, is furnished just like No. 1, with one
more super added, making a two-story hive com-
plete, put up painted . | 2 00 | 1 i)5 | 1 90 | 380 lbs.

No. 3. Eight-fr. Dovetailed hive in flat, complete,
as above | 1 50 | 1 40 1 1 35 | 36J lbs.

No. 2. Eight-frame. Dovetailed, in flat, empty,
same as above, leaving out sections, separators,
and starters I 1 10 | 95 | 90 | 3)0 lbs.

No. 3. Same as No. 1, except that it has T tins in the
supers, instead of section-holders. Same price.

No. 4. Same as No. 2, with T tins instead of section-
holders. Same price.
We will make the Dovetailed hive 10-frarae instead

Of 8 frame, in any of above numbers, as follows:
Nailed and painted, complete, 25 cts. each extra.
In flat, complete, 20 cts. each extra.
In Hat, empty, 15 cts. each extra.

NAILS SUITABLE FOR ABOVE HIVES.

Price fur 1 6 10 50 hives.

Nails Tor No. I. Dovetailed hive 10 I 25 1 15 I 2 00

Nails lor No. 2. Dovetailed hive 10 | 30 | 56 | 2.25

Nails for Nos. 3 and 4, same as for Nos. 1 and 2 re-
spectively, and for lti-frame same as for 8-fr. hives.

DISCOUNTS FOB QUANTITY.

For 20 hives, deduct 2 per cent, i For 50 hives, deduct 5 per ct.

For 30 hives, deduct 3percent. For i;o hives, deducl 6 per ct

For 40 hives, deduct l per cent. I For 80 hives, deduct 8 per ct.

For 100 hives or more, deduct 10 per cent.

TABLE OK PRICES OF PARTS OF DOVETAILED HIVES.

Price.

Flat. jNail',1! Painted.

Nam e

Wt. of 10

8-tr

Dove'd bottom-board

40 lbs.

8-fr

ho', e'd coi er-hoard .. .

10 lbs.

8-tr

Dove'd cover, with tin.

50 lbs.

8-tr

Dove'd bodj .empty...

70 n.s.

8-1 r

l>"\ e'd super, empi y.

35 lhs.

10-tr

Dove'd bottom-board.

50 lbs.

10 1,

Dove'd cover-board....

50 lhs.

10-tr

Dove'd cover, with tin.

61 lbs.

10-tr

Dove'd body, empty.. .

76 lbs.

10-1 1-

Dove'd super, empty. .

38 lhs.

1 50
2.30

:f no
1.80

For the same quantity of parts the same discount
will apply as on complete hives.

DIRECTIONS FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE DOVE-
TAILED HIVE.

DIAGRAM OF NO. 1 8 FRAME DOVETAILED HIVE.

Drawn to scale of %. Fig. 1 is a cross-section
through hive the narrowest way. Fig. 2 is a frag-
ment of cross section through lengthwise, a is the
cover, and f the bottom-board. These are plain
boards, %xl3£x21%, the only difference being that
the cover is a better board than the bottom; that is,
clear of checks and knots; b is the cover-cleat, %xl%
\ 13 . , grooved %x%. One of these is nailed to each
end of the cover, and to the back end of the bottom ;
(/ is the cleat for the front end of the bottom,
7sxl#xl3%, rabbeted %x%; e is the side strip for
bottom, %x%x21; c is the side of the super; i is the
end. The super measures 4Mxl3%x20J£, outside,
HiXlsi^ inside. Two supers are made by ripping
one body in two; d and j are the side and end of the
body, the same size as super, 9V4 deep. The rabbet
in the top edge of the end of the super and body
is J wide by | deep; h is the honey-board, consisting
of 13 pieces. Two pieces, |x$xl3f, rabbeted \\i,
form the ends, as shown to the right of h. Two
pieces, ' \ ' ...\ 19J, rabbeted on the ends to fit the rab-
bet in end-piece; 9 slats, ixlxioj, spaced as shown,
and nailed into rabbeted end piece. This honey-
board may be made queen-excluding by making
saw-kerfs in the edges of the slats, and sliding in a
strip i of perforated zinc, as shown at i, in drawing
of Simplicity hive, fc is the 8e<Mon-holder, of which
this is an illustration of 6 standing side by side.
The ends are plain blocks, JJxlJ.lxt1,; the bottoms,
i ;.xl !■'., blotted as shown, m, in Fig. 2, is the tin
separator, B%xlS. This is nailed to one side of the
section holder. The section-holders rest on a tin
strip, ;xl2, nailed to the bottom inside edge of the
end of super, as shown in Fig. 2, to the right of h,
and between the honey-board and super; I is the
brood-frame, of which there are 8 to each hive, and
which are spaced V2 in. apart, and from each side of

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

765

SECTION-HOLDERS FOR THE DOVETAILED HIVE.

hive. They measure 9Jxl7f outside; top-bar, 19|.
They are I wide all around, and top-bar 2 thick;
ends and bottom, \. A comb-guide, JxJ, is inserted
in the top-bar, as shown, to guide the bees, or to at-
tach comb fdn. to. See detailed cut of this frame,
page 14 of catalogue.

Eight-frame Dovetailed hive No. 3 is just like No.
1, with another super added.

No. :>, eight-frame Dovetailed, is just like No. 1,
except that it has 5 tins to support the

sections, instead of — < ' — the section-holders.
No. 4 is like No. b*, with 2 supers instead of one.

Ten-frame hives are arranged just like the eight-
frame, bm are 16' inches wide outside, have 2 more
brood-frames below, and one more section-holder in
super.

As two supers are just the same depth as one
body, brood-frames may be hung in the supers for
extracting, or another body may be used on top
the lower one, instead. The bee-space is put in the
bottom-board instead of making the body deeper,
for various reasons, of which this is the most im-
portant. It makes all bodies the same depth, so
they can be tiered and interchanged, or split in
two for supers, thus simplifying the construction
of the hive. It also secures an entrance without
cutting it from either body or bottom, thus leaving
the bottom and cover boards exactly alike.

No tin rabbets are used in the Dovetailed hive;
but the frames hang on a wood bearing. No
enameled sheets are included with the Dovetailed
hives, as they are not necessary. The cover, no
matter where put on, comes just a bee-space above
the frames, honey-board, or sections, forming the
bestcoveriug possible in either case.

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knife
No. 4, 1.25: No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, 65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood-
burning clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address
BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

Mention Gleanings. 19 21-23d

RERUM C0GN08CERE CAUSAS,

rrO know tlie Causes oi Things, is the key to

1 Success in any industry. It you wish to succeed
iri the Bee Business, you must read and become
acquainted wiih the most Successful Methods of
Bee-Management and Honey-Production.

LANGSTROTHS WORK,

REVISED BY DADANT,
Contains the r< suit of practical experience with
Bees. It gives the Physiology of the Bee, with nu-
merous Quotations from the latest Scientific
Writers, the Description of the best Hives, Direc-
tions for the Proper Management and Handing of
Bees; the most Practical Methods ot Queen-
Bearing, su arming (Natural and Artificial),
with controlling methods; instructions on Estab-
lishing Apiaries, Transferring, Shipping, Mailing,
Feeding, Wintering; the best methods of producing
Comb and Extracted Honey, thH Handling and
Harvesting of Honey, the Making of Comb Founda-
tion, etc., etc.

The instructions for the Bendering of Bees-
wax are alone worth the price of the Book, to
many bee-keepers who waste a part of their wax in
rendering it.

'this book, "the most complete ever published," is
shortly to be published in the French, Italian, and
German Languages, by Practical European Apia-
rists. It is highly recommended by all publishers
ol Bee-Literature in the Old World as well as in the
New.

Cloth Binding, 550 Pages, 199 Engravings, 19
Full-Page Plates. Gilt front and back. This book
is ah Ornament to any Library.

Price: By Express, $1.85. By mail, prepaid,
$2.00. Special prices to Dealers who wish to ad-
vertise it in their circulars.

PTWe also offer for Sale, 40,000 Lbs. ot
Honey, of our crop of 1889; 25 Tons of Comb
Foundation, Smokers, Bee-Veils of Imported Ma-
terial, etc. Send for Circular. Address
3tfdb CHAN. i>Af>ANT & SON,

Hamilton, Hancock <o.. llliooln

£S"In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS,

FOR PUKE ITALIAN BEES,

POLAND-CHINA SWINE. WHITE AND BLACK

FERRETS. WHITE RAUB1TS, WHITE

AND BROWN LEGHORN CHICKENS, AND

MALLARD DUCKS, ADDRESS

N. A. KNAPP, ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

I7tfdb

MUTH'S

HOBTEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQIJAKE GLASS HONEY-JAKV

TIN BUCKETS, BEK-HIVBS,

HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, Ac.

PEBFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKEB*.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, 0.
P. S.— Send 10-eent stamp for "Practical Hints to
Bee-KeeDers." (Mention Gleaning*.) m'dh

NOW IS THE TIME

FOE MARKETING HONEY, AND NEW YORK
IS A GOOD MARKET.

We make liberal advances in CASH on consignments, sell quick-
ly at highest obtainable market prices, and pay the net proceeds

IMMEDIATELY after honey has been sold. We charge for com-
k mission and GUARANTEE of payment, five per cent. Ship by

F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,
Wholesale Honey Merchants,

133 Water Street, New York.

freight to

766

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Oct.

JlBNfcY (JBMJIN.

CITY MARKETS.

Kansas City.— Honey. — Honey is selling- very
slowly at 14c* lor 1-lb. white coiiib, and the pros-
pects are lor lower prices. We have been trying to
hold the market to 14 and 15c, but parties in Iowa
and Illinois are offering and selling' white 1-lb. comb
at 12(y VZi- c, delivered here and at other points in
Kansas. Receipts are large, and in order to sell we
shall have to meet these prices. Extracted, 6teady
at 7@,8 lor white, and 5(y 6 tor amber.— Beeswax, 20c.

Sept. 14. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Kansas City, Mo.

Boston.— Honey.— Receipts of honey have been a
little in excess of the sales, and there has been a
disposition on the part of some to reduce the prices.
We quote our market from 10(gil8c for 1-lb. combs;
16@17 for 2-lbs. Extracted is stronger, and prom-
ises to be even higher, the market to-day being
from 8@9c. No beeswax on hand.

Sept. 23. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

St. Louis.— Honey.— We quote choice white clo-
ver honey, 1-lb. sections, single tier cases, 12, 24,
and 32 1b. preferred, 12>£@13>£c; fancy, 14. Same
grades and larger sections, 9(ajllc. Extracted, white
clover, cans, 6,'2(®7c; bbls., b'i@6. Southern, dark,
4,l-@5; bright, 5@.5>2. W. B. Westcott & Co.,

Sept. 13. 320 Main St., St. Louis, Mo.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— No change in the market
since our last. We quote extracted honey at 5@8c
on arrival. Comb honey, ll@16c in the jobbing
way. Arrivals of extracted honey are good, while
choice comb honey arrives in small lots only.— Bees-
wax is in good demand at 20@22c on arrival, for
good to choice yellow.

Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Sept. 23. Cincinnati, Ohio.

New York.— Honey. — Extracted, white clover,
basswood, California, and orange bloom, 8@8i4c.
Comb honey, 1 lb., fancy white, 16c; 1 lb., fair, 14;
2 lb., fancy, 14; 2 lb., fair, lliml2; 1 lb., buckwheat,
11@11H; 2lb,10@U. Demand is good. We make
quick sales and prompt returns.

P. G. Strohmeyer & Co.,

Sept. 23. 122 Water St., New York.

Albany.— Honey.— Consumption improving, and
receipts not equal to demand at present, especially
of buckwheat, or something to sell at 12@13c.
White clover, 14@18; mixed, 13@,15; buckwheat, 12
13; extracted, clover, 7@8; buckwheat, 5>^@6^c.
Consignments and correspondence solicited.
H. R. Wright,

Sept. 25. Albany, N. Y.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Demand good for comb
and extracted. Sales large for this time of year.
Prices are lower, owing to offerings by bee-keepers.
White clover and linn, 1-lb. sections, fancy, 14(5),15c;
good, 13(ail4; dark, 12; 2-lb. sections, 13&/U4; dark, 12.
Extracted, white, 8; dark, 7c.

Hamblin & Bearss,

Sept. 27. 514 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis.— Honey.— Market quiet. Choice white
clover, comb, 12@.12'n ; fair, 10@11; dark, 7@7X. Ex-
tracted and strained, bright, good flavor, 534; dark,
5@5^; in cans, bright, 7@7 '•• .

D. G.Tutt Gro. Co.,

Sept. 21. St. Louis, Mo.

For Sale.— 9000 lbs. of honey, in scant 1-lb. sec-
tions, crates holding 12 sections; will take 13c for
white clover, and lie per lb. for dark, f . o. b. here.
John Handel, Savanna, 111.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant lib. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can; 2 cans
in 1 box, $9.00. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

For Sale.— One ton section honey, in 20-lb. cases.
It is A No. 1. Nearly 1600 lbs. is white-clover honey.
Geo. Rall, Frenchville, Wis.

For Sale.— 3000 lbs. of fine hearts-ease honey in
flrstlquality 1-lb. sections, 24 and 48 lb. cases, deliv-
ered free on board cars at Dixon, in good order, at
H'jc per lb. Also 4000 lbs. of white-clover honey,
at 13c. KBaer, Dixon, 111.

For Sale.— 2000 lbs. of extracted honey in 60-lb.
cans. 1 will send samples to any one wishing to buy.
H. Van Vranken, Union City, Branch Co., Mich.

For Sale.— 4000 lbs. extracted clover and bass-
wood honey, in 10-gal. kegs, 120 lbs. net, at 10c per
lb., kegs thrown in. 500 lbs. comb honey at 14c.

M. Isbell, Norwich. Chenango Co., N. Y.

For Sale.— 2500 lbs. of choice white clover and
basswood houey, put up in 60-lb. screw-top cans, at
7c, cans thrown in.

F. W. Holmes, Cooperville, Mich.

For Sale —Choice white-clover comb honey, 12
sections in case, 9 and 10 lbs. net, per lb. 13c, f. o. b.
Second quality, lie per lb.

J. A. Green, Dayton, 111.

For Sale.— 25,000 lbs. choice extracted white-clo-
ver honey, iu barrels holding about 550 lbs. net,
each. 1 put it up also in packages of any size de-
sired, in either wood or tin. There is no liner honey
than this iu the market. Write me what you want,
and 1 will give you prices.

Emil J. Baxter, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., 111.

Honey Wanted.— Wiite to

Chas. S. Strong, Plymouth, Ohio.

Wanted.— Ten thousand cases buckwheat honey,
iu 25 to 30 ib. cases, and about 3.,-lb. sections, well
tilled, in paper or pasteboard boxes. Will not sell
less than 12 to 13c per lb. any year. We can never
fill all our orders for such, as no bee-keeper uses
the same style section and case, which curtails the
demand for honey, as orders cau seldom be dupli-
cated. Such selling now at 13c per lb. All bee-
keepers should use this size section.

H. R. Wright, Wholesale Dealer, Albany, N. Y.

References: Albany County Bank, or any Mer-
cantile Ageucy.

rtOR EXCHANGE OR SALE.— Fifty colonies of
T Italians very low. What have you to trade?
How many do you want to buy? Will include a
tirst-class honey trade if nil are taken

E. T. Abbott, St. Joe, Mo.

FOR SALE.— A little home of six acres of land
for $400. As good a location for bees as the
county affords. Natural resources of honey splen-
did. For particulars address

GEO. W. COOPER, Concord, Lewis Co., Ky.

FORSALECHEAP.-One second-hand 6',.
horse-power Bookwalter engine and boiler, in
running order. Price $2J0, delivered on board cars
at Rimerton Station, A. V. R. R. For full partic-
ulars address SAMUEL HEATH,

Tidal P. O , Armstrong Co., Pa.

Gash Paid for Beeswax.

CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
Ii. Ji. LEAHY A CO.. - - - Higginsville, Mo.

17-18-19d

FULL COLONIES BEES

WITH 8-FRAME L. HIVE AND UNTESTED CAR-

NIOLAN QUEEN, $5.00. UNTESTED CAR-

NIOLAN QUEENS, $1.00 EACH.

O. F. SUNDERLAND, St. Albans, Vt. Box 411

ITALIAN

QUEENS. Tested, $1.00. Un-
tested, 75c. Mismated, 35c. Send
for price list.

Miss A. M. Taylor, Mulberry Grove, Bond Co., HI.

17tfdb Box 77.

FOR SAIiE.

90 colonies Italian bees in 8 and 10 frame hives, at
$3 per colony, in lots of 10 or more.

JOSEPH MCGREGOR, Earlville, 111.

Vol. XVIT.

OCT. 1, 1889.

No. 19.

TERMS: 81.00 Per Annttm, in Advance ;"| TPc>J-r» Z»7V o 7i r> rl -i 'in 1 Si "7 %
2 Copies for$1.90; 3fnr82.7ft; 5 forM.OO; I Jlii> lCVOVl/t> /t/t/U/ Lfl> ± O I O .

IMIBLISIIKI) SKMI-MoNTIU.Y I!Y

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Singl

ber. 5cts. Additions to clubs may be

lSSS^S^S«SSS!mJl1a]A. I. ROOT. MEDINA, OHIO.

f Clubs to different postoffices, not less
than 90 cts. eaeh. Sent postpaid, in the

i U.S. and Canadas. To all other eoun-

J I i-ics of the Universal Postal Union, 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries

[ not of the U. P. U., 12 ets. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO XVI.

TOOLS FOR OUT-APIARIES, AND WHEIIE TO KEEP
THEM.

HATEVER tools you use in the home
apiary, you are likely to need the same in
each out-apiary. If a different person is
in charge of each apiary, then each one
must have his own set of tools; and even
if the same force go in succession from one apiary
to another, it may be the most convenient to have
a separate outfit kept at each place. HI do not think
just now of any thing in the line of tools needed
for an out-apiary, different from those needed at

1 •

ROBBER-CLOTH.

home unless it be a robber-cloth. I'should not like
to bo without one of these in the home apiary, but
they are specially valuable in out-apiaries where,
sometimes, notwithstanding robbers are trouble-
some, your plans are such that you want to force
through a certain amount of work. By having two
or three robber-cloths I have sometimes been able

to go on with my work when, without them, 1
should have been obliged to desist. I'll tell you
how to make one. Take about a square yard of
stout sheeting or cotton cloth— if your hives are
small, less will do. Lay one of the cut edges on a
piece of lath, about the length of your hive; lay a
similar piece of lath on top of it, and driveSwire
nails through both, at a distance of perhaps three
inches apart. Let the nails be long enough tojreach
through and clinch them. Then treat the opposite
edge the same way, and your robber-cloth'is com-
plete.

This robber-cloth is exceedingly convenient to
throw quickly over any hive or super that you want
to cover up temporarily. You can grasp the lath at
one side with one hand, and, with a single fling,
throw it over a hive and it is instantly bee-tight.
It doesn't kill kees if any happen to get under it.
If you have one hand occupied with something else,
you can quickly uncover and cover with the other.
I have sometimes worked with a colony when rob-
bers were so 'bad' they would pounce into every
opening; but a robber cloth covering the frames at
each side allowed me to have an opening at the
frame I wished.-to-.take out. As a general rule, of
course I would try to manage not to work at bees
at such times.

But to return. It would be very convenient, if
you go about from one apiary to another, to have a
little tool-house at each. lam not sure, however,
that it would pay. A hive or box covered over with
a water-tight cover (I use a tin hive-cover) answers
very well. I would have one or more of these at
each apiary at any case, for there are some things
you always want to be sure of having on hand, as
smokfr fuel. Matches should also be kept under
cover in such a place, in a tin box. A baking-pow-
der box does well. Bee-hats, smokers— in fact, a
-full set of every thing, may be kept in the same
way.

7HS

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

It is possible, however, to get on very well by al-
ways taking your tools with you, provided you
never forget them. One day we went to the Hast-
ings apiary without any smoker, and we realized
then how important a smoker is. Don't trust to
memory. In your record-book have a list of the
things you generally need to take; and after you
are all in the wagon, or ready to get in, read aloud
the list and be sure that everything is in the wagon,
as: Hats, smokers, dinner (we never forgot our din-
ner), chisel, etc. My own practice has been a kind
of compromise between having a full kit of tools at
each apiary and taking every thing along. If a
buggy is used it is not convenient to have very
much bulk. By the way, a bad season is not with-
out its compensations. I have had two years of
such dead failure that we could make almost every
trip the entire season in a buggy, for there was no
honey to haul, and very little in the way of supplies.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

Now, look here, old friend. Here you
have been recommending robber - cloths,
while the fact is, that, during the three days
I was with you, all over the premises in the
honey-house and shop, and making myself
at home almost everywhere, I never caught
a glimpse of any such thing as a robber-
cloth. I do not think I shall insinuate
right here that some of the things you re-
commend are all on paper, for it just now
occurs to me that the bees did not rob while
I was there ; in fact, even spilling honey on
top of the hives did not make them rob, so I
suppose you had the robber-cloths all rolled
up and tucked in some neat drawer or cup-
board. I thought of them once or twice ;
but there was so much talking to be done,
that, before I got a chance, the matter es-
caped my memory. Now, I do not like a
baking-powder box to keep matches in at
all. It is too much trouble to pull off that
tin cover every time you want a match. I
know there is some danger of getting your
fuel burned up ; but I like to have matches
so I can grab one up with one hand. It is
something on a line with what I tell my
wife about locking the doors nights. I
would about as soon have burglars go
through us, say once in about ten years, as
to go through the operation of locking and
unlocking so many thousand times, without
any good from it. She thinks, however,
that the feeling of safety and security amply
compensates for traveling around night and
morning to lock and unlock the doors.

TO PREVENT ROBBING, ETC.

SEVERAL THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN GETTING
READY FOR WINTER.

TTp CORRESPONDENT asks if musk will pre-
9m|, vent robbing, if placed in a hive which is be-

|jm ing robbed. Musk, spirits of turpentiue, kero-
-*r2fc sene oil, etc., have all been recommended to
stop robbing; but I do not believe that, after
robbing is well under way, any of them will do any
good. When robbers first attack a hive, a few
drops of kerosene oil or spirits of turpentine
sprinkled against the hive and on the alighting-
board, a few inches from the entrance, will often
cause robbers to leave in disgust. However, 1 find
that the best way is to contract the entrance at all

times when robbing is likely to occur, so that but
few bees can pass at a time. I have also tried leav-
ing a pane of glass up before the entrance, as rec-
ommended by some of our English friends across
the water, where robbers seem determined to enter
any hive, but I do not see that it is in any way su-
perior to contracting the entrance, while it seems
to bother the bees of the hive much more. If rob-
bers have really got possession of the hive, throw a
sheet over it, so that those on the outside caa not
get in; and if the colony is good for any thing, they
will soon drive out those already in. when the sheet
is to be turned so as to get rid of thpm. Leave the
sheet on till near sunset, when it is to betaken off so
as to allow the few bees out to get into their hive.
Fix the entrance so that but one or two bees can
pass at a time, and the next morning they will take
care of themselves. Something much better than
the sheet for stopping robbers is a Lee-tent, to be
set over the whole hive; and where the apiarist has
such a tent, it is hardly necessary for me to tell him
to use it in place of the sheet.

FEEDING SUGAR.

Another correspondent wishes to know how to
feed his bees on sugar. There are two ways of feed-
ing sugar to bees; one of which is, to make the su-
gar into candy by kneading a little honey in with
it, till it forms a stiff dough, as it were, or it can be
made into large cakes of soft candy by boiling it
just right in a little water, when it is laid over the
frames for winter stores. During winter, the mois-
ture arising from the bees collects on the candy,
which moistens it to such an extent that the bees
can lick it up, thus giving them a supply of food.
However, during a cold spell it often happens that
the bees fail to cluster on the candy, and the severe
cold keeps them from leaving the cluster to reach
it, so that starvation occurs, which is not satisfac-
tory to the apiarist; hence this plan of feeding is
not practiced, only as the bees have been neglected
till cold weather prevents any other way of feeding.
When a colony has a few pounds of honey in the
hive to " bridge " over these cold spells, this way of
feediug is very satisfactory for the purpose intend-
ed. The second plan, and by far the preferable
one, is to make the sugar into a syrup, which is fed
to the bees in feeders during the warm days of Sep-
tember or October, so that they can store it in their
combs, and cap it over the same as honey. As I
have so many letters asking how I make this syrup,
I think the editor will publish the matter again,
even if he has already published the formula twice
before.

Put 15 pounds of water in a vessel that will hold
about 35 quarts, and bring the water to a boil.
When boiling, slowly stir in 30 pounds of granulat-
ed sugar, so that it will dissolve, instead of settling
to the bottom and burning. Now bring to a boil
again, when it is to be set from the fire, and 5
pounds of good honey stirred in. This gives about 50
pounds of feed, of about the consistency of honey,
the same being the best for winter feeding of any I
know of.

BEES DROWNING IN FEED.

Still another correspondent wishes to know how
he can feed his bees syrup without their sticking
fast and drowning in it. To obviate this a very
narrow feeder must be used so that the bees can
cling to the feeder on each side, or a float must be
provided for the wide feeder. A feeder which is
more than % of an inch wide will always drown

1889

GLEANINGS IN- BEE CULTURE.

769

bees unless the float is used. One of that width and
under, needs no float, for the bees are never out of
the reach of one side or the other of the feeder. As
the larger part of those feeding bees use any thing
that they come across for this purpose, the com-
mon six quart milk-pan is probably more largely
used than any thing else. I will tell the readers
how 1 use this successfully. To use such a pan as
a feeder, however, the hive must have a cover of
depth euough to go over the pan, otherwise the
bees from the outside would get at the feed and
cause trouble. Set the pan on top of the hive, and
fill it with syrup, alter which pull up two or three
haudfuls of the short grass about the hives, and
scatter over the syrup for a float. Set up a piece of
a section or chip against the side of the pan, so the
bees can easily climb over to the feed, when a hole
is to be opened to the hive below, by turning up
one corner of the quilt, or removing a slat in the
honey-board, for the bees to come up through. I
now scatter a few drops of the feed down through
the hole and over the chip, and put on the cover,
seeing that all is tight about the joints, so that no
bees can get in from the outside. As these pans
hold about 20 pounds of feed, this once feeding is
all that most colonies require.

UNITING BEES.

Another correspondent wishes to know how it
would do to unite two weak colonies of bees for
winter. This is the proper thing to do; for two
weak colonies, kept separate, will consume nearly
twice the stores which both would united, and very
likely perish before spring, while if put together
they would winter as well as any large colony. The
way 1 would proceed in such a case would be as
follows: If one of the queens is known to be feeble
or inferior, she is killed, so that the best one may
survive, when both colonies are smoked freely, I
pounding on top of the hive as I smoke them, so
that the bees may fill themselves with honey, after
which one is carried to the stand of the other, and
both hives opened. I now select out of both hives
the combs containing the most honey, setting them
in one of the hives alternately, so as to mix the
bees as much as possible, thus causing them not to
fight, and also to mark their location anew upon
their first flight afterward, so tew if any return to
their former home. After the hive is tilled with
comb, close the same; and after putting a wide
board in front of the hive, reaching from the
ground to the entrance, shake the bees off the re-
maining frames, taking one from one hive and the
next from the other, thus mixing the bees as be-
fore. Take every thing, which would look like
home, from the old stand, storing combs, hives,
etc., away for another year, and the work is done.

G. M. Doolittle.
Borodino, N. Y., Sept. 23, 1889.

In addition to the mutter of robbing, I
would say, be sure that the robbed bive has
a laying queen, or unsealed brood from
which to raise a queen. If they are queen-
less, and destitute of all means of raising a
queeu, you may try all the recipes and plans
ever invented, and they will not avail a par-
ticle ; and where robbers have really got a
going, as friend D. says, nothing avails but
to shut the hive up with a cloth or bee-tent,
or some equivalent ; and even then, where
the queen is gone, I know they will go right
at it again just as soon as the tent or cloth
is.[removed. _J.n regard to adding phoney to

the syrup, unless you know where the hon-
ey came from, be sure it is scalded enough
to kill all germs of foul brood. A burnt
child dreads the fire; and I tell you, we
have been burned terribly. To prevent
bees drowning, when feeding in a tin pan, a
great many use simply a piece of cloth
spread over the pan. The wooden butter-
dishes, we have found perhaps the cheapest
and simplest of any thing in the line of feed-
ers. Even without a float, they seldom
drown in these.. So many bees pile into
them they are empty before a bee has a
chance to die. Our experience in uniting is
much hs given above, except that some-
times a good many bees will get back to the
old stand, or go to hives adjoining the old
stand.

INTRODUCING.

DOING IT WITHOUT LOS8, ON THE CANDY PLAN.

UCH has lately been said on the subject of
introducing queens; and I would say, after
having tried all the various methods in
use, that I have, for the last two years, in-
troduced without the loss of a single
queen, with a wire tube similar to Doolittle's cage
for introducing virgin queens, only there
is no wood, except a plug^for each end.
I till the cage half full of candy, and fill
the end with a wooden plug, in which
there is a hole just large enough for a
single bee to pass through. I put the
queen in the other end and plug it up, or
pinch it shut. I place this cage between
two top-bars over the center of the
brood-nest, and close the hive; and byj|j
the time the bees eat through the candy,!
which is usually inside of two days, they
are so well acquainted with the new queen that she
is safe. By this method I lose no queens, and I also
get rid of the bother of releasing the queen, remov-
ing the cage, etc.; for, lying as it does between
the top-bars, it is no hindrance to the bees or any-
body else. I think that any colony of bees will
more readily accept a queen if they are not disturb-
ed after the cage has been placed in the brood-nest.
carniolans discarded after a careful test.
In a former article I think that I spoke of our
Carniolan queens as being among our best layers.
Now, that is about all I can say for them; and at
the close of the season, having given them a thor-
ough test, I can say that they are no better work-
ers, and no more gentle, than our Italians; and
looking, as they do, so much like our common black
bee, I have discarded them, and next season we will
raise nothing but Italians.

supersedure of young queens.
We commenced this season with 45 colonies, and
increased by natural swarming to 78, and doubled
back to 04 for wintering. About two-thirds of
these new swarms issued with virgin queens; and a
number of colonics that did not swarm at all, super-
seded their queens during June and July. This is
something new in my experience, to see such a
wholesale superseding of young queens, for most
of them were of last season's raising.

This has been the poorest season I ever saw.
There was plenty of clover and other bloom, but it
has been too wet and cold for the bees to do any

770

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Oct.

tiling- with it. But very little buckwheat was sown
in this locality, and, as a result, our fall crop will be
light. There is an abundance of goldenrod and as-
ters, but they do not as yet seem to entice the bees.
For the last two weeks there has been considerable
honey-dew on the oak and hickory; and I judge
from the dark color of the honey now being stored,
that it comes principally from that source.

1 don't think that our crop of honey will exceed
halt' a ton, all dark, stored in one and two pound
sections; and if we had not done a fair business in
selling untested queens our books for the season
would balance the wrong way. S. W. Taylor.

Harvey ville, Pa., Sept. 9, 1889.

No doubt, friend T., you have never had
a failure by the above plan ; but it does
fail, however, now and then, like every oth-
er plan of introducing. Suppose, for in-
stance, you tried to introduce to a colony
with two queens in a hive. After taking
out one you supposed them to be queenless,
while the truth was they had a queen al-
ready. In such cases the new comer will be
destroyed, no matter how she is introduced;
and a great many troubles and disputes
have come about in just this way. It is not
at all uncommon to hnd two queens in a
hive, and it therefore follows that it is not
uncommon for a queen to be in the hive,
even after you are sure you have removed
one queen.

Jftrjanayjs jrp JSwi]\iDMig

PERTAINING TO BEE CULTURE.

THE GOLDEN BEE-HIVE, AGAIN.

There is oneJ.B. Pickerel, purporting to be of
Nashville, Tenn., doing up the western portion of
this State with the oft-heard-of Golden bee-hive. I
was on a visit to friends last week, and I found that
he is simply coining the cash out of those poor ig-
norant mountain people. He sells a farm-right to
make and use his hive, for ten dollars. He also
gives a small book, which seems to be only ex-
tracts from some work on bees; yes, a circular too,
one of which I will inclose. This circular is what
sets them on Are; and I learn, and that, too, from
one of his victims, that there is no difficulty, once
the circulars are in the hands of any that are the
least inclined to bees. There are quite a number of
statements in this circular that will call forth criti-
cisms. A. L. Beach.

Pineville, N. C, Aug. 1(5, 1889.

Thank you, friend B.; and we shall be
very much obliged to any of the friends if
they will send us similar circulars, and re-
port to us any such doings. We have re-
ferred to this circular before, but it will not
do any harm to keep it before the people.
There are a number of testimonials from
those using the Golden bee-hive. We give
just one, as a sample:

Prof. A. J. Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural Col-
lege, at Lansing, reports over f so from each swarm
of bees kept in the Golden hive last year.

The man who obtains money by exhibiting
such a circular, can certainly be arrested for
obtaining money under false pretenses.
Prof. Cook has never had any experience
with the Golden hive at all, and, of course,
never male auy such report. Will some of

our legal friends tell us what can be done
with a man who sends out circulars contain-
ing statements like the above, which are but
little better than forgeries?

FALSE STATEMENTS IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY BUSINESS OF OUR COUNTRY.

As a protection to our bee-keeping population, we propose in
this department to publish the names of newspapers that per-
sist in publishing false statements in regard to the purity of
honey which we as bee-keepers put on the market.

They have a man in Pittsburgh who comes
out in print and declares that comb honey
is manufactured, and that he has samples
of it, and can prove it by the microscope.
Here is what he says in the Pittsburgh Dis-
patch of Sept. 23 ; but before reading it, we
would refer our readers to page 757 of our
previous issue.

ANOTHER WORD ABOUT MANUFACTURED HONEY.

A letter appeared in a recent issue of The Din-
patch in reference to some statements made in the
article by the writer, on the subject of sugar and
honey. It has been my intention not to answer
this letter, but at the request of many friends the
writer wishes to make the following affirmations:

First, that he has found a comb honey (?) on the
market which contains no evidences of the pres-
ence of any bee product whatever. There is no
heresay evidence about it — the specimen was
handled and microscopically examined by the wri-
ter. Second, that each and every one of the adul-
teratious stated in these articles to have been
found, were detected by the writer himself in sam-
ples obtained as stated. In all cases where possi-
ble, samples of the adulterated foods have been re-
tained, with proof of the adulteration found.

The one thing above all others that is claimed for
these articles is accuracy; and when any thing has
been asserted on hearsay evidence, it has been so
stated. The writer does not care what the supple-
ment of the encyclopedia mentioned said or did not
say. He knows what he has seen, and he can
prove it. But he declines to enter into a contro-
versy, as he does not wish to go into the detective
business or compete for prizes. However, if the
doctor who wrote the letter referred to, or the gen-
tleman who is offering prizes, or any one else will
come to the writer's office, he may see a sample of
adulterated comb honey with irresistible proof
that it is such. Chevalier Q. Jackson, M. D.

Pittsburg, September, 31.

Mr. Jackson, we beg to inform you that,
among the bee-keepers of our land, are some
of the most expert microscopists to be found
in the world. We are fortunate in having,
in the person of Mr. M. II. Tweed, of 154
Webster St., Allegheny City, a man who is
expert in every thing that pertains to bees,
honey, and the honey market. Will he
kindly visit friend Jackson, and carry the
thousand dollars to him, if he declines to
take the trouble to come after it? If, how-
ever, his specimen of honey proves to have
been made by the bees, we deputize friend
Tweed to present Dr. Jackson's apology to
the bee-keepers of our land. Our laws clear-
ly protect us from damage sustained, re-
sulting from false and slanderous state-
ments. Now, it is not an individual who
suffers in a case like the above, but it is a
nation of people. It is estimated there are
over o00,000 bee-keepers in this land of ours.
This doctor, who has a microscope, has
struck us all a blow ; and if, when the truth
is presented to him, he refuses to retract,
and he has ample proof of his blunder, we,
bee-keepers of the United States, propose to
see what we can do with him.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

771

TYPES OF BEES.

BEES FROM DIFFERENT QUEEN-BREEDERS.

fERHAPS one who never studied the habits of
bees would conclude that all types of bees,
according- to numerical strength, are alike
industrious. But the practical apiarist knows
that there is as much difference in the dis-
position of bees as there is in men. In the morning,
when I go round the apiary 1 at once notice the vim
and eagerness of No. 3 of J. C. Frisbee's strain.
With the flr3t gray streaks of dawn they are off
with a rush as if bound for the first nectar of the
morning bloom. I have often thought, " You cer-
tainly will wear yourselves out; you are too eager
to be ich."

In looking ai-ound I see a few bees beginning to fly
from No. 4 of A.I. Root's strain, which is a trifle
brighter than Frisbee's. Gradually No. 4 comes up
until 10 o'clock, when the heaviest field force is
coming from this hive, which is a constant rush
through the warm part of the day.

I have some of J. M. Jenkins' strain of Italians
which are beauties, but they seem to be lazy, not
good comb-builders. They are a trifle longer, and
the queen is yellower than Root's or Frisbee's. The
Root bees seem to incline toward red clover, while
Jenkins' work mostly on touch-me-not. Frisbee's
will suck red horsemint or any thing. I have black
bees, which, during poplar and basswood bloom,
are about at the top. For hardiness and comb-
building qualities, blacks lead the world. They will
kill their drones earlier than the Italians. They
build up faster in spring. They cap their honey
whiter. They are easier run out of sections. I
have seen round gums of blacks so heavy that a
strong man could not lift them. A neighbor once
killed two black colonies and obtained from one 11
gallons of honey and from the other 12.

G. W. McGuire.
Dark Ridge, N. C., Aug. 19, 1889.

Is not the peculiarity you mention, rather
the result of accident than because the bees
were particularly different? Our stock all
comes from Italy, therefore we presume it
will average about the same, year after year.
If I am correct, friend Jenkins also depends
upon imported mothers for his best bees.

BEE-KEEPING IN SOUTH AFRICA.

AN INTERESTING LETTER ON HOW THE NATIVES

SECURE THEIR HONEY; WHAT THEV DO

WITH IT, ETC.

R. RO<">T: — Some time ago I wrote you that
Mr. Wilcox's Gleanings came to me, and
ventured to suggest that, if it continued
to come, it would be very acceptable to
me, and in return I would try to inform
you of "sweet" matters in this vicinity. I see
Bro. Goodenough is portraying his system of bee-
keeping, as carried on in Natal, and a comparison
of other methods as carried on here by the natives
may be interesting. We are some 600 miles from
Natal, and that is our nearest point of supplies.
We could not get a pound of flour at any nearer
point, nor a tack, nor" pin. But honey is abundant
here— more so than there is any demand for.

AN AUTOMATIC BEE -HIVE; A SELF 8WARMER,
HIVER, ETC.

The method of bee-farming as it is carried on her§

is as follows:"" A native cuts a circle in the bark of a
tree, and about three feet above he cuts another;
then he cuts in a straight liue from one circle to
the other, and strips off the entire bark as cut.
While this is still green he refolds it in the shape of-
the tree, and carefully sews up the center seam;
and after folding the two ends in a more or less
square form he sews them up, leaving the merest
entrance for necessary purposes. His thread is
bark, and his needle a thorn, and his punch is his
spear. This article, I will tell you plainly (you
would never guess), is a bee-hive, and it does ex-
cellently well for this class of bees, and this system
of bee-farmers, and this climate. This bee-hive is
now placed in the top of any large tree, and others
with it, and then left to future developments. It
is automatic throughout, if it acts at all; self-hiv-
ing, self-swarming, self-regulating; and about half
the time it appears to be an automatic fizzle as a
honey-collector. I am no expert on matters per-
taining to the apiary; but such observations as I
have noted are from an amateur's point of view,
and are to be valued as such. However, I may un-
derrate the excellences of this system of hives.

The forests all about are well provided with these
hives, and bees should not fail of finding comforta-
ble habitations in their native forests; but they do
take unaccountable notions at times, and I have
had pitched battles for a week at a time to keep
them out of our spare bed-room; and whenever a
sack of sugar is opened, or any thing they take a
notion to desire, they monopolize the house till we
discover what is the matter with them, and then
the desirable thing is put in a strong case, bee-
proof, and then after smoking, brooming, and "gen-
eral destruction so far as we can apply it, the bees
depart till we are unlucky enough to get something
else about that they conclude is desirable for them.
On one occasion, a swarm having alighted on a
tree close to the veranda, and appearing to be pre-
paring for a charge on the house, I drove them
away by firing two loads of dust shot into them at
short range; but whether they were confounded
by the noise, or were actually alarmed at the ter-
rific losses sustained, or whether they had no inten-
tions on the house or not, all is a conundrum to us;
but they gathered up and went their way in about
15 minutes after the shots.

The bee Jn this vicinity is not so large as the
honey-bee in America, nor is it very much smaller,
certainly not so small as Bro. Fuller's are in India.
The swarms that have alighted about the house
from time to time are about the size of a half-bush-
el, and to all appearances I should call them active
and determined workers, persistent fighters, and
excellent thieves. You will no doubt at this point,
if not before, ask within yourself, " Why doesn't he
hive those bees and have honey?" The answer is
not far to seek. We do have honey-bees thrust
upon us, and strained honey is always in the house
at about 10 cts. a bucketful (three gallons). Comb
honey we never see; but with honey so cheap, and
no market for any quantity, great or small, we do
not care to have the bees about. We should like
nice comb honey, but even this can be had if one is
at hand when a box directly from the tree is
opened.

I will now proceed with the native method of se-
curing the honey. The hive, as stated, is placed in
the tree, and in time, sooner or later, bees do come
to the most of the hives, and in time they fill thern

1T1

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

with honey. The native usually visits his hives
frequently; but sometimes they are left for a long
time, when the honey is of a richer quality, and
much thicker than any 1 ever saw in America. It
is possible, with the sides of the knife greased, to
cut through 6trained honey, leaving the furrow
open and clean for a minute or so after the cut is
made. Probably the climate is the chief agency in
ripening the honey to so fine a state. When the
hive is judged to be full, or when he sees the thing
swarming, the native will take down his hive, and
extract the honey. This matter of "extraction" is
a simple one with him. He takes his hands only,
dips in, and takes as much comb honey as he can
manage, and ^ueezes it over and over until he
gets most of the honey out. Then when the hive is
thus manipulated he takes his wax and melts it in
his mush-pot, and, digging a round hole in the
ground, about two inches in diameter, and six
inches long, he runs his wax in the shape of the
molds, and in this shape it comes to market. Some
of it is a rich clean yellow, and commands the best
price; but more than half of it is dirty, mixed with
sand, and is only two-thirds value. First-class wax
brings to the native, cash in hand, 360 reis per kilo,
or about 18 cts. per lb. The trader takes this wax,
and melts all the poorer quality in a large caldron
with a faucet some six inches from the bottom. He
also adds water, and the wax, when melted, rises,
and the sand and other dirt settles into the water.
The wax is then drawn off through the faucet, run
into cakes about 18 inches by 24, sewn up in a bark
skin, and in this shape is shipped to Europe. More
than 20 tons are shipped from this port annually.

THE NATIVE HONEY WINE.

But the honey: This product would be much to
the credit of the country if not manufactured into
something else. The honey will bring the native
nothing. He would sell it if he could; he will sell
anything that will bring him copper coins; so he
has invented one of the worst uses to which it can
be put, and in this manner honey is always in de-
mand. He adds about three parts of water to one
of honey, lets it ferment for three days (I can't say
just how long positively), and then it becomes one
of the severest intoxicants the country produces.
It is more maddening than sugar-cane rum, and
has the name of being the severest of any of the
common native drinks.

Most providentially for the wholesomeness of the
country, the supply is limited; and the population
being great, the evils are somewhat ameliorated.
The native is ingenious in some things at least.
With mud pots, with old gun-barrels for pipes, he
will distil rum from sugar-cane, cashew fruit, co-
coanuts, pine-apples, farina, corn, sweet potatoes,
honey, and one or two vegetable-roots which are
found in the forest. All of these substances are
abundant in their season, and rum retails at about
two cents a tumblerful.

The product in wax, if as much along the other
coast ports as here (and I think it more than likely),
amounts to more than 100 tons per annum; but
with prices paid here, and with $20 per ton freight
to Europe, it would not seem possible to interfere
with American prices as quoted from time to time
in Gleanings. The possibilities for honey in this
region are most favorable, without a doubt, and
sufficient honey might be produced all along this
coast to glut all the mai-kets of the world,
and that at the minimum rates of production; but

it is very doubtful if the world will ever see this
honey, unless immigration sets in, or the native be-
comes civilized, and, what is more to the purpose,
Christianized. With the former we are in no way
connected; but in the latter we are hard at work,
and welcome the wholesome Christian spirit man-
ifested in Gleanings. E. H. Richards.
Mongwe, Inhambane, E. Africa, June 7, 1889.

Friend R., we are exceedingly obliged to
you for your vivid description of bee cul-
ture in your far-away home. Those cheap
hives fastened up in the tree tops are a re-
vival of the matter of decoy hives that has
been at different times so fully discussed in
Gleanings, and 1 think those very decoy
hives placed in the forest in most localities
near our large apiaries would get more or
less bees and honey. L)o you mean to tell
us that that thick honey which can be cut
with a knife is sold for 10 cents a pailful?
Why, I am sure it can be put in suitable tin
cans, and shipped so as to give your native
friends a better price, and at the same time
give the great outside world honey at a low-
er price. May be you would need a railroad
to do it ; but the railroad is surely on the
way to you, and it is coming right along the
line of your closing sentences. This matter
of intemperance will probably have to be
fought inch by inch, and it seems sad to
think that it must follow iu the wake of
missionary work. May the Lord help us to
break loose from this terrible bondage. Are
you sure, dear brother, that it is beyond the
possibilities for some of our enterprising
bee- men to open up bee culture and make
use of this honey that you say could glut all
the markets of the world? Either you have
immense resources in the way of honey, or
else the world is larger than either you or I
know, in my opinion. On visiting the salt-
works of Michigan during my recent trip, I
thought more salt was being produced than
all the world could use. And yet I found
afterward that I had seen only a very incon-
siderable establishment compared with oth-
ers in the vicinity of Manistee.

GETTING OUT OP OLD RUTS.

SHALLOW OR CLOSED -END FRAMES.

fSI HREE years ago I became convinced that
I)" a better road lay close alongside the old
•> Langstroth trail, made by the Eight-Frame
Co., with which I had been jogging for ten
or a dozen years, and I decided to pull over
and give it a fair trial. Though convinced in mind,
it has taken three yeai-s of training to get the oth-
er members of my personal organization out of the
old rut sufficiently to give the new a word of praise;
but I can say now, with head and hand agreeiog,
that a shallow closed-end frame, and sectional
brood-chamber, outranks every thing else at these
headquarters.

PERFORATED ZINC.

I asked you, at the Indianapolis convention, if
you would advise us to use perforated zinc. You
said it would pay, in your opinion. I can't see why
T did not invent it years ago. It is indispensable.
I should like two sizes— one so small that a virgin
queen could not go through provided the nurse-
bees could. I use a nursery frame like comrade

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

77:-!

Manum's, but mine is the thickness of a brood-
comb, and twelve of them stand in aHeddon frame.
The top is closed by a queen-cell protector, made of
tin, with a cover. I can remove the cell without
lifting- the cage. My first experiment was to make
the cage of perforated zinc, believing1 the queens
would be better if the bees could get into the cage;
but I was obliged to cover them with wire cloth,
as every queen escaped. I think we sometimes
lose a valuable queen by using: the excluder. I
found one with her head and shoulders through.
The bees above were tryinjr to pull her up, and
those below were pulling her down. The legs and
wings were pulled off, and yet she was fast, and
one will sometimes get through; but all losses are
more than repaid by having a fair colony to feed
through July and August, instead of a hive run-
ning over with bees that has been a waste of mate-
rial to manufacture and support.

FLAT -BOTTOM FOUNDATION FASTENED AT BOTH
TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE SECTION.

I got some of the extra-thin flat-bottom founda-
tion of you two years ago. I tried it with poor suc-
cess. It was so thin it would curl and get all
out of shape; but when I discovered that I could
fasten it in, almost like a drumhead, with a ma-
chine I made from the cut in your price list of the
Gray fastener, we could use it a little lighter than
the extra thin. I cut the sheets to inside dimen-
sion of the section, and fasten one end, turn and give
the foundation a little tuck under and against the
presser, which stretches it out and fastens it at the
same time. It can be done pretty rapidly after a
little practice, and it is a comfort to have the foun-
dation so solid that any kind of rough treatment,
even a tumble off the bench, will not break it out.

ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

I do not like the one-piece section. Tt is too much
trouble for me to twist up one corner of my eyes,
and then the other, to get a square look at them. I
do not like men, nor the products of their labor,
that require a continuous outside pressure to keep
them square. They are a little cheaper, which adds
to the profit, and a little stronger, which is an ad-
vantage in jumping sections. I like the square
section and a dash of Carniolan blood, as they are
not such sticklers as Italians.

CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT.

This is the best honey-plant I ever saw for its sea-
son. Friend C. said at the Indianapolis convention
that the seeds were not provided with balloons to
scatter it, but ho failed to state that it had a chaff
that would adh re to almost all passing objects, and
that it had a way of arranging itself in the Huffiest
possible manner on top of the ball, as if daring the
winds for a trial of strength. I believe it will give
our farmer neighbors just cause of complaint
against us, if we allow the seeds to ripen. My crop
is harvested, and arranged in a pile with balls in-
ward, and some evening when it is dry we will have
a war-dance around it.

HOVEN.

I have never heard of a death from clover-bloat
where the wooden bit was fastened in the mouth.
The process is described and illustrated in Farm
and Household Cyclopedia. A. A. Parsons.

Avon, Ind., Aug. 31. 1889.

Neither do I like men that require a good
deal of outside pressure to keep them
square. But you admit that the one-piece
sections are a little cheaper and a little

stronger. I think these two points alone
should settle the question.

REPORT FROM AUSTRALIA.

WHAT THE SPIIilT OF CHRIST IS DOING AMONG

SAVAGES.

E have just passed through a season of se-
vere drought, which has caused us to lose
heavily both in cattle and in the honey
crop, which was a total failure. We have,
however, every prospect of a good crop to
come, as the drought has been broken by heavy
rains, which, we trust, will give us an early and
bountiful spring. We have had floods, but they
were nothing in comparison to what it has pleased
God to send you.

I read with much pleasure L. E. Mercer's little
note in February Gleanings, entitled "Honest
Bees and Honest Neighbors." It reminded me of
something I heard the other day, which I thought
at the time would please you. I had the pleasure
of spending a few days with a missionary from the
New Hebrides, who told me that, some years ago,
he went home to Canada on a year's leave. While
there it was considered advisable that he should re-
main and preach mission sermons throughout the
Dominion. When he returned to Eromanga he had
been away just two years and eight months. They
had left their house open— not a key turned in cup-
board.or door, and they found every thing exactly
as they left it. The trees they had planted had been
carefully tended; the house and grounds were as
clean and white as lime and pounded coral could
make them; and during all that time no white man
had set foot on that island. When we consider that,
only a few years ago, these people were savages
and cannibals, it speaks wonders for the work that
has been done among them.

Sophie A. Bradley.
Campbelltown, New South Wales, June 10, 1889.

Many thanks, my good friend, for the del-
icate compliment you pay me. To be sure,
it always pleases me to hear testimony that
speaks of the power of Christ's love. My
opinion is, that that missionary was respect-
ed and beloved by his people. It was out of
love to him that they kept his house and
garden in such neat trim for almost three
years ; and the little incident portrays what
the love of Christ may do for the human
heart; yes, even for the heart of a savage.
Just think of the wonderful stride made in
a few years, from cannibalism to Christian-
ity !

A GOOD REPORT.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC BEGINNER'S EXPERIENCE.

T HAVE to report from Fillmore Co. a very good
M yield of honey for 1889. Although I am a very
]|l small bee-keeper compared with some of my
■^ neighbors, if we may judge others by our-
selves, I feel safe in saying that the amount
gathered is wonderful. 1 started with four good
colonies, and a hive literally raised from the dead.
I have always run my bees, for extracted honey,
and started out so this year, taking 33 gallons of
white clover and basswood honey, and increasing

774

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

my stock to 10 colonies; then I put sections on five
hives where the bees showed disposition to work in
them. I shall get 25 pounds of this honey to the
hive, and the hives are "chuck full" below (the
whole 10).

BUCKWHEAT.

There has been a good buckwheat harvest, but
this I have not extracted, as I should like to have
the bees well fixed for winter; but some of my
neighbors kept the extractor going all through
August, and, of course, have more honey than I
have.

BEE-STINGS OR HONEY FOB RHEUMATISM— WHICH?

I have thought over that bee-sting remedy for
rheumatism, and have come to the conclusion that
Prof. Cook is about the man to settle the question.
I have had the disease, and have taken much of the
medicine, and am very much better than I used to
be; but I rather prefer to call honey the antidote,
as I eat a good deal, and like it; but I can't say
that I relish the sting.

GLEANINGS.

I take a deep interest in Gleanings. Every sub-
ject treated on captivates me completely, and I nev-
er tumble the leaves over for something better. I
just begin with the very first page, and quit when
I have to. The letters from foreign lands give me
especial delight. I read the little letter from Scot-
land over several times.

C. C. MILLER'S METHOD OF NUMBERING HIVES.

C. C. Miller's hints are worth many times the cost
of the journal to new hands at bee-keeping. Num-
bering hives is a great help, and I shall have a num-
ber on all my hives after this, for now I have to
name them, and No. i is much easier to speak or
understand than to say the " red-topped hive," or
" the hive over next to the cottonwood."

A QUEEN-CELL ON DRONE COMB.

My neighbor showed me a queen-cell on drone
comb, and says they frequently make them so.
This is new to me, and I am slow to believe that
bees are so stupid. What says Gleanings?

Preston, Minn., Sept. 2, 1889. F. A. Cummings.

Bees do quite frequently start queen-cells
on drone comb. In this case, however, they
are smooth on the outside, instead of hav-
ing the usual indentations. The drone
larvae, however, instead of becoming a king
is evidently sickened or put out by the roy-
al jelly, for he soon dies. Yes, the bees are
sometimes just so stupid.

THE MATING- OF A QUEEN AND
DRONE BUMBLE-BEE.

WHAT AN EYE-WITNESS SAW.

T SAW a queen bumble-bee mate to-day; and
ijP thinking it would be of some interest to others
W I will tell what I saw of it. It was at 11 ; 30 A. m.,

■*■ while I was cradling buckwheat. I heard the
buzzing of bees, and on looking down in front
of me I saw a queen, and a drone bumble-bee on
her back, and another drone Hying about them, try-
ing to get hold of the queen. The queen was then
walking on the ground. 1 drove the drone away
that was flying. Then the queen beoame quiet;
then they mated. I waited nearly four minutes,
then killed them both. I will send them to you by
mail as proof of what 1 have described.
I think that honey-bees must mate in a way very

much as the bumble-bees do. About two weeks ago
I was working some 40 yards away from my yard,
where I have 25 nuclei. My attention was called by
hearing an unusual buzzing over my head. I saw a
small cluster of about 15 or 20 bees flying about 16
feet high. They seemed to rush together and fall
nearly to the ground, then start in another direc-
tion, and again rush together, but each time they
seemed to lose nearly half of their number. I saw
them rush together three times before they were
out of my sight. From what I saw to-day I am
quite sure that it was a queen taking her flight.

C. M. Woolveh.
Richfield Spa., N. Y., Sept. 9, 18*9.

We sent the. above, together with the two
bumble-bees, to Prof. Cook, who replies as
follows :

Friend Runt :— I thank you for the specimens. As
you will see in my Bee-Keeper's Guide, p. 92, I have
seen the same thing. Mr. Woolver leads us to
think that the mating was done after the bees fell to
the ground. Is he sure of this? In cases seen by
me, copulation seemed to be accomplished while
yet on the wing; yet in all cases the bees, while in
copulo, fall to the ground. I had supposed that the
expiring male drew the queen to the earth, and
that the queen then pulled away, bearing with her
a part of the reproductive apparatus of the male.
It would be interesting to know if the drone and
queen of our honey-bees, while in copulo, fall to
the earth. If so, it would be strange that no one
ever yet saw them. Has any one ever witnessed
such an event? In one case that I saw some years
ago, a queen bumble-bee was dragging a nearly
dead drone along the earth while yet in copulo. I
believe this the method of gaining freedom, among
bumble-bees. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

ALBINO BEES.

PROF. COOK GIVES HIS OPINION IN REGARD TO
THEM.

TT is well known that a true albino is really a
gjf diseased or imperfect organism. For some
W cause, the tissues which usually secrete pig-
■*■ ment, or coloring matter, are unable to do so.
The hair is white, the exposed skin is pink, as
its transparency hides not the blood in the superfi-
cial blood-vessels, and for like cause the eyes are
pink. Thus the skin in a human albino is tender,
and the eyes are so unprotected that they can not
bear the light of day. A hare lip is no more a mal-
formation than is albinoism. The fact that man, by
selection, has perpetuated this peculiarity in some
animals makes it none the less a diseased condition.
All animals tend to reproduce unfavorable as well
as useful peculiarities. I have read that albinos
often intermarry, and thus there is unfortunately
a tendency to increase and perpetuate this diseased
condition among people. Now, I do not think this
any argument against the so-called albino bees.
Scientifically such bees are not albinos. They are
not white. They only show more white than others
of their race. Thus, if I am correct, these bees
are no worse for their characteristics. They are
not physiologically deficient as are true albinos, but
only sports, or more properly varieties. Now, if, as
varieties, they have valuable characteristics, as
their friendg claim, th 3n they are superior. Their

1689

GLEANINGS IN I3EE CULTURE.

775

lighter color enables us to distinguish them, aud, if
persistent, marks them as a distinct variety. They
are no better or worse for it. While the name albi-
no is not really correct as applied to these bees, yet
there is no harm in its use. As yet, 1 have never
seen one true albino bee. Yet 1 have seen albino
crickets and cockroaches. There is no reason why
we may not have one of these physiologically imper-
fect bees. Even should this occur it would cause no
trouble. We all know that albino bees, as sold in
the market, are simply a light variety of the Italian
race, and no trouble need occur. True albinos will
be very rare at best, and never can cause any seri-
ous misunderstanding. A. J. Cook.
Agricultural College, Mich.

I believe I entirely agree with you, only I
do not like the term " albino,'' as applied to
bees. A good many people get the idea that
they are to have a bee that is perfectly
white, or very nearly so ; and when they re-
ceive bees so near like the ordinary Italians,
they are very apt to be disappointed, and
sometimes claim that they have been swin-
dled. We did ODce have a strain of so-called
albinos that showed rings of a creamy white,
as well as of yellow and black. It gave the
bees a singular look, something like white-
ringed hornets, but they were like Italians
in every other respect, so far as we could
discover. These came the nearest to being
albinos of any thing we have ever seen.

EXTRACTORS AND THEIR CONSTRUC-
TION.

E. KHANCE GIVES GIVES US SOME VALUABLE SUG-
GESTIONS.

T AM asked to give a description of my honey-
||f extractor. The one I use is a very common
W one. It is the Chapman with some little altera-
■*■ tions to make it fit my large frames, and to do
faster work.

MV FIKST MACHINE, AND SOME OP ITS DEFECTS.

I don't know just how long it is since I got my
first machine. I have no records further back than
1877: but at that time I had one extractor— the old
revolving can— made by Winder, with an outlet un-
der the bottom. The outlet was so small that I
could plug the hole with the end of my finger. Aft-
er I had extracted two combs and stopped the ma-
chine the honey would run out, if the outlet was
not choked. But it very often clogged with a bit
of capping or some pieces of comb. I kept a pail
under the machine to catch the honey. When I
emptied the pail I had to whirl the machine to keep
the honey from running out, and then empty the
pail when the machine was in motion. That ex-
tractor, unhandy as it was, cost me $20.0(1. At that
time I had two or three out-apiaries, and used to
take the extractor and honey-kegs and all fixtures,
including help, all in one wagon, and stay over
night, and come home when we had finished.

THE NECESSITY OF HAVING MORE THAN ONE UN-
CAPPING-KNIFE OR EXTRACTOR.

For the first three or four years I had only one
uncappingknife. But as our business increased I
got another. Now.it just happened that, a short
time after I got our second knife, we broke one of
the knives. That just set me to thinking, " Sup-
pose we should break our extractor right in the
midst of our extracting season; it would take ten

days or more to get another. All work would have
to stop, and the loss of time would be several times
the cost of another extractor." So I resolved to
get another machine.

THE CHAPMAN EXTRACTOR.

One of my neighbors had a Chapman extractor,
and I could possibly work my frames in it, but it
was too small to be handy. But I sent an order to
Mr. Chapman to make me a machine, and sent him
two of my frames so as to be sure to get it big
enough. I wanted the comb-basket made out of
heavy wire cloth at least as coarse as three meshes
to the inch. We got the machine. The wire-cloth
basket was a good deal finer than I ordered, aud
the basket was too small every way for quick work.
A clean frame, with no bits of brace-combs on top
or sides, would go in nicely; but as the combs
came from the hives they made trouble.

THE HOME-MADE MACHINE.

After using that a year or two I concluded to
make one to suit me; so in the fore part of winter I
sent aud got two sets of upright gearing and some
wire cloth— enough for two machines. During the
winter I made the two machines. The old Chap-
man had a l'/i-inch honey-gate. I put 2-inch ones
in the new machines, and also a 2-inch gate in the
old Chapman.

I made the comb-basket larger and deeper; raised
the basket higher from the bottom, so that it would
hold more honey. Of course, the outside can is
made larger. It will hold now, as 1 made the last
ones, 70 lbs. of honey below the basket.

I don't think that the machines that I use are per-
fect; but for my use, with my large frames, they
are the best 1 have seen. There is a good substan-
tial frame around them that protects them, and
they stand on four legs and don't jump and run all
over creation when in use, but stay where we put
them.

Now, let me say here that the Chapman extractor,
as he makes it, is large enough for most frames in
uae, and is a good machine. The only trouble in
my case was, that my frame was too big for it, aud
so I had to make the machine to fit the frame. 1
made the comb-basket of heavy tinned wire cloth,
two meshes to the inch. That is fine enough.

UPRIGHT GEARING.

I use the upright gearing because I think it is
best, and I believe it is easier to work. Perhaps it
is just a matter of opinion with me. My first ma-
chine had the upright gearing, and 1 have never
had any other. But I helped a man extract about
two hours with a Novice machine that had the hori-
zontal gearing. I did not like the movement. I
decidedly prefer the upright. Perhaps my prefer-
ence is all in the use of the upright.

WHY I PREFER TO HAVE THE EXTRACTOR-CAN EN-
CASED IN A WOODEN FRAME.

First, the frame is a great protection to the can;
it keeps it from being jammed; second, the ma-
chine is always ready for work, as it stands up
from the ground or floor high enough to set a pail
under to catch the honey. I see no use of a box or
stand to set the machine on, in order to have it
high enough to drain off the honey. The frame
gives us four legs for the machine to stand on; aud
as we do the most of our extracting on a ground
floor, we can easily adjust the machine so it will
stand level and firm. The frame gives us a large
base, which goes a great way toward keeping the
machine steady, and prevents its jumping while in

77ii

<;lkanin(;s in hke cultuUE.

Oct.

use. Of course, the machine takes up a little more
room; but room out here is cheap. We keep one
extractor at each yard, besides an extra one at
home We prefer to have the

EXTRACTOR-BASKET WITH SLOPING SIDES,

so that, when we set in a frame against the wire
cloth, it will stay there and not drop over against
the center-shaft before we get up the motion. The
reason 1 make the comb-basket frame of wood, in
place of metal, is, that the one 1 patterned from
was wood, and for me I could make them cheaper
of wood, and I think them just as good as the
metal.

HONEY FLYING OVER THE TOP OF THE CAN.

As for the honey flying over the top of the ma-
chine, with our old revolving can the honey did fly
over the top; but the machine we now use never
throws honey over the top of the can. Our extract-
ors now have a cover over a little more than half of
the top, when in use, and I think the cover helps
to keep the honey from flying over the can. The
frames— that is, the combs in the frames— when in
the machine are two inches below the top of the

E. FRANCE'S HONE V-EXTRACTOR.

can; aud here 1 think that the slanting side of the
comb-basket has a tendency to throw the honey
down and thus help to keep it from flying over the
top.

THE SIZE OF OUR EXTRACTORS.

Our extractor-can is 2 feet 2*4, inches high, 223i
inches in diameter, inside measure, across the top
of the can. The frame is :> feet 5J4 inches high;
width, 2 feet and % of an inch; 1454 inches from
bottom of legs to bottom of can. The lower and
upper bands around the frame are 5 inches wide.
The other two are 2 inches wide; the legs are 134
inches square, all pine lumber. The top of the
frame has a board cover, a three-cornered piece
that covers a little more than half of the top. This
part of the cover is fastened with screws to the top
of the frame, and the gearing is fastened to it.
There is a hole near the edge of this cover-board,
through which the center-shaft of the comb-basket
passes. Then we have another three-cornered
board, with dowel-pins, to slip on the open part Of

the top, when the machine is not in use, to keep
out all kinds of dirt.

To get something of an idea of the proper size of
the machine, I had my son stand by the side of it.
He has in his hand one of our honey-combs. He
holds the comb by the bottom-bar. We set them in
the extractor, top end down. That is the style of
frame that we use the most of. We have 64 colo-
nies in which we use two tiers of those frames.

Our extractois hold 70 lbs. of honey below the
comb-basket. We have a pail 8 inches high that
will hold 40 lbs. of honey, made like a milk-strainer
pail, with one-naif of the top covered, only we have
a hole without the strainer. When we are at work
extracting we keep the pail under the faucet,
ready to draw honey into as often as we wish. Then
we have a keg* that holds 140 lbs. of honey— one
head out. Over the open end of the strainer-keg
we tie one yard of cheese-cloth ; through the side of
the strainer-keg, close to the bottom, we have a \V%-
inch faucet. We stand one of our honey-barrels on
end on the ground. On this barrel we place our
strainer-keg. As we draw the honey from the ex-
tractor, we pour it into the strainer keg on the
strainer. By the side of the barrel that the strainer
stands on we dig a hole about 5 or 6 inches deep, in
which we stand an empty honey-barrel, with a fun-
nel under the faucet of the strainer. We draw
honey from the strainer until the barrel is full,
when the barrel is plugged up tight, taken home
and put into the honey-house. The plugs are not
loosened, but stay just as they come from the field
until sold. I think the honey will keep better if it
is air-tight.

A REVERSING EXTRACTOR.

Now, what do 1 think about a four-comb extract-
or, and reversing extractors? It would be a great
saving in time to have an extractor in which we
could reverse the combs without taking them out
of the machine, and 1 should have ordered one be-
fore now; but our frames are of an unusual size.
The machine would have to be made specially for
our frame, and would cost more. As 1 have never
seen oue of them, aud don't know yet whether they
are a success or not, 1 don't like to invest until ]
know more about them. The cut in the advertise-
ment doebii't show any gearing, and I should think
the motion would be too slow.

A FOUR-COMB EXTRACTOR.

I don't see much advantage in a four-frame ma-
chine. It would take as long to set four frames in
a four-frame machine as it would in a two-frame ma-
chine, and as long to take them out; all the time
saved would be in starting and stopping the mo-
tion, and that doesn't amount to much, and the ma-
chine would have to be larger. E. France.

Platteville, Wis., Sept. 16, 1889.

Our readers will notice that friend France
uses a different extractor, because he has
out apiaries. We have made extractors al-
most exactly like the one described above ;
but we discontinued adding the heavy
wooden frame, because in almost every lo-
cality the bee-keeper can make it or buy it
cheaper than to pay express or freight on
it. Another thing, we always practice and
recommend arranging the extractor so as to
run the honey and strain it directly into the
bunghole of the barrel, thus saving the
troublesome operation of lifting it up to
pour it somewhere every time you get a

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUIiE.

777

pailful. The pail is almost sure to be neg-
lected by somebody, and then what a mess,
no matter whether it is on the ground or on
the floor ! Besides, lilting all your crop of
honey by the pailful is a tiresome, slow, and
laborious operation. In the large apiaries in
California, no such arrangement is tolerat-
ed. Where we have a great number of out-
apiarits, however, it may be impracticable
to have ihem all rigged so as to run the hon-
ey direct into barrels, or, better still, a large
tank. In a good many apiaries, I have seen
the honey-house located on a side-hill. The
extracting is all done in the upper part of
the building, while the basement contains
the barrels, a large tank, or other receptacle.
In California they often locate a large tank
somewhere by the roadside, on lower
ground ; then when the honey is to be mar-
keted it is allowed to run of itself into what-
ever package is decided upon, said package
being already in the wagon, ready to be
drawn away. No one should ever think of
working an extractor that could by any pos-
sibility jump around. Ours have screw-
holes and screws to fasten the extractor
solid to a bench or box, or such a platform
as may be decided upon. Extractor- baskets
with sloping sides are somewhat more con-
venient ; but the upper end of the combs
furthest away from the central shaft will al-
ways be emptied soonest, or emptied more
thoroughly. 1 believe the honey will never
fly over the can if the combs are two inches
lower than the top edge of the extractor.
Large revolving baskets, made so as to
swing the comb a good way off from the
central shaft, do not need gearing ; in fact,
almost every body would eventually prefer
them without ; for in getting your combs a
good way off from me shaft, you get the
same speed without gearing that you would
otherwise with. Most bee-keepers prefer to
let the honey evaporate more or less by ex-
posing it to the air, when the can or barrel
should be open at the top. Friend France,
however, has never found this necessary.
Perhaps 1 should say that the above infor-
mation of friend F. was given in reply to a
sbi ies of questions asked by Ernest.

POISONOUS REPTILES OF FLORIDA.

THE BLACK GRAMPUS, ETC.

T SEE in August Gleanings an inquiry concern-
|if iug the " black grampus " of Florida. This bug
W was one of the first of Florida's curious things
-*- to attract my notice when I came here three
years ago. ft is the Thelyphonus (jiganteus of
the scientists; and, though very unlike the spider
in habit and appearance, it is a member of the same
family. Its home is in damp, rotting wood. Piles
of refuse lumber that have been undisturbed for a
few months are pretty certain to disclose a gram-
pus when turned over. It is about two inches in
length, and almost half an inch across the back; is
brownish black in color, and has a front ugly and
warlike enough to intimidate even a professional
bug-catcher. The thorax is protected by a hard,
polished coat of mail; and, in addition to three
pairs of scratchy-looking legs, has a pair of claws
and a sort of stone-crushing' apparatus that would

do credit to a lobster. These claws each terminate
in a pair of short curved needles, and are in every
respect well calculated to hold fast all they can
clutch.

The hind part of the body is soft, and ends in a
slender, whip-like wiry tail, which is as long as the
body, is carritd upright, and furnished with nu-
merous short, almost microscopic haiis, all pointing
toward the terminal end. Near the root of this tail
is a vent, lrom which, when irritated, it discharges a
clear, acrid, malodorous fluid.

Its mode of attack and defense is to lacerate its
victim with those horrible claws, and then, dis-
charging this poison, it switches its tail over its
back. The wiry, hair-set tail is well adapted to carry
the venom and throw it into the wound. Its effect
is not fatal to man or beast. I know a building-
contractor who has been scratched by them several
times. He says the pain is but little worse than
that caused by a wasp or hornet sting, though the
wound is longer healing.

Many of the negroes believe its bite to be fatal,
and are much afraid of ihem; but it is generally
considered harmless, unless you put your fingers
or toes in its embrace. 1 shall be glad to send the
first one I can find to Prof. Cook, and 1 hope he will
give us a scientific description of it.

THAT SNAKE THAT BREAKS IN TWO.

1 have never heard of the snake that breaks in
two like a dry stick, and survives the break; and I
venture the guess that it is one of the kind of
snakes seen only by those who " look upon the wine
when it is red."

No one need fear to come to Florida on account
of venomous reptiles and insects. 1 have killed
more snakes in Pennsylvania meadows in half a
day's mowing than 1 have seen here in three years;
and many persons have lived here lor years, and
never even heard of the grampus and scorpion.

Orlando, Fla., Sept. 6, 1889. E. J. Baird.

This matter is certainly interesting to me.
The idea that the grampus makes wounds
with its claws and then throws poison into
the wounds is wonderful ; and it is espe-
cially interesting to those who have studied
bees, because it is so nearly in a line with
the wonderful phenomenon of the bee-sting.
In regard to snakes that break in two, will
Prof. Cook straighten us out on the matter?
if I am correct, the /Scientific American stat-
ed, some years ago, that there was a snake
answering somewhat to these accounts ;
but, if I am correct, the part that breaks off
is a horny substance, somewhat like the
rattles of the rattlesnake. Of course, this
part has no life in it, either before or after
separation.

Hello ! Here are some facts from a broth-
er, right to the point :

THOSE SNAKES THAT BREAK IN TWO AND DO NOT
BLEED.

I see that one of your correspondents talks about
a snake that can be broken in pieces, the head run
off, etc. Now, we have that fellow here, but not
very common. When I first came to this country
from Ohio, the natives used to tell about this snake,
and I did not believe one word of it; but I soon
came across one. They are from 18 to 24 inches
long, and look very much like our common garter-
snake when he first sheds his old coat— very slick
and shiny, head longer and slimmer. It can run
very fast in the grass, but can hardly cross a road

77S

GLEANINGS IN BE?: CULT (HE.

Oct.

or run on bare ground at all; hence they are called
by some. " grass-snakes," and that is how I got the
first one. It was tryiDg to cross a dusty road. 1
hit it with a small stick, and, sure enough, it was in
two pieces, and I discovered I had found a joint-
snake; then T proceeded to examine his snakesbip,
and proceeded to hit him and break him as square
off as you could cut with a sharp knife until there
was only three or four inches of the head left; then
I discovered that that three or four inches ot the
head was all the body there was; the rest was tail;
this short body could move a little, but make no
headway. No blood came from breaking. I guess
this will do for a snake. E. McIntyre.

Memphis, Mo., Sept. 12, 1889.

Well, I declare ! who shall say after this
that there is any thing queer on the whole
face of the earth, that some reader of
Gleanings can not tell us something
about? 1 can readily conceive that almost
the whole body of the snake should be a
horny substance like the rattles of a rattle-
snake ; but of course this horny substance
that breaks in two without bleeding can
have no muscles or motion about it. This
being so, I do not see how the snake can
crawl, unless the crawling apparatus is close
to the head and pulls the horny b^>dy after
it. Now, friend M., how do you know that
the head part did not go back and hitch on
to the other pieces, after you went away?
Wby does not somebody have one of these
snakes in a museum, and break off a piece
now and then for the entertainment of vis-
itors? Prof. Cook, we need you sadly right
here ; and can you not, by offering a suffi-
cient reward, get a grass-snake lor your
museum? If you can not get a live one, by
all means get a dead one ; and if you can
not get a whole one, get some of the t- con-
necting links," or even an inch or two
would be quite an acquisition.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

GAURA COCCINEA.

I have received from N. M. Hallister, Fayette-
ville, Ark., a plant in bloom, of which he writes:
" Bees are gathering bountifully of both honey and
pollen from these flowers. The plant grows six
feet high; has a smooth stem-stalk, and a whitish
pink bloom. I have a field of buckwheat within
three-fourths of a mile, yet the bulk of my bees go
two miles, right past the buckwheat, for this plant,
which grows on the river and low lands. Please
name it through Gleanings."

This is Oaura Coccinea, a beautiful flower closely
related to our northern fireweed or tall willow herb.
I supposed it was a species of epilobium till Dr.
Beal gave me the correct name. Thus we have an-
other valued honey-plant from the "evening prim-
rose " family. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Sept. 3, 1889.

DOES THE CASTOR-OIL BEAN YIELD HONEY?

Can any one who lives in a section of country
where castor-oil beans are grown for the market,
tell if the bees gather much honey from it? They
work on the bloom litre all day long, from the first

of June until frost kills, and that was last year aft-
er Christmas. They get pollen only late in the fall.
The beans are not planted enough here to know
whether it would pay; but I think they certainly
would. G. W. Bistmne.

Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Sept. 5, 1889.

I believe the castor-oil bean does yield
honey, but we have never had any reports
in regard to the amount, so far as I can rec-
ollect. If any of our readers can tell us
how much honey they get where the beans
are raised largely for oil, we should be glad
to bear from them.

COMBS BREAKING DOWN IN EXTRACTING.

I am in trouble concerning my extracting-combs.
1 have the heavy brood foundation, and wired
frames as directed, and I have beautiful combs all
straight and all sealed, made above a queen exclud-
ing honey-board. They are the Simplicity frames,
but my combs all break down in the extractor. I
have the Novice extractor and honey-knife; and
when I uncap them the cells are easily broken from
the foundation, and it all breaks out of frames and
wires, and settles into the wires of the extractor.
I have worked hard to have my combs up to t-cience
this year. Ihe houe^ seems heavy, and cells tender.
Are mine too new? Do I have to work two or three
j ears for old tough combs, or is it because I dou't
know how to uncap? Please fully explain my
trouble, or refer my letter to some who will. I get
the honey from only one side, and then all breaks
down. How I should love to visit Mr. France's api-
ary ! You were there, so please explain my trouble.
I am getting beautiful comb honey. My working
colonies have averaged 150 lbs. a colony, and they
are just finishing the second crop of alfalfa; and
next month we shall have the third crop of it.

Delta, Col., Aug. 9, 1889. MRS. A. A. Hodgdon.

I am quite at a loss to understand why
your combs broke down. I have never
heard of such a thing with wired combs,
and we often extract them when they are
not half built out, or only half fill the
frames. Do you not turn the extractor fast-
er than is necessary to throw out the hon-
ey? If you turn too fast in emptying the
first side, the combs will sometimes settle
down into the wire cloth, especially if the
weather be very hot. At such times we
have extracted part of one side, then the
whole of the other, and lastly throwing it
all out of the first side. Perhaps your honey
is extra thick.

THE WEIGHT OF THE DOVETAILED HIVE; HOW TO
TELL HOW MUCH TO FEED TO EACH COLONV.

Please give me the weight of a Dovetailed hive,
wiih frames, top and bottom boards; also weight of
Simplicity No. 6, as above. I wish to determine the
amount of honey in hives, for winter use. Will
you kindly tell me how? J. B. Enos.

Connellsville, Pa., Sept. 9, 18S9.

Our No. 1 Dovetailed hive, as per our
price list, weighs about BO lbs.; the No. 2
Dovetailed, about 40; and the No. 0 Sim-
plicity, 50 lbs. An average Langstroth
comb, lilled, contains about 5 lbs. of capped
honey. Estimate from this the proportion-
ate amount in each comb. Their sum sub-
tracted from 20 to 30 lbs. of honey (the
amount usually allowed per colony on sum-
mer stands), will give the amount required

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

779

to be fed. A little practice in " hefting "
and estimating will enable you to become
correct enough for all practical purposes.

HOW MUCH CAN WE AFFORD TO PAY FOR A COMB-
HONEY PACKAGE?

Will it pay to invest, at a cost of W2 cents per lb.
for comb honey? Could I get my money back by
an increased price for my honey?

Canadice, N. Y., Aug. 2. L. M. Doolittle.

The question as to whether it will pay to
invest a cent and a half a pound for a pack-
age to hold comb honey, in addition to the
price of the sections, is a hard one to settle.
You would have to determine, as nearly as
you can, how much the honey costs you to
produce it. Knowing the market price you
could then decide for yourself better how
much you could afford to pay for a package.
Of course, you want to reserve as large a
margin as you can, after getting the honey
upon the market.

A BEAUTIFUL SPOT.

Bees are not doing- much here now. Forest fires
are raging- in the mountains, and will destroy the
most of the fall bloom. Many a stray swarm will
have to pay for its folly with its life, that sailed
gracefully away amid the ringing of bells and a
great blast of trumpets for their new home in the
forest, while a very sorry looking bee-keeper stood
with his hat off, trying to keep cool. The timber
on the mountain in front of my place is enveloped
in flames. It is a grand sight, as the mountain is
about 9000 feet high, and the timber extends up for
8000 feet. The burning forest is at night reflected
from 13 mountain lakes around its base, wh'le Mt.
Shasta and Lassen's Peak stand to the north, wrap-
ped in a mantle of snow. Who wouldn't be a bee-
keeper in the Sierra Nevadas? I think if A. T.
Koot were here he could listen to the songs of birds
and the music of the falling waters to his heart's
content, and gaze into crystal lakes that would
equal any thing he saw in Southern California. I
almost forgot to mention the speckled beauties
that he would find in their native haunts. Think of
camping on the shores of a beautiful mountain
lake, and wandering over grassy slopes to catch a
mess of trout for your breakfast. G. W. Cover.

Downieville, Cal., Sept. 2, 1889.

I know I missed a great deal in not visit-
ing the northern part of California, es-
pecially round about San Francisco ; but
when 1 make my next visit I will try to give
you a call.

BEE-STINGS A CUBE FOR RHEUMATISM.

I see there is one adverse report by Mrs. John
Burr, in regard to bee-stings for rheumatism.
Would she expect to be cured of so serious a dis-
ease by one or two good stingings, or one or two
doses from the best doctor in the land? Let her
persist in keeping bees, and get stung a few years
as much as 1 have, and she will have to die of some-
thing else. 1 had noticed, before this thing was
mentioned in the bee-papers (to my knowledge),
that my rheumatism was playing out, and that I
should never get a pension on that if it didn't re-
turn, which I think there is no hope of, as long as I
keep bees, for I have no small help to keep the
smoker going; and, my word for it, I would rather
take the punishment that Sullivan gave to Kilrain
than to face it sometimes. But at the same time I

would rather stand stings than rheumatism, and
have pain enough to draw your arms, legs, and
muscles, up into knots.
Pine Grove, O., Sept. T, 1889. S. Daniels.

HOW TO KILL A SWARM OF BEES.

Will you kindly give me your advice as to the
best way of killing a swarm of bees when their win-
ter supplies are too small? I am a friend of the little
fellows, and a new hand in the work, and I should
like to have jour advice. G. H. Gilbert.

Martell, Wis., Aug. :50, 18S9.

Why, friend G., if you are a friend of the
little fellows, what do you want to kill them
for? Modern bee culture does not include
any process for killing bees. Instead of
buying brimstone, we now buy sugar ; and
the bees are almost certain to pay back the
money with good interest, the very first sea-
son, what the sugar cost. If you can't keep
bees without wanting some process to kill
them, excuse me if I suggest, in a kind and
friendly way, that you give up the business.

A NARROW (?) ESCAPE.

Mr. Root:— You came very near having to pay
the thousand-dollar reward; but your time is too
valuable to go into all of the details. It was claim-
ed by one of the " smart Alecks" who know every
thing that is going on, that he knew a man who
could make the comb and fill it with honey, as he
saw it done. So 1 asked for the man's name, and
he mentioned one whom 1 knew very well. So I
sent a boy to friend H., and got them together. To
sum up, he saw him making foundation and ex-
tracting honey, and that was all there was of it.
How ashamed he was, after it was explained to him 1

Perry, N. V., Sept. 8, 1889. Jos. R Wright.

RAISING QUEENS ABOVE PF.RFORATI D METAL.

I have had some experience with raising- queen-
cells over a zinc honey-board. It worked well till
the last batch ; out of curiosity I looked at them four
days before they were to hatch, auJ found three
torn down. I cut out all but one, and left it to see
what they would do with it; in 48 hours I looked and
it was gone. No queen had hatched to tear them
down. The honey-flow had partly failed, but they
were still storing some surplus.

SHIPPING HONEY.

How should honey be shipped— by freight or ex-
press? and would distance make any difference?
This is the first year we have had a crop since 1886.
We have never shipped any. Our home market is
full of 10-cent honey; we have no such for sale.

The Ignotum tomatoes are doing fine; they are
the best-flavored tomatoes I ever tasted.

Swedona, III., Sept. 4, 1889. S. F. Trego.

I believe the general decision is, that hon-
ey of all kinds should go by freight. Ex-
press is expensive for any thing that is not
worth more than 15 or 18 cents a pound ;
and although express should be safer than
freight, experience seems to indicate that it
is even more apt to be injured than by
freight. But be sure to put the ends of the
sections toward the locomotive.

RUBBER ROOFING IN LIEU OF TIN, FOR HIVES.

Please answer through Gleanings what you
think of this rubber rooting that is used to cover
buildings. Would it not do to use to cover bee-
hives? Von know how it is about leaky covers to
hives. I believe this roofing is the very thing. It is

780

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Oct.

cheap, and much better than tin. I have not used
any of it. I have just received samples, and I be-
lieve it will answer the purpose. You see any kind
of lumber can be used that is picked up, almost, and
make a good cover. C. H. McFadden.

Clarksburg, Mo., Sept. V, 1889.

I have never seen any rubber roofing that
was a success for any length of time. I do
not believe there is any thing made that
would compare favorably with tin.

CHAFF-HIVE ENTRANCES TOO SMALL.

I was visiting- a bee-keeper lately, and had quite a
discussion with him concerning the hives he was
using. He had 107 stands, I believe, and only about
13 or 15 of them were chaff hives, while the rest
were Simplicity. He told me that there was not
room for ventilation in the chaff hive, with an en-
trance 8 x % inches. He says it is almost impos-
sible to keep the bees inside in very hot weather. I
have had the same trouble this summer. 1 have 36
chaff hives, and with all the shade I could give I
would frequently have the front of the hive cover-
ed with bees. Will you please tell me what is the
matter? My bees have given little or no honey this
year. I am proud of Gleanings, and wish it and
its publisher success. S. R. Holbert.

Watson, W. Va., Sept. 5, 1889.

Our chaff-hive entrances heretofore have
been too small, and we now make them the
full width of the hive. The clustering on
the outside has been caused largely by en-
trances being too small.

SKUNKS AND BEES.

Skunks sometimes trouble me late in the fall.
One hive has a place where they have scratched
more than a fourth of an inch deep in the front of
it. When grasshoppers, crickets, and the other
bugs and worms they live on are mostly gone, they
go for the bees. 1 use a box trap to catch them.
One fall I caught four. They seldom scent if
drowned in a trap, and their hides and oil in No-
vember are usually worth from 75 cents to $1.50
each. J. L. Hubbard.

Walpole, N. H., Sept. 11, 1889.

SKUNKS; AN EASY WAY OF CATCHING AND KILL-
ING THEM.

To help friend Doolittle and others out a little, I
will tell him how to destroy these pests. Some
years ago, when I lived in California, I set traps to
catch foxes, and soon caught, in all, 13 skunks in
box traps; but to get clear of them without spoiling
my traps, and not have other disagreeable results,
was a question at first difficult but afterward easy
to solve. I will now talk direct to Mr. D. Make a
box trap of the old-fashioned kind, with a fall lid,
say 10 x 10 inches, and 3 ft. long. Smear a fresh egg
on the bottom and inside. Bait with an egg, and
set near your bees where the skunks come. The
next morning you will be pretty sure to have the
gentleman. The terrible odor of a skunk is his
weapon of defense, and is never used except as a
last resort, and in an emergency. As it is as offen-
sive to themselves as it is to any thing else, no fears
need be entertained. Pick the trap right up under
your arms, on your shoulder, or in any way, and
carry it as far as you wish, only handle it without
thumps or jars. Into a pool of water fully large
and deep enough to surely cover the whole trap,
immerse it and hold it there live minutes, and very

seldom any smell will be raite d p.t all. Once in a
while one will give a fcent when immeised in the
water, but not often; but you need have no fears
in handling the box so long as you do it gently. I
handled the thirteen so, without any trouble.

A. A. Fradenburg.
Port Washington, O., Aug. 2, 1889.

MINERAL WAX ; SOMETHING FROM ONE OF OUR
SUBSCRIBERS IN THE REGION ; SEE GLEAN-
INGS FOR JULY 15.

I live about 30 miles from the wax referred to in
the clipping. This is the only mine from which
wax has been shipped, as yet, in this region. The
mine has been worked about 3 years. This is near-
ly pure asphaltum. It is sent to Price Station, 100
miles, in wagons. The mountains near Price River,
on the D. & R. G R. R., also abound in mineral wax
of various kinds. The best is elaterite, or mineral
gutta percha; ozocerite, and others of less value.
There are large quantities containing paraffine
wax. Tnis, in i'.s crude state, is good chewing-gum.
These latter have just been discovered, and are
still undeveloped. They are all jet black, and noth-
ing like beeswax, and never will compete with that
article. There is no other wax of that description
in Utah, that I know of. Bart Bartlett.

Vernal, Utah, Aug. 26, 1889.

Many thanks, friend B. Near the Ojai
hot springs, in the vicinity of San Buena-
ventura, 1 saw mineral wax, or bitumen, ex-
uding from the hills in such quantities that
for quite a distance it made a hard roadway
for the horses. At other points it was so
soft that the turkeys got it daubed on their
feet, and were in great distress because the
leaves, feathers, and every thing else, clung
to them so as to impede tneir walking. This
wax was, however, as you say, black, and
nothing like beeswax. 1 am inclined to
think, however, that there is something
somewhere in these great Western wilds
that is a pretty fair substitute for beeswax
and paraffine. (Jan anybody else tell us
about it V

HONEY from ground ivy, after jack frost.

Last fall, after Jack Frost had already destroyed
all visible flower life, I prepared to store away my
pets for the long dreary winter; and upon an in-
spection several days thereafter, I found, to my
utter surprise, enough uncapped honey to equalize
three pounds, in the hives. The question now
arose, Where did this honey come from, and where
did the bees obtain it? As the honey-house was in-
tact, they did not get it from that source. After
close watching I noticed the bee-line leading toward
the river; and being well posted about the sur-
rounding flora I skirmished the country over hills
and valleys, but all in vain, as the frost had done
its work completely. At last, and not far distant
from my house, 1 found my truant yellow jackets
busily engaged on a heavily overgrown piece of
ground ivy, Glechoma hedaacca, the tops of which,
being affected by the frost, yet left the lower parts
in a good state and in lull bloom. On tasting the
honey 1 found it to be very bitter; and fearing it to
be injurious to my bees I extracted it and destroy-
ed the plants. The honey granulates easily, and is
of a greenish-white color. As stated before, I ob-
tained three pounds. In its proper soil, the plant
becomes of a strong, creeping growth, the blossom
being of a blue, purplish color, and is one of the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

781

last to be destroyed by the frost. I inclose you a
sample of the plant. Christian Illig.

New Athens, 111., Aug. 12, 1889.

If you are talking about the same plant
described in the A B C book, under the
name of gill-over-the-ground, I am surprised
that you find the honey bitter. In our local-
ity there is seldom enough of it to extract,
but the flavor is not at all unpleasant. It is,
however, a terribly bad weed, and on that
account I think you did well in destroying
it.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT IN EIGHT WEEKS.

I sowed the peck of Japanese buckwheat I got of
you June 20th, and send you a sample picked eight
weeks after. Of course, it is not all ripe, but will
be before long. I sowed it on 50 rods of ground,
and it is too thick. It stands from three to four
feet high, with blossoms on branches nearly to the
ground, and is filling nicely. Bees worked on it
well in the forenoon each day. I have sown a few
kernels for a second crop.

Our honey crop here is about half what we ex-
pected, but the quality is good. Bees had the worst
kind of swarming fever, but basswood bloom was
of short duration, and theu swarming ceased.

Linden, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1889. E. L. Eighmy.

REMINGTON'S PHARMACY; MORE FALSEHOODS.

Remington's Pharmacy was copyrighted in 1885.
I have the 1888 edition. Joseph P. Remington, the
author, is professor of theory and practice of phar-
macy, and director of the pharmaceutical laborato-
ry in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He
was also first vice-chairman of the committee of re-
vision and publication of the U. S. Pharmacopoeia,
and pharmaceutical editor of the U. S. Dispensato-
ry. J. B. Lippincott& Co., Philadelphia, are publish-
ers. On page 279, speaking of mellita, or prepara-
tion containing honey, he also says, " Their advan-
tages over syrup are not very apparent, particu-
larly since of late years the difficulty of obtaining
pure honey has greatly increased."

Geo. F. Williams.

New Philadelphia, O., Aug. 20, 1889.

HONEY- BOARDS; THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF
QUEENS.

I should like to know whether or not there is a
patent on the break-joint honey • board, queen-
excluder, and Heddon hive. Also, what is meant
by mismated, untested, warranted, and tested
queens? Chas. S. Lewis.

Litchfleld, 111., Aug. 14, 1889.

There is no patent on the honey-board.
Mismated queen means a hybrid, or a queen
which is supposed to be an Italian herself,
but has met a black drone. An untested
is one that is a pure queen herself, but no
guarantee is made as to whether she has
met a pure drone ; sbe has been laying only
about a week. If kept in the hive three
weeks or a mouth, and her workers are
pure, she is called tested. A warranted
queen is an untested queen, but the breeder
guarantees that she will prove to be pure.
If in the hands of the purchaser she turns
out to be a hybrid or a '"mismated," the
breeder agrees to send another until he suc-
ceeds in sending a, pure queen. As there is
a good chance for jangles, and also a chance
for a customer to claim his warranted is a

hybrid when she was not, we have never
sold queens in that way. Sell goods for
what you know them to be, and you will
avoid many disputes.

BEES AS THICK ON RED CLOVER AS ON WHITE.

Bees are gathering enough honey to keep them
from robbing, and to carry on queen-rearing nicely.
1 was wondering where they were getteng it ; and
so, yesterday I took a walk at 1 p. m., to a twenty-
acre field of red clover, about one-fourth mile from
my apiary; and 1 must say that I never saw bees
as thick on red clover before. They were as thick
as I ever saw them on white clover. I caged twenty
queens this afternoon, beginning at 2, without any
robbing at all. May God be praised for his bounti-
ful blessings. J. P. Moore.

Morgan, Ky., Aug. 27, 1889.

RED CLOVER A HONEY-YIELDER IN MISSOURI.

I notice in the answers to Question 136 that a
large portion of the writers seem to consider red
clover of very little importance as a honey-produc-
ing plant. This year, at about the time that honey
ceased from white clover, we had a field of red clo-
ver in full bloom (the second crop), and I am sure I
never saw bees more busy on white clover than
they were on that field of red clover. My opinion
is, that if all the honey secreted by red clover could
be gathered it would yield more honey per acre
than any other flower that grows in this part of the
country; for I have for years been in the habit of
examining heads of red clover, and seldom failed to
find nectar that could be seen and tasted. 1 have
also often examined the heads of white clover, and
tried to discover honey, but have never found
enough so that it could be seen or tasted; and if I
did not know that it does produce honey, I should
say that it contained very little. Now, let the old
heads say what they will; but if red clover were as
plentiful as white clover is here, and I had bees
that could reach all of it, I could show some big
crops of honey. But there never was, is not, and, I
think, there never will be, a honey-bee that can get
all of the nectar secreted by red clover.

Bluffton, Mo., Aug. 24, 1889. S. E. Miller.

BEES POISONED BY A P1E-MAKEK, BECAUSE OF
THEIR ALLEGED NUISANCE.

I take the liberty to ask you for your opinion in a
matter in which I know you are interested. A gen-
tleman from Baltimore, director of a pie company,
called on me the other day and asked me the best
method of getting rid of bees which had so invaded
his factory, on the outskirts of the town, as to cause
him great auuoyance, pecuniary and otherwise.
He stated that his company had been turning out
20,003 pies a day. He employed some 20 hands, be-
sides 10 wagons and drivers; but in consequence of
the bees, which crawled all over the pies, died in
them, and made them unsalable, his business had
considerably decreased, and he was now making
only 3)00 pies daily. He stated that the nearest
apiary to him was 10 miles away; that he had driven
round for three or four miles, making inquiries,
but had discovered no bees. I asked him if he was
in the neighborhood of woods and hollow trees. He
said there were several round him. The bees were
black. I concluded they were wild bees, and I re-
luctantly advised him to use poison, supposing that
he was not injuring anybody's trade, which he was
particularly desirous to avoid. Nevertheless I ask-

782

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

ed him, before resorting to such an extreme mea-
sure, to be so good as to wait until I had consulted
good authority as to the best steps to take; and as
it is much to the interest of the bee-keeper to pro-
tect a business that is evidently suffering, I should
feel much obliged to you if you would kindly sug-
gest a remedy. Frederick L. Cirtler.
Alexandria, Va., Aug. 8, 1889.

The pie-maker is greatly mistaken. Bees
could not possibly go ten miles to bother
him, and I very much doubt if they go one
mile. His complaint, as you give it, would
seem to indicate that his trade has gone
down from some other cause, and he is seek-
ing to saddle it upon bee-keepers. The
number of bees he poisons can not do any
harm, I think, even though there is an api-
ary within one mile of him. I should tell
him to poison them if he chooses. Very
likely the nuisance has all abated before
this reaches him. When bees in large num-
bers are kept, say, within I mile or nearer,
thev sometimes prove annoying during a
drouth, or when there is no honey to be had,
but such things are an exception and not
the rule. If you could visit his establish-
ment I am quite certain you would find he
is greatly exaggerating the matter in regard
to the bees doing him harm financially.

BUCKWHEAT HONEY; WINTER PACKING; UPWARD
VENTILATION.

1. Do you consider it advisable to make your bees
winter on buckwheat honey, if you have plenty of
it?

2. What material is best for packing a double-
walled hive above and at sides'?

3. Is upward ventilation desirable for outdoor
wintering? C. H. Hoyt.

Irving, Mich., Aug. 5, 1889.

1. Buckwheat honey, if well ripened, is as
good as any honey for wintering. White
honey is preferred, as a general thing; but
so far as we are able to discover from re-
ports, bees winter about as well on one as
on the other.

2. Wheat chaff is about as good as any
thing for packing around hives. It is light
and porous, and in most localities it is the
best and cheapest. Almost any porous ma-
terial such as chaff of any kind, or sawdust,
will answer tolerably well.

3. Upward ventilation, aside from what is
obtained through the chaff cushion, in out-
door wintering, is not necessary. Give
them a good full-width entrance and they
will have all the ventilation they need. Up-
ward ventilation, both for outdoor and cel-
lar wintering, is now generally abandoned.
Plenty of bottom ventilation seems to be all
that is required.

TO BIND GLEANINGS.

Take a strip of heavy manilla paper, pasteboard,
or light tin, 1 inch wide and 10J4 inches long, for a
pattern; make a line % inch from one edge. Start
the first hole on the line with an awl or punch, 1^4
inches from one end (mark that " top end"), and
make the rest of the holes W% inches apart (6 in all).
Lay this pattern on a copy of Gleanings, the ed#e
closest to the line parallel with the back edge of
the book. Mark through the holes of the pattern
with a pencil or awl, then take six copies and prick
through as marked, with an awl, and sew together

with a running stitch. Six copies are nice for read-
ing or reference. When the year is up, cut the
stitches and sew 24 together. A cover made to suit
your fancy may be sewed on at the same time.
The above-described pattern is to make all the holes
for stitching alike. No matter how many packages
you make, it forms a square book, provided you
punch the holes through every six copies straight.
W. Lewisburg, O., Aug. 19, 1889. F. Wehe.

In my travels I saw Gleaning.s many
times, put up in home binders. At Thomas
Arundel's, in California, whole volumes
were so neatly arranged with ornamented
backs, that I could hardly believe they were
home-made.

QUEENS FERTILIZED ABOVE THE ZINC NOT A SUC-
CESS; A CORRECTION.

In Gleanings, page 685, in your comments on
Heddon's paragraph, you evidently made a mistake
in saying that he had "succeeded in having a
queen reared and fertilized above the perforated
metal." In the paragraph quoted, the queen was
reared, hatched, and fertilized below. You will no-
tice that the statement in nowise differs from the
views I have expressed on the subject. 1 have had
the same experience over and over; but in numer-
ous trials I never had a queen fertilized above the
excluder without a coincident loss of the old queen
below. It can occur only when the queen in the
brood chamber is about to be superseded. You
will see, therefore, that the idea you have conveyed
may lead some one to try that very thing and fail
also. There is no fact better established, than that
a queen can not be " reared and fertilized above
the perforated metal " while a good laying queen
is below in the brood-chamber. It may be possible
in a good honey-flow, but we have had no honey-
flow in this locality good enough for it to be possi-
ble, in the past four seasons that I have tried it.

G. L. Tinker.

New Philadelphia, O., Sept. 2, 1889.

Thanks, friend T. We accept the correc-
tion ; but it is true that Heddon, as early as
1885, or perhaps earlier, had cells reared and
hatched above the excluder. But some one,
it seems, has anticipated Heddon on this
point. See a short article from A. A. Era-
denburg, pages 742, 754, Sept. 15.

IN FAVOR OF CARNIOLANS.

During the present season I have been testing
several different races of bees in the same yard,
and find that the Carniolans are away ahead, and
will give me quite a nice crop of surplus. This is
my second season with them, and thus far I am
very much pleased. 1 find them peaceable, indus-
trious, and very prolific, gather but little propolis,
and, so far as my experience goes, they winter bet-
ter than the Italians. I have had considerable ex-
perience with bees, having Kept them from my
boyhood up to the present time. I had at one time
118 colonies, mostly Italians, and their crosses. I
have also tried several races, with more or less sat-
isfaction. T. I. DUGDALE.

West Galway, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1889.

THE SENSITIVE PLANT THAT BEARS HONEY.

I send to-day some seeds and specimens of leaves
and flowers of Mimosa pudica, or sensitive plant;
very rough seed-pod, flowers globular, about 'i
inch in diameter, very sweet flavor, probably a pol-
len-plant. Bees love to climb all over it and wal-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

78»

low all round it. It is ol'aflne red color, leaves
delicate and very sensitive. It will close at the
least touch, especially in a warm dry day. I also
send an allied species of mimosa flowers, loose, and
sheaf-of-wheat shaped, quite sweet-scented (less so
than the pudica), less pollen: seed smaller; pods
long-, smooth ; very slightly sensitive; blooming a
few weeks later; plants more numerovis. Both be-
g-in to bloom in May, and are now covered with the
terminal seed-pods. I found a few fresh blossoms
this morning. I shall try to send you a root of the
pudica. I think it will live and reach you. Num-
bers three, one, and three, two, are what are here
called white and yellow primroses. My attention
was attracted to them by their abundance and beau-
tiful bloom, and especially by always [in June (and
before and after)] seeing the bees getting (perhaps
honey) surely pollen from them. I saw and heard
the bees more and often er on this yellow flower,
never once on the horsemint. Perhaps I was not
early enough in the morning for them. No. 4 is a
sprig of a rather tall (say 3 or 3 feet) perennial
shrub, mimosa. It blooms very abundant, cover-
ing the stem and the very end with its light-red
globular sweet-scented blossoms. Its fruit is a
small flat pea-pod. It blooms in April and May. I
happened to find this sprig this week.

I first noticed, April and May, 1879, that the
mountains were covered with this mimosa, and
gave a sweet scent, far and wide.

No. 5 contains a few blossoms of a plant that the
bees climb and roll over, and wallow through its
pollen. I do not know its name, and have no bo-
tanical dictionary here. These flowers, though,
one and two, are acid, much like the wild strawber-
ry mot the edible fruit, but a weed whose name I
can not now recall) in their numbers and rank in
plant life, and are perhaps too small and unimpor-
tant to be of much use to the bees. But I write and
send you the mimosa pudica, or sensitive plant,
and just add the rest. Edwin Leigh.

Center Point, Tex., Aug. 3, 1889.

I should suppose that, when the bees
touched the flower, if it is like the sensitive
plants we have around here in our green-
houses, it would double up and lie down,
unless, forsooth, it learns to distinguish
between the human touch and the bump of
a busy bee. Thanks for the plants and
seeds. We will try to test them.

THE CLOVER BLOAT AND THE WOODEN BIT A
SURE CURE.

I assure you that the round-stick cure for hoven
will save the cow every time. It is so simple that
people can scarcely believe it; and yet a piece of
broom-handle for a bit, and two wool-twine strings
to hold it in the" mouth, will drive any man with a
nose out of the yard where the cow is. You would
not hold the stick long, I assure you. There is no
need of putting a knife into a cow's side. Open the
mouth, and the.pent-up gas will escape.

Perrysburg, Ohio, Sept. 3, 1889. G. A. Adams.

any other remedy; so I took a good corncob, put
one in each cow's mouth, crosswise. Then I got a
stick, as described in your article. By rubbing the
sides of the animal with a rough round stick it did
not take very long, when they were on their legs
again, and got over their trouble. P. J. M. Otto.
Sandusky, O , Aug. 26, 1889.

0a^ QUEgJFI0]M-B0&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

HOW TO CURE CLOVER-BLOAT WITH A CORNCOB.

The remedy for clover-bloat was published some
years ago, I think in New York Tribune. Happen-
ing some time after that in Berlin I stayed with a
farmer who came one afternoon in great excite-
ment to me to know if I knew any thingabout bloat,
he t)aving3 cows lying beside the fence, on their
gide3. Trocar.no one knew anything about, nor

AH queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should he written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 1+5.— Hots your experience with commis-
sion men been satisfactory? If not, state in brief some
transactions, not meniionmg names— transactions that
will serve as a warninu to some of the novices.

1 have patronized home markets only.

A. J. Cook.
It has not. " The other fellow " may give the ex-
perience. Mrs. L. Harrison.

Yes, where such men have a good rating with
Bradstreet or Dun. G. M. Doolittle.

My experience with commission men in selling
honey has been entirely satisfactory to me.

Geo. Grimm.

Yes, reasonably so; but my honey dealings with
commission men have never been very extensive.

O. O. Poppleton.

I have been swindled by only one; but since, I
am careful to inquire of the responsibility of the
parties before shipping, and have had no trouble
since. P. L. Viallon.

Yes, and no. Perhaps " yes " would be as appro-
priate an answer as I can make, taking all in all,
without going into details. As a rule, commission
men are human beings. I find there is a difference
in men. A. E. Manum.

Yes, but they have never handled any honey for
me, except to buy it and pay for it like other peo-
ple. They have sold produce of the farm, and large
quantities of preserved eggs, to better advantage
for me than I could. Deal with honest ones only, or
sell for cash. Dr. A. B. Mason.

I have been well used by commission men. This,
however, does not change my preference for sell-
ing outright for cash. I know there are some very
honorable men in the commission business, and I
judge there are others just the opposite, as in other
kinds of business. P. H. Elwood.

My experience with commission men in Belling
my honey has been very limited. I have always
thought best to do my own selling. I do not wish
to sit in judgment upon commission men as a class.
I take it they are like the average of mankind,
good, bad, and indifferent. If I were to sell my
honey on commission I would try to send it to a
good man. H. K. Boardman.

While my experience has been satisfactory, 1
wish to find fault in one particular. The best quali-
ty of X X x honey will not sell at the highest quo-
tations. It seems that commission men have a
bait quotation to induce bee-keepers to ship their.
honey to them, and then sell one or two cents low-.

\

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllE.

Oct.

f ,V> or. I«fhifik tht*y stiould say what quality and what
/N p^kdge britf2> the best price. I speak particularly
^^ «5\f c~xtractfi(fch(7fiey. Rambler.

W' Vf ^ ^jifnad trouble in the beginning, because
we.rhhunfred to everybody's man, and too largely.
'*^aJ^'^e special commission men, and ship to them
only what they think they can readily sell at our
fie-uns. The great trouble with commission men
is, that they get overstocked before they know it.

Dadant & Son.
We have had some deal with commission men,
and so far we have no reason to complain. We sent
four barrels of houey to a firm in Milwaukee. I
told them to take all the time they wanted to sell,
and do the best they could to get a good price. They
held it about four months, then sold at good fig-
ures, and paid promptly. We sell most of our
blackberries through commission men, and so far I
have had no trouble or reason to find fault with
them. E. France.

We learn to know men best when doing business
with them. There are very respectable commis-
sion merchants, and* there are scoundrels among
them, the same as there are among any other class,
of men. Bee-keepers as a class, are, in my estima-
tion, if not superior at least on a level with any oth-
er class I know; yet there are scoundrels among
them. Don't let us run down a respectable calling,
because there are black sheep among all flocks.
Don't let bee-keepers be guided by flattering offers,
but let them end* avor to deal with honorable men.

C. F. Muth.

More satisfactory than otherwise. One firm or-
dered a little on trial. It sold at a great big price.
With the returns the statement was made that
they could sell large quantities of it at the same
figure; but when the larger lot arrived they could
hardly sell at all, even at a low figure, although
quotations were about the same all the way
through. Reports of light weight were made in
some cases, where I knew it must be a mistake.
When I have named a price below which they must
not sell, and asked them, on receipt of the goods, to
acknowledge the goods and name the price set,
they have uniformly refused to name the limit of
price, so they can sell as they please; and I heard
one of them laugh at the idea of the owner setting
the price, as if the merchant did not know best
what it ought to bring. R.Wilkin.

a. No; b. Commission men are the same as other
folks— good, honest, and otherwise. I have found
it more satisfactory to ship to one making a special-
ty of honey than to one handling every kind of
produce, as they better know what it should sell
for. In one instance the past season I sent a small
lot to a party for trial. They were not regular deal-
ers in honey. They sold a part for four cents per
lb., which, of course, was not satisfactory. A few
years ago I sent a large consignment to a man in
New York, doing a large mixed business. After
waiting six months I was obliged to have him turn
it over to a regular honey-dealer, who disposed of
it in a few daj s. S. I. Freeborn.

In some cases my transactions with commission
men have been unfavorable; but as a whole, quite
satisfactory. I believe it might be better if there
were some arrangement whereby the consignor
could know if he wished whether the commission
man made honest returns. I knew of one man who

reported always the name of the person or persons
to whom sales were made; but it may be this could
not be made to work satisfactorily. Some commis-
sion men make a practice of erasing all marks that
show by whom the honey is produced, and seem to
fear having the producer and the retailer known to
each other. I think it might be better for commis-
sion men and all if no attempt at secrecy were
made. C. C. Miller.

As a whole, it has. Three years ago I shipped hon-
ey to fifteen different commission firms in almost
as many different cities. In comparing the returns,
I decided that all had dealt fairly and honestly with
me. While commission men have sometimes sold
my honey too low, as I thought, I have no reason to
suspect dishonesty in any of my dealings with
them. 1 was always careful, though, never to ship
honey to a firm that I did not know to be in good
standing. We would not trust every stranger who
came along and wanted to buy of us on credit, and
we should exercise the same care in sending honey
or other produce, to be sold on commission. The
past two years I have bought considerable honey of
commission men, and this dealing on both sides has
but the more firmly convinced me of the foregoing.

J. A. Green.

I have had [some most satisfactory deals with
commission men. I know that they are not all
rogues. I know that many times they find it im-
possible to dispose of our goods at the price we
hold them to, and ofttimes at any price. There are
a good many terribly weak-minded men in the bee-
business. Some of them think their goods are the
most salable in the world, which is not the case by
any means. Commission men are good for the
country. They fill an avenue in the commercial
world which no other class of business men can.
We should not expect human nature to work as
well for others as it works for itself. It is not best
it should. If all men were as willing to serve other
people as to serve themselves, the wealth of the
world would pile up into fewer hands much faster
than it does. The inspiration of ownership is a
grand element in human nature. He will sell goods
quickest who owns the goods. The ownership of
happy homes'is a grand thing. Everyman should
own his home; then we shall have a country of pa-
triots. James Heddon.

My experience with commission men has been
entirely satisfactory. They have let me entirely
alone, and I have let them entirely alone. My larg-
est shipment of honey came out thus: A family in
Columbus heard of my honey and wanted some. A
lady friend, who was a customer of mine, having
put the bee in their ear, I earnestly advised that
they buy in the Columbus market— as, if they paid
a little more, it would be more than balanced by
freedom from risk and worry. My advice was with-
out avail. Our mutual lady friend devisedlthe plan
of having a^well soldered tin trunk made, and filled
with sections. Then, you see, if the honey was bro-
ken somewhat it would be in there any way. Well,
in the course of time the trunk arrived. It had
been opened on the route. Some of the sections
were gone altogether, and the rest, in its broken
condition, was not an attractive sight, I judge.
While honey in glassed cases may/ be broken in
transportation, I suppose that, when packed so as
to be out of sight, it is pretty sure to be.

E- E. Hasty.

1889

ULtA.Ni.NUS IN iiEt CULTURE.

I am glad to see that our friends as a rule
show a charitable disposition toward com-
mission men, whether they patronize them
or not. It is surely wrong to condemn a
whole class of individuals because their line
of business is such that bad men may easi-
ly take advantage. For instance, it is quite
customary to denounce jewelers as a class
of cheats ; but it is very foolish, notwith-
standing; for we have conscientious, fair,
and honorable men— a good many of them —
in the jewelry business ; and those who
build up a large business are almost invaria-
bly of this class. Friend Doolittle suggests
Bradstreet and Dun. I think there is an
excellent point there, in more respects thau
one. The commission man who is rated as a
man of means, and one prompt in his pay-
ments, would never have built up such a
business had he not been straightforward
and honorable. C. C. Miller makes a sug-
gestion which I think is valuable. If you
can rind a commission man who is willing
not only to tell what the goods sold for, but
give you the address of the purchaser, he is
certainly the one to be recommended. And I
should say not only in the commission busi-
ness, but in every other business in the
wide world, the man who has no secrets,
and nothing to be kept back from his pat-
rons, is the one to deal with. It is like tear-
ing away the fences around our dooryards.
It gives us glimpses of a better time com-
ing; and I think almost every neighbor-
hood is beginning to agree that no fence at
all gives better results than stone walls
eight or ten feet high, with sharp spikes on
top of them.

TlNgWEI^ TO (|aEgTI0N$

FROM OUR ABC CLASS.

This department is designed primarily to cover questions
either not already answered in the A B C of Bee Culture (price
in cloth $1.25), or, if incorporated in this work, are here dwelt
upon more in detail on account of the importance of the
question. While these answers are of vital interest to the
ABC scholars, they will doubtless be found, in many in-
stances, to be of considerable value to the more advanced
student. For lack of space, the question itself, instead of be
ing directly stated, is omitted, the same being implied in the
answer. It is hoped that the class will first consult their
text-book before sending in their questions.

THE SPRAY-DIFFUSER.

D. L. C, Michigan.— The spray-diffuser is a little
small, but with it you can in two minutes spray a
whole colony, it' it works clear. We discarded the
spray-diffuser altogether in treating' foul brood.
Don't waste your time in trying any other plan
than the starvation method. You can cure it after
a fashion with phenol or carbolic acid; but it is
long and uncertain in its results. We have so ad-
vised in Gleanings.

J. A. W., Iowa.— Bees do not gather glucose un-
less the same is put within their reach by man.
But this would not pay, even at the low price of
the article. Glucose can be mixed by man, with ex-
tracted honey, but would not pay, and is, we ven-
ture to say, rarely if ever practiced. Tell that com-
mission man that all the commercial glucose that
bees gather from flowers, is in his imagination.
Tell him also that the honey you sent him is pure,
and was sent just as it was taken from the flowers.

WHEN TO PUT IN D1VISI

W. H. M., Pennsylvania— The
the brood-lrames from the brood
division-boards, should depend upon <
If the colony is strong, you might not fT
out any frames at all. The general rul
bees,' on only as many frames as they will
comfortably, and fill up the empty space^with di-
vision-boards or chaff. Brood-nests for winter
should be contracted about the middle of fall-
earlier or later according to circumstances.

]\[@¥E£ TfjMD Queried

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address

BEES BITING THliOUOH THE TOUCH-ME-NOT.

The honey-flow still continues. My bees have
made a great deal from the large thistle, and are
now working on touch-me-not and fireweed. The
Italians bite through the tongue of the blossoms,
as described in the A B C. S. J. Youngman.

Lakeview, Mich., Aug. 31, 1889.

POLLEN FROM MILKWEED.

I submit some bees for your inspection. Will you
undertake to tell me what that is on their feet, and
where or what do they get it from?

Central City, Neb., Aug. 11. W. H. Cagil.

[Your bees have on their legs the pollen of milk-
weed. See the subject of "Pollen," in the ABC
book.l

"FATTENING UP " QUEENS.

The queens came to hand all right. They seem to
be a very diminutive kind of bee, but perhaps after
they get over their trip and fatten up they will be
all right. G. W. Lechlek.

Newhall, Cal„ Sept. 1, 1889.

[Look here, friend L. I guess you would need
fattening up a little if you had to go through the
mail-bags all the way irom here to California. The
trip would surely make you a little thinner than
when 1 last saw you; but I do not know who would
not fatten up if they had such a pretty ranch as
yours to keep bees in.]

CLOSED-END FRAMES, SPREAD 1| INSTEAD OF VA
INCHES.

I have been reading an article from the pen of H.
L. Jeffrey, with a great deal of interest. He writes
very positively on the width of the brood-frame,
which, he claims, should be \% inches in width. I
have used this width of end since 1886, and like it
the best of any width that I have used.

Danbury, Ct, Sept. 1, 1889. H. H. Knapp.

WHAT IS IT WOHTH TO EXTRACT A MAN'S HONEY?
HONEY-KNIFE HANDLE LOOSE; HOW TO FASTEN.

What would it be worth to extract a man's honey
from about 20 hives, using my extractor and all my
tools, and with his help? How can I fasten the han-
dle to my Novice honey-knife? It came off while
cutting some wax from the top of some frames.

Akron, O, Aug. 12. Chas. W. Frank.

| It would be impossible to answer your question
directly. The best way is to hire a man at so much
an hour. A man at #1.50 ought to be able to ex-
tract the honey in half a day, provided he has had
some experience with bees. A better way. how-
ever, would be to use the extractor yourself.— If the
handle to your honey-knife is loose, heat the blade
shank, dip it into sulphur, and then drive it home
into the hapdle.]

786

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct

THE HONEY;' CROP A FAILURE IN CALIFORNIA.

The hone^crop on the Pacific coast is very light
this yeaanri this locality. Bees are doing very well,
fng mostly on alfalfa and sunflower. I have
"about 200 stands, some of which have done almosi
nothing, while others have done well. One colony
has put up 2«i pounds of comb honey for the sea-
son, up to date. J. G. Oilstrap.
Lemoore, Cal., Sept. 3, 1889.

SEASON POOR.

The season here has been a very poor one for
honey— very wet and cool weather during June and
July. We are now having quite a yield from buck-
wheat, and may get our unfinished sections filled
with that and goldenrod. Quei ns in nuclei stopped
laying for about ten days the early part of August,
but are now laying finely again. I never sold (re-
tailed* so much honey before in August. Cause,
high sugar and scarcity of small fruits.

Albion, N. Y., Aug. 26, 1889. G. H. Ashbv.

You make a good point in your conclud-
ing sentence. The high price of sugar is
doing very much to give the bee-keepers a
better price for their products. Truly, it is
an ill wird that blows nobody good.

A REPORT FROM ARIZONA.

Up to present time the present season has been a
rather poor one for honey. Bees are generally at
work in February; but this season, on account of
cool nights our bees did but very little until the
middle of June; and owing to the water for irriga-
tion failing, it soon became very dry. Our bees
have done but very little since July 15. We have
taken only 420 gallons from 85 colonies; but as the
season is very long here, and we sometimes ex-
tract as late as the latter part of November, we can
not tell how things will be by that time. We sell
our honey at home for $1.00 per gallon, or $4.00 for
a five-gallon can. Annie M. Skinner.

Mesa City, Maricopa Co., A. T., Aug. 22, 1889.

Why, it seems to me, my good friend, that
if your honey is nice you have got the price
very low ; if it is as thick as we usually of-
fer it, it would be only 8 cts. a pound at re-
tail. So the amount of honey in your arid
region does depend largely upon irrigation.

A DISCOURAGED SISTEK.

Two years ago last spring I bought a hive of bees,
and thought it would be just fun to watch them
" work for nothing and board themselves." I sent
away for supplies and literature, and studied bee
culture all of that summer. They did very well,
and in the fall I had three hives, with plenty of
honey for them all winter. I put them into winter
quarters in the most approved manner, as I sup-
posed, but in the spring they were all dead, with
plenty of honey in each hive. 1 was so discouraged
at the loss of my pets that I have not tried again.
Mrs. H. A. D. Westover.

David City, Neb., Aug. 24. 1889.

Why, my good friend, you have no reason
at all to be discouraged. Was not the hon-
ey you had left worth nearly what the ex-
periment cost you — especially if you in
your figures estimate the " fun " for what it
was worth ? Very likely, in Nebraska you
will need to winter in the cellar. Get some

more bees, and fill your empty hives, and
you can surely master the matter of winter-
ing, by the help of the ample directions
given by our able writers.

Bees are going for the buckwheat, with a grand
rush. It has started the swarming fever.
Tidal, Pa., Aug. 23, 1889. S. Heath.

My honey crop is about 22,000 lbs. comb, and 3000
lbs. extracted, from 185 colonies, spring count; in-
creased to 275. C. Theilmann.

Tbeilmanton, Minn., Sept. 16, 1889.

FROM 3 TO 13, AND 150 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 3 hives of bees. I
transferred and increased to 13 colonies. The bee-
keepers in this section of the country will remem-
ber this one for the large rainstorms we have had.
1 shall have about 150 pounds of surplus honey,
leaving my bees with good supply to winter on.

Arden, N. Y., Sept. 18, 1889. J. G. Earl.

bees doing splendid.

Bees are doing splendid in this part of Canada.
They are working on buckwheat. As I saw that
they were very busy to-day I started toward the
hives to see what they were working on, and 1 did
not have to open the hive, for I could smell it at
quite a distance. There is quite a number who
have a few colonies, and I let these have Glean-
ings to read, and they get a good lot of informa-
tion out of it, so I think next year they will take it
for themselves. Thos. J. Smith.

Aylraer, Ont., Can., Aug. 14, 1889.

BEES HAVE DONE WELL.

Bees in this immediate vicinity have done quite
well, notwithstanding the wet season; but it may-
be owing to there not being any large apiaries. I
understand they have not done as well in Addison
Co., where the large apiaries are. 1 have ripened
some of the Ignotuni tomatoes from the seeds you
gave me, and they are smooth and nice— not quite
so early, seemingly, as the Mikado, but a better
habit of growth—not so sprawling. A. A. Lewis.

Waterbury, Vt., Aug. 19, 1889.

FROM 60 TO 130, AND 4000 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 60 colonies, mostly
in good condition. I lost only two through the win-
ter. I divided about half by artificial swarming,
while they were workiog on dandelion, which did
not furnish as much honey as in some years. Clo-
ver was a little late in coming on. I do not think
my apiary would have averaged 5 lbs. of honey per
colony when the clover commenced yielding honey.
I had to feed some colonies to prevent starvation;
but when tbey did commence gathering honey it
came in with a rush. The combs being empty, the
queen filled every thing with brood, which caused
an abundance of swarming. I never had such a
time with swarming. I was not expecting it, and
not prepared, so I had to do the best I could. Every
thing swarmed until I increased to 133, and had
some 20 that left for parts unknown. I have taken
from several new swarms, after filling the hive, 75
sections of comb honey up to date. I have taken,
altogether, 4000 lbs.— 1000 comb, and 3000 extracted.

New Sharon, la., Sept. 3, 1889. Geo. BriQGS,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

7S7

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

THE SHOT-TOWEIl HIVES, ETC.

p S we could not get our engravings ready
h in time to go with my notes of the
If different apiaries, we shall have to go
■k back a little. Below is a picture of
one of friend France's apiaries.

A GLIMPSE OF ONE OF E. FRANCE'S OUT-APIARIES.

You will notice that the Kodak has a kind
of way of tipping objects out of shape un-
less they are right in the center of the
focus ; therefore the shot-tower hive in the
above, on the left hand, seems to be leaning
dangerously. In the center of the picture,
underneath a beautiful tree, you will notice
the framework of one of the extracting
tents. The frame is left permanent-
ly in each apiary, while the cloth is
unhooked and folded up and carried
from one apiary to another. A light
door is also moved along with the
cloth. With plenty of help it is but
a few minutes' work putting up the
tent and getting ready for extract-
ing. The hives in the picture are all
or nearly all of the -' shot -tower"
" persuasion," therefore each hive
should count four. At first glimpse
you would say that friend France's
nut-apiaries are small affairs — may
be only fifteen or twenty hives being
visible ; but when you discover that
each hive contains four rousing col-
onies, it is not such a small affair
after all. Several questions have
been asked in regard to these shot-
tower hives — the size of the frame,
etc. The frame friend France pre-
fers is shown on page 776 of this
issue. The dimensions are some-
thing like 12x21, if I make no mis-
take. Of course, there is to be a
cross-bar in the middle, to separate
so large a comb. Now, when these

large frames are used two stories high, 'and
in a tenement hive containing four colonies
each, no wonder the boys call it a " shot-
tower." Three such hives make a pretty
good load for a two-horse wagon ; but they
really comprise twelve hives. The cut at
the bottom shows one of the hives taken
separately.

One of the first questions to ^be
asked is, "How do you get at the
frames of such a tall hive?" Well,
friend France is not only an advo-
cate of a tenement hive, but he ad-
vocates side-openiiiy hives; therefore
every one of the four sides of this
tall hive swings open, so you can re-
move the combs from the lower story
if you choose, without disturbing the
combs in the upper one at all. A
good many years ago it occurred to
me that a side-opening hive could be
made strong and substantial by hav-
ing two or more hives built together.
In the same way we can have a side-
opening hive in a house-apiary ; that
is, a hive may be made in this way
strong and substantial, and yet per-
mit one entire side to be taken out
in order to remove the frames from
the side instead of lifting them over
the top. Furthermore, friend France
is a firm believer in chaff packing.
Bottom, top, and sides, and every
part of the hive where it is exposed
to the weather, is protected by sub-
stantial chaff packing, chaff division-
boards, or chaff cushions, whichever
you have a mind to call it, or perhaps
a combination of all three together. I do
not wonder that such; hives winter bees,
even in Wisconsin, without any loss at all;
for four strong colonies, placed together so
as to form collectively pretty nearly a cube
of bees, with such protection as they have
all around them, are ever so much better
protected than we can very well fix a single

FRANCE'S SHOT-TOWER HIVE.

788

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

isolated colony. Friend France is so much
opposed to dampness that his hives are all
upon stakes. The northwest wind can
sweep right through under every hive ; but
it has got to get up through good chaff pack-
ing, and. if I remember correctly, tarred
paper besides, before it can chill the toes of
even the lowermost layer of bees in these
big structures. I think the top is hinged,
so it turns over and rests on a stake, but I
may be mistaken. Now, if you still have
more questions to ask, we will submit them
to friend France himself ; and if I have
made any mistakes he can set me right.

Let us now skip over the hills to the beau-
tiful town of Orion, on the banks of the
Wisconsin River. The town is not very
much, it is true ; but its location haunts my
memory still as one of the prettiest spots on
the face of old Mother Earth. I can give
you only one brief glimpse, taken from
friend Snyder's pretty home. He has cop-
ied your old friend

so far that there is .

a stairway at the
back side of his
honey - house, and
a little platform
up near the roof,
where the children
climb around and
play. It was up
on this platform
where we stood
that foggy morn-
ing, hoping the
sky would just
lighten up a little
bit. Well, it did
enough so we de-
cided to try it, and
the Kodak was
snapped several
times toward the
hives, Ignotum to-
matoes, and the
grapevines. The
cut shows the re-
sult. You can see
the tomatoes pret-
ty well ; also the
grapevines. The
ground was soft, mellow, and clean. I fair-
ly ached to get a sharp-toothed steel rake
and rake over the surface ; but it did not
really need it, for he and his children had
fixed it nicely. I hardly think they expect-
ed Uncle Amos to come around, for I had
just written him that I could not well make
him a call. And then those bee-hives!
Friend Snyder is a carpenter, and so the
hives were made just right, and, as a matter
of course, each hive was so like its neighbor
that nobody could tell one from the other.
Now, to make hives unlike by architecture
and carpenter work is expensive ; so friend
S. decided to paint them unlike, firmly be-
lieving that bees distinguish colors just as
we do. He has remarkable taste in making
these decorations tasty, and at the same
time having them unlike. With the dim
light we had, the Kodak could hardly catch
it; but it' you look sharp I think you will
see the scallops, festoons, brackets, etc., all

A GLIMPSE OF FRIEND
THE BANKS OF

done with the paint-brush. Perhaps his
good wife helped him before she left her
little home for that home beyond ; for some
of the embellishments are strikingly in a
line with feminine taste and feminine work.
May God's blessing rest over that mother-
less home ; and may the father, and children
too, always find enjoyment and satisfaction
in working together inside of the fence that
incloses their own dooryard.

We will now stop at the Agricultural Col-
lege, on our way home from Manistee. Ka-
tie is playing on the pretty lawn in front of
Prof. Cook's house. She remembers Uncle
Amos, and tells me that her papa is proba-
bly in his office, over across the grounds.
Although I have been there a good many
times, there are so many buildings, and so
many offices, that I can't just now decide
which is Prof. Cook's. She tells us it is in
the building occupied by the museum. Oh,
yes ! where the bugs, butterflies, etc., are
pinned fast in
glass cases. When
I got there, one of
the students said
friend Cook had
just started off
across the fields ;
and on looking out
of the window we
caught a glimpse
of a couple of peo-
ple away in the
distance, going
rapidly from us.
Now, although a
cousin of mine,
who lives in Lan-
sing, and Blue
Eyes, were in the
buggy waiting for
me to come down,
I started across
the lots after Prof.
Cook. I did call
to them to go over
to the greenhouses
and gardens, and
seethe nice things,
if I did not get
back as soon as
they expected. Where do you think I found
friend CookV Why, he was right in the
middle of a Held of several acres of Rocky
Mountain bee-plant. He was out with one
of his students who had charge of this de-
partment. They were so much interested
in the sights that old Dame Nature had to
show that I was right close behind them be-
fore they saw me approaching. Of course,
there were a dozen things to look at and
talk about all at once. The Rocky Mountain
bee-plant had not made a good stand. It
had come up just about as I told Prof. Cook
it would when he told us of his project at
the convention in Columbus, about a year
ago. We have always had trouble in get-
ting the Rocky Mountain bee -plant and the
spider-plant to germinate. The only way of
getting a good stand for a whole field is to
raise the plants and then set them out as
you would tomatoes. In this way we can
have the ground covered with bloom, every

SNYDER'S APIARY, ON
THE WISCONSIN.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

789

foot of it. But it is pretty expensive work
for honey alone. One of the students was
with Prof. Cook ; and while we were talk-
ing he called our attention to a plant that

who had charge of the apiary, informed us
that the honey was coming in at a pretty
fair rate, supposed to be from the Chapman
honey-plant. As, however, the bees had
only just ceased working on bass-
wood, and at the same time were
pretty busy on the scattering plants
of the Rocky Mountain plant, it was
hard to decide positively where the
honey came from. Prof. Cook will
doubtless himself tell us whether he
would advise planting and cultivating
either of the plants for honey alone.

When we got back to the wagon,
where the women were, of course 1
got a scolding. Friend Cook pleasant-
ly suggested, however, that they need
not have been troubled, especially
while there were so many things to
be seen. They replied that they had
seen all they wanted to, while no one
they knew was around to show them,
or answer their'questions.

" Did you see our beautiful collec-
tion of butterflies and moths?" said
friend Cook.

u Yes,1' replied they, '-we have seen
them all."

By a little inquiry he decided that
they had not seen the butterflies ;
and he signified to me that he had
a rare treat in store for all of us.
Of course, we went around to the
house, and met Mrs. Cook, and Bertie
and Katie, and finally we went lor the but-
terflies. I had seen butterflies at the Agri-
cultural College before, and did not expect
to see any thing particularly wonderful, only
1 noticed, by the twinkle in my friend's eye,
that there must be something of unusual

GLIMPSE OF A FIELD OF CHAPMAN HONEY-PLANT
ON THE COLLEGE GROUNDS AT LANSING.

bore pure white blossoms, instead of pink,
like the rest. Friend C>ok put his hand on the
student's shoulder, and commended him for
his habits of observation. It was probably
a sport; but if anybody should want a
white Rocky Mountain bee plant, it can
readily be furnished. Mr. Samuel Wilson,
of Mechanicsburg, Pa., who has ad-
vertised the seed of the Rocky Moun-
tain bee-plant so extravagantly, had
better come and see how it has suc-
ceeded on the grounds of the Mich-
igan Agricultural College. Booming
new things away beyond their mer-
its is beginning to bear its fruit; and
the seedsman who continues to do it
will suffer, sooner or later, in the es-
timation of the public. I told friend
Cook the women were probably anx-
iously waiting for me where I left
them ; but there were so many things
to talk about on our way back, espe-
cially since I told him that I must
leave by the morning train, that it
took me a good while. The Chap-
man honey-plant has done much bet-
ter. It was, however, cultivated like
garden crops, for the first season, and
now it is a thing of beauty. By the
aid of the Kodak I am enabled to
give you the view above, which was
taken from a little distance, so as to
get a glimpse of the whole field,
plainly showing the rows. The ad-
joining view gives another glimpse, THE chapman honey-plant, ok globe thistle,
where the Kodak was held within a neabek by.

few feet of one of the plants.

The two views above give a very fair idea interest. We went into a room adjoining
of the looks of the field. The bees from the the museum, and stopped before a case of
apiary, only a few rods away, were very shallow drawers that reached from the floor
busy on the plants. Prof . Cook's nephew, to the ceiling. As friend Cook selected

700

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

special drawers, and exhibited tbeui to our
gaze, we raised our hands and opened our
mouths. We soon discovered, however,
that the gorgeous changes he had in store
for ns were almost as varied as the forms of
the kaleidoscope ; and when we had almost
exhausted our expressions of wonder and
admiration, he informed us that we had not
seen the butterflies at all. What we had
been looking at were simply moths. I guess-
ed that these must have coiue from some
other country— possibly from the tropics.
He assented, but exhibited some, almost as
pretty, that came from our own climate.
Many of these, he said, were nocturnal
moths, or those that fly only in the night-
time, and which had been found under the
electric lights.

I am informed that sometimes as many as
a peck measure full of moths may be scraped
up on the ground under these lights. Of
course, it affords a wonderful opportunity
for making collections of the night-fliers. It
has been suggested that this may be the
means of diminishing the codlin moth and
the cabbage butterfly ; but, if I am correct,
these are not night-fliers ; and those who
have burned lamps, set in tubs of water, to
catcli moths, succeeded in capturing only
those which are not injurious to our crops.
Will Prof. Cook tell me if I am correct?
Some of the most gorgeously painted insects
were from the tropical climates. The col-
lections now of moths and butterflies em-
brace specimens from almost every part of
the earth. In a very little time we began to
find our stock of exclamations running short,
when Prof. Cook, in one of his happiest
veins, said, "•Now, look here, friends. I am
not near through yet ;" and he pointed to an
appalling array of drawers yet to be opened.
"Please save some of your very best ex:
pressions of wonder until we get over to that
next case."'

\\C soon found his words were true; and
then lie explained briefly the way in which
the moths were classified. Certain peculiar
colors, or shape of the wings, enables the
entomologist to place them in families. For
instance, there were several drawers of
swallow-tailed butterflies ; and we recog-
nized a few of them as seen around our own
homes. The wonderful facts connected with
these insects sound something like some of
the stories in the Arabian Nights, and only
proves again that truth is more wonderful
than fiction, and that the machinery of the
universe is more strange than any thing yet
gotten up by mankind. Most wonderful of
all, Cod has endowed us with faculties that
enable us to traverse understandingly these
wonderful labyrinths of science and nature.
If you ever go to the Agricultural College of
Michigan, ask to see the new butterllies.
Very likely the collections of our other ex-
perimental stations are much like those at
Lansing, but I hardly believe that any other
State has as yet caught up with Michigan
in this particular line. Quite a number of
our bee-friends, I happen to know, are in-
terested in such collections ; and I now call
to mind II. 11. Boardman and E. France. If
these two could get together and get ac-
quainted, what a time in visiting they

would have ! And right here, friends, lies
one of the grand features of our large con-
ventions. Before leaving the butterflies I
snapped the Kodak on several cases of col-
lections ; but, probably owing to my inexpe-
rience, they were hardly worth using for
print. We were both up at daylight, and
I was so anxious to see their test grounds
for garden vegetables that Prof. Cook took
the liberty of waking up some of the students
who had charge of this department. Their
experimental grounds are beautiful, and in
splendid order; yet, owing to their colder
climate, many things were behind in season
compared with ours here at the Home of the
Honey-bees. For instance, there was not a
tomato ripe on their grounds, while we had
been selling them considerably ; and in re-
gard to bush lima beans, they had not a
plant, either of Henderson's or the Kumerle.
That cold spell the first of June, at the time
when it killed more than half of ours, seems
to have killed every one on the college
grounds. All that remained were the neat-
ly painted stakes, telling where the bush li-
mas had been planted, and when.

JflYjSEIiF fl^D W ]^EI6flB8Rg.

THE MACHINERY OF THE UNIVERSE.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the
firmament sboweih his handiwork.— PsaIjM 19: 1.

PRESUME that most of you are some-
what like me, inasmuch as you like
to " have things happen." At times
you greatly feel the need of something
to enlist your sympathies and to stir
you up. When we were children we
used to like excitement of some kind or
other— Fourth of July, Christmas, circus
day, and some of us probably enjoyed a
thunder-storm — yes, even a hailstorm that
broke the windows; possibly a Hood, if it
were not on too large a scale. The coldest
day that was ever heard of furnishes matter
for conversation, likewise the hottest day
that even the " oldest inhabitant " has
" never seen the like onV before. Well,
even now I sometimes get tired, or weary,
rather, with the cares of the office. I hardly
can say the monotony of the office ; for al-
though we may be overwearied by the
amount of work, as well as by overwork
physically, we ought not to quarrel with our
bread and butter, or, in other words, we
should be content to take up the work that
lies straight before us, even if we do not feel
just like it, Well, these thoughts were
prompted by thinking that perhaps I could
help you to enjoy life, and may be to love
God more, by watching more intently the
machinery of the great universe. A friend
of mine who lives in the, city of New York
told me that he greatly enjoyed seeing the
workmen make progress day by day on the
great Brooklyn suspension bridge. As he
passed it twice every day, in going to and
from his work night and morning, he had
ample opportunity, especially as they were
thirteen years in building it. Now. perhaps
you may say, " Oh, yes ! who would not have

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

?9i

enjoyed such a sight as that? But no such
work as that is goiug on right in sight of
where I live." My friend, do not be too
sure. Theie is a wonderful work going on
right in sight of your homes, and right be-
fore the eyes of almost every one of you.
In fact, 1 have become, especially of late,
much in the habit of employing my leisure
moments in studying the machinery of the
universe ; and I have enjoyed it so much is
what prompted me to take up the subject.

In studying the machinery of the universe,
I find that I can, to a certain extent, make
my work and my plans harmonize with God's
work and plans. It is true, I am only a
speck of this great universe — a very small
cog-wheel, you may say ; but for all that, I
am a piece, and so are you, my friends, and
there is a work for you to do.

The machinery of the universe is ever
changing. You may not have noticed it,
but there is something going on and some-
thing new under way every minute of your
life. There are currents of wind, away up
high over your head, that you know nothing
about. Important changes are going on up
there, even when the sky is clear during a
summer day, and at the same time there
are things moving in the earth away down
under your feet— things that you do not
suspect or dream of, and things that human
beings like you and me have only recently
learned to let out. I have told you how
much I love springs of water, and how de-
lighted I have been when able to bid them
come forth, where I did not even dream it
was possible. When I was up at Green Bay,
Mr. Smith, the great gardener, showed me
an artesian well right near the lake shore,
where water rose in a pipe 80 or 00 feet high,
and they used it for the waterworks of the
city ; and as they still have a surplus he has
made arrangements to have this surplus for
his gardens. Now, there is not any ground
within miles and miles that is HO feet higher
than the level of the lake. Then where does
the water come from ? Nobody knows.
Where most of you live, gas is found to a
greater or lesser extent. Yes, gas is to-day
bubbling out of the fissure in the rock where
I found my latest and prettiest spring. It
will not burn, though, so I suspect it is
carbonic acid. But where does it come
from, and what makes it keep coming ?
May be some of you can tell me. Our wind-
mill is an object of unflagging interest to
me, because it indicates at a glance the
direction of the wind, and pretty nearly the
force, with which it blows. I often watch it
before storms, to see how quick it changes
about from north to south, or from east to
west, just as some of us change from good
to bad, from industry to idleness, or the
reverse ; we hope, however, more often the
latter. Now, during our recent drouths it
has been very interesting to me to watch
the clouds. Do you know the clouds never
stand still? More than that, they are
constantly changing their shape, changing
their size, and appearing where, but a
minute before, there was no cloud at all,
and again disappearing in just a few
minutes. Take a book and sit outdoors. I
do not think it would be wicked if you

should do this on Sunday afternoon, pro-
viding you have a good book suitable for
God's holy day. Now, while you read,
every now and then watch the sky and the
clouds. A barometer and thermometer aie
alnmst constant companions of mine, and
very pleasant companions, for they tell me
what God's forces are doing. Both of them
are almost constantly changing more or less.
By watching these changes they will help
you very materially in your work. Some-
times a knowledge of what is going to hap-
pen will save you many dollars. 1 have
told you about this before. You know I
mentioned advising the hands making fast
the doors and windows to see that nothing
was where it would blow down and do dam-
age (even before we had a breath of wind),
just before we had our little hurricane on the
0th of last January. In a few hours there
was a great loss of property, and in some
places loss of life, from the tornado.

I have always been more or less interested
in well-drilling. Well-drilling is now a
great industry. Not only do they get oil,
gas, and water from wells, but they get salt,
alum, and many other chemicals, especially
from the deep artesian wells.

About two weeks ago I noticed one eve-
ning that a very bright star, or planet,
rather, was pretty close to the moon. An
hour later I got so sleepy reading my
agricultural papers that I felt as if I could
hardly hold my head up a minute longer.
On looking out, however, 1 discovered the
bright star very much nearer to the moon,
indicating that it was rapidly approaching
it, or, in other words, the star was " chas-
ing''the moon. I at once decided (and I
w7as wide awake all of a sudden too, I tell
you) that I would sit up and wait for the
event, remembering that, almost 40 years
before, I saw a similar phenomenon. I
began to think that Ernest would be delight-
ed to see it, for he is, like myself, an en-
thusiastic admirer of the machinery of the
universe. And just then 1 heard his voice
in conversation, for his house is just across
the street. I asked him if he had seen that
star approaching the moon. He said they
had been watching it for some time. Mrs.
Root could not afford to sit out on the side-
walk with us to watch it, but she said that,
when the crisis came— that is, when the
star began to go behind the moon. I might
caliber. Well, I did call ; but before she
got out of the house the bright star had
gone. In its approach it passed under the
dark side of the moon, therefore all we
could see was that the star became dimmer
and dimmer, and finally wTas invisible. I
calculated that, at the rate the star had
been apparently chasing the moon, it would
be perhaps an hour before it came out on
the opposite side. Very likely many of my
readers who are versed in astronomy will
criticise my description ; but I am talking
only to common people like myself. To us
it seemed as if there was a race between
the star and the moon, and that the star
was rapidly gaining. I went into the house
and got Blue Eyes1 light willow rocking-
chair, the opera-glass, and my overcoat; and
then I sat on the sidewalk and waited for

792

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

the star to come out on the bright side.
Our proof-reader, who watched it with his
telescope, says it took between 68 and 71
minutes; but so much interested was I in
studying the machinery of the universe that
I did not feel sleepy one particle ; in fact, I
enjoyed every one of those 71 minutes
iu looking at the beautiful bright moon
through the opera-glass, and thinking it was
more than a hundred times as far away as
the furthermost point I reached while in ( !ali-
fornia. The immense distance seemed to
be easier to realize than ever before; and the
very thought of the vast expanse rilled my
soul with wonder and reverence for the
great Father .who rules over all. Our proof-
reader suggests that, when one considers
how much further off Jupiter is than the
moon, one might consider the moon as al-
most in the next dooryard ; for although it
is a quarter of a million of miles to the
moon, it is 832 millions of miles to Jupiter
when the earth and Jupiter are both on the
same side of the sun ; from which we see
that Jupiter was probably 1328 times further
than the moon on this night. It was agreed
that I should signal the neighborhood when
the star came out. It was not visible for
some time to the naked eye ; but through
the opera-glass I caught the first glimpse of
the planet as it began to emerge. It looked
something like the half of a pea stuck on
the side of a great pumpkin. It moved so
slowly, however, for some time that I
thought it was my imagination instead of
the real planet. And just then I enjoyed
through the opera-glass seeing Jupiter as a
little round ball, or a little globe of lire, if
you please, perhaps not much larger than
one of the periods on this printed page.
Although it seemed so small compared with
the moon, it is in reality as large as 60,150
moons all jumbled together in a heap.
While it was near to the bright moon, the
globular snape was very clear and distinct;
but when it got off on its pathway away
from the moon, strange to say my glass did
not show the globular form at all. It was
only a bright, blazing, twinkling star. Now,
ever since that night I enjoy looking at the
moon and Jupiter as I never did before. At
this date, Sept. 18, Jupiter is away off on
one side of the heavens, while the moon is
clear on the other side. They have thus
traveled thus far apart in a little over two
weeks, although they are both going in ap-
parently the same direction.

If you get up in the morning before day-
light, or before there is any glimpse of sun-
rise in the east, you will see another star of
wondrous beauty. It is brighter, and makes
more of a blaze, than does Jupiter, for it is
at least ten times nearer to us. This is
Venus, the twin sister of our own beautiful
planet. Now, one who has never become
acquainted with the stars, nor studied their
wonderful movements, has, as it seems to
me, lost one great part of the enjoyment of
life. Well, the things I have mentioned are
about the hundredth^ part of the glimpse we
may get of the workings of the machinery
of the universe, if we use our eyes and ears
and intellects that God has given us. In
the Orange Judd Farmer of a recent date.

our old friend O. Judd tells us by the
statistics that the oil product is rapidly de-
creasing, and suggests that it will probably
fail entirely in a few years. He says, how-
ever, that we need not feel bad about it, or
even troubled, even if our coal-oil lamps are
soon to be relegated to the garrets or corn-
cribs as useless truck. Electricity is com-
ing fast on the heels of kerosene. Yes, it
is chasing it up just as that star chased the
moon, and went ahead. Our county fairs,
conventions, and expositions, while they
give glimpses of the machinery that man is
building, at the same time give us also
wonderful glimpses of some of themachine-
rv of the universe.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

TRANSrLANTINU-TUUES.

TT is my impression that the valueof these
M has not been fully realized. In taking
jll the place of potted plants for strawber-
•*■ ries alone, am I sure there is a wonder-
ful saving in time. To get potted plants
you are obliged to provide yourself with
pots ; then they must be planted, and a run-
ner put in place ; and unless it rains, at
least a great part of your pots will be fail-
ures. When they are fully rooted they
must be examined again, and taken up
when they are just right. My experience is,
more or less of the pots will be overlooked
and lost until the hoe or cultivator strikes
them at some future time, especially if you
employ somebody else to do the work.
Now, with transplanting-tubes you simply
do nothing until you want to use your plants.
Then go over the ground and take out such
ones as please you. Set the tube over it,
press it down until it is just deep enough to
lift the plant— dirt, roots, and all. I men-
tion this because one friend pushed the
tubes down level with the ground, and, as a
consequence, he had no cup above the plant
to contain the water, and he could not get
the plants out. Now you can put your
plants where you want them, at once, and
they will not stop growing, nor heave out by
frost in the winter, any more than if they
had not been moved at all. The job can be
finished at one time, and there is nothing
more to be done. The patch set out during
our recent drouth have every one lived.
There had been no rain for two weeks when
we put them out, and there was none for
nearly two weeks afterward. Some of the
tops died down, and I told my wife that I
guessed that half of them were* dead. Aft-
er a rain I asked her to find a single plant
in the whole 3000 that was dead. She final-
ly found just one ; but I stepped over and
pushed the dirt away, and showed her a
bunch of green leaves that had not yet got
above ground. Plants can be moved where
you wish, whether it rains or not, and you
need not lose one in a thousand. Further-
more, you may have a splendid crop of fruit
the very next season. About the finest
show of strawberries I ever saw was where
I put out 3000 plants last year, after digging

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

793

our early potatoes. The following extract
from the Rural New-Yorker shows that
friend H. A. March has already used the de-
vice for raising American-grown caulifiow-
er seed :

RAISING CAULIFLOWER SEED IN PUGET SOUND.

To get the plants we sow the seeds about Septem-
ber 1, in a rather poor soil, giving- them plenty of
room, the rows being a foot apart and the seeds
sown thinly in the rows. This gives us stocky and
hardy plants, which, we thiuk, are less liable to
damp off when transplanted. About November 1
we transplant the plants into cold-frames six inch-
es apart each way, as we wish to keep them grow-
ing a little all winter. The glasses are kept on at
night and through heavy rains. In case of a cold
snap, we cover the glasses with mats; but that is
not often necessary, for we seldom have a tempera-
ture colder than i(i° above. Every thing depends
on good plants and an early start in the spring, for
we raise two crops the same season, and an early
frost on our unripe seed is sure to ruin the crop.
Now, to set the plants out and make them grow
from the start, a line is stretched along one of these
flat ridges; a boy goes along, and with a three-foot
marker marks the spots for the plants; a man fol-
lows with a hoe and makes a hole, about the size of
a quart dish, to receive each plant. During the
winter we have gathered up 200 or 300 tomato and
oyster cans, melted off the tops and bottoms, leav-
ing tubes about five inches long by three or four
across. Now, armed with a light wheelbarrow with
a wooden tray containing from 50 to 75 of these
cans, we go to the cold-frame (having well soaked it
with water the night before); take a can, set it right
down over the plant; press the can into the soil
about two inches, and, with a light shove to one
side, lift the plant without disturbing the roots;
fill our tray and start for the field; run the barrow
between two rows, and set a can and plant in each
of the holes just made. A boy follows with a wa-
tering-pot containing warm water, and pours a gill
into each tube, which softens the soil so that the
tubes can be lifted right out, leaving the plant
standing in the hole. We brush a little dirt around
the plant and Arm it with the blade of the hoe.

Now we have our plants set, and not one ever
wilts in the hottest spring day. In two or three days
the cultivator is started, and kept a going once a
week until the heads begin to form.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO.

At present our orders are considerably
ahead of our supply of seed, though we have
the promise of quite a little from the friends
who received trial packages. One lady who
purchased 200 Ignotum plants of us in June
was offered $17.00 for the seed she saved.
It is gratifying to notice what a prominent
position the Ignotum is destined to take
among tomatoes. We copy the following,
from Garden and Forest, of New York, for
Sept. 4 :

An interesting exhibition of tomatoes was on
view at the seed warehouse of J.M.Thorburn & Co.,
in this city, last week. Eighty varieties were
named; and' although several of them were plainly
duplicates, the diversity of form and color and
texture was so marked that some fifty distinct
types could be recognized. The smooth outline
and solid liesh of some of the newer varieties, like
Thorburn's New Jersey, proves what can be ac-
complished by patient selection ; and yet the tomato
which, perhaps, showed the most compact and yet
the finest texture, was Ignotum, which, as its name
implies, is from absolutely unknown parentage.

THE DWARF LIMA BEANS.

We have already harvested several bushels
of the Henderson dwarf lima. In quality
for table use, it is, so far as we can tell, fully
equal in flavor to the pole limas. My wife
says if she were blindfolded when eating
them she could not tell one from the other.
The little bushes are very productive, and
they ripen quite early, which is quite a
strong argument in their favor. Another

thing, a peck of pods will make more quarts
of shelled beans than a peck of pods of our
large limas. The reason is, the large limas
have so wide a pod according to the size of
the bean. It is about as much work to shell
the little beans as to shell peas. What shall
this new dwarf lima be called? Peter Hen-
derson has given it his name; but it trans-
pires that the bean was well known in
several localities, and has been catalogued
for years as the Dwarf Sieva, or Carolina
bean. It seems to me it would be a great
blunder to change its name just because it
has been brought prominently before the
public. It may be that Peter Henderson did
not know it was already catalogued and had
an established name. But if he did not
know it, he certainly knows it now. Land-
reth has had it in his catalogue some time,
and I have also found it in other catalogues.

THE KTJMERLE LIMA I5EAN.

This seems destined to prove a wonderful
acquisition. Its only fault is the length of
time it takes in ripening. Ours are now just
right to cook, but we expect frost daily.
The beans are monsters. They are not only
large around, but fat, or thick through, and
one of them makes a bigger mouthful than
any other lima bean I ever saw or heard of.
They are also wonderfully productive. One
of our plants started to run up on a pole,
and has branched out until there are at least
a hundred pods of immense lima beans. I
can not very well count them now, because
the whole plant is such a swamp of foliage.
They need considerable room, but they will
surely give a tremendous crop. We hardly
dare take enough of them to cook for a taste.
Probably the new crop will not be worth its
weight in gold, but very likely the beans
will command their weight in silver. Until
somebody informs me of a supply of them I
shall take the liberty of putting that value
on them.

I promised to have a photograph of the
plant ; but it has such a dense pile of foliage
there will not be much to see. The pods are
all concealed by the great leaves Some-
body wrote to me that the pods must be sup-
ported on brush or sticks, or they would rot
during very wet weather. Very likely this
is true ; and although such a support might
not be as expensive as poles, it may be well
to consider it.

THE OREGON EVEUBEARING STRAWBERRY.

At this date, Sept. 27, we have received
three different lots, of one dozen each, by
mail. On the first ones, on account of the
great distance, the moss was apparently as
dry as it ever would be, and the plants were
in the same predicament. It did not seem
to me that there was a chance for them to
grow. However, I concluded to give them
a chance. They were put in the rich soil of
our plant-beds," watered, and shaded, and,
strange to say, in a week one of them sent
out a little green leaf ; and in a day or two
after, another one did likewise. Now,
please, friends, do not be in a hurry to say
that plants are dead, especially if they are a
valuable variety. It will doubtless take
sometime for them to make strong plants ;
but with strawberries sent a long distance,

794

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

I think it a very good thing to put them in
rich soil, where you can shade and water
them for a week or two until they send out
new roots ; then lake them, dirt and all, to
the field, and you can make a pretty sure
thing of it. Friend Winquist writes as fol-
lows in regard to the new strawberry :

Friend Runt:— I am literally flooded with orders,
and have only a limited number of p. ants left to
sell, as I intend setting- out two or three acres this
winter, because they bring me more net cash than
all other berries, fruit, etc., combined. I had no
idea that my little notice would bring- so many
orders.

For runners and large plants, plant on rich land;
if for berries all summer, plant on your poorest
land. We now get 40 cents per box, wholesale, for
our berries, and can not supply the demand at
that price. We got as low as 2l/2 cts. per lb. or box
for nice Wilsons this spring, and paid 1& cts. for
picking; had to go begging at 2(4. They do not pro-
duce nearly as many runners as do the common
varieties, neither do they bear as many years, al-
though they bear as many, if not more, crops in
their life. The berry was originated here at Mount
Tabor by Mr. N. Remillard, who sold his first plants
as high as twenty dollars a dozen. He has no
plants for sale now, and he says that he refused to
sell Vick any. One of his neighbors got some
Chinamen to steal plants from him. In regard to
the berry, I refer you to Mark Levy, Portland, Ore.,
also to Levy & Spriegel, Portland, Ore.

Your climate in the States, I think, is better
adapted to the plants than this, as you have show-
ers during the summer, while here we have but lit-
tle rain during the summer, or dry season.

Seth Winquist.
Mount Tabor, Or., Sept. 20, 1889.

He has now advanced the price to 75 cts.
per dozen, or -50 cents per * dozen.*

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Senii-Mon th 1y.
■ — •©♦"♦<>•— — —

-&-. I. EOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

2*£EDI0>T-fi-, OHIO.

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

1— ♦— i

Tor Clubbing Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.
° -♦- .

i^EEIDIlNr^a-, OCT. 1, 1889.

Let my mouth he tilled with tin praise and with thine honor
all the day.— Psalm 71:8.

We have at this date 9115 subscribers.

THE nONEV MARKET.

We clip the following from the American Qrocer,
of New York, of Sept. 25:

The market on this article is firm, consignments
few, and higher prices looked for. California crop
is about all in, with the exception of a few odd lots

*Please take these prices instead of those in his
advertisement on next page. Some complaints have
been received because friend W. returns the money
instead of filling the order; but I believe it is ai-
wajs considered honorable in such matters tore-
turn the money when the demand is beyond the
supply.

still in the interior. Prices will undoubtedly be too
high for the Eastern trade.

Perhaps it may be well to add, that we have nev-
er had so good a demand for honey before; but
purchasers are very particular about having a
good article. There seems to be somewhat of a dis-
position to wait for better prices on the part of
some; but altogether, we think our honey will be
taken up at fair prices quicker than it has been any
season before for a long lime. The false state-
ments of the newspapers seem to have blown over
a good deal, and truth is beginning to assert itself;
therefore the public are asking for honey with
more confidence than they did a few months ago.

don't sell too cheap.
We had a pleasant call a week ago from Joseph
Nysewander. Des Moines, la , publisher of the
Western Apiarian. He said, while here, that very
nice comb honey was selling in Iowa, in a whole-
sale way, at 10 cts, and some even as lowas8!4;
that nice extracted was selling for 5J4 and 6. Now,
if you notice the above report of the New York
market, and the quotation's in the Honey Column,
from the East, and remember that the freight
from Chicago to New York, Boston, or Philadel-
phia on comb honey is 75 cts. per 100 lbs. on ex-
tracted in cans boxed, or kegs 65 cts. per 100, and in
barrels 50 cts. per 1(10, yon can easily see that
there is an opening in the East for some of the
surplus west of Chicago, without selling at such
low prices. Remember, however, that there is
considerable risk in shipping comb honey so far in
small lots, especially when not well packed and
properly loaded on cars.

HOW I RAISED 100 BUSHEL8 OF POTATOES FROM A
QUARTER OF AN ACRE.

About a year ago 1 purchased 50 bushels of Lee's
Favorite potatoes for seed, paying 50 cents a bushel
for them. They wintered splendidly; but in the
spring I found myself unable to get even what I
paid for them. Finally, along in May 1 began sell-
ing them for 10 cents a bushel, to get them out of
the way. Many of them had sprout6 on them six-
inches long. When it was pretty evident that no
one wanted to buy any more for seed, I took about
20 bushels of the largest and finest ones, and plant-
ed them on a quarter of an acre of our rich market-
garden ground. You know I have been telling you
that, if you want earlier potatoes than anybody
else, plant whole ones, and the biggest ones you can
get. Well, these potatoes covered the ground soon-
er than any I ever saw before; and in just a little
while the ground began to heave and crack open
with the great beauties underneath. They had
plenty of rain, and therefore went right along from
planting to maturity. They were dug, and placed
in the cellar at a cost of only 3 cents a bushel. We
used a cheap potato-digger that cost us only $12.00.
Do you ask what the matter is with a cheap potato-
digger that will give such a result as this? Only
one trouble, my friend : In plowing the ground and
fitting it for cabbages afterward, the boys took up
at different times nearly ten bushels that the digger
missed. It cost a good deal more than 3 cents a
bushel to get out those last ten bushels.

Mural.— Whenever potatoes are very low in the
spring, it will pay jou to plant perhaps even one
hundred bushels to the acre, for seed ; for large po-
tatoes are worth a good deal for manure whenever
they can not be used for any thing else.

1889

(iLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Villi

Contents of this Number.

A\ enures of Crops

Boars

Boes Near a Road.

Bees, Weight of

Cells, Opening Side of

Clipping, Favoring

Clover. Sweet

Comb, Artificial, in Detroit,

Cone-ease Escape

Convention. Our Next

Cuekoo-bees

Drone Assemblies

Editors, Visiting

Fording Uncapped Honey..
F.ml Brood, Remedies for..

Gallberry Honey

Glass-blowers on Strike

Heads of Grain

Homy, Crating

Honey. Selling (Q. B. I

Honey-book, Bogus

Honey -dew

Horses. Protection for

Life, A Ruined

si:;

.808

Louisiana Apiary.. .

Minium's Team

Moths, To Kill

Non swarmers 804

Oil-wells 821

On I apiaries. Increase for. ..801

Pecan-tree 822

Prolificka 815

Propolis on Gloves 814

Qui en 5 Years Old 822

Red-clover Strain 816

Reports Discouraging 817

Hi-pi.rts Encouraging 817

Rheumatism 810.814

Robbers 812

Scorpion Of Florida 822

Slander Refuted 816

Sour-kraut, To Keep 828

Spider-plant at Home 816

Strawberry, Everbearing. te9
Tobacco for Robbers 822

Watermelons. When Ripe. .828

Wolves 818

Zinc Honey-boards 805

{SPECIE ]^0TICEg.

DISCOUNTS FOR ORDERS RECEIVED BEFORE NOV. 1.

Remember, there is less than two weeks' time to
get in orders so as to get the best rates mentioned
on the first page of the cover.

fuller's strawberry culturist.
The little book we have been so long selling for
15c is now revised, enlarged, and put in stiff covers.
The usual retail price is 25c. Our price is 30c; and
if wanted by mail, 3 c more for postage. The revi-
sion was made in 1887. Please take the above price
instead of 15c, as it appears on the cover of this
issue.

AN APPENDIX TO DOOLITTLE'S BOOK ON QUEEN-
REARING.

An appendix to " Scientific Queen-Rearing," by
G. M. Doolittle, is given in the Second Edition,
which details his further experiments in his meth-
ods of queen-rearing.

This appendix will be mailed free of cost to all
who have the first edition, upon application at this
office. It is now ready for delivery. The second
edition of this interesting book will be mailed to
any address, postpaid, for $1.00.

JERSEY WAKEFIELD CABBAGE SEED.

We have just purchased from H. A. March his
entire season's crop of stock seed of the Extra Ear-
ly Jersey Wakefield cabbage. It is my impression
that there is no better strain of this cabbage seed
to be had in the world. Notwithstanding this is
stock seed, so long as our supply lasts our price will
be as heretofore: Packet, 5c; oz., 20c; lb., $ 2 50. If
wanted by mail, add the usual 9c extra for postage
and packing. As our supply is limited, it may pay
you to order what you shall need for the next season,
at once. Our friends in the South will need to plant it
now— that is, wherever cabbages winter in the open
air. See below what friend March says in regard
to the seed furnished us:

Friend Root:— We have saved the stock seed for you, and it
is No. 1— the choice heads of over t\\ ■■ acres of seed. D. M. Fer-
rv & Co. gave my cabbage and cauliflower seed a good trial,
and have bought over $3000 worth of me. One of the firm took
the trouble to come out to Puget Sound on purpose to see our
seed-farm and our manner of growing seed. He was so well
pleased that he ordered every pound we had. H. A. March.

Fidalgo, Wash. Ter., Sept. 7.

Bee-Keepers & Sopplu-Deaiers,

Please Take Notice.

We will allow a heavy discount this fall and win-
ter on all orders received for supplies. Estimates
gladly furnished, and correspondence solicited.

Our new price list will be ready about Dec. 1st.
Send for it. 20tfd

A. F- STAUFFER 5c CO.,
Mention this paper. Sterling, 111.

03D3D BUT T^TTE.

Send me the names of 10 regular subscribers to
the American Agriculturist, or Ladies' Home Jour-
nal, and I will give you next season your choice of
the following: 1 untested Italian queen, 13 Laced
Wyandotte eggs, 13 B. Leghorn eggs, or 10 !S. S.
Hamburg eggs. All I want is the names of 10 per-
sons who take either of the papers. Write for cat-
alogue of nearly 2000 papers at reduced rates.

C. M. (.ooiiM'l III, Thorn Hill, N. Y.

tSTln responding to this advertisement mention (jLKANIN'iiS.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-
ples free. w. 2. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

Please mention GLEANINGS. 13tfdb

"APIARIAN Sumil^HlAP7

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

IS" In responding to

BEES

16tfdb

this advertisement mention GLKANUJGS.

SEND for a free sample copy of the
BEE JOURNAL - 16-page Weekly
at $1 a year— the oldest, largest and
cheapest Weekly bee-paper. Address
BEE JOURNAL, Chicago, 111.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. In this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as mauy lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. Kor such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

18tfdb Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange 10,000 Cuthbert raspber-
ry-plants, for sections, foundation, or extracted
honey. I will give a bargain on the above plants.
19-20d P. D. Miller, Grapeville, Westm'd Co., Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange improved Hammonton
Incubator, capacity 240 eggs, new, for honey or
offers. A bargain. Finis A. Wootton,

20-21d Skilesville, Muhlenberg Co., Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange a first-class self-regulat-
ing Incubator, Brahmas and Langshans. Want
an extractor, foundation-mill, bees and supplies.
20d F. T. Weatherill, Jones-ville, N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange 2 L. frame nucleus, wiih
tested Italian queen, worth $1.00, queens, each,
50c, for white paint, or offers.
Mrs. Oliver Cole. Sherburne, Cben'o Co., N. Y.

WANTED.— All persons who would like lo seen re
a home in the South, to read my advertisement
in Gleanings for Sept. 15. page 728.

Dr. C. F. Parker, Mentone, Ala.

Black and Hybrid Queens For Sale,

Nine dozen black and hybrid queens, $2.50 per
dozen. Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark.

sou

(J LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

"1X7 E make the best bee-hives, shipping-crates, sec-
*f tions, etc., in the world, and sell them cheap-
est. We are offering- our choicest white one-piece
4^x414 sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.

IS*"" Parties wanting more, write for special
prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Catalogues
free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

t^*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

RERUM C0GN0SCERE CAUSAS.

rno know the Causes or Things, is the key to

1 Success in any industry. It you wish to succeed
in the Bee Business, you must read and become
acquainted with the most Successful Methods of
Bee-Management and Honey-Production.

IANGSTROTHS WORK,

REVISED BY DADANT,

Contains the result of practical experience with
Bees. It gives the Physiology of the Bee, with nu-
merous Quotations from the latest Scientific
Writers, the Description of the best Hives, Direc-
tions for the Proper Management and Handing of
Bees; the most Practical Methods ol Qneen-
Rearing, Swarming (Natural and Artificial),
with controlling methods; instructions on Estab-
lishing Apiaries, Transferring, Shipping, Mailing,
Feeding, Wintering; the best methods of producing
Comb and Extracted Honey, the Handling and
Harvesting of Honey, the Making of Comb Founda-
tion, etc., etc.

The instructions for the Rendering of Bees-
wax are alone worth the price of the Book, to
many bee keepers who waste a part of their wax in
rendering it.

This book, "the most complete ever published," is
shortly to be published in the French, Italian, and
German Languages, by Practical European Apia-
rists. It is highly recommended by all publishers
of Bee-Literature in the Old World as well as in the
New.

Cloth Binding, 550 Pages, 199 Engravings, 19
Full-Page Plates. Gilt front and back. This book
is an Ornament to any Library.

Price: By Express, $1.85. By mail, prepaid,
$2.00. Special prices to Dealers who wish to ad-
vertise it in their circulars.

^°We also offer for Sale, 40,000 Lbs. ol"
Honey, of our crop of 1889; 25 Tons of Comb
Foundation, Smokeis, Bee-Veils of Imported Ma-
terial, etc. Send for Circular. Address
3tfdb (MAS. DADANT & SON,

Hamilton, Hancock Co.. Illinois.

t3?"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOR PURE ITALIAN BEES,

POLAND-CHINA SWINE. WHITE AND BLACK

FERRETS, WHITE RABBITS, WHITE

AND DROWN LEGHORN CHICKENS, AND

MALLARD DUCKS, ADDRESS

N. A. KNAPP, ROCHESTER, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

17tfdb^

BEE-KEEPERS and FRUIT-GROWERS,

Send for mv price list of

BEE-EEEPEES' SUPPLIES AND STKAWBERKY - PLANTS.

Twenty-five varieties to select from.

Address F.W.LAMM,

BOX 100, SOMERVILLE, - - BUTLER CO., OHIO.

18-23db

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

SQUARE GLASS HONEY-JABS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, &c.
PERFECTION COLD-BLAST SMOKERS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON.

CrNCINNATI,0.

P. S. — Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers." (Mention Gleanings.) ltfdb

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

We are now selling our No. 1 V-groove sections,
in lots of 500, at $3.00 per 1000; No. 2 sections at »2.00
per 1000. For price of Italian queens, foundation,
smokers, etc., send for price list.

J. STAUFFER, & SONS,
Successors to B. J. Miller & Co.,
16tfdb Nappanee, Ind.

t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

I received my bees all right. I am well pleased
with them. Weston Carroll.

Union, Me., Aug. 30, 1889.

Smokers and ABC received,
claimed for them.
New Orleans, La., July 8, 1889.

Both are all you
A. L. Redden.

Bees were received in splendid condition, and are
doing well. Accept my thanks for promptness.

Albert Whitney.
Birmingham, Mo., June 22, 1889.

I received the Dovetailed hive and sections all
right. They give perfect satisfaction.

Mrs. J. F. Conner.
Sand Beach, Mich., Oct. 1, 1889.

Here is another: Please leave out that ad't in
Gleanings, for I have had so many orders for
queens that I can't fill them all. F. Howard.

Fairfield, 111., Sept. 8, 1889.

A GOOD WORD FOR SUPPLY-DEALERS.

The smoker is received, and I like it very much.
You are as prompt as H. P. Langdon and W. T. Fal-
coner. They both are grand good men to deal with.

Cooperstown, N. Y. E. U. Parshall.

The A B C of Bee Culture is just splendid. I have
got a good many good hints and lessons from it al-
ready, which will save me a good deal of work.

Ravenna, Mich. Herman J. KusiG.

I received the foundation I sent for, June 20, and
I am very much surprised at the small amount of
time you took to mail it to me, and also at the good
quality. John Mel.

Glenwood, Cal., June 24, 1889.

I received the queens in fine shape, and am well
pleased. They are the yellowest I ever saw. I in-
troduced them to a large colony of black bees, with-
out trouble. Thos. B. Elam.

Mulberry Grove, 111., Aug. 31, 1889.

The queen-bee arrived safely and satisfactorily.
I am well pleased with her and with your directions.
I have introduced her successfully. She came to
hand on the morning of the 15th. C. R. Myers.

Flemington, Pa., Aug. 16, 1889.

I have the pleasure of acknowledging the arrival
of goods in fine condition, and according to my
order, for which I am pleased to inclose you a bal-
ance of due you on above order, with thanks.

Your method of packing goods is grand.

Litchfield, 111., Aug. 11, 1889. R. S. Joseph.

My husband bought a swarm of bees in the
spring, and we were advised to get your ABC
book. We did so, and that book is the most inter-
esting one I ever read. I study it all the time.

Mrs. I. S. Newcomb.

Sioux Rapids, la., Sept. 14, 1889.

I received the nucleus I ordered," of you, June 13.
The bees were in fine condition. The queen is be-
ginning to lay nicely. I notice from your card,
that you shipped the bees the day you received my
order. Thanks for your promptness.

J. M. Thompson.

Sherrodsville, O., June 17, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

801

I received the queen j ou sent, all O.K. Many
thanks lor prompt delivery. M. Freismuth.

Wheeling, W. Va., Aug-. B, 1889.

SENDING QUEENS TO CALIFORNIA.

The select tt sted honey queen came to hand to-
day in good condition; only one dead bee in the
cage. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Gal., Sept. 11, 1889.

LAYING, THE THIRD DAY AFTER ARRIVAL.

The queen mailed me Sept. 6 arrived in g-ood or-
der. It was introduced according to instructions,
and ciitnmeiiccd laying the third day.

Girard, Pa , Sept. 16, 1889. B. Fount,.

I just received a sample copy of Gleanings. It
is much improved since I last saw it. I enjoyed tbe
sermon, also the sketch of "Huber," and many of
the shorter articles. Mrs. H. A. D. Westover.

David City, Neb., Aug. 21, 1889.

SENDING STRAWBERRY-PLANTS TO MISSISSIPPI.

The plants recently ordered from you have been
received in beautiful condition, and, like every
thing else voudo, the fulfillment is better than your
promise. C. P. Coffin.

Pontotoc, Miss., Sept. 30, 1889.

SENDING STRAWBERRY-PLANTS CLEAR TO OREGON.

The strawberry-plants came to-day in prime con-
dition. Many thanks for your promptness. Bees
are working now on white clover. It has bloomed
since the rains. B. J. Ladd.

Portland, Ore., Sept. 20, 1889.

A PLEASED CUSTOMER.

I thank you for your promptness with my orders
for goods I got of you this spring and summer.
The 22 one-story chaff hives came to hand all right.
Every piece was number one. The queens are do-
ing- fi'nelv. E.M.Bennett.

South Charleston, O., Sept. 19, 1889.

DOVETAILED HIVE JUST THE THING LONG LOOKED
FOR.

The Dovetailed hives received, and are just what
I have been looking for during the past three or
four years. I have examined numbers of cata-
logues. Can I say more; G. F. Ayres.

Atherton, Ind.

Mr. Root:— J must thank you again as I report
my success with the little package of Ignotum to-
mato seed you gave me; they gave us the first ripe
tomatoes, growing alongside of other best varieties
obtainable, with the same cultivation. I have nev-
er seen a tomato, with all the good qualities of the
tomato combined, that the Ignotum has.

Jas. W. Walker.

Green Spring, W. Va., Aug. 18, 1889.

A POUND OF BEES AND A QUEEN TO NEWARK. DEL.

The bees, etc., you shipped Sept. 23d were receiv-
ed in Newark, Del., Sept. 26, in the forenoon, in
good condition. About 3 to 5 per cent of the bees
were dead. The queen was alive and active. They
are of fine color; the queen is very beautiful. I am
well satisfied with the lot. I have given them some
unsealed brood and honey, and will try to build
them up rapidly. Express charges were 50 cts ,
which I think very reasonable. T. Jaquett.

Newark, Del., Sept. 27, 1889.

I want to flatter you on your promptness in filling
orders. The sections, foundation, and wax-extract-
or, all came in good time, and in good order. The
sections are nice; the foundation is fine, and the
wax-extractor is a daisv. The reason I had them
sent by express was, I wanted to use them this
summer, and I did not know whether they would
get here in time by freight. T. Brown.

Cloverdale, Ind , July 11, 1889.

gleanings a necessity.
I would say that T regard Gleanings as a house-
hold necessity, and a blessing to myself and family,
not only temporally but spiritually. T think it
would please you to know that " Uncle Amos " has
a warm place in the hearts of nil my family. Even
our little four-year-old baby Georgie talks about

Uncle Amos, and says he loves him. May you live
long, and continue to lead us by example and pre-
cept in the way you have in the past, is my desire.
Tamora, Neb. S. H. Beaver.

the dovetailed hive just the hive FOR THE

GREAT MASS OF BEE-KEEPERS.

The Dovetailed hives ordered of you arrived in
first-class order, and freight very moderate. We
admire your ingenious method of crating, and are
much pleased with the hives. We consider the
Dovetailed as just the hive for that great class of
tiee-keepers who, farmers also, make bee-keeping
an extra; have few appliances for putting hives to-
gether, and devote their attention to the produc-
tion of comb honey exclusively. K. N. Learned.

Newton, N.J.

PLEASED.

Editor Gleanings : — 1 must acknowledge that you
are the most prompt and reliable dealer I have tried
as yet. I have been doiDg business with you in
father's name, C. C. Bartlett. The goods have all
got here in good shape; the mandrel and saws sent
last winter are doing the best of work. I think
Gleanings a fine paper, and the ABC book is now
a superb volume, of which you may well be proud;
and didn't you hit it, though, when you improved
the Clark smoker? I wish you success.

Our honey season has been fair here. The bees
swarmed to Christmas. Our main dependence is al-
falfa. We have had no rain this summer, but were
favored with snow last winter, so we have done
very well. Bart Bartlett.

Vernal, Utah, Aug. 26, 1889.

travels and the home talks.

I have not yet received my Gleanings for July
15, but I have received the one for August 1. Think-
ing it must be lost I thought I would ask you to re-
place it, as I should not like to miss the first part of
your trip to Wisconsin. I may say T most thorough-
ly admire your Home talks, as they seem to
breathe such a Christian spirit. I believe 1 myself
have been quickened to self-examination by your
practical every-day life sort of expositions on our
Savior's teachings. I myself belong to the blessed
Master, whom I try to serve in the Sundaj -school,
the pulpit, and by the every day life of one who
tries to love his neighbors.

In regard to bees, blacks are the best here, all
things considered. Imported Italians are no good
in the north. My bees, 28 colonies, are working
now on heather, after doing well on clover. I have
the Scotch hills here in sight on the north, the Cum-
berland tells, with Skiddaw in full sight, on the
south. J. Stormonth, Jr.

Kirkbride, Cumberland, England, Aug. 21, 1889.

"thy word is a lamp," etc.

Wouldn't it save some trouble if the editor of
Gleanings carried a small "pocket-lamp" with
him on his travels?

[The above comes on a postal card, written in a
feminine hand, but no name was signed. To be
sure, you are right, my good friend, and I have
wondered that somebody did not take this matter
up sooner. The reason why I did not have a Bible
in my pocket was that I started out, as I usually do,
with the expectation of going across the country
with horse and buggy, and a good many times on
foot; and I have learned by experience that every
thing that can be dispensed with is a hindrance;
therefore I did not carry even a Bible, supposing
that, as a matter of course, T could readily lay my
hand upon one anywhere; and I was not once dis-
appointed, except in that great hotel. When I
started away my wife brought me my Sunday-
school quarterly; but I told her it would cumber
my pockets, and I thought that I should be able to
find one of some kind or other, wherever 1 was
stopping. Another thing, I like to get hold of a
Bible where I stop, and see how much it is used.
I like to see a soiled, well-worn Bible. If it has a
little beeswax and propolis on the lids, I do not feel
troubled at all. T had decided, however, before
your friendly suggestion came, to he provided with
a " pocket-lamp," and one has already been laid
aside, with a small copy of Gospel Hymns, to be
ready for the next start off. Now. soon fi iend. had
you given me your name, possibly I might have
called on you and asked for your Bible.]

802

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

Jfepy (3@MjiN.

CITY MARKETS.

Boston.— Honey.— Honey is moving fairly well
from 18 to 17c, with occasionally an extra fancy lot
at 18c. Some large retail dealers in our city se-
cured quite a quantity of white honey, averaging
about 13 or 14 ounces to the comb, and are selling it
at 15c per comb. This has tended to demoralize our
other retailers, as they want to compete, as the
large retailers have filled their windows with the
honey, and marked it very prominently. Two-
pound combs a little scarce, selling for 16 or 17c.
Extracted, 8@9c. No beeswax on hand.

Oct. 10. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Columbus.— Honey.— Arrivals of honey have been
liberal. Owing to large shipments of western hon-
ey, bought there at lie, beiug placed on the market,
the price has been lowered to 15c, at which figure
we had to sell a good part of our consignments, to
meet competition. Large quantities still on hand,
and the outlook is for still lower prices. No sale
whatever for dark honey.

Earle Clickenger,

Oct. 10. Columbus, Ohio.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— There is a quiet but steady
demand for choice comb honey, at 15@16c in a job-
bing way; dark is of slow sale, at 10@12c. Demand
from manufacturers is fair for extracted honey,
and it is good for best qualities for table use.— Bees-
wax is in good demand, at 20@22c for good to choice
yellow on arrival. Chas. F. Muth & Son,

Oct. 12. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Chicago.— Honey.— Honey is selling with more
freedom this month at the following range of
prices: Choice white comb in pound sections, 13c;
crooked or stained combs, 10@12; dark, in comb, !)
(o)10; extracted, white, in kegs or cans, 7; In bbls.,
6l4(S 7; dark, (5. Beeswax, 25c. R. A. Burnett,

Oct. 9. 161 So. Water St., Chicago, 111.

New York.— Honey.— Honey is in excellent de-
mand. We quote: Fancy white, 1-lb. sections, 15®
10c; 2-lbs., 13(0 14; fair white, 1-lb., 13@14; 2 lbs., 11®
12; buckwheat, 1 lb., 10@11; 2 lbs., 9><@10. Extract-
ed, basswood and white clover, 8c; orange blossom,
%}{; buckwheat, 6; California, 1)i\ Southern, 72>£c
per gal. Hildreth Bros. & Segelken,

Oct. 11. New York.

Albany.— Honey.— Market some easier, but de-
mand good, and any attractive desirable style comb
sell well. Are short of small comb buckwheat hon-
ey. Clover, 15® 10c; mixed, 13@14; buckwheat, 12®
13. Extracted, buckwheat, 6; clover, 74@8.

H. R. Wright,

Oct. 11. Albany, N. Y.

Detroit.— Honey.— Best white, in one-pound sec-
tions, 14@15c Sales slow; supply not large. Ex-
tracted. 8@9.— Beeswax, 23@24. M. H. Hunt,

Oct. 11. Bell Branch, Mich.

St. Louis.— Honey.— No change in market, though
firmer. Demand fair.— Beeswax, prime, 22c.

D. G. Tutt Gro. Co..
Oct. 11. St. Louis, Mo.

Kansas City.— Honey.— The receipts are very
light. Demand increasing. We quote: 1 lb. comb,
white, lota 14c; dark, 10(512; 2 lb., white, 12(5 13; dark,
10@12. Extracted, white, 7@8; dark, 0.— Beeswax,
none in market. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Oct. 12. Kansas City, Mo.

Philadelphia..— Honey.— Honey in 1-lb. sections
(No. 1) is in good demand. Quite a number of in-
quiries for same. Yellow beeswax is wanted at 23c.
Good outlet for both. Chas. E. Shoemaker,

Oct. 9. 44 So. Water St., Philadelphia, Pa.

For Sale.— 1000 lbs. white-clover honey, in 60-lb.
tin cans. Will put on cars here at 8c per lb.
20-21d R. I. Barber, Bloomington, 111.

For Sale.— About 1000 lbs. buckwheat extracted
honey, put up in kegs holding 150 to 160 lbs. each.
I will take 6c per lb. f. o. b., kegs thrown in. Will
take beeswax in exchange.

J. I. Parent, Birchton, Saratoga Co., N. Y.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant lib. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can; Scans
in 1 box, $9.60. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Fostek, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

CheapTUMBLEHS&MUGS

If you intend to put up any extracted honey in
glass for the retail trade it will pay you to send a
postal to the undersigned for price list of tumblers
and mugs, also labels suitable for the same.
20 21-22d M. II. TWEED,

154 Webster St., Allegheny, Pa.

"Everbearing" Strawberry.

Plants, by mail, 50c per 6, 75e per 12, $4.00 per 100.
Bears from frost to frost. Plants limited.
SETH AVINQUIST,

Mount Tabor, Oregon.

Enoinos & Boilers.

Complete Outfit, or

Engine Alone.
Tlie Best and Most Sub-
stantial Engine Made.

2 Horse Engine and Boiler, $125

4 " " " " 200

10 " ' 325

Fully guaranteed. Send for
circular. Mention this paper.

MEDINA ENGINE CO,
20tfdb Medina, Ohio.

NOW IS THE TIME

FOR MARKETING HONEY, AND NEW YORK
IS A GOOD MARKET.

We make liberal advances in CASH on consignments, sell quick-
ly at highest obtainable market prices, and pay the net proceeds

IMMEDIATELY after honey has been sold. We charge for com-
mission and GUARANTEE of payment, five per cent. Ship by
freight to F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

122 Water Street, New York.

Yol. XTII.

OCT. 15, 1889.

No. 20.

TERMS: S1.00 Per Annum, in Advance;! T? 0+ „ 7,7-,* o In n rl -iin ~1&r7<% f Clubs to different postoffiees, not less
2C.pU-sfor81.90; 3for$2.75;5ior**.00; \ JLbTCbO Ll/6 fl&W Lib -L O i O . than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, 111 the
10 or more.TOcts. each. Single nun.- [ published semi-monthly by * and Canada*. To all other .coun_-

ber. 5 cts. Additions to __.

made at club rates. Above are all to

he sent to one i-ostoffick.

Single num- I
clubs may be f

\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
not of the U.P.U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT- APIARIES, NO. XVII.

SPECIAL PLAN OF INCREASE FOR OUT-APIARIES.

fOU probably know better than I what plan of
increase is best for you; but there is one
way that can be used by means of out-apia-
ries that I' think well to mention, and there
may be times when you may think best to
use it. One year, with plenty of empty combs I in-
creased 13 colonies to 81, and took 1200 lbs. of ex-
tracted buckwheat honey. There is nothing spe-
cially new about the plan, only that you can easily
make bees stay where you put them, if you take
them from one apiary to another.

If you please I will take two colonies to work
with, as the same thing can be done with a larger
number. As soon as the season will warrant it,
take the queen with one frame of brood and bees
from No. 1; put it in an empty hive which we will
call No. 3, and set No. 3 in place of No. 2, setting No.
2 in a new location. Take from No. 1 any frames
not filled with brood, and exchange with No. 2 for
frames of brood. No. lis now full of frames of brood,
and has a full force of bees, and will at once go to
work rearing queen-cells. You have your own plans
for raising the best queen-cells, and can use them;
and the day after the queen is taken away from No. 1,
or as soon thereafter as convenient, insert in each
frame of No. 1 a queen-cell. If you' have no better
way, I think you will find that No. 1, if you let it
entirely alone, will raise some very good queen-
cells; and about nine days sifter you have taken the
queen away, go to the :hive and cut out a good cell
from a frame which has more than one cell, and in-
sert it in a frame which has none, so that each of
the frames shall have a cell. It is not necessary to
destroy any of the cells. If there should be several
on one comb it will do no harm. If the cells are in-
serted in the morning, you will probably find them

fastened in all right in the evening; but if any fail
you must insert others. Fasten the frames if nec-
essary. Next day take the hive to the out-apiary,
making sure that the bees have abundant ventila-
tion. When you get to the out-apiary, smoke the
bees so that they will not immediately take flight,
and put each frame, with its queen-cell and bees,
into an empty hive, thus making a nucleus of each
frame, giving- each an empty comb. You thus see
that each nucleus has its equal share of bees of all
ages, and I don't know of any way in which you can
thus evenly divide them without taking to another
apiary.

In two weeks from the time No. 2 was moved, it
will be ready to be operated upon the same as No.
1. Put its queen in a new hive, to be called No. 4,
and put No. 4 in place of No. 3. No. 2 can then be
taken to the out-apiary, as also No. 3 and No. 4. If
none of the young queens have failed, we have as
many new colonies as we bad frames with queen-
cells; and if the hives are 8-frame hives, there will
be nine colonies for each one we started with. We
are not likely, however, to succeed so well as this,
and very likely some of the frames taken in No. 3
will need to be given to some of the first nuclei that
failed to secure laying'queens. If the increase is
five or six fold, it will be doing pretty well. The
first colonies formed will become strong enough to
spare some frames of brood, which will be needed
to build up those started two weeks later. Then if
any of them become crowded with honey, the ex-
tractor can be used to give the queen more room.

You will see that this is a good way to form a
new apiary, for you are relieving' the home apiary
at the time of greatest increase of bees; and if you
are anxious for increase, it is at least a good way.
You might thus take 12 or 15 colonies to a new spot
where there was good pasturage, especially fall
pasturage, and allow them to build up at their

804

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

pleasure with very little attention on your part. If
you had no empty combs, of course you could not
do so well with empty frames or frames of founda-
tion. C. C. Miller.
Marengo, 111.

I know the above will work, because I
have done pretty much the same thing, only
I did not have any out-apiary. Of course,
an out-apiary would prevent all trouble
from going back to the old colony, and you
can at any time put bees or frames of brood,
covered with bees, wherever you like, and
they will stay right there.

VARIOUS MATTERS.

CRATING HONEY SO AS TO HAVE EACH CRATE
WEIGH AN EVEN NUMBER OF POUNDS.

fEARS ago, when Itflrst began to put up honey
for market, I paid no attention to having the
amount in each crate weigh an even num-
ber of pounds, but I put an even number of
boxes in each crate, and in weighing them I
marked each crate by the quarter pound. That is,
if a crate weighed 30 lbs. 3 oz. it was marked 30J4
lbs.; and if it weighed 32 lbs. and 6 oz. it was mark-
ed 3234, thus making the !4 the nearest to the one
which it weighed. I followed this plan for several
years, when I saw some labels advertised, to paste
on each crate, which gave the weight of the gross,
tare, and net, in ounces. These seemed to me to be
handy, so I sent and procured some of them, using
them the next year. In sending in returns that
year, not a single commission merchant said any
thing about the ounces, except to grumble about
the way I had marked the honey, and advised me
to make my crates in the future weigh an even
number of pounds, if I would obtain the best prices
for my honey, and save them much annoyance and
vexation. The next year found me making each
crate weigh an even number of pounds, which
thing I have kept up ever since, and in no single
instance have I had returns made for a pound less
than I shipped. As long as glass was used on each
section or box, the matter was very simple; for all
I had to do was to sort out the thin glass into piles
of the right number for a crate, and the thick ones
in the same way, till I had the number of piles that
I would have crates of honey. These piles were
now weighed, and a label put on each one, telling
what it weighed, so that, when the sections of hon-
ey were brought out for each crate, and placed on
the scales, the pile of glass was taken which would
make the whole weigh an even number of pounds
when the glass was placed on the honey. By add-
ing this to the tare of the crate I had the gross
weight, or just what the crate weighed when it was
all ready for market. Later on, when it was not
desirable to glass the honey, I sorted the pile of
honey all over, placing all the lighter sections in
one pile, all of the medium in another, and all those
that were extra well filled or the heavy ones in the
third. I would now take all the sections for a crate
from the medium pile, which would contain the
larger bulk of the honey ; then if they did not
weigh an even numberof pounds I would exchange
some of these medium sections for either the light
or the heavy ones, as the circumstances might re-
quire, till the right amount was secured. I know
this is a little work, but 1 have been satisfied that it

well paid me for so doing. Having just crated my
honey for market, and thinking that I had never
given this item before, led me to do so now. Try it,"
brother and sister bee-keepers, if you have not aU
ready done so, and see if you do not think this a
good way.

NON-SWARMERS.

I see by page 733 of Gleanings for Sept. 15th,
that the editor thinks that the plan I gave to pre-
vent swarming would be the same as "hiving the
new swarm and setting it on top of the old one. then
in a few days destroying the queen-cells below and
shaking the bees and queen in front of the lower
one." Not so; as, in this latter cape, the bees and
queen are on the brood which they had before they
swarmed; while in the plan I gave, the bees below
would be building comb in the lower hive the same
as would any swarm hived in an empty hive, while
the brood above would be hatching (with few bees
to cover it), and coming down below, so that the
strength of the colony would be kept at the highest
pitch all through the honey harvest, while during
the first 21 days the queen would have all the cells
built by the bees to occupy with eggs. I think all
will see that the two plans are very different; the
first having an uncertain element in it, while the
latter places them in that certain condition gener-
ally enjoyed by all new swarms during the first 25
days after they are hived.

cutting open queen-cells to see when they
will hatch.
On page 754 of same number of Gleanings are
found some of the points of merit the queen-cell
protectors possess; but there is one thing not men-
tioned there which has been of some service to me,
which I believe has never been mentioned. All re-
member how, in former years, they have been
grieved when obliged to spoil one of two nice
queen-cells which were built so near together that
they could not be separated without cutting into
one of them so but that the bees would tear it down
and drag out the immature queen. Well, I was not
long in finding out that a queen would hatch just
as perfectly from a cell having one side gone, if
the same was placed in a cell-protector, as she
would had the cell been whole, for I have had
scores of them hatch perfect queens from such
mutilated cells. After finding this out it occurred
to me that, if I did not know just when a queen
would hatch from a given cell, all I had to do was
to remove it from the protector (or do the same be-
fore it was put in) and open the cell at the side near
the base, look at the immature queen, and put the
cell back in again. From curiosity and for experi-
ment I have many times opened a cell to that ex-
tent that I could turn the queen out in my hand,
look her all over and place her back again: and
where care was used I have never known one to
fail of hatching a perfect queen afterward. After
having looked inside of a queen-cell several times,
or turned the embryo queen out in your hands,
any one can tell almost 'to within a fourth of a day
when they will hatch. This gives quite an advan-
tage over the past, for many times we have waited
for days for the hatching of a cell which finally nev-
er hatched at all, on account of the larva dying
from some cause or other. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Oct. 7, 1889.

I think, friend D., somebody has mention-
ed assorting the sections so that each case
contains an even^n umber of pounds. I

1889

CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

805

think each careful bee-keeper will find that
it will pay him to do so. It certainly does
not pay to leave things at loose ends. Hon-
ey is frequently sent us, without the ship-
per knowing either the gross or tare, trust-
ing all to our honesty. I do not like this
way of doing. A great many times we do
not care to empty packages of extracted
honey, and the weight of the barrel or keg
is taken from the shipper, and accepted
right along, until it comes to be retailed
out. — Years ago I discovered that, during
very warm weather, queens, when nearly
ready to hatch, won Id mature just as well
out of the cell as in ; and I, too, have tum-
bled them out of the cell into my hand, and
put them back again, and had them make
nice queens. With the lamp nursery I have
had them develop with no cell at ail ; but I
never succeeded with one until it was so
near hatching that the legs and wings were
pretty fully developed.

ZINC HONEY-BOARDS.

THE VARIOUS USES OF THE METAL IN BEEKEEPING.

fHE invention of the queen-excluding- honey-
board marks an era in bee-keeping-. Popular
and useful as these have proved before, we
are just learning some of their most impor-
tant uses, and their possibilities are probably
by no means exhausted.

By their use the queen is, kept out of the supers,
which is of the greatest advantage in extracting-.
In comb-honey production they are not so necessary,
though even here they are very useful, and in some
cases indispensable. In dividing, forming- nuclei,
and selling- bees by the pound, it is a great advan-
tage to be able to take bees from a hive without the
necessity of buntiDg up the queen. Queen and
drone traps serve a very useful purpose in prevent-
ing the loss of swarms and the flight of undesirable
drones, though on account of their expense and
some other objections they are not in very general
use.

A queen-excluding honey-board at the bottom of
the hive is much superior for temporary use. To
adapt it to continued use, some way of disposing of
the drones is necessary. Who will invent an attach-
ment that will lead the drones into a chamber by
themselves, from which they can readily be re-
moved, and which will not make it necessary to cut
holes in the hive or bottom-board, and will leave
the queen-excluding board uninjured for its ordi-
nary use?

Perhaps this is too much to expect, and we shall
probably have to combine the drone-trap with the
honey-board. Friend Heddon seems to have faith
in an attachment to the side of the hive, but has not
made the details public. I know that a hole bored
through the side of the hive, covered with a small
box having a hole covered with a wire-cloth cone on
one side, and queen-excluding zinc on the other,
answers very well, but I do not like to bore holes in
my hives or make a drone-trap a permanent feature
in all of them.

RAISING QUEENS ABOVE PERFORATED METAL,.

A great deal of experimenting has no doubt been
done this season with the new methods of having
queen-cells built and queens fertilized above per-
forated metal. So far as my experience goes, it is

easy to get cells built while there is a queen in full
vigor below, though these cells are by no means of
the first quality, except under favorable conditions.
1 have had no suceess in getting queens fertilized
in this way, though I have no doubt that, during the
proper season, it would work well. Steady feeding
when honey is not coming in freely will probably be
necessary to insure success with either plan.

I have had some little trouble this season from the
queen going through the perforated metal. This
was a lot bought of you two years ago. It seemed
as though any queen could go through it whenever
she really wanted to; and any strong inducement,
suoh as frames of brood, would be almost certain to
bring her through, and I have known queens to go
back and forth through it every three or four days.
This same zinc, though, almost invariably kept
queens out of extracting supers.

I have known some to argue that there was not
enough passageway through the break-joint queen-
excluding board. Let us see. If 1 have measured
rightly, each perforation has an area of £J0 of an
inch. The combined area, then, of the holes in a
break-joint queen-excluder for an eight-frame hive
would be 21.06 sq. in., equal to 27 holes an inch in
diameter. The all-zinc break-joint boards for eight-
frame hives have, as the combined area of their
perforations, 36.85 sq. in., equal to 47 one-inch holes.
Of course, some of this area is in corners, and not
available for passage; but allowing for this, there is
much more passageway than used to be considered
abundant with the old-style honey-boards and boxes.

PLAIN SHEETS OF PERFORATED ZINC IN THE BROOD-
NEST NOT RECOMMENDED.

The plan of laying a plain sheet of perforated zinc
directly on top of the frames does not work well, as
usually but a small proportion of the boles is left
available for passage. All-zinc honey-boards are
not well adapted to use on new hives, as they will
sag by their own weight, no matter how straight
they may be at first, nor how well nailed to the
wood binding. When used on old hives, though,
where the zinc is supported in the center by brace-
combs, they answer excellently. For the same
reason, these boards, when made up, should not be
piled up flat, but should be stood on edge. It seems
strange that a metal, apparently as firm as zinc is,
should thus stretch and sag, but it is a fact.

Dayton, 111., Aug. 29, 1889. J. A. Green.

THIS SEASON'S OBSERVATIONS.

THE WEATHER, ETC.

fS^ HIS year was a favorable one for bees. Oold-
^ en willow began blooming April 15th, and in
i a few days the hives were all well filled. We
had but little rain from November till the
middle of May; consequently the spring was
extremely dry. But for all that, bees made a good
living through fruit-bloom and buckeye. Locust
opened up with fine prospects, but it then began
raining, and rained for four weeks. Poplar bloom-
ed profusely at this time, but the weather was too
rainy for the bees to do much. Finally it cleared
up, and white clover began blooming, though much
later than usual, on account of the early drought.
Then the bees began to swarm, and kept swarming
untilJuly 4. We increased from 20 to 40, doubling
up many of the new swarms. Basswood produced
but little honey. White and sweet clovers did well.

806

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

YOUNG SWARMS ROBBING THE PARENT HIVE.

June 2, we had a second swarm that was hived
on frames containing some comb. After a little
while I noticed an unusual number of bees going
in and out of both the old and new stands. The
next day I examined the new stand, and found the
combs half built, and completely full of honey.
The young swarm had robbed the parent hive of
most of its honey. I am confident that they robbed
it, for on the evening of the day that the swarm
came out it was pretty cool, and not a bee was mov-
ing about an.v hive except those two. I got some
Hour and sprinkled on the bees coming out of the
old hive, and found them all going into the new
swarm. We have had several cases of this kind,
and right in the midst of a good honey-flow. The
parent hive never offers any resistance. But no
harm is ever done by this kind of robbing. They
never rDb except the first day after coming out. I
have seen them robbing quite lively late in the eve-
ning, and next morning not a bee would go back.
One hive is robbed a little every year in this way by
its first swarm.

DRONE ASSEMBLIES.

T am inclined to think that drones do not go very
far to congregate. This year I heard the loud roar-
ing of drones high up in the air in several places in
our locality. Some of the assemblies were not
more than half a mile apart.

RED CLOVER.

This year the second blooming of red clover pro-
duced honey quite freely. The blossoms were short,
and the bees could easily reach the honey. During
the drought, when the ground was extremely dry
and the air very hot, the bees gathered honey in
large quantities from it; and at the present date,
Sept. 16, they are still working hard. The brood-
chambers are very full of honey; in fact, brood is
to a great extent crowded.

HONEY-DEW.

About the 10th of August, honey-dew began to
appear on the maple-trees. It came in small quan-
tities at first, but increased each morning for about
a week. After that about the same amount fell
each night until Sept. 6, when it suddenly ceased.
The bees worked on it from daylight until about
10 o'clock At the end of that time it disappeared,
leaving stains on the leaves where the drops had
been. It appeared more on warm nights, when
there was lots of dew, and lasted longer on days
that were cloudy. It always appeared on the upper
side of the leaves, never on the under. It came in
drops the size of small raindrops; and while some
leaves would be covered with it, others would have
but little or none. The top branches of the trees
produced a great deal more than the lower ones.
Some trees had thr£e or four times as much honey-
dew on them as others. It had a very distinct flavor
of maple syrup about it, and when the sun shone on
it a little while, it became thick like molasses. I
have seen drops on some leaves, large enough for
three or four loads for a bee. On some mornings,
when it fell profusely, it could be found on the
grass, weeds, and small bushes under the trees. I
have seen the small maple sprouts (that just came
up last spring, and as yet having but two leaves),
distant from any other tree, and yet its two little
leaves would be covered with honey-dew. I am
confident that this honey-dew does not fall as the
dew of the night, but that it is a secretion of the
leaves, and that it comes from the limbs and body

of the tree, and is secreted by the leaves; for late-
ly, in cutting up live sugar-tree limbs I noticed a
liquid oozing out of the wood close to the bark: and
in tasting it I found it to be sweet, having a taste
similar to that of honey-dew. I also saw bees flying
around the piles of freshly cut wood. When a fresh-
ly cut log was left in the sun a while this 6ap would
ooze out between the bark and the wood, and form
a bitter-sweet sticky gum. This is something I
never noticed before. Chas. L. Greenfield.

Somerville, O., Sept. 16, 1889.

Young swarms robbing the parent hive
has been before mentioned. Like yourself,
I have been obliged to decide that drones
do congregate in a good many places, es-
pecially in the vicinity of large apiaries.
Your remarks in regard to honey-dew on the
maple seem to indicate that it may be a
secretion of the plant. Friend France
mentioned, while I was there, that one sea-
son he saw the bees working strong on the
leaves of corn, right where they are united
to the stalk. Selecting a hive where they
seemed busiest he put an empty comb in the
center of the brood-nest. In a day or two
it was full, and he threw out the honey with
the extractor, put it on the table, and asked
the boys to decide what kind of honey it was.
One of them replied promptly that he could
not tell, but it tasted exactly like the juice
from chewing a green cornstalk. This honey
was a saccharine secretion directly from the
corn — no aphides about it. I have seen it
sufficient to keep the bees busy a while in
the morning. Now, I think it is possible
that maple may, under some circumstances,
secrete a sweetish substance in the same
way.

AN AVERAGE CROP.

FRANK M'NAY REPLIES TO E. FRANCE.

NOTICE on page 738 of Gleanings for Sept. 15,
that E. France criticises the answers given by
some of the respondents in regard to the aver-
age crop of honey. He is mistaken in suppos-
ing that the honey season opens and closes at
the same date in all locations, for I notice that he '
now reports the same as he did on Aug. 3d, while I
at that time considered my crop about half gather-
ed; and as I had taken 20,000 pounds from 350 colo-
nies during the first half of our season, I reported
it an average crop .so far (see question d, Statistics).
I now report 26,600 pounds for August and Sep-
tember, making a total of 46.600 pounds for the sea-
son, of which 3050 is in one-pound sections, from 65
colonies, and 43,550 pounds extracted from 285 colo-
nies. My bees are in six apiaries, from 35 to 75 colo-
nies in each, located from V2 to 5 miles from bass-
wood; and as it is often asked how far bees may be
located from basswood or other forage, and work
to advantage, I have kept an accurate record of
dates of extracting in each apiary, showing amount
taken, distance to forage, etc.; and if you desire I
will send you a tabulated record of the season's
work. Our work was done with Bingham smokers
and knives, and five Novice extractors.
Mauston, Wis., Oct. 1, 1889. Frank McNay.

Let us have the tabulated record, friend
M. Your point with respect to the statis-
tics is well taken.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

807

"WEIGHT OF BEES.

PROF. COOK REVIEWS THE SUBJECT.

T HAVE felt much interested in this matter of
/MP the weight of bees. I find in Keys' old work,
W p. 92, thefollowing:

-*• WEIGHT OP BEES.

100 drones 1 oz.

29.) workers 1 oz.

4.640 workers lib.

915 workers .3% oz.

1,830 workers, a pint, or 6 oz. and 5 drs.
3,660 workers, a quart, or 12 oz. and 10 drs.

29,280 workers, a peck, or 6 lbs. 5 oz. and 6 drs.

Keys adds:—" This statement is made on an aver-
age; for they will not prove twice exactly alike,
because of their different degrees of fullness, etc."

I asked one of our students, Mr. John W. White,
of Lancaster, Wis., to weigh bees, and see how ours
agreed with those of Keys, and with those reported
by you in Gleanings. Mr. White gave his paper
before our Natural-History Society last evening.
Like Keys, Mr. White found the variation large.
He also found that bees a short time dead weighed
less than those just killed. I have found it neces-
sary to kill bees, when weighing, as the motion of
their wings will often make a large difference in re-
sults. Our bees seem heavier than either those of
Keys or those at Medina. Let me say, that our
weighings are all done on scales so delicate that
they will almost weigh a thought or sigh. Mr.
White weighed seven lots of ten each. These bees
had been long fasting, and were just beginning to
die of starvation. The average was 4106 to the lb.
While these bees were all near the starvation limit,
yet there was considerable variation in weight.
Mr. White chloroformed these bees. After they re-
covered from the stupor, he fed ten bees all they
would take, and then weighed them. These weigh-
ed 15 milligrams per bee more than the others, or
3626 bees to the lb. The results of Mr. White's
weights were a surprise to me, and so I thought I
would verify their accuracy. 1 weighed 20 bees
that were caught from the hives. They were then
carried in my pocket for two or three hours in a
cage while walking about. These bees weighed 108
milligrams per bee, or at the rate of 4222 to the
pound. Another lot of the same number, taken aft-
er they had sipped all that they would, were chloro-
formed, and weighed at once. These weighed 123
milligrams per bee, or at the rate of 3781 to the
pound. So, friend Root, I think your old average,
4000 bees to the pound, is more nearly correct for
our bees than is your more recent estimate. I feel
very certain that our bees will average 4000 to the
pound; and I think that, when full fed, they will
hardly reach more than 3330. You will note that,
when starved, they reach only 4225 to the pound.
Our bees are a cross between the Syrian and Carni-
olan. There may be a trace of Italian and German
blood, and doubtless is. I had always thought that
the Syrian race seemed large, and visitors often
say, " Your bees seem very large;" yet I had not
supposed there could be so much difference. Of
what race were the bees you weighed?

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

The account of your weighings is very in-
teresting, friend. Cook. Your figures are
considerably lower than those we report in
Gleanings for August 1, page 643. If we
were both accurate in our weighings, then
there certainly must be a difference in the

size of the bees. But this, it seems to us,
ought not to account for all the difference.
Although your scales are probably exceed-
ingly sensitive, yet it seems to us there
must be some little chance for variation, be-
cause friend White weighed only ten bees
each time ; and from this as a basis he fig-
ured the number in a pound. We have
some scales here at the Home of the Iloney-
Bees that are sensitive enough to show a
variation when a bit of paper is thrown
upon the platform. Now, instead of tak-
ing ten bees we weighed a thousand, and
then calculated the number in a pound, the
thousand bees having been counted by a
careful man. Now, do you feel sure that
your scales, however delicate they may be,
"would always record the exact weight of
only ten bees? The bees we weighed were
Italians. They had been dead but a few
hours, and had but a little honey in their
honey-sacs. You say the bees you weighed
were a cross between Carniolan aud Syrian.
The Carniolans certainly do look larger than
Italians ; and according to Mr. Cheshire's
measuremente they are larger. We have
seen Syrians that appeared larger than Ital-
ians ; yet to us most of them seem smaller.
Would it be too muoh trouble for Mr. White
to weigh some pure Italians, and count out,
say, a hundred, and weigh them? We will
send him some in a mailing-cage. Perhaps
the difference in the size of bees will ac-
count for the difference in our results.

MANUM IN THE APIARY "WITH HIS
MEN.

HOUSES in night caps and night-gowns.

u

COTT, have you a load of honey ready for
| me to take home? "
■fHj| "Yes, sir; two of them."
■^ "Good! the more the better. I see the
bees are not doing very much today. 1
think basswood is about past, as there seem to
be a good many bees around the door of the honey-
house. I will back the wagon up to the door, and
you may come and help me cover up the horses.

"There, take this thin cotton hood and cover the
old horse's head with it while 1 do the same by the
colt. See how the old horse holds his head down;
he knows what it all means. Yes, he knows as well
as I do when we are near an apiary. He has had
experience with stings, hence he is always willing
to have his head covered. There, now we will
throw these blankets (made of same material) over
their bodies, and tie them in front to protect the
breast. There, you see they are well protected;
and as these covers go down to their knees, the
bees do not hang around the horses when thus cov-
ered. Formerly we used only our coats to throw
over the horses' heads. That asswered very well,
as that caused the horses to keep quiet. Although
our horses were never stung when only the coats
were used, yet I was always afraid they would be;
and as the coats had to be removed before starting
with a load, they were then liable to be stung be-
fore getting out of range of the bees. But with
these blankets it is different, as we can drive all the
way home with them if we wish; but we usually re-
move them half a mile away from the yards. These

808

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

blankets, or protectors, being made in two parts,
are quickly put on or removed, without being- oblig-
ed to draw the lines through them, as one part goes
over the lines and the other under. As Fred usual-
ly hauls all the honey, and as he leaves his yard to-
morrow for that purpose, I am going to take a pho-
tograph of him with a load of honey, just as he ar-
rives home with it, and send it to Mr. Root, as he
may suggest some improvement.

"I will now get into the wagon, and you may
hand me the clamps of honey just as fast as you
can handle them; because, as soon as the bees
scent the honey they will l>- come altogether too
familiar, therefore I want to get loaded as soon as
possible, and lie off. You can see this wagon-box
was made expressly for this business. We can put
in 32 clamps on the bottom for one tier, and 5 tiers
will make 16U clamps, and 16 sections to the cla mp
gives us 25t>0 sections, making a little over a ton of

how to take them off and get the bees out quickly,
1 have left them all on that were on at that time.
Why do you leave them on three or four days after
the bees have stopped getting honey?"

" It is because there are always some sections
that are not finished up at the time basswood has
gone by; and as there is usually more or less un-
sealed honey in the brood-combs at that time, 1
leave the sections on a few days to give the bees
time to carry it up and complete the sections. But
in spite of all that, we shall have a lot of unfinished
sections again this year. There, now I have got
my smoker well to going, and we are ready to pro-
ceed. You say you have 117 colonies here that have
clamps on them. All have two, and some three
clamps; now, how long do you think it will take us
to remove the clamps and get the bees out, and car-
ry them into the honey-house?"

" Well, I do not suppose we can do it all to-day."

matsum's arrangement to prevent horses from being stung while hauling honey.

honey. Fred had this box made to suit his own no-
tion, so that the clamps for shippiug-jrates just fit,
both lengthwise and crosswise, which makes it
very convenient for us. You may hand out two
clamps more, which will just finish my load. Now,
hand me that enamel-cloth covering to spraad over
the load to protect the sections from dust or rain,
or the honey from the hot sun. There, now all is
secure. You may now come out here; and as soon
as 1 get seated, with reins in hand, you may remove
the blankets and away I go. Good-by!

" How do you do, Will? I thought I would come
today and assist you in removing all the clamps
from off the hives. I believe it is four days since I
was here and told you basswood had passed, is it
not?"

" Yes, I think it is; and you were right, though I
could not believe it; but the scale-hive has not
gained a pound since that day; and as you told me
not to take off any of the clamps for four or five
days, and that you would come up and show me

" It is now 9 o'clock. Well, I think we can get
every section in the honey-house by noon if we
have good luck in getting the bees out of them.
We will commence here at No. 1, and take them by
course. You may look on while I go through this
row, and then you can take a row yourself. There,
now, watch me closely. 1 raise the cap, pull off the
enamel cloth, smoke the bees a little to scare the
queen down out of the sections, should she chance
to be there; and while she may be doing so I go to
the next hive and do by that as I have by No. 1, and
so on through the row of 20 hives; and on my
return to No. 1 I let down the caps to protect
the uncovered sections from robber bees. I
now raise the clamps from No. 1, set them on the
ground edgewise, get the honey-board (brood-box
eover) from under the stand, cover the brood-box,
and take up the clamps and place them on the hon-
ey-board edgewise, and close the cap and go on to
the next hive, and so on through the apiary. You
again have the opportunity of enjoying the conven-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

809

ieace of having suidll or halt-size clamps, for, as
you see, it they were full size they could not rest
on the brood-box and permit of the cap closing
down tight. Why. 1 would not exchange these
small clamps for full-sized clamps, if any one would
give me the large ones free of charge; in fact, I
should hardly know how to manage with them.

" There, now, we have the clamps all off, and
there are 2M> of them, which would be equal to 143
full sized clamps, and we have been an hour and
30 minutes in removing them. We will now go to
No. 1 and see what progress the bees have made in
getting out of the sections. Well, they are doing
very well, but we can help them some by opening
the caps, as the escapes are so small it is rather
slow work; and especially where the sections are
not full of honey they have more bees in them.
We will now go right through and raise the caps.
Vou may take one row and I one. There, just raise
each cap; and as you do so the bees will fly out in
all directions, and make for the entrance. Leave
the caps up until you go through the row, as that
will give the bees more time to fly out; on your re-
turn, close them, and take another row, and so on
through the apiary; then we can commence at No.
1 and repeat the operation the second or third time
if necessary.

" Now, as the bees are out of nearly all the clamps
we will carry them in. We can carry two at a time,
and even three, where there are three on the hive.
If you find a clamp that the bees do not seem to
leave, it will indicate that the queen is in it, or that
there is brood in one or more of the sections. In
either case the bees will not leave, and you will
have to place the clamp on the ground at the en-
trance, and remove the sections one by one, and
shake the bees out of them in front of the hive,
that the queen and bees may run in. It is not oft-
en by this method that weget the queens into the
sections. So far this season I have found but one
queen in the sections, and have found only three
sections with brood in them.

" It ik now half-past eleven, and the honey is all
in except the two last rows. These you can carry
in at your leisure, after the bees are out of them;
so, now, I will go home. You see it is a short job to
remove the sections from 100 hives, and get the
bees out, when one understands how to do it,
and with the right kind of hive and fixtures. You
may now, as soon as you can, scrape the propolis
off the top and bottom of the sections as they are in
the clamps, so that they will not stick together
when piled one over the other. You will have but
a few days longer to remain here at the apiary, as
you will be needed at home to assist in preparing
the honey for market." A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vermont.

Friend M., in behalf of our readers we
tender you our sincere thanks for your very
ingenious night-caps and night-gowns for
the horses. The experience of a man who
raises honey by the ton is certainly worth
considering ; and such appliances are usual-
ly the outcome of the wants and needs of a
large business. Our readers will notice that
you use the term " clamps" where we say
" crates " for the box that holds the sections
as they stand on the hive. I thought, a
short time ago, that J. A. Green struck
on the shortest method of getting the bees
out of the boxes ; but I do not know [but

you are ahead of him. I should not have
supposed it possible to take the honey out
from 100 hives between 9 and 12 o'clock.
Your process of inducing the bees to come
out of the sections and go down into the
hive is indeed novel. I suppose that this,
too, was the result of much experiment and
much experience. When I worked with Dr.
Miller I thought his system and plan could
hardly be improved upon ; but with the
vivid explanation you give us of your ar-
rangement, perhaps jou are ahead. It may
be, however, that you will get along better
on your plan, and he will get along better
on his ; but for all that, it is extremely
helpful to have it explained so we can un-
derstand it, just how each large honey-pro-
ducer goes about to do his work.

WHERE SHALL WE HOLD THE NEXT

NATIONAL BEE-KEEPERS'

CONVENTION?

SHALL IT BE CHANGED FROM BRANTFORD, ONTA-
RIO, TO BUFFALO, N. Y.?

The Canadian Bee Journal for Sept. 18
contained an editorial touching upon a point
that I had been thinking of for some time.
It reads as follows :

While at Buffalo we lost no opportunity of invit-
ing our American friends to be with us at the com-
ing international convention, to be held at Brant-
ford in December, and we were encouraged by many
promises to be present. We hope thatour Canadian
bee keepers will not forget to be present, and give
our visitors such a welcome as they deserve. By
the way, would it not be mere justice to place the
holding of the next convention at Buffalo? The
bee-keepers there would like it, and it will give
Canadians a erood chance of again being present.
Besides, the Eastern States are deserving of it in
their turn. Think of it, and come prepared to do
the matter justice, in the best interest of the asso-
ciation.

This set the ball rolling ; and, of course,
in view of the foregoing considerations I
could not help giving it another boost by
writing the following letter to Dr. Mason,
president of the Association, which will ex-
plain itself :

Friend Mason:— The last leading editorial in the
Canadian Bee Journal for Sept. 18th strikes upon a
point that I have been thinking of for a long time.
The reason the next international convention was
located at Brantford was because its secretary
lived there, and could see to all the necessary busi-
ness; but now I am informed he has moved away,
and has been away for some time. The publica-
tion of the Canadian Honey-Producer has also been
discontinued. Now, the question comes up, What
attraction or what reason is there for having the
convention in a small town in Canada, with noth-
ing particularly to call it there now'? The popula-
tion of Brantford is only 13,000, and it is but 70
miles from Buffalo by rail. Why wouldn't it be a
good scheme to change the convention to Buffalo,
on the border of the two countries, in a city of
350,000 population, and in the vicinity where some
of the best bee keepers in the world are located?
We can surely get better rates of travel to Buffalo.
Furthermore, there is a good live man by the name
of O. L. Hershiser, with whom you are acquainted
in that vicinity, and you may be sure he will leave
no stone unturned to make the next international

810

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

a success so far as accommodations, rates of travel,
etc., are concerned. Buffalo in the winter time is a
place of great resort, on account of the Falls, and I
am satisfied that a much larger attendance can be
had by some outside attraction than by bees alone.
At New Orleans there was the largest attendance
at the international in its history; and the reason
of it was the World's Exposition. We were inter-
rupted a little, it is true, by those coming in and
going out; but I would a great deal rather attend a
convention where there is a large attendance with
some interruptions than] a' small one-horse affair
with an international name and no interruptions.
Now, my better half and I, and, in fact, the whole
of the Roots, want to see Niagara Falls in the winter.
For the sake of the women, therefore, and for the
sake of securing the presence of the New England
and New York bee-keepers, exert your influence
in favor of Buffalo, N. Y. The Canadians, accord-
ing to the C. B. J., will be just as willing to attend.
There is nothing at Brantford now to attract the
convention, and there is no reason why it should
be held there. I will write to Prof. Cook, and also
to Mr. Newman, and the secretary, Mr. Holtermann.
The latter, under existing circumstances, would, I
thins, just as soon have it at Buffalo as at Brant-
ford. We changed our place of meeting last year,
and why not change it now? Times and circum-
stances alter things very materially sometimes.
Whatever you may think or say, remember that at
Brantford there used to be a bee-journal and an
editor of a bee-journal, and a secretary of the In-
ternational Bee-keepers' Association. These at-
tractions are now all gone. Ernest R, Root.
Medina, Ohio, Sept. 34, 1889.

Hardly deeming it advisable yet to do anv
thing about it in print. I sent press copies of
this letter to Prof. Cook, who originally pro-
posed meeting at Brantford, and to the ed-
itor of the American Bee Journal, Mr. New-
man. The following replies were received,
all of which seconded the change. The
first one is from the president, who writes
as follows :

Frit ml Ernest :— Yes, I am in favor of a change of
the place of meeting of thejnternational conven-
tion, provided the Canucks so desire. Come to
think about it, though, I don't think that it is
any of their business, with the possible exception
of Messrs. Jones and Holtermann. I believe they
are the only members in Canada. But why
not put it at Niagara Falls, onithe Canadian side,
then we should be right where we Jcould all see the
" beauty " without leaviDg the convention. I am
willing to go anywhere my friends will allow; and
if I am short in December, you'll not see me at the
convention; but I hope to be there, and Mrs. Mason
with me. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, O., Oct. 1, 1889.

I think I should still prefer Buffalo as the
place of meeting, to Niagara Falls itself.
Buffalo, besides being centrallv located, is
so] near and accessible to the* Falls that
those who so desire can visit them after the
date of the convention. If, on the other
hand, it were held at the Falls.'there would
be more or less interruptions during the ses-
sion. In other words ; Buffalo would be
just near enough to be an attraction, and
yet sufficiently removed from the roar of
the great cataract to avoid interruptions.

Prof. A. J. Cook writes in this manner :

Dear Friend:— I think your reasons are good.
We all only wish the best interests of the society.
If they would be best served by changing to Buffa-
lo, as seems likely, then I say Buffalo. I see no ob-
jection unless the secretary or the Canadian bee-
keepers object. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Sept. 30, 1889.

Brother Newman indorses it in this vigor-
ous style :

Friend Root :— Yours is received, with press copy
of letter to Dr. Mason, which I have read carefully.
If the Canadians don't object seriously, I see no
reason why the convention should not be at Buffa-
lo. Our best convention was held at Detroit in 1885,
on the border between the U. S. and Canada. The
meeting at New Orleans was not one of the Nation-
al Conventions. It was an extra, but it was good,
andjustas you say. Count mo and the American
Bee Journal in favor of Buffalo, and send me ad-
vaneed proofs of matter for Gleanings about the
change, and I will second your motion, and support
it to the best of my ability. T. G. Newman.

Chicago, Sept. 30, 1889.

Perhaps I should have sent a press copy
to the secretary, R. F. Holtermann, now of
Romney, Ontario, Can., but not then remem-
bering his address it was overlooked until
now. I feel quite sure he will indorse the
change.

Now, then, you have the full facts before
you. That we may ascertain the pleasure
of the members of the Association, I sug-
gest that those who favor the change, and
also those who do not favor it, write direct-
ly to Thomas G. Newman ..v. Son, No. 925
West Madison Street, Chicago 111., record-
ing their vote ; and Messrs. Newman, after
receiving them, can transmit them to the
secretary of the society, who will act accord-
ingly.

m i m

BEE-STINGSJNOT ALWAYS A CURE
FOR RHEUMATISM.

A GOOD TEST.

T SEE so many good writings in Gleanings that
|if lean not begin to answer them; but as you
W 6aid you want facts respecting bee-sting6 as a
remedy for rheumatism, I will give my expe-
rience. I have handled bees for 32 years, and I
have been troubled with rheumatism for 26 years,
brought on by scarlet fever, and I have been stung
I don't think I can guess how many times, and so I
won't try to tell; but let me tell you one instance:
This August a very large swarm of one-banded
Italian black bees came out on a very hot after-
noon, and clustered in the very top of a tall locust-
tree. I climbed up, without any protection at all,
and got almost in reach, with pocket-knife to cut
the limb, and it split off with the weight of bees,
and they scattered down the tree and down all over
me, and up my shirt-sleeves, and up my trouser
legs, and in my hair, and all commenced to sting.
I came down that honey-locust in double quick.
Rheumatism did not hurt me a bitifor a few min-
utes; but when I got veil, gloves, and myself tied
all around bee-proof,- and smoker in one hand,
rheumatism settled just as it was ubefore; but a lit-
tle kerosene took all the bee-stings out in a few
minutes. But bee-stings are not as bad as mosqui-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

811

toes on me. I have neighbors who get stung very
often, and one sting on the face will swell the eyes
almost shut and they still have rheumatism. The
stings did help my rheumatism, though, until I got
.myself separated from the bees, but it is no better
since than it was before.

BLUE HONEY ; JAPANESE A BETTER HONEY-PLANT
THAN SILVEHHULL BUCKWHEAT.

Well, did you ever see blue honey? My bees
gathered blue honey, I think honey-dew, off the
green leaves. 1 saw the bees licking sweet dew in
the morning on chestnut leaves. They all quit the
buckwheat and went to licking the leaves. Japan-
ese buckwheat is a little better than silverhull, as
the blossoms are more in bunches, and don't dry
out as quick as silverhull, and the bees work longer
on the Japanese than on silverhull; but I don't
think a bee gets a load on one any quicker than on
the other; but the Japanese is the best buckwheat
for the farmer to raise. It grows larger on poor
soil, and stands up better on rich soil, and yields
more per acre than any other grain in bulk. I
don't think there is any more grain on a stalk than
on a silverhull stalk; but Japanese grains are about
four times as large as silverhull, and of course a
bigger yield, and the stiff thick stalk on Japanese
makes it more valuable for cutting and gathering.

Seth Nelson.

Wistar, Clinton Co., Pa., Sept. 8, 1889.

We should hardly hope that bee-stings
would be a permanent remedy for rheuma-
tism. If it answers in warding it off from
season to season, we ought to be thankful.

THE CONE-CASE BEEESCAPE, AGAIN.

FRIEND filtEEN PROPOSES A PLAN TO REDUCE THE
LABOIt OF EXTRACTING TO A MINIMUM.

ITH regard to the Reese bee-escape, I do not
mean to say that it will invariably remove
all the bees. Generally the super will be
left entirely free of bees, but often there
will be a few left— so few that they are not
worth considering. I take the super into the honey-
house, stand it on end on the floor, and in a few
minutes all are gone. When there is any brood in
the combs to be removed, I know of no way to get
all the bees off except brushing, or the use of a
very liberal amount of smoke. There should be no
brood in comb honey, though, and perforated zinc
will easily keep it out of extracting-combs. Just
think how much easier and nicer this makes the
production of extracted honey I No shaking or
brushing of bees, with the attendant stinging and
daubing! no brood to' bother; and where there is
no brood there is seldom pollen, so that the quality
of the honey is not injured by either of these
causes. Now, if I thought I could ripen the honey
properly I would extract it before any of it was
settled, thus doing away with the uncapping. I
would have one of your new-fangled extractors
that would hold all the combs in one super and
throw out all of the honey at one operation.
Wouldn't that be getting down to business? In
this way it would not be a difficult matter for one
man to extract all the honey from quite a large
apiary every day, if desirable, thus leaving the bees
nothing to do but to gather nectar. Seriously, I
have half a mind to try it.
I have corresponded with manufacturers of evap-

orators, but have not found any thing that seems
to be what is wanted. It may be that honey would
not be greatly injured by being evaporated in the
common evaporator, such as is used in making ma-
ple syrup. Indeed, I think basswood honey might
even be improved by it. White-clover honey is in-
jured, and heart's-ease ruined, by boiling. 1 know
there is a great deal of speculation in this, but I
should like to see an apiary of, say, a hundred col-
onies run on this plan in a first-rate locality for
basswood. James A. Green.

Dayton, 111., Sept. 20, 1889.

CUCKOO-BEES.

PROF. COOK GIVES US SOME TRUTH THAT IS
STRANGER THAN FICTION.

SN page 34 of my Bee-keeper's Guide I thus re-
fer to these curious insects :
"Other bees— the numerous species of the
genera Nomada and Apathus are the black
sheep in the family Apidic. These tramps,
already referred to, like the English cuckoo, and
American cow blackbird, steal in upon the unwary,
and, though all unbidden, lay their eggs; in this
way appropriating food and lodging for their own
yet uuborn. Thus these insect vagabonds impose
upon the unsuspecting foster-mothers in these
violated homes, and these same foster-mothers
show by their tender care of the merciless intru-
ders that they are miserably fooled; for they
guard and care for infant bees which, with age,
will in turn practice this same nefarious trickery.
The apathus species steal into the nests of bombus;
the nomada species, which are small bees, often
beautifully ringed, into the nests of the small
black andrena?."

Now, Mr. Editor, I am wondering if I should not
have said in the last sentence, the apathus species
steal into the nests of bombus, and into the hives
of our honey-bees. Several times this summer I
have received letters from Indiana bee-keepers,
complaining of the presence in their hives of black
bees, often in considerable numbers. Several have
written that the black bees were not honey-bees. I
have written repeatedly for the bees, and now
comes a box with two bees. I wish there had been
ten or a dozen (or, better, 50), wrapped in cotton,
so they could not have been injured; and the fol-
lowing letter from Mr. Perry Moore, Hortonsville,
Indiana: "I send you by to-day's mail two insects
that I found in a colony of bees. The bees are hy-
brids, and in good condition. These bees have not
been without a good laying queen for more than a
year. There are one hundred or more of these
bees in this colony. Although I have kept bees for
the past twelve years I never saw any thing like
this before."

Now, Mr. Editor, this is interesting. I find this to
be a species of apathus. It is about the size of a
worker, but resembles more the bumble-bee. Like
all bees of this kind— cuckoo-bees— there are no
pollen-baskets. Its thieving habits make such
organs unnecessary. Tf we, by hook or crook, get
others to do our work, then we need no tools.
Heretofore we had not supposed that these insect-
thieves pilfered from our hive-bees; but now our
suspicion is fully aroused. Note that Mr. Moore
says that there are one hundred or so in the colony.
Does this not look as if these bees were reared in

Slli

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

this hive— the brood being cared for by the honey-
bees? This is very interesting- practically, no less
than scientifically. I have written to Mr. Moore to
examine at once to see if these bees were being
bred in the hive. There are two ways to find out.
First, study the larv* to see if some are different
from the others. This might be a long, tedious,
and difficult investigation. The other is to watch
for the cuckoo-bees just as they come forth from
the cells. Some such ought to be seen, and they
would doubtless look much like young honey-bees,
smaller and lighter colored than the older bees. I
hope others will also be on the lookout for these
bees. Very likely these cuckoo-bees will winter
right in the hive with the other bees. To find out
their habits in this respect will also be very inter-
esting. I hope Mr. Moore and others will try to
find out the truth in the matter. If I can get some
of these bees I will try to see if I can introduce
them here, that I may study their life-history.
Agricultural College, Mich. A.J.Cook.

Well, well, old friend, you have indeed
got hold of something, if it be true, that
might well astonish the whole of us ; but
either you have not told us all, or else you
have not considered all there is to it. Were
those eggs surreptitiously placed in the
worker-cells by a queen cuckoo-bee, or are
the workers all queens V What enemy have
we to fight — the single insect that eludes
the sentinels, and lays some eggs in worker-
cells, or a whole tribe of them ? If the 100
or more are going to lay eggs, how long will
they stay in the hive before they start out
on their nefarious business ? You suggest
that they may stay over winter. Now, if
they do, what then ?

ROBBER-BEES.

AN EXPERIENCE ON A LARGE SCALE.

fREVIOTJS to coming here to Cuba I had had
comparatively little knowledge and little ex-
perience in this line of bee-keeping; but the
past two summers have been spent in an al-
most constant contest with robber-bees; and
possibly telling my experience may be a little help
to some who, from any reason whatever, may be
placed similarly to myself. Of course, the true
remedy is never to handle bees so they will get
started, which can always be done in our Northern
States, and almost always in the South; but some-
times experiments are being made in a new coun-
try, as we are doing here, or a bad season occurs in
California, such as did occur there a few years ago,
when whole apiaries had to be fed to save them.
In such instances the best way to control robbers
is exactly what we want to know. Here where, partly
from a mistaken idea and partly for experimen-
tal purposes, we are trying to keep 500 colonies in a
field, which during four or five of the hottest
months of the year, gives forage for not over 200
colonies, we have to practice wholesale feeding,
and plenty of robber-bees is the natural result. Of
course, the right way is to keep bees, here and else-
where, so no wholesale feeding will be necessary,
during ordinary seasons at least, and we now know
how that can be done here in Cuba.

In June of last year I suddenly found that at
least a quarter of our 430 colonies had less than a
pound of honey to the colony, some of them not

over an ounce, while the other three quarters would
average not over 3 lbs. each, with no arrangements
for feeding on hand, or that could be procured in
less than a month of time. Fortunately, for this
purpose at least, our hives were of the fast-bottom-
board type, and I could feed in the hives. About
two-thirds of the colonies required from one to
four feeds each during the summer. I had fed but
a few hundred pounds of honey, when I saw that it
would be impossible to feed honey that way; so we
changed to sugar syrup as a food. The smell of
this doesn't seem to excite the robbers so much as
honey does. With this we managed to get through
the season, although with great difficulty. It was
the most disagreeable season's work I ever did with
bees, except this summer's. Last spring we ob-
tained 2J0 feeders, similar to the modified Miller
feeders you make. This year we had to commence
feeding by the middle of May, nearly a month ear-
lier than last year, and have had to feed nearly
three-fourths of our 500 colonies.

We have learned a number of things in connec-
tion with this work. Some of them are: 1. That
what would be a very lig-ht task indeed, requiring
almost no skill at all, to feed 100 or even 200 colonies,
is an almost impossible task with 500 colonies. 2. That
we must feed as few times as possible, therefore
must feed as much at a time as the bees are certain
to take up during the night. 3. That robbers are
much worse around a hive which has feed left in
the feeders. 4. That each time we feed, unless we
wait longer between feeds than we could do, the
robbers would be worse than the previous time,
showing clearly how susceptible bees are to being
educated, in one direction at least. 5. That honey
fed in the bottom of hives attracts robbers much
worse than if given in feeders on the top of combs.
6. That mild-flavored honey attracts robbers much
less than does strong-flavored honey. There is no
need of mentioning the old well-known facts about
feeding after sundown, and about Italians protect-
ing stores better than black bees do, etc.

I usually practice feeding from 20 to 30 colonies
at a time, and give 5 or 6 pounds at a feed to each
colony. The first three or four times feeding, no
precautions whatever were needed — not even to
contract the entrances. The next two or three
times, contracting the entrances was sufficient;
then it became necessary to entirely close the en-
trances of all the weaker colonies, which was done •
the last thing before retiring at night. The en-
trances were kept closed until after the first charge
of the robbers was over in the morning, usually un-
til nine or ten o'clock. Soon, this was not sufficient,
and something else had to be done. I tried using
wire-cloth covers on the hives, but that was a fail-
ure, just as you describe in your ABC book. I
then obtained some strips of glass, 3 x 12 inches,
and leaned them over the entrances. These were a
material help, as the robbers had to travel several
inches under the glass before reaching the hive
entrances, thus giving the defenders a great advan-
tage. But in time the robbers learned how to man-
age these. Wet grass over the entrances was of
little account. About this time it looked as though
I had two horns of a dilemma to choose between.
One was, to allow a few score of colonies to die of
starvation, or to feed and have them destroyed by
robbers. Had the apiary been my own, I should have
decreased the number of colonies at least a hundred
last spring, instead of increasing that many, as we

1889

GEEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

m;;

did, or I should have divided what we had into two or
more apiaries, thus entirely preventing this condi-
tion of things; but, whether fortunately or other-
wise, time only will prove. I was, for the first time
in my life, obliged to follow another's judgment of
proper methods in the apiary, and to do the best I
could.

The new revision of Langstroth's book helped us
out of this trouble by its suggestion of the use of
carbolic acid, which proved the most satisfactory of
any thing 1 had tried, and I have so far not lost a
single colony by starvation. It is used very dilute,
less than a tablespoonful each of carbolic acid and
glycerine in a i oz. bottle of water, sprayed as much
as needed on a bunch of dried grass placed at the
entrance to any hive robbers may be working at.
It needs to be used carefully to prevent injury to
the colony being robbed. By persistent watchful-
ness and care, and the use of every thing I could
think of, 1 have succeeded in bringing the apiary
intact through over four months of steady feeding;
but it has been by far the most unpleasant work I
have ever done with bees, and one I hope never to
repeat. O. O. Poppleton.

Havana, Cuba, Sept. 14, 1889.

Thanks for the account of your experi-
ence. Some years, we are aware, are a great
deal worse for robbers than others. Two
years ago this summer, you will remember,
perhaps, we stated in the department of
Our Own Apiary that robbers were as bad
as we had ever seen them, and that most of
the well-known methods (to say nothing of
prevention) proved a failure. At the time,
we used a pane of glass, xls you say, this
had only a temporary effect, for the robbers
soon learned the trick of going under the
glass. We also used a weak solution of car-
bolic acid, the same being sprayed in front
of the entrance, or wherever the robbers
concentrated their attacks (see Gleanings
for 1887, p. 671). Eor a while this seemed to
work very successfully; but the strong
scent of the solution seemed to disorganize
the defenders of the home as well as the
robbers, and in due time the latter got the
advantage. They, too, got so hardened and
deiiant that they would go through thick
and thin. We had some 300 colonies, and
there was hardly a pound— yes, hardly an
ounce, in their hives. The days were hot
and dry, and we can appreciate somewhat
your situation.

In addition to what Ernest has said in the
above, I wish to add that I have had more
or less experience in regard to every one of
the six points you make. I wish especially
to call attention to the fact that robbers will
hang around a hive, and force an entrance,
very much worse while there is feed in the
feeders than they will after the feed has
been taken down and placed in the combs.
I became so well convinced of this that I
was in the habit of deciding when the feed
was all out of the feeder by the movements
of the robbers in front of the hive. One ex-
planation for it is this : That when bees
liave their attention all taken up with the
contents of a large feeder they seem to for-
get to keep the usual sentinels around the
entrance. When I fed a barrel of sugar to
a single colony, in a few clays they got so
that they seemed to care very little whether

robbers got in or not. Honey had been
poured into their hive day alter day to such
an extent that they could not believe but
that it was plentiful everywhere. I, like
yourself, soon determined that each colony
must have no more than it would take up
before daylight in the morning. I also dis-
covered that basswood honey, with its strong
aroma, was ever so much worse to set t he
apiary in a craze than any other kind. In
fact, after they had once got a taste of
strong basswood honey not fully ripened,
during hot weather in August, it seemed as
if they would bite through inch boards to
get at it. They got under the door of the
honey-house, found eracks between the sid-
ing, went down the chimney, and came tip
through the ventilator, just to get that
much-coveted basswood honey. I have been
where I saw just the two horns of the di-
lemma that you speak of; and at such a
time, woe to the hive that is without queen
or brood.

A LOUISIANA APIARY.

THE YUCCA GRANDEFLORA.

T MAIL you today a photo of a grand flower now
|jf in bloom in a part of my bee-yard. It is the
W yucca grandetiora. It stands ten feet in the
body, capped by this immense ball of white
blossoms, each as large as a teacup, and at
least 500 cups to the head. The cups have been
filled with bees from the opening till the present
time. My severe loss, a few years ago, in the apia-
ry, from Paris green, retarded my work very
much; but I am again catching up, and have to-
day 111 stands of bees in splendid condition. At
one time I became very much discouraged, fearing
that, if the planters had to continue the use of
Paris green year after year, I might as well go out
of the business; but I believe now, seeing the re-
sult of last year's experience, that it is a rare thing
for the bees to visit plants to which Paris green
has been applied. Last year it was ustd on the
cotton to exterminate the cotton-worm, in the
same manner and time as the preceding year, on
thousands of acres in our vicinity, and yet I lost
no bees last year, while the year before I saved
only 33 out of 118.

1 have been living in our present locality only
eight years. When we first came here it was a
wilderness, a Louisiana swamp; today I have
around me one of the nicest little orchards of ap-
ples, pears, figs, and plums, in the country. The
pomegranates you can see to the left of the pic-
ture. To the right of the picture is a row of bass-
wcods which I have with great difficulty induced
to grow here, having to shade them till they were
three years old. To Gleanings I owe most of my
knowledge. I have been a regular subscriber
since L878. How many older ones have you on
your list? I look forward to the comiug of each
number now as eagerly as I did the first that were
published eleven years ago.

I have had my ups and downs, like every other
bee-keeper that has lived, and my " bee fever" has
never cooled for an instant; nor can I hear that
shrill tattoo that sounds " a swarm out" without
starting with all the excitement of the first stages
of the disease. Outside of the profit (and at times

S14

GLEANINGS IN HEE CULTURE.

Oct.

they have well repaid me) I love the study, and
have taught it to my three boys, who are now old
enough to do the work, almost, with me.

I have always used the Langstroth hive, on Mr.
Winder's pattern, which takes the Simplicity
frames.

One other item T should like to mention is my ex-
perience with the Chapman honey-plant. We were
sent seed from the Agricultural Dept., Washing-
ton, last year, and planted it in April. They did
not bloom till this spring, and it may be that there
is so much more to gather honey from while they
are blooming that the bees have neglected them
entirely. I shall plant again, and try another sea-
son. We extracted 60 lbs. this morning from a
hive that had already yielded 75 lbs. this spring.

Monroe, La., July 20, 1S89. St. J. T. Moore.

Your photo was received, and we should
have been very glad to present it to our
readers in the shape of an engraving ; but
some parts of the picture were so dim and
out of focus that it would be impracticable
to engrave it by our special process. You
have given us a very good pen-picture, how-
ever.

Because we love our business is no reason to sup-
pose our neighbor wishes to have his property
damaged, or be stung himself. Move the bees
back. C. A. Dean.

Auburn, Pa., Sept. 2, 1889.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

LARD CANS; WILL THEY BE SUITABLE FOR HONEY?

Please inform me whether round tin cans, such
as lard is shipped in (holding 50 lbs. of lard), would
be suitable to put extracted honey in, to be left in
the honey-house for three or four months. I can
get these cans for about 20 cts. each. They are as
good as new, having been used only once. Do you
consider them heavy enough to hold honey?

Amos G. Addison.

Huntington, Fla., Sept. 10, 1889.

Any kind of tin cans are suitable for hon-
ey ; but be sune you have them cleansed so
that there is not any lardy smell about
them. If 1 am correct, such cases as you
mention have been used quite extensively
already. You can decide only by actual test
as to whether they are strong enough. They
will probably need to be crated, to prevent
injury in shipping, and a round can is much
more inconvenient to crate than a square
one. This is the principal reason why we
have adopted the square can instead of the
round.

BEES TOO NEAR THE HIOHWAY ; SERIOUS RESULTS
OP SICH PROXIMITY.

We have had an occurrence in our county that is
well calculated to set bee-keepers thinking. A bee-
keeper has been keeping his bees very close to the
highway, and a few days since they stung a horse to
death, badly stung another one, and several peo-
ple, thus causing considerable damage and annoy-
ance. Now, there is considerable prejudice against
our business, and we are not altogether blameless;
for in looking over bee-yards we find a great many
bees just as close to public roads as fences will al-
low, and" are therefore a public nuisance, and dan-
gerous as well. I hope Gleanings will give this
matter attention, to the end that careless bee-keep-
ers have their attention called to this matter, so
that no more prejudice arise against our business.

GETTING PROPOLI8 OFF FROM GLOVES.

Please tell your readers what will take propolis
off rubber gloves, or how to get it off. I am sure
they would like to know. Mrs. H. J. Proper.

Franklin Corners, Pa., Sept. 19, 1889.

My good friend, we can not answer you
from actual experience, for no one uses rub-
ber gloves in our apiary, that I know of ;
and although we sell hundreds of dollars'
worth of these gloves, it has always seemed
to me that it was a mistaken notion that
they were needed in handling bees. The
solvent for propolis is benzine ; but wheth-
er it will resolve the rubber also, can be as-
certained by experiment alone.

BEE-STINGS A REMEDY FOR RHEUMATISM.

I commenced in 1887, with one stand, and now
have 32. Although the season has been very poor,
I have been able to get 600 lbs. extracted and 100
lbs. comb honey, most of it raspberry and white
clover, so far this season. The fall flow has com-
menced now, and prospects are good. I think 1
shall be able to get more this fall than last spring.
The greatest benefit received from the bees, which
I hope you will give through Gleanings, was be-
ing cured of the rheumatism. I had the white
swelling when 14 years old; and although it was
cured I had been bothered ever since a great deal
with rheumatism, until I commenced working with
bees. 1 have not had a single hard spell since. I
have felt several times as if I were going to have a
spell; but a sting or two seemed to relieve it imme-
diately. C. E. Layman.

Troutville Station, Va., Sept. 13, 1889.

BEE-STINGS NOT A REMEDY FOR RHEUMATISM.

I agree with Mrs. John Burr, of Braceville, 111.,
that bee-stings are no relief for rheumatism. Five
years ago, as I began bee-keeping I suffered from
rheumatism about as badly as a man could, and I
have it yet, although not so bad this summer; but
last year I was disabled for six months. But as I
began bee-keeping, I was told by several parties,
" Now let the bees sting you as much as they have
a mind to, for that will cure you." A rather bold
remedy, is it not? Well, I confess I was stung
enough for the entire season. My hands were
swollen to double their natural size, and sometimes
the face also; but it did not affect the rheumatism;
but, strange as it is, since the first season, the bees
may sting me ever so bad and it never swells in the
least. I believe the reason for bee-stings and many
other remedies recommended for rheumatism, is
because it will sometimes leave a person all at
once, in a change of weather or even a change of
wind ; then when the sufferer has been using some-
thing he is ready to say it cured him. I have been
fooled many a time the same way, although I am
not very apt to jump at conclusions. But I have
many a time thought I had something that cured
me, only to find, when the trouble returned, that it

had no effect upon it at all.

Julius Johannsen.
Port Clinton, O., Sept. 9, 1889.

You make a good point, my friend, where
you mention that rheumatism and like ail-

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

815

ments are almost constantly coming and
going ; and the fact that they often disap-
pear very suddenly, without any apparent
cause, should lead us to be slow in deciding
that it was bee-stings or any sort of medi-
cine that produced the result.

GREAT IS TRUTH, AND WILL, PREVAIL.

I inclose a clipping- from the Farm, Field, and
Stockman, of Chicago, Sept. 28. I am happy to
see that there are some editors that are ready
to stand by the truth in this matter, instead
of gathering up the slander that has been tak-
ing the rounds of the press; and I feel that it is
our duty to express our thanks to all such, as much
as it is our duty to express our disgust and indigna-
tion to all such as are ready to publish lies and slan-
der concerning our honest and reputable industry.

Bluffton, Mo., Oct. 1, 1889. S. E. Miller.

The idea that comb honey is ever manufactured
is as absurd as it is false, and has been refuted so
many times that further denial seems superfluous,
and yet we occasionally see a newspaper with an
article on glucose and parafflne, and the American
Encyclopedia contains a rehash of the same old
slander. The fools aren't all dead yet.

The tide is changed. We have now good
live substantial periodicals, outside of bee-
journals, that are championing the cause of
bee-keepers. In the name of bee-keepers
we desire to thank the Farm, Field, and
Stockman, and we hope they will continue to
use their large influence in contradicting
the manufactured -comb- honey nonsense.
Let bee-keepers also follow up and refute
every such slander upon our good people.

ANOTHER RED-CLOVER STRAIN.

The honey season in spring was short, but we
had considerable clover honey. I think I must
have a " red-clover " strain too. The progeny of
my first queen (a leather-colored one, and the best
1 ever had), about S colonies of Italians and hybrids,
went '.Wt miles to a 20 acre field, and these same
bees have stored sweet honey the past 8 weeks,
while the rest have worked on bitterweed. Since
July, the sources have seemed to be peaches and
bitterweed. Goldenrod and aster are now yielding
some very nice honey. There has been some
swarming, but they are to-day killing drones. 1 ex-
tracted last week from 5 to V frames per colony
from my best strains, weighing as many pounds
per frame, leaving lower story full.

Pontotoc, Miss. C. P. Coffin.

You have touched upon one valuable
trait of the Italians. They are much more
disposed to gather sweet honey, as you term
it, than either blacks or hybrids ; and I
have seen this state of affairs so many times
that I think it can not be a mistake. Now,
did any one ever know blacks or hybrids to
gather good honey while the Italians were
working on an inferior quality from weeds ?

A BOGUS HONEY-BOOK.

I will send you a new method of bee-keeping
which I gave $1 for, to learn something new; but I
got sold. Nelson Haner.

Cedar Creek, Wis., Aug. 8, 1889.

With the above comes a little pamphlet of
20 pages, copyrighted by Louis CrauxMudge
(pronounced Crow Much, we presume), pub-
lished in "Appleton," no State given, 1888.
Now, some of you may insist that a book of

only 20 pages may be worth a dollar, after
all. Perhaps it may be, but I have never
seen such a one. They are usually made up
about as this book is. We will take three
paragraphs for a sample.

Foundation Comb.— A great many people pay
out money foolishly for foundation comb, when it
can be made for the mere price of the wax and at
home. I know full well the artificial cells are all re-
modeled, and a plain surface is the best for bees to
start with. Take pure beeswax, melt and pour it in
flat pans. Make it about )i inch thick. Cut it in
squares to fit frames. Take a tine needle and thread,
and sew it in frames. A few stitches will do. The
bees will soon fasten the comb to suit themselves.
The above will save you many a dollar.

Friend Mudge has also a bee-compound.
I have not learned how much a bottle costs ;
but if used without his druggist's prescrip-
tion he intimates that it will cost not less
than $500, for on the last page we read :

A reward of $ 500 will be paid for the conviction of
any one using the above without my permission.

Here is another item, in regard to extract-
ed honey :

EXTRACTED HONEY.

Uncap the cells with a warm knife, put the comb
in a sheet, hang it up in a warm room where there
are no Hies, and allow it to drip in a pan; stir the
comb at intervals. When honey makes a person
sick, boil and skim it before using. This will pre-
vent it.

It is very fortunate that friend Mudge in-
serted the two last sentences ; for such ex-
tracted honey would be quite apt to make
almost anybody sick.

"PROLIFICKS."

I wish to say that I admire Gleanings, and the
free hearted manner in which you write about man-
ners and things. I was about as much shocked
when I came here from York State to see the man-
ner the Sabbath was kept as you were in Milwau-
kee by the girls playing ball.

I found a swarm in the wood. " Prolifieks " I call
them. They are a large bee, and work on red clo-
ver. I had two swarms this spring from them. I
now have IT in all, from those two. No. 1 cast 4
swarms. The first of those 4 cast four more; one
of those last four cast one swarm, and this last one
sent off another— eleven in all. 1 never saw the
like before. George Peck.

Snow, Wis., Sept. 30, 1889.

WHY DIDN'T THE BEES TAKE THE FEED?

T undertook to feed back some of my uncapped
honey about the first week in September. The bees
made a rush for it, and would cluster thickly upon
the combs, but would carry none of the honey into
the hive. They have plenty of brood in all stages,
also some uncapped honey in their hive. Why do
they refuse to take the proffered feed?

Gordon, O., Sept. 9, 1889. F. A. Myers.

Without more particulars it is a hard mat-
ter for us to say why the bees did not carry
any of the honey into their hives. If you un-
dertook to feed when honey was coming in
from the fields, of course the bees would
pay little or no attention to it. We presume
you put the combs in the open air, although
you do not say so directly. If you set them
in upper stories, very likely the bees decided
the honey was well enough as it was, for it
was their property already. In such cases
they often refuse to move it into combs in the
brood-nest below, unless only a small hole is

816

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

left open between the two stories. Even
then they will not always do it. I have
also seen honey of such poor quality that
the bees would make a start on it and back
out.

IN FAVOR OF CLIPPING, AND WHY; SEE QUESTION
138, PAGE 638.

No, we would rather lose ten queens than one
swarm at the beginning- of the surplus-honey
season, as we lost two this year. They both came
out at the same time. One had a clipped queen.
The other had a young- queen, undipped. The)
both united and went elsewhere without even
clustering, when, if both queens had been clipped,
we would not have lost them. Again, a friend had
a swarm come out and cluster on an old apple-tree
limb, 25 feet from the ground, where no one could
get; but the queen was clipped, and the swarm
soon returned, and both queen and bees were saved
without much trouble. Pakshall & Grover.

Cooperstown, N. Y., Sept. 4, 1S89.

We grant all you say. 1 have had like ex-
perience ; but we also had much trouble
and vexation at other times, because our
queens were clipped and could not fly.

SWEET CLOVEtt; FACTS WANTED.

I should like to know something definite about
sweet clover as a honey-plant. I think it is the best
honey-plant we have. Can some one, living where
it is abundant, give us some facts in regard to it—
not guess so, but facts? How much will it produce
per acre? and how much will give a surplus with a
given number of colonies, say 50 or 100? Sweet clo-
ver has been advocated as a honey-plant for a long
time; and if it is as valuable as it appears to be,
some one ought to be able to give us some valuable
facts in regard to it. I have saved several bushels
of the seed. I have no idea what I shall do with it.
I did so because I think it is valuable as a honey-
plant. I should like to sow 20 acres, and I am not
certain but it will pay as well as any crop I can
raise, but I do not know this. I wish I did. Who
can tell me? My neighbors find fault about its
growing along the roadside. I don't like to annoy
my neighbers. I would rather raise it on my own
land, provided I could make it pay to do so.

H. R. Boardman.

East Townsend, O., Sept. 13, 1889.

It is a very hard matter to get definite
facts in regard to any honey-plant. I sup-
pose you noticed my reports of the sweet
clover in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. In
this case, however, no one could very well
estimate the number of acres. There may
have been hundreds ; therefore one could not
well say how much an acre would yield. I
can say this, however, that they get tons of
honey, of a quality equal to any thing known,
allowing me to judge. Now, if you will ex-
cuse me I think you will have very great
difficulty in getting a good stand on, say, 20
acres ; and I am furthermore quite sure that
it would not pay the cost, even if you did.
Prof. Cook has just made some experiments
on a large scale, in raising plants specially
for honey. The State bears the expense, so
he can afford it ; but I am quite sure he has
not made it pay. In Salt Lake City they can
reclaim saleratus lots, as they call them, by
getting a strong growth of sweet clover, and
then plowing it under ; therefore it becomes

an object with them. Possibly it does bet-
ter on the saleratus or alkali soils of the
desert.

SPIDER-PLANT IN ITS NATIVE HOME.

The spider-plant abounds here in great quantities.
Acres and acres of it are here in the Arkansas Val-
ley, and it grows right up to this city. It seems to
me any quantity of seed could be procured here. I
have no bees yet, but am bound to try them. How
do you gather the seed of the spider-plant, and what
is the demand for it? No mistake about it, it is the
genuine spider-plant. I have grown it in Ohio, and
am well acquainted with it. Lots of alfalfa clover
here. 1 think bees ought to do well here.

Larned, Kan., Oct. 4, 1889. A. H. Duff.

Thanks, friend D. During my California
trip I saw both spider-plant and Rocky
Mountain bee-plant growing wild in differ-
ent localities, though not in any great quan-
tity. Since Samuel Wilson's extravagant
puff of the Rocky Mountain bee-plant, there
has been an unusual inquiry for the seed.
The seed of both these plants is gathered by
grasping the pods when they are ripe
enough so as to begin to shell out of their
own accord. Strip them into a tin pan or
some similar utensil, then dry them for a
few hours in the sun, when they are ready
to bag up and put away. In a few days you
can get a new supply, and so on. The seed
continues to ripen for a period of weeks or
even months, so that you can not well cut
and thrash it as we do most other seeds. It
can, however, be gathered out quite rapidly
after one has become an expert in stripping
the pods. Hold your pan under them, for
many of them shell out as soon as they are
touched. The seed usually retails at about
20 cts. an ounce, or $2 a pound. It is used,
however, only by bee-keepers.

GLASS-BLOWERS ON A STRIKE ; A BLOCKADE ON
MUTH JARS.

The glass-blowers of our factory are on a strike.
Our friends were getting our order filled by anoth-
er factory, whose blowers found it out, and refus-
ed to work also. I have since sent my order direct
to this second factory; and if those blowers please,
we shall have here 60 gross of jars by the end of
this week. I am very sorry, but what shall we do
about it? We have orders on hand for more than
100 gross, and shall fill them just as fast as we can
do so. Chas. F. Muth & Son.

Cincinnati, Sept. 18, 1889.

GALLBERRY HONEY AND ITS QUALITY.

I send you to-day by mail a small sample of honey
made from the bloom of what we call " gallberry."
It is a small bush, from 2 to 5 feet high, which
grows profusely all over the southern part of the
Gulf States, and is regarded somewhat as a nui-
sance, or at best a useless shrub. It has a very
small white flower, which yields this kind of honey
in great abundance while in bloom, which is about
20 days. With 26 hives I secured about 175 gallons
of honey like the sample, which has netted me
about $1.00 per gallon, or 9 cents per lb. I send the
sample to get your opinion of the honey as com-
pared with the best Northern honey.

Moss Point, Miss., Sept. 13, 1889. M. M. Evans.

In body and color it will compare favora-
bly with any of the Northern honey. In

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

817

flavor it is very nearly equal to the best clo-
ver ; perhaps some judges would call it fully
equal. It ought to compete with any honey.

I^EPe^ ENceu^6iN6.

PROM 4 TO 10, AND 318 LBS. OF COMB HONEY.

Prom four stocks I have increased to ten, and
taken 218 lbs. comb honey. I believe all are in good
condition to winter. A. A. Lewis.

Waterbury, Vt., Sept. 23, 1889.

FROM 61 TO 1(3, AND 7000 LBS. HONEY.

The three pecks of Japanese buckwheat did well.
We sowed it on an acre and a half, and got 40 bush-
els. We started in the spring with fll colonies; in-
creased to 103, and have about 5000 comb and 2000
extracted. There was hardly any fall honey, on ac-
count of dry weather. C. J. Schafer.

Eddyville, Iowa.

FROM 30 TO 73, AND 5800 LBS. OF SECTION HONEY.

My bees have done well. I had 30 colonies in the
spring. 1 now have 73, and 5800 pounds Of one-
pound section honey— an average of 193J6 pounds
per colony, spring count. The queen I got of you
was a good one. I have some of her daughters
that have made 200 pounds of one-pound section
honey since they swarmed. One colony gained V>%
pounds in one day, the 13th of June. We had plenty
of rain, and the clover looks fine— better than last
year at this time. Put me down as one of those
lucky bee-men. Score one for the Italian bees.
They are good enough for me— any way, the kind
you sent me. John Blodget.

Empire Prairie, Mo , Sept. 26, 1889.

I tlo not remember to have had testimony
from the queens we have sold before, in just
the way you put it ; but it strikes me as be-
ing a "sensible way — that is, some of the
daughters of the queen you bought of us
have produced colonies giving 200 lbs. of
comb honey, after they swarmed. Nineteen
and one-fourth pounds a day is tremendous.
Now, please do not get the opinion that we
want to boast of our stock of Italians, nor
to claim that they are better than other
sto^k ; for, in fact, we have done nothing to
make them better, except to make frequent
importations every season, of queens direct
from Italy. Of course, our agent there is
instructed to give us good strong healthy
queens, and no other.

]^EF@Iv¥g DlgC0H^6IN6.

ALMOST THOROUGHLY DISCOURAGED.

You may discontinue my Gleanings, and put
me in Blasted Hopes, as I had 80 colonies this
spring and have not got one pound of honey. I do
not think that the bees will get enough to live on
this winter. I have been a subscriber to Glean-
ings for 15 years, and I suppose I shall be lost
without it; but I am almost thoroughly discourag-
ed, as there has not been a good honey year here
for about six years. John Baxter.

Crothersville, Ind., Sept. 20, 1889.

It is a little singular that you have had
six consecutive bad years. Have none of
your neighbors around you had good crops

of honey in all this time V One might be
tempted to decide that your locality is a
poor one ; yet I am inclined to think, from
reports, that every part of Indiana does, at
least occasionally, give good honey-yields.
Perhaps your very next season, after you
give up the business, may be one that would
have made amends for all the poor ones.
If you examine our column of Reports En-
couraging, you will see that great yields are
occasionally reported where there has been
a dearth of honey for perhaps several sea-
sons. Before you give up, however, be sure
to go around and visit your neighbors, and
see whether there are not some who get
good yields in spite of poor seasons. This
is one of the good things about conventions.
We are liable to fall into errors in thinking
as well as errors in management ; and a
comparison with successful men will often
show us where we have missed it.

0a^ (|aE$3Fi0]\[.B0£,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent In for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 146.— a. Do you propose to sell your honey
on commission this year? b. If not, will you sell it by
peddling or otherwise?

a. No; b. In our home market. A. J. Cook.

a. Yes, I always do when I have any.

Geo. Grimm.

No. I have an outlet for my honey, which I pre-
fer. O. O. Poppleton.

By commission, when T know the commission
merchant is reliable. P. L. Viallon.

Yes, unless I get a chance to sell it at wholesale.
G. M. Doolittle.

a. No; b. We sell to dealers for cash, and to ba-
kers for cash. I don't do much with commission
men. E. France.

a. No. b. To the jobber or the retailer, or
wherever I can get the most for it, and get the cash
with the least trouble. H. R. Boardman.

a. I have not decided yet. I should prefer to sell
direct to jobbers, and save commission, b. Ped-
dling is too expensive in my locality.

A. E. Manum.

a. I will sell in part on commission, b. I have
worked up some trade in Texas and elsewhere,
where I sell considerable direct to merchants.

R. Wilkin.

a. I prefer to sell for cash. b. I may have some
peddled ; but the only peddling I ever had done, the
peddler kept all of the money but wanted more hon-
ey. P. H. Elwood.

a. No, sir. b. Yes, sir; that is, mostly "other-
wise." Some customers in Toledo, and our gro-
ceries here, get away with all my surplus, and
sometimes more. A. B. Mason.

We have for 20 years sold it by several methods.
We ship on commission a little. We sell largely on
orders. We sold a little by hiring peddlers, and we
think this method very good. Dadant & Son.

818

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Oct.

a. "Not if the court knows itself." b. If I have
boney to sell in any considerable quantity, which is
not a certainty yet, 1 will endeavor to find a home
market, in various ways. Mks. L. Harrison.

a. I prefer to sell my honey rather than to send
it to commission men. T will take the best market
1 can find. I shipped last year to five different
States before 1 closed out my crop of 32,000 lbs.

S. 1. Freeborn.

I should always sell to him who would pay me the
best price. Peddling is a business, and there are
not many good honey - peddlers. But it will pay
everybody to retail his goods if he can.

C. F. Moth.

a. I have not decided, b. If I should get a large
yield, nothing would please me better than to sell it
all in the home market by peddling, and then crow
over it. Should T get a light yield, I will peddle any
way, but you will not hear the crow. Rambler.

That depends on how much T get. If we have as
large a crop as I hope for, I may be obliged to send
some off to be sold on commission. I prefer to sell to
dealers, keeping them constantly supplied, but with
only a small stock, and never asking them for pay
until they have sold the honey. I have never tried
peddling, and do not think I shall. J. A. Green.

a. Not if I can help it. There is such a terrible
long tail to the commission eat that T do not like it,
I like to realize upon the resulis of my labor some
time during the present generation, while 1 still
have the cheerful habit of residing in this world,
b. I will try to sell it out and out for cash to some
responsible dealer who buys that way.

James Heddon.

a. I can not say. b. I don't think I'm a born ped-
dler, so I shall not try that, but I'll probably try to
supply the groceries so far as they care to be sup-
plied in my home market; and then it will depend
on prices to be had, whether I sell in a lump to
some large dealer at a distance, or send to one or
more cities on commission. C. C. Miller.

As my apiary is within an hour's drive of a large
city, I have never shipped honey on commission. I
do not propose to begin A. D. 1889. I take pains to
encourage, and have built up a considerable cus-
tom of persons who call and buy. I think nearly
every apiarist could do so if he went at it right,
This is the best way, so far as it will go. Next es-
tablish regular routes and take honey to the doors
ot farmers and village people every six weeks or
so. City people are worried by an excess of ped-
dlers, and do not bite well. Next try the city gro-
ceries. If they will take your crop on terms satis-
factory, very well; if not, as a last resort previous
to sending to distant commission men, peddle in
the city. E. E. Hasty.

. The general impression seems to be in
favor of selling honey outright, or attending
to sales personally, in some way or other. I
suppose one might get accustomed to the
business of furnishing commission men so
as to find it perhaps the easiest way of dis-
posing of a very large crop ; but the com-
mission man should be an expert in han-
dling honey, and the honey-producer should
also be thoroughly posted, so as to be able
to give the commission man reasonable di-
rections in regard to the disposal.

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OB OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you And in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 8100 to 81-50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Roora. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, Mowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

MORE ABOUT WOLVES, BEARS, AND OTHER
WILD ANIMALS.

WRITTEN FOR THE .1UVENILES BY UNCLE AMOS.

TUBE riding out with friend France,
over the hills, we came to a point
where some wonderful mounds rose
clear up above the surrounding
country. I called them mountains,
and I feel like sticking to it still. They are
really small mountains, and their height is
so great that, when I started on my trip to
Bichland County, I could catch glimpses of
them until we were twenty or thirty miles
away. The railway runs out quite near one
of them, and circles around it, so you can get
a glimpse of it on all sides. These mounds
are pretty near the center of the State of
Wisconsin, if I am correct. Well, while we
were riding along I kept watching the hills,
rocks, and the streams, and pretty soon I
told friend France that many of the rocks
looked much like those in the region of
Mammoth Cave, and I said I thought there
must be caverns in those hills. But he de-
clared there were no caves nor caverns, nor
any thing of the sort. But I did not quite
give up. Pretty soon we started to go over
toward one of his apiaries. We had to go
there crosslots. In the middle of a great
big field my eye caught sight of a hole in
the ground, as if a great big well had some
time or other caved in there. Said I :

"Book here, friend France; I want you
to tell me what that hole is doing out here
in this lot."

" Why," said he, " that is what we call a
chimney."

" But what is a chimney doing out here ?
Is not that the mouth of a. cavern away
down under the ground ? When it rains
does not the rain water pour right in it and
go out of sight V "

He admitted that it did, but he did not
believe there was any cave. My friend, if
you ever see the water, after a rain, pouring
into a hole in the ground, and disappearing,
you may be sure there is a cavern down
there ; and if it were anywhere in my vi-

18S9

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

811)

cinity I would dig down and see where the
water went to, and may be have a cave or
cavern of my own. He finally acknowledg-
ed that there were places in their vicinity
where the water poured into these chim-
ney-holes and came out on the banks of a
river half a mile away. lie said he knew it
was the same water, on account of the col-
or of the soil that washed into the hole and
then came out as stated. Well, this made
the study of Grant County of very much
more interest to me during my whole visit.
I wonder how many of my juvenile friends
read what I said about the " machinery of
the universe."

I told you about friend France's museum,
where he had all sorts of wild animals stuff-
ed, and fixed up so they looked exactly like
life. He has for many years been a great
wolf-hunter; and the funny part about it is,
that, when he hunts wolves, he does not
have any gun or dogs, nor even a pistol or a
bowie-knife. When the wolves are killing
sheep, and the folks can not catch the
wolves, they send for friend France. He
just starts off by himself, peeking about
here and there with those sharp eyes of his,
noticing a thousand things that you and I
would never have noticed at all, and by and
by he gets the wolf, and the cubs too. Per-
haps most of you have heard the story of
General Putnam, who crawled into the den
of a fierce, bloodthirsty wolf, grabbed it by
the ears, while his friends pulled him out with
a rope attached to his feet. Friend France
said, that, to one who is acquainted with
the habits and nature of the wolf, this was
no wonderful thing at all. He said he had
crawled into wolves' dens, and got them
out, over and over again. Years ago there
was an old she-wolf that made a terrible
havoc among the sheep in the vicinity of
that very mound (or mountain), which to
me was an unceasing wonder as it raised its
head against the eastern sky. He tracked
the wolf up into a den, or sort of cave, on
the north side of the mound, where the hill
is so steep that nobody can climb it. He
hired a man to go with him, and they ap-
proached the cave just at nightfall. This
cave was formed by a large rock resting
against the mountain-side ; and as a good
deal of dirt had settled down under it, the
crevice where the wolves crawled in and
out was hardly large enough for a man of
the size of friend France. So he took along
a hoe, and dug the dirt away so he could
get in. As it was so near night they decid-
ed to lie down and keep watch until morn-
ing. They judged that the old she-wolf was
outside, because, during the hours of the
night, they coidd hear a constant cat-like
tread, or stepping, on the leaves and twigs
above and below the entrance. Before
very long his companion g t frightened by
the howling of the wolves, and went away,
leaving friend France alone.

" But, didn't you keep up a big fire to
keep the wolves away? "

"Fire ! " ejaculated he ; " what did 1 want
of fire?"

'"Why, so the wolves would not eat you
up."

"Well, I; reckon they would have had

tough chewing if they had set out on that
job."

Morning finally came, and with his hoe he
proceeded to make the cave big enough so
he could get in. Then he plugged it up
with a stone so the mother-wolf would not
get in behind and bother him, and then he
went for the cubs. After considerable dig-
ging he got hold of them; and, taking one
under each arm, he carefully backed out ;
then he went back for another ; but, proba-
bly getting a little elated at the pile of
money he was going to get for their scalps,
he made a little too much haste and bumped
the head of one of the cubs against a pro-
jecting rock. At this the little chap set up
a piteous whine ; and you can imagine his
consternation on hearing the deep, fierce,
angry growl from the mother, who was not
outside after all, but right there back of her
cubs. Now, during all this time he had not
so much as a match in his pocket. He
crawled out with his cubs, however, laid
them down by the others, put some matches
in his pocket, and, armed with a spear
which he sometimes took along for such
emergencies, he went back into the den.
When he got where he expected the war to
begin, he scratched a match. As its feeble
blaze lighted up the gloom within, the first
object which he beheld was the mother-
wolf, with open mouth, and eyes glaring like
coals of fire. He thought first of pushing
the spear right into her mouth ; but experi-
ence had shown that this was not the best
way. He had time, by the fitful glimmer,
only to lower his spear toward the region of
her heart, when she made an angry spring,
so fierce that, when she struck the point of
the spear, it threw him, spear and all, over
back until the back end of the spear struck
on a projecting rock, driving the blade clear
through her body. He trudged home, not
only with the scalp of the mother, but, if I
recollect aright, four or five cubs. He says
nothing is to be feared from wolves unless
they come in great droves. They are sneak-
ing, cowardly, and afraid even to look a
courageous man in the eye. If they can
sneak around behind so as to grab one's
coat-tails they may venture an attack in
that way when very hungry.

On going home late one night he was ad-
monished by a friend to take a dog along,
as it was certainly unsafe. It was in the
winter time, and very soon he could see the
wolves dodging behind him. The dog be-
came frightened, and ran for his life. For
several miles, two wolves kept so close to
him that they actually snapped their teeth
at his coat-tails; but he said. that, so long
as there were only two of them, he let them
snap all they wished to, thinking he could
stand it if they could. When they got
through the woods into the clearing, they
skidked off.

At another time he was employed to catch
a she-wolf with several young ones. The
young ones were too small to be afraid, and
in a little while*he had taken their scalps
and buried the bodies. His employers, how-
ever, complained bitterly because he caught
the cubs and let the mother go, insinuating
that this was a game of the wolf-hunters, to

820

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

leave the mother to furnish more cubs, so
that the hunters could get the bounty for a
new litter year after year. Friend France,
however, told them to be patient, and have
a little more charity, assuring them that he
would have the mother in less than 24 hours.
Sure enough, when night shrouded her from
gaze she tracked them to the place where
her darlings were buried, and commenced
to dig them up, proposing, doubtless, to car-
ry them home and give them a decent buri-
al according to the customs and traditions
of wolf fathers and mothers ; but, alas !
while she was showing her devotion to the
last remains of her loved ones, friend
France captured her also. This is one of
their tricks for getting the mother after
they have captured her cubs.

Now, little friends, if you want any more
wolf-stories, you must ask our big friend
Mr. France to tell them himself. Uncle
Amos is now ready to give you some bear-
stories.

Among other things that Prof. Cook said
I must see before we went away, was their
pet bear ; and the pet bear at the Agricul-
tural College is no exception to bears in
general, in the matter of his love for honey.
They do not let him take the honey out of
the hives as the California and Wisconsin
bears do ; but when they want him to show
off before visitors they just give him a bot-
tle full. I walked down to the place where
he is kept tied to a tree. He seemed quite
glad to see me, putting up his nose in a very
sociable manner, and licking my hand, and
blinking at me in quite a knowing way with
his queer little eyes. I did not discover the
secret of his being glad to meet visitors, and
scrape acquaintance, until I saw Charlie
coming with a Muth jar holding nearly a
pint of honey. The bear began at once
making all sorts of expressions of approval,
and reaching out for the honey ; but as the
programme was to take his picture with the
Kodak while he " drank " the honey, I told
Charlie that he must, if possible, get the
bear to come out under the full blaze of the
morning sun. According, Charlie unfasten-
ed the chain from the hickory-tree, and
pulled him along in order to get him to
climb over a pile of boards so as to get over
the top of the picket fence. The bear came
along quite cheerfully, keeping an eye on
the bottle of honey. I was pleased to see
the dexterity with which he climbed over
the pickets, so as to avoid being pricked by
their sharp points. Before he got out into
the sunshine, however, he began to set up
quite a whine, much like an urchin crying
for a piece of gingerbread. As soon as he
got the bottle between his paws, he stuck
his long tongue away down into the honey ;
and, oh what a smacking there was ! When
he had licked out the honey as far as his
tongue would go, he began to whine in real
distress. But Prof. Cook bade me have my
instrument ready, and just wait. Pretty
soon it popped into the bear's head, that, if
he could not coax the honey up to his
mouth, he would have to put his mouth low-
ermost, so the honey would run into it.
With a kind of grunt of satisfaction to
think that he remembered how it was done,

he straightened himself up as you see in the
picture.

BEAR TAKING HONEY OTJT OF A MUTH JAR.

As he smacked his lips he tipped the bot-
tle a little too fast ; and it not only ran down
into his mouth, but some of it ran over his
eyes. That was of small consequence, how-
ever. He blinked with his eyes to get the
honey off, while he smacked his lips and
looked happy. Long after every drop was
drained from the bottle, he kept poking his
tongue around the inside and then outside,
along his furry cheeks, and as near his ejes
as his tongue would reach. Then he gave a
purr of satisfaction. By the way, I forgot
to mention that bears purr a good deal as
cats do. When I first met him.land patted
him on the head he commenced purring
right away, as much as to say, " Why, of
course we'are glad to see Urcle Amos here,
as well as the rest of the folks.1'

Now, I do not know how many bottles of
honey his bearship could take at one meal.
A pint bottle full did not seem to go a great
way ; and as it must be quite a little tax on
the good friends at the Agricultural College,
I do not know but we ought to pass the hat
around, to help Prof. Cook bear the expense.
His bearship ought really to attend our next
National Convention. He could sample
honey, any way.

Well, the sun was rising higher up. It
would soon be train time, and there were
more things to see yet. So Charlie picked
up the chain, and told the bear he must go
back. By the way, Charlie is a son of Prof.
Cook's brother (who lives on the farm), and a
nice boy he is. The bear, however, cast
many lingering looks at the empty bottle,
and with some reluctance started back for
his inclosure. We were all in a hurry ; and
just as Charlie gave him a yank to make him
step quicker, as he climbed over the pickets
again, his appearance was so irresistibly
comical that I snapped the Kodak on him
once more.

He was whining softly to himself because
he could not have any more honey. In the
meantime Charlie was tugging the bear's

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

821

chain until its collar had slipped around,
pulling the fur the wrong way, and tipping
one ear forward in a most comical sort of
way ; at the same time the honey had not

HIS BEARSHIP CLIMBING A PICKET FENCE.

ceased dripping from his eyelids. Mean-
while one of his hind feet was clawing
in vain to secure a foothold on the smooth
pickets. Finally he got on to a strip of
board and got over. lie did not say good-by
as I started off wilh the Kodak; but his
comical look, and his mischievous-looking
countenance, were ■■ better than a circus,"
as the boys sometimes say.

Now, little friends, 1 hope you as well as
Uncle Amos know a little more about bears
and wolves than you once did ; and while we
defend ourselves from their savage nature
and warlike claws, let us remember that
they are God's creatures, and, in one sense,
our neighbors.

OFF TO THE OIL (?) WELLS.

AUNT KATIE TAKES US OFF TO ANOTHER PICNIC
IN CALIFORNIA.

"Wo B you all seemed to enjoy the trip we took up
9lM to Zaca Lake, suppose you go with us to-day
gm to the oil-wells near Port Harford. They are
■**■ 70 miles away, so we will go on the excursion
train that runs there and back for one dol-
lar. Ernest is calling-, " Come, mamma, are you not
ready yet?"

"I will take the lunch-basket: and, Lewis, you
start with the baby, while mamr.a picks up the
odds and ends, and fastens the doors."

"As mamma has got every tiling done that she
can do until you all get out of the house, away you
go, and we will follow," says papa.

"Hurry up, or you will be late," is the last we
hear from the youngsters as they rush out of sight,
headed for the depot. We shall get there in plenty
of time, so we will walk slow and get over the hub-
bub, and enjoy this lovely morning air. I especial-
ly appreciate the slow walk, for I have been pretty
busy ever since 6 a. m., and it is now 8; and then,

again, a walk in the morning is rather a novelty in
my busy life.

Well, here we are at the depot, and we shall have
to amuse ourselves by looking at the people coming
for 40 minutes yet. But that soon passes, as we
greet this one and that as they come up to the plat-
form.

Toot! toot! sounds the engine, and up it comes,
gliding gracefully by, and stopping quietly just be-
yond the platform. In we all get, and soon we
start, not with the jerk, jerk, that used to be so try-
ing, but smoothly we go, gaining in speed until the
highest speed these narrow-gauge tracks will allow
is attained. Soon we get to a station, and slacken
up for a moment to give the station agent time to
signal stop or go on. We stop, as a couple of young
fellows wish to go with us. Theu on we go, rattliug
over bridges. Oh! bless me, isn't it pleasant riding
on the rails? At nearly all the stations and depots,
some one or more join our party. The young folks
keep up a constant chatter, while we of more se-
date and maturer years listen, and smile at their
sallies, without the trouble of thought. We just
rest and enjoy. Soon San Luis looms up in sight;
and when we stop, many get off the train and more
get on, so that, as we glide down the canon that
leads to the sea, where Port Harford is, we are
quite crowded; but good order prevails, and we
keep a sharp lookout for familiar landmarks. Here
we go, past the Catholic burying-ground, then a
bare rocky hillside seems to glide past, then the
large and handsomely arranged Protestant cemete-
ry appears. Then on, on, until "Oil Wells!" is
shouted. About half the people start; and when
the train stops, off we get. Baby's wraps and luncb-
baskeis are distributed, and we cross the little
bridges, walk under those grand old oaks and syca-
mores, and in three minutes we arrive at the bath-
house.

"What! bath-houses?" says one; " do you bathe
in oil?"

We laugh, having forgotten that all our party did
not know it was hot sulphur water we came to see,
and not oil.

" No, we do not bathe in oil ; but do you see that
water pouring out of that six-inch pipe, up on that
platform?"

" Yes."

" Well, the company of men who owned this tract
of 100 acres thought that there was every indica-
tion of oil. You see, the mountain back of the well
is coal and slate formation. Well, they decided to
bore for oil, so they got an artesian-well outfit, and
commenced boring. When they got down about
400 feet they struck this hot sulphur water. They
shut it off, although it was a very strong stream,
and bored 500 feet more, but found nothing but the
hot sulphur water. So, as there are no warm baths
near here they decided to let the water run, and
they built that long bath-house, that plunge-bath
house, and the large hotel you see over there, and
then got the cars to stop and let passengers off at
their path, and now the place goes by the name of
Oil Wells. It is well patronized, especially on ex-
cursion days, which occur about every two weeks."

The boys have rushed off to explore every place,
and to speak for a chance in the plunge. No bath-
tubs for them, but we speak for a tub and get it.
The water is just the right warmth to be delightful.
The baby thinks it a little hot, but gives only one or
two grunts, and then proceeds to paddle and splash

822

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

Oct.

with the greatest delight. Oh, the delicious rest
and comfort we get from that bath! We are all as
red as beets when we finally emerge from the rooms.
Now, be careful and not sit or stand where the cool
ocean wind will blow upon you. Here is a hand-
some pavilion. We will spread our lunch and take
our ease in its shelter, before we ramble about.
The boys gobble down (they do not eat) their share
of the lunch, and that is the last we see of them till
about train time. We eat and rest, and then wander
up to the hotel, to look for friends. We are surpris-
ed at finding that we are well acquainted with the
landlady and two or three of the guests, being old
acquaintances. We pass a pleasant hour on the
broad veranda, looking at the charming natural
view, and watching the picnic parties, campers,
and the constant going and coming of vehicles
loaded with live freight. There is no loud talk or
rough manners; all seem quietly happy.

It is about train time. Get the things ready, for
we must leave this sylvan retreat, and hie away
home again, taking with us a pleasant memory of a
day pleasantly spent. Puff, puff, whiz, here's the
train. We all scramble on; and just as day is fad-
ing we arrive at home. Aunt Katie Hilton.

Los Alamos, Cal.

TRYING TO RAISE POP-CORN.

I planted some popcorn. It did not do very well.
Two years ago I had a piece, and the musk-rats
helped me harvest it. I think if I keep trying I
may have a good crop some time. I have a colt
two years old. named Pedro. I am saving money
to buy a saddle. I have a lamb. Its mother is
dead. Morrison J. McClaughry, age 10.

Salem, N. Y., Sept. 5, 1889.

TOBACCO A REMEDY FOR ROBBING.

Father has 20 stands of bees. While 1 believe as
you do about tobacco, we had one case in our apia-
ry where tobacco was a help to us. Pa opened a
hive of bees when they were not getting much hon-
ey, and the other bees got to robbing them, and
they got so mad that we could not go near them.
Pa put some rotten wood in the smoker and smok-
ed the robbers with it, but it would do no good. So
ma put some tobacco in the smoker and went be-
hind the hive and smoked them with it, and it
quieted them in a little while. Edith Stahl.

Rochester. Ky., Sept. 2, 1889.

A QUEEN THAT LIVED 5 YEARS.

In one of the back numbers or Gleanings you
say it is a rare thing for a queen to live 4 years.
We had one that we are certain was 5, and might
have been 6 or 7 for all we know. She was an Ital-
ian, and we found her in a tree. My brother Stan-
ley was stung this spring, and in a few minutes he
was all over blotches. He breathed with difficulty,
as if he had the croup. We were very much alarm-
ed, but pa gave him brandy, and he soon recovered.
Pa wintered his bees in the cellar, and they came
through all right. Ethel Edwards.

Ingersoll, Ont., Can., June 3, 1889.

THE FLORIDA SCORPION.

As I don't know much about bees that is not gen-
erally known, I will tell you something about the
Florida scorpion. This scorpion is about an inch
and a quarter long, grayish colored ; has six legs,
and a tail as long as its body. Its tail is jointed,

and has two little sharp hooks on the end. When
it is angry it nirt6 its tail over its back and sticks
these hooks into whatever it holds in its fore feet.
Its sting is poisonous, aud hurts a good deal, but
never kills any one. We have found a good many
in our house, in the bedrooms and kitchen. They
like to get among blankets and clothing. Florida
people learn to shake their clothes well before put-
ting them on. I don't like Florida as well as Penn-
sylvania. Don C. Baird.
Orlando, Fla., Sept. 5, 1889.

ABOUT A QUEEN THAT STOPPED TO VI81T WITH A
LITTLE GIRL.

Last spring we took five gallons of honey that
the bees had gathered from wild flowers; but in
June papa bought some buckwheat for the bees,
and they gathered a good portion of honey from
that. We took the upper story off, that they might
store the honey away for winter food. We fed our
bees last winter on sugar syrup. Papa takes
Gleanings, and we always welcome its coming,
with much pleasure.

One morning I was in the yard looking at the
hives, and was ready to go into the house, when a
queen came through the air and alighted on my
arm. I caught her very gently, so as to show her
to mamma; then I held her up on my hand, and she
flew off to one of the hives. Mamie Bedford.

Fayette, Wis., Sept. 27, 18S9.

THE PECAN-TREE.

1 promised to tell about pecans. The pecan-tree
is large, like a walnut. Its leaves are like walnut.
The pecan blooms in April, aud the nuts get ripe in
October and November. It begins to bear at the
age of five to fifteen. . The age of the pecan is un-
known. Trees are found four aud five feet
through. At the age of fifteen it is not more than
ten inches through. The nut of the pecan is in a
hull, like the walnut, only much thinner, and it is
divided into four parts. As the pecan gets ripe, the
hull cracks open and lets the pecan drop. From one
pecan up to six grow in a bunch. It is a pretty
sight to see them growing in that manner. Seme
people wait till the pecans drop off the trees, to
gather them. Sometimes they knock them down
with a club. But the best way is to climb a tree
with a long pole and knock them down with it, and
pick them up. Sometimes the pecans hang on the
trees until March. A 49 pound Hour-sack holds a
bushel, just even. There are 42 pounds in a bushel.
Pecans sell for $1.50 to $3.50 per bushel.

Belton, Texas. Wm. Morgan.

We are glad to know about the pecans.
They have frequently been sent us from the
South, and we have sometimes succeeded in
selling them to a limited extent. I bad al-
ready judged, by the appearance and taste
of the nut, that they were something like
our shellbark hickory-nuts. I do not quite
like the idea, however, of clubbing nut-
bearing trees with poles. Does it not injure
the future usefulness of the tree ? It seems
to me that nuts of all kinds are much nicer
if we wait till old dame Nature shells them
out and lets them drop of her own accord.
If, however, they hang on as you intimate,
perhaps a gentle bumping might be in or-
der, as a suggestion to the tree that it was
time for her to shell out and drop her trea-
sures.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

823

A RUINED LIFE.

A SAD BUT TRUE STORY.

O you know what has become of Alice B ,

or do you ever hear any thing about her
any more? "

"No," was the reply; "I have not
heard of her for a long time; but the
last time I heard, she was in California. Her par-
ents are living next door to me, and I see them
quite frequently; but she has been such a source of
grief to them that I never mention her name in
their presence any more. She quite broke their
hearts."

Hearing the above conversation as it passed be-
tween two elderly ladies of my acquaintance, and
having seen the person they were speaking of, and
knowing something of the latter part of her career,
I felt somewhat curious to know more of her early
life. Hence I embraced this opportunity of mak-
ing some inquiries of one who knew the whole sad
story. Here it lis in brief, and from one who had
been her friend :

Alice B was a very pretty girl, and when quite

young was married to Mr. W , with a fair prospect

of a happy life. But she was exceedingly fond of
admiration and gay society, and it was not long be-
fore she began to neglect husband and home for
other society and gayer scenes. Only a few years
of such a life— for they were years of misery and
unhappiness— and then her husband left her, and
she went home to her father's house, taking her
two little children with her. Leaving them there,
she went to another town and soon obtained a di-
vorce.

About that time she became acquainted with a
widower, a very respectable man, nearly twice her
age, and possessed of considerable property. Aft-
er a very brief courtship they were married, and
went to reside in the vicinity of her former home.
For a time all seemed to be going on quietly and
happily; and for the sake of her friends as much as
for her own, she was received in the best circles,
and her past life ignored.

But, alas! a quiet life did not satisfy her; and her
love of admiration, and her flirtations, became so
notorious that people shook their heads, looked
askance, and began to shun her. Friends talked
with her, urging her to live a different life, but
without avail.

ODe day, when in the midst of a gay company,
she received a message summoning her home.
Her husband had met with an accident, been seri-
ously injured, and was thought to be dying. He
was unconscious, and, after lingering in great ago-
ny for two days, death came to his relief. In the
two years of their married life a little boy had
come to their home; but the father had scarcely
been laid to rest ere the little one sickened, and he,
too, passed away. For a few months the mother
seemed very penitent, and almost crushed by her
great sorrow. Then the charms of the old life re-
turned, and, seeming to forget every thing else, she
went from bad to worse, and, becoming infatuated
with a married man of bad repute, eloped with him
and went west. She had hit all for him; but he
soon tired of her and deserted her, leaving her a
stranger in a strange land.

What a wretched ending to what might have
been a happy life! Can you imagine any cause for

such a ruined life? Let me tell you what her old
father said:

"Alice was ruined by reading novels! We knew
she was fond of reading, but we did not know the
character of the literature in which she indulged
until it was too late, and the mischief was done.
She had spent much of herjtime poring over sensa-
tional novels — books filled with descriptions of
flirtations, jealousy, and divorce— until her whole
being became imbued with the poison, and she
lived the characters over again in her own life.
Her mind was poisoned, and so filled with 'blood-
and-thunder' stories that every good impulse seem-
ed destroyed."

" Yes, Alice was ruined by reading trashy, sensa-
tional books and papers."

How many lives have been wrecked and sadden-
ed in this subtle way! Dear reader, does not this
story contain a warning? Should not parents, and
others who have young people in their care, con-
sider it as much of a duty to feed the minds of the
young with good, pure literature, as to feed the
bodies with healthful food? The mind must have
food, just as certainly as the body; and if it does
not find healthful food, it generally finds plenty of
a poor character. In these days, when so much
good literature can be obtained for a small sum of
money, is it not a duty to make provision for the
home? Children crave something more than the
Bible and Bible stories; and though these should
always have a prominent place, if something more
is not furnished them they will be sure to And it for
themselves. Will it be " Broken Hearts," and such
trash, or something good and helpful, stimulating
them to live good, pure lives?

Ipava, Ills. Anna B. Qitillin.

My good friend, there Jare many and many
cases like the one you mention, "where lives
have been ruined by reading trashy, sensa-
tional novels and papers. When in my
teens I was greatly given to such reading
myself ; and the memory of the false im-
pressions and false teaching that I then re-
ceived will haunt me till death. Had I not
been turned squarely about by giving my
heart to Christ Jesus, there is no knowing
where I might have been by this time ; and
I think now that the very best safeguard
for any one is a complete surrender to Him
whose spirit was lt not to minister unto, but
to minister." Sometimes, during late years
I have been foolish enough to waste a little
time in reading something that has no point
or moral to it ; and I always feel guilty and
ashamed of myself afterward. Perhaps
many will think it too strict, but I do be-
lieve that great good would follow if it were
a custom for every child in his teens to sub-
mit to his father or mother every book be-
fore reading it. The careful and prayerful
parent can in five minutes determine wheth-
er the book be a profitable one or not. I
would first turn to the introduction, to see
what the author has to say, or what reasons
he has to give for writing a book. Then 1
would read perhaps half a page in the mid-
dle, and may be as much at the close. Five
minutes is enough to decide whether the
book is for or against righteousness. If it
has nothing to say either way, I would re-
ject it. " He that is not for me is against
me." Many of us are in the habit of keep-

824

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

ing a careful, sharp eye about our gardens
and our bee-hives, to see whether an enemy
be lurking. My friend, it is a thousand
times more important that you keep a sharp
eye about the house, to see what kinds of
books and papers are being brought in ; and
especially is this keen scrutiny needed in a
family of many children. I would not de-
prive these little minds of books and papers;
but whenever one book is taken away, or
sent home, or back to the library, bring
three or four good ones to occupy its place.
Books and papers are cheap and plentiful ;
but do not admit them solely because they
are cheap. Our stenographer just now asks
for a list of good books. In the way of fic-
tion, I know of nothing better in English
print than Tansy's entire series. And. to
cut the matter short, I would recommend
the Sunday school library in any of our es-
tablished churches. 1 can not remember
that I have ever read one (and I have read a
good many purposely to decide whether
they were tit mental food for our children)
without feeling that it had brought me near-
er to Christ Jesus.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

SOMETHING ABOUT ARTIFICIAL HONEY-COMB.

Y last visit among the bee-keepers
was at Bell Branch, near Detroit,
where friend M. H. Hunt hails from.
The picture of Mr. Hunt's pretty
apiary will be found on page 625 of
our issue f>>r Aug. 1. The picture, how-
ever, does not do justice at all. The hives
are located in groups under large branching
apple-trees. The trees are trimmed so as
to be out of the way of one's head when
working among the hives. By the way,
when wearing a bee-veil you can not afford
to have brush or limbs of trees catching on
to jour veil, tearing it or pulling it off from
your face. If you do not fix things con-
veniently for rapid and uninterrupted work,
when you get a big honey-crop you will be
sorry.

Friend II. has two children— a boy and a
girl. The girl is about the age of Blue
Eyes ; and as Blue Eyes was with me on my
return trip, they two very soon became
quite sociable. I think it is no more than
fair to state that friend Hunt is one of our
" gilt-edged " business men. Nobody ever
has to ask him for money when he is owing ;
and, in fact, I do not believe we have ever
sent him even a statement by way of re-
minder. He is also so prompt, careful, and
accurate in filling orders that I can not re-
member of having ever received so much
as a breath of complaint against him.

The horse-power, which we described and
illustrated, which he first used for hive-
making, has been laid aside, and a neat lit-
tle steam-engine takes its place. I believe,
however, he buys most of his hives and sec-
tions from larger manufacturers, using his
engine only for filling special orders, and
for making odd-sized hives, or to fill out
some order that is wanted in a great hurry.
He has a nice stock of lumber, accurately
planed at a planing-mill, piled up ready for

emergencies; and with his help and his
machinery he can very quickly supply any
thing unusual or in immediate want. Near
his factory is a buckwheat field, so uniform
and of such wonderful luxuriance that I
snapped the Kodak on it once or twice ; but
it did not work up so as to be worthy of a
place in print. Friend Hunt is only eight
miles from Detroit, therefore he has ample
facilities for getting lumber at low prices,
or any thing else he may need for the sup-
ply business ; but as he is three or four miles
from a railroad station, he contemplates
moving up nearer by.

One inducement to call on friend Hunt
was the promise that he would go with me
to visit the Eureka Supply Co., in Detroit.
This company is arranging to manufac-
ture artificial honey - comb, under friend
Weed's patent. This has been frequently
mentioned in years past, friend Weed hav-
ing, some time ago, an advertisement in
Gleanings, of small pieces of artificial
honey-comb. This was while he was locat-
ed in Cincinnati. We were very kindly re-
ceived, and even hospitably treated. We
saw the machinery for making the comb,
and it was all very kindly explained. By a
powerful hydraulic press, cakes of wax,
warmed to just the right temperature, are
forced through proper dies, so as to form
cells of honey-comb, not only deep enough
for worker-bees, but two or three feet deep,
if you choose. In fact, a great big stick, or
log, of cells of honey-comb, reminded me
very much of^a split chestnut fence-post,
the cells looking like the pores of the wood,
only being ever so much larger. Now, in
order to ^make honey-comb, all you have to
do is to cut off a slice I inch thick. The
slices are cut off like cutting slices from a
loaf of bread. Of course, this is not honey-
comb, because the cells have no bottom half
way through, and here is the great problem-
how shall we make a bottom to this honey-
comb V I suggested at once that sheets of
comb, with holes clear through, be given
the bees, and let them see what they can do
with it.* I was surprised to learn, how-
ever, that the Weed brothers had never
tried it. I agreed to make the test in less
than a week if they would send me a piece ;
but it has not come yet.

Just a word about slicing off the comb.
How do you suppose they do it— saw it off V
Not much, where the cell-walls are about as
thin as natural comb. Cut it off with a
knife V Not much better. The only thing
is a hot wire. But the melted beeswax-
cools the wire off so quickly that nothing
but an electric current can supply the heat
fast enough ; and accordingly they had just
put in expensive electrical machinery, and
an incandescent platinum wire capable of
melting off slices big enough to fill a Lang-
stroth frame. May be you would like to
know how the die is made that produces the
cells. As it is fully secured by patents, I
obtained permission to describe it. Even if

* If the bees will fill comb with cells reaching
clear through, when extracting we shall need to
uncap only one side. Then conies the question.
Will the bees fill the comb again, having- access to
only one side?

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

825

ydU saw the machinery, and looked at it
with a magnifying-glass, you would scarce-
ly understand it without explanation. In
the first place, the wax is forced through a
perforated plate. It then comes out in
strings like so many worms, if you will ex-
cuse the illustration. Well, these strings
are obliged to pass under an enormous
pressure between a series of hexagonal
plates screwed fast to the perforated plate.
Suppose you had a lot of six-sided buttons,
placed with such mechanical exactness that
the wax that oozed up between them should
be as thin as honey-comb. These tubes of
wax would then rise up, as they do in fact,
making a " losr of wood " composed of six-
sided cells. Will this machine ever enable
them to get the $1000 by manufacturing for
sale artiiicial comb honey V Never. Even
if they could get a bottom to the cells, it
could not be capped over so as to imitate
nature. Any bungler could tell the differ-
ence, just as any bungler could tell artiii-
cial strawberries from nature's make. The
invention, however, may give us frames of
comb more accurate than the bees ever pro-
duced, and possibly cheaper than the bees
can make them Our friends have been at
work at it, however, a good many years, and
have, during the past season, offered for
sale pieces large enough to fill a section of
honey ; but the price will not as yet permit
it to come into general use among bee-keep-
ers.

1 feel greatly indebted to the members of
the Eureka Supply Co. for the information
they gave me in regard to the present sta-
tus of electrical science. They very kindly
took me through the electric-light estab-
lishments in Detroit, and gave me an in-
sight into the machinery aud workings of
the science that will make me feel under
obligations to them for a good while.

0tm flejUE?.

But now they desire a better country, that is. a
heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be
called their God; for he hath ^prepared for them a
city.— Heb. 11:16.

Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.— Mat-
thew 20: 28.

lTp S soon as I started on my homeward
^fjbi trip from Wisconsin I unconsciously

j^r began humming the familiar hymn
■*™- that commences :

"One sweetly"soleinn thought."

I do not know what brought it to mind,
but it seemed to me all at once as if 1 had
never appreciated the wonderful thought
embodied in the hymn —

" I'm nearer home to-day than I have been before."

I believe that a great part of the world
feel a dread of death. Many feel sad to
think they are growing old. How is it with
you, my friend? Have gray hairs and
wrinkles terrors for you? Do you feel sad
to think that the springtime of buoyant
youth is slipping and ^passing? As your
eyesight fails, and you begin to need specta-
cles, does it bring a thought of dread that
your sight may fail altogether? Hearing

will very likely become impaired also. Your
steps will begin to grow feeble, and may be
rheumatic pains have already begun to
make you twinge. Robert ingersoll has
given perhaps the most vivid picture I have
seen drawn of death, as a dark, dismal
abyss. From his standpoint of view, there
was not one ray of light — nothing at all to
make one joyous, but, rather, the utter ex-
tinguishing of every thing beautiful and
bright. May God be praised, it is not so
with the Christian. In the language I have
quoted from, it is " Nearer my Father's
house," where " burdens are laid down."
When I am doing my duty I often feel not
only joyous but buoyant at the thoxight of
going home. Gray hairs that have come
while in the Master's service have no terrors
for me. My eyesight has failed greatly
during the past summer. Unless the light
is very strong, I am entirely unable to read
fine print without glasses. Were it not for
the invention of spectacles it would be a
sad, very sad, cross to bear; but with the
aid of even those that are furnished for an
almost insignificant price, I can see just as
well as I ever did. 'May tne Lord be prais-
ed for the invention of spectacles ! But
suppose my eyes keep on failing until even
specs do no good— what then? Never mind,
dear friend. The resources are not limited
with Him whom I serve ; and he has said
that not one good thing shall be withheld
from those who fear him. Since I have
been following him, no good thing has been
withheld, and a remedy has been provided
for every ill that life has brought. When I
can read no more (if that time shall ever
come), I am sure that Christ Jesus will help
me to be useful in some way or other. Now,
it would be wrong to be in a hurry to get
through with life's duties and cares ; but it
is not wrong to rejoice at the thought of
that home '' where many mansions be."

I enjoyed my trips exceedingly, both to
Wisconsin and California; but for all that,
there came a pleasant thrill when I thought
of my home and the loved ones who would
be glad to see me. In the same way I have
been thinking of that heavenly home— that
" better country " spoken of in the language
of our text. Before death comes, very like-
ly I shall have grievous pains, and may be
sore crosses to bear ; and sometimes when I
think of how others are called upon to suf-
fer, I tremble for fear I may not have the
grace and fortitude to bear suffering as they
do. But then, again, comes the promise,
" Lo, I am with vou alway, even to the end
of the world." Perhaps some of you may
say, " Now, look here, brother Root, we
don't want you to be making calculations
about that ' heavenly home,' for many a
long year. There is work that we want you
to do. Had you not better be planning to
do it 'while it is day, for the night cometh
when no man can work'?"

You are right, my good friend ; and the
suggestion just brings me to the second
text. You see I have two of them for my
talk to-day. What would God have=us do
while we are waiting? Why, the second text
answers the question—'1 Not to be minister-
ed unto, but to minister." If we want to be

826

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

happy and buoyant and rejoicing always,
let us follow the text, as did even our Lord
and Master ; for he came " not to be minis-
tered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many."

In many avocations and pursuits of life,
we are crowded. Sometimes the house you
live in is too small. Sometimes the young
folks, when they get married, start to live
with father and mother; and with the love
of Christ Jesus in the heart of even one side
of the house, there will never be any feeling
of being crowded. Yet the feeling some-
times comes, however. The young folks
want to have more room and more liberty.
A good many of the friends complain be-
cause so many pitch right into any line of
business when it begins to be a little profit-
able. Somebody makes a pretty good thing
of raising strawberries. Then everybody
else in the neighborhood goes to raising
them until they hardly bring enough to pay
the pickers. There is a constant crowd.
Somebody starts a drygoods store in a little
town. Pretty soon another one starts up
on the opposite corner. There is not busi-
ness for both of them. It is overdone. So
with the drug-store and the printing-busi-
ness; so with the hotel-keeper. Why, I
have even heard such things whispered
about the bee-journals. Gleanings in Bee
Culture has done tolerably well ; and oth-
ers start bee-journals, thinking that they
may also do tolerably well. By and by the
old trouble comes up— there are too many
bee-journals — the field is overworked, /did
not say so, my friend ; but it is what the
world says. We occasionally meet people
who have tried strawberries, honey-raising,
dry goods, drugs, hotel-keeping, and may be
they have started a bee-journal. All of
them fail, because there was not a chance
anywhere for a man to turn an honest pen-
ny. Sharpers and the tricky ones get all
the money, so they say. Sometimes they
indulge in bitter flings toward the middle-
men, who " toil not, neither do they spin."
They do not wait for their heavenly Father
to feed them— at least so the world says—
but get a pretty good feed by cheating right
and left. Now, please remember, friends,
that I have not said this. I do not believe
it. The middlemen are my friends, and I
love them. I hope I should love them, even
if they toere all enemies ; but I am glad they
are not. The world has also a way of talk-
ing about the " bloated aristocrat." It pains
me to hear this term, because it is a hateful
one. Well, I have made quite an array of
truths, have I not? I have not spoken of
strikes and trusts, but I might have done so.
Is there a remedy? Why, Heaven bless you,
my friend, to be sure there is ; and the rem-
edy is this last text of mine. I wish it were
painted on a great big shingle, and tacked
up at all the street corners — yes, in letters
so big that they could be put up above the
tops of the highest trees or meeting-house
steeples. Why, since I think of it, I do not
know but that it would be more needed
above the steeples than over the trees. 1
should like to see it across the sky — ltNot
to be ministered unto, but to minister."
Now, please do not turn away, dear friend.

There is room for all the world under the
banner of this text. There is plenty of em-
ployment, witli good pay to be had, right
along in this line. The business will not be
overdone for a thousand years. No, it will
never be overdone. Thousands and thou-
sands may enter into it, and yet there will
be elbow-room— plenty of room for more —
" Not to be ministered unto, but to minis-
ter." The sad part of it is, that human
nature unregenerated is continually clam-
oring for servants to wait on them ; and if
the servants would work without pay, all
the better. Christ Jesus stands almost alone
in this grand, glorious, loving work of help-
ing people— helping everybody, being glad
because you can help— being a servant. The
world clamors lor fat salaries and not much
hard work. The servant of Christ wants
only a chance to serve somebody. He does
not trouble himself about the pay, whether
it be big or little. Why, bless your heart,
dear brother and sister, he does not need to,
for the Lord of all — the Judge of all the
earth— takes care of the pay. He has said,
in a thousand ways, that we need not wor-
ry; and he is the best paymaster on earth-
more prompt and liberal than any man who
ever lived. There is only a little condition ;
and that condition is, that we " seek first
the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,"
and the reward is promised that "all things
shall be added unto you." It is true. I
know it is true ; for every thing around me
emphasizes the truth of it. Now, when I
started out, perhaps you did not see that
my two texts had any connection with each
other. Do you see it now, dear friends? If
we love to minister to those around us— to
these brothers and sisters, shall we not go
through life rejoicing, and singing the little
hymn that gladdened my heart and made
me joyous as I approached my home?

One sweetly solemn thought

Conies to me o'er and o'er;
I'm nearer home to-day, to-day.

Than I have been before.

CHORUS.

Nearer my home, nearer my home,
Nearer my home to-day, to-day,
Than I have been before.

Nearer my Father's house.

Where many mansions be;
Nearer the great white throne to-day,

Nearer the crystal sea.

Nearer the bound of life.
Where burdens are laid down;

Nearer to leave the cross to-day.
And nearer to the crown.

Be near me when my feet

Are slipping o'er the brink;
For I am nearer home to-day,

Perhaps, than now I think.

Would you like an illustration or two of
the way I understand this text? A few
days ago, a man with a very heavy load, in
driving on to the hayscales, got one of the
wheels between the platform and the bor-
dering timbers. The enormous weight had
squeezed the wheel down so that the load
would apparently have to be removed be-
fore it could be extricated. He stood with
a troubled look on his face, for he was
doubtless in a hurry.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

827

" My friend," said I,'1 don't throw your
load off. We have four or live powerful
jackscrews in the blacksmith-shop, and with
thetn you can raise the wheel out of there in
a twinkling, load and all."

Well, he looked happy ; but I think I en-
joyed it more than he did. I was exceed-
ingly busy that clay, and some of my own
work had to be neglected for a few min-
utes. At another time a teamster would
have broken his wagon on the railroad
track had I not stopped to shove a board
under the wheel, and extricate it from its
dangerous predicament. I then explained
to him the matter, and told him I had seen
many good wheels broken down by attempt-
ing to cross a railroad track at an angle. A
mau was rolling a heavy barrel of honey
from the depot platform on to his wagon.
The wagon-bed was frail, and the great
weight would assuredly have smashed it
down at once, breaking the wagon, and may
be breaking a limb of the driver. I ran rap-
idly, and called to him just in time. A bit of
board set up endwise under the weak point
made it safe. Now, accidents are occurring
almost daily because people often learn only
by experience about these things. Some
days 1 tire myself out, and perhaps neglect
my own work, in teaching the younger ones
how to avoid accidents— how to get along
safely and easily with their work — may be
how to prevent catching cold, when a chilly
October afternoon comes after these beauti-
ful sunshiny days. Sometimes I can get in
a word for Christ Jesus ; and if it seems to
be well received, such ministering makes me
happier than any thing else. When night
comes I am very tired, and may be the
printers scold because they have not had
the copy they needed. But I am happy,
nevertheless. And may be if I had written
the copy without doing the ministering, I
should not have been able to give you some-
thing really helpful. And as I close I feel
like thanking the dear Savior because he
has given me a helpful message to deliver
to you to-day. I am sure the message will
be helpful, for it is builded on the solid rock
of Christ's promises — not to be ministered
unto, but to minister.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

WHAT SHALL WE PLANT IN THE MIDDLE
OF OCTOBER?

ELL, friends, we can not plant very
much, unless it is rye or spinach, or
winter-onion sets, or something of
that nature. We can, however, start
gardening almost as well as in spring,
if we have hot-beds, cold-frames, or green-
houses. During October and November,
we can grow a great many things without
tire heat or even the heat of manure. The
simple protection of sash will give results
equal to March and April. Lettuce, rad-
ishes, and other things may be matured
under sash, without any heat. Tomatoes,
lima beans, and a host of other things that
are not consumed before frost, may be sim-

ply laid on the ground, attached to the
vines under sash, and they will ripen up
nicely. Even though we can not plant out-
doors, there is lots of work that we can do.
We have some beautiful celery that was
transplanted in very rich ground Oct. 1. As
we have had abundant rains, it is now mak-
ing a very beautiful growth. The plants
were, however, very strong, and each one
was taken up with a ball of earth. It is
now, Oct. 10, ready to bank. I merely men-
tion this to show you what may be done
with vacant ground where it is very rich.
Ours was where we dug a lot of very line
Rural Blush potatoes. Another thing :
Even if it is not advisable to set out straw-
berries later, you can fix the ground all ready
for them in the spring. That is just
what we are doing this beautiful Indian-
summer afternoon. The boys are gathering
the bush lima beans, and pulling up the
tomatoes, while the big team is drawing
manure and covering the ground as thick as
it can be plowed under nicely. We are go-
ing to fit it exactly as I described on page
721. Just as soon as the ground thaws in
the spring, the plants will be put in with
transplanting-tubes. We could put them
in this fall without any trouble, provided
they were mulched heavily. But it will
probably be cheaper to fix the ground now,
and then let the plants stand in the mat-
ted row where they are, until spring.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO.

We have received testimonials enough in
praise of this tomato to make a startling
pamphlet. Below is one of them :

I received from you a packet of Tgnotum tomato
seed, containing just 20 seeds. Nineteen seeds ger-
minated. One plant was accidentally broken off.
They were transplanted in open ground, directly
from the greenhouse, May 23d, the same day that I
transplanted Dwarf Champions from the cold-
frame, and the first ripe tomatoes were picked
from Ignotum. One plant of Ignotum turned out
to be a tree-tomato, and another set such rough
fruit that I pulled it out, so I had left but 16 plants.
From these I picked about half a bushel of toma-
toes per plant, and from that amount I have saved
28 ounces of Feed. Half a bushel of tomatoes to
the plant, when planted 6 ft. x 5, is a yield of 660
bushel per acre. Pretty large, I think.

F. S. McCLELliAND.

New Brighton, Pa., Oct. 7, 1889.

The above not only gives the good points,
but some of the bad ones. It is true, that
some of the plants produce bad - shaped
fruit ; but by selecting seeds persistently
from one of the best, I think we shall cor-
rect the tendency. On our grounds but
very few plants this season produced any
thing different from the regular type. I ad-
mit that the tomato is not perfect in every
respect. There are other tomatoes of better
shape ; but no tomato, so far as I know, has
as many desirable points. I have offered
our friend $7.00 for his 28 ounces of seed, so
you see there was more to my little present
of tomato seeds than any of us thought of
at the time. The little gift has given quite
a number of the friends several dollars— in
one case $15.00 or $16.00; and I feel glad

828

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

over it, exactly as I have tried to describe
to you in the Home Papers for this issue.

CATCHING DESTRUCTIVE MOTHS BY BURNING A

LAMP IN A TUB OF WATER AT NIGHT— SEE

PAGE 790.

Prof. Cook replies to the matter as below:

The cut-worm moths and the cabbage plusia
could be caught by a light over a tub of water: but
the remedy is hardly practical, as the moths fly at
night, and the time varies, so no one would be on
the lookout, and ready. The worst pests, the cab-
bage-buttertly larvae, fly by day, and would not be
killed at all. Buhach (California pyrethrum) kills
all, is cheap, easy to apply, and practical.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

GETTING SEEDS OF SPIDER-PLANTS AND ROCKY
MOUNTAIN PLANTS TO GERMINATE.

Looking over Sept. 1st Gleanings, page 709, com-
ments on iEneas Walker, you say you can't make
the spider-plant seed start in the greenhouses and
hot-beds. The Bible teaches you your religion, and
why don't you let natu re teach you her laws? Have
your gardener mix a quart of seed in a bushel of
dirt, in a box. Let it freeze till wanted; then thaw
it, and sow where wanted in the house or beds, and
you will wish it in some other place. To some one
who could not start any, I gave a pint of dirt from
where they grew two years ago, to scatter in the
plant-pot; and on inquiring about it he said he had
more plants than he wanted. H. L. Jeffrey.

New Milford, Conn., Sept. 11, 1889.

HOW TO MAKE AND KEEP SOUR-KRAUT— INFORMA-
TION WANTED.

Can't you give an article on making and keeping
of sour-kraut? 1 have more or less difficulty in get-
ting the stuff to keep. It spoils before half the win-
ter is past. Some of my neighbors say, to keep
sour-kraut I must freeze it solid during a cold snap;
others say it is spoiled after being frozen. How is
this? Another thing I should like to ask: Have
you tried the Crandall currant, sent out by Frank
Ford & Son? If it is as good as the introducers
claim it to be, I must try it, even if a single bush
costs more than a dozen of White Grape currants.

W. G. Brainard.

Gouverneur, N. Y., Sept. 27, 1889.

We have had a good deal the same trou-
ble you mention. When we put our sour-
kraut in clean crocks, however— say crocks
holding toward a quarter of a barrel— we
had no trouble. Perhaps some of our read-
ers can help us a little.— We have Ford's
Crandall currant on our place. It has fruit-
ed this year ; but the berries are very few
in number (although the bush is large and
strong, being two years old), small in size,
none of them being much larger than our
largest cherry-currants ; and last, but not
least, we did not find them very good.
Another thing that troubled me, the bush
and fruit look almost exactly like an orna-
mental flowering currant bought some years
ago of Storrs & Harrison, Painesville, O. I
notice, however, that our neighbors, Ford
& Son, write to one of our periodicals on
gardening that the bushes seldom bear pro-
fusely until they are several years old ; and,
if I am correct, the yield of fruit does not
seem to be uniform on different bushes.

Ours was on very rich ground, and has made
a very rank growth. Perhaps it will do
better when it gets older. Let us not be in
haste to condemn new things.

HOW TO TELL WHEN WATERMELONS ARE RIPE.

I see in Gleanings for September 15 that Mr. M.
L. Benedict, of Crete, Neb., wishes some one to tell
how to know a ripe watermelon by sight; and as I
consider myself an expert at this 1 will try to do so.
My first crop was in 1874, when I had two acres of
melons, weighing from 20 to 60 lbs., that lay so
close together that a man could have walked in
any direction and stepped only on melons. I then
knew of noway of telliDg a ripe melon but by
thumping, so 1 thumped till I wore the nails off all
my fingers to the "quick," and was compelled to
stop that method. I then had recourse to sight;
and, either from instructions from others or my
own observations, I have found the following indi-
cations good in the order named:

1. There grows on the vine at the joint, where the
stem of the melon joins it, a tendril. When this
dies it indicates ripeness.

2. There also grows at the same point a little
rounded leaf that we call the "ear." When this
dies, it more certainly indicates ripeness.

3. Turn the melon up and notice if any change
has taken place in the shade of the part next to
the ground. A slight yellowness indicates ripe-
ness.

4. The upper surface becomes a little rusty, and
changes its shade a little, just a little, about the
difference there is between milk that has "set"
and that which is fresh, when the melon ripens.

This is the indication upon which I mostly rely;
and so expert have I become in its use that I can go
into a field with three or four assistants and point
out ripe melons faster than they can pull them. I
can also tell pretty closely the degree of ripeness,
so as to be able to pull them a day or two before
they are ripe, and get them to market at just the
right time.

Of course, there are variations, such as differ-
ence in varieties, soils, seasons, climate, and dis-
eases of the vine, that experience alone can make
us understand. W. H. Greer.

Paris, Tenn., Sept. 23, 1889.

Thanks, friend G. I think you are about
correct in the matter.

THE JESSIE STRAWBERRY, AND ITS

ADAPTABILITY TO GREENHOUSE

CULTURE, ETC.

The Experiment Station, Columbus, O.,
in their July report, state as follows :

Jessie— (perfect). The present season is the
first in which the Jessie has not been entirely satis-
factory here. It seemed to be less vigorous and less
fruitful than in former seasons. It is much more
fruitful than Cumberland and Sharpless, but less
so than Bubach. It takes first rank in appearance
and quality of fruit, hence is valuable for amateurs
and those who grow for home use only. As a
market variety it is not without value, and is es-
pecially useful to plant with pistillate sorts. Mr.
Farnsworth says: "Jessie is not a success with us—
not productive enough." It proved to be the best
for forcing of any variety tested, maturing quite as
fine berries under glass as out of doors.

The last sentence is quite an interesting
one to us here : for while we have not much
ambition to produce strawberries in the win-
ter time, if we can, by the use of sash in the
spring, get them a few weeks earlier, it may

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

829

open a business that will compete success-
fully with that of shipping berries from the
South.

Here is something from a friend, right in
a line with the abuve :

A runner blossomed the last of August. In Sep-
tember, toward the last, it bore about eight or ten
good-sized berries. Perhaps you can start some
fall berries. Who knows, in these times?

Wm. C. Holmes.

Amity, Dekalb Co., Mo.. Sept. 27, 1S89.

This reminds me that our friend Dan
White, of New London, Ohio, who raises
strawberries on a considerable scale, as well
as honey, informed me a short time ago that
he had several runners that put forth blos-
soms, and bore fruit in the fall. Now, will
our experiment stations or somebody else
tell us what is necessary to make the Jessie
do so every time V Who knows but that we
can have strawberries here in the fall
months as well as in California and Oregon ?

TESTING NEW VARIETIES OF STRAWBER-
RIES AS THEY COME UP.

A word in regard to new strawberries in
general. The Rural New-Yorker people say
they have been for years testing every new
variety that made its appearance. Some
seasons the new berries that claimed won-
derful things amounted to even 50 or 75 ;
but after years of patient testing they have
not a whole dozen worthy of being retained.
The probability is, that this work must
still be repeated for years to come. The
strawberries recommended ten years ago,
that are still under cultivation, are very few.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly.

-a.. I. BOOT,

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

2v£EDIlT^7 OHIO.

«0*~«0»— —

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

!•-•—:-

For Clubbing Bates, Se6 First Page of Keading Matter.

IS/dHEZDIIfcT-a-, 0<3rT. 15, 1889.

As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden eaus-
eth the thing's that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord
God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before
all the nations.— Isa. 61: 11.

THE OREGON EVERBEARING STRAWBERRY.

A good many of the friends have complained of
the way in which the advertiser of these plants has
used them. By the way, I will explain that our
friend Seth Winquist is a boy of only 20 years of age;
and when our friends learn that, I believe they will
have a little more charity. You remember, that,
when he first sent out the advertisement, I suggest-
ed that the price was too low. Our young friend
soon found it out. Most of us, however, would have
filled orders, even at a considerable loss, until an-
other advertisement could appear, correcting the
price. Our young friend, however, thinking it al-
was s fair and honorable to return the money, chose
the latter plan; hut so many orders were sent him
that he was obliged to have printed circulars, pay

all postage, and do all the corresponding, for noth-
ing. It was unfortunate for htm to put the price so
low to start with; but very likely as he grows in
years he will also grow in judgment and wisdom.
1 think we can excuse him, can we not, even if his
large advance in price does savor somewhat of
speculation?

ANOTHER BEE-BOOK FROM GERMANY.

We have just received from C. A. Schwetschke &
Son, of Brunswick, Germany, a book devoted en-
tirely to apicultural carpentry. The pages are
10 x V, printed on fine calendered paper. This first
number of the whole work contains 38 pictures of
hives and out-apiaries and honey-houses. First we
have, for instance, a most superb cut of the entire
house or hive, as the case may be, and then a front
sectional view, a side sectional view, and then the
ground plan. The cuts show every piece used in the
construction of the house, and its exact length,
breadth, and thickness; in fact, the cuts give a bet-
ter idea of the construction of the buildings than a
personal inspection could possibly do. The typo-
graphy of the book is of the very highest rank, and
the entire work only increases our admiration for
the scrupulous care and artistic eye of our German
friends. All bee-keepers who can read German will
find this work of great value, even in the construc-
tion of honey-houses of different shape from those
represented. The work sells at 25 cts. a number,
which is remarkably cheap. It is printed where
Gravenhorst's book was, in Brunswick.

TOO MANY REMEDIES FOR FOUL BROOD.

There are remedies for foul brood almost with-
out number. One claims that coffee is a sure cure;
another that coal oil is the remedy; still another be-
smears his affected combs with a solution of sul-
phur, and he avers, that, since then, he has had no
more trouble. The truth is, that, just as soon as
Brown finds out that there is something irregular
with the brood in one of his hives, he jumps at the
conclusion that he must have foul brood. He
straightway daubs the combs with a mixture of his
own "get up." Eureka! it's a success! He must
needs go and publish it in some bee-journal. Of
course, he did not stop to consider whether the lit-
tle irregularity in the brood would have got well
any way; much less, whether he had the real dis-
ease in the first place. There may be some reason
in using a remedy that is a well-known antiseptic
or a germicide; but when a foul-brood mixture is
neither, and has no science nor even common
sense to back it, it is the height of folly for yon to
fuss with it. It is well enough for scientists to ex-
periment with a remedy; but a beekeeper who
owns a hundred or even a less number of colonies
can not afford to ri6k his whole apiary. Don't try
any thing else than the starvation plan, or, in isolat-
ed cases, complete extermination. Iht se are svre.

The above was written by Ernest. I heartily in-
dorse it; and 1 should say that the same system of
reasoning should be applied to remedies for dis-
eases that afflict the human family.

GIVING IT TO THE EDITORS.

One of our subscribers, Mr. J. M. Harris, seeing
the comb-honey business maligned in the usual way
in the shape of a clipping from Harper's Bazar, in
his own paper, the Cedartown Standard, after show-
ing the impossibility of the thing, called upon the
editor, and the result of it was that Mr. Harris

830

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULT [TEE.

UCT.

wrote an article refuting it. After showing the
impossibility of the thing, he winds up as follows :

My friends, do you believe such a thing can be
done? "Well, Mr. Bazar said so, and we have no
right to dispute it." But that is not the question.
Do you believe such a thing can be done? "Well,
we may not believe it, still we are not responsible
for a sentiment copied from another paper." If
you were called into court to testify, you would not
be allowed to repeat the sayings of others, but
would be required to tell what you know about it.
Now, my friends, what do you know about artificial
honey-comb filled with artificial (glucose or sugar
syrup) honey?

Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, offered $ 1000 four
or five years ago for proof of artificial comb honey.
Not taken yet.

Now, what I am trying to do is to show you that I
think you are not justifiable in repeating what oth-
ers have testified against a neighbor unless you
have some grounds for believing the assertion is
true. There are some people who try to make an
honest living, and it matters not what their busi-
ness is, if it is honorable.

If apiculture is not an honorable calling, but is
made a pretense of to defraud the public, then it
should be suppressed. On the other hand, if it is
right for a man to keep bees for the purpose of
producing a beautiful, nutritious, and healthy food,
I think the man engaged in it should not be accus-
ed of being a fraud, without evidence to prove the
fact. J. M. Harris.

Good, friend H. ! Let others go and do likewise, if
they have a county paper in their midst that has
published the usual slander.

NORTHWESTERN BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTION.

I have just returned from a two-days' session of
the above convention in Chicago, just as we go to
press. The attendance was quite good, and we had
an exceedingly pleasant and profitable time, fur-
ther particulars of which will appear in next issue.

BEAUTIFUL OCTOBER.

I hardly know why it is, but October of late
years is getting to have wonderful charms for me.
Some have said, that, inasmuch as it heralds decay
and death to a large part of the vegetable world, it
is a dismal month; but not so to me. May be it is
because of the spirit of that little hymn I have re-
ferred to elsewhere— "Nearer my home." And I
rather think, too, that it is because of the thought
that centers in the little text, " Not to be minister^
ed unto, but to minister." We have just had a co-
pious rain. The sun is now shining brightly, and
the rich mellow earth over the plant-beds is just in
trim to dig and rake up fine; and the thought of
getting outdoors and making things grow during
these October days fairly makes my heart bound;
and sometimes I feel like shouting for joy and
praise. I do not know but 1 should feel ashamed
of myself a little, to think that a man within a few
days of being fifty years old should be feeling as
buoyant as a schoolboy; and it may be all the ef-
fect of that little text about ministering and being
a servant. And then the glorious thought that
comes with the consciousness of whom I am striv-
ing to serve! It is not only a glorious thing to be a
"king's daughter," but it is a grand and glorious
thing to be a king's .son," because, you know, the
son is always expected to work (minister) a little
harder than the daughter.

THE CANADIAN HONEY-PRODUCER NOT DISCON-
TINUED.

On page 809 we intimated in our letter to Dr. Ma-
son that the Canadian Honey-Produc&r had been
discontinued. This is a mistake; but I should not
have stated this in public had I not supposed that
the same had already been published in theBee-7(ii>e;

but a careful search through its files shows that I
was mistaken— that what ] had in mind was the dis-
continuance of the Queen-Breeder' 8 Journal. I re-
gret this very much. I have received from Sect.
Holtermann the following, which is no more than
right that it should be published at this time:

Brother Root:— I do not like the idea of a chance at this
late date. For example, I write for several agricultural pa-
pers, and have drawn attention to the meeting in Brantford,
and it is difficult to get c\ n \ one notified of the change. Per-
sonallj I should prefer Buffalo; hut whether at this date the
best interests of the associal on will he subserved by chang-
ing, I am inclined to doubt. R. F. HOLTBBM-ANN.

Ronvney, Ont., Oct. 12.

WHERE SHALL THE NEXT NATIONAL CONVENTION
BE HELD? A WORD FROM ONE OF THE ED-
ITORS OF THE CANADIAN BEE JOURNAL.

Since our article on page 8C9 of the present issue
was in type, we have received the following from
Mr. F. H. Macpherson, which will explain itself:

Friend Root:— I was surprised, when I received the advance

proot \ (in wen- kind enough to forward, to learn that a change
of the place of holding the coming International was being
talked of, and that the item which 1 penned for the Canadian
Bee Journal of Sept. 18 was being taken as a basis. Please take
notice that the item referred to suggested Buffalo as the
place of holding the International for 1890— not for the one
just upon us. I do not know whether it has been understood
in this «ay or not; hut if the article be read through to the
end, there should he no mistake.

I must say that I am opposed to making any change at this
late date. Dozens of Canadians have arranged to be at Brant-
ford, who will not go to Buffalo, especially those from the
eastern counties. The building in which the meeting is to be
held is spoken for, and railroad rates are about settled, while
all the other necessary arrangements are completed.

Again, tlie majority of the local Ontario associations have
appointed delegates, and these — not over-affluent societies —
have doubtless counted well the cost of sending their dele-
gates while an extra expense of $3 00 or $4.00 will probably be
the means of keeping them at home. Then, too, the Ontario
Bee keepers' Association at its last meeting passed a resolu-
tion calling "a special general meeting at Brantford, at the
same time as the International," and the president, vice-presi-
dent, and directors (15 in all) were appointed delegates.

As to the membership, Dr. Mason suggests that it is none of
our business where the meeting is held. By " our" I mean all
Canadians, outside of D. A. Jones and R. F. Holtermann. It is
a well-known fact, that the great bulk of the membership each
year comes from the vicinity where the annual meeting is
held, and Canada will not he behind in this respect. As proof
of my statement, take the Detroit convention: 68 out of 103
members were from Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario. If the asso-
ciation is international, surely Canadians have a right to an
occasional meeting. But the greatest reason of all is, that the
suggestion comes too late in the day. I trust that my writing
will not be taken as presumption, as I am not a member, but
hope to be. F. H. MACPHERSi in.

Beeton, Ont., Oct. 10, 1889.

Well, now, friend M., may be I have put my foot
in it. If so, I shall try to draw it out as gracefully
as possible. Let's see : It seems to me that your
original editorial is a little ambiguous, or, rather, it
conveys pretty directly the impression I got from
it. After mentioning the feet that you had invited
your American friends to be present at Brantford,
you insert a " by the way " clause, which seems to
be somewhat of an after-thought to the preceding.
The clause in question, and the one which gave me
the impression that you desired to change to Buffa-
lo for 1889, reads as follows: " By the way, would it
not be mere justice to place the holding cf the next
convention at Buffalo?" The underscored word is
mine. Now, the question hinges on the little word
next. I can not get any other meaning from it than
that you meant the coming convention, for the close
of this year, 1889. I do not see how the next conven-
tion could refer to the year 1890, when there is yet
a convention to be held in between now and then.
The reasons you give for holding it at Brantford
are good; but would not these delegates be willing
to pay just a little more for the sake of the privi-
lege of seeing the Falls in winter? and is it not a
fact that some of the delegates are nearer Buffalo
than Brantford? and would not the general ex-
pense be thereby somewhat equalized? I am still
in favor of Buffalo, though I am quite willing to
accede to the wishes of the majority of the mem-
bers. As Prof. Cook says, we all desire the best
good for the society. Ernest.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

835

Contents of this Number.

Alfalfa 844

Aphidie 847

Asters 860

Bees Biting Plants 858

Bees Outdoors 859

Bees, Cost of Moving 848

Bees, Getting- out of Sect's. 860

Bees, Speed of 846

Bees, Why They Die 861

Bee-escape, Reese 857

Bee-tent, Miller's 838

Brantf ord or Buffalo ? 845

( tentipede, Poison of 853

China. Bees of 853

Church Hive 861

Colony Too Large 860

Convention in Chicago... .865

Demons, Chinese 853

Doolittle's Report 839

Dooryards for Bees 838

Drone Foundation . (Q. B.) .862

Editorial 871

Extractors, Reversible 840

Fairs 849, 850

Flying, How Done 853

Grampus, Illustrated. . .849, 856
Greenhouses— All About 866

Hatchery, Manum's 845

Heads of Grain 859

Honey, Peculiar 858

Honey, To Fumigate 857

Honey, To Market 866

Hoven, or Clover Bloat 846

Idyll 860

Introducing at Once 854

Japanese Buckwheat 861

Kiln-dried Seed 846

Mating of Queens 855. 861

Out-apiaries 837

Overstocking 866

Poultry. To Feed 860

Prices, Cutting 852

Pump, To Doctor 859

Queens, Color of 859

Reports Encouraging 861

Robber-cloths 857

Scorpion, Whip 849, 856

Sections Unfinished 866

Snakes, Glass 842. 843

Snakes of the South 851

Swarming, Prevention of. 865

Top-bars, Width of 866

Van Deusen Corner 852

Zinc Excluders 866

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half onr
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. In this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
five lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

18tfdb Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange improved Hammonton
Incubator, capacity 240 eggs, new, for honey or
offers. A bargain. Finis A. Wootton,

20-21d Skilesville, Muhlenberg Co., Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange Books, Pamphlets. Pa-
pers, and other articles, new and 2d hand, for
what I need in Office, Shop, or Apiary. 21d

Christian Weckesser, Marshallville, Ohio.

TO Exchange. Free Religious Reading-Matter for
your address. Address Box 1516,
21d Fresno City, Cal.

WANTED.— To exchange Shakespeare for Miller's
Year Among the Bees, or Newman's Bees and
Honey. I also want one Hand-Wheel and one Speed
Wheel similar to cut in A B C, page 153. 21d

G. W. McGuire, Dark Ridge, Watauga Co., N. C.

W

ANTED.— To sell or exchange, 20-inch Gem pla-
ner. Has been used very little. 21d
M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch, Mich.

WANTED.— Help in a large apiary. Also an apia-
rist to take charere of an apiary. Address
21d E. Y. Terral, Cameron, Tex.

WANTED.— To sell my hive-factory and bees, or
one to take charge of the business. A good
chance for one understanding the business. For
further information write to

P. L. Viali.on, Bayou Goula, La.

g> poultry

oultry
A oultry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
TEE S. A. JONES CO., BEETON, ONTARIO, CAN.

TAKE NOTICE !

BEFORE placing your Orders for SUPPLIES,
write tor prices ou Une-Piece Bass wood Sec-
tions, Bee-Hives, Shipping-Crates, Frames, Foun-
dation, Smokers, etc. Address

R. H. SCHMIDT & CO.,
21-20db NEW LONDON, Waupaca Co., WIS.

t^Mn responding to mis uuvei u.-ciiient mention Gleanings.

FOR Folding Paper Boxes send to
21-8db A. O. CRAWFORD, S. Weymouth, Mass.

NOW READY TO SHIP!

Pedigreed Poland China Pigs from 6 to 12 weeks
old, from $8.00 to $12.00 per pair. White and Black
Ferrets, single male, $2.50; female, $3.0u; per pair,
$5.00; per trio, $7.00. White Rabbits, White and
Brown Leghorn Chickens, and Mallard Ducks, $1.00
each, either sex. Italian Bees in season, very rea-
sonable. Address N. A. KNAPP,

Rochester, Lorain Co., Ohio.

t^"ln responding to ihis advertisement mention Gleanings.

Honey Almanac for 1890.

JUST the thing ueeded to create a demand for
honey at home. Bee-keepers should scatter
it freely. It shows the uses of Honey for Medicine,
Eating, Drinking, Cooking, for making Cosmetics,
Vinegar, etc.; also uses of BEESWAX. Price 5 cts.;
100 for $2.50; 500 for $10.00; 1000 for $15.00.

THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,
21-22-23 923 & 926 W. Madison St., Chicago, 111.

0*ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

MUTH'S

HONEY -EXTK ACTOR,

SQUAKE (iLASS HONEY-JARS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &< ., &c.
PERFECTION COLD- BLAST SMOKER*.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints to
Rep-KeeDers." (Mention Gleanings.) Hfrib

No. 1, $2.00; No. 2, $1.75; No. 3, $1.50 I Knile
No. 4, 1.25: No. 5, 1.00; No. 6, 65 | $1.15

On receipt of the above price

SMOKERS and KNIVES

will be sent postpaid. Descriptive
circulars will be sent on receipt of re-
quest card.

Bingham & Hetherington Smokers
and Knives are staple tools, and have
been used ten years without com-
plaint, and are the only stovewood
burning clear-smoke bee-smokers; no
going out, no vexation. Address

BINGHAM & HETHERINGTON, Abronia, Mich.

Mention Gleanings. 19 21-23d

A Four-Color Label for Only 75
Cts. Per Thousand !

Just think of it ! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either "comb" or " extract-
ed " before the word " honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand; 50 cts. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is 2i4 x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and
many other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio.

836

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Nov.

JI0NEY (J0MOT.

CITY MARKETS.
Cincinnati.— Honey.— There is a quiet but steady
market tor choice white comb honey at 14@16in the
jobbing way. Demand is fair from consumers and
manufacturers for extracted honey. It brings 5@8
on arrival. Beeswax is steady, and in good demand
at 80<§ 22 on arrival, for good to choice yellow.
Chas. F. Muth & Son,
Oct. 21. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Albany.— Honey.— Honey market easier under
freer receipts, but we have no overstock as yet, and
receipts in good shape and order sell well. Small-
sized combs unglassed take the preference. 1-lb.
white, 14@16; 2-lb white, 13@14; mixed, 12@13; 1-lb.
buckwheat, 12@12H, 2-lb. ll@ll^. Extracted, dark,
6; light, ril/2@sy2. H. R. Wright,

Oct. 11. Albany, N. Y.

Boston.— Honey*— Our honey market is in fairly
good condition, but we are getting a little surplus of
odd marks from Western New York, Michigan, and
Wisconsin, and itjs not arriving in very good con-
dition and is very hard to sell. We quote fancy
1-lb. combs at 16@17; fair at 14®15; 21b. combs at
15@16. Extracted at 8@9. No beeswax on hand.

Oct. 21. Blake & Ripley,

Boston, Mass.

Columbus.— Honey.— Our market is in about the
same condition as at last report. Only a strictly
first-class article meets with any sale at 14@15.
Earle Clickenger,

Oct. 21. Columbus, Ohio.

St. Louis.— Honey.— No change to note since our
last. Beeswax.— Prime beeswax, 22.

D. G.Tutt Gro. Co.,
Oct. 31. • St. Louis, Mo.

Detroit.— Honey.— The supply of comb honey is
fully up to the demand, and selling quite freely at
]3@15. Extracted, K@,9 in a small way. Beeswax.—
23@24. M.H. Hunt,

Oct. 22. Bell Branch, Mich.

For Sale.— 60 lbs. A No. 1 orange-bloom honey
in square cans, $5.00; 8 c per lb. in barrels of 360 lbs.
Samples sent on application.

Model B. Hive Co., W. Phila.

For Sale. -2000 1-lb. sections, 14 in case. Every
section I guarantee strictly "gilt-edge." No finer
honey can be produced. 15c per lb. Choice ex-
tracted, 50-lb. buckets, 7&c; 60-lb. screw-cap cans, 8c,
f. o. b. H. L. Graham, Letts, la.

For Sale.— 2000 lbs. of nice heartsease honey, in
1-lb. sections, 24 lb. cases, delivered free on board
cars at Dixon, in good order, at lVAc per lb. This
is nice honey, of good flavor and fair color.

E. Baer, Dixon, Lee Co., 111.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant 1-lb. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can; 2 cans
in 1 box, $9.60. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

For Sale.— I have 2000 lbs. of No. 1 white-clover
extracted honey. Will crate and put on cars at9 cts.
per lb. in 2-gal. tin cans or waxed barrel.

George Brigp.s, New Sharon, la.

For Sale.— I still have about 4000 lbs. choice ex-
tracted white-clover honey. I have also about as
much nice Spanish-needle honey which, I consider
as fine as the best goldenrod. Write me for price
list. Emil J. Haxtek, Nauvoo, Han. Co., 111.

•-'ltfdb

HOME

EMPLOYMENT. — A Ci E N T S

wanted everywhere, forthe HOME
JOURNAL— a grand family paper
at $1 a year. Big cash premiums.
Sample Free. THOS. G. NEWMAN & SON,
923 & 925 West Madison Street, - CHICAGO, ILLS.

BEE-KEEPERS and FRUIT-GROWERS,

Send for my price list of

BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES AND STRAWBERRY - PLANTS.

Twenty-tive varieties to select from.

Address F.W.LAMM,

BOX 106, SOMERVILLE, - - BUTLER CO., OHIO.

18-23db

Special Reduction for 30 Days.

To reduce our stock of glass tumblers and pails,
we offer a special reduction for orders during this
month only, and to those who order from this no-
tice. Having an extra stock of packages of 100, we
offer 10 per cent off on these, and 5 per cent on bar-
rels. The following is the list as it appears in our
price list.

Glass Tumbler. Screw-top Pail. Oaken Bucket Pail.

Nos. 788 and

TABLE OF PRICES— NO CHARGE FOR PACKAGES.

Please order by number and name, and give price.

Ca pac Price. — Ban-els

Number and Name. ity. Ea. 10.

No. 788, K-lb. tumbl

No. 789. one-pound tumbler

Nos. 788 and 789, nested

No. 775, K-lb- screw-top glass pail. . 11 oz.
No. 776, small pound screw-top pail 14 oz. 5 | 42
No. 777, large pound screw-top pail 17 oz.
No. 778, 1}<-Ib. screw-top glass pail. 24 oz.
J^-lb. Oaken Bucket pail.. 10 oz
1-lb. Oaken Bucket pail 16 oz.

We want the room where these are stored, for
other goods; and rather than move them we offer
this reduction. Remember, 10 per cent on packages
of 100, and 5 per cent on barrels, and no other dis-
counts apply in addition to these.

-A.. I. ROOT, lyledina. O-

100 No.

2.50 I860J6 30

3 00 200 5 20

ft. 25 200 9 00

3.50 250 7.30

3.75 200 6.60

4.75 150 C 60

6 00 100 6 00

:; ,.i 200 6 60

4.30 llSOl 6.10

NOW IS THE TIME

FOR MARKETING HONEY, AND NEW YORK
IS A GOOD MARKET.

We make liberal advances in CASH on consignments, sell quick- '
ly at highest obtainable market prices, and pay the net proceeds

IMMEDIATELY after honey has been sold. We charge for com-
mission and GUARANTEE of payment, five per cent. Ship by
freight to F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

122 Water Street, New York.

Vol. XVXI.

NOV. 1, 1889,

No. 21.

TERMS
2 0

SRMS: $1.00 Per annum, in Advance; ") J? <,4- ri~hl i qTi o rl 7TJ IX 7% r*,clur
Copies for$1.90; 3 for$2.75; 5 for $4.00; -C/«S LU/Ul/l/O flitsU/ VIV J. O i <J • | than!
or more, 75 cts. each. Single num- I published semi-monthly by -j Hi|;8

r. 5ets. Additions to clubs maybe f Hies

\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

Clubs to different postofflces, not less

90 cts. each. Sent postpaid in the

and Canadas. To all other coun-

of the Universal Postal Union. 18

per year extra. To all countries

not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO. (XVIII.

HARVESTING.

'HEN extracting at an out-apiary it would be
very convenient to have a house in which
to extract, as you have been used to doing,
perhaps, at home. Very likely, however,
you will conclude that the inconvenience
to the people will be more than the convenience to
you. In a good season you may find little difficulty
in extracting in the open air. But if you are not
an old hand at the business, I warn you to be very
careful about getting the bees to robbing. If a sin-
gle bee gets a load from one of your combs you are
likely to get into trouble. Have robber-cloths, and
keep every thing you can covered up. If today
you get along all right, with no appearance of rob-
bing, try it the same way next time, only be sure to
set your extractor in a different place, for in the in-
terim some bees may have had a taste of the drip-
pings that you left in the old place, and will be on
the lookout for more. Have plenty of water, and
keep every thing clean. Remember it's only when
bees are busy gathering, that you can extract in
the open air, and sometimes they gather only in
the forenoon. Possibly it may not be wise for you
to attempt extracting at all, without cover, unless
you are a very careful person; and, no matter how
careful you are, it is only sometimes that you can
be safe to operate outdoors. At all other times you
can use a tent, even if you do feel cramped for
room. Perhaps you think I lay more stress on the
danger of robbing than I should. I hardly think
so, for it is even more important at out-apiaries
than at home. At home, if the bees get to robbing
when you are nearly through work in the after-
noon, you can stop and finish the job the next
morning; but you can't work that way when you
are running several apiaries. Besides, it's worse to
start robbing where other people live.

In harvesting comb honey at an out-apiary, allow
me to suggest that it is quite important that you
should be careful not to get robbing started, espe-
cially toward the close of the season. Oftentimes
you will do well to manage quite differently from
the home plan. It may be you find several supers
of sections (remember, when I say super it may
contain wide frames or what not), ready to come
off just before you are through your day's work,
and you are quite anxious to take them home with
you. Give the super a heavy smoking before tak-
ing it off the hive, so as to drive down all the young
bees; then after the super is taken off, one hand
can make a steady application of smoke while the
other plies the brush. Another way is this: After
taking the super from the hive, having given it the
smoking first spoken of, put it on the top of an-
other super that is to be taken off, say on No. 21.
In the same way you can pile them on No. 21 till it
is as high or higher than your head, so you must
get something to stand on to get at the upper one.
When all are piled up in this way, load your smoker
for business and play away on the top without a
moment's cessation, driving the smoke down into
every opening, and after a little while an assistant
can take off this upper super with not a bee in it.
But the smoker must keep at work while this super
is being taken off, playing away on the one next
under it, which has already been strongly affected
by the smoke driven through the upper one; and
by the time the assistant has disposed of the upper
super, the next will be ready to come off, and so on.
When you get down to the last one that is to be tak-
en off, the bees will probably not all leave it so
readily; and if you have another pile ready to take
off, it may be best to put this last super on the next
pile. Instead of putting the pile on a hive you
may think best to start it on the ground. Usually,
however, it is best to make these piles on hives and
leave them till the next day you come. Then in the

838

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

morning drive down the bees tolerably clean, make
a pile of supers on the ground, a hive-cover or
something of the sort under them, and put on top
of the pile one of the little tents already described
in Gleanings.

DR. MILLER'S ARRANGEMENT FOR GETTING BEES
OUT OF SUPERS.

Make as many of these piles as the number of
your little tents will allow; for the higher the pile,
the slower your bees will be in getting out. Go
through the apiary and take off all that are ready,
and put them in piles under the little tents, and by
the time you are ready to go in the afternoon all
will be clear. If any supers are taken off so late in
the day that there is not time enough for the bees
to get out, put them in piles on hives, and take
them off the first thing when you go next time.
Look out not to start the bees to robbing when put-
ting your load on the wagon. If the bottom of
your wagon-box is not bee-tight, lay cloths or news-
papers on it, so no bee can get up from below, and
keep every thing on the wagon covered up all the
while with robber-cloths, tarpaulin, buffalo robe,
or something of the kind. If, in spite of all your
precaution, the bees are pretty thick about the
wagon, after the load is on, draw it some distance
by hand, hitch on with a jerk, and start.

Marengo, 111. C. C. Miller.

No, doctor, you do not lay a bit too much
stress on this matter of robbing. It is al-
most the only thing I am afraid of when I
see new hands start in bee-keeping. Get-
ting stung themselves, and learning some
bitter lessons from sad experience, is a
small matter comparatively, when we think
of annoying the whole neighborhood.
Again and again have I heard people de-
clare they hate bees, and do not want to
get within a mile of them, simply because
somebody had left some honey around, or
had left a hive open. Of course, the great
outside world do not stop to reflect that the
special annoyance may be only temporary.
They take it for granted that'.bees are al-
ways vicious, and that their sole delight is

in inflicting pain on everybody around,
without sense or reason.— There, doctor,
there is another thing you did not show me
when I made my visit. I did not see one of
those little bee-tents.

DOOEYAKDS FOB THE BEES.

FRIEND boardman gives us some sensible
hints in the matter.

u

T>, get a shovel and come here, and I'll tell
you about a job I've been thinking of
I^Y this morning."

■™™ The creaking of the foot-power grind-
stone about a minute later told that Ed
had anticipated the nature of the work I had been
thinking about, and was sharpening the shovel
ready to begin.

"All ready! Well, now, I have been thinking
about making some nice dooryards for the bees, in
front of each hive, by removing the turf, or sur-
face dirt, a little, just enough to make a smooth
hard surface, and get below the grass roots so it
will not grow again this season. About two feet
square, I think, will be about right. There are a
great many bees, in returning from the fields, that
fall short in their flight, and drop down in the bee-
yard in front of their hives, and sometimes at a con-
siderable distance from home, and they depend up-
on walking in somewhat as A. I. Root does some-
times on his return from a bee-keepers' conven-
tion, when he fails to make connection, and gets
dropped out five or ten miles from the Home of
the Honey-bees.

"The number that fall short in their homeward
flights is much greater during a honey-flow where
they come home heavily laden. It is then, too,
that their time is most valuable. Of course, the
time of an individual bee is very insignificant. It
would not balance the scales one way or the other
in the weight of a large honey crop, which is, after
all, made up entirely of little tiny drops brought
in by individual bees. I have often watched them
when falling down in this way in the grass, and
have seen them struggle and scramble along over
the innumerable obstructions in their way. Even
though the grass is short and smooth, they spend a
great deal of time, and make very slow progress.
This kind of work looks like very poor economy for
the bee-keeper, and it is."

Now, Mr. Editor, when you get left a few miles
from home, with business pressing, and you are
anxious to get home with as little delay as possi-
ble, and decide to push on with the power nature
has provided you with, does the kind of roads you
have before you make any difference with you? I
dare say it is the very first thing you think of.
"How is the road?" more than probable you in-
quire. Now, suppose, instead of a smooth even
road, you were dropped in some dismal swamp or
jungle or windfall that you had to scramble
through the whole distance. You would then be in
much the same plight as is the tired bee that falls
in the grass.

"There, now, Ed, that looks about right. I think
I shall like that. I have tried almost every plan I
could think of to keep the space in front of the
hives in shape to accommodate the little fellows.
I have not yet been quite satisfied with any of the
plans I have tried. I have cut the grass, scalded it
with hot water, salted it, have put ashes and vari-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

835)

ous other things upon it to keep it down. I have
used sawdust about the hives; I have even strewn
salt lightly over the yard to induce the cow and
horse to feed it down, which they very soon learn-
ed to do at night, when the bees would not molest
them. This plan, as simple as it may seem, has
much to recommend it when it is convenient to
practice it. It is worthy of a trial. Don't think
your hives will be all upset. Your cow or horse
will learn to be as careful about the hives as any
one doing the same work. I have had sheep turned
in to one of my out-apiaries at different times for
several years. They are the most reckless of any
animals I have ever tried among the hives, even
more so than hogs. A sheep seems never satisfied
to keep away from the bees. The hog needs only
one lesson.

"Now, Ed, I'll go over to the office and get the
mail. I shall not be gone long, as I am interested
in the work just begun in the bee-yard.

"Why, this isn't going to be a very long job.
You have got 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, done already. How
much better that will be for the bees that fall in
front of the hive thanfjrass! How nice it would
be to have the yard peeled all over just that way !
Just wait a moment. I am half decided to have
you make a clean job of it. To be sure, it will be
quite a job; but there is no work particularly ur-
gent at present, and I've long wanted to make this
yard a model. Just you begin over there at the
corner, between those two rows of hives, and see
how much work it will be, and how it will look. I
shall be back in a moment, as soon as I can take a
look at the new mammoth wax-extractor. I de-
clare! if we don't get different weather, there won't
be sunshine enough to test it this summer. There
has been nearly two weeks now that the wax has
not melted enough to run. At this rate the moth
worms will eat up all of my combs before they can
be melted out. I will just wheel it out between the
buildings in that open space, where the sun shines
stronger." H. R. Boardman.

East Townsend, Huron Co., O.

Old friend, you have hit me exactly in the
above. I have studied and experimented,
and I am sure it pays to have a good door-
yard ; but it is a harder matter than you
think, to make one that will be permanent.
It is not a very big job to take a sharp shov-
el and go over the apiary, say once in two
weeks, in the growing season ; but some
way there are very few who do it. Sawdust
is objectionable, as has been explained.
White sand does better, but the weeds grow
up through it. Not long ago I suggested
sawed flagging. For our locality, pieces,
say 15 x 20 or 18 x 21 would not cost very
much. I think, however, that slate would
be still cheaper, but the latter would be in
danger of breaking if a heavy man like Doo-
litile and some of the rest should step on
them ; and I believe I would rather have
the sawed flagging besides. Will some one
who is in the quarry business please tell us
about what it would cost ? We will also
make inquiries. Yes, friend B., it does
make a difference with me whether I have a
good road to walk on or not ; and I think
more about it now since I am getting well
along in years than I used to. From the
creek garden to the house there is a nice,
smooth, well-trodden path, but it has a

good many windings. A great many times,
when weary, I ask mjself which I shall do
—take a straight line ior the house, over the
soft ground, or go nearly twice as far to fol-
low the hard well-trodden path. I believe
it tires me less to take the longer route ; and
I am sure it is very poor economy to make
our bees travel or take wing again when
they fall around the entrances. Through
California and Wisconsin I watched the
apiaries to see what provision had been
made for an alighting-place. A good many
used boards ; but by far the greater part did
nothing at all ; and where an apiary was lit-
erally choked up with weeds and brush, I
knew beforehand that the owner would tell
that it " did't pay expenses." I don't be-
lieve I like cows or horses in an apiary, and
I am sure I do not like rabbits, as friend
Fradenburg has advised. The greatest trou-
ble wdth rabbits is, that there are soon too
many of them. I hope you will tell us more
about that mammoth wax- extractor.

^ i ^

DOOLITTLE'S REPORT FOR 1889.

giving; the dark side.

TTp BEE-KEEPING neighbor happened in a few
SMI' days a§'0' ai1^' *n speaking of the poorness

0K'' of the season, he said: " You will not report
-^2** this season, I. suppose, owing to the light
crop of honey which you have; for I notice
that there are not many who go into print with a
report unless they have a very large crop." I told
him I should give my report again this year the
same as I always had, for I did not consider it the
fair thing for a bee-keeper to do, to tell of his
large yields only, and then censure the editors of
our bee-publications for giving only the "bright
side " of apiculture, as some have been known to
do, when bee-keepers gave only the largest yields,
withholding a report at all other times. Only as
reverses are reported equally with the large yields,
can we get a true idea of the value there is in api-
culture as a pursuit; and he who purposely with-
holds the dark side of any matter must be consider-
ed one who would purposely deceive. I am glad to
know, however, that the most of those who report
for our bee-papers are generally willing to give the
dark as well as the bright side of bee-keeping.

The season of 1889 has been a peculiar one. The
month of March, which, as a rule, is the most
rough and unpleasant month of the whole year, in
this locality proved'to be the most calm and pleas-
ant of any we have had so far, considering the
time of year. This gave the bees which were out-
doors an early start; and as April continued nearly
as fine, high hopes were entertained for the season
of 1889 as a honey year. Very few cold storms oc-
curred up to May 20, at which time the bees had so
advanced that some of the stronger colonies were
thinking about swarming, they having queen-cells
started while the weaker ones were fully as good
as the strongest are usually at this season of the
year. But, alas! the shortness of human vision is
such that it can not foretell what the season will
turn out to be; hence, right in the midst of our
hij.'-h hopes came the most disastrous weather for
the bees that I ever experienced; for on May 20th
came a cold rainstorm which kept the bees in their
hives for a whole week, at the end of which it froze
so hard that the bees in the smaller colonies were

840

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

obliged to contract to such an extent that much of
the brood perished, while all of the colonies ceased
breeding pretty much entirely. This weather con-
tinued to a greater or less extent together with
much rain till June 12th, at which time the pros-
pect of a honey crop was nearly ruined; for all
know that it is the bees which hatch from the eggs
laid by the queen about 37 days before the honey
harvest, which procure the crop, if we are to have
any. As our basswood (which is our main honey
crop) blooms about July 10th, it will be seen that
this almost entire absence of brood from May 20th
to June 12th took away the bees which should have
been the gatherers of our honey, so that, no mat-
ter how good the weather might have been during
basswood, it would be impossible to secure a full
crop. June 12th there came better weather, and
the bees (which by this time were broodless, and
many of them nearly honeyless) went to the fields
to work with a will. The rainy weather had
brought on the white clover so that there was a
greater show of bloom than we usually have; and
could it have come off dry at this time we might
have obtained more than usual from this source;
but as the weather still continued wet, little more
was obtained than enough to feed the brood, which
now multiplied very rapidly. The early spring
brought out the basswood bloom earlier than usual,
so that the flowers on the earliest trees opened on
the 4th of July, but the bees did not seem to notice
them much if any till nearly a week later. They
now began to gather honey quite rapidly; in fact,
they came in as heavily loaded as I have ever seen
them, dropping short of the hive, and tumbling
about in every direction, as they always do when
getting honey very fast; but when it came to their
storing it in the hives and sections, very slow work
indeed was made, owing to the fewness of the la-
borers, and also to the thinness of the nectar, this
last being caused by its raining nearly every day at
some period during each 2-1 hours. The basswood
bloom lasted for about three weeks, at the end of
which time teasel gave a little honey for a week or
so, when the honey season from flowers was over
for 1889, for of late years we get no honey from
buckwheat or fall bloom.

I now took off all of the sections, and found that
the bees did not have half enough honey in the
brood-apartment of the hive to winter them; for,
owing to the slow way honey had come in, brooding
had been kept up to a much greater extent than
usual during July. 1 saw nothing ahead but feed-
ing for winter, till about the 28th of August, when
the bees appeared to be at work on something,
enough to keep them from robbing, the yield in-
creasing, till on September 1st they again dropped
about the hives nearly as much as they did during
basswood bloom. An investigation of the matter
proved that this honey came from the leaves of the
oak, elm, and hickory trees, growing in a large
piece of woods about V/2 miles distant, this being
the first honey-dew honey ever obtained by my
bees during the period of 20 years which I have
kept bees. From this source, which lasted for
about 12 days, the bees filled up their hives so that
they had enough to winter on; and although I have
some fears regarding how they will come out next
spring, I have concluded to let them chance it,
rather than go through the work of extracting, and
feeding high-priced sugar.

After my sales of bees and queens in early

spring, I found \ had 26 colonies left to begin the
season with, and from these I obtained an increase
of 18 colonies, which, with 4 colonies made by
doubling up nuclei, gives me 48 to go into winter
with. Besides the increase, I obtained 651 lbs. of
comb honey and 103 pounds of extracted, or 754 in
all, from the 26 colonies in the spring. This gives
an average of 29 pounds to each colony, which is
the lightest yield I ever obtained, if my memory
serves me right. The comb honey I have shipped
on commission, which is being sold at 17 cts. per
pound. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Oct. 21, 1889.

I suppose we are not to understand, friend
D., that 754 pounds was your sole income
for the season's work. Quite likely your
sale of bees and queens amounted to a good
deal more than that sum. I presume we
are to understand that the 26 colonies you
mention were worked solely for honey, and
did not furnish bees and queens to fill or-
ders during the summer time. If so, then
you certainly have had an exceedingly poor
season ; and, by the way, while I recom-
mend selling bees and queens where the op-
portunity offers, as well as honey and wax,
I feel pretty certain also that a traffic in
bees and queens is pretty sure to interfere
more or less with the best results in the
way of honey. Where one has a large apia-
ry or out-apiaries, however, very likely it
would not pay him to fuss with the bee and
queen trade at all, on the principle that it is
better to do one thing well than to try to do
too many things.

HONEY-EXTBACTOES.

THEIR CONSTRUCTION ; THE REVERSIBLE EX-
TRACTORS IN PARTICULAR.

.TpTAVING tried nearly all kinds of extractors,
^1^1 from the most primitive two-comb up to an
JkI eight-comb reversible, I think my experience
"*■**• might be of some value to anyone contem-
plating the purchase or manufacture of anew
machine. My first extractor consisted of two tin
boxes, each the length of my hive, 4 in. deeper and
4 in. wider, fastened to a wooden frame about 18 in.
apart, with an axle in the center between the two
cans, and a crank on top. Each can had a piece of
coarse wire cloth, the size of the frame across the
center of the can lengthwise, to keep the comb
from the outside, and a screw cap on the bottom to
let the honey out. I drew off the honey into milk-
pans, and poured it through a cheese-cloth strainer
into a barrel. Yes, and 1 believe 1 had more en-
thusiasm when running that thing, and extracting
200 or 300 pounds per day, than I have now with the
best kind of an outfit, and extracting 2000 or 3000
lbs. per day.

I next tried a Novice. As most of you know its
good and bad qualities, I will not mention them.

The next was a four-comb reversible. I found
this a great improvement over the non-reversible,
not only in saving time, but in saving combs; for
with the former the comb sometimes presses into
the wire cloth when you extract the first side; and,
if tender, will often pull out of the frame when you
pull it loose; but with the latter, the centrifugal
force pulls evenly on the whole comb until it comes
loose, and combs are very seldom broken.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

841

Next my neighbor, Mr. Dudley, had a six-comb
reversible made, with a ring- around the axle, and a
small chain running- from the ring to the out end
of each basket. The idea was, to pull up on the
ring and make all the baskets turn at once; but it
did not work. The baskets hit each other, and be-
came tangled almost every time you tried to re-
verse it; so he took the chains off and reversed the
baskets one at a time. Then my father-in-law, Mr.
Wilkin, wanted an eight-comb reversible, and con-
cluded to build it himself if I would help. I did so,
and we put up probably the first eight-comb ex-
tractor in the country; but the baskets had to be
reversed one at a time. We found that it required
more force to throw the honey out when the combs
made a large circle than it did when the circle was
smaller, and the machine made the work harder
than a four-comb. To illustrate: When I was a boy
we made what we called a " whirligig " by boring a
hole in the center of a plank and placing it on a
post about three feet high, and driving a pin down

m'intyre's reversible extractor.
through the hole in the plank into a hole in the top
of the post. One boy would get on each end of the
plank, and a third would push it around; if the
plank was short, the boy pushing could make the
other boys fly off the end of the plank in spite of all
they could do to hang on; but if the plank was
long, he could not throw them off. After trying all
sizes up to eight combs, I would take a four-comb
in preference to any other size, at the same price.

Then Mr. Stanley came out with his patent auto-
matic reversible. My neighbor, Mr. Kenney, has
one, and it is a well-made machine, but it is not
quite so handy to put the combs in and take them
out as it is when the side of the comb is toward you,
and the baskets often hit each other in reversing.

Next Mr. Squire, of Santa Barbara, Cal., came
out with a very simple arrangement for reversing
the comb-baskets all at once. He made some hard-
wood wheels, about three inches in diameter, with
two grooves around the edge, and fastened them
securely on the axles of the comb-baskets; then
put a screw in the edge of each wheel between the
grooves, directly under the basket; then a wire was
passed from one wheel to another, going around
each wheel once. When it came to the screw it was
wound around that to keep it from slipping. This
acted like a belt; and when one basket was turned,
all turned.

Mr. Hugh Warring, of this county, improved Mr.
Squires' extractor by making the main axle loose,
putting another wheel on it and passing the wire
around this wheel also, which enabled the operator
to reverse the comb-baskets without touching them
by Simply reversing the crank. This extractor
worked well; the comb-baskets would reverse easi-
ly, and never touch each other; but the strain of
stopping and starting all came on the wire, which
would often break and give the bee-keeper the
bother of having to stop and put another on.

One night, while thinking of this extractor, the
idea popped into my head how to make an extract-
or without either wire or wood wheels, that would
work the same as this one. Next morning I made a
wooden model to^see how it would work. The model
worked beautifully, and some of my friends advis-
ed me to get it patented. I said, " No, I will never
be a patent-right vender, and T don't want to go in-
to the manufacturing business; besides, I have
been greatly benefited by the ideas of others; and
if some one should be benefited by my idea it will
not grieve me a particle." But I wanted an ex-
tractor made that way, so I took the model down to
Ventura and told the tinner I would let him have it
on condition that, if he made the extractors to sell,
he should give me one of them. When I took out
the model and gave it a few turns, he said, " When
do you want your extractor?" He made and sold
them with the Stanley standing beside them. Most
customers took mine because they reversed so
much easier and nicer, and the baskets never
touched each other, although Stanley's was much
better made. The idea that struck me was to turn
each basket from the center axle by means of a
small lever running out on the arm that supports
the basket. The frame that holds the baskets is
loose on the center axle, but supported on the same
by a collar shrunk on near the lower end. I inclose
a drawing of the reversing gear, which will help to
make it clear. The wheel in the middle is keyed
fast to the main axle. The little half-wheels on the
outside are fastened securely to the axle of the
baskets. They should be two inches in diameter,
and the one in the center four inches. The levers
between, with the cogs on each end, should be
malleable cast, and have a little hub in the middle
where the pivot comes up through that they turn
on. They vary in length according to the width of
the comb to be extracted. As the gear stands in
the diagram, the comb-baskets would be pointing
to the center, or standing directly over the levers,
and their inner edge should come about even with
the edge of the middle wheel. J. F. McIntyre.

Fillmore, Cal., Sept. 2, 1889.

Friend M., you are perhaps aware that I
made the first metal honey-extractor in the
world— at least so far as T know. For sev-

842

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

eral years I was constantly experimenting on
different distances from the center-shaft, also
with an extractor to be turned with a crank
directly on top of the shaft, instead of being
connected with gearing ; with extractors to
hold three or four frames instead of two ;
extractors to be run by power applied to the
bottom and on top ; with a belt or strap to
unwiLd, etc. Now, it is a little encourag-
ing to know that my experiments agree al-
most exactly with yours. At first we made
our Langstroth-frame extractors with the
combs on end, standing quite near the
shaft, that we might use a can of tin
made of a certain size and thus get the ex-
tractor up cheaply. After we had made and
sold a good many of these, however, I had
an opinion that a larger can, with combs
further away, would give better results ; but
as they cost more, I did not make many of
them. I was somewhat surprised, however,
to find that a four-frame extractor did not
throw out the honey better, and also that it
can not be started and stopped as quickly as
the old-style two-frame extractors. After I
had been making them some years, Gray
and Winder, Murphy, Peabody, and others,
made extractors where the can revolved in-
stead of the frame. I decided at once that
all these were a mistake. I did, however,
test them quite extensively. The Peabody
was so neat looking and so substantial, I in-
vested in half a dozen of them ; but they
were so much more laborious, compared with
our light cheap extractors, that they were
soon laid aside. Now, then, whenever you
revolve four combs, or get your two combs
too far away from the center - shaft, or
whenever you revolve a heavy frame to hold
combs, you make a blunder. The arrange-
ment that holds the combs while they are
revolving should be just as light as is con-
sistent with strength ; and I do believe that
an expert, with a two-frame extractor, will
throw out more honey than an expert with
any of the great big heavy machines. There
is, of course, a saving of time in having a
reversible extractor ; but I should have this
made just as light as possible ; and I would
have the combs as near the shaft as possible.
Your point in regard to breaking combs be-
cause they sink into the wire cloth, I am
sure does not apply to any of the extractors
we make. If the wire against where the
combs rest is of the proper size of mesh, and
supported as all of ours are, no such trou-
ble will be experienced. Very thick honey
may make it a little more difficult ; but we
have had no such complaint for a good
many years. After the comb has been
forced into the wire cloth by turning harder
than need be, a reversing "device will pull
the comb off, perhaps better than you can
get it loose by hand. But very heavy combs
and very thick honey should be extracted
gradually — that is, throw out a part of the
honey, then reverse, and finally finish the
side you extracted from first. I saw a good
many reversible extractors while 1 was in
California, but I do not remember of seeing
the device you illustrate. May be I saw it
and forgot it, because I examined a great
many ingenious devices in a very short time.
I think very likely your idea of toothed

gearing is as simple as anything that can
be devised. Is it not more trouble, how-
ever, to put in and take out the combs with
any reversible extractor? Now in regard to
t he Stanley reversible extractors: I do not
believe I found a bee-keeper in any of my
travels who is now using one of them. If
there is any apiarist among our readers who
extracts honey by the ton, year after year,
who uses a Stanley extractor, let us hear
from him. I do not wish to discourage the
use of these— I simply want the facts.

THE GLASS-SNAKE.

HOW IT BREAKS IN TWO.

§0 many reports in regard to these
strange reptiles have come in, that we
have not space for them all. We have,
however, decided to give place to the
following :

Friend Boot:— We don't exactly see the connec-
tion between "jinted snaix " and queen-bees; but
having- had some experience with this marvel of
nature on the points for which you inquire, we take
pleasure in adding our mite to your store of infor-
mation. It was some years ago, when we were the
"boy bee-keeper" of Hawkinsville, Ga., that, while
out gunning one morning, we found a snake in the
grass (literally) about 18 inches long. We set the
gun-stock down on him, and the snake broke in
two, thus discovering he was of the much-beard-of
jointed kind. We amused ourselves in seeing how
badly he could be broken up. We piled the re-
mains on top of a pine stump, and returned to the
scene about 10 p. m. We had probably killed him to
too dead for a resuscitation. The pieces were all
there, but warmth and vitality had fled.

We witnessed one night, only a few weeks ago,
from a second-story window, what seemed the
rather peculiar antics of a small gray fox that had
wandered into the front yard. The animal appear-
ed to be having a lively frolic all to himself in the
moonlight. Suddenly he ceased, gazed carefully
about him, and then stole quietly away. The next
morning, such a snake as Mr. E. Mclntyre describ-
ed on page 77V was found where the sport ended.
He was still intact, but his head had been " chaw-
ed." Should another specimen fall into our hands
we will send it to Prof. Cook, for the tail is not
"horny substance," and differs little, apparently,
from any other snake's tail, beyond the body prop-
er, except that it breaks readily anywhere the blow
falls— at every joint of the vertebra.

We do not agree that the tail is or should of ne-
cessity be similar to the rattles of the rattlesnake,
or devoid of life in itself, as there is told us of a
lizard in portions of Africa and Australia that pos-
sesses the property not only of having its tail broken
off without injury, but can even discard the same at
pleasure when pursued. This tail retains its vitali-
ty for some while, and is usually active for several
minutes. The pursuer, being attracted by the dis-
carded member, the lizard scampers off and a new
ta'l grows out.

As to the queen and drone of the honey-bees act-
ing similar to Prof. Cook's observations on the bum-
ble bee, we think there can be little question, as
the drone must necessarily become powerless after
copulation, before the queen finally succeeds in ex-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

843

tricating herself. The drone's weight would then
bear the queen down ; but if this were not the case,
she could not pull loose without some resistance to
pull against. This resistance would be afforded by
falling with the drone to some surface, and there
getting rid of him, after the manner practiced by
the bumble bee.

As our bees can fly out almost any time here, we
are arranging to make a series of experiments con-
cerning the question as to whether the drones from
a mismated queen are the pure children of the
mother only. We have always been one of the
doubters. We will send you the bees if we gather
any evidence; at any rate, we will report progress
if desired. C. Ryan Mitchal.

Ocala, Fla., Oct. 7, 1889.

THE JOINT SNAKES MADE OF FLESH AND BLOOD,
AND NOT OF A BONY SUBSTANCE.

I read in October Gleanings, p. 777, about joint
snakes. You said that the part that broke off was a
bony substance, without life or motion. Now, I
think you are mistaken. I have killed quite a
number of them in Iowa; and where they broke in
two the body was composed of flesh. They do not
unite after being broken; but if only a short piece
is broken from the tail, the snake will live minus
the piece. If you had been' in California during
the summer you could have seen " swifts," a small
animal much like the lizard. It has four feet, and a
long tapering tail. Now, if you should catch him
by the tail, or strike the tail with a whip, off it
comes, and it will show signs of life by wiggling
about for some time. Now, this tail is not bony,
but flesh and muscles. P. A. Bliss.

Duarte, Cal., Oct. 11, 1889.

JOINT, or grass snakes, a reality.

I have seen numbers of them. There is no hard,
horny substance about them except the head, and
possibly small scales. It may be that they are
mostly tail, as is stated by Mr. Mclntyre. I can't
say; but I do know that they snap in two almost as
readily as a glass tube, seeming tougher as they
near the head. I have broken them in many
pieces, and they remain so until decomposed. They
show no blood, as we understand blood, when bro-
ken, but I have sometimes noticed a colorless,
sticky exudation from the broken parts. The joint,
grass, or glass snake, is a reality. 1 have seen him
many times, and he is quite pretty. Ordinarily he
would be called a garter snake, but he certainly is
not. J. M. Shuck.

Des Moines, la., Oct. 5, 1889.

THE GLASS, OR JOINT SNAKE ; HOW IT BREAKS.

Mr. E. Mclntyre, in Gleanings, page 777, gives a
good description of the glass-snake, except the
length of the body part and the shape of the break
joint. I captured one in Kansas, a few miles south-
west of Emporia, and carried it to the house to
show to those who had never seen such a snake.
There I studied the anatomy of the reptile. It was
about 2 feet long, about % tail, which I broke in
short pieces, and put them together. The break
showed 3 dovetails on each piece— pointed, or miter
shaped, as smooth as if done with a carpenter's
chisel. The dovetails were about % of an inch long.
I wrote a description, and sent a drawing of the
dovetailed or miter^break to my sister, Mrs. Laura
Henderson, in Pennsylvania. The short miter-
shaped muscles were used in propelling the snake,

and looked nicer to eat than the interior of an oys-
ter. There was no horny substance except the
skin. D. Tyrrell, M. D.

Toulon, 111., Oct. 7, L889.

You say you broke the snake apart and
put it together again. Now, that is just
the point I want to know about. If you put
that snake together so he went off alive, tail
and all, then I shall say again, that truth is
a great deal more wonderful than fiction.
I suppose, of course, that this glass-snake
does not have a skin as snakes usually do.
If so, how can he let his skin tear apart?
Of course, you did not make that part
" hitch " when you put him together again,
did you? Here comes Prof. Cook to our aid:

Dear Friend Rout:

I have already anticipated Mr. E. J. Baird's re-
quest, and sent an illustrated description of the
whip scorpion, or "black grampus." I believe
still, that the only harm that this animal can do is
by its bite. Is Mr. Baird's account of the anal
poisoning and switching any thing more than hear-
say?

Now, friend Root, why did you not speak, when
here, and I would have shown you those brittle
snakes? There are two in our museum— the " blind
worm," of Europe, which is really no snake at all,
but a legless lizard, and the glass-snake of the
South— Ophisaurux ventralis, which is also really a
legless lizard. When these are alarmed they make
their muscles rigid, and this breaks off their tails.
All lizards, when caught, are apt to lose their tails
in this way. Thus a person who runs a museum of
lizards really needs to go into the retailing business.
You see, then, that such animals do not break
apart— they only lose their tails. I should like very
much if some of my Southern friends would send
me two or three of these glass-snakes. I will pay
for all trouble and expense. T have several fine
specimens from readers of Gleanings, received of
late. I assure you that they are appreciated.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

Why, friend Cook, I should most assured-
ly have asked to see the glass-snake had I
known you had one in the museum. With
the number of testimonies furnished it
wonld seem as though I ought to be satis-
fled, and yet I am not. The mystery to me
is this: Call it a legless lizard, or whatever
you choose, these tails are a part of the
body, and must grow as the body does.
Now, how could they grow without veins
and arteries?

Since the above was put in type, we have
received the following from Prof. Koons, of
the Connecticut Agricultural School. As it
corroborates the statements of Prof. Cook,
and also gives us some additional very in-
teresting information, we take pleasure in
giving it to our readers, as we close the sub-
ject, at least for the time being:

Bio. Root:— I have been not a little interested in
Mr. B.'s and Mr. Mcl.'s references to the grass-
snake, in Gleanings for Oct. 1st. It is not a snake
at all, but a retrograde lizard without feet, and is
more commonly known as the glass-snake, so called
because the vertebise of the tail are so loosely ar-
ticulated that they part at the slightest blow.
Among scientists it is a well-known object of nat-
ural history, called by them Ophisawus centralis.

844

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

St inhabits the warmer parts of America, and is
usually regarded as a snake by the masses, because
of its general resemblance to that animal; yet on
account of its structure it is clearly classified
among: the lizards. For example, snakes have no
true eyelids; but this and other lizards have. Also
the skeletel differences about the heads of snakes
and lizards are clearly marked; and thus an extend-
ed list of characters can be given, which ally it to
the lizards, and remove it from among the snakes,
notwithstanding its general"1 resemblance to the
latter. This glass-snake inhabits the drier local-
ities, where it often burrows in the ground, and is a
harmless little creature. Bro. Mcl.'s discovery,
that three or four inches of the head is all the body
there is, is explained by the fact that it is a little
lizard with a very long tail. There is an erroneous
opinion somewhat common, that the pieces of the
tail, after being broken off, often join the body
again. This false notion is explained by the fact
that in this, as in many of the lower forms of ani-
mals, lost parts soon grow out again. Starfish fur-
nish frequent illustrations of this quality, as it is a
daily occurrence to find them with one arm gone,
but a small arm growing out to take the place of
the lost member. I have one in my collection that
had lost four of the arms, and the one remaining
was reproducing the four lost members. The lob-
ster also often furnishes marked illustrations of
this ability to reproduce lost parts. A few years
since, when engaged with others in marine re-
searches under the auspices of the TJ. S. Govern-
ment, we had in an aquarium one day a dilapidated
old veteran lobster which looked as though he was
the "lone survivor of many deadly conflicts." He
had one very small broken leg, one broken claw,
one stub of an antenna three-fourths of an inch
long, and his tail damaged. Upon shedding his
skin, as all Crustacea (the lobster and crab group)
do periodically, he came out perfectly whole, anten-
na, claw, leg, and tail, as good as new, and doubtless
he was ready for the next "scrimmage" in Lob-
stertown. Prof. B. F. Koons.

Storrs, Ct., Oct. 7, 1889.

ALFALFA.

HOW THAT 20,000 LBS. OF HONEY WAS SECURED.

fOtJ ask me to tell you and the readers of
Gleanings how I made that 30,000 lbs. of
honey from 190 colonies, spring count. I
should have made double that amount if it
had been a good season, but we have some
drawbacks; viz., 1. I moved my bees three miles in
March after they had commenced to swarm; 2.
When the honey season should have commenced,
the army-worm ate all the bloom from the alfalfa
as fast as it came, so that the first crop of alfalfa
produced no honey, and we had to depend on the
wild flowers for our first crop; but the second and
third crops were good; the fourth was destroyed by
a small grasshopper not much larger than a ilea;
but he was active, and destroyed the bloom as fast
as it appeared ; hence there was no honey from this
source. The fifth crop is fair, and we are now tak-
ing it as fast as we can; and if nothing interferes
we shall probably get ;i00 five-gallon can6 more, all
from alfalfa. The season has been so poor we have
saved only about 85 or 90 swarms from 190 colonies."
Now, friend Root, thig honey was all made from

alfalfa, and other;kindred plants that werte depend-
ent upon irrigation for their existence. As before
stated, I moved m.vjbees in March, three miles, to a
location where they would have;il % sections of al-
falfa within one mile of the apiary; but in one
mile another man sat down with 200 colonies, be-
sides severai'small apiaries of 25 to 30 colonies; 2\b
miles north, an apiary of 200 hives; 3 miles N. W.,
an apiary of 300 colonies, so you see if my bees
could have had it all to themselves they would have
doubled the yield. Another„drawback was that 1
had an inexperienced man to take care of them on
shares. I think if I had had a good man he would
have succeeded better, notwithstanding all our
drawbacks. Why, it sometimes took him two
weeks to go through one time and extract all the
honey; and when the honey-flow is good they will
fill their hives in five days. One season I extract*
ed every third or. fourth" day alternately, and they
yielded me 485 lbs. to the hive, spring count, and
they will do it again when properly cared for. I
want a good and experienced bee-keeper to come
and take my bees on shares, and by that means it
will be very profitable to us both. I hope by this
means to succeed in getting a good man to come
and go into the business where it pays.
Tempe, Ariz., Sept. 17, 1889. J. L. Gregg.

Your communication is of more value,
perhaps, than you are aware of. For years
we have been asking for a report in regard
to a honey-crop produced entirely from ar-
tificial pasturage, or, in other words, we
have asked if there was in existence an
area of cultivated plants that would furnish
stores right through the season, for a whole
apiary. Now, your report tills the bill for
an apiary of 190 colonies — yes, more too.
You say other apiaries also made good re-
sults from this one field of artificial pas-
turage, for, of course, alfalfa was unknown
until the country was settled. I am so
much interested in your report that I feel a
strong inclination to make a trip clear to
Arizona to see the thing done. Please tell
us if you get large yields of honey every sea-
son from alfalfa. If you depend on irriga-
tion, why should it not be a fixed fact every
year ? It is true, that army-worms and in-
sects may spoil the crop ; but when you talk
about your fifth crop in a single season it
seems to me you must be pretty near the
bee-keeper's paradise. You spoke of an al-
falfa held covering 11 i-sections— or, if I am
correct, 1760 acres. I did not know there
were 1760 acres, all in one piece, in honey-
bearing plants, on the face of the earth —
that is, cultivated acres ; and this is not
only cultivated, but irrigated. Why did not
some one tell me there was such a state of
affairs, when I made my recent trip to Cali-
fornia V Besides, my youngest brother is
near neighbor to you, if I am correct. Now,
I wish that both of you would give me a
longer letter of particulars. How often is
alfalfa irrigated? Do they cover the
ground with water as they do in California V
What is the land, crop and all, worth per
acre ? With your warm climate, and no
winter, what is to hinder having a steady
flow of honey constantly the whole year
through ? for it would be an easy matter to
have the alfalfa come so as to give constant
bloom at least one part at a time. Can't you

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

845

answer for us that difficult question as to
how many acres of honey-plants it takes to
keep, say, 100 colonies of bees fairly em-
ployed ?

BBANTPORD OR BUFFALO- WHICH,
FOH THE NEXT. N. A B. K. A.?

dr. miller Argues in favor of buffalo.

T HAVE just read what is said in Gleanings
Mr about the next convention. I am not just
W sure at this instant what its proper name is,
■*■ but I am sure it is not " International." In
spite of any preparations that have been based
on its being held at Brantford, I believe that more
good than harm would be done by changing to Buf-
falo. Reasons for this have been already given in
Gleanings and in the A. B. J. Without looking
the matter up, I do not know whether it would cost
me more or less to go to Buffalo; but 1 know I
would rather pay more, and go to Buffalo. 1 sus-
pect many others feel the same way, both in Cana-
da and in the IT. S. Secretary Holtermann says,
" Personally I should prefer Buffalo;" and is it not
possible that so many others feel the same way
that a larger number from Canada alone would go
to Buffalo than to Brantford? It may be said,
" Brantford this year, Buffalo next." If the con-
vention is held at Brantford this year, would it be
right to hold it 70 miles distant the next year? If
it moves only 70 miles per annum, especially when
so far to the north, I am afraid it will lose what
little right it has to be called any thing but a local
society, which right is none too great at best; for,
as friend Macpherson says, " It is a well-known
fact, that the great bulk of the membership each
year comes from the vicinity where the annual
meeting is held." So, change from Brantford to
Buffalo this year, if enough favor it; but don't talk
about holding it a second year within a distance of
a hundred miles, unless you want to kill it outright.
Marengo, 111., Oct. 19, 1889. C. C. Miller.

Thanks, doctor, for what you say. I had
begun to feel as if I had wasted a good deal
of "wind" for nothing, and, besides, had
put the Canadians to no little annoyance.
If I had not supposed that the Canadian
Bee Journal had first urged such a change,
the matter would never have been brought
up. I still think that an outside at-
traction such as the Falls would very ma-
terially increase the attendance held at Buf-
falo. It makes our pocket-books feel a lit-
tle better if, having invested so much, we
can go to a bee-convention, and see one of
the wonders of the world at the same time.
It is on the principle of killing two birds
with one stone. Many of us feel, when
bee- journals cover the ground usually trav-
ersed at conventions, that it is a good deal
to pay out for hand-shaking and apicultu-
ral fellowship, much as we value it. But if we
can " take in " something else on the same
car-fare, this money is gladly paid out. As
I said before, I reiterate again : I would a
good deal rather attend a national conven-
tion with a large attendance with some inter-
ruptions, than one poorly attended, with no
interruptions. Still, for all that, I presume
Mr. Newman's advice in the American Bee
Journal of Oct. 16, that the matter be drop-
ped where it is, is wise.

Later.— The last Canadian Bee Journal ha.8
just come to hand, and I find that it would
not be according to the constitution of the
society to change at this time. For this and
other reasons, it were better that the mat-
ter be dismissed at once, and that, in the
language of Bio. Newman, we labor faith-
fully to make the convention at Brantford a
successful and interesting occasion. While
I regret my action in the matter, I believe
that the association will prolit materially in
the "extra advertising.'1 It was with the
best of intentions toward the Canadians
that I proposed, or rather, as I thought,
seconded the change to Buffalo. I did not
for one moment doubt their interest in the
association or their ability to give a right
royal reception to the bee-keepers of the
United States. If I carelessly interpreted
Macpherson's original editorial, which per-
haps I did, I beg pardon. I think too much
of the rosy-faced, robust, large-hearted Ca-
nucks to merit their ill will. Ernest.

MANUM'S NURSERY, OR QUEEN-
HATCHERY.

FURTHER EXPLANATION, WITH AN ILLUSTRATION.

fHE engraving of my little queen-cell protect-
or that appears in Gleanings, Aug. 1, page
629, has caused so many to write me, asking
all about it — its ^size, cost, usefulness,
whether a success, where it can be obtained,
etc., besides the many samples called for— that I
have thought best to give the readers of Glean-
ings a full description of the cage and nursery as T
use it, that every one may make his own if he
wishes.

^rr3

-mljiliil.il ..ill

MANUM'S QUEEN-NURSERIES READY FOR HIVE.

The accompanying cut of nursery will perhaps ex-
plain itself better, than words from me. I use a
half-depth frame for convenience. It will be seen
that this frame holds 16 cages. A full-size Simplici-
ty frame will hold 36 cages by having them made Vs
shorter than those I use; but I should prefer to cut
the frame down, and have only 3 rows, or 24 cages,
as I find it convenient to have one nursery to con-
tain cells of a certain stage of advancement, and
another with cells of another age; and as I breed
from queens in different apiaries, I like to have
each set of cells in a nursery by themselves; hence
I have a number of these nurseries in use.

THE CAGE, OR PROTBCTOH.

This is a simple wooden box that I have made for
this purpose. It is '2M inches long by If wide, by 1
inch deep, outside meas-ure. The top end of the
box is % narrower than the bottom, to allow the

846

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

wire-cloth cover— or slide— to slide into the grooves
made in the edges of the side pieces. I have
thought of making them with wire-cloth bottom—
or back— hut I hardly think it necessary, the box
bei n s stronger as it is. The slide is made of wire
cloth cut a little wider and longer than the size of
the box. A piece of tin, the proper size, is used as
a form to turn the edges of the cloth, that it may
slide in the grooves easier than the raw edge
would; and, besides, the slides keep their shape bet-
ter by having folded edges.

The hooks which hold the cells in place are
made by cutting tin points from a strip of tin %
wide. A representation of these points may be
seen in Gleanings for Aug. 1, page 639. With the
point of a pocket-knife, an incision is made in the
center of the top end, and the tin point is driven
through into the box, and the point bent up to
form a hook on which the queen-cell is hung by the
upper end of the cell; then the wire-cloth cover is
slid in place, and the cage is ready for the nursery.

These cages, or protectors, can be, furnished for
5 cts. each by mail; or just the bare box can be fur-
nished by express at $2.00 per 100. Possibly Mr.
Root can furnish them cheaper.

THE NURSERY, OR FRAME.

This is an ordinary brood-frame, with end-bars
cut shorter, so that two rows of boxes and center-
bar will just fill the space; hence the end-bars
should be l3_i long, as the center-bar is }-8 thick.
This center-bar is kept in place by fitting it into
grooves made in the end-bars— see engraving. For
a back to this frame, an ordinary tin separator may
be used. I use a wooden separator, as I have no
tin ones. I use the nursery something after the
Doolittle plan, though I place them not only in up-
per stories, but in any hive or nucleus I wish to,
whether they have a laying queen or not. I find
that the bees will not always feed the young virgin
queens in these nurseries after the honey season is
past; hence they should be watched at such times,
and fed or removed as soon as hatched. I have
hatched queens over and in full colonies for sever-
al years, and supposed everybody else did, though I
did it on a different plan from this; but this ar-
rangement suits me much better than any thing
I ever tried before.

I find that queen-excluding honey-boards are un-
necessary for this work, as I have never used them,
either for hatching queens or having queen-cells
completed after being started in other hives. I
have never had such cells torn down, nor have they
ever, to my knowledge, caused a swarm to issue.

All honor to our good friend G. M. Doolittle for
the many good points he has given us in queen-
rearing, though I have never seen his new book.

Bristol, Vt., Aug. 21, 1889. A. E. Manum.

BEES, BEANS, ETC.

WHY THOSE* BEANS DID NOT COME UP.

T SUPPOSE the beans you spoke of several times,
M> as not doing well, did not grow because they
^ll had never thoroughly ripened. I remember
when I was a boy my father always grew
beans for feed for horses and hogs. Those in-
tended for the horses were always kiln-dried, if not
harvested well, or not quite dry; damp new beans
bein? very injurious to horses. One time, in plant-
ing for the next crop we ran short of seed. After a

good deal of argument, pro and con, the last three-
fourths of an acre was planted with kiln-dried
beans. These last were up first, produced the best
crop, and were three weeks ahead of the others at
harvest. Does not that Jook as if a seed must be
dry, to be ripe?

THE CLOVER BLOAT.

I remember my fatherjhaving a lot of cows blown
with clover, though there was a man put to watch
them. That was in the early part of the fifties—
about 1851, I think. What impressed it on my
mind was, they got them all into the barnyard as
quickly as possible, and tied sticks in their mouths
to keep them open, and all so treated recovered
but one cow. She would not be caught, and was
driven into the barn. The floor was paved with
blue bricks, and was very slippery; and in trying to
avoid being caught, the cow slipped down and
burst.

SPEED OF BEES ; AN INTERESTING CASE.

With regard to the speed of bees in flight: Some
years ago, in England, I was out on an engine, that
we had rebuilt, during her trial trip. A bumble-
bee took a fancy to investigate us, and after look-
ing us over on all sides it commenced making a cir-
cle around the smokestack, varying from one foot
to three feet from it. He seemed to do it with the
greatest ease, for several minutes, and then left us,
to find himself six or eight miles from where he
first joined us. We were going close on to sixty
miles an hour. How fast was the bee going, when
circling around the smoke-stack?

TO GET WAX OFF FROM UTENSILS.

The best way I know to get wax off from any
kind of vessel is to warm them so as to soften the
wax a little, then get some clean sawdust, and a
coarse rag, and it's just fun to get it off. A tea-
spoonful each of soot and lime will be plenty to test
for ammonia. Geo. E. Hailes.

Lytle,Tex., Sept. 20, 1889.

Friend H., you have given us several
things of a great deal of value. The result
of that experiment with the beans corrobo-
rates exactly the experiment 1 gave, of
planting beans just as soon as they were of
full size, but not dry. Now, is there not
here a point for our experiment stations to
settle? Will our good friend W. J. Green
please tell us whether garden seeds are all
of them better to be kiln-driedV Since you
suggest it, friend H., I recall quite a number
ofinstances that seemed to indicate that
seeds must be thoroughly dried, as well as
thoroughly ripened. Our garden seeds are
in a room warmed by steam, and so near one
of the radiators that I have sometimes
feared they would get so exceedingly dry it
might be hard to moisten them up quick
enough to have them start real early in the
spring. Your fact, however, indicates that
they are just right as they are.— I am glad
to have you corroborate the remedy recently
given for clover bloat.— If a bumble-bee flies
considerably more than a mile a minute,
how fast may a honey-bee go if it tries ?
Surely it can get ahead of its big country
cousin.— If lime causes soot to give off am-
monia, then soot is, without question, valu-
able for manure. I know it has been many
times recommended, but I was slow to ac-
cept it, because I could not see any reason
why. Will friend Green also tell what he
knows about the value of soot as a manure ?

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

84?

APHID^E-EQQS AND NO EGGS.

ABE THEHE ANY INSECTS WHICH REPRODUCE

THEIK SPECIES WITHOUT EGGS ?

TN Gleanings of April 1st, page 265, Prof. Cook
iff has a short article on house-flies. In it he
W says; " House Hies do not breed in winter, and
"*■ all insects come from eggs." And, again, at
the close of the article he reiterates the latter
statement: "All insects come from eggs," and
adds: "Any observations that seem to contradict
these statements need to be repeated."

I agree with him in regard to what he say s about
house-flies; but when he says that " M insects come
from eggs " it seems to me that that statement is a
little " too sweeping." I always had the idea that
they all came from eggs, until within the last year
or two, when my own personal observation forced
me to come to the conclusion that there must be
some exceptions to that rule. In studying the sub-
ject to find out what others thought, I found some
items which I think might prove as interesting to
others as they have to me.

Here is an extract from Zell's Cyclopedia, in re-
gard to the particular family of insects which I
was studying.

APHID.E.

A family of hemipterous insects which have the
body short, and furnished at the hind extremity
with two little tubes, or pores, from which exude
minute drops of a very sweet fluid, called honey-
dew, which is eagerly sought after by ants. The
genus Aphis, or plant-lice, inhabit all kinds of
plants, the leaves and softer portions being often
completely covered with them. The Aphis hamuli,
or hop-fly. is in some years very destructive to the
crop; and it is to this cause that the variations of
the hop-crop, from year to year, are mainly due.
The young are hatched in the spring, and soon
come to maturity; and, what is remarkable, the
whole brood consists of wingless females; and,
what is still more remarkable, these females bring-
forth living- young, each female producing 15 or 20
in a day. These young are also wingless females,
and at maturity bring forth living young, which
are also all wingless females; and in this way brood
after brood is produced, even to the 14th genera-
tion, in a single season, and this without the ap-
pearance of a male. But the last brood in autumn
contains both males and females, which at length
have wings, pair, stock the plants with eggs, and
then perish. Reaumur has proved that a single
aphis, in five generations, may become the primo-
genitor of about six thousand millions of descend-
ants."

Reaumur was a French philosopher, a member of
the Academy of Sciences, a distinguished inventor,
and the author of " Memoirs Illustrating the Histo-
ry of Insects." He died in 1757. According to this
account of the aphis, these insects are produced
from eggs, and also produce young in a living state ;
the latter more than the former, and in multitudes.
Those of us who have plants, and know from per-
sonal experience what a pest these " little var-
mints " are; how rapidly they increase, and how al-
most impossible it is to get rid of them, are quite
willing to believe that they do not wait to be hatch-
ed, but come in battalions, ready for work. You
can take a clean plant, one that you know is not in-
fested, and place half a dozen of these wingless fe-
males on it; then set it away where it will not come
in contact with other plants, and do not disturb it
for a few days. If you examine it in two or three
days I think you will be surprised at the swarms of
aphis, of various sizes, which you will find. If you
have the same experience we have had, you will
And them ranging in size from the smallest speci-
men imaginable, up to those fully grown. Look at

your plant daily, and you will find young insects
the first day, and every day.
Ipava, 111. Anna B Quil-lin.

The above was sent to Prof. Cook, who
replies as follows :

At. I, INSECTS COME FROM EGGS.

I have read Miss A. B. Quillin's interesting com-
munication, with no small interest. The tints
which she gives are indeed facts, but they do not
warrant her conclusions, as I will show. It will be
profitable right here to describe not only the three
kinds of sexual reproduction, but also the three
kinds of reproduction.

The first kind of reproduction, called reproduc-
tion by fission, is simply division. The animal
breaks apart, and, presto! there are two animals in
lieu of one. This is the only reproduction in the
lowest branch of animals, like the curious amoeba
—the one-celled animals, or the protozoa. R« pro-
duction by fission is al60 confined to the lower
branches of the animal kingdom, though in all but
the protozoa it is attended with other kinds or
modes of increase. Thus, the beautiful fresh-water
hydra, though it reproduces by both the other
styles of reproduction, yet if, even byaccidetit.it
be cut in two, or even sliced up, each part becomes
a perfect animal.

The second kind of reproduction is by gemma-
tion, or budding. A bud develops on the side of
the animal, finally drops off, and there is a second
animal. Gemmation is also confined to the lower
branches of animals. It is well illustrated in coral
animals, or polyps. It is always attended with
sexual reproduction, and sometimes with ti;sion.

Sexual reproduction is reproduction from eggs.
Sometimes these eggs develop with no outside viv-
ifying influence. This is parthen< genesis, or aga-
mic reproduction — reproduction without males.
Usually the eggs must receive si erm-cells— must
be impregnated, or they come to naught. The eggs
are produced in special organs — ovaries — and the
sperm-cells in other special organs known as testes.
In some cases these two kinds of organs exist in
the same animal, and we call such an animal monoe-
cious, or a hermaphrodite. Usually— always among
insects and vertebrates — the sex organs are in dis-
tinct individuals, and we call such animals bisexu-
al, or dioecious. Even animals as high as snails
and angleworms are hermaphrodites. Often the
highest animals like some insects appear to be both
male and female. This, however, is only superfi-
cial. The animal is really either male or female.

Now, while all higher life, even to man, comes
from eggs, this appears not to be the case; and it is
not strange that our good friend thought I had
overstated the matter. There are three kinds of
sexual animals. First, the oviparous. These ani-
mals lay eggs which develop outside the mother
animal, from nutriment contained mainly in the
egg substance. Most insects, fish, reptiles, and all
birds, are oviparous.

Second, the ovoviviparous. These animals differ
from the oviparous only in that the eggs hatch in-
side the mother, and so the young are brought
forth alive, and not as eggs. The nutriment, us be-
fore, comes from the substance stored in the egg.
Here we find the plant-lice referred to, which are
also agamic, the sheep-ticks, several two-winged
Hies, sharks, and some snakes.

Lastly we have viviparous animals, which in-
clude man and nearly all mammals— there are two

848

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

exceptions among' Australian mammals. These two
are oviparous. In these animals the eggs hatch
within the mother, and furnish but a very small
part of the nourishment for the embryo, or pre-
natal animal. In this case a curious and very vas-
cular organ brings the blood of the mother and foe-
tus, or jet unborn, in close contact, and thus the
foetus gets blood, oxygen, and whatever is necessa-
ry to its growth and development. Thus we can
say in truth that all insects, vertebrates, and many
other animals, come from eggs. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

My good friends, I am exceedingly obliged
to both of you. Our good friend Anna
Quillin explains what 1 have alluded to on
another page in regard to the green rly ; but
I confess that I was never aware that they
multiplied at such an enormous rate. Why,
it is almost fearful to contemplate. Your
explanation gives us a glimpse of the won-
derful intricacy and complexity of your
chosen line of work — entomology. If I ever
had an inclination to think that I knew
pretty much all there is to be known in that
branch of science, your answer has
thoroughly cured me, and it makes me feel
like taking a very low and humble seat
while I repeat the words of the Psalmist,
" How manifold are thy works, O Lord ! in
wisdom hast thou made them all.1'

THE COST OF MOVING BEES.

THE RAMBLER REPLIES TO DOOLITTLE, ON PAGE
666.

fHE Rambler read Bro. Doolittle's article in
Gleanings for Aug. 15, p. 666, on the cost of
moving bees, and was placidly happy to see
Dr. Mason get punched in such fine style.
" Why, yes," said we; " what a preposterous
idea for a doctor to advance!" No wonder he is
baldbeaded. We wonder if he runs loose, and
boards in a schoolhouse, as the boys say. Well, we
smiled along down the column until the Rambler
was hit. We " riz right up," shook our fist in the
air, and, said we, " It's an outrageous imputation.
We never said we could prepare a swarm, load it,
go five miles, unload, unprepare it, all in four min-
utes. What does Doolittle take us for— a telegraph,
a telephone, or a streak of greased lightning?"

After this effervescence we calmed down, and
finally grasped the situation. We immediately
leaned back in our chair, put our feet on top of the
bureau, and went into a clairvoyant condition, and
saw Bro. D. prepare a swarm lor moving. First he
got a milking-stool and calmly sat down by the side
of a bee-hive; then that little ornamental pile of
stones was carefully laid on a newspaper (wonder
if he keeps them varnished); shade-board, cover,
quilt, and several other fixings were also carefully
removed; then each frame secured, ventilation
provided, entrance closed, etc., then the milking-
stool and man were transferred to the next hive for
another half-hours' work, 25 cts. an hour. No, sir,
we wouldn't work that way for $1.00 an hour. If
we did our hair would all come out, and we should
be as baldheaded as Dr. Mason.

Now, to get a colony ready real quick, use a clos-
ed-end frame. The Rambler uses such a hive. It
is provided with a stand that can be used as a ven-
tilating-rim for wintering- or moving bees. Put on

the veil, take a smoker, an extra bottom-board and
rim, approach the hive, lay the bottom-boaid on
the ground, upper side down, place the rim upon it.
This closes the entrance. Place the hive carefully
upon the rim; pass a strong cord— several having
previously been tied in the form of a loop— around
the hive; take a few twists in it, with a stout stick,
and the job is done, and quicker than we have
been writing it. We then take up the bottom-board
and rim that have just been vacated, and proceed
to the next hive. We can fix a hive in this way in
the spring in two minutes; but if prepared in the
swarming season it would take longer; but even
then the work could be so systematized as to be
done rapidly.

Now, in answer to Bro. D.'s 25-cent-per-hour
query, I would say yes. I will work for 25 cenls per
hour in any bee-yard in the country, for one, two,
or three months; 25 cents per hour for each day of
10 hours means $65 per month. But the bee-keeper
making a specialty of the business must reckon his
pay so as to cover the entire year. At 25 cents per
hour it would amount to nearly $800. Now, I wish
to ask how many bee-keepers having 200 colonies,
and making a specialty of honey production. Lave,
during the past five years, averaged $800 per yi ar.

The Rambler's experience has been somewhat
varied. One year in the five has been an $800 year,
while the rest have been nearer $200; the average
has been nearly $400, or Y2l/2 cents per hour.

The study and close attention I have put upon the
business has but little bearing upon the wages.
My knowledge of bee-literature, anatomy, and bot-
any in all their relations to honey production will
not enable me to get a greater yield of honey than
is obtained by the illiterate man who has learned to
manipulate his colonies to advantage.

We think Bro. D. makes the mistake of ranking
bee-keeping as a profession. The professional man
knows every morning when the clock strikes the
hour for his labors to commence, just the routine
to be followed; his pay is assured, so much per
year. His study and preparation have been with
the knowledge that he is to occupy just such a po-
sition all the year round. If the institution fails,
be is sure to find a position in another.

If the professional man is a doctor, and he is
skillful, he is sure of good paying patients wher-
ever he may locate.

To be ranked as a profession, bee-keeping must
get beyond the many uncertainties that surround
it; and while I am a bee-keeper, I must be control-
led in the matter of wages by the pay I would re-
ceive by laboring for those who surround me, and
we will guarantee that 75 per cent of the bee-keep-
ers of to-day are drawn from the ranks of the
farmers; and should they give up their pursuit,
they would drop back into those ranks, accepting
the pay of a farm hand, or tilling their own farm,
as they might be favored by fortune. Even at
present the Rambler knows many bee-keepers who,
after the busy season is passed, hire out as farm
hands at $1.00 per day, and are glad to do it; and if
the seasons continue as they have for the past few
years, many not having the education for other
pursuits will have to resort to sawing wood, carry-
ing the hod, or feeding pigs.

We think Bro. D. and a few others are putting
the business of bee culture upon stilts, too high for
it. It will not bear this elevation. The great mass
of honey-producers have to work hard for small

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

849

pay; and how to lighten the labor and increase
the pay is a problem that gives much food for re-
flection to the Rxmbler.

Good friend Rambler, we might have had
an opinion that you were one of the slow
and easy sort of people, as ramblers are
quite apt to be ; but if you can fix a hive in
the way you describe, in two minutes, I
guess we shall have to give it up. Have
you timed yourself by the watch, or do you
guess it would be about a couple of min-
utes? I agree with you in regard to wages.
There is another point you have not yet
touched upon. Those who get 25 cents an
hour are usually located in the city, where
expenses are far different from what it costs
for board and lodging on a farm. Nowa-
days one is almost looked down upon if he
looks for a hotel where he can get accommo-
dations for only a dollar a day. Now, one
who has to pay about a dollar a day for
board certainly can not hire out for the
wages paid to farm laborers. The average
farmer gets board and lodging for perhaps
less than 25 cents a day, therefore he can
afford to work at a low price. Whenever I
get back from one of my trips I always feel
an additional degree of satisfaction with
both bed and board at home. We have just
what we want to eat at home, and a good
bed to sleep in. Our meals do not cost 50
cents apiece, nor does a good comfortable
bed cost half a dollar, or two dollars or more
if you take a Pullman sleeper. Give me a
farm or the suburbs of a country town,
rather than the city with all its privileges.

EXHIBITING AT FAIKS.

CORNERING UP THOSE WHO PERSIST THAT COMB

HONEY IS MANUFACTURED. AND MAKING THEM

RECANT.

|P| UR fair passed off week before last. I was
4^1 successful in capturing all the premiums
|<^J pertaining to honey and bee-keepers' sup-
^* plies, comb and extracted honey, and first
and second on display of hives and fixtures.
I had the two-story chaff hive; the one-story chaff
hive, with the Simplicity top and also without; the
Simplicity portico hive with all its combinations;
zinc queen-excluders, crates, T supers, etc. But
the greatest novelty I had on the fairground was
the extractor. It created more queer expressions
than all the other stuff I had. Some people would
call it a washing-machine; some an ice-cream freez-
er, others a machine to manufacture artificial hon-
ey, and there is just where the fun would come in
sometimes. Some would contend that artificial
comb honey could be manufactured, and then out
would come a pack of the $1000-offer cards. One
smart Alec from Iowa, who happened to be at our
fair, jumped me heavy. He said there was a man
who lived ll/2 miles from him who followed it for a
living— kept bees, though, but sold hundreds of
pounds of manufactured comb honey. I let him go
on till he got about to the right place, then I went
for him with a vim. I had a good crowd around,
and I went for him with cards, etc., till he craw-
fished clear out. 1 explained to him, with a sheet
of foundation in my hands, how it was made, its
uses, etc., till he just confessed that he believed
that was the kind of stuff the man in Iowa was

making. I have worked off a great prtjudice
against extracted honey in the last three years,
and can sell my crop of it at the price of comb —
from 15 to 520 cts. per lb. Lewis Hockett.

Fairmount, Grant Co., Ind., Oct. :i, 1889.

THE WHIP SCORPION.

PROF. COOK TELLS US SOME MORE WONDERFUL
THINGS.

Tjo SUBSCRIBER for Gleanings, S. C. Corwin,
9fX|, Sara Sota, Fla., sends me a very curious ani-

/JW mal which he wishes me to name and de-
■*=*■ scribe. This I am glad to do, and to send a
good drawing, made by one of my students,
Mr. H. B. Weed, as the animal is not only a curiosi-
ty in itself, but is very rare in the United States. I
believe this one species is all that comes within our
limit; and this is found only on our very southern
border. It is more common, I think, in Mexico.
This is the " whip
scorpion," or Thrhj-
ph o n u s giga/ntei0;
The figure gives
half the natural
size. The name
"whip scorpion " is
given because of its
long lash-like tail.
Its striking resem-
blance to the true
scorpion explains
that part of its
name. The scientif-
ic name, giganteus,
is easily explained,
and is very appro-
priate. By the eight
legs we are sure that
this belongs to the
sub-class Arachnoidea, or spider group. Its joint
ed abdomen removes it from the true spider order
and also from the mites. Its long maxillse, or pal
pi, places it with the harvestmen, false scorpions
and true scorpions, in the order Pedipalpi. Trans
lated, this word means foot-like palpi. These palpi
are the large organs just ia front of the first pair of
legs. In the true scorpions and little false scorpions
(chelifers) they present claspers, or forcep - like
pinchers, at the end. This is true in a less degree
in the whip scorpion, as is seen in the figure. Th< se
whip scorpions are easily told from true scorpions,
as the long lash-like tail takes the place of the
horn, or sting, of the true scorpion. Thus th<se
animals are harmless so far as this part of the body
is concerned, while the true scorpions can give a
poisonous sting, which is often reported fatal to
man, though it is probable that this is exaggerated.
The friend who sends this specimen asks if it be
true as stated, that the tail can do fatal damage.
This is another case like that of the tomato larva,
where man's nonsensical fear has lead to gross de-
ception. Neither the lash of this animal nor the
horn of the tomato larva is in the least harmful.
The long front legs are quite reuiarkaMe in the
whip scorpion. As will be seen in the figure, tfotse
front legs are nearly twice as long as the o;h' rs.
In this group of animals the jaws are called cheli-
cerce. In these, as in true spiders, there is a poison
apparatus connected with the chdicerw. As 1 have

s.,U

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

often stated in Gleanings, lew if any of our north-
ern spiders can injure man by their poisonous bite.
I do not know whether the same is true of this ani-
mal or not; but I suspect it may be.

Like all of the arachnoids, or spider group, this
whip scorpion has only simple eyes. Of these there
are eight. Two of the eyes are close together, far
in front, while the other six are in groups of three
each, further back and close to the side of the ce-
'phalothorax, as the head-thorax is called. This head-
thorax, unlike the abdomen, is not divided into
rings, or segments. The barvestmen (grandfather
gr;iy-beards) are the only members of this order
that are common in our Northern States. These
are the little animals with very long legs that al-
ways point toward the cows with these legs. This
is a veritable truth, as the legs point all ways.
There is one family in this order— the SuUfugiB—
which is very predaceous. One species from Cali-
fornia, which I have illustrated in my Bee Keeper's
Guide, is known to kill bees. This is a species of
Datamt .<. So far as I know, this is the only species
of the order that is specially interesting to bee-
keepers, and I doubt if that one is ever numerous
enough to do much harm. A.J.Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Oct. 7, 1889.

Old friend, it is exceedingly gratifying to
me to find that yon are read up and posted
on all these matters as fast ;ts they come up.
Even the glass-snakes, grampuses, and
scorpions, have already heen investigated by
careful, trained, and experienced intellects.

AT THE VERMONT STATE FAIR.

EDUCATING OLD FOGIES IN REGARD TO THE HON-
EY- BDSINKSS.

fS^ HIS year the Vermont State Fair Association
5ft" gave a more liberal premium on apiarian
£ products than ever before. This is due to
ihe never-tiring energy of Mr. J. H. Larra-
bee, secretary of the Vermont Bee-keepers'
Association ; consequently a larger display of hon-
ey, wax, bees, and supplies, was exhibited than I had
ever seen at our State Fair; and I must say that the
display of honey was an honor to those who made
the exhibit.

Mr. K. H. Holmes, president of the State Associa-
tion of bee-keepers, had a very tine display of both
comb and extracted honey. His comb honey in
1-lb. sections was arranged in the form of an
American Hag, representing Mr. Holmes' Red,
White, and Blue apiary. The emblem referred to
was some 8 feet long by i or 5 wide. The red
stripes were strips of wood painted red, placed at a
proper distance apart to admit 1-lb. sections, which
formed the white stripes; and in the upper corner,
sections of honey were inserted in place of stars to
represent the thirteen original States. This was
fastened to a beautiful white staff, and suspended
in the hall, over his large exhibit of comb honey in
shipping-crates, extracted honey in various styles
and sizes of glass jars and tumblers, beeswax,
foundation, bee-hive, etc.

Mr. J. H. Larrabee's display of honey was not
surpassed by any, as he had a very large assort-
ment of beautiful comb honey in various sizes and
styles of shipping-cases, which were arranged in a
very tasty and attractive manner. I have seen a
great deal of houey in the past 20 years, but I must

say that I had never seen a nicer lot of honey than
that which Mr. Larrabee had at our State Fair. He
also exhibited a fine lot of extracted honey, togeth-
er with a Stanley extractor; also smokers, uncap-
ping-knives, etc. Although the above-named arti-
cles attracted much attention, nothing seemed to
be more attractive, or call out more comments,
than did Mr. L.'s observatory hive of bees. I will
say nothing about them, further than that they
took the premium, although there were other bees
on exhibition.

Messrs. Drake & Smith had on exhibition a full
line of apiarian supplies, together with a full line
of their beautiful mailing sample boxes, which can
not be surpassed in beauty or workmanship.
These also took the first premium.

The show was a success in every respect, and I
am sure that every bee-keeper who visited the fair
must have felt proud of the display.

Your correspondent was much amused at the
comments of the people as they approached the
apiarian department, having been left in charge of
Mr. Larrabee's exhibit while he took a stroll about
the grounds; and to show you, Mr. Editor, how ig-
norant some of our Vermont people are (only Ver-
monters are so, I suppose) about bees and the bee-
business I will mention a few comments as 1 now
remember them.

First person :

" What is that in those tumblers, Mr. M.? "

" It is extracted honey."

"Is it pure honey, are yon aure'l" at the fame
time giving me a peculiar smile, signifying a
doubt.

" Yes, I'm sure that "it is."

" What is it made of? "

" The bees gathered it from basswood blossoms."

" Did the bees put it in those tumblers? "

" No, they store it in the hive, and we then ex-
tract it."

Whereupon the method of extracting was ex-
plained to a large crowd that had gathered about
us, to the entire satisfaction of the lady, who pur-
chased some of the honey— at a good price.

Second person :

" Is that real bee's honey in those jars and boxes,
sir?"

"Yes, it is."

" Well, a friend back here told me to come this
way and I would see some of the new style of hon-
ey, such as they make of sugar and starch, and I
suppose this is it. My husband keeps bees. He
has six stands; but I know that real honey is not as
white as this is; and, besides, I don't see anyplace
where the bees can get in those boxes. We get our
honey in the fall, when John kills the bees. We
live over in the east part of the State. My husband
says there is a man over here in this part some-
where that feeds his bees sugar, and makes lots of
honey."

" Do you know the man's name? "

"No, sir, I do not remember."

" Is his name Manum? "

" Oh, yes ! that is the name."

" Well, madam, that is my name, and I think I
am the man you refer to."

"Well"— with a slight blush on her face — "do
you feed sugar?"

" STes, most certainly I do, in the fall, when the
bees are short of honey for winter stores; but nev-
er for the purpose of having it 6tored in boxes, as

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

851

it would not pay to do so; and, besides, it would
not be honey; it would be nothing but sugar."

She then turned to her boy, and said:

" Here, Johnny, come here; here is the great bee-
man your father told us about. Have you written
a book on bees, sir?"

"No; I never have, nor do I intend to; but here
are some I will give you. They are published by
men who know all about bees. Here is the Ameri-
can Bee Journal, published weekly, and here is
Gleanings in Bee Culture, published twice a
month, and here are also two others, published
monthly. You may take them home to your hus-
band."

Third person; looking at a sample of foundation,
and remarking to a friend:

"Oh I 1 know what that is. It is that yellow stuff
the bees have on their legs. The bee-men make
wax of it, and weave it into this kind of cloth for
the new bees."

Fourth person, to a friend :

" Oh ! look at the wasps."

"No, Jane, they are flies, and those things are
a new kind of fly-trap. Oh, yes! I see now."

"Oh! look at that yellow stuff there. It looks
like wax."

" No, Jane, it is soap, made into large cakes to
show, and that there is also soap made into thin
sheets so we can roll it up with the clothes to boil."

Fifth person, an old farmer:

" Are you the great bee-man? is your name Ma-
num?"

" My name is Manum, and I keep bees."

"Yes; wal, I thought so, seeing all this honey and
bees. Wal, I want my boy to learn to keep bees,
fori hear you make lots of money with your bees,
so I bought the boy a hive of bees last spring, but
they have not done well this summer. He has
watched them every day, but they don't swarm.
That's why he did not come to the fair. He is at
home watching the bees. They are all on the out-
side of the hive. It is so full of honey he says they
can't get in, so he tried to put them in an empty
hive, but they don't stay there, and they sting him
terribly. I hear you charm your bees so they don't
sting. Would you mind telling me how you charm
them? I want to help the dear boy all I can."

"Yes, sir, I can tell you how I charm mine. I do
it with one of these smokers. They are only $1.00
each, and here are some bee-papers. Take them
home to the boy, and subscribe for one or more of
them, and let the boy study and work at the bees."

Sixth person, a practical bee-keeper:

" How do you do, Mr. Dodge? How are the bees
doing with you this fall? "

" Well, Mr. Manum, I hardly know what to say.
They are storing lots of honey, but it is dark-look-
ing stuff, and I feel a little suspicious that the bees
will not winter well on it. What is your opinion
about it?"

"Well, I feel somewhat suspicious myself, and I
thought 1 would extract the stuff from the center
combs and feed 10 or 15 lbs. of sugar syrup to each
colony, just enough to carry them through the
coldest weather; .and I did secure extra help last
week, and started in with three extractors; but we
did not work long] before I changed my mind. and
decided [that this .business would injure "the bees
more than the dark honey would;. and even if I lose
a few colonies by; leaving it in, [the loss may not be
more than the expense of extracting and feediDg

would be; so I have decided to pack them as they
are, and run the risk. I have kept bees nearly 20
years, and never before have they gathered fall
honey enough to winter on; hence I have had no
experience with it. I have written, aud sent sam-
ples of this honey to several parties who have had
experience in wintering bees on such honey, and
they write me that they would not hesitate to win-
ter their bees on it, so I am going to try it, hit or
miss." A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

Your decision in regard to running the
risk, in your last paragraph, would accord
exactly with my experience in this line.
When bees have* got poor dark honey— even
honey-dew — sealed up and stored, just as it
is wanted for the bees, I would let it be and
take the chauces rather than to throw it
out and feed something else. If just be-
fore they go into winter quarters there is
room in the combs where this dark honey
has been used up, aud we fill that room
with sugar syrup, with a good heavy feed, so
as to make every thing full all through the
hives, it has never, in my experience, done
any harm. In fact, I have had reason to
think that the extra sugar syrup given them
had many times come in so as to save them
from the consequences that might ensue
from using the poor dark honey just in the
depth of winter, when a long cold spell hap-
pens to come.

POISONOUS SNAKES AND INSECTS OF
THE SOUTH.

SCORPIONS, GRAMPUS, ETC.

TN compliance with the request of friend Walker
Ijp and yourself (see page 109, Sept. 1st Glean-
W ings), I contribute my mite. In regard to
■*■ snakes, I would say I was born and raised
about 50 miles north of New Orleans, La., and
have lived here over two years. I have rambled
over the woods on foot, both here and in Louisiana
a great deal, being very fond of hunting, and I can
confidently say I have seen more poisonous snakes
in one week in Louisiana than I have seen all togeth-
er since living in Florida. We have a good many
harmless black snakes. I came across only one
ground-rattler, and one of the large species, a
small one. about 2l/2 feet long. A neighbor of mine,
while out in the woods about a mile, killed a large
rattler about 5 feet long. These are the only two I
have seen here. I have killed two or three coach-
whips here, but not one of them showed " fight." I
have ^killed a few water-moceasins^here, but none
of them showed fight until wounded. They would
all run and try to get away. Large rattlesnakes
are said to be quite plentiful down on the islands
about 25 or 30 miles below here. A man living here
killed one down there that measured nine feet in
length, and had 20 rattles on him. As to the " gram-
pus," they are also found on these islands. We
have none up here. I have seen one or two dead
ones, brought up from there. I inclose you a clip-
ping from the Bartow Informant, a paper publish-
ed something over 100 miles above here.

WANTKII— A NAME.

One day last week we were shown an insect pe-
culiar, we believe, to this portion of the country,
and which, as far as we can learn, has no scientific
name. It is known in Florida as under the various

85-'

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

names of " mule-killer," " scroncher," and "gram-
pus," but is not mentioned in any book of natural
history which we have been able to examine. A
specimen, sent for name to the proper authorities
in Washington, only elicited the names above men-
tioned. It is an insect about two inches in length,
with huge mandibles, resembling those of a lobster,
and long-, pointed feelers, which might easily be
mistaken for a fourth pair of legs. But the busi-
ness end of the creature is represented by a slender
terminal appendage which is held, like that of the
scorpion, over the back. The sting from this is
most severe, but not, as there seems to be a general
impression, fatal. The insects burrow in the ground
under rotting logs, and one can not be too careful
when obliged to handle such things, lest they be-
come suddenly and most unpleasantly acquainted
with it. A specimen can he seen at Look's drug
store.

1 will make a trip to the islands shortly, and will
endeavor to secure sprcimens of the "grampus"
to mail you and Prof. Cook. I will also mail you
specimens of the scorpions, a small stinging insect
which hurts about as bad as a bee sting. They are
found under the bark of d< ad trees, in lumber-
piles, and trash of any kind They are also very
fond of hiding between hive-covers and the enam-
el cloth. I have been stung by only one. It is
amusing to see how the mother carries her young.
They all cluster on top of her back, and she carries
them around until they are large enough to take
care of themselves. I should have said I have kill-
ed sevenil of those joint-snakes in Louisiana that
would break all to pieces when struck, but I don't
remember of ever seeing any blood. I have never
seen one here. As to the specimens of snakes, I
can not furnish any of them, as I don't like to han-
dle them. Young G. Lee.

Charlotte Harbor, Pla., Sept. 6, 1889.

Thank yon, friend L?e. Prof. Cook has
told ns a little about the grampus in this is-
sue—see pages 849 and 856.

THE VAN„DEUSEN METAL CORNER,
AGAIN.

DECIDEDLY IN FAVOR OF 1?8-INCH SPACING.

0N page 513 I stated that T was not fully satis-
fied in regard to the l!4-inch spacing of the
Van Deusen reversible frame. Theoretically
it seemed to me that, when such frames were
full of brood, there would be a good deal of
spare room between the combs, and that, when the
bees should begin to use the brood-chamber for a
store house, as they are sure to do when honey is
coming just a little too fast for brood-rearing, and
not quite fast enough to start them in the sections,
there would be a broad area of elongated cells in
the upper part of the frames that would ultimately
cause me trouble. In this instance, practice has
fully confirmed the theory. At the first appear-
ance of honey in excess of the daily needs of the
bees they proceeded to draw out the upper mar-
gins of the combs unless I happened to be on hand
to reverse the frames often enough to keep brood
constantly near the top-bar. This kind of vigilance
may be all very well for the " fussy" bee-man, but
it doesn't do for me. If I have to reverse all my
frames every three weeks while honey-boards and
supers are on, I will either go out of the business or
adopt friend Shuck's hive, support it on two forked
stakes, and attach a crank to It so that I may turn
it over whenever I happen along. The honey-flow
in my locality was barely sufficient to send the
most energetic colonies Into the sections, while the

laggards remained below and tilled the brood-cham-
bers to their utmost limit, crowding the queen un-
til there remained for her merely an elongated oval
in the center of each frame. In the course of time,
the honey that had been placed below the brood by
reversing was consumed; but the bees refused to
cut down the elongated cells to a proper depth for
brood-rearing, and they remained empty at a time
when I could ill afford to have them so. Combs at
the sides of the hive, full of honey from top-bar to
bottom, are quite a good deal too thick for brood-
combs Since I use a contracted brood-chamber
containing only 800 square inches of comb, I can
not afford to have many square inches of elongated
cells. It must all be brood-comb, and I see no way
to obtain it and keep it so except by crowding the
combs close together. One of my correspondents
says he works his combs spaced IJ4 from center to
center, and meets with no trouble except where
there is drone comb. That is a little too close to
suit me, but I want to be placed on record as being
decidedly opposed to wide spacing. I have in my
yard a dozen hives that are 14^ inches square, in-
side. They take a frame 13 ?g inches long and 10 inch-
es deep. Two years ago five or six of these hives
were left with nine frames— the rest with ten. This
season not one of those nine-frame colonies went
into the sections, while every one of the ten-frame
colonies made a record in the supers. They were
all populous colonies, and I could see no reason
why those with nine combs were not in the sections
unless it was because they had both store room and
loafing room in the brood-chamber.

Aside from this one objection that I have treated
thus at length, I think the Van Deusen metal cor-
ner beyond criticism. It works as well with an
8 inch frame as with the 7-inch; and when one
learns how to handle it there is hardly as much
danger of killing bees as with the suspended frame.
I will not reiterate its good points, but simply state
that, after thorough test, its mechanical workings
have met my highest expectations. But its width
must be reduced to 138 inches, or I shall have to.
abandon it, much to my regret.

THE IOWA HONEY CROP; THE NON-READING BEE-
KEEPERS CUTTING DOWN PRICES.

So far as I have been able to learn, eastern and
southern Iowa has had an unusually heavy crop,
while the western part of the State has had a virtu-
al failure of honey, but plenty of increase. Now
comes the exasperating part of the story: Iowa
could easily have disposed of her entire crop at
home at prices ranging from 15 to 20 cents per lb.
for comb honey, and extracted at proportionate
prices, had not the producers in the eastern part of
the State gone daft at the sight of their own very
modest crop. They seemed to think that, because
they had obtained a little honey, the whole country
was deluged with it. We in the west, with our one-
fifth yield, were l'ecovering a little of our lost
ground by supplj ing a fair demand at 20 cts., when,
without warning, we were Hooded with honey that
the grocers bought at 8 and 0 cts. per lb.— choice
white clover and basswood in 1-lb. sections, all in
splendid condition. Every one of these producers
might just as well have had 12V4 cts. as 9. All that
was required was gumption enough to read and di-
gest the reports in the bee-journals and the bulle-
tins of the honey-producers' exchange. I have no
sympathy to waste on them, but 1 greatly regret
the shock they have given our market. The Iowa

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

853

honey crop is now mainly in the grocery windows,
and will be pretty well cleared out by Christmas.
After that the bee-men who have held on to what
they produced will be sure to reap their reward.
Audubou, Iowa, Oct. 17, 1889. Z. T. Hawk.

Your reasoning is good, and seems to be
sound ; and if in repeated practical tests it
works as it has with you, it will prove a
most important matter, especially in the
matter of comb honey. I have worked hives
with 11 frames instead of 10, in an ordinary
Langstroth brood -chamber, Hi inches wide.
The combs had to be very exact, and those
that did not contain brood had to be very
thin. I presume likely, however, where we
wish to crowd the honey into supers, 11
frames would be too many ; therefore a
dummy of one or more chaff-cushion divi-
sion-boards would probably be an advan-
tage.— We have seen something of the cut-
ting-down of prices by the non- reading bee-
keepers ; but I think, friend H., this mat-
ter will correct itself in time. People are
becoming better and better informed every
succeeding year ; and our county fairs are
a great factor in getting people acquainted,
and in getting them posted.

A LETTER FROM CHINA.

BEES UNDER THE PROTECTION OF A CHINESE INN.

fKlEND ROOT:— Last spring, while on a tour
with Dr. Whitney, we stopped for dinner at a
Chinese inn. On its right-hand side, facing
out, was a bedroom, the front of which had
sliding- boards that came to within about four
feet of the ground, thus making, when the boards
were taken out, a broad window of the front. Even
with the bottom of this window, a wide shelf had
been extended out into the street, and the space be-
low it inclosed with boards extending to the ground.
Just under the shelf, at the inner corner next to the
door of the inn, a stream of bees was pouring- out
and in from two cracks, one on each side of a board.
The outer crack was quite wide; but the inner one,
for only an inch or two at the top, was wide enough
for bees to crawl through. The bees were all com-
ing out at the wider crack, and, with but few ex-
ceptions, going in at the narrower one. I was in-
terested in their docility; for though a number of
persons were standing around, and continually
getting square across their track, they made no ob-
jections. It was a real Chinese scene. The men went
their way, the bees their way, each without notic-
ing the other. As in several other cases like this,
when I asked how they got the bees, I was told that
they had come there of themselves. The query
rises in my mind, Are Chinese bees more fond of
human dwellings than are other bees? I thought
last week I was going to have a swarm come to me
like this, but they went to a drygoods box that Mrs.
Whitney had set up, instead of coming to a nice
Simplicity hive right from the " Home of the Hon-
ey-Bees."

POISON OF THE CENTIPEDE, AND THE USE THE
CHINESE MAKE OF IT.

The Chinese are no chemists, and don't under-
stand that the fangs of a snake or the nippers of a
centipede can secrete poison from blood that con-
tains no poison, and 6o they use the whole body.
There is no reason for thinking that the centipede

taken iiihi nally has any virtue as a medicine. The
Chinese think that, because tigers are so fierce and
strong, eating their blood will make soldiers tiger-
like; and I have several times seen men going
about with a tiger's skeleton, peddling the bones
by the ounce for a tonic.

ABOUT THOSE WASPS WHICH STUNG THE COOLIES
SO UNMERCIFULLY.

As to our letting those poor coolies get stung, the
whole thing was so sudden that none of us four.
i. e., the Englishman, Scotchman, etc., got our wits
together before the coolies were among the hor-
nets. As I ran, I bad thought, " How are our chairs
to get past this? and won't it make trouble for
passers by?" But I supposed that the coolies had
seen the whole thing, and did not dream that they
would come running after us as they did. I had
been in China only a few weeks. When men, not
used to bees, are attacked by angry wasps, they are
not apt to see what is happening behind them; and
when at a safe distance I turned and saw the other
three still running, and the coolies rushing up from
the other side, it was too late to stop them.

CHINESE SUPERSTITION; A DEMON.

As I was writing on the above, in came the cook,
saying, "To-day they say, 'A demon! a demon!'
Two of the stone-masons were down at the small
river catching the duck that got away this morning,
and one of them is drowned." Hurrying to the
place, which is nearly half a mile away, T found that
the body had not been recovered, and began to
strip to swim to the place where the man had dis-
appeared; but the Chinese exclaimed, " There's a
demon in there!" All the more, of course, I swam
and waded about the place (but I can't dive). The
bottom of the stream was full of large angular
boulders from the cliffs above. I found nothing,
and neither did a boat which soon came up. Fear
of the water-demon made the Chinese rather ineffi-
cient; but just before dark the body itself drifted
down to shallow water and was recovered.

Now, just a few minutes after that man sank,
three men on a long narrow raft of small timbers
floated slowly past, and were entreated to stop and
try to rescue him; but they would not. This was
not heartlessness, but superstition— fear of the
water-demon, which, they believed, had seized the
man; and when that hoat came, the first thing the
man on it did was not to search for the body, but to
chase and try to kill the poor duck, the " demon
duck " 1 heard it called, which had been the inno-
cent occasion of the misfortune. Yes, there was a
demon there, the demon of superstition. I some-
times say to the Chinese, " You are greatly afraid
of demons, and all the time are giving them free
access to your hearts."

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE FLYING OF INSECTS AND
BIRDS EXPLAINED.

Why should the flapping up and down of a bird's
wings propel it forward? Many of us have seen a
boat propelled by working an oar back and forth at
the stern, and all our ocean steamers are driven
forward by a screw revolving in a plane at right
angles with the course of the ship. All three kinds
of propulsion— wings, sculling oars, and screw pro-
pellers—are different modifications of the same
thing, the inclined plane. Did you ever notice one
striking thing which characterizes the wings of all
flying things, whether bird, bat, or insect— namely,
that, while the stems of every thing else in nature
are placed centrally, wings are always more or less

854

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Nov.

one-sided, with the shaft in or near the front edge?
As a consequence of this, when the wing descends,
the back edge turns up; and as it ascends, the bank
edge turns down, and thus always presents an in-
clined plane to the air, which, as it sweeps up and
down, propels the bird forward. To illustrate the
way the wing works, take a small stick about ten
inches long, and slit both ends in the same direc-
tion, to the depth of about four inches. Then take
two pieces of stiff writing paper, each about 3K
inches square, and fasten one, by one edge in each
slit, so that theyr will project on opposite sides, thus:
Now stick a pin in the center of the i — i

stick, perpendicular to the plane of pa- | — . ' — '

pers, and, taking this between the I I

thumb and finger, hold the toy either face upward
or downward, and swing the hand up and down. It
will spin around like a windmill, and it will always
turn in one direction; i. e., away from the free
edges of the papers, no matter in what direction
the hand may be swung.

The Chinese at Foochow have a scull for propel-
ling boats, the sides of which are too high for row-
ing. It is a sweep a little concave on the under
side; and near the center, a hollow fits a short
round-headed pin, which projects from the edge of
the stern, and forms with it a ball-and-socket joint.
The scull extends down into the water at an angle
of about 45°; a rope is fastened tightly around the
upper end, and tied to a hook in the deck below.
The boatman grasps the end of the scull with one
hand and the rope with the other; and as he pulls
and pushes back and forth, the one-sided strain
from the hand on the rope turns the blade of the
sweep now this way and now that, to the proper
angle, as it plays bacK and forth in the water. It
is a wonderfully simple and effective device; and
in this matter of making it self-adjusting by apply-
ing the force a little to one side instead of directly
in The center, it is just like a bird's wing. I have no
authority for this theory of a bird's flight except
my own observation; and if anyone has abetter
one to propose, I should be glad to hear it.

Shaowu, China, Aug. 12, 1889. J. E. Walker.

We are much obliged to you for your ex-
ceedingly vivid illustration of the effect of
superstition. The poor heathen left the
drowning man. to chase after an innocent
duck. Now, the saddest part of it is, that
such ignorance and superstition are not al-
together confined to heathen lands. A
milder type of the same malady exists in al-
most every neighborhood. Listen to the
conversation of ignorant and uneducated
people— people who do not read the papers
—and you will hear more or less of it. — I
am exceedingly obliged to you for your kind
explanation of the philosophy of the way in
which birds and insects fly; and I confess
that the thought never occurred to me be-
fore. Why, you have even given us an idea
of a windmill that would run in the same
direction, whether the wind blowed on the
back side or front side, without any vane to
turn it around. In regard to insects, 1 can
readily understand from your explanation
how the movements of the wings should
propel the bird or the insect forward ; but I
do not exactly understand why it should
cause them to rise, unless the head be ele-
vated a little higher than the tail ; or if the
tail be bent downward at an angle while the

wings propel forward, this would cause the
body to rise ;?and I think I now understand
why a hawk rises with comparatively slow
flapping of its wings. It seems a little fun-
ny that I should have to go to China for a
scientific answer to so simple a question.

INTRODUCING.

GIVING A QUEEN TO A COLONY AT ONCE.

fHE queen arrived all right, and I am very
much obliged to you. You sent a small cir-
cular with the queen, telling how to intro-
duce her, by the Peet process, to a colony of
bees. I have lost queens the very same
way you give directions to introduce. I will tell
you how I introduce a queen, and I will warrant
you will never lose one. I do not make a colony
queenless until I get the queen I am going to put
in. I take the cover of a Langstroth hive, and set
it down on the ground, and put two small blocks
under two corners of the cover, to raise it up so
the bees can pass under. I then lay a paper down
on the ground in front of the cover, and commence
to shake the bees off from the frames until 1 come
to the queen. I then cage her, if I want to save
her ; if not, I pinch her head off and then I keep on
until I get all the bees off the ten frames in front
of the cover. The bees will run under the cover,
and cluster. Take the frames the bees were on,
and put them in the hive and put a cloth over them,
so the brood won't get chilled; then pick up the
cover^the bees have clustered under, and give it a
hard knock on the ground over the paper. Then
take a small sprinkling-can and give them a little
sprinkle of water. Open the cage the queen is In,
and drop her in the pile of bees. If the bees go to
tight her, give them another sprinkle and they will
be glad to let her alone. The cover must be set
down where you had it before, so the bees can run
under and cluster. The bees and queen will be
hanging to the inside of the cover. Take the cloth
off from your brood-frames; now pick your cover
up that the bees are under, and give it a knock
over the frames very hard, to knock the bees on
the frames; put your enameled cloth on, and cover.
Set your hive where it was before, and I will war-
rant your queen will be laying in a few hours, if
she was a laying one at first.

You may think this is a great deal of trouble; but
I can do it in three minutes. Is this not better
than to wait 48 hours? and even then you may lose
your queen; and you will have to wait three days
before she commences to lay. I united two colo-
nies together that had good laying queens, and put
in that imported one you sent me last Thursday.
She is laying, and all right. I have introduced 20
this fall the same way, and have not lost one.
Buffalo, N. Y., Sept. 30, 1889. F. M. Jones.

I hope you will excuse mejf I remind you
that, although you have introduced 20
queens without loss, you are very likely to
have a great many losses with the next 20.
The plan you give is old, and has been
thoroughly tested. Another thing, it woidd
be nothing strange if nearly all the 20 you
mention would have received the queens all
right had you just taken out one and put in
another. One fall, when we had some
queens to destroy, because they were hy-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

855

brid (this was long ago, before there was a
market for hybrids), we experimented with
them by swapping. We opened two hives
at the same time, and traded queens, pick-
ing them right off from the combs, and put-
ting the others right in their places. I was
greatly astonished to find that the greater
part of them went right along to work in
the new hives just as well as in their own.
This may be astounding to a good many.
We tried it in good weather, when the bees
were peaceable and quiet. I believe this can
be done safely in the majority of cases ; and
this fact accounts for the great number of
processes for introducing queens. The in-
ventor of these processes often feels sure
that he has made an important invent inn,
simply because he has introduced a good
many queens by his plan and had no trouble.
One more instance : Neighbor II. once had
a very prolific hybrid queen that he did not
value, simply because she was a hybrid ;
therefore he for quite a time practiced mov-
ing her from one hive to another in order to
get said hives filled with eggs and brood.
He just set her right on the combs without
any caging, and she was thus moved from
hive to hive for quite a time without injury.

QUEEN AND DRONE IN COPULO.

VALUABLE TESTIMONY' BY AN EYE - WITNESS IN
THREE CASES.

fROFESSOR COOK asks for further proof that
queens while in copulo drag the male bee
along the ground. I have been a close ob-
server of the busy bee since I was a boy of 13
years. It is nearly 33 years since I had my
first swarm. I have witnessed the mating of but
three queens in all that time.

In 1883 I gave a mature queen-cell to a small nu-
cleus of about 100 bees. With so small a nucleus I
could more easily see the queen go out and return,
and -could witness her maneuvers better. On the
eighth day after emerging from the cell she came
forth arrayed for her wedding-trip, about 4 p. m.
She went through the general maneuvers to locate
her home, then flew away. ] could follow her with
the eye for some time, as she hovered over the apia-
ry. In eight minutes she returned without accom-
plishing her purpose. Next day she came forth at
3 p. m. There were thousands of drones flying at
this time. She slowly circled over the apiary a
while, about 15 feet high. Three or four drones
followed. They finally clinched, and gradually set-
tled to the earth, dropping into a piece of sweet
corn in the garden. I was there as soon as they
dropped. The queen had clung to a fallen corn-
stalk, while the drone was trying to get away.
They finally separated, the drone dying instantly.
I went back to the hive, and in about two minutes
the queen returned, with the drone organs attach-
ed. The bees on the alighting-board spread their
wings in glad delight that she had returned. I gave
them two frames of hatching brood, and two quarts
of baby bees. In five days T opened the hive to see
how they were prospering. The queen's body was
distended to an enormous size, but not an egg had
she laid. She seemed to try hard. I caught her
and held her between some cotton batting, and
gently pressed on it. Her lower extremity grad-

ually distended, and I could see a small gummy
substance, which 1 removed very carefully with a
pin. In seven days 1 looked again, and the hive
was full of eggs. This was a daughter of the im-
ported queen 1 bought of A. I. Root the same
spring.

The next season, as the prime swarms came off I
would take them in three or four days afterward to
an out-apiary just four miles away. I noticed
where the hives had stood containing the queens of
the imported stock. Many bees came back with
their legs full of pollen, but no bees from other
strains of Italians came back. That convinced me
that the newly imported stock was strongerof wing,
and had been nearly to my out-apiary after honey
before being carried there.

Again, this past season, 1889, I was passing a hive,
No. 39, which contained a very prolific queen one
year old. What should 1 discover but two bees
slowly settling downward, going over and over?
When they got on a level wjth my face I saw it was
a virgin queen and a drone. The queen was trying
with all her might to gain the entrance of the hive,
and the drone was going the other way with all his
might. The queen being the stronger, she drew
him down to the alighting-board. She grabbed on
with her feet, crawling toward the entrance. They
then broke apart, the drone dying instantly. I sup-
posed I had lost my queen in 29; but on opening the
hive, not an egg was to be found— all sealed brood.
The old queen was there, but her body was uncom-
monly distended. I caught her and pinched her
head, and opened her body. It was filled with a yel-
lowish fluid. She would never have laid any more,
as I had kept one several years ago in the same
condition. In due time the young queen com-
menced to do her duty.

Two days before basswood ceased to yield honey,
as I was passing a hive I noticed a large bee trying
to fly from the alighting-board; but every time she
rose two feet in the air, down she came again. It
proved to be a virgin queen. Her wings were too
short to carry her body. They were perfect in
every way, with the exception of being shorter
than the wings of a virgin queen usually are. She
would get perhaps four feet from the hive, and
crawl back into the hive, and immediately come
out again and try again to fly away. I watched her
maneuvers for two days. I then thought of a plan
to have her fly and not get scared by handling. I
made a cone of wire screen around the hoe-handle,
a foot in length. I plugged up one end, and tied
it to the tip end of an 18-foot cane fish-pole. At
two o'clock, when thousands of drones were flying,
I gently dropped her into the cone and quickly
raised it high in air, and kept watch of the tip of
the pole. In about two minutes she took wing and
slowly circled over the apiary, gradually settling
downward. When within nine or ten feet of the
ground, several drones rushed after her and clinch-
ed and immediately dropped to the ground. I was
on hand instantly. The queen and drone were in
a seemingly deadly embrace. After two or three
minutes they tore asunder, but the drone died in-
stantly. The queen I returned to her hive, and in
due time she filled her hive with brood. I had sup-
posed this hive had a tine queen; but on opening it
not an egg could be found nor sealed brood; every
cell was full of honey. I removed combs of honey
and gave empty combs. The old queen must have
been gone some time; no knowing how long the

856

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

young queen had been trying to take her wedding-
trip; but by elevating her in the air she Anally sac-
ceeded. J. R. Reed.

Milford, Wis., Oct. 7, 1889.

You give us some very conclusive facts,
and some very important facts also. Your
last experiment reminds us of the way we
fussed with virgin queens at the time when
there was such an excitement about artifi-
cial fertilization. I have tossed queens up
into the air, when their wings were poor,
hoping I might be successful, as you were
with your fish-pole; but your queen could
almost fly, and you gave her such an eleva-
tion that it succeeded, I presume by acci-
dent. 1 believe we have had reports before
of results strikingly similar, but none quite
so direct and positive as those you give.

A FLORIDA BUGBEAR.

POISONOUS insects; by one who has been

AMONG THEM.

fHE deadly black grampus, referred to by your
West Virginia correspondent in your issue
of Sept. 1, page 709, must be a terrible fellow.
He is variously called 'scorpion," "whip
scorpion," and in this region they are called
" mule-killers." He is not a handsome beast, and
has a bad reputation. Native Floridians, both white
and black, generally regard its sting as deadly as
the fangs of the rattlesnake.

It has a caudal appendage, needle-like in appear-
ance, about two inches long, that is thought to be
its deadly sting. The entire length of a good-sized
specimen is about six inches. The palpi, or feelers,
are much enlarged by a claw at the extremity,
much like that of a crab or lobster. Its color is
black. Its abdomen is prominent, like a large spi-
der's, but much longer; and when disturbed or at-
tacked it emits an acrid and offensive odor. It is

quite abundant in this region, and I think it is com-
mon in all the warmer parts of the State.

It is said to inhabit the southern part of Texas as
well as Mexico. Its scientific name is Thelyphonus
gigamteus. It is allied to our common scorpion,
Buthus Carol inimms, which also has the enlarged
feelers and crab-like claws, and probably because
of this resemblance it is erroneously called a scor-
pion. I had been at work upon our homestead sever-
al weeks before T saw one. In turning over a rot-
ten log we found him. I was duly warned by my
assistant.

"Look out, boss, that varmint's deathly pizen.
They call him mule-killer, but he is a reg'lar man-
killer. If he stings you, you die in two hours."

But being of an inquiring turn of mind I decided
to investigate the "varmint." I did not at once
pick him up in my fingers. He was an ugly-looking
customer, and seemed well armed at both ends.
Being touched with a small slick, he at once faced
the enemy, elevating his fet lers and opening his
pincer-like claws, ready for battle, at the same time
emitting an acrid and offensive odor. I next held
him down with the stick, which he tried to grasp
with his claws, but made no use of its sting but to
keep it in an elevated position. The outcome of the
matter was, that the terrible bear proved to be a
harmless bug. The common scorpion is also much
of a bugbear, as many believe its sting is fatally
poisonous, it has a sting, and uses it at every op-
portunity; but its sting is less serious than that of
a bee or wasp. It is very painful for a few minutes,
but does not swell, nor become inflamed.

The grampus is an insect-eater, and a particular
enemy of the cockroach, the great pest of the
Florida housekeeper, and it should be regarded as a
friend rather than an enemy. By this mail I send
you a specimen about two-thirds grown. I hope it
will reach you safely. Perhaps I should say, I have
been in Florida fourteen years, and am very famil-
iar with these insects. I have killed many scor-
pions, but never a grampus, purposely, until the
one I send you. I have often been stung by scor-
pions, but never could coax a grampus to use its
sting. Indeed, the poor fellow doesn't seem to
know that he has a sting. When viewed under a
microscope of moderate power, the structure of its
tail is clearly seen. It is composed of joints, in ap-
pearance much like a scouring-rush, and covered
with scattering hairs. Jas. H. White.

Island Home, Fla., Sept. 20, 1889.

The above came to us after the article
and drawing from friend Cook had been
put in type. We are very glad indeed to
have a corroboration of the fact that these
creatures are innocent and harmless. In
fact, the superstition connected with bugs
and innocent reptiles reminds us of the de-
mon duck mentioned by our friend J. E.
Walker, in his letter from China, in this
issue. On our grounds I find it almost im-
possible to persuade the boys and men that
the common streaked snake is not danger-
ous. Even where they have been found
close by a Hubbard squash-vine, doing dutv
in protecting the squashes, the men can not
let them alone. I am quite sure that, if no
one would chase them with clubs and
stones, I could get them as tame as my
Brahma chickens. We can afford to take
some space in Gleanings to find out that
many of God's creatures which have been

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

857

pursued for ages as enemies are only harm-
less friends. Yes, more ; that they have
been laboring diligently for us for ages past.

FUMIGATING HONEY.

DR. MILLER TELLS WHEN AND HOW TO FUMIGATE
WITH BRIMSTONE.

§0 much has been said lately about brimstoning
honey, and the plans in general are so trou-
blesome, I am now tempted to give my way,
although I have given it before. It is a very
simple matter. Just get some powdered sul-
phur, light a match and set fire to it, and that's all
there is of it. No dipping rags in sulphur, nor any
preparation whatever. Within two minutes after
the sulphur is brought from the store I can have it
slowly blazing away, needing no furthur attention
till the last atom is consumed. Although there is
scarcely any trouble about this, I take some pains
to avoid any danger from fire. Let me give you the
minutne of my last experience, which does not ma-
terially differ from that of se\ eral years. We were
getting our crop of honey r< ady for shipment; and
trusting somewhat to what I had read of the experi-
ence of others, I had said, " This honey has all been
taken off so promptly, is so white and nice, and
there is not one section in a thousand with a cell
of pollen, that I don't believe there is any need of
smoking it." But after scraping a good many sec-
tions we began to find here and there the tell-tale
bits of powder that showed the little worms were at
work there, even though we could nut see them
with the naked eye. So we concluded the remain-
der must be smoked before any more were packed
in cases.

I said to my wife and Emma, " Now don't let me
ever again omit fumigating. Those who say there
is no need of it have different bees, or something
different from mine, and it is just possible that, if
they watched the matter closely enough, they
would find some of their sections are wormy before
they reach the table of the consumer."

So I got a pound of powdered sulphur. The roll
brimstone is cheaper, but a great deal more trou-
blesome to burn. The sequel showed that a pound
was not enough for so large a room ; and, to tell the
truth, I don't know what is the right amount. If
too much is used, some of the sections are made
green; and even with too small an amount used, a
few sections were slightly greened. It must make
some difference as to the amount of honey in the
room. Suppose you have a room measuring ten
feet each way, and you find just the right amount
to sulphur a single section, will it not require a less
amount when you fill the room just as full as you
can with sections? When the room is about empty,
if it contains 1000 cubic feet of air it may be filled so
full of honey that it shall contain less than half the
air; and are you not to gauge the needed amount
of sulphurous vapor by the volume of air to be sat-
urated? If the honey is smoked within ten days or
two weeks after leaving the hives, much less sul-
phur will answer than a month later. After the
worms have attained full size it seems almost im-
possible to affect them with any amountof sulphur.
But, to return. I have an old kettle, worthless
for ordinary purposes, which is placed on a drip-
ping-pan turned upside down. The kettle has a
capacity of perhaps 16 quarts, and is filled a quar-

ter to a third full of ashes. On these ashes stands
another kettle of much smaller dimensions. In
this latter I put the pound of sulphur. Making a
kind of little dish in the top of the pile, I stuck in it
a lighted match, and at once there was a little melt-
ed puddle on which a blue flame was playing. I
covered over the whole affair with a worn-out milk-
pan, both for greater security against fire, and so
that it would burn more slowly. It was placed
near a window, so that I could look in and see what
was going on. The sulphur was lighted at about
six in the evening. At 10 p. m. a line of blue could
be seen burning away under the edge of the milk-
pan. I then went lo sleep and did not look at it
again till 12, when it had burned out. Next morn-
ing, doors and windows were opened some time be-
fore the room was aired out fit to breathe in.

ROBBER-CLOTHS.

Friend Root says he didn't see any robber-cloths
when here. No, we didn't need any; and, indeed,
robbers troubled very little this year. Still, we did
need them later in the season, and they were then
used, but not very much. In the revised Lang-
stroth, Dadaut & Son include among "the utensils
needed for neat extracting on a large scale," " two
robber- cloths." Although I believe the robber-
cloth is my own invention, I am always glad when
it is not needed. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Well, doctor, if I had found evidences of
worms in the sections, as you did, I should,
without question, resort to the sulphur
fumes ; but so many have of late said they
did nothing of the kind, and never saw
a moth worm anywhere about the whole
crop, that I had begun to think it was not
necessary ; and even now I do not believe I
should think of fumigating until I saw
some evidences of the moth worm. I would,
however, keep an eye on the crop for sever-
al weeks after it is taken from the hive.

THE REESE CONE BEE-ESCAPE.

AN IMPROVEMENT.

AM, now using with great success and pleasure
my bee-escape made wholly of a flat board
and a single cone. The board is just the size
to cover the T super or surplus case, and may
have bee-space or half bee-space above or be-
low, or both, as needed, and the 2-inch hole is put
through the board at such a point that the cone will
fit down into the lower or unfinished case of sec-
tions. When you have taken one section out tem-
porarily, and this point will be determined by the
width of section used, this cone may be about 3l/2
inches long, and is easily made from a piece of
wire cloth 6 inches square, by turning a piece of
hard wood to about the shape desired, as a form,
and shape the cone over it The cone may be at-
tached to a piece of thin
board with a hole in it, in-
stead of the board direct,
so the cone may be easily
taken off, and all snugly
stored away for next sea-
son. Now, to" take off the
last case of sections at the close of the season,
just place an empty super over the brood-chamber;
lay the escape board on, with cone down, of

HEESE'S SIMPLJ H'IKI)
BEE-ESCAPE.

858

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Nov.

course, and set the case of honey on top. The few
lurking: bees that will remain in the top case will all
be old ones, and will not show fight when you re-
move the cover, but will be glad to fly back home.

In this empty case over the brood-chamber, when
no honey is coming in between the spring or early
summer flow and the fall flow, you will find the
bees will cluster very quietly, and be out of mis-
chief. This last plan will not get the bees out quite
so clean as the first plan I wrote you about some
time ago, but it has the advantage of forcing the
bees into the empty case of sections at once, and
giving them no empty space to cluster and build
comb in the case that would contain the cone. I
have been rather persistent in presenting to you
and the public this discovery; but I kno v very well
its merits, and it is cheap (no patent and no boom-
ing). Try them. J. s. Reese.

Winchester, Ky , July 16, 1889.

We are greatly obliged to you indeed for
your repeated hints and suggestions in this
matter of letting bees go in but not come
out, or, vice versa, letting them go out but
not come back again. Your arrangement
fills the same place in bee culture that a
valve does in a pump. It lets the water go
one way, but not the other.

ITALIANS BITING THROUGH THE
COROLLA-TUBE OP THE TOUCH-
ME-NOT.

MOKE POSITIVE TESTIMONY OF THE CORRECTNESS
OF THE STATEMENT IN THE ABC.

HEN I first perused the A B C book, I was
rather skeptical in respect to the truth of
the article where the author describes
how he witnessed bees biting through the
corolla-tubes of the touch-me-not flowers;
and when, at a later time, Prof. Cook said it was all
a mistake, and that he could teach another profess-
or that " honey-bees do not bite through the cor-
olla-tubes of flowers " (Gleanings, 1888, p. 926), I
was, I am sorry to say, rather pleased to know that
A. I. Root was at least once wrong, and not so in-
fallible as I had thought him. But now I am not so
ready to believe that he was mistaken after all, as
he was to admit that he might be.

This fall I happened to enter a swamp, and 1 was
surprised to find a great number of bees at work
on the touch-me-not, which was very abundant.
There was not one bee alone, but thousands; and
you may imagine with what interest I watched
them at work, that I might know the truth for my-
self. I saw but one bee enter a flower, and I
thought he looked a little foolish when he managed
to scramble out again, and I did not see him try the
same experiment the second time. Almost all the
flowers had holes bitten through the corolla-tubes,
about ft of an inch from their ends, and the bees
flew to them directly. I had a good view of two or
three in the act of biting through the tubes of the
younger flowers. There were several small bum-
ble-bees and a few wild bees at work, but they all
entered the flowers in the regular manner. These
were all the insects I saw at work on the touch-me-
not, but I was much interested by seeing a pair of
humming-birds, dressed in the brightest of green
and bronze, darting from flower to flower, and,
passing with rapidly whirring wings, sip with their

long tongues the nectar from the deepest depths of
the flowers. From what I witnessed, I kuow of at
least one person whom it would be hard to con-
vince that honey - bees do not sometimes bite
through flowers to reach the nectar.

In this same swamp there were many thistles-
great, lusty, tall flowers, as tall as my head— " bull
thistles" we call them, and the Italians were work-
ing upon them with a vim. I mention this because
I see no mention in the A B C of the thistle as a
honey-plant. F. N. Hilton.

Poatiac, Mich., Oct. 12, 1889.

I am very much obliged indeed for the
compliment you pay me. and I hope that
you and I are correct in the matter— not be-
cause I want to get ahead of our good
friend Prof. Cook, but because I should be
very sorry to know that any statement I
have put in the ABC book is a blunder.

PECULIAR HONEY.
IS it honey-dew, ok what is it?

K. (i. H. KNICKERBOCKER, Pine Plains,

N. Y., sends me what he supposes to be

" honey-dew." He says bis combs are from

one third to one-half full of such honey.

He desires ray opinion as to its fitness for

winter stores in this severe climate. He further

states, that, were he sure this would be fatal to his

bees, he would take them to Florida.

The honey was sent in the comb. It was quite
dark, and the taste was so exactly like that of figs,
that, bad any one put it in my mouth, without my
knowledge of its origin, I should have said unhesi-
tatingly that it was figs. Two of my students said
the same. One of them said, " It is the most deli-
cious honey that I ever tasted." If this is " honey-
dew," it is a very different kind from any that I
ever saw or tasted before. As I have written our
friend Knickerbocker, I should cast about for some
jelly-factory, or other source of fruit-juices, as the
source of the nectar from which this honey was
derived. I have some very fine fruit honey that
tastes very much like quince jam; and this honey
made me think of my fruit honey at. once.

As to Mr. Knickerbocker's question, let me say
that our friend Manum, of Vermont, and several
others, have sent me some very pleasant honey,
with a like question as to its fitness for winter.
All suppose the honey to be honey-dew. My opin-
ion is, that any honey that is agreeable to us, and
which we are willing to place on our own tables,
is safe for bees. If it is bitter, and unfit for our
larder, then it is hazardous to give it to the bees. I
have tasen as nice honey as I ever saw, from nec-
tar which the bees gathered from the larch plant-
louse. Such honey would be ranked No. 1 in any
market. I used it very successfully as winter food
forourbees. I wish very much to get samples of
all such honey. I shall prize greatly some of this
from Mr. K. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Oct. 14.

Priend Cook, I am glad to see you say
something favorable in regard to honey-
dew. If honey is good, I should eat it with-
out asking why or inquiring w here it came
from, providing, of course, it produced no
deleterious effect ; and I believe the honey-
bee has all the apparatus needed to make fit

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

859

for human food any thing which they decide
is tit to be placed in their hives. Of course,
this remark would not include poisonous
substances used to kill insects, etc. What-
ever nature furnishes, and the bees gather
and store in their hives, I think is, as a rule,
fit for food. I should be careful about dis-
carding any honey that is nicely ripened
and sealed up.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

AWAY FKOM HOME WITHOUT YOUR BIBLE.

1 am much interested and refreshed from time io
time in reading- your pieces for Our Homes, and
have been especially struck to-day with what you
say on page 751, respecting the difficulty you expe-
rienced in getting a Bible. I remember about two
or three years ago. when going- from home to visit
some relatives for a few days, my bag being rather
closely packed I omitted taking my Bible, thinking
there would be no difficulty in getting three or four
if necessary; but to ray surprise and grief I found I
caused some unpleasantness in getting the loan of
one to take to chapel with me on the Sunday morn-
ing. It taught me this lesson: Never to leave my
own " Sword " at home again, and expect to borrow
from others. It reminds me of the ten virgins say-
ing, "Give me of your oil," and getting refused,
while we are gone to buy oil (or a Bible). We may
lose the opportunity for using it. Better leave our
night cap or Sunday bonnet at home than our
Bible.

My other half is known as " Amateur Expert," so
you had better put me down as

Yours sincerely, Mrs. A. E.

1 am exceedingly obliged to you for your
very kind words. The parable you refer to
(the ten virgins) surely does seem to hit the
point exactly. Since that time, when I have
been away from home I have been provided
as you suggest.

SUGAR-MILLS IN THE SOUTH.

I have left my little farm, and am at work on the
Valley R. R. as lineman. It is funny to see the
planters cutting cane in one part of the plantation,
and planting it in another. They start to make up
the cane this week ; from the top of a telegraph pole
I can see a dozen or more sugar-mills. An im-
mense old brick mill is going to ruin. The roof had
tumbled in on one part. The appliances were be-
hind the times. It has not been used since the war.
Although it was Sunday, three men came from the
swamp, with a fawn. I have not seen Gleanings
in three months; but the queen-bee at home reads
it. R. R. Williams.

Baton Rouge, La., Oct. 16, 1889.

MOVING A WHOLE APIARY WITHOUT A SINGLE

ACCIDENT.

I moved my whole apiary, of about sixty colonies,
without a single accident— not a comb broken
down. I moved them on a wagon without springs.
I put about 6 or 8 inches of hay in the bottom of the
body, and I think it better than springs. I have no
fall honey, as we have had too much rain.

J. W. MARTIN.

Greenwood Depot, Va., Oct. 5, 1889.

ANOTHER COLONY OF BEES LIVING AND PROSPER-
ING IN THE OPEN AIR.

I send a rough pencil-drawing of a swarm of bees
which I took from the under side of an oak limb
about three inches through, where they had begun
building their home. The tree stood on my neigh-
bor's place. He found them about two or three
weeks before I got them, August 20. They could
not have been there long before he found them,
for he passed the place nearly every day. They had

A COLONY OF BEES IN THE OPEN AIR.

three cards of comb, about 6x9 inches, and a nar-
row one besides. They had no honey, and not much
brood. I think the swarm was small, because there
was not much honey to be had at this season. I
have heard of such cases in California, but this is
the second case I have known of here. I send the
drawing, thinking it might be something of a curi-
osity. It is not a common thing. If any one else
has seen the like, I should like to hear about it.
Sarasota, Fla., Aug. 21, 1889. Joseph Costello.

THE FOUNTAIN PUMP, AND HOW TO " DOCTOR IT."

My fountain pump does not work very well. It
catches, and the pitman will not move readily.
Then when it does go it goes with a rush. I have
tried to get the thing apart to see What is the trou-
ble with it, but have not succeeded. I want to take
it to Cuba with me, to use in swarming time; but I
should like to have it work all right. Can you sug-
gest a remedy? A. W. Osburn.

Dehesa, Cal., Sept. 3, 1889.

P. S.— Hold! Since 1 wrote the above I have fixed
the pump. 1 took off the nozzle and poured the
pump full of castor oil, and now it works like a
charm. No charge for this. A. W. O.

The above is an extract from a letter of
friend Osburn 's. As others may have expe-
rienced a similar trouble, we give it to our
readers.

NOT YELLOW QUEENS, BUT QUEENS FOR HONEY.

It turns out that the yellow queens that we have
been paying such a bountiful price for are only
second or third class queens for the production of
honey. Well, that is just my experience; and the
decision of thatquestion in Gleanings will produce
a revolution in the queen-business.

La Otto, Ind., Sept. 25, 1889. E. S. Hanson.

We don't deny but there are nice yellow
bees that are likewise good honey-gather-
ers ; but the tendency on the part of queen-

860

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Nov.

breeders has, we fear, of late been to make
too much prominence of color, and at the
same time sacriiice every thing else for it-
real business being a secondary matter.

A COLONY TOO LARGE.

I have a swarm of bees in an eight-frame Simplic-
ity hive. I think the swarm is too large to winter
in the lower story. Will it be all right to leave a T-
super crate on during winter, nearly half the boxes
being capped? I winter in the cellar. 1 don't care
to divide the swarm, as all of my hives are full of
bees from top to bottom. This swarm has made
three crates of capped honey since August 16, a
good per cent of it being from second-crop red clo-
ver grown for seed. F. B. Day.

Pittsburg, Mich., Sept. 17, 1889.

Leaving the sections on top will answer
just as well, and, in fact, some years ago a
great many reported having had better suc-
cess in wintering where the sections were
left on all winter than where they were tak-
en off. I never saw a swarm too large for
wintering, or summering either, in my opin-
ion ; but I think I should leave the extra-
powerful colony out in the open air, unless,
indeed, you have a cellar well ventilated
and pretty cool. Be sure they have stores
enough. If there is any doubt about it, per-
haps another story filled with combs of
honey would be safer, especially as your
hives are only eight-frame. Of course, it
will cost something to winter such a colony ;
but my experiece has been that, when win-
tered, they are worth two ordinary colonies,
and sometimes even three.

ASTERS.

The aster is just in bloom. It would do you good
to see the bees on the flower, and watch their lively
movements among the flowers. If it continues as
it now is, dry and warm, they certainly will fill up
their empty combs, for there is a good part of these
combs empty. 1 have had very little surplus this
season. My bees have not stored it. Last fall there
was as large a supply of aster as I ever saw; but
the weather was so cool and wet that bees actually
did not get one good day to work in during the aster
season, though they worked some a good many
days, but did very little good. Dr. W. S. Jones.

Central Station, W. Va., Sept. 15, 1889.

how to feed poultry.
According to my judgment you ought to tell
your subscribers that poultry pays if properly man-
aged. Nine-tenths of the drawbacks are due to lice.
Why not clean out the poultry-house every week
(every day is better)? thoroughly saturate with lime
and kerosene oil, and have your houses free
from draught and dampness. Save the corn, and
feed to some stock that you wish to fatten; feed
wheat and oats in the evening; in very cold weath-
er a little is well enough, and mess food in the
morning, with a little cotton-seed meal during
moulting season. As a rule, the best beefsteak at
IB or 18 cents per lb. is cheaper food than corn at
50 cents a bushel. Procure some good clover hay
for your fowls in winter time, for green food; scald
it, cut fine and mix with a little wheat bran or mid-
dlings. This makes the best morning mess. Have
some broken glass or china ware before your hens,
as grit; feed regularly; use common sense and
prevention, and I can honestly say you can make

poultry pay; and for those that have common flocks,
if they procure thoroughbred males every season
they can greatly improve their stock.
do bees sleep?

I never read when and how bees sleep. How is it?

Kulpsville, Pa , Sept. 11, 1889. A. H. Anders.

So far as I know, bees do not sleep. Will
Prof. Cook please tell whether I am right?

MY IDYL.

Each poet sings of his ideal fair.

Her charming ways and beauty rare,

All vieing with their utmost zest,

To make their own appear the best.

But rve a beauty in my mind

I'm sure outrivals all her kind.

Her form, her face, her very air.

Her — my pen can not describe her hair.

Ah! though 1 prove inadequate

Upon her beauty to dilate.

All who see her must agree

That she's as "sweet as sweet can be."

And when I note the fair address

Of this great treasure I possess.

Perhaps my actions do imply

That I am badly " gone " on her.

But though I'm voted quite a bore

For boasting her that I adore,

I hope that all will quite excuse

Each silly adjective I use;

For, though to beat, one oft contrives,

She's the fairest queen in all my hives.

J. H. Markley.
Carbondale, Kan., Sept. 9, 1889.

getting the bees out of the sections with-
out A bee-escape, shaking or smoking.

In a late issue of Gleanings I read your foot-
note to an article commendatory of the Reese bee-
escape. I have not had experience with the Reese
implement, but I have experienced trouble in get-
ting rid of bees in supers when removed from off
the hives. This season I discovered how it can be
done skillfully, and no trouble. Just as the shades
of night appeared, I removed three supers, tiered
one above the other from a hive, and set them near
the entrance of another hive. Each super contain-
ed 28 one-pound sections, which were filled with
honey; and when I removed them (the three had
been tiered up by placing the second on top of the
first and the third on top of the second) I set the
load down where I stood, and allowed it to remain
there until I was ready and had assistance. When
I went to remove the supers I discovered the bees
running in a mass from the bottom of the removed
supers into the hive close by. I then loosened the
supers from each other, and so placed each one in
front of the hive that they could run into the hive;
and by smoking the bees in the supers they all
went into the hive.

Since the experience related, I have practiced re-
moving supers in the early evening, and setting
them down until the bees have time to realize they
should and do prepare for an emergency by filling
themselves with honey. I then place i he supers in
front of the hive, so situated that the bees can
readily go from the super into the entrance of the
hive; smoke the bees till most have left the sec-
tions, and let the super remain until about day-
light, when all or very nearly all the bees have
found their way into the hive. I have removed su-
pers from the hive, set them in front of another

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

861

colony, and the bees went from the sections into the
stronger hive. Why I did so was because I wanted
to strengthen the colony. I do not dread removing
sections from hives. Try my way of separating
bees from filled sections. C. J. Robinson.

Richfield, N. Y., Sept. 20, 1889.

I believe, friend R., that all you mention
has been many times mentioned in our
journals, and the plan of setting the super
near the entrance over night is in common
use, at least to a considerable extent. But
your idea of strengthening weak colonies
with bees from sections of honey is, so far
as I recollect, new. Although we are not
so likely to have weak colonies when we are
taking off section honey, it sometimes hap-
pens that we want to strengthen nuclei ;
aud bees coming into the hive or nucleus
from a crate of section honey would be pret-
ty sure to be well received.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT IN FLORIDA.

The Japanese buckwheat I got from you last
April gave me such satisfaction that I should like
now to get some cabbage seed for winter growing
here. We are now sowing the seeds for our winter
vegetables. I have the fourth crop from the buck-
wheat got in April, now in bloom. It has planted
fully an acre the fourth time. It has done re-
markably well, and every one who 6ees it admires
it, as it is quite a new thing in this section.

C. K. Macquanie.

De Fuuiak Springs, Pla., Sept. 29, 1889.

DOES COPULATION OF BEES TAKE PLACE IN THE
AIR OR ON THE GROUND ?

Gleanings for Oct. is at hand. I see that Prof.
Cook has some doubts in regard to the bumble-bees
mating when they were on the ground, instead of
mating while in the air. I am positive that copula-
tion had not taken place when I first saw them, and
that it was accomplished while on the ground. If
the queen bumble-bee can not sustain the weight
of the drone while on the wing.it is quite certain
that the queens of our honey-bees can not, as the
drone bumble-bee is considerably smaller than the
queen, while the drones of our honey-bees are as
large, or larger, than the queens.

C. M. Woolver.

Richfield Spa, N. Y., Oct. 7, 1889. '

THE BOY BEE-KEEPER AND THE CHURCH HIVE.

These labels are for my little 12-year-old boy, who
has an apiary of 14 swarms of bees of his own.
They are kept by his uncle, M. M. Rice (the man
who took you down to Mr. Dexter's, in his buggy,
when you were here). If you remember, when
you were at my place you climbed on top of a hon-
ey-barrel with your Kodak, and took a view of my
apiary; and when you got down you went and pull-
ed some grass away from a church bee-hive (as we
call it), to also take that with your Kodak. I told
you then it belonged to the boy. I wish he could
see the picture of it, as you took it then. He often
speaks about it, and asks me to ask you about it
when I write. B. E. Rice.

BoBcobe), Wis.. Sept. 30, 1889.

I remember quite well, friend R., taking a
picture of the church hive with the Kodak.
I had forgotten, however, that it belonged
to the boy. We have the view of the hive ;
and as it belongs to one of the boy bee-
keepers I think we shall have to have a pic-

ture made. Tell my young friend to be pa-
tient. It will probably make its appear-
ance by and by. I shall always remember
you all with a feeling of gratitude for mak-
ing my short visit so pleasant — especially
M. M. Rice, who so kindly placed his
horses and buggy at my disposal, that I
might make the most of the half-hour I had
to stay.

WHAT MAKES THE BEES DIE ?

This is the third September I have been here, and
our bees begin dying about Sept. 10th, but from
what cause I can't tell. I asked, a year ago, one of
our best bee-men. He told me it was only the old
bees dying; but I can't see it so, as I find about as
many young bees as old ones. They act as if they
were stung. Last September my bees were in good
condition. There were some eight stories, full of
bees. When cold weather came they could cover
only four Langstroth frames. At this writing they
are dying very fast. I find plenty of sealed and un-
sealed brood. They now work on steelweed and
goldenrod, which yield honey well. Our steelweed
is one of the best honey-plants I ever saw. It
blooms from September 10th till frost kills it. It
takes a hard freeze to kill it. Common frost makes
it better for honey. F. H. Cowden.

Morristown, Tenn., Sept. 22. ls.sii.

From your description I should infer the
trouble was caused by something the bees
had got hold of. Is it not possible that
Paris green or London purple has been
used in some manner, and that you have
let your bees get hold of it ?

^EP0TO ENceai^iGiNG.

FROM 5 TO 20, AND 1142 LBS. OF COMB HONEY, AND
HIVES WELL SUPPLIED FOR WINTER.

I have a very good yield of honey to report. I
started with 5 colonies of Italians last spring in
Simplicity hives. They have increased to 20 colonies.
I have taken off 1142 lbs. of surplus honey, mostly
in 1-lb sections, and the hives are all full in the low-
er stories, with the exception of one.

Earlville, 111., Oct. 1, 1889. L. A. Judd.

$1115 AS THE GROSS PROCEEDS FROM THE BEES.

I guess you will have to put me in among the
Reports Encouraging. My report for this year is as
follows: Commenced with 119 swarms; increased to
158 (should have had more if I had not doubled up).
I bought an apiary of 53 swarms, not far from mine,
just as they stood, with surplus honey, for $159.
Honey was all sold from both yards, amounting to
$915. I have sold 50 swarms without the surplus
honey, for $200. C. A. Sayre.

Sargent, la., Oct. 16, 1889.

A PREMIUM ON EVERY THING.

We got the premium on all the articles we took
to the fair— 8 in all— comb honey, extracted honey,
best display of honey, honey pickles, honey cake,
honey vinegar, Japanese buckwheat, and a fat girl
baby. How is that?

REPORT.

My honey crop this season was 1800 lbs. comb in
4*4 sections, and 700 lbs. extracted. It was about
all gathered from the 15th of August to the 15th of
September, and is of a fine quality, aud is selling at

862

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Nov.

12V2 to 15 cts. for comb, and 8 to 9 for extracted.
Bees are in good condition for winter.
Harris Station, Ind., Oct. 11, 1889. J. Kunz.

Now, look here, friend K., it seems to me
that a man who has so many premiums, and
a fat girl baby besides (that took the premi-
um) ought to be able to tell how many colo-
nies of bees he had when he got 1800 lbs. of
comb honey and 700 of extracted. If you
had only 10 colonies to begin with, it is a
big thing; but if all that honey came from
200 colonies, it was not a very big thing,
after all.

0a^ QaEgTO^-Be^,

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 147.— What is tin objection tn tin use of
drone foundation in the sections? Bees always build
drone comb if tin sections an- not filled with founda-
tion.

I see no objection.

Mits. L. Harrison.

No objection. No, they don't. A. B. Mason.

The honey from workers looks finer, and the ex-
pense is about the same. Thus I prefer worker. I
have no use for drone foundation. A. J. Cook.

We prefer worker comb, for, if the queen finds
her way up to the sections, the workers produced
will have a value, while drones are worthless.

Dadant &Son.

Drone comb in the sections induces the queen
into the surplus apartment when the amount is
limited in the brood-chamber. It does not look as
well in section honey. H. R. Boardman.

Queens are much more apt to deposit eggs in it
than in worker size. I am inclined to think that it
is not usually built as firmly to the sides of the sec-
tion, and is more easily broken by rough handling.
Tts general appearance, to me at least, is inferior.
O. O. Poppleton.

Where a queen-excluding honey-board is not used,
the queen is more liable to deposit eggs in sections
containing drone comb than in those containing
worker. After the sections are finished, those hav-
ing drone comb in them do not look nearly so nice
as do those with worker. G. M. Doolittle.

The objections can not be very great, except that
the drone-cells are filled with eggs by the queen,
which may be expected if drone-cells are scarce in
the brood -chamber. Besides, bees seem to give
some preference to worker-cells when honey is
coming in. They are generally filled up first.

C. F. Muth.

I don't know that there is any objection to the
use of drone foundation in the sections; but bees
do not always build drone comb in sections, if the
sections are not filled with foundation. I have in
my honey-house to-day as nice sections of all work-
er comb, as anybody would wish to see, built down
from half-inch starters. E. France.

lam not authority on comb-honey production;
but my present convictions are that I should prefer
worker foundation, even in the sections. 1 have

noticed that bees when given an equal chance will
fill worker comb soonest. Should we use drone
comb in sections, it would necefsilate having two
machines or sets of rollers by those who manufac-
ture foundation. S. I. Freeborn.

The main objection is the inclination to raise
drone brood— a great nuisance where no queen-
excluding honey-boards are used. This is entirely
obviated by using worker foundation. Another ob-
jection that I have is, that honey in drone comb
does not look so nice as honey in worker comb, and
is less readily sealed by the bees. The latter is es-
pecially noticeable when the crop is cut short.

Ceo. Grimm.

The principal objection to drone comb has been
from the fact that the securing of all worker comb
in the brood-nest by the use of foundation has led
the queen to use the drone comb in the sections;
but now that the queen can be kept from the sec-
tions by perforated metal, we should be more in
favor of using drone comb. I have used drone
comb with impunity wherever I desired to in my
extracting supers, and kept the queen from them
with the metal. Great is perforated metal!

Rambler.

I know of but one advantage of drone comb in
sections, which is, that it takes less wax to contain
a given amount of honey, and I think this is over-
balanced by the more fragile character of such
comb in handling and shipping. Yes, bees fill out
vacant places in sections with drone, but not pri-
marily to store honey in, but for the queen to lay
in; and I have often seen drone-cells in sections
well drawn out, and not a drop of honey in them,
while the worker-cells were filled and perhaps seal-
ed. If a queen ever gets up into a super to lay, you
will pretty surely find her laying in drone-cells
there, and drone foundation in sections might be
an inducement' for the queen to go up and lay in
them. I don't think a section of drone comb looks
as well as worker. C. C. Miller.

In the production of comb honey, properly man-
aged, there is no use for the queen-excluding hon-
ey-board; but there would be, if you used drone
foundation in the sections unless there were lots of
drone comb in the brood-chamber. Again, if you
did use a queen - excluding honey-board, every
queen in the apiary that could manage to get
through the metal perforations would get up above
if there were drone comb in the sections. 1 be-
lieve the bees would urge her up there, they know-
ing that the drone comb was there and there was
none below. It is the bees that are boss, not the
queen. Most people think worker comb handsomer
than drone comb. I do not, but the querist will
remember that he is raising honey for most people
and not for me. No, we have no use for comb
foundation, nor drone comb either, except in stock
hives. James Heddon.

The statement with which this question closes is
not true, by a long way. My honey is all built from
very narrow starters; and about one-third of it,
this year, is of worker sized cells. I have just been
looking over a box of unfinished sections put by
for next seasen's use. There were ~1 with worker
comb, while those with drone comb, counting in
with them those that had the two sizes, about half
and half, numbered only 26. I can not give any ob-
jection drawn from actual practice. A theoretical
objection is, that bees seldom incline to build drone

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

863

comb much, unless honey is coming in with tolera-
ble rapidity. Some of us have to have our crop
gathered while honey is coming-in slowly; and if
the super were chock full of drone foundation, bees
might feel disinclined to go on with it.

E. E. Hasty.
There seems to be a pretty fair agreement
in regard to the matter, friends. I believe
that Dr. Miller, however, is the first one
who suggests that drone comb would be a
saving of wax, and suggests one thing that
I never thought of before ; that is, that hon-
ey stored in drone comb is less substantial.
It seems a little queer that the queen should
go up in the sections because they contain-
ed drone comb, when she had never been
there at all. Perhaps friend Heddon has
the correct explanation in regard to it. I
expected, when I first saw the question, that
a good many would object to the concluding
remark. I presume the writer of the query
meant that bees will always build more or
less drone comb if a foundation of worker
comb is not furnished them.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude,
which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the
throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands.— Rev. 7: 9.

A SUNDAY IN CHICAGO.

fHE convention mentioned elsewhere
■ adjourned at one o'clock Saturday aft-
ernoon. Now, Chicago is a wonder-
ful city. A single street in it, I am
told, is 35 miles long, and there is
ever and ever so much to be seen in the
great city ; notwithstanding, when the con-
vention was over I wanted to go home a
good deal more than I wanted to see any
thing else on the face of the earth. I knew
that a train would leave in the evening that
would land me within perhaps 20 miles of
my home, at about one o'clock Sunday
morning ; and I even began arguing with
myself that it would not be wicked to trav-
el on Sunday before daylight. I did not
propose to walk the whole 20 miles ; but I
figured up that I could telegraph to Ernest
to meet me about breakfast time, part way,
and I could walk eight miles before break-
fast, as 1 did once before. Ernest would
have to get up a little earlier than usual
Sunday morning, but we could both be
home and still have plenty of time for
church. Now, this is just what I longed to
do, and found it hard to refrain from doing.
But something else said, " No, my child,
you have really no right to indulge in such
a piece of eccentricity. You have much
reason to thank God for the strength he has
given you, and for the energy with which
you meet difficult tasks when they come.
But this is not one of them. Remember
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. By far the
better way for you will be to stay in this
great city, and inquire, as you have done
hundreds of times before. ' Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do here this beautiful aft-
ernoon V "

I obeyed the voice, but I confess that 1
did not find much enjoyment in it. I visit-
ed a nephew of mine in the suburbs, and
together we visited the celebrated town of
Pullman, where the palace sleeping-cars are
made. The place is something wonderful,
surely, but I have not time to describe it
now. Saturday evening we attended a
meeting of the' Y. M. C A., in Farwell Hall.
I was much inteiested, but no particular
blessing came to me there. I had simply
the consciousness of doing my duty, but at
the same time I was just a little bit home-
sick. The garden down by the creek, my
little spring, the carp-pond, and the vegeta-
bles that stand the cold weather, including
the strawberries, had more attractions for
me than any thing that great city could fur-
nish. I felt glad that God had given me a
faculty to enjoy innocent, inexpensive
amusements ; and I felt glad that I loved
the home, and the loved ones God has given
me, better than any other home, or the
home of anybody else, if you choose.

As usual I was up Sunday morning as
soon as there was a glimpse of daylight.
The great hotel looked about the same Sun-
day morning as at other times. In fact,
there is hardly any morning, noon, or night,
for the electric lights keep it about as light
at night as by day, and there are always
quite a good many folks around. Even ear-
ly Sunday morning there are quite a few
early risers — newsboys and others, moving
about. May be you feel like inquiring
whether I succeeded in finding a Bible at
the Commercial House in Chicago. I was
provided, however, so I did not need to in-
quire. There is one thing I did like very
much. A large plain bulletin-board near
the entrance of the hotel told all about the
religious meetings, Sunday-schools, prayer-
meetings, etc. This bulletin-board is cor-
rected quarterly by the different pastors.
From that, and from the daily papers, I
learned there were no services of any kind
until half-past nine. Long before that
time, however, I had read my Bible until I
was tired, and felt as if I must stir around
outdoors. Now, I do not believe the all-
wise Father expects me to stay indoors un-
til I get dull and sleepy, even if it is Sun-
day. In a great city one can not get out at
all unless he goes out on the streets. I de-
cided to take a walk and look at the differ-
ent church buildings, whose spires rose from
every quarter of the compass. Many of
them had very pretty bulletin-boards near
the entrances, giving the hour of service,
and extending a cordial invitation to
strangers. Pretty soon my eye caught a
glimpse of a little girl hurrying along with a
book in one hand. Soon another one hurried
in the same direction. It reminded me of
the time when I was writing the chapter on
" bee-hunting," in the ABC book. For
weeks and months I roamed the forest at
different times, eagerly following every bee
I could see on the wing, and scanning trees
having any appearance of hollows or open-
ings where the bees might enter. When we
saw a bee alight near one of these openings,
and creep in, what a shout we set up! Now,
I did not set up a shout when I saw these

mi

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

little girls enter the basement of one of the
great churches, but 1 felt just like it. As I
beared the door a couple of boys came along,
and they too had books. I asked them if it
Were Sunday-school where they were going,
to which they replied in the affirmative.

" May I go too?"

They stopped, took a better look at me,
and replied with smiling faces, " Oh, yes !
We should be very glad to have you come
with us."

As the door opened, a burst of music from
childish voices came out and greeted my
ear \ and then something seemed to say
to me, " Look here, brother Root. You
have been saying to yourself that you have
not had any thing like a blessing for having
decided to remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy. What do you think of that
strain of music?"

I did not say any thing out loud, but I
said inwardly, " Why, it is just glorious.
May the Lord be praised for the discovery I
have made of such a Sunday-school, and so
early in the morning I"

I think we were a little late, for they were
all singing from their books. One of the
boys showed me a seat, and another one
looked from his. book enough to see that I
was a stranger, and instantly extended his
book to me, with his finger on the place ;
but before my eyes caught a glimpse of the
strange characters on the printed page my
ears had told me that the singing was in an
unknown tongue. From five hundred to a
thousand bright, sweet - looking boys and
girls of different ages were gathered in the
great basement of that enormous church ;
and although I could not understand a word
of the hymn they were singing, I knew it
was praise to God, for the music was one of
our most familiar hymns. Of course, I
thanked the little friend who brought me
the book, but I was obliged to explain to
him that I could not read it. He looked up
at me with curiosity and surprise, and said,
in good English, " Why, can't you read
German?" 1 shook my head, and so he
kept his book. Very soon another childish
face caught my pleased glance, and he too
brought me a book. Tnen a third one did
the same thing, until I began to decide that
I should have to take a book and look on,
or all the children near me would feel they
were lacking in courtesy. My friend, is it
a lesson to you as it was to me? Are the
children in your Sunday-school, every one
of them, taught to hand their book to a
stranger as soon as they notice his presence?
If not, then I want to tell you that we are,
a good many of us, behind. As hymn after
hymn was sung (all of them were very fa-
miliar tunes), I began to get happier. The
children, almost without exception, entered
into the spirit of the singing, with a heart
and soul I never saw before. It seems to
me that the sight of their faces alone, even
if I had been totally deaf, would have filled
me with thrills of joy. I looked from the
pupils to their teachers. Many of the teach-
ers were in their teens ; but I tell you they
were faithful and honest teachers. The
boys in the class near me were restless, and
full of pranks, as they are in almost any

other Sunday-school, and they made tjuite a
good deal of noise when they were not sing-
ing. The youthful teacher remonstrated in
German, several times ; but it did seem to
me as if some good forcible English was
what was needed. I was a little startled
when he evidently came to the same conclu-
sion, for he spoke out in the clear tones of
my mother tongue, "Look here! can't you
behave yourselves just a minute or two un-
til school is out?" Some of them looked at
me and smiled, thinking that, perhaps, as it
was something I could understand, they
would have (out of respect to me) to do a
little better, and they did.

It was not only the children I loved, but
the great tall heavy superintendent. I have
often seen German people gesticulate, and,
with motions of the body, make clear their
meaning ; but it has usually been in the
neighborhood of a beer-saloon. It never
occurred to me before that this same talent
for gesticulation could be used in explain-
ing the Scriptures and in glorifying Christ
Jesus. I could catch, from the faces of the
audience, especially the teachers', the
points he made in his remarks and motions ;
and when they came to repeat the Lord's
prayer in conceit I was pleased to know
that I could keep track pretty fairly. Be-
fore the school closed I also caught glimpses
here and there of what was being said and
talked about. How that biar superintendent
did get around among his teachers and
hundreds of pupils ! I have seen people
take long strides before, but I believe that
this man did more work in a few minutes in
the line of superintending the Sunday-
school than any one I ever before met. Be-
fore the school came to its close I made up
my mind 1 would never doubt again, when
tempted to run away from the path of duty.
Why, I actually began to think that I
should find no enjoyment and no blessing
at all to compensate me for having resisted
the impulse to run home. The thought of
that Sunday-school will brighten my whole
life ; and it is particularly along in the line
of our text that I feel such a thrill of pleas-
ure when I think of it. It seems to me that
I there beheld the great multitude of which
John spoke — a multitude which no man
could number ; a multitude composed of
those who spoke another tongue, and peo-
ple of another nation. They stood before
the throne of God, and they were surely
clothed with white robes compared with
many of the children of our great cities
whom we meet on the streets. I did not
understand the language, but I have not a
doubt but that it was something akin to
'* Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb." I love
that school because they gathered there so
early in the morning ; and it gave me a feel-
ing, too, that the other great churches in
Chicago were not built entirely for show
and effect ; that even the basements were
being used to glorify the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin of the world.

I have before spoken of the faithfulness
and honest sincerity that I have found
among many of the German people who
come from the "fatherland "to our shores.

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

My heart has often been touched to see how
patiently, and with What fidelity they will
stick to their task until it is done well and
thoroughly, and oftentimes in striking con-
trast to the heedless and slack way in which
we Yankees '• hustle" things. I had a
Strong love for the German people before ;
but as the glimpse of that Sunday-school
comes again and again to my memory, and
as the snatches of melody from the hymns I
h&ard there sung by many voices come
again and again to my ear through memory,
1 feel a stronger love and a greater desire
to grasp these friends from another shore
by the hand, and bid them welcome. I like
to get hold of the hands of the mothers and
of the little children ; I like to grasp the
stout heavy hands of the fathers— hands
that have been made tough and hard by
years of toil ; and I like to say, " Welcome,
dear friends, to these broad lands of ours,
offering so many opportunities and privi-
leges to those who love to work." Yes, I
love the German people, and 1 love Chicago
too, in a way that I never did before, since
staying there through the Sabbath, in obe-
dience, as I believe, to God's holy command.
Not only had I found many neighbors in
Chicago who spoke my own language, but I
found neighbors among those who spoke a
language I did not understand at all ; yes,
and neighbors who worshiped God in that
to me unknown tongue. I shall be less
afraid, I think, should God ever call me to
stay there again ; for is it not true that all
nations and kindreds and tongues and peo-
ples shall stand before the throne, clothed
in white robes, .... saying, " Salva-
tion to our God, and unto the Lamb "?

THE NORTHWESTERN BEE-KEEPERS'
CONVENTION AT CHICAGO.

AN ABBREVIATED REPORT, MOSTLY FROM MEMORY.

IT was my good fortune to be present at
m the deliberations of the bee-men of the
W West, on Friday and Saturday, October
■*■ 11 and 12. Having it come so near the
last of the week was, on many accounts,
objectionable, but the reasons for doing so
were that we might take advantage of the
reduced rates offered, esptcially to those
who wished to attend the Chicago exposi-
tion. Although reduced rates were an-
nounced in the papers, none of the railroad
officials this side of Chicago seemed to know
any thing about it. I presume it was a mis-
take, or an omission somewhere ; but I
think that such mistakes are unfortunate,
especially for the railroads, as it encourages
people to make unkind remarks in regard to
railroads in general — that " they make these
offers just to get our money, without any
expectation of giving reduced rates at all,"
and such like expressions. I do not believe
this is true ; but I think it more likely that
it was through somebody's neglect. There
is a good deal of machinery connected with
our great railroads ; and although the work
they have accomplished is stupendous, we
must still keep in mind that the individual
members of these great companies are all
,human. Some of them are dishonest and

tricky, it is true ; but by far the larger part
are only guilty of forgetfulness, procrasti-
nation^ and neglect, just as you and I are.

The first familiar face 1 met Was our old
friend J. A. Green, whose writings have
made his name a familiar one. Shortly
afterward I met friend Ileddon and his son,
a nice young man perhaps some younger
than Ernest. The president, our good friend
Dr. C. C- Miller, came a little later, accom-
panied by his sister and sister-in-law. Mr.
Aspinwall, of potato-planter celebrity, was
there with his combs made of wood. He is
getting to be quite enthusiastic in bee cul-
ture, and it was quite a pleasure to hear
him talk.

How early shall we put bees in the cellar i*
was decided by a vote— the greatest number
favoring about Nov. 25. I was a little sur-
prised at this, because I supposed experi-
ence of late was in favor of almost one
month earlier ; and most of the friends
present came from a much colder locality
than our own.

In regard to the best size of section, the
general preference was in favor of the one-
pound, or, perhaps a little better still,
something a little less than a pound. The
objection to having them run over a pound
was, that consumers usually inquire first the
price of honey. If the reply is, " Sixteen
cents," and a section is handed out, if it
weighs up only 15 or 14 cents, it is all satis-
factory. If, however, the dealer explains
that, although it is a pound section, it
weighs more, and the price is 17 or 18 cents,
many feel a little as if there were some
kink about it that was not quite straight.
Very likely this is true. But our Simplicity
section, as a rule, especially where sepa-
rators are used, runs a little less than a
pound, rather than over. Friend Heddon
remarked that he sold half-pound sections
readily for 10 cents apiece. With us, how-
ever, half-pound sections have not been a
success. Our customers have become used
to a pound, and they do not take readily to
something different. Perhaps one reason
is, that we have pasteboard boxes made ex-
pressly for the one-pound section, and we
have not as yet had any made for the half-
pound. In regard to supers for comb honey,
something like the T super seems to receive
the preference. When one has more bees
than he wishes, uniting in the spring, so as
to make colonies extra strong, is recom-
mended. To facilitate the disposing of ex-
tra queens, I would suggest timely advertis-
ing.

PREVENTION OF SWARMING.

With out-apiaries it is especially desira-
ble to have as little swarming as possible.
Our enthusiastic friend Aspinwall thinks
he can prevent swarming by the use of his
wooden combs. If the bees have no drone
comb, and no opportunity of making any,
they can not rear drones ; and friend Aspin-
wall says no colony swarms until it has
drones or drone brood. I do not remember
that this matter has ever come up before in
just this way. It has set bee-keepers to
thinking, and the matter will be tested
pretty thoroughly, doubtless, during the
coming season.

866

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS.

The old question that was discussed two
years ago was revived. J. A. Green still in-
sists that it does not pay to keep over old
sections partly filled with comb ; that is, no
more than what are needed for bait combs,
say one or two in each super, to get the
bees to commence readily above. Others
insisted that they could get quite a yield of
honey by having sections partly or nearly
filled with natural comb, where they would
get little or none with empty sections, or
even with sections having full sheets of
foundation. Dr. Miller piles his supers of
unfinished sections up, then places them in
a hive, in the open air, and contracts the
entrance of said hive so that only one bee
can get out and in at a time. lie says it
does not encourage robbing, but, on the
contrary, the bees clean out the sections so
nicely that there is no more tendency for
the honey to candy when placed in these
old combs than if put in*: combs.' nearly
drawn out from fresh foundation. Several
recommended breaking down the comb in
old sections, so the cells were, say, not over
a quarter of an inch deep.

(."UEEN-EXCLUDING ZINC.

Quite a discussion was also given in re-
gard to this. I believe the general tendency
was, however, greatly in favor of using
queen - excluding honey-boards. Some of
the zinc used in our early experiments was
too large, and some was too small. Very
likely there is not a perfect agreement
among bee-keepers as to the proper size of
perforations. Three different sizes are,
1 believe, now on the market, varying but a
hair's breadth, however.

I was pleased to find one of our commis-
sion men, Mr. R. A. Burnett, present at one
of the sessions, and he talked to us on

MARKETING HONEY.

He says that honey, as a rule, ships much
safer in October and November. When the
weather is very warm, there is much great-
er danger of breaking and leakage. He
says the pound section seems to have pretty
much driven out all other sizes. For ex-
tracted honey, the 60-pound tin can boxed
seems to be the best package, and I believe
it is also recommended as being the best for
storage.

BROAD AND NARROW TOP-BARS TO
FRAMES.

There seemed to be a difference of opin-
ion in this matter. While some prefer top-
bars H inches wide, by far the greater num-
ber seemed to prefer them about |. Very
likely the wide top-bars might work some-
thing as does a honey-board in discourag-
ing brace-combs between sections and the
top of the frames, or between the sections
and the honey-boards.

OVERSTOCKING.

While without doubt many localities are
often overstocked, the general opinion
seems to be that we may keep from 75 up to
150 colonies in a single location, rather than
to start an out-apiary. Circumstances may,
however, modify this a good deal.

For a more complete report of the conven-
tion, see the American Bee Journal for Oct.
23. In fact, I am indebted to the report
there given for bringing to my mind the
many points considered.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOE A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

RAISING THINGS UNDER GLASS.

T AM going to give you a talk now, dear
m friends, on a subject that has been on
jji my mind for several years. In fact, I
A spend hours and hours' in inventing and
planning in regard to it. I have enjoyed
myself, too, in the work, even though it has
not as yet amounted, probably, to very much.
Sometimes when I am taking a buggy-ride
in the night, or riding on the cars, I say to
myself, " Now for a good time inventing,
planning, exploring, etc." In the first place,
I have never been satisfied in raising lettuce,
radishes, strawberries, spinach, corn salad,
onions, cucumber, etc., under glass. The
reason I have never been satisfied is, that
they do not grow and succeed as they do
outdoors. In fact, I have never seen many
greenhouses in my life where things look as
thrifty and healthy as I wish to see them
look. Perhaps you think I demand a good
deal. Well, may be I do. I should give up
discouraged, perhaps, were it not that I
have now and then had glimpses that
seemed to show the possibilities in the line
I am looking into.

Another thing I do not like about plants
under glass : it is the almost invariable
green-fly accompaniment. Instead of get-
ting the conditions just right for the growth
of lettuce, tomato-plants, etc., we seem to
almost invariably hit upon the exact condi-
tions required for raising the green-fly. If
that were what we set out to do, we might
rejoice over our complete success. First
you know, here and there will be the little
white specks on the ground, indicating their
presence. Examination shows just occa-
sionally a green fly. In a week there are
hundreds, and in two weeks may be a hun-
dred thousand. If you enjoy seeing growth
and multiplication in animated nature, you
have it with the green fly, to a dot. Well,
why does the green fly grow indoors and not
out ? I have never yet found anybody who
can tell ; but I think I have solved the prob-
lem myself. Some years ago I speculated a
good deal as to why there was not a green
fly to be found in the open air, while they
were a perfect pest in a bed not one yard
distant, under glass.* Perhaps you may ask,
" Why not have all the lettuce in the open

* I am aware that we can manage the green fly by
the use of tobacco. Last winter one of our boys
fumigated the greenhouse so thoroughly that he
killed every fly in every stage of existence; but be
killed all the tomatoes, radishes, and even injured
the lettuce. But I do not like tobacco. I do not
want it around our boys, and I do not want to re-
gale the senses of our visitors by something so
strikingly like tobacco juice squirted on ;t hot stove
in a poorly ventilated room. Of course, if there is
no other way we shall have ,to use tobacco dust,
and tobacco smoke and vapor. But 1 believe there
is a better and cheaper way.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

air ?" Why, we do do just that until the
frost is severe and must have protection.
Why not, then, cover it when the frost is
severe, and no other time V Well, it is just
the thing we are coming to presently but not
just yet. The question now is, " Why does
not the green fly flourish in the open air V "
Well, I think I have solved that problem.
At one time, when a bed was badly infested,
some time in March, I think, the weather
became warm enough so we could strip off
the sash, and in a little while the green fly
had disappeared, and the lettuce looked
strong and healthy. Was it the circulation
of air all around the plants, that they did
not have under glass V I thought so once,
but I afterward gave it up. A long drench-
ing rain was what wound them up ; and I
feel sure, my friends, that it is the long
drenching rains that stop the enormous
multiplication of all aphide families. Per-
haps you suggest a remedy— watering the
plants profusely in the greenhouse. Well, 1
think this would answer, providing you
could imitate a gentle shower, and keep it
up for three or four hours. Spattering
water upon the ground so as to make the
ground muddy may perhaps injure the fly,
but it also injures the plants. We have just
experimented upon a pretty large scale with
greenhouses made so the rain could come
through all around the lights of glass ; but it
came in streams and tk lumps," if I may use
the expression. It made the ground muddy
and soggy, and spattered soil all over the
plants, and would not answer at all. So it
is with a great part of the watering. Noth-
ing has ever been invented so good as
nature ; and I propose that nature shall
have her own way. Not only is rain better
than any other kind of water, but straight
sunshine without any glass intervening is
better than any kind of sunshine that comes
through glass, cloth, or any thing else. New-
ly transplanted plants, that need shading, of
course do not come under this rule. In that
case we wish to cut off the rays of the sun,
and confine the dampness so that the ground
shall neither bake nor dry, and so the plants
may not wilt.

Now, then, we know what we want, or at
least I think I know what I want. I want
my whole garden right in the open air,
where it can get the first ray of sunlight,
without obstruction from trees or buildings,
and where it can get the last ray at night in
the same way. I want every thing in the
open air the way I have dascribed, until the
nights get so cool that the plants will receive
injury. Lettuce, strawberries, onions, spin-
ach, radishes, and a large class of plants, do
not seem to be hurt by nights so cold that
the ground freezes so as to make a crust.
They will, however, make more rapid growth
if protected so that the ground does not
freeze at all. If, however, all the crop is
ready for the market, and we wish to hold it
there in order that it may not shoot up to
seed, then leave it out, even though the
ground does freeze Give it protection only
when the foliage is liable to be injured. I
have ascertained by experiment pretty near-
ly where this point lies. Even tomato-
plants, when hardened by gradual exposure,

can be made so tough that they will stand
a pretty cold snap. In fact, they do not
seem to be very much harmed by a little
snowstorm, providing the air is above the
freezing-point at the time the snow falls.
Cold winds do more damage, even though
the temperature of the air is considerably
above freezing, than does a light fall of
snow without wind ; therefore we want to
make it a study to know just how much
hardening our plants will bear and not
sustain positive injury. At the present
writing, Oct. 16, our peppers in the open air
across the street from where I am writing
have sustained no serious injury. Tomato-
vines have been killed on the low grounds,
and these peppers are scorched a little. But
under the infiuence of our Indian summer
they have made new growth, and we are
having peppers in abundance. They have
become gradually hardened, so they would
stand a good while, if we could interpose glass
or cloth for a few hours during severe weath-
er. There is almost always quite a demand
for all these things just after frost has killed
them all. Many of our customers complain
bitterly almost every year because they were
a little too late in getting something they
intended to get. Well, how shall we inter-
pose this cloth or glass when it is wanted,
and get rid of it quickly and easily as soon
as it is wanted no longer? Another thing,
I want to have the establishment look tidy.
Sunshiny mornings, after the frost has melt-
ed away, the sash, cloth frames, sheets, bas-
kets, boxes, newspapers, etc., scattered all
about the garden are a nuisance. Besides,
the wind gets hold of them, and blows them
around in an unsightly way, to say nothing
of the damage they do. I know how mar-
ket-gardeners manage it. I have carefully
hunted up all such establishments in the vi-
cinity of many of our great cities. The only
plan I have discovered is by means of the
usual hot-bed sash. The bed is a little less
than 6 feet wide. The sash are mostly more
than 6 feet long, therefore a man is needed
at each end of the sash to remove or put it
back. It is true, a good strong man can
handle sash alone to a certain extent ; but it
is very hard work. When the sash are re-
moved, of course they must be put some-
where ; and the customary way is to have
beds of such length that the sash may be put
in piles at certain intervals. These piles
should not rise more than five or six feet, for
convenience. Probably not more than 50
sash would be put in a pile ; therefore if the
sash are three feet wide, the piles would be
150 feet apart ; and the men who handle
them are obliged to carry the last sash re-
moved, a distance of 75 feet to reach the
piles. This makes it so big a job to cover and
uncover the plants that the sash are on a
good deal of the time when it would be much
better to have them off; and, vice versa, they
are off a good many times when they really
should be on. My experience with handling
sash has been that the plants are either get-
ting scorched by frost or scorched by heat a
great part of the time.

A year ago I procured three sets of
Hitchings1 apparatus for raising and lower-
ing sash. These operate so easily that I oft-

868

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

en open them when the sun comes out from
between the clouds, and close them again
when it goes back under the clouds, and I
really enjoy it, for the whole operation con-
sists simply in turning a crank. I do not
enjoy lifting sash at all, especially on a
windy day ; but I think that turning a crank
is just fun, especially when I can see a dozen
sash move in obedience to my will, and when
I can hold them at any point without a bit
of danger of the wind taking them from my
grasp and doing damage. It takes an expert
to handle sash without " putting his foot in
it " every now and then ; but any cheap boy
can turn a crank. Now, I am not a " crank ,1
myself, and have no ambition to be called
one ; but I do love cranks— that is, the kind I
have described. I think you now see what
I want. I want an arrangement whereby
we can get either glass sash or cloth frames
entirely out of our way by simply turning a
crank, and can also put them back exactly
in place, and have them held there safely by
turning the crank the other way. If you
want great power, the crank may be a very
long one. In my recent visits to large cities
I have been greatly interested in seeing two
men, with a crank for each, ten or twelve feet
long, move a great iron bridge, large enough
to permit great vessels to pass through, and
strong enough to hold heavy railway trains,
after the bridge was back again in place.
Yes, I have had visions for more than a year,
of a great glass structure to revolve on a
central pivot, just like these immense
bridges. Half of this structure would be
glass, and the other half an opening. One
or two men could turn it around so as to
present the glass toward the sun as it
marched through the heavens ; and when
the weather is warm enough, the open space
could be turned toward the sun, so as to get
the direct rays ; and when it rains, the whole
contents of the greenhouse could have the
benefit of the shower. If a steam-boiler is
used to heat the house, a little engine would
do the turning. In fact, a thermometer
could be made by electricity to revolve the
whole apparatus in obedience to changes of
temperature. But I think I should prefer
bossing the turning myself.* I have also
thought of a greenhouse set on wheels, to
run on a railway track. When the sun
shines, push it back out of the way ; when it
gets frosty, shove it forward. As, however,
it is risky business to move glass structures,
we could, if we choose, have the plant-beds
on wheels, and run them out for rain and
sunshine, running them in again when they
need protection. t The great objection to all

* This great circular glass house should have the
lower edge of galvanized iron; and this lower edge,
where it revolves, should dip in a trough of water.
This would make it turn with great ease, and yet
be perfectly air-tight. When the water in the
trough freezes up, there would be no need of turn-
ing it; and the metal edge frozen fast in the trough
of water would make about as tight a joint as one
could ask for. If the circular house is not too
large, the owner could swing it at any time by
reaching one of the rafters overhead, and giving it
a push. Of course, the expense of such a structure
would be pretty heavy; and setting glass on a cir-
cuhir sloping roof is very expensive business.

+ There is a pleasant feature about having the
plant-beds on wheels. For economy of space they

these arrangements is, that we must have
twice as much ground as our garden occu-
pies. In great cities, where market-garden-
ing is mostly carried on, ground is quite ex-
pensive ; and keeping an extra piece of
ground, just for holding a glass house, or
plant-beds, occasionally, is quite expensive.
We want our glass sash or cloth frames
taken away somewhere so as to occupy but
little space.

What objection is there, do you ask, to
Hitchings' apparatus for tipping the sash up
edgewise? Well, in the first place this
machinery does not tip the sash up so as to
let the rain strike every part of the plant-
beds. Perhaps it might be arranged to do
this. Another thing, it takes enormous
power to raise all the sash in a large green-
house up on one edge. Do you say, "Balance
them by a shaft through the middle, so as to
swing them on their centers' V Very good,
but still two difficulties present themselves.
If we have the glass near the plants (and it
is by far the better way), the sash will come
down unpleasantly in the way when the
weather is warm enough to have every thing
open. Another thing : A sash, to swing on
its middle, must have a great many openings
in the greenhouse— openings of such a char-
acter that it is quite difficult to have them
closed up tight when zero weather comes.

Perhaps I should explain, that, in our lo-
cality, there is not a month in the year, and
very few weeks, when we do not have rain
more or less, even in the coldest part of the
winter; and when it is warm enough to rain,
it is warm enough to have every thing in the
open air. I have tested the matter on a
small scale, far enough to know that excel-
lent results can be obtained by such a con-
trivance as I have suggested. In fact, Peter
Henderson has figured a house for hardy
plants in the florists' line, made a good deal
on the plan I suggest. You will find it in
the American Florist for Aug. 1, 1889. You
can easily test the thing on a small scale by
making a plant-bed on the south side of
some building. If a wing comes out just
far enough to keep off west and northwest
winds, it will be an advantage. Now have
your sash hinged at the north side of your
bed, so that it may be turned over against
the wall of the building, and you have it.
Even if your bed is 30 feet long, a man at
each end and one in the middle would
throw the sash over against the building,
where it must be fastened, of course, to pre-

could be pushed tight up against each other, occu-
pying all the space usually used for paths or alleys,
leaving room for only a single walk, on the south
side of the house, for instance, so a walk can be
made anywhere you wish by pushing the beds
apart — that is. spreading them wherever you want
to get in, instead of having the vacant space on the
south side, as mentioned. This arrangement would
also prevent dampness and mold, because the beds
could be moved apart so as to let the sun and air all
around them, underneath as well as overhead. The
principal expense would be a level substantial
track, with strong accurate wheels and axles, so
the beds would move with very little pushing. I
would adopt this plan were it not for ihe expense
of the extra ground that can not, as 1 see, be made
available for any other purpose: also the expense
of the track, wheels, and axles. Possibly the plant-
beds may be floated on water, like a canal boat,
cheaper than to put them on a car.

1880

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

869

vent the wind from blowing it down. Cloth
frames answer excellently until we have
heavy snows. I never want any thing to do
with cloth frames when we have snow
even half a foot deep. They may answer in
October and November, and perhaps in
March and April ; but here we are liable to
have snows that make trouble, both in No-
vember and March.*

Now, I have given the above as much
with the idea of possibly receiving some
hint or suggestion from some of my readers
as with the hope that it may prove helpful
to those who have been studying along in
the same line with myself. I would suggest
an easy method of having fiowers and veg-
etables, that might need fall protection, and
yet have the apparatus at all times present
a neat and tidy appearance.

V

C B

\,

n

A

u

Let A represent a plant-bed ; but instead
of having it 6 feet wide, let us have it only
3. The dotted line represents the height of
the soil. The sides may be made of boards
held in place by sticks. These boards must
be 18 inches if the bed is 3 feet wide. B B
are cloth frames hinged at C. The hinge
may be of leather, or even the edge of the
cloth tacked to the board forming the side
of the bed. Now, when it is frosty the
frames B B are turned over so as to cover
the bed, resting on a stake just above the
letter A. When they want sunshine or
rain, raise them up and let them drop down
by the sides of the bed shown at D. The
wind can not hurt them in this position ;
and if the bed is not very long, you can
open or close the frames by standing at the
head of the bed and taking one in each hand.
Glass, may be manipulated in the same way,
only that it would be pretty heavy, requir-
ing a man at each end, say for a bed 15 or 20
feet long. Another objection to this ar-
rangement is, that the soil, being 12 or 15
inches above the surface of the ground,
would freeze through quicker than if the path
were not so far below it. Peter Henderson
once said to me that he had got tired of hot-
beds or cold-frames where one could not
come inside to regulate the temperature,
and I think a good deal the same way. I
want to be inside, not only to see what is

* There is one way by which cloth frames may be
made to answer all winter. Have shutters to put
over them when more than half a foot of snow
comes or is expected to come. The air space be-
tween the cloth and the shutters is an additional
help to keep out the frost. When the snow has
ceased falling-, and the sun comes out, or if the tem-
perature is mild, even if the sun does not come out,
throw up the shutters. This makes additional
work, but it will give very good results for a cold-
frame. It is not, however, as good as glass, and is
considerably more trouble.

going on, but I like to be where it is warm
and comfortable ; and if it is too hot or too
cold, turn the aforesaid crank one way or
the other.

I spoke of killing the green flies by a
drenching rain. I have tested watering
with a fine spray, such as the Nixon nozzle
gives, and this seems to answer a good pur-
pose. Very likely the dews of night have
considerable to do with keeping down the
aphide family. Now, if there is no dew in
our greenhouses or cold-frames, we are not
following nature. Another point comes in
here : If we water the plants so profusely as
a shower of several hours, there must be some
provision not only for rapid drainage, but to
have the soil dry out as it does in the open
air we must have a movement of the air.
Stirring the soil, together with a circulation
of warm air, will dry out the ground as it
dries outdoors. Now, when the weather is
too cold to allow us to open the ventilators
for many days, do not our plants suffer from
a lack of air? And this suggests the thought
that has often come to me — why not warm
greenhouses as we often do dwellings and
public buildings, by blowing through them
a current of warm air? One of our factories
is warmed and ventilated in this manner,
and it is the most satisfactory warming we
have ever had. A very gentle blast of air —
perhaps just enough so that the warm air is
slowly pushing out through all the crevices,
will accomplish the result ; and as this would
prevent cold air from pushing in at the
crevices, may it not be as cheap a method
of heating as any ? I have never succeeded
in getting any satisfactory growth of plants
unless very profuse watering was followed
by the gradual drying-out of the soil until
another profuse watering could be admin-
istered with safety. Watering, without giv-
ing the soil time to dry out, produces damp-
ness and mold, which very soon destroys
most plants. The great troubles that have
come from the rotting of lettuce in green-
houses seems to me can be accounted for by
a want of dry air to dry out the soil, as well
as for want' of sunshine. Running steam-
pipes underneath the beds is a pretty good
way of accomplishing the result. But steam-
pipes will never dry any thing unless a cir-
culation of air is also assured. We once
built a dry-house, and were surprised to find
the lumber would not dry, no matter how
hot we made it. When we sent a stream of
air over the steam-pipes to warm it, and
then passed it through the lumber and out
into the open air as fast as it became loaded
with moisture, then our lumber dried out
promptly. Do we not need something of
the sort in our greenhouses, especially dur-
ing the winter months when we have many
cloudy days and little sunshine?

Since Peter Henderson's arrangement
above alluded to comes the nearest to filling
the bill of any thing we have as yet found,
I have thought best to submit it oti the next
page, with an explanation in Peter Hender-
son's own words :

LOW GREENHOUSES, OR PITS.

There is nothing new in the plan; it is almost
identical with what we and others have had in use
for the past thirty years, except it be that, instead
of lifting the sashes individually for ventilation

8t0

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

SECTIONAL VIEW OF LOW GREENHOUSES, OR PITS.

A. Sash, 6x4 ft. B. 114-inch steam-pipe. C. Cemented bench, ilA ft. wide. D. Walk, 2 ft. wide and 6% ft.
from ridge. E. Yellow pine gutter, 10x4 inches. F. Front wall, 3% ft. high. G. Ground-level.

with an iron bar for a lever, we now apply the or-
dinary hoisting apparatus, so that every alternate
sash on the south side can be lifted to a height of
nearly f&ur feet. This was the great desideratum
in our first erections of these low houses, whether of
fixed roofs or portable sashes, that for the purposes
for which such houses are best adapted— the grow-
ing of hardy and half-hardy stuff— sufficient venti-
lation could not be obtained. These low houses are
formed of sashes 6x4; the glass is double thick,
10x14. All sashes on the north side are screwed
down, also every alternate one on the south side,
the others being used for ventilation. This abun-
dant means of ventilation makes such houses
adaptable for any purpose that cold-frames or
sunken pits are generally used for, such as the
growing of violets, pansies, daisies, bulbs of all
kinds, or, in short, any plant whose nature rebels
against a high temperature in a dormant state. For
dormant hybrid roses, clematis, hydrangeas, and
carnations, we find them particularly useful, and
we never before have had such satisfactory results
from that class of plants.

The space occupied by these houses on our place
is 300 feet long by 90 feet wide. The length is cross-
ed by two potting-sheds each 15 feet wide. As will
be seen by the ground plan, the paths are sunk,
the sides of which are held up by brick on edge
laid in cement; the benches are all cemented, thus
always presenting a clean, smooth surface on
which to set plants. The posts supporting the yel-
low pine gutters are locust, so that houses so built,
we believe, will stand for at least twenty-five years,
with but a trifle for repairs. The heating: is done
by steam, by three of Lord & Burnham's No. 5 hot-
water boilers with a steam-dome attachment. The
two l^-inch pipes in each house are attached to the
gutter-plate, as shown in the plan, which is suffi-
cient to keep out frost in coldest weather; if heat-
ed by hot-water it would require exactly the same
amount of four-inch pipe to do the same work. It
is in such conditions as we have here, however,
where steam has the advantage over hot-water, the
extreme point to be heated being nearly 600 feet
from the boiler-pit: it would hardly be practicable
to heat with hot water at such a distance.

This block of pits was erected by Lord & Burn-
ham, and cost $7.50 per running foot, for each
house, complete. This, of course, far exceeds in
cost that of the ordinary sunken pits, which we
used for the same purposes, sometimes using them
as sunken hotbeds, heating by manure; but two
years' working of this new plant has convinced us
that we would have been many thousand dollars in
pocket had we made the erection years ago instead
of bungling along with the cold sunken pits, be-
cause, not only is there always loss by breakage in
matting up such pits, but often great loss to plants
is sustained from snow-storms when the pits have
to be kept closed. As a matter of fact, although
the area covered by these low houses is considera-
bly less than we had in sunken pits and cold
frames, our output of plants has been more than
doubled, and at much less expense in labor.
Against that, of course, is the cost of fuel, which 1

estimate to be only about $500, as the temperature
is at all times low, but, taken all together, it is per-
haps the most satisfactory change in our green-
house plant that we have ever made.

Although we use these houses only for half-hardy
stock, and keep them at a low temperature, of
course they can be used for other greenhouse stock
by increasing the heat; but for growing flowers in
winter, or for growing plants requiring a high tem-
perature, such houses are not so well adapted as
the modern rose-house, which I believe to be the
best for any purpose of flowering or fruiting plants
in winter. But most florists growing a general
stock always find a necessity for cold-frames or re-
tarding-pits, and for such purposes I doubt whether
this style of low greenhouses can be much improv-
ed upon. Peter Henderson.

Jersey City, N. J., July 11, 1889.

In addition to the above, the editor of the
American Florist adds the following :

It should be added, that surplus water drains into
the cemented walk; and the houses having a slight
fall, the water flows easily in the side gutters to
one end, where it is carried off by a sewer. The
rafters and ridge-pole are of yellow pine. It will
also be noted, as shown in sketch of interior, that
each sash which is raised by the ventilating ma-
chinery is provided with two arms, one on each
side. At the apex of the roof the two rafters and
the ridge are solidly united by a small iron truss,
which is undoubtedly of considerable value in
strengthening the roof and keeping it in shape.

INTERIOR OP LOW GREENHOUSES, OR PITS.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

871

For the use of market-gardeners we should
not want the top of the beds cemented — that
is, I would not ; but this, of course, is op-
tional. If I understand it, the sides of the
paths are sloping, rendering them less liable
to.' cave in The bottom is also highest in
the center, so that the workmen would not
be obliged to stand in the water. Now, in-
stead of having only every other sash on the
south side hinged, I would have them all
hinged. See cut on previous page.

Then I should want the sash-raising ap-
paratus capable of throwing the south sash
clear over, so as to lie on the north side of
the neighboring house. If fastened there so
the wind can not blow it over, it can remain
all summer. The last row of buildings on
the south side would need a fence, or some
support for the sash. When thus arranged,
the sun in the winter time wotild shine on
every inch of ground inside of the houses ;
and if the rain were from the south, and driv-
en sufficiently by the wind to fall at about
the same angle as the sun's rays we should
also have rain on every inch of the plants ;
however, this would probably not often hap-
pen ; therefore a part of the interior would
have to be sprinkled with the hose, in the
usual way.

Now, then, the problem that confronts us
is this: How shall we throw the sash, or, in
fact, the whole south roof, over against the
north roof, and bring it back? Pulling it
over with a chain or rope will not answer,
because it must be held at every point so
the wind can not take it and smash the glass.
The mechanism must raise it up quietly and
let it down quietly. For the sake of econo-
mizing power as well as time, it should com-
mence to rise very slowly and with a good
deal of power. As it nears a perpendicular
position the power may be decreased, and
the speed correspondingly increased ; and
the same way in letting it down. The ordi-
nary sash-raising apparatus does not move
the sash through, say, one-fourth, or, better
still, one-third of a complete circle. Per-
haps, however, it may be arranged so as to
do it. It can be readily arranged so as to
move more rapidly and with less power when
the sash comes near the perpendicular. I
have figured a good deal on levers and end-
less chains, and sash balanced on centers ;
but time and again I am driven back to the
ordinary sash-raising apparatus, modified so
as to throw the sash clear over against the
neighboring roof.

Now, friends, I have finished my long
story, and you know just how far I have got
in finding my ideal winter garden.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The American International Bee-keepers' Association will
meet in the Court-house. Brantford, Canada, Dec. 4, 5. 6, 1889.
All bee-keepers are invited to attend. State and district bee-
keepers'societies are invited to appoint delegates to the con-
vention. Full particulars of the meeting will be given in due
time. Any one desirous of becoming a member, and receiving
the last annual report, bound, may do so by forwarding $1.00 to
the secretary. R. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.

Romney, Ont., Can.

TO THE BEE-KEEPERS OF MISSOURI.

After conferring with several bee-keepers, and at their re-
quest,! hereby make a call to the bee-keepers or Missouri to
meet at Higgmsville, Mo., on Thursday, Nov. 14,1889, for the
purpose of meeting in convention, in order to form an associ-
ation; meeting to commence about 9 A.M., to last for one day

only. Now, brother bee-keepers, let every one, who possible
P»n, come to this convention, and let us get acquainted; and
if it is a success, 1 am willing to take the honors; but if it is
not, please do not men! ion it. It seems that somebody had to
make the call, it' we are to have a convention; and as no one
else did, I now have done so. A place to meet at has 1 n as-
sured us, free of cost. .J \V ROUSF

Gleanincs in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly.

^. X. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

:MEJ3I£T-A., OHIO.

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
1»* »;

For Clubbing Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

— 0 -♦- o

iMZiEJDiisr^, pro^r. 1, iee©.

And they were all tilled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.—
Acts 2: 4.

We have at this date 9144 subscribers.

New subscribers can have Gleanings from now
till January 1, 1891, for $ 1.00.

THE LONG ARTICLE, GARDENING UNDER GLASS, IN
THIS ISSUE.

Lest some friend who does not care for garden-
ing should complain at the amount of space I have
occupied, 1 want to say that I told the printers I
wanted four extra pages in this issue. They said
they could not very well put in just four extra, but
they could make it eight. Therefore, if you will
notice you will see we have given eight extra pages
this time— the Ave that do not cost you any thing,
about gardening in the winter, and three more
about bees, etc.

WHO CAN FURNISH QUEENS IN NOVEMBER?

We are just now in the same predicament we
have been almost every year— lots of orders for
queens, and none to be had. Will not some of our
enterprising friends in the South put in an adver-
tisement, to the effect that they can furnish untest-
ed queens to any one who wants them, as promptly
as we are in the habit of sending them from here?
We think it very much better for the seller and
buyer to communicate direct during November
and the winter months. Keep a standing adver-
tisement all winter, of untested queens ready to
ship by the first mail, and you will have a good bus-
iness, even if you charge the prices given in our
catalogue, for the winter months. We will make
editorial mention, free of charge, in our next issue,
of those who have queens on hand ready to ship.

POLYGLOT ORDERS.

We not only receive orders in English poorly
written, poorly spelled, and as indefinite as any
thing can possibly be, but we occasionally have
orders from our friends across the water, couched
in three different languages, particularly when the
writer lives on the border line between two or three
countries, such as Switzerland, where French, Ger-
man, and Italian are pretty well mixed up. A
postal card before us starts off in French, then
copies some English from our price list, substitut-
ing German adjectives, and then winds up in
French. A very convenient thing is to have a
linguist who can read any of the three languages,

872

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

or a mixture of the three. No matter whether it is
poorly written, or even written in three languages,
or a mixture of the three, our proof-reader, some
way or other, manages to decipher it. This is not
written to encourage polyglot writing, but to show
how the people of this world do write sometimes in
conveying their wants. Now, do not get discour-
aged, friends. We are not finding fault, but the
contrary. If writing postals in three languages is
the best you can do, keep on and we will do the
best we can for you. you remember the central
thought of Our Neighbors this issue is about neigh-
bors who speak to us in unknown tongues.

MOODY'S SERMONS.

About a year ago, or perhaps a little more, there
was quite a disappointment because we were una-
ble to get any more of the books entitled " Moody's
Best Thoughts and Discourses." We wrote to the
publishers, but could not induce them to get out
another edition. One of the best things in regard
to the book is, that whenever it got into a neighbor-
hood it was loaned right and left until it got worn
out. For ten years past I have kept a copy in our
county jail, and almost every prisoner that gets in
there was sure to read Moody. After the books
were gone I tried to get even a single copy to put in
the jail, but I failed. Imagine my astonishment
when I found out, a few days ago, that our boys
had a couple of copies of Moody's Sermons in their
cheap library; but instead of being 75 cts. and post-
age, as is the book mentioned above, the price is
only 3D cts. ; by mail, 10 cts. additional. One of the
books is entitled " Evenings with Moody and San-
key;" the other, " Hold the Fort." The latter con-
tains quite an extensive biography of Moody and
Sankey, as well as of P. P. Bliss, the author of
many of the Moody and Sankey Gospel Hymns.
The other is simply a collection of sermons. It also
contains an account of the revival convention held
in the city of New York, in March, 1876. Each of
the books contains many of the best sermons here-
tofore found in the Best Thoughts and Discourses.
As the books contain nearly 300 pages each, they
are wonderfully reasonable. For some time I have
lamented that there were not more good moral
books in our cheap library. Both of these books
are intensely interesting. If you just lay them
around, almost everybody will read them; and I
hardly need add, that nothing in the shape of a
book has a more moral tendency, or a more elevat-
ing tone, than these reports of Moody's Sermons. 1
can not tell you how glad I felt when 1 found them
for sale in our store, at the low price of 30 cts. each.

SEEDSMEN, AND A LITTLE PLEA FOB THEM.

I have quite a good many times heard severe
and uncharitable remarks in regard to seedsmen
because of their enormous profits. Somebody, for in-
stance, grows a crop of seeds for a seedsman. The
seed is furnished him to plant, and he sells matured
crops, say for from $4.00 to $5.00 a bushel. A few
months later, when the catalogue comes out, the
price may be perhaps $15.00 or $20.00. It looks bad, I
confess; and I, too, used to indulge in severe criti-
cisms. Since 1 have been dealing in expensive seeds,
especially of novelties or untried things, I have had
my eyes opened a little. At present our seed cata-
logue quotes the Ignotum seed at $15.00 a pound,
while we are paying only $4.00 for the same amount.
Why this great discrepancy? I will tell you. In
our basement is quite a lot of seeds that have cost

me large sums of money. Some of them are old
and worthless; others are not worth a quarter
what I paid for them. I was foolish in buying more
than the market demanded; yet we have been so
greatly annoyed by being out of certain seeds
when there came an unexpected demand for them
that I have decided I would rather have considera-
ble to throw away than to vex people by telling
them we were sold out, or that we could not get
any more without paying twice as much as we have
been selling them for. No seedsman can tell how
much he is going to need of any thing. Of course,
he can tell something by past experience; but even
with the best judgment he can bring to bear, he
frequently gets badly " left." Now, I do not know
how much Ignotum seed can be scraped up as the
product of the seeds we gave away last spring;
neither do I know how much is going to be called
for. It is very desirable, however, that we have
enough seed on hand to furnish some to every appli-
cant. It is also exceedingly desirable for me not to
have 25 lbs. (that cost me $100).uncalled for. I have
not yet sold a pound for $15.00; but I have sold 6 lbs.
for $36.00, and 2 lbs. for $20.00; and 8 lbs. is about all
I have been able to buy so far. A good many
seedsmen have asked me my best present figures.
If any of you prefer to advertise what seed you
have, rather than to sell it to me for the small sum
of $4.00 per lb., I am willing you should do so, for I
have not told this little story to excuse myself, but
simply to let you see how difficult a matter it is for
a seedsman who expects to fulfill all his promises,
and to supply all demands that come to him for
seeds. Before spring the price of the Ignotum
seed may be less than $4.00. It may also be more
than $15.00. Supply and demand must decide.
With alsike clover and Japanese buckwheat, of
course the case is far different. What we buy for
a dollar we can well afford to sell for $1.25, because
they are established staple seeds; but it must be
remembered, that a bag substantial euough to
stand shipping by freight must be furnished for
each bushel, half-bushel, or even peck, and there is
also some danger of having several hundred bush-
els of buckwheat on our hands, that cost us over
$1.00 per bushel, that might have to be sold for even
less than a dollar. Seedsmen quite frequently sell
even staple seeds at less than cost; therefore they
can not bring the purchase price and selling price
so near each other as one might, in taking a cur-
sory view of the matter, think they should.

PUBE WATEB IN GBEAT ABUNDANCE.

Perhaps 20 rods from where I am writing this
there is a rise of ground, and it goes up a little high-
er than any other ground in the corporation, or, in
fact, in the vicinity of Medina. When I was a boy
in my teens I often used to look at it longingly,
thinking what a grand place it would be for a wind-
mill. Windmills were my hobby then. But I did
not suppose that it would ever be my good fortune
to possess the ground, or perhaps to have money
enough to build such a mill as I had in my mind's
eye. So I contented myself with making a home-
made windmill to do the churning for mother.
That was thirty years ago, when windmills for
pumping were almost unknown. They now dot the
landscape everywhere; and within the past few
months Providence has seen fit to permit me to
make a purchace of that hill 1 have had my eyes
on for over thirty years. Three days ago, as we

1889

GLEANENTGS IN BEE CULTUBE.

878

looked from the windows of the office, we could see,
sharply outlined against the sky, the derrick, en-
gine, walking-beam, and other machinery for drill-
ing an artesian well. The drillers had been work-
ing for more than a week, exploring for pure water
from the depths of the rock. We expected to be
obliged to go down at least 150 or possibly 200 feet,
on account of the elevation. Imagine the pleasant
surprise, however, to find a vein of water at a depth
of 97 feet and 5 inches that gave a flow of water
equal to at least 500 barrels per day, and may be
a thousand. We are now planning for the erection
of a 2000-barrel tank, to be placed over the well'
and a windmill capable of raising 1000 barrels per
day is to spread its wings over it. Even if this res-
ervoir stands on the ground, the elevation is suffi-
cient to throw water on the roof of every building
on our grounds; and last, but not least, to furnish,
we hope, 1000 barrels of water per day for irrigating
the strawberries and garden-stuff. We are just
now rejoicing over this, another of God's gracious
gifts. Well, the drillers have folded their tents, and
the engine is today, Oct. 31, smiting the rock down
on the creek-bottom ground, to see if it is not pos-
sible that some other gift was stored away, ages
ago, through God's loving kindness for his children
of this l'.»th century; and it reminds me again and
again of the promise, "But the water that I shall give
him shall be unto him a well of water springing up
into everlasting life." We are planning to have all
our buildings fitted with automatic sprinklers over
all our ceilings, so that, if a fire should break out
at any time of day or night, when nobody is around,
the faithful little piece of mechanism will com-
mence to drench the flames with water until one of
two things happens— till the Are goes out, and some-
body comes and stops the running water, or till that
2000 barrel tank gets empty.

THE OREGON STRAWBERRY, AGAIN.

Our young friend Seth Wiuquist has just mailed
us a plant, or clump of plants, in full bearing; and
he packed them so nicely in moss that it reached us
in perfect order. A single plant contained blos-
soms, growing strawberries, and ripe fruit, the lat-
ter in a state of perfect preservation, except some
bruises. This single plant contained perhaps forty
or fifty berries, green and ripe. One thing is cer-
tain, the berry does wonderfully in Oregon. Wheth-
er or not it will do the same here, remains to be
proved. Those he has sent us are growing, but the
growth is so far rather feeble. This, however, is
nothing strange for the month of October. We are
testing them, both in the greenhouse and outdoors.

gPECIflD ]^0TICEg.

SPIDER-PLANT SEED.

Please do not send us any more of the above
seed until further orders.

H. A. March, in just the same way he raises the
Wakefield. The price will be just the same; name-
ly, 20 cts. per ounce, or $2 60 per pound. The usual
postage is to be added, if wanted by mail.

LETTUCE-PLANTS FOR COLD-FRAMES, HOT-BEDS,
AND GREENHOUSES.

We have beautiful plants now ready to take from
the seed-bed, of Graud Rapids, Boston Market, or
Laudreth's Forcing. Price 20 cts. per 100, or $1.50
per 1000. If wanted by mail, add 10 cts. per 100, or
50 cts. per 10H0. The above three are the most suita-
ble for growing under glass, of any we have tried.
Landreth's Forcing is much like Boston Market,
only the heads are smaller, and it makes heads a
little sooner. Grand Rapids does not make a head
at all, but is fit for use at every stage. When suc-
cessfully grown, however, in good soil, the stalks
frequently weigh a pound or even two pounds
each. The latter is the leading winter lettuce now,
I believe, of the world.

SEEDS AND PLANTS IN NOVEMBER.

I presume that seedsmen ordinarily have very
few orders during the present month. Gleanings,
however, has such a wide field that it is time to
make garden, at least in some of the homes where
it goes, every month of the year. During the past
two or three days we have been having quite a
lively trade in seeds, from friends in Florida and
California; and we are filling an order to-day, Oct.
30, for 1000 cabbage-plants, to be sent south, that
will stand in the open air safely all winter. This
reminds us that, if anybody wants cabbage-plants
during the winter-time, from friend March's stock
seed, we shall be very glad indeed to furnish them
at regular spring prices, by giving us a little notice
beforehand.

WHITE-POPLAR ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

We have just got in several thousand feet of
white-poplar lumber, which is much whiter than
the best basswood. We made some of it into one-
piece sections, and they fold without breaking- as
well as basswood, for any thing we can see. We
will mail a sample to any one on receipt of 4 cts. to
pay postage. If we get all the lumber we want, we
shall probably be able to furnish them for 50 cts.
per 1000 more than basswood. For the present,
however, the price will be $1 .00 extra on each 1000.
If any of our readers in Ohio and adjoining States
live in a region where white poplar abounds, we
should be glad to hear from them. The encourag-
ing thing about this is, that we get a better-looking
section, and at the same time stop to some extent
the consumption of basswood, one of our best hon-
ey-producers.

PRICE OF ONE-PIECE SECTIONS.

We have for two or three years past made a cut
of 50c per 1000 on one-piece 1-lb. sections, along with
other makers, till the price is $3.50 per 1000. Several
have written to know if we were going to reduce
again this fall. We answer. No. The price is low
enough. We have written to the principal manu-
facturers, and all agree that, for small lots, $3.50
per 1000 is low enousrh. Bee-keepers have reason
to be thankful that the price is as low as it is. Had
we not gone to the expense of over $1000 in bring-
ing the patent suit to a successful issue, the price
would be more likely $4.00 to $5.00 per 1000. Having
gone to that expense in the interests of bee keepers
at large, we should like to sell sections a little above
cost to make up that expense. Of course, if other
makers can furnish sections in small lots for less
than $3.50, they are welcome to do so; but we think
it would be better to have a uniform price.

STRAWBERRIES FOR GROWING UNDER GLASS.

The new Jessie seems to be one of the most prom-
ising varieties for this purpose. If ordered before
the ground freezes, say any time during this pres-
ent month, the price will be the same as In the
summer-time— 10 cts. for 10; 75 cts. per 100. If
wanted by mail, add 5 cts. for 10, or 20 cts. per 100.

FOTTLER'S BRUNSWICK CABBAGE SEED.

Several have inquired whether the Jersey Wake-
field were the only stock seed we were prepared to
furnish. It is the only kind, with one exception,
and that is Fottler's Brunswick. It was raised by

GLEANINGS FREE TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS FROM
NOW TILL JANUARY.

Our annual premium list will be out with the
next number— that is, Nov. 15. It will be at least
20 pages with a cover, and there will be many in-
ducements for repaying a little effort on your part
in soliciting your neighbor bee-keepers to sub-
scribe. We do not believe in praising up our own
publication, as many do, and say it is better than
ever before; and, in fact, we don't need to. We
have the kind words of many readers, telling us
how you appreciate our efforts toward making
Gleanings valuable. The more names you
can send us, the better we can make it. As an ex-
tra inducement, you may offer the rest of this year

874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

free to new subscribers. Remember it is only the
numbers remaining after the subscription is taken
that we give free, so it is to their interest to sub-
scribe at once. When the premium list comes out
with the next number, we will make further an-
nouncements; and we trust many of you in the
meantime will secure a good number of names.

A BUSH LIMA BEAN AS LARGE AS THE POLE LIMAS,
AND AS EARLY.

Mr. J. Atlee Burpee has been kind enough to send
me a single plant, that in every respect seems to be
like the Henderson or dwarf Sieva lima bean, only
the pods are full size. He will offer the beans for
sale next year in limited quantities, but as yet no
price has been fixed on them. This bean, we are
told, was from a sport from the regular pole lima
beans, and is just like them, except it does not need
a pole to run on.

ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF HONEY-EXTRACTORS.

We have sold, in the past, over 10,000 of our Novice
honey-extractors, and the complaints in regard to
them have been very few indeed. Some few, how-
ever, have complained that they are too light, and
others that the honey-gate is a little too small, so
that real thick honey will not run through it as
fast as it is extracted. Another source of com-
plaint has been that the honey was thrown over the
edges because the can was not quite deep enough.
We have decided to remedy all these defects, but
will not be ready to place any new machines on the
market before March or April. We make this an-
nouncement at this time so that, when new lists
are printed, the correct price may be put in. We
have outlined the improvements to be made, as
follows: The bore of the honey-gate at present is
lVs inches. We expect to make it about VA inches.
We have heretofore made the extractors of IX tin,
and of several pieces. We have ordered a special
importation of IXX tin in large sheets, so as to
make one entire can of one sheet. These sheets
are large enough to make the cans two inches deep-
er than at present, to prevent the honey from be-
ing thrown over the edge. The bottoms of the
large cans, 20 inches in diameter, will be IXXX tin.
These extractors will be worth fully twice as much
in point of wearing qualities as the old ones, and
yet we shall advance the price only to what it was
two or three years ago; namely, $1.00 more than the
present price. The revised price will be as follows :
Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, $7.00 each. No. 6, $7.50;
and Nos. 7, 8, and 9, $8.00. We will also furnish an
upright gearing, which some prefer, for 50 cents
additional. We shall then have, we think, the best
extractor, for the money, in the market.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

The queen shipped in August was received in
good order, and has been safely introduced twice. I
have hatched some fine queens from her.

Arthur Shepardson.

Freeport, Wash. Ter., Oct. 10, 1889.

The plants were received in good condition. I
am surprised at the size of the asparagus-plants.
I did not suppose they would be so large at that
price. K. A. Clarke.

Groton, Conn., Sept. 23, 1889.

GOOD ADVERTISING.

Please tell the friends not to send me any more
orders this fall, for I have as many booked as I can
fill. I return seven orders to-day, which I could
not fill. Does everybody take Gleanings?

Morgan, Ky., Sept. 24; 1889. J. P. Moore.

The 00-lb. square tin cans are received, and are
very nice. I have been shipping honey to all parts
of the IT. S. Surely it pays to advertise in Glean-
ings. E. J. Baxter.

Nauvoo, 111., Oct. 14, 1889.

The goods I ordered of you arrived safely and in
good order. I am much obliged for your prompt
attention. Although I live in the northern part of
Michigan, I was extracting with the extractor the
fourth night after ordering it. Geo. Hall.

East Tawas, Mich., Aug. 4, 1889.

value of the honey column as an advertis-
ing medium.

I received an offer from Plymouth, Ohio, for the
rest bf my comb honey, and all my extracted, in
answer to your insertion of my advertisement of
honey for sale, and I am more than ever convinced
of the value of Gleanings, both to producers of
and dealers in honey and supplies, and tender you
my sincere thanks for the favor. W. R. Haslet.

St. Anthony, la., Oct. 7, 1889.

I write to inform you that the Barnes combined
saw came all right, and in good time. The reason I
have not written sooner is, I wanted to try it be-
fore I said any thing about it. I have worked in
wood for the last 45 years, so that I think I am com-
petent to judge about the work it will do. Itdoes
all you claim for it, and will fully answer all the
purposes that I desire. Many thanks to you and
the Barnes Brothers for the machine, which I think
now I can't do without. Thos. Chapman.

Rocheport, Mo., Oct. 14, 1889.

A KIND word for gleanings, together with a

GOOD TESTIMONY FOR CHRIST JESUS.

Dear Friend:— May the Lord bless your good
work in the Master's vineyard, is my prayer. I
read Gleanings, and it does make my heart re-
joice to see the good work go on. I read Glean-
ings with pleasure. So far as the smokers are con-
cerned, I hold that, if the heart is clean, the mouth
will be clean too; for out of it are the issues of life.
I have not used tobacco in any form since my con-
version. G. D. Kunke.

Sprague, Wash. Ter., Sept. 25, 1889.

A PLEASED ABC SCHOLAR AND HIS SUCCESS.

Those nice honey-jars arrived all O. K., as they
were packed very nicely indeed, and I am much
pleased with them, as also the vise and match-safes.
I took the premium. again at our State Fair, and al-
most everybody expressed themselves as seeing the
finest honey in the world, and those nice white sec-
tions of vours " took the cakes." "Oh what nice
white honey!" or, "how nice and clean those sec-
tions look!" As they looked on, they found some
very fine extracted honey in your glass jars; also
the expressions I heard were numerous, and great-
ly to the credit of A. I. Root; for if it had not been
for him and his A B C, I am pretty sure I should not
now be so far advanced, for it was only a few years
ago that I was a perfect " novice " in the business,
and had not even seen a queen; but now I am pret-
ty sure 1 can tell one, as 1 breed all my queens my-
self. Well, I think that, if we all try to put our
honey up in good shape, and in nice and attractive
packages, we shall all do well. For instance, here in
my own town of Reno there is lots of honey
brought into the market which sella for from 12 to
15 cts. per lb., and I command $20 to $25 per hundred
pounds. Now, how is it? I will tell you. The for-
mer is brought in boxes, leaky, and partly filled,
and the very looks of it is enough to condemn it,
while that of mine is all clean, and packed in your
nice 12-lb. shipping-boxes, and, as a gentleman said
to me yesterday, "You deserve a great deal of
credit for putting your honey up in such attractive
packages." You know the ones I got of you with
glass on both sides, so they would show three sec-
tions on each side. I have just received a premium
from San Francisco, from the Mechanics' Fair, the
finest and best in the State of California. I try
hard to do my best, and I hope all others will do the
same. E. A. Moore.

Reno, Nev., Oct. 17, 1889.

LITHOGRAPH LABELS.

In 12 Colors, a-t $2.00 per lOOO.
The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long in shape, measuring 21sx2?s. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35cts. for 100; $1.20
for 500; $2.00 for 1000. A. I. Root, Medina, O.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

879

Contents of this Number.

Alfalfa in Nevada 88?

Bees n«ar Salt Water 897

Hers. Confining 893

Beef eed. Warm 898

Bee yard, Boardman's 882

Brantford Programme 903

Colonies, Weak 894

Coinb Honey, Working for.. 884

Editorial 908

Fairs, etc 892

Garden Story 906

Gunpowder 899

Heads of Grain 893

Hives, Carrying to Cellar 903

Honey Candying Soon 894

Honey-dew. .' (Q. B.) .896

Japanese v. Silverhull 895

Japanese Buek't, Size of 897

Jenkins' Picture 890

Knife. Propolis 903

Maggots, Rat-tailed S9S

Manum in the Apiary 885

Nomenclature 891

Notes and Queries 897

Out-apiaries 881

Propolis-knife 903

yueen in Copulo 893. 897

Quillin's Correction 895

Reports Encouraging 898

San Diego Market 894

Sapolio for Propolis 894

Stings for Rheumatism 896

Top-bars, Thick 888

World's Fair 893

Cheap TUMBLERS &MU&S

If you intend to put up any extracted honey iu
glass for the retail trade it will pay you to send a
postal to the undersigned for price list of tumblers
and mugs, also labels suitable for the same.
20 21-22d M. H. TWEED,

154 Webster St., Allegheny, Pa.
|^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

"AMMAN SUPPLIES CHEAP7

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOR PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

stfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

EP"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SEND for a free sample copy of the
BEE JOURNAL — 16-page Weekly
at $1 a year— the oldest, largest and
cheapest Weekly bee-paper. Address
BEE JOURNAL, Chicago, 111.

BEES

16tfdb

RERUM C0GN0SCERE CAUSAS.

rpO know the Causes of Things, is the key to

X Success in any industry. It you wish to succeed
in the Bee Business, you must read and become
acquainted with the most Successful Methods of
Bee-Mauagement and Honey-Production.

LANGSTROTHS WORK.

REVISED BY DADANT,

Contains the result of practical experience with
Bees. It gives the Physiology of the Bee, with nu-
merous Quotations from the latest Scientific
Writers, the Description of the best Hives, Direc-
tions for the Proper Management and Handing of
Bees; the most Practical Methods of Queen-
Rearing, Swarming (Natural and Artificial),
with controlling methods: instructions on Estab-
lishing Apiaries, Transferring, Shipping, Mailing,
Feeding, Wintering; the best methods of producing
Comb and Extracted Honey, the Handling and
Harvesting of Honey, the Making of Comb Founda-
tion, etc., etc.

The instructions for the Rendering of Bees-
wax are alone worth the price of the Book, to
many bee-keepers who waste a part of their wax in
rendering it.

This book, "the most complete ever published," is
shortly to be published in the French, Italian, and
German Languages, by Practical European Apia-
rists. It is highly recommended by all publishers
of Bee-Literature in the Old World as well as in the
New.

Cloth Binding, 550 Pages, 199 Engravings, 19
Full-Page Plates. Gilt front and back. This book
is an Ornament to any Library.

Price: By Express, $1.85. By mail, prepaid,
$2.00. Special prices to Dealers who wish to ad-
vertise it in their circulars.

^■We also offer for Sale, 20,000 Lbs. of
Honey, of our crop of 1889; 25 Tons of Comb
Foundation, Smokers, Bee-Veils of Imported Ma-
terial, etc. Send for Circular. Address
3tfdb CHAS. DADANT & SON,

Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois.

Eg*In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Honey Almanac for 1890.

JUST the thing needed to create a demand for
honey at home. Bee - keepers should scatter
it freely. It shows the usee of Honey for Medicine,
Eating, Drinking, Cooking, for making Cosmetics,
Vinegar, etc.; also uses of BEESWAX. Price 5 cts. ;
100 for 82.50; 500 for $10.00; 1000 for 115X0.

THOS. G. NEWMAN A SON,
21-22-23 923 & 926 W. Madison St., Chicago, 111.

[Win responding to this advorti: .mint mention GLEANINGS.

NOW READY TO SHIP!

Pedigreed Poland China Pigs from 6 to 12 weeks
old, from f 8.00 to $ 12.00 per pair. White and Black
Ferrets, single male, $2.50; female, $3.00; per pair,
$5.00; per trio, $7.00. White Rabbits, White and
Brown Leghorn Chickens, and Mallard Ducks, $1.00
each, either sex. Italian Bees in season, very rea-
sonable. Address N. A. KNAPP,

Bochester, Lorain Co., Ohio.

(t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

We are now selling our No. 1 V-groove sections,
in lots of 500, at $3.00 per 1000; No. 2 sections at $2.00
per 1000. For price of Italian queens, foundation,
smokers, etc., send for price list.

J. STAUFFER, & SONS,
Successors to B. J. Miller tfr Co.,
16tfdb Nappanee, lnd.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVTEWT

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
tural literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Three sam-

Pier tree. w. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

t_^"lii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

THAT BEAUTIFUL TESTED QUEEN.

That beautiful select tested queen arrived all
right on the 25th of last month. I am well pleased
with her. I think I have been successful in intro-
ducing her. Thos. A. Harrison.

Burnet, Texas, Nov. 4, 1889.

I have been without a timepiece for some weeks,
and feel so lost I am constrained to write you for
another watch. The one for which I sent you four
dollars was such a beauty that, as soon as received,
it was vowed to a nice girl, so I want another,
though a cheaper one, for myself.

Tuscaloosa, Ala. J. A. Goree.

I received the smoker a few days after I sent.
When I opened the package I was surprised to see
such a new style. I have seen different kinds of
smokers, but none so fine as that. I showed it to
several of my friends, and they said that they will
get one next spring. I am well satisfied with the
smoker. I would not have any other kind.

Rahway, N. J., Oct. 27, 1889. V. N. Bagley, Jr.

A GRAND EXCURSION THROUGH THE WEST.

Please state that a grand excursion leaves York,
Neb., Dec. 3, for Washington Ter , via Denver and
Colorado Springs, Salt Lake, Sacramento, Cal., Sa-
lem and Portland, Oregon, to Seattle; thence back,
probably by Spokane Falls and Cheyenne to the
starting-point. Round trip for $60.00. Reduced
hotel fare, and best of privileges; our own car clear
through. We should like to have Uncle Amos
along. He might see some fine views to snap his
Kodak at; and, indeed, we expect to have a good
time. Any one wishing to go, please apply to me
for any other information. R. R. Ryan.

Bradshaw, Neb., Nov. 2, 1889.

880

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

PeNEY (36MML

CITY MARKETS.

New Fork.— Honey.— There is a fair demand for
comb and extracted honey. Western comb is ar-
riving freely; and although our market is not over-
stocked, prices have to be shaded in order to make
sales. Off grades and mixed comb honey is accu-
mulating-, and there is no demand for the same.
Several lots we sent out were rejected on account
of poor quality, and left on our hands. Such honey
will have to be sold at whatever price it will bring.
We quote: Fancy white, 1-lb. sections, 14@15; 2 lbs.,
12@13; off grades, mixed, etc., 10@12; buckwheat, 1
lb., 10@11; 2 lbs., 9. Extracted, white clover and
basswood, 1% ; orange bloom, b% ; California, 7lA ;
buckwheat, 6; Southern strained, 70@75c per gal.
Hh.dreth Bros. & Segelken,

Nov. ii. 28 and 30 West Broadway, N. Y.

Chicago— Honey. — Honey is selling quite well at
the following prices: 13@14 for choice to fancy
white comb in 1 lb. sections, where cases and frames
are equally desirable. White comb in 1-lb. sections,
not choice, iu some necessary way sells at about 12;
I _ tci 2 lb. frames, white, 10@12. Fall honey, buck-
wheat, etc., 8@10. Extracted, dark to extra white,
6, 7, and 8. Arrivals are about as usual for the sea-
son, when there has been a fair crop. Beeswax. —
Yellow, 2"); dark, 20. R. A. Burnett,

Nov. 9. 161 South Water St., Chicago, 111.

Albany.— Honey.— Market is depressed under
heavier receipts and lighter demand. The crop is
turning out to be much heavier than represented,
and the best price of the season has been made.
We quote: White, No. 1, 14@15; No. 2, 12@13; mixed,
11@12; buckwheat. 106j.ll; common, 8@ 10. Extract-
ed, buckwheat, 6gi6'2; clover, 8@8}£.

Nov. 11. H. R. Wright, Albany, N. Y.

Cincinnati.— Honey.— There is no boom in the
honey market, but demand is fair for extracted
honey at 5<§ 8c on arrival. There is also a fair de-
mand for comb honey, at 14@16c in the jobbing way
for best white in 1-lb. sections. Arrivals are plen-
tiful. Beeswax.— Demand is good at 20(aj22c on ar-
rival, for good to choice yellow.

Chas. F. Mutb & Son,

Nov. 9. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Milwaukee.— Honey. The movement of honey
is slow, yet a steady consumptive demand exists.
Choice white, 1-lb. sections, 14@15; 2 lbs., 13@14; old
dark, 1 lb.. 10; new dark, 1 lb., 10@11. Extracted,
white, barrels and kegs, 7©8; tin and pail, 8@8j£;
dark, barrels, 6(a>6,'- ; kegs, 6(5/7. Beeswax in demand
at 22f<> 2 1. A. V. Bishop,

Nov. 11. Milwaukee, Wis.

Kansas City.— Honey.— White 1-lb. sections, 13@
14; dark, 10@12; white, 2 lb., 12@13; dark, 10x12.
Extracted, white, 7@8; dark, 5@6.— Beeswax, none
in market. Clemons, Cloon & Co.,

Nov. 4. Kansas City, Mo.

St. Louis.— Honey— Market steady. Better in-
quiry. Comb, 12 ,*2@14 for choice: 8@10 for inferior.
Choice extracted, 5%@6: dark, 5Ccfi5>-<. Beeswax.—
Prime, 22. D. G. Tutt Grocer Co ,

Nov. 11. St. Louis, Mo.

Philadelphia— Honey. — We have a clever de-
mand for pure extracted honey, in small good-style
packages, at 10@12}£c; and fair demand for 1 lb.
sections, at I4@16c. Pancoast & Griffiths,

Nov. 5. 122 Dock St., Philadelphia, Pa..

Detroit.— Honey.— Comb honey is selling quite
freely at 13@15c. Supply is about equal to the de-
mand. Dark or fall honey is more plentiful than
white. Beeswax, 24@25. M. H. Hunt,

Nov. 11. Bell Branch, Mich.

Kansas City.— Honey.— White, 1-lb. fancy, 14;
good, 13; dark, 11; white, 2 lb , 13. Extracted, white,
7; dark, 6. Demand good. Bee-men find sellers at
above prices. Hamhlin & Bearss,

Nov. 11. 514 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.

ForSale.— One ton of nice comb honey in 1-lb.
sections. 1 want \'2}i cents, on board cars.
22d N. L. Higbie, M. D., Elsie, Clinton Co., Mich.

For Sale.— Comb honey by

M. Isbell, Norwich, N. Y.

Wanted— Honey. Write to

Cbas. S. Strong, Plymouth, Ohio.

For Sale.— White-clover honey in 63-lb. cans (2 in
a case), or 12-lb. cans (10 in a case), at 8c, or 7% in
barrel lots. H. W. Tunk, 22tfdb

Box 1156, Bloomington, McLean Co., 111.

For Sale.— I have 6000 lbs. of fine light yellow
honey, basswood and goldenrod mixed, in barrels,
weighing from 200 to 61)0 lbs. What am I offered?
E. S. Foulks, Grant Center, Monona Co., Iowa.

For Sale. -100 lbs. of buckwheat honey in 1-lb.
sections, and 1U0 lbs. of clover extracted in tin pails,
all at 9c. per pound. H. A. Hubbard,

New Lisbon, N. Y.

For Sale.— 1000 lbs. of basswood extracted honey

in 6J-lb. shipping-cans, at 10 cts. per lb., and 500 lbs.

of white comb honey in 1-lb. sections at 15 cts. per

lb., delivered f. o. b. Address A. P. Sharp, 22d

Exeter, Luzerne Co., Pa.

For Sale.— About 600 lbs. of A No. 1 basswood
honey, 7c per lb., in barrels or 70-lb. cans. No
charge for packages. You need not send for sam-
ples. I will guarantee it flrst-class in every respect.
22d H. O. McElhany, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

For Sale.- 200 lbs. of No. 1 clover and 500 lbs. of
heart's-ease honey, in 1-lb. sections, put up in glass-
front cases holding 24 lbs. each. I will sell the clover
honey at 13c. and the fall honey at lD4c per lb.
22d G. D. Black, Brandon, Buchanan Co., Iowa.

For Sale.— About 2500 lbs. of white-clover honey.
About half of it is in 12-lb. cans, 12 in a box, and
half in 60-lb. cans. Cans all screw top, and nicely
labeled. How much am I offered for the lot on
track here? E. A. Sheldon,

22d Independence, Buchanan Co., Iowa.

For Sale.— I have a quantity of choice clover
honey in scant 1-lb. sections, and 12-lb. cases, at 15c
per lb. (100 lbs. or more). Also 60-lb. screw-cap cans
of extracted clover honey at $4.90 per can ; 2 cans
in 1 box, $9.60. Safe arrival guaranteed by freight.
Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa.
17tfdb

For Sale.— I still have about 4000 lbs. choice ex-
tracted white clover honey. I have also about as
much nice Spanish-needle honey, which I consider
as tine as the best goldenrod. Write me for price
list. Emil J. Baxter. Nauvoo, Han. Co., 111.

21tfdb

Ho! Ye in Dixie Land!

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Of Interest to You in my New 1890 Catalogue

MAILED IN DECEMBER.

Eularged, and prices reduced. It gives LOW
SPECIAL FREIGHT RATES to many Southern
points, especially to points in TEXAS.

Southern 3ee-Keepergt Send for it NOW.

J. M. JENKINS, - Wetumpka. Ala.

J3TIii responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.
AH supplies cheap. Send for new price list free.
22tfdb W. D. SOPER,

Box 1473. Jackson. Mich.

CC SWARMS OF ITALIAN BEES. Lang-
WJ stroth hive, Gallup frame. 60 to 80 lbs. of hon-
ev in each. Price $5 00 on board cars. Address
22d N. L. Higbie, M. D., Elsie, Clinton Co., Mich.

Vol. XVII.

NOV. 15, 1889.

No. 22.

TERRS: $l.oo Per Annum, in Advance;! T? <> + n T^l-i a Jo s>rl -i'-i/i 7)37?
2Copies for $1.90; 3for$2.?6; 5 for $1.00; i JLo LCl/UVl/O fl/t/U/ VIV ± O I O .

PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single mini- I
ber, 6 cts. Additions to clubs may be j

ttS&SSBS&JSSSSi areafit°J/1. /. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

[ Clubs to different postoftices. not less
I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the
j U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun-
I tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
L not of the U. P. U., 42 ets. per year extra .

OUT-APIABIES, NO. XIX.

GETTING READY FOR WINTER QUARTERS.

TF you do not cellar your bees, the matter of get-
fflr ting the out-apiaries ready for winter differs
W nothing from the home work. If you cellar
"*■ them, there may be a chance to put them in a
cellar right where the out-apiary is located;
but that is not so very likely. Possibly you may do
well to build a cheap cellar or cave, perhaps after
Doolittle's plan; only feel your way, for you are
not sure that soil and other things are the same
with you as with Doolittle. If the bees are to be
hauled home you will do much the same as in haul-
ing them out in the spring, only more care will be
needed to avoid jarring or breaking down the
combs, for they are heavier with honey and bees
than in the spring, and a break in the fall is worse
than in spring, for we want as much quiet in the
fall as possible. Manage to have all handling of
frames done some time before hauling, if you de-
pend on the bees to fasten the frames. You are
not so likely to have bad roads in the fall. As soon
as frost has finished up fall pasturage, the bees
may as well be got home, and at the latest they
should be got home in plenty of time to have at
least one good tiy before going into the cellar. If
the weather is quite cool you may be able to go at
anytime of day and shut them in the hives; but
the probability is that you will need to go quite
early in the morning for your first load, and wait
till 4 or 5 o'clock before you can shut up your sec-
ond load. If the weather is tolerably warm, you may
find it best to fasten up your morning load when
you go for your evening load; that is, fasten up in
the afternoon twice as many as you can take at one
load, and then you needn't be in such a hurry to
start early in the morning. After frost in the fall,
on a warm day the bees will be flying in good sea-

son in the morning, but will stop flying compara-
tively early in the afternoon, as they probably find
nothing to do. If you want to haul three loads in a
day, unless it is pretty cool you will not be able to
shut up the bees at the time of going for your sec-
ond load, and must shut them up in the morning,
unless, indeed, you shut up all in the evening.

In the revised edition of Langstroth on the Hon-
ey-Bee, Dadant says: " We usually replace the bot-
tom-board by a wire-cloth frame protected by slats.
The entrance should never be covered with wire
cloth, but should be entirely closed, for the old
bees will worry themselves trying to get through it,
and it will soon be clogged with dead bees." This
probably refers to shipping bees long distances;
but if your hives are so constructed that you can
easily give them ventilation elsewhere, it may be
well to have the entrance closed. Still, I have
hauled hundreds of colonies with no ventilation ex-
cept wire cloth at the entrance.

Upon bringing them home, place your hives con-
veniently near to the cellar door; and if you are
much crowded for room, you can put one hive on
top of another. I have sometimes piled them three
high. Putting them in pairs also economizes
room, and the pairs may be two or three high. If
your ground is dry the hives need nothing under
them; otherwise it is well to have something to
keep the bottom-boards off the ground, if it be
nothing more than two sticks of stove-wood under
each hive. In setting out the hives in the spring
they can be placed the same as they were in the
fall— I don't mean each hive in the same place it oc-
cupied in the fall, but close together, two or three
in a pile, near the cellar. If you use hanging
frames, try to avoid all handling of frames for
some time before hauling home, and until they are
again placed in the out-apiary the following spring.

I don't need to caution you about being careful to

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUltE.

Nov.

shut up your hives very securely, and look out for
horses being stung, for you had some experience
when you hauled them the previous spring, and
very likely got into some trouble which made you
wish you had never undertaken to haul bees. I
may mention, however, that you have more bees in
a hive in the fall, and, if there is any difference,
they are crosser. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

Friend M., your directions are exceeding-
ly valuable. Every line indicates that you
are writing from practical experience, and I
think it will be well for the ABC class to
read this chapter over and over.

A MODEL BEE-YARD.

FKIEND BOAKDMAN TALKS TO US ABOUT HAVING
THE GROUND CLEAN AROUND THE HIVES.

HAT'S good enough, Ed. You may con-
sider this job begun, you'll not need to
hurry; take your time for it, and peel
the turf all off the yard as you have be-
gun here. There's nothing particularly
driving now, and I believe this is a work that will
pay well.

" The apple will be in bloom in about two weeks;
and if it does not give the bees a lift I shall have to
do considerable feeding. We shall be in time with
this work, so that the ground will have a chance to
settle and become solid so that it won't get muddy
if it should chance to be rainy about that time."

The next day, toward night, as I came into the
yard it presented a most ludicrous sight. The loose
turf was rolled up in all conceivable shapes, and the
alleys between the hives looked like a very roughly
plowed field, with the hives planted down between
the furrows.

"You have it all done, haven't you, Ed? How
much time do you think it has taken to make this
yard look so horrid?"

"Oh! about a day and a half— not more than
that."

" Well, all right. I see you have to work with a
veil on. This kind of work makes the bees a little
cross. I wouldn't blame them, if they take any
kind of pride in their surroundings if they should
sting every member of the human family at sight.
But we'll mase this look better before we get done
with it."
'• I'll go to the cistern and bathe my eye where that
little rascal stung me. Cold water is the best reme-
dy for a bee-sting, I know of."

"The yard is 60 x 85 feet, and contains at present
104 colonies. It would accommodate a much larger
number without crowding. But I am not in favor
of crowding colonies too close together. About 5
feet in the rows, with the rows 8 feet apart, gives a
very convenient distance between the hives. I
want ample room in the alleys to run a hand-cart or
hive-carrier; and an open alley through the middle
of the yard, wide enough for a wagon, is often-
times very convenient."

After enduring the sight of the yard in this torn-
up condition for a few days, with no very good
prospects for fair weather, nor sunshine enough to
dry it out very much, I gave orders to have the turf
gathered up and wheeled outside the yard, and
dumped in a pile; and while this was being done I
looked about and found a piece of crosscut-saw

plate, about 2(4 feet long, which I carried to the
blacksmith, and with his help I got up a tool to level
and smooth the ground after the turf was removed.

BOARDMAN'S SCUFFLE-HOE, FOR CLEANING WEEDS
AND GRASS FROM BEE-YARDS.

It was made by riveting a clif t - shank upon the
flat side of the saw-plate, so that a handle could be
put on, and at the same time extending along the
plate far enough to give the required strength. To
this I attached a handle about 5 feet long. I called
this tool a scraper. It has proven a most valuable
and efficient tool, and about the only one needed to
keep the yard in order. The expense of getting it
up was, I think, about 30 cents to the smith, and a
little not over-valuable time of my own in putting
it together, not including any thing for the inven-
tion. If any bee-keeper should want one— please
don't hesitate about making it. It is not patented,
nor shall I charge any thing for priority of inven-
tion.

I was now ready for business. As I returned to
the yard with the new scraper on my shoulder, the
first object that met my sight was a huge mound of
fresh dirt and turf, and Ed was posing upon its
summit, holding a four-tined fork with which he
had been at work, reminding me very much of the
statue of Jove holding the thunderbolts in his hand.

" Hello! what have you here? This is a specimen
for you."

"I've got the bee-yard skinned, and this is the
skin rolled up here. You are a taxidermist, and I
thought may be you'd want to stuff and mount it."

" Never mind. I consider it properly mounted
now. I'll tell you how I will dispose of it. I'll use
it in the garden, and I think it is worth all it has
cost to remove it for that purpose."

The new scraper even surpassed my expectations
at the first trial, and it was not a long job, nor a
hard one, to scrape the yard smooth and level in
every part until it looked like a model croquet-
ground. I was much better pleased with the job
than I should have been with the first plan of mak-
ing a dooryard for each colony, for now the scythe
could be dispensed with entirely. It is the first
time in my whole experience with bees that I have
been entirely satisfied with the preparation of the
ground in the bee-yard. I had some apprehensive-
ness that the ground would be muddy when a long
rainy spell came; but my apprehensions were un-
founded. It proved always, even during a long
drizzling rain, much more pleasant working than
on the grass ground. Of course, the ground is tiled,
which helps to keep it dry, and no water can stand

884

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

on the surface more than a few minutes. Don't
imagine now, that this excellence will be durable
without labor and care. The new scraper hangs up
on the side of the bee-house, where it is handy; and
a6 often as it is needed it is run over the ground,
which grows hard and smooth, and the weeds and
grass disappear.

Now, my brother bee-keepers, I should like to
have you see for yourselves the place I have been
describing, and how pleasant I have made my apia-
ry for myself and my bees. I would send you all a
card of invitation to visit me, but I fear you would
think this too much trouble, and so I have had a
nice picture taken, showing a portion of my apiary,
and have sent it to friend Root, who, may be, will
show it to you in Gleanings. If he does I shall
have the pleasure of presenting to you my model
apiary, as well as myself and Ed. If I am sure you
are anxious to know, I may some time tell you the
advantages of keeping an apiary clean.

H. R. Boardman.

East Townsend, Ohio, Nov. 1, 1889.

Friend B., we were exceedingly inter-
ested in that new instrument for keeping
the ground clean. Although you do not say
so, 1 presume the saw-plate is ground sharp
all around, so as to be pushed and pulled
like a scuffle-hoe. By the way, a scuffle-hoe
will do more of this kind of work in an hour
than a common hoe or any thing else will in
half a day, if it is kept sharp, and used right.
Your yard certainly looks very clean and
nice in the picture, and the artist has given
both you and your assistant so faithfully that
we should almost know you from the picture.

WORKING FOR COMB HONEY.

DOOLITTLE TELLS US HOW HE DOES IT.

« CORRESPONDENT wishes me to give in
Gleanings an article on how 1 work for
comb honey. Although a little out of sea-
son, I will try to please him, for perhaps
some may wish to arrange a few hives this
winter to try my way of doing it. In order to make
all plain, I will say that the hive which I use mostly
is 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches deep.
As the frames are but 11# x IB4 inches square,
they must, of course, go in the short way of the
hive. Five inches from either end of the hive is
placed a slotted division-board % of an inch thick,
which I used to use when I used side boxes in con-
nection with the top boxes, and which comes very
handy with my present management. This leaves
a space of 12 x 12 x 13i< inches for a brood-chamber
in which 9 Gallup frames can be used. The front
and rear of the hive is protected by 4 inches of
chaff or fine straw, which is always left in place
summer and winter. The entrance to the hive is a
%-inch slot cut from the bottom of the hive the
whole length of the brood-chamber (or 13^ inches
long), and is regulated by entrance-blocks. At all
times of the year, except the latter part of spring,
as will be explained further along, the five-inch
space on eitherside of the brood-chamber is closed
by a strip of common cotton cloth being spread
over the frames and down each side over the slot-
ted division-boards. The five-inch space is now
filled with a cbaff or sawdust cushion, which is
made so as to just fill the same, using one on either

side. When the bees are being prepared for win-
ter, the sections are taken off, the ends of the cot-
ton strips folded back over the frames, and a chaff
or sawdust cushion, large enough to go over the
whole top of the hive, chaff sides and all, is put on.
Thus the bees are left during the winter, whether
placed in the cellar or wintered on the summer
stand. When spring arrives, the bees in these
hives packed with chaff, etc., are stimulated by any
or all of the ways familiar to the apiarist, till the
nine frames are filled with brood. As the weather
is always changeable in the spring and early sum-
mer, the chaff packing is a great help to the bees,
by way of enabling them to maintain an even tem-
perature, and thus the hives are filled with brood a
little earlier in the season than they otherwise
would be. As it is still too early for swarms to is-
sue to the best advantage for the production of
honey (the honey harvest not being yet at hand),
and desiring all the bees possible at this season of
the year (these bees are in reality our crop of hon-
ey), I remove the chaff cushion and cotton cloth
from one of the five-inch spaces, and place three
frames of brood, taken from the brood-chamber,
beyond the slotted division-board, placing empty
combs in the brood-nest in place of the removed
frames of brood. In a week the other end of the
hive is served in the same way, if the queen is pro-
lific enough to lay as many eggs as such a course
will require, which gives me, as will be seen, 15
frames in a hive, thus securing a large force of
bees, with no disposition to swarm thus far. As
the brood in the frames which are set over in the
five-inch space should be sealed over when set
there, it will be seen that, in 12 days, the brood
should be all matured; and as the queen rarely goes
into these spaces to deposit eggs, we have these
combs devoid of brood, or nearly so, when the
flowers begin to secrete honey. " They can now be
taken out and reserved for new swarms. If any of
the combs I wish to take out still have brood in
them, they can be used in building up weak colo-
nies if we have such, or they can be placed in the
upper stories to such hives as we are working for
extracted honey, where they will be filled with hon-
ey as soon as the few bees remaining in the brood
form are hatched. Meantime, if the flowers begin
to yield honey of any amount larger than is con-
sumed in brood-rearing, I put on the wide frames
over the brood-chamber part of the hive, so the
bees can go in them to store this first honey.

When I have decided that it is time to put on the
sections, I take out the six combs which are be-
yond the slotted division-boards, place back the
strip of cotton cloth and the chaff cushion in the
same position they were in for winter, with the ex-
ception that the part of the cotton cloth which then
went over the top of the brood-frames is now fold-
ed back over the cushions, when the queen-exclud-
ing honey-board is put on, which extends out over
these side cushions to the sides of the hive. The
wide frames of sections that had been on the hive
before, if any had been put on, are now placed
over the brood as before, while more are added at
their sides, to the amount 1 think the colony will
need. If none have been on the hive, then "bait
sections," or those filled with empty comb, are
placed immediately over the brood-nest to tempt
the bees into the boxes at once. It will be easily
seen, that the sections will be filled with bees at
once under the conditions which now exist; and

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

885

that, if the flow of honey is good, it will not take
long to have our bait sections filled, and work well
commenced in the others.

Now, to secure the most honey for the rest of the
season, I proceed as follows: When a swarm issues
from a hive, the old colony is moved to a new stand,
and the swarm hived on the old stand, which se-
cures us nearly all the working force from the par-
ent colony. The sections are now taken from the
old colony and carried to the new hive. In this new
hive are placed only six Gallup frames, and the rest
of the hive filled up with dummies so as to contract
the size of the hive to the real wants of the queen
at this time. The work done by a swarm thus treat-
ed for the next ten days is almost marvelous, be-
ing- far more than can be secured by any other
plan which I know of. These six frames give plen-
ty of bees for winter, and, often, enough honey.
If not, they must be fed, of course. The old colo-
ny will build up in good shape for winter, and often
give many combs of honey for extracting or giving
to those which have been contracted as above. As
full sections are taken out of the middle of those
on the hive, the others on the outside are drawn to
the middle, and more empty ones placed at the
sides, and so on to the end of the season. This get-
ting the bees in the right condition for the harvest
may be called by some, " Doolittle's hobby." If so,
'tis well, for I believe it one of the best hobbies
ever ridden upon by any one producing comb hon-
ey. G. M. Doolittle.

Borodino, N. Y., Nov. 5, 1889.

MANUM IN THE APIAEY WITH HIS
MEN.

ESTIMATING STORES PREPARATORY TO FEEDING.

§EPT. 15.—" Well, Scott, we have now got the
honey all off to market, and every colony
supplied with a queen, so far as we know;
and now we will commence to prepare the
bees for feeding, and we will take the fur-
thest yard first, while the roads are good, as you
and I are alone now to do this work, except what
little Fred may have time to help us after he gets
the farmwork done.

"Jennie, you may put up dinners for two; and
you, Scott, may be harnessing up old Bill while I
hunt up the veils and wristers, as we may need
them. I always like to have them with me in ease
they are needed, as the bees are liable to be cross
at this season of the year. How nice it would be
for us if they were getting a little honey— just
enough to keep them even good-natured.

"There, here we are, ready for work. We had
better put on these wristers, in order to keep the
bees from crawling up our sleeves, as they will
surely do without them. They are cheap-looking
things, but they answer every purpose. They are
made of cotton stocking-legs, with a rubber cord
hemmed in the lower (or ankle) end of the leg.
These are drawn over the coat-sleeves thus. There,
you see the cord hugs tight to the wrist, preventing
the bees from getting under them, making it much
more comfortable in handling bees when they are
cross. I will try to work without a veil, as I dislike
so much to wear one, on account of my eyes; but
you had better put yours on.

" I will now look over two or three colonies, and
estimate the honey, and arrange them as I want

them while you look on, then you can go by your-
self.

"There, now I remove the cover— or honey-board
—very carefully, so as not to excite the bees any
more than I can help. You observe that the combs
are not all covered with bees. As it is a little cool
this morning, the bees are clustered quite well.
Now I think I can remove two combs from this
hive, leaving ten, which will be all that should re-
main in this hive. I will place the two combs in
this carrying box, to keep them away from the
bees; and when the box is full I carry it to the
honey-house and empty it, as great care must be
taken at this season of the year not to expose any
honey or even empty combs, as it takes but very
little to set the bees to robbing.

" There, now, we have the space of the two combs
to work in, and I will show you how I estimate their
stores. I take out the combs one by one, and reck-
on up the amount in each comb, thus: First comb.
This has honey on only one side, occupying about
half the surface. If the other side were as well
filled it would contain about two pounds; but as it
is, I call it one pound. I now place this on this side
of the brood-box, in order to keep the vacant place
open, made by the removal of the two first combs.
The second comb, as you see, has about two pounds
and some pollen. We have now three pounds, third
comb, some brood, and two pounds of honey, mak-
ing five pounds. The next three combs, some
brood, and so little honey I do not count it in. The
sixth comb has pollen and two pounds of honey,
making seven pounds. The next comb has three
pounds, making ten pounds, and the next two have
about three pounds each, making sixteen pounds,
and the last comb you see is well filled on both
sides, and contains probably four and one-half
pounds; but I figure it at only four pounds. We
therefore find that this colony has at least twenty
pounds of honey, so I mark on this record-board
(kept in each hive), "Twenty pounds." Now, when
we come to feed this colony we will give them ten
pounds of syrup, making thirty pounds for their
winter stores, as that is the amount I want each
colony to have. I now place the combs back to the
further side of the brood-chamber, and put in a di-
vision-board next to the combs. There, now you
see they have much closer quarters than they had
before. I now replace the honey-board.

" 1 will now mark in this book, which I carry in
my pocket, ten pounds, under the head of ' yard No.
6, short,' so that, when we get through, we may
know just how much we shall have to feed this
yard. Now, this second colony has less bees, so we
will remove three combs, leaving nine; and as you
see they have only eighteen pounds of honey, we
shall have to feed this one twelve pounds of sugar.

" This third colony is strong in bees, but the hon-
ey is pretty well divided in all the combs. I will re-
move but one comb, as that will give space enough
to spread the other combs apart all that will be nec-
essary. There, you see I make these eleven combs
occupy the some space that the twelve did."

Scott asks:

" I have noticed, Mr. Manum, that you spread the
combs further apart than they were. Why do you
do that?"

" Yes, Scott. I do that for the purpose of giving
the bees more space between each comb, to cluster
in. I believe they will keep warmer, and consume
less honey, by giving them a chance to form a

886

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

larger cluster between the combs. I may not be
correct in this, but it seems to me that it is better
for the bees."

" Here, Mr. Manum, is a light colony. There are
only four spaces filled with bees. What shall I do
with it?"

" Wait a moment, Scott, until I get through with
this one, and I will show you. Sure enough, they
are light, and that is not all. They have no honey.
Why! they have been robbed, so I will remove all
but five combs, and unite with them two of those
nuclei we brought with us. There, set in the combs
from the nuclei, with the bees adhering to them.
Now they have plenty of bees, and twelve pounds
of honey, so we shall have to feed this colony eight-
een pounds. They may quarrel a little, but I hard-
ly think they will very much after this dose of pep-
permint-water.

"There, Scott, we have them all looked over; and
I find, by figuring up, that we shall need to feed
1450 pounds of syrup, which means about 850 pounds
of dry sugar."

Scott asks, on the way home:

" How do you prepare your sugar for feeding?"

" Well, in the first place I buy the fine granulated
sugar. I prefer the fine to the coarse, because it
dissolves so much quicker; and as it costs no more,
and is just as pure, I prefer it to the other. I have
used coffee A sugar, which I think is just as good
for the bees; but as there is no saving in dollars
and cents by using it, and as it is so liable to harden
in the barrels, making it sometimes very difficult
to dig it out, I have of late years used granulated
altogether. Now, in making the syrup I proceed
as follows: To 35 pounds of sugar I use 14 of hot wa-
ter, 1 ounce cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoonful of salt.
I put the sugar into a large tin can, then add the
vinegar and salt, and then pour on the water and
stir until the sugar is all dissolved. Then the syrup
is poured into tin cans, with tight-fitting covers,
and it is carried to the different apiaries and fed to
the bees, though to the furthest yards the dry
sugar only is taken and prepared and fed out there.
I feed each colony from 5 to 10 pounds at a time,
just at night, when it is warm and pleasant; but
when the weather is lowery. so the bees do not fly
much, we are able to rush the feed to them all day.
Hence I prefer warm lowery weather for quick
work.

" This year we shall have but very little feeding
to do, as there is nearly honey enough in all the
other apiaries to winter the bees by dividing it
among them, as some of the colonies have more
than they need."

Scott asks:

"What do you use for feeding the syrup to the
bees? You do not pour it into the feeders with a
dipper, do you?"

"Oh, no! I use a common tin tea-kettle— the larg-
est I can find. 1 have had tin pots made for the
purpose, but nothing suits me better than a large
tea-kettle. With one of these 1 can feed 100 colo-
nies 10(10 pounds of syrup in two hours, and make
out the records to each hive.

"Well, here we are home again. As there is a
little time before dark, you may prepare a few nu-
clei to take with us to-morrow, as we may find now
and then a colony that will need a queen or more
bees."

NOVEMBER 1.

" Well, Fred, we are left alone now to pack the

bees for winter, and we had better go right at it
and have it done. We will pack the home yard to-
day. I will carry out the sheets for covering the
frames, while you carry out the cushions. There, I
will show you how to fix one hive, then you can
take the next row.

" First, remove the brood-box cover and shove it
under the hive to keep'it dry. Now take this cot-
ton cloth sheet and spread it over the frames ino
bridge sticks across the frames, as my frames are
10 small the bees can go around them); now take
this enameled cloth and spread that over the cotton
cloth, black side down, in such a manner as to cover
half of the brood-chamber— the back half— thus
leaving the front half covered only, with the cotton
sheet, which leaves a chance for upward ventila-
tion, and for the moisture to pass up into the cush-
ion. T now put on the cushion over all; and as the
cushion is large enough to completely fill the outer
case, there seems to be but little chance for the cold
to get to the bees.

" Now put in the entrance slide, which cuts the en-
trance down to 2 inches long by % wide. Now we
will drive these stakes in the ground, one on each
side of the hive, and tie this twine, one end to each
stake, after passing it over the hive; this will pre-
vent the hive from being blown over. There, now,
this hive is all fixed for winter, and is to be let alone
until spring, unless there should come a warm
spell so the bees can fly. If so, we will simply pull
the entrance-slide to see that the entrance is not
clogged, and the slide is returned at once. This is
just the right kind of weather for this work, as it is
cool enough so the bees are nicely clustered below
the top-bars, and yet not so cold as to make it un-
comfortable to work bare-handed." A. E. Manum.

Bristol, Vt.

Friend M., I never before heard of suiting
winter food for bees ; but as we have plenty
of demonstration that the bees like salt, I
think very likely it will do thern good. Our
friend Betsiuger claims that it will keep
away foul brood. I wish it were true. We
should infer that yon have tremendous
winds in your locality. May be it is the
hives that stand on the hill that requite to
have the covers staked down ; and, by the
way, do you winter outdoors? One might
iLfer so from the fact that you give each
colony 80 pounds of sealed stores. My ex-
perience has been, with chaff hives, that 20
pounds is a great plenty, while those who
winter in cellars get it down to 15 or 18. —
Our first apiary was made with the inten-
tion of having the ground always kept clean
between the hives. As soon as weeds made
their appearance it was scraped over with a
sharp hoe. and then swept clean with a
broom. This gave it a very neat and tidy
appearnce ; but it required so much work
that we thought we could not stand it.
Where an apiary is kept so clean, any thing
dropped on the ground looks untidy. Even
a discarded queen-cell, trimmings from the
grapevines, a bunch of clover or grass used
to brush the bees off the combs, or any thing
of the sort, must be gathered up and swept
away in order to have it look pleasing to the
eye ; but I confess that the pleasure of work-
ing in an apiary that is always kept perfect-
ly clean and neat is worth a good deal, to
say the least.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

88*7

HONEY FROM ALFALFA.

REPORT FROM NEVADA, OF HONEY RAISED SOLELY
BY IRRIGATION.

E have with us to-day Mr. W. K. Ball,
of Reno, Nevada, who brings us
some samples of comb houey, as
handsome as any ever produced
from white clover; and, allowing
A. 1. Root to be judge, of as fine a flavor as
any houey from white clover. This honey
was all gathered from alfalfa fields, kept
growing solely by irrigation. As Mr. Ball
sits in a chair near myself and the stenog-
rapher, I propose to ask him some questions,
and have the stenographer take down his
answers.

" Mr. Ball, how many colonies of bees
have you now ? "

" Well, I should say between 200 and 300
stands."

" How many had you to start with in the
spring ? "

" I started in with 125."

" How much honey have you secured, like
the sample you have shown us ?"

" I have taken 12,000 lbs. of comb honey."

" And about how much extracted ? "

" I extracted between 4000 and 5000 lbs.,
the past year."

" What was your best yield from a single
colony?"

" My best colony gave me about 250 lbs.
of comb honey, such as you tested."

" About how many acres of alfalfa are
there, say within two miles of your apiary? "

" Well, it is pretty hard to say. It is all
alfalfa to the east, and to the west it is
mountains and table-lands."

" How many other bee-keepers are there
near you, keeping, say, a hundred or more
colonies ? "

" There are none keeping over a hundred
colonies, but quite a large number keep a
few bees."

" Are they all doing well ? "

" They are all doing well when cared for."

" About when does the first bloom from
alfalfa begin ? "

" Well, generally about the first of June."

" How long does this first period of bloom
last? 'I

" I should say about a month ; but some-
times it hangs on for six weeks before they
cut it."

" They cut it while it is in bloom, do
they ? "

" Yes, when in full bloom."

" After they cut it, the honey - flow is
done, is it ? "

" It stops for a few days, and then it
starts out again. This year it was about a
month before we got another honey-flow."

" Do you know whether, when they de-
pend on irrigation solely, alfalfa yields
every season if irrigated ? "

" Yes, it does. It never fails. Of course,
we have grasshoppers occasionally that eat
it up for us."

" When does the last crop begin ? "

" Sometimes it commences as late as Sep-
tember. This year I think it was a little
earlier."

" Well, now, Mr. Ball, there is another

point that comes in here : Do they all cut
the alfalfa about the same time ? "

"No, not generally, though they did so
this year. During the mouth of July the
honey-yield was not large; still, they gath-
ered honey all the time, and they did fairly
well."

" Now, then, if a bee-keeper had control
of the alfalfa fields, could he manage to
have a continuous flow of honey from June
or earlier, till —

" Yes, till the 20th of September. I am
going to have that."

" The alfalfa always yields honey, you
say ? "

" It does, every time."

" Mr. Ball, can you give us any remote
idea as to how many acres of alfalfa would
be required to keep 100 colonies of bees
busy ? "

"Well, I don't know. Alfalfa is just a
perfect mass of blossoms. It is just as
thick as any thing can be ; but I have no
idea of how many acres would be required
for any given number of colonies. We
have but few bees, and they can't begin to
gather what there is. I am pretty sure
there is enough for a thousand colonies of
bees."

" Without question, 100 acres of alfalfa
would keep 100 colonies of bees busy, would
it not ? "

" No doubt about that, at all. I thought
that 20 acres would, in full bloom."

" If what you say is true, then it is quite
probable that the great field for bee-keepers
has almost, as yet, been unexplored and
undeveloped ? "

'■ Yes, sir; it is."

" How about the expense of irrigation ? "

" Well, where they buy water, they buy it
of the companies, and it costs about $4.00
an acre to water the land, and each acre
yields from five to seven tons, but some-
times only three."

" What is land worth per acre, suitable
for raising alfalfa ? "

" Under cultivation ? "

" Well, both ways."

" They value land at about $100 per acre,
and the water goes with the land. Uncul-
tivated land without water— well, the idea
is, the land is of no value without water."

" What could land be bought for without
water— say for raising sheep ? "

" I don't know. It is very cheap. I have
not bought any. Perhaps $1.25 an acre.
Land that is watered is higher."

"After arrangements have been made
for getting water on this land that is worth
$1.25 per acre, how much expense is requir-
ed to get in a crop of alfalfa — that is, how
much per acre for the first crop ? "

kk About $4.00 clearing the ground of sage
brush, or not more than $10.00, seeding and
all, on good ground. The first ditch is very
expensive."

" What is done with such immense quan-
tities of hay ? "

" Oh ! it is fed to cattle, there in the \ al-
ley."

" How often is the land irrigated in a
year, for alfalfa ? "

" Well, that depends a good deal on the

sss

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

land itself. Some land is irrigated only
twice for a crop of hay, and some more.'1

" You have rain in winter, do you not ?"

" Last year we did not have enough, and
so we ran very short."

" How much water is required per acre ? "

" An inch to the acre, right through.'1

" Mr. Ball, what are we to understand by
an inch .' "

" An inch is what will run through an
inch hole under six inches pressure — that is,
a steady run, day and night/'

" What is the nature of the soil of these
alfalfa fields ? "

" Well, alfalfa does best on sandy or grav-
elly soil. On such soil it runs its roots down
80 'feet along the river-banks."

••Mr. Ball, I heard it said in California,
Arizona, and other places on the desert,
that any of the desert land would raise nice
alfalfa," provided they could have plenty of
water."

" That is true — there is no discount on
that. Alfalfa will grow any place where
there is water."

il Then Horace Greeley's wild vision, as
some have termed it, of reclaiming the
Great American Desert, needs only water
to bring it about."

" That's a fact."

" How much winter do you have, where
these great alfalfa fields are? "

" Sometimes as low as 10 degrees below
zero."

" Why can't we raise alfalfa here? "

" Why, you have too much rain. You see,
the idea is. alfalfa will not stand water ex-
cept for a few days at a time. It kills the
head, and then it dies."

''Alfalfa, then, is rather a plant of the
desert."

" Yes, it is."

" I had that idea."

" You can kill a whole field of alfalfa by
letting water run on it for two weeks steady.
We change the water every 24 hours. Four
hours a day is plenty."

" How long does it take to irrigate, say
an acre of alfalfa, with the water that runs
through an inch hole, under a pressure of
six inches?"

" You can not irrigate a single acre with
a squaie inch. You need a pretty good
stream. You can irrigate ten acres with a
ten-inch stream, but you can not irrigate
one acre with a one-inch stream. The sun
would lick up the small stream by the heat ;
but a ten-inch stream would keep ten acres
going very well."

" It needs, then, ten inches of water to do
any thing?"

" Yes, sir."

" How long does it take to irrigate an
acre where you have ten inches of water?"

" Ten inches will irrigate one acre in
twelve hours."

" What is alfalfa seed worth per pound or
bushel with you?"

" When I left, I think it was worth about
10 cts. a pound. It runs about like red clo-
ver—say 60 lbs. per bushel. We don't use
bushel very much. We buy and sell by the
pound almost altogether. We use no water

in the winter. We shut it off in the fall,
when cold weather comes."

" How soon do they commence irrigating
in the spring? "

" When they get the ditches cleaned, and
put on the water in the spring — say about
the middle of April."

" How much seed per acre is required? "

"Well, I think about 20 lbs. Sometimes
a little more or a little less would do."

" In raising seed, you have to let alfalfa
ripen, do you not? "

" Yes. You can get two crops of seed in
one season."

" How far apart are the furrows, for irri-
gation?"

"About three feet."

"About how deep? "

" Well, three or four inches — just enough
to keep the water in the furrow."

" How do you make furrows after the
first crop is cut? "

" They furrow about once a year. The
more you harrow it over and dig around it,
the better it grows. A good many harrow
it every spring. It makes it grow better."

" Is this alfalfa ground level, or nearly so,
or is it on a hillside."

"Both. They can irrigate it on hillside
just as well as on the level ground."

" How do you know when there is water
enough?"

"As soon as it runs over the ground, there
is water enough."

In addition to the above, I would say that
Mr. Ball has pretty nearly a carload of this
beautiful alfalfa honey. Ernest has just
tasted it, and agrees with me that it is equal
to any honey in the world. Mr. Ball pro-
poses to use about half a carload of supplies
during 1890, himself, and he may be able to
make up a whole carload among his neigh-
bors. So you see these great alfalfa fields
are going to open a big industry in this mat-
ter of supplies. Now, we are not all selfish
in our enthusiasm in this matter. There is
a great opening for energetic supply-dealers
right on the spot. It is poor policy to ship
lumber thousands of miles, and over moun-
tains, if it can be avoided. The resources
of all these new fields should be well looked
up and developed.

THE WIDTH AND THICKNESS OP TOP-
BARS.

THEIR RELATION AS AFFECTING THE BUILDING OR
THE PREVENTION OF BUILDING BURR-COMBS.

ITHIN the last few months there has been
considerable said about the prevention of
burr-combs above and between top-bars
by means of having the top-bars of unusu-
al thickness up and down. The first that I
remember of hearing1 of any thing of the kind was
at the national convention at Toronto, when that
bright Canuck, J. B. Hall, of Woodstock, Ontario,
showed me his top-bars, which were, if I remember
rightly, one inch square. I did not feel particular-
ly interested in the matter at the time, because I
had on hand a large number of frames, and I would
not change any thing of the kind without very
strong reasons. Resides, I had no trouble with
burr-combs, for I uted the Heddon slat honey-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

889

board, which kept the bottoms of sections placed
over the brood-frames entirely clean. I have al-
ways valued highly this slat honey-board; but with-
in the past three years it has gradually failed to be
effective, and the present year I have had bad work
with combs and honey filled in between the slat
honey-board and the bottoms of the sections. In
former years every section was entirely clean from
burr-combs. Why the difference? The only ex-
planation I can think of is this: In former years,
before putting on the honey-board I scraped off
clean the tops of all the brood-frames, and cleaned
off the honey-board at the close of the honey-har-
vest. Latterly I said the bees would only have extra
work to All again these spaces, so I left all the burr-
combs on. You may be sure I shall clean them off
next year. So if you use the honey-board, profit by
my experience, and, before putting it on next
summer, make a thorough job of cleaning off all
propolis and wax above the upper surface of the
top-bars. Perhaps I may do well to tell you how I
have done it.

I take a common garden-hoe; and while an as-
sistant blows over the top-bars just enough smoke
to keep the bees down out of the way, I hoe off
every thing, leaving the top-bars clean. The hoe
also makes rapid work in cleaning off the honey-
boards. Lay them down inside a shallow box, or
in some way so they are held firm ; and after you
have hoed them off, clean out the spaces between
the slats by means of a flat garden-trowel, which
may be used, indeed, for the whole of the cleaning.
If the honey-boards are cleaned off immediately
upon taking from the hives, you will have a sticky
mess, and may have trouble with robbers. To
avoid this, loosen up each honey-board a day or a
week before taking off. Pry it up at different
points, so that you are sure you have broken loose
all attachments, and then leave it closed up as be-
fore, and in 24 hours no honey will be found on the
honey-board.

But, to come back to my starting-point. I am
quite anxious to know whether thick top-bars will
allow me to dispense with honey-boards entirely;
for notwithstanding the high value I have set upon
them, there is no denying the fact that they are de-
cidedly in the way when you want to lift out
frames; and from my experience I think they must
be taken off and cleaned at least once a year, which
is no little trouble. I think the editor made the.
objection to thick top-bars, that he didn't want to
use any unnecessary wood; but, pray, isn't there
any extra wood in the honey - boards? Besides,
thick top-bars are less expensive and more sub-
stantial, and surely there is less machinery about
them. I should really like to know why a honey-
board prevents the building of brace-combs. Some
claim that it is the break-joint principle. This year
I have given considerable attention to this point;
have had many cases in which there was no break-
joint, but the space between the top-bars corres-
ponded with the spaces of the honey-board, and 1
could not see that the break-joint was any better
than the continuous passage. I wonder if it is not
the simple matter of distance that prevents the
bees from starting brace-combs. In my hives, the
top-bars are % thick, then a space of | between top-
bar and honey-board, and another % space between
honey-board and the bottom of the section. Now,
this upper space is so far from the brood-comb that
the bees may not care to fill up so small a space;

but after the space between the top-bar und honey-
board is all filled up with comb and honey, the bees
may next turn their attention to filling up the up-
per space, which is now only one-third as far above
filled comb as it was at first. Now, if the matter of
distance be all that is needed to prevent building*
then the thicker top-bar may better be used than the
honey-board, with no danger of its becoming inop-
erative. If any have tried the thick top-bar, and
found it a failure, I should like to see it reported.

WlbTH OF TOP-BARS.

My top-bars are one inch wide; and if I should
make any change in thickness, 1 might also change
the width, if % be a better width. I should like to
know just in what way % is better than one inch. I
am a little afraid that, in hauling without fasten-
ing, the narrow top-bars might not hold so secure-
ly in place. C. C. Miller.

Marengo, 111.

P. S.— Since writing the above, I heard Heddon
and Hutchinson say they never clean off their top-
bars, and yet have no trouble. That leaves me all
at sea again.

There, friend Miller, you have brought up
a subject that I have been thinking of for
some time. I had intended to experiment
with thick top-bars, but somehow 1 did not
' "get round to it. " Mr. Danzenbaker, of Wash-
ington, D. C., when at Medina a year or so
ago, said he had used these thick top-bars in
his hives very extensively, and that they did
prevent brace-combs. Now, if Mr. Hall and
Mr. Danzenbaker, and others who have
testified to the value of these thick top-bars,
are correct, I do not see but that the honey-
board will have to take a back seat— at least
the plain slatted board, for I should a good
deal rather have the extra wood in the top-
bar, than in some extra contrivance. Will
Mr. Hall, or Mr. Danzenbaker either, please
let us know whether the thick bar still does
away with the building of brace-combs, par-
tially or entirely? We have always, at the
Home of the Honey-bees, been in the habit
of scraping the honey-board and the brood-
frames before putting on the honey-board.
For this purpose we have used a common
garden-trowel, both sides of which had been
ground to a sharp cutting edge. The hol-
low of the trowel holds the scrapings for
one whole hive ; and during the operation
of scraping, no bits of comb drop in between
the frames. With your hoe you can doubt-
less do it much more rapidly. You speak
about the width of top-bars. For the past
two or three seasons we have been using a
hive with top-bars H inches wide, but only
i inch thick. Quite accidentally this sea-
son we noticed that few or no brace-combs
were built above these top-bars. Had it not
been for the fact that two or three corres-
pondents had reported a similar observa-
tion, I should have thought no more about
it than that it was the peculiar condition of
the colony. Now, while I do not propose to
advocate or even intimate that a toide top-
bar would be advisable, I should like to
hear from those who have had opportuni-
ties for experimenting in this matter. I
know the general verdict is most strenuous-
ly in favor of a top-bar I inch wide. This
being the width of the average brood-combs,
and also being a very convenient thickness

890

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

of. lumber, has had a good deal to do in de-
ciding on the width. Practical articles on
this matter would be very acceptable
just now. We should also like to hear from
others, whether brace-combs are sometimes
built through the honey-board, as Dr. Mil-
ler explains, and whether such building
through is frequent, or only of rare occur-
rence. In regard to the break-joint feature,
I never could see that such arrangement of
the slats made any appreciable difference
one way or the"; other, and I have watched
the thing in our apiary quite closely. There
were, so far as I could observe, just as many
brace-combs when the slats were break-
joint as when they were not. Ernest.

In addition to what Ernest has said, I
would say that I well remember friend
Hall's thick top-bars. I think it was the
first intimation that ever came to my know-
ledge, that having the top-bars very thick
would answer the same purpose as the hon-
ey-board in discouraging the building of
bridge -combs up against the sections. I
told him, and I can not help thinking now,
that getting the bees so far away from the
brood would not only discourage bridge-
combs, but it would discourage them from
going into the supers. There has been a
great deal of complaint already, that full-
blooded Italians are slow to commence in
the boxes. Now, is it not true, that, the
further we get surplus sections from the
center of the brood-nest, the more we in-
crease this difficulty ?

J. M. JENKINS.

A SKETCH BY A FRIEND.

gT M. JENKINS, of Wetumpka, Ala., is a native
cJl of tDat state- and was b°ra Jan. 17, 1856.
|w| His early boyhood was attended with many
" ' incidents of an interesting character,
which, for lack of space, we must allow the
reader to learn of by cultivating a more intimate
acquaintance with him. When he was but fifteen
years old his father was killed by the explosion of a
boiler in the sawmill of which he was part owner;
and, as is frequently the case with the widowed and
the fatherless, the settling-up of affairs was so
managed in the interests of others as to deprive
them of their rightful share in the property, and
they were left with but small means at their com-
mand for support.

The family now consisted of the mother, the son,
and two younger sisters. With more keen percep-
tion of duty than is usually found in a boy of his
age, Master Jenkins realized that the cares and re-
sponsibilities of becoming the man of the family
practically devolved upon him.

At this time of life he was slight of build, and
rather delicate in health; but he bravely put forth
his best efforts to fill the place so sadly made va-
cant. The family were living upon a farm at the
time, and. naturally, the efforts of our young
friend were first turned in this direction; but his
good will and purpose far exceeded his physical
ability, and farming was not a success. The moth-
er, in her faithful love for her children, and pur-
pose to keep the little band together, finally de-
cided to move to Birmingham, Ala., with a view to
bettering their condition. From early childhood

the boy had manifested a great love for machinery,
and it was his ambition to learn a machinist's trade,
and to eventually become an engineer. Having a
fixed purpose in view, he sought a position in this
line; but being a stranger, and without influence,
he was unsuccessful in his efforts to find an open-
ing. At last a chance acquaintance, learning of
the boy's eager desire for employment, offered him
a job in the round-house of the Louisville & Nash-
ville K. R., at Birmingham, as a wiper. For the
benefit of our young readers, especially the boys, I
will explain that the duties of this position requir-
ed him to wipe off the grease and dirt from the lo-
comotives as they came in off the road; draw the
fires, fill the sand-boxes, shovel the tenders full of
coal, load on wood, turn the engines on the turn-
tables, and fire them up for the outgoing trips.
Now, this was all hard, dirty work, and I fear that
some of our boys would shrink before such a task.
But our young friend was resolute in his purpose;

J. M. JENKINS.

and as this opening was in line with his ambition to
become an engineer, he gladly accepted the posi-
tion at $1.25 per day. Considering his age (seven-
teen) and his slight build, it is a marvel that he ever
endured the work; but his true pluck manifested
itself to such a degree that the company, recogniz-
ing his worth, offered him a position as fireman on
a locomotive, at the expiration of five months' ser-
vice in the round-house. Many predicted certain
failure for him here, on account of the arduous du-
ties ; but again he was victor of the situation.
Wholly upon his own merits he rapidly arose in the
estimation of the company, and, having become
thoroughly competent to run an engine, at the age
of twenty we find him running a switch-engine.
In 1878 (now twenty-two years old) he was put up-
on the road as a full-fledged engineer. As an evi-
dence of the high esteem in which he was held by
his company, two years later he was tendered the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

891

branch road which runs between Wetumpka and
Elmore, in preference to many older engineers
who had been longer in the service of the company.
This is considered the most desirable run that the
road now offers, and for nine years past Mr. Jen-
kins has enjoyed the advantages which this posi-
tion offers.

In 1879 he was happily married to Miss A. E. An-
gell, of Tennessee, and the partnership proved to
be a rich blessing to him. Added to the charm of
quiet, pleasing manners, Miss Angell brought with
her into the home life the sweet grace of a pure
Christian heart, and it was through her influence
that our friend and brother was led to a realizing
sense of his obligation to the Father of all mercies
and blessings; and from a life of thoughtless indif-
ference to such matters he was won over into the
pure light of the gospel, and the household was es-
tablished with a prayer for divine guidance and
blessing, and the family altar is now a feature of
the home. Through the same loving influence he
was induced to give up the habit of smoking, and,
to use his own words, he now thanks God daily for
his goodness to him in sending him such a wife.
Their marriage has been blessed with four lovely
children— two boys and two girls, and the sunshine
of love and happiness sheds its radiance over the
family circle.

About seven years ago Mr. Jenkins became inter-
ested in our favorite subject, the bees, and studied
it with an earnestness which bespoke a mastery of
the art. He afterward became desirous of engag-
ing in the supply-business, and made a proposition
to Uncle Amos to establish a branch of the " Home
of the Honey-Bees " in the South. Mr. Root did not
seem to favor the phin in just that form, on ac-
count of freights, etc., and, with characteristic
tenacity of purpose, Mr. Jenkins determined upon
starting out on his own responsibility.

Purchasing an engine and suitable machinery he
started a factory, and in 1886 issued his first cata-
logue; and our friends all through the South have
been greeted each year since with as bright and
neat a publication of this character as may be
found. From a small beginning our brother has
advanced until now his business represents an in-
vestment of from two to four thousand dollars.

His business standing is one of unquestionable
integrity, and is considered good for all obligations
which he incurs; and his constant aim is to so deal
with his fellow-men as to merit their highest re-
gard.

In stature, Mr. Jenkins is tall. His physical pow-
er and endurance are in keeping with his well-
rounded character, and his features forcibly ex-
press the determination and grit which have mark-
ed his career thus far. He enjoys almost perfect
health, and I am sure that the brotherhood will
join with me in wishing him a continuance of that
blessing, and success in all his undertakings.

J. Frank Parker.

Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 21,1889.

Friend P., there is something you have
not touched upon, that I want to say about
our friend Jenkins. When he was working
for the railroad company he attended to his
duties so well that he had considerable
spare time from each day on his hands.
When he wrote us about going into the sup-
ply business I asked him what his employ-
ers would say in regard to it. I was afraid

he intended to work this other industry in
on the sly— that is, receive pay for working
for them while he was really working a good
part of the time for himself. Of course, I
did not then know what kind of stuff he was
made of. He replied at once that he had
stated the whole matter to his employers,
and they not only acquiesced but had prom-
ised to help him by giving him unusually
low rates of freight to get his supplies.
Later, when I saw some letters from the
railroad men, proposing several times to
give him even more than he had ventured to
ask them, it taught me a good lesson ; viz.,
that even great railroad companies have
souls; and that, when they^get hold of a
young man who is open, honest, and square,
without the least trace of a disposition in
his heart to do things on the sly, they de-
light in honoring such a one, and showing
him how much they trust him. All through
our business deal with him I have been sur-
prised and pleased to see that the railroad
companies everywhere seemed to feel a plea-
sure in assisting him. My friend, are you
sure that you have never been guilty of try-
ing to keep back, evade, or elude the keen
eyes of our railway corporations, say just a
little bit V I am afraid that I have at times
been guilty myself in just this line. Now,
let us take a lesson from the experience of
friend Jenkins. He is not a moneyed man,
and never was ; but he has another kind of
riches that the great wide world has discov-
ered, and that frank, manly, open face shows
it. He loves his Savior, and he loves to be
truthful.

APICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE.

CLAMPS OR CRATES ; HONEY-BOARDS OR RACKS.

T NOTICE two errors in Oct. 15th Gleanings,
ilC page 808, directly under the picture. You
W make me say, " So that the clamps for shipping-
■*■ crates just fit." It should read, "or shipping-
crates." Also 11th line below the picture, you
make me say "blankets," when it should read block-
ing.

Now a word about crates and clamps, etc., notic-
ed in your foot-notes. T believe I am correct when
I call the section-holder a " clamp," for it is a clamp,
as the sections are clamped in it, in all "clamps"
—mine with a screw, others with wedges, and some
with springs; hence a clamp is what we use to hold
the sections in while on the hive, or, in other words,
a clamp is used for holding a certain number of
sections in and about the apiary, while a crate or
case is used only for marketing honey. They are
not used as a " clamp " about the apiary; so then
we have "clamps" for use in the apiary, and
" crates" for shipping and marketing honey only.

Again, we have honey-boards for covering the
brood-chamber. We also have the Heddon break-
joint honey-rack, not honey-board, for it is not a
board; it is a rack, made of cleats— or slats.

We also have the perforated zinc queen-exclud-
ers. They are not " boards," but perforated sheets
of zinc; hence they should be called zinc excluders.
We also have the wood-zinc excluders, which are
not boards, but wood-zinc excluders.

I suppose, properly speaking, we do not now U6e
"honey-boards." I suppose formerly I a honey-

892

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

board meant a perforated board placed over the
brood-nest, upon which honey-boxes were placed,
and the bees passed up through the holes in the
honey-board into the boxes; hence the name
" honey - board." Therefore what I now call a
" honey-board " is really a brood-box cover.
Bristol, Vt., Oct. 28, 1889. A. E. Manum.

FAIRS, CONVENTIONS, ETC.

ARE BEE-KEEPERS WORKING AOAINST THEIR OWN
INTERESTS WHEN THEY ATTEND THEM ?

T|p T the late Illinois State Fair I had on exhibi-
9|Jk tion extracted honey. I said to my competi-
JW tor, "What makes the difference in this ex-
■***■ tracted honey— all white clover?"

He said, " I thought there was some trick
about it."

I said, " I agree with Amateur Expert with refer-
ence to usiug white comb for light honey, although
I believe A. I. Root differs. That honey there on
exhibition was extracted from white comb, a good
deal of it being built this year, and I had to use the
most exceeding care to prevent its being broken.
On very hot days it broke badly; but on cool days it
did not. If I came across a patch of honey of dif-
ferent color, it was set aside, and not mixed with
the very white. Have I a mistaken idea, or not,
that, in order to have very light honey, it must be
stored in white comb?"

FAIRS.

I stood by the honey and bee exhibit for three
days; shook hands, and gave out sample copies of
bee literature; and was I not working against my
own interest? To be sure, we had a grand admira-
tion meeting; but these'advertising paraphernalia
fell into the hands of those who own a few bees,
and they may become subscribers, and learn how
to produce more honey than they now do, bring it
to this market, and undersell me. It appears to
me as though bee-keepers who work at fairs are
injuring themselves, but benefiting publishers and
supply-dealers.

CONVENTIONS.

When I came home from Chicago the " lord of the
manor" said, "What new ideas did you get at Chi-
cago -learn any thing that you didn't know before?
Keep bees just as well if you never went to a con-
vention."

" Well," I said, "if I didn't learn any thing new, I
saw something that I never saw before, and that
was wooden comb that the bees had reared brood
in for two seasons. Mr. Aspinwall claims that it
will prevent swarming, as the bees can not rear
drones. I should not think that the ladies would
be as happy and contented, and work as well, when
there are no gentlemen of leisure around— would
you?"

It's funny, isn't it? that those who never attend
conventions know so much about them. Now,
there is Mrs. Chaddock, who never attended a bee-
convention in her life, and how glibly she can tell
what we all go for! We have an ax that I must own
is very dull, as it is used only to pound up coal; but
wouldn't I be very silly to carry it to a bee-conven-
tion to have it sharpened?

Mr. Root, you used to throw a wet blanket on
conventions back in the seventies, didn't you?
And. even now, while there is one in session, a lily

that has a leaf as big as a cart-wheel has greater
attractions.

gThere are so many changes in a year, would it
not be well to have the international subject to the
call of a committee, as to time and place? During
the encampment of the G. A. R. I could have gone
to Columbus and return for less than five dollars;
but when the bee-convention met it cost twenty. I
have been considering for the past year whether I
had better go to Brantford, Ont. The fare will be
nearly forty dollars, besides hotel bill, and honey is
cheap, and bees slow of sale. Mrs. L. Harrison.
Peoria, 111.

My dear friend, I believe that I did, a
good many years ago, try to throw wet
blankets on conventions, fairs, etc.; and it
is equally true that I once tried, in a feeble
way, to find fault with churches and Sun-
day-schools. May God forgive me for both.
I suppose it is true, that once in a great
while we cut off a little of our income by
communicating to the outside world what
we have learned in our special fields of in-
dustry ; but, dear Mrs. H., do you not think
the injunction from our Master, " Give, and
it shall be given unto you," applies here ?
I know the question has come up a good
many times, during late years. Shall we
teach everybody every thing we know, or
shall we keep our business, especially the
new developments of our industry, to our-
selves ? The latter would seem to be the
more prudent way ; but I believe the expe-
rience of the world contradicts it. The
man who gives most freely, by some strange
law of our being gets most freely, as in the
language of our text. We have found rec-
ords of great business men who have given
astonishing sums toward civilizing and
Christianizing foreign lands. Did they be-
come impoverished? Not so. The begin-
ning of a liberal, broad, generous regard
for their fellow-men away off in the distant
parts of the earth was the beginning of
their prosperity ; and I believe, my friend,
you will find it true that this habit of going
to fairs, and working in a judicious and
sensible way for the education of our peo-
ple, will bring 'prosperity. Now, I am a lit-
tle peculiar in this matter. I do not be-
lieve in keeping a single thing secret that
would be of value to my fellow-men ; neith-
er do I believe in duties on foreign products
— that is, so far as I have light on this sub-
ject. When those great big cabbages came
from Holland, and sold at a big price in
America, I felt happy because the neigh-
bors in Holland had [found a new opening
for their produce, and a new encourage-
ment to raise big cabbages. There has
been some talk about putting a tax on ba-
nanas, and it pains me when I hear it dis-
cussed. I do not know what sort of people
raise bananas, and I don't care. They are
fellow-beings, and the large consumption
opening up on them must encourage them
in their special industry. I wonder if any
of the readers of "Gleanings' live where
bananas grow. If so, will they tell us some-
thing about it ? Now, I do not know what
bearing this has on politics. I am afraid I
do not like politics very much ; but I am
trying to love my neighbors in Holland, in
Jamaica, ^and, '.in short, in Europe, Asia,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUBE

893

and Africa, as I love myself. If the straw-
berries I raise have to be sold low because
two great bananas can be bought for a nick-
el, what is my loss will be their gain ; and 1
hope I feel as happy in feeling that their
bananas are moving off rapidly (so they can
be busy and happy in raising more)— yes,
happier, than if I got 15 or 20 cents a quart
for my great big strawberries. — Yes, I did
go to see those lilies with leaves as big as a
small cart-wheel, rieht during convention
time. Mrs. Boot has just one brother in this
world, and that brother has just one daugh-
ter. I have heard more or less about her
for twenty years or more, but I never saw
her till the first day of the Chicago conven-
tion. She was an utter stranger in a
strange land — had never seen the great city
at all, and had never had a glimpse of Lake
Michigan, nor of any other lake, until I
went out to Lincoln Park with her. She
was to take the evening train home, and so
there was almost no way but to take a little
time from the convention. I am quite cer-
tain that I lost a good deal by being absent ;
but I do not believe that the rest of you lost
very much — especially when you had so
many bright stars in the apicultural world
who were also good talkers. I know it costs
money to go to conventions. It frightens
me sometimes to think of it. But let us
avoid the other extreme by being penurious.
What did God give us goods and money for ?
First, to glorify his holy name ; second, to
use for the good of our neighbors and fel-
low-men.

Pe^djs 0F 6rii]s

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

RAT-TAILED MAGGOTS.

Mr. H. G. Frame, Manchester, Ind., sends me a
large fine two-winged fly which he finds about his
hives. He asks me to write it up in Gleanings.
The only thing of special interest in this insect is,
that the larva, or maggot, is not only worm-like, in
being without feet, but it is often called the rat-
tailed maggot, as there is a long tail-like organ,
which carries a spiracle at its end. This maggot
lives in filthy water— water containing decaying
organic matter— and so finds this tail useful in lift-
ing its one breathing-mouth out of the water, to get
pure air. The fly that lays the eggs in this filthy
water is a plump, brownish-yellow insect, looking
quite like a bee. These flies are generally seen
about flowers, where they search for honey and pol-
len. Of course, their mimicry serves them well;
for, as they resemble bees, birds are rarely tempted
to catch them. In macerating the bones of animals,
when we place them in water in barrels, we often
get a large supply of these rat-tailed maggots, and
see the flies about, laying their eggs.

Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook.

noise made by bees in quick motion; and on closer
observation I discovered that they were drones.
They would drop nearly to the ground, and then
rise again, only to again descend. The queen and
one drone dropped at my feet, falling to the ground
before they became disconnected. After they had
become separated, the queen remained on the
ground a sufficient length of time for me to pick
her up in my hand and examine her closely. She
was a very nice Italian, and I could not resist trying
the experiment of introducing her to a colony of
mine that I wanted to supersede their queen. I did
so with entire success, by caging her in over night.

We increased from 4 to 21 colonies this season.
We had a fine rain to-day, which is the third this
season, something out of the common for California.
The hills and valleys are quite green.

The Ignotum seed I got of you last spring is mak-
ing fine tomatoes. They are very fine-flavored, and
contain a great deal of meat. Thanks for the seed.

Los Angeles, Cal., Oct. 30, 1889. J. W. Towns.
Thanks for the valuable item you furnish,
friend T. It corroborates the statements
that have already been made.

SHUTTING THE BEES IN THE HIVES TO KEEP THEM
FROM FLYING OUT AND DYING

IN THE SUN.

Mr. Henry Leek, a neighbor of mine, is quite a
successful bee-keeper. I wish to give you his mode
of wintering bees, and ask you and others what you
think of it. He uses a telescope hive, with the Gal-
lup frame. He leaves them all winter on the sum-
mer stand, without any protection whatever— not
even a windbreak; and when it gets cold enough for
snow to begin to fly briskly, he stops the entrance
with wire cloth, so as to prevent the bees from tak-
ing a flight until the cloth is removed in the spring.
What do you think of it? C. L. Cook.

Glen Hock, Neb., Oct. 29, 1889.

Friend C, fastening bees in their hive
with wire cloth while they remain on their
summer stands might answer in Nebraska,
but it surely would not do here. We have
days almost every week in the winter time
when the bees would crawl around the en-
trance so as to injure themselves, and per-
haps smother the colony. So long as the
weather keeps down to the freezing-point,
or pretty near it, the wire cloth, without
doubt, will do no harm. Perhaps if a two-
inch space were provided above the entrance,
where the dead bees could fall out of the
way, it might work better ; but I do not
think I would advise fastening bees in their
hives when wintered outdoors.

QUEEN AND DRONE IN COPULO, AS SEEN BY AN
EYE-WITNESS.

In Gleanings for Oct. 1, page 774, Prof. Cook
desires to know if any one has ever seen the drone
and queen fall to the ground in copulo. In June,
1888, 1 was fortunate enough to witness a case of
this kind. I was first attracted by a considerable

THE APIARIAN EXHIBIT AT THE WORLD'S EXPOSI-
TION FOR 1892.

Friend Root:— Until last Saturday I did not know
that you had said any thing in Gleanings about
my taking charge of the apiarian exhibit at the
World's Exposition in 1892, and I 6hould not have
known it yet had not Prof. Cook written to me,
" seconding " what you said in regard to it on page
743. Many thanks for your kindly mention of me,
and I'm sure I appreciate your good opinion. I
was from home so much at the fairs, etc., that the
bee-journals were slighted for several weeks.

I have thovyht a good deal in regard to the fizzle
of the apiarian exhibit from the U. S., at Paris, and
had come to the conclusion in my own mind that
we must make the grandest display, or exhibit, of

894

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Nov.

the bee industry at the World's Exposition in this
country in 1892 (wherever it may be held), that was
ever made in the world; and to do this we must be-
gin in time. With that in mind, and thinking' that,
as president of our national association, I might
properly be considered the representative of
American bee-keepers, I wrote those in charge of
the proposed exposition in Chicago, and also to the
mayor of New York, suggesting that, when the
proper time arrives for arranging matters, we be
given the proper inducements and space to make
such an exhibit as will be a credit to us and an hon-
or to the country.

The president of the Chicago organization re-
plied, saying, "The suggestion you make is a good
one, and will be laid before the proper authority
for such action as may be required, should the fair
be located, as we expect, in Chicago."

I have not yet heard from New York, and shall
write to Washington as soon as I learn the name of
some one engaged in trying to get the exposition
located there, so as to be on hand at whichever
place it may be located.

I expect to say something about it in the presi-
dent's annual address at the convention at Brant-
ford. It may, to some, seem a little early to " set
the ball rolling; " but if we wait till next year we
may be too late; for just as soon as congress set-
tles the matter of location, the plan of the exposi-
tion will at once be laid out; and unless we are on
hand we shall get left out. A. B. Mason.

Auburndale, O., Oct. 25, 1889.

THE HONEY MARKET IN SAN DIEGO, CAL.

Our hives are heavy; 1000 swarms of bees were
burned up in one place, and several other apiaries
burned. This has been a poor honey year— proba-
bly about one-third to one-half a good year's return.
Honey brings, extracted, 5 to 6 cts.; comb, 6 to 7; iD.
Root's sections, about 1 ct. more. J. I. Foot.

San Diego, Cal., Oct. 10, 1889.

Friend F., we are very sorry to hear about
the apiaries being burned. During your
long drouth I should think there would be
great danger of fires. I am astonished to
hear that comb honey is down as low as you
say. Just one year ago I priced honey
in different stores in San Diego, and they
wanted about twice what you mention, at
retail. Do your dealers pay 6 or 7 cts., and
retail for about 15 or 18? I know a good
many excuse themselves in San Diego by
saying that their rents are so excessive
they are obliged to have high prices. Some-
body had better run a honey- wagon around
San Diego and suburbs.

AUGUST HONEY CANDYING IN OCTOBER ; IS CAN-
DIED HONEY IN COMBS FIT FOR A WINTER
FOOD ?

Friend Root: — Did you ever know of honey, gath-
ered during the last half of August, candying in
the sealed combs by the middle of October? This
has been my experience this season. At my home
apiary I usually take my fall crop of honey all off,
and feed my bees for winter before I begin to ex-
tract. Great was my amazement, when I began to
extract afew days ago, to find the honey in my best
combs candied so that I could not throw it out. I
reckon that I shall have half a ton of nice buck-
wheat honey for the bees to peck out of the combs
next spring. In an experience of ten years I have
never known honey,to candy before I had a chance

to extract it. I suppose the honey left in the hives
will be in the same condition. Is candied honey
objectionable for winter stores?
Hudson, N. Y., Oct. 21, 1889. Jas. McNeill.

Yes, friend M., we have known honey to
candy in just the way you describe. We
supposed, however, that it was on account
of the weed or plant from which it was gath-
ered. We never knew buckwheat to do
such a trick as this. Where honey candies
in the comb it is a pretty hard matter to get
it out. I would use it for feeding nuclei in
the fall, where they are raising queens.
They will use it all up, and it is not very apt
to start robbing.

PUTTING WEAK COLONIES ON TOP OF STRONG
ONES FOR BETTER WINTERING.

I have 46 colonies, some weak, all in square hives
except four. I am going to set the weak ones on
top of strong ones. I have a hole in the top of the
strong hives. I think the heat from strong hives
will help keep the weak ones warm. What do you
think of the idea? S. S. Buckmaster.

Moulton, la., Oct. 10, 1889.

Friend B., you do not say whether you
propose putting bees in the cellar, or leaving
them outdoors. In the former case there is
no question but that it would be an advan-
tage to the weak one. If outdoors, how-
ever, I do not think it would amount to very
much unless you had a very large opening in
the top of the strong colony, and this open-
ing covered with wire cloth.

UNFINISHED SECTIONS BUILT OVER, JUST AS GOOD.

I began the season with 100 swarms, and now
have 158. I have taken 3600 pounds of comb honey,
and 700 extracted. The extracted all came from
unfinished sections. I always extract all the un-
finished sections, and put them away for spring use.
I can not see but that they look just as nice as
those made from new foundation. I use full sheets
of foundation in the sections, and also in the brood-
frames. I use the wire-imbedder, and a small tool for
fastening the foundation to the top-bar, made by
John Vandervort. I think the wire - imbedder a
great deal better than the one advertised in your
price list. I have used the Vandervort foun-
dation-mill for about seven years, making all my
own foundation, and supplying a number of other
bee-keepers in this county. It has been a rather
poor honey season for this section, being cold and
wet most of the time. S. A. Brigham.

East Smithfield, Pa., Oct. 27, 1889.

We are glad to know that you have suc-
ceeded with sections of the year previous,
friend B.; but we want to know more about
that wire-imbedder that you say is ahead of
ours. Can't you send us one by mail? We
will pay you for all your trouble.

HOW TO REMOVE PROPOLIS FROM RUBBER
GLOVES.

Some one wishes to know what will take propolis
off from rubber gloves. Now, I do not use gloves
of any kind, but have found by experience that a
soap widely advertised as sapolio will dissolve and
remove propolis from the hands, rubber belting,
and any thing else that it happens to come in con-
tact with. It will not injure the most delicate fab-
rics, or the skin either. I may say, in passing, that
i;am not interested in the sale of soap in any way.
Musson.LLa., Oct. 21, 1889. Dr. A. W. Tufts.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

895

THE BEE-BUSINESS BOTH PLEASANT AND PROFIT-
ABLE.

Inclosed please find a check for $ 1.00, in payment
for Gleanings, which has been worth more than
five times that amount during the past season. The
timely hints were at once put into practical use,
and proved of great value. I have been five years
in the bee-business, and have now 68 colonies. I
received about 1400 lbs. of white honey, from 47
colonies, spring count. I use the chaff and Simplic-
ity hives, with T supers. I find the business both
pleasant and profitable. W. S. Gardner.

Brown Hollow, Pa., Oct. 21, 1889.

A CORRECTION.

Gleanings for Nov. 1, containing my article on
"Aphida?," is just at hand. In the second para-
graph I notice that one statement I did not make as
I intended. What I wished and intended tosay was
this: " I always had the idea that they (insects) all
come from eggs deposited in or on some substance,
until within the last year or two, when my own per-
sonal observation forced me to come to the conclu-
sion that there must be some exceptions to the
rule." The italicized words were left out of the
article in question. In Prof. Cook's article on flies
I had understood him to imply the same idea.

Ipava, 111., Nov. 5, 1889. Anna B. Qoillin.

JAPANESE AND SILVERHULL BUCKWHEAT SIDE BY

SIDE IN THE SAME FIELD ; THE JAPANESE

100 PER CENT BETTER.

The peck of buckwheat you sent me did well. I
got eight bushels from it. I sowed it the 10th of
June; and I think if I had sown it a little later it
would have done better. I sowed, the same day I
sowed it, some silverhull buckwheat by the side of
it. The Japanese was more than a hundred per
cent better. I would not sow the silverhull if a
man would give it to me, and give me the ground to
sow it on besides. J. P. Meyers.

Fort Dodge, la., Oct. 20, 1889.

40 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM V2
BUSHEL OF SEED.

Seeing the report of Mr. C. J. Schafer, of Eddy-

ville, la., on Japanese buckwheat, I decided to send

in mine. I sowed of seed, got from you last spring,

a half-bushel on one acre of ground, and had just

40 bushels. My mode of cultivation was as follows:

The ground was in corn last season; was plowed

about the 20th of June, and thoroughly harrowed.

On the 5th of July it was harrowed well, and 200 lbs.

of dissolved bone drilled, then on the 9th of July the

buckwheat was sown broadcast and harrowed twice

with spring-tooth harrow. It was cut with a reaper

10 weeks from the day it was sown. If it had not

been so dry just when it was making the grain

thick it would have been much better.

Louis Stephens.
Fayette City, Pa., Oct. 24, 1889.

Friend S., our experience about here is,
that it pays exceedingly well to drill in either
bone or phosphate, at'the rate of about 200
lbs. to the acre. Sometimes the phosphate
makes all the difference between a good
crop and no crop at all.

BEE-STINGS A CUKE FOR RHEUMATISM; VALUABLE
AND POSITIVE TESTIMONY.

It may interest you to hear my experience with
bee-stings as a remedy for rheumatism. Ever since
the war I have been a confirmed sufferer with this
dread complaint. I have been treated by Dr. Ham-

mond, of this city, and Dr. Agnew, of Philadelphia,
besides other doctors of less reputation, and in no
case did I derive any permanent relief. I tried
Blair's gout pills, and for awhile I controlled the
disease with these; but finally they lost their grip,
and I got so bad that I lay in bed for weeks, suffer-
ing such torturing pain that my wife was obliged to
prop the bed-clothes so they would not touch me;
and Dr. Cassaart had to be called in night after night
to give me hypodermic injections of morphine.
Finally my attention was called to newspaper
articles about the first of last January, and I made
up my mind to try the bee-sting remedy. I consult-
ed with Dr. Capsaart. and he secured 25 bees. He
grasped one after the other with a pair of tweezers,
and let one bee after another sting me where the
inflammation and pain were the greatest, until I
was stung 18 times. He stopped then, because the
pain had shifted from my left foot to my right knee.
The doctor decided then to stop and await results.
This was about 11 o'clock in the forenoon. When
he called, about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the
pain had actually subsided, and by next morning I
was up and around, cured entirely. I could walk,
and stamp my foot as hard as I liked, and 1 have not
had a single twinge of rheumatism since; therefore
I consider bee-venom a specific for rheumatism.
John Magruder.
Washington, D. C, Oct. 25, 1889.

Friend M., you give us the most astound-
ing testimonial that has ever been received.
Had not so long a time elapsed since the
cure. I should be inclined to think it might
be only temporary. The account reads some
like a patent-medicire testimonial ; and I
hope you will excuse me for being unchar-
itable enough to fear that you were going to
wind up with something to sell — perhaps
bee-venom put up in bottles. It is not very
likely, however, that this remedy will need
to be administered in that way. Scarcely a
locality can be found where there are not
more or less bee-keepers ; and any bee-keep-
er could give you 25 bees at any season of
the year, without very much expense. Will
other friends who are suffering from rheum-
atism test the matter and report V It seems
to me that your doctor should take pains to
have the result of this experiment widely
disseminated through the medical journals.
It may be a little offset to the talk there is
in some localities about bee-keepers being a
nuisance.

BEE-STINGS SEEMINGLY NOT A CURE FOR RHEUM-
ATISM.

I am not in the habit of writing for publication,
neither do I think myself capable; but as you ask
for facts regarding bee-stings curing rheumatism, I
will say I have had some experience in the matter,
as I have been afflicted with that disease ever since
the late war. In fact, I got it there. About 12 years
ago I got my first swarm of bees; and, as you know,
beginners usually get stings enough. Some time
after, I began reading bee-literature more or less;
and among other things, plenty of stings, it was
said, would cure my disease, but time wore on. My
rheumatism didn't hurt so bad, and I began to
think I was cured; but, alas! I am to-day as bad as I
ever was, and I believe worse. So I would say to
all afflicted in that way, don't harbor such a vain
delusion, for it is nothing less. As I said, I have
had it since the late war, or for nearly the last 25

896

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Nov.

years, and am now 55 years of age, and expect to
have to suffer as long as in this tabernacle.
Dugger, Ind., Oct. 23, lssft. .]. Lammev.

Why, friend L., if the stings were not a
cure, you admit that it did not hurt so bad ;
and if the bee-stings were only an allevia-
tion temporarily, I think that is something
to be thankful for. Your case was a very
aggravated one, if I understand you cor-
rectly.

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, "For Our Question-Box."

Question 148.— a. If your cobmies had their combs
well filled and capped over vith honey-dew, and you
had tin other eombstoffivi them, would you, if sugar
wen high, extract it and feed granulated-sugar syrup?
In other words, would you inner to run the risk of
(In ir not uinti i iittj on honey-dew. rather than to go to
the expense o) extracting? b. If u-ell-ripened buck-
wheat were substituted in place of the honey-dew, as i>i
a, what irnuld lie your procedure?

I never had any honey-dew till this year. I have
concluded to let the bees take their chances in win-
tering on it, rather than go through the labor of
extracting and feeding. G. M. Doolittle.

Under these rare conditions I would extract and
feed something better. Bees winter well on good
buckwheat honey and it could be fed instead of su-
gar. There is much called honey-dew that is some-
thing else. P. H. Elwood.

Here in the South, bees winter on any kind of
sweets they gather; but as honey-dew is detrimen-
tal to safe wintering in the North, it will pay better
to extract it and feed granulated-sugar syrup than
to run the risk of losing the bees. P. L. Viallon.

a. I would extract, at least from the majority of
my colonies. I might "chance" a few hives on
honey-dew. b. Let them alone. Well - ripened
buckwheat honey is good winter food for bees or
men. Mrs. L. Harrison.

I should trust the honey-dew to winter on if well
ripened, b. I would not disturb the buckwheat
honey, if well ripened. It is of great importance
that any honey can be well ripened for winter
stores. H. R. Boardman.

a. I would take my chances on their own stores
killing them, rather than to extract, especially here,
where full hives of bees can be bought for $3.00
each, in hives worth $1.25, and when sugar, as now,
is worth 10 cts. per lb. R. Wilkin.

I have run the risk successfully, many times, of
having honey-dew or buckwheat honey for winter
stores, and I will do it again every time. It is the
damp above that kills your bees, but not the honey-
dew nor buckwheat honey, nor the bee-bread.

C. F. Muth.

a. Ves, I would. So far as I know about honey-
dew, it is not safe, though my experience with it is
very limited. Granulated sugar I know is safe,
and a 6ure thing is always the best for me. b. I
would have it, as I have wintered bees successfully
on buckwheat honey alone. A. B. Manum.

a. We prefer to go to the expense of feeding su-
gar syrup, rather than to run the almost certain
risk of losing our bees. b. We consider well-ripen-
ed buckwheat honey as safer than honey-dew; yet
we prefer clover honey. It is on that account that
we do not extract honey from brood-chamber in
summer. Dadant & Son.

a. I have had honey-dew that I should not consid-
er it any risk to winter bees on; and I have seen
that which I would know there was no risk to
run in wintering bees on it, for they would surely
all be dead before spring, b. I'd mind my own bus-
iness (if I had any) and let the bees alone. If I
hadn't any business, I'd proceed to find some.

A. B Mason.

a. I have had too little experience with honey-
dew, to answer this part of the question, b. Well-
ripened buckwheat honey has given me the best
satisfaction of any thing I have ever used for win-
ter stores; and if I were to do any substituting at
all, 1 should prefer to put such honey in place of
sugar sjrup. O. O Poppleton.

That would depend. If the honey - dew were
pleasant enough for my own table, 1 should not
fear it. I have eaten honey-dew honey that was
A No. 1. b. If in the worker combs, give these
combs to bees. If not, I would extract from sec-
tions, and feed. I see no trouble. Perhaps 1 mis-
apprehend the question. A. J. Cook.

a. I should probably run the risk of wintering on
honey-dew; but I would do this: Late in the fall I
would give each colony 8 to 10 pounds of good su-
gar syrup. This would be stored where it would be
first consumed by the bees, and would reduce the
danger of loss to a minimum, b. I consider good
buckwheat honey equal to white clover, for winter-
ing bees. Geo. Grimm.

a. I certainly would feed them something— good
honey or sugar. Pure honey-dew is death to bees
in winter. I knew a man who experimented by
feeding 20 colonies on honey-dew exclusively. He
put them in a cellar, and all died. Other colonies,
wintered in the same cellar, fed on good honey,
came out all right, b. If they had well-ripened
buckwheat, or any well-ripened honey from any
kind of flowers, 1 should let them alone.

S. I. Freeborn.

If the combs were filled with all honey-dew, no

good honey in them, I should hate to risk them.

I should say, extract a part of them, one-half, and

feed sugar. Buckwheat and fall honey, gathered

from actual flowers, is good for winter feed for

bees, and is good on pancakes. Our bees have all

some honey-dew, gathered after the basswood flow.

We shall let it remain, as the bees have got a good

supply besides, of basswood honey.

E. France.

a. I have had little experience, and I don't be-
lieve I would extract any sealed combs I have ever
had, in order to replace with sugar syrup. I think,
however, that in some places it is so bad that it
might be best to extract the honey-dew. b. Put in
the buckwheat in combs, if possible; but if extract-
ed, be sure there is no foul brood about it, and then
feed as early as possible in the Warner-Miller feed-
er. C. C. Miller.

a. I have had very little experience with honey-
dew, and none in wintering bees. All honey-dew is
not alike. If it were like some 1 have seen, 1 think

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

897

I would risk it, though to be on the safe side I
might try halt" my bees each way. b. I am not fa-
miliar with buckwheat honey. We get very little
of it here. The honey gathered from heart's-ease,
which is a near relative of buckwheat, is unsur-
passed as a wintering food. I think I should pre-
fer it to clover. J.A.Green.

The above is a question that is now agitating the
mind of every bee-keeper in the Eastern States;
and the honey-dew is of such a consistency that it
can not be extracted. Those who have no extra
combs have no alternative but to let them winter
on these stores. Even with extra combs we do not
learn of a bee-keeper who is feeding sugar syrup.
The cost of sugar, time, and trouble, we think, will
equal the value of the bees. The Rambler believes
it will be cheaper to buy hees by the pound in the
spring to supply the deficiencies. We are happy to
say, that nearly all of our colonies have extra-nice
clover and basswood honey to winter on. When
extracting we save a case of honey for each colo-
ny for just such emergencies, b. If we had well-
ripened buckwheat honey, we would certainly ex-
change the honey-dew for it, and feel no uneasiness
about the wintering problem. So far as our obser-
vation goes, buckwheat honey is an excellent win-
tering food. Rambler.

lean readily imagine, that, in a different apiary
and field, the proper course of procedure might be
different from that which is best here. With me it
is a case of boy vs. woodchuck. Bees must winter
on their own stores, else their keeper must go out
of the business. In a field with an ocean of flowers,
and comparatively little honey in them, it is necessa-
ry to keep a large number of colonies; and the ex-
pense of stocking them all up for winter with
granulated sugar is too great to be borne. Keep-
ing 100 colonies, and expecting to take 20 lbs. apiece
from them, is a very different affair from keeping
40 colonies and expecting to take 100 lbs. apiece
from them. I do not know that buckwheat is more
unsafe for winter than other late honey, but I sus-
pect it a little. I think honey-dew varies greatly as
to its wholesomeness. If the stores are known to
be bad, double up the colonies the stronger in the
fall, so that they can keep warm without eating so
much of the stuff. E. E. Hasty.

Dr. Southard, of Kalamazoo, who, by the way, is
one of the brightest and most expert beekeepers
of the day, as well as a physician and somewhat of
a chemist, held views like my own regarding honey-
dew; and several years ago, when everybody's
bees all over the country gathered so much honey-
dew, and were all going to perdition with it in the
winter, the doctor thought he would like to know
something positive about it; so he saw to it that
five or eight colonies, I forget which, had nothing
but honey-dew. He winters outdoors, and usually
loses but one or two out of a hundred, and, sure
enough, the five colonies having honey-dew ex-
clusively, wintered as nice as a pin. I think I have
demonstrated that dysentery among bees, the one
and only worthy cause of winter losses, is not
caused by honey-dew nor cider, nor any thing of
the kind, but by the consumption of nitrogen from
bee-bread or floating pollen. Well-ripened buck-
wheat is as good stores for winter as any in the
world, in my opinion, and I am answering this
question from long experience and observation.
Your bees may die on the stores they have, or on

any other, except pure granulated sugar syrup in
combs containing no pollen, and the bees placed in
a warm repository. Then they never die.

James Heddon.

Only two of the above decide positively in
favor of extracting the honey-dew, and re-
placing it with stores of sugar syrup— Da-
dan t & Son, and Freeborn. Very likely
there are circumstances where it would be
prudent to throw out the honey-dew, but if
it were well ripened and sealed up in the
combs, I should be very loth to do so. Some
years ago a neighbor of ours had the very
worst kind of spring dwindling. The stores
seemed to be frothy, dark-colored, and bad-
tasting, and he felt satisfied it was the sort
of food that killed them. I believe he sav-
ed only a few colonies out of an apiary of
over 100 colonies. By my advice, however,
he took some of the combs from the hives
where the bees had died, and prepared sev-
eral colonies the next winter, to go into
winter quarters on these objectionable
stores. They had almost no other. Did it
kill themV No. To my great surprise, and
his also, the colonies so treated wintered
nicely.

]S[0JFE$ JKJtfD QaERIEg.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

THE 1892 CENTENNIAL.

I wish to second your suggestion for the appoint-
ment of our good friend Dr. Mason for the '92 cen-
tennial. He is just the man. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich., Oct. 10, 1889.

QUEENS AND DRONES IN COPTTLO.

Yes, some one about 18 years since related in the
American Bee Journal that something struck on the
rim of his hat and fell on the ground immediately
before him. On looking closer he discovered that
it was a queen and drone in the act of copulation.

Ventura, Cal. R. Wilkin.

THE SIZE OF THE JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT GRAINS.

I have some of the Japanese buckwheat; and, as
I expected, I can not clean it jwith my mill. The
grains are too large. F. A. Snell.

Milledgeville, 111., Sept. 26, 1889.

[Well, friend S., you have given us a positive
proof of i he extra size of the Japanese buckwheat
that had not occurred to me before. I presume
you can get an extra sieve, either of wire cloth, or,
perhaps better still, perforated zinc, to match the
Japanese grain. If others have had like difficulty,
we will try to look up something specially suitable
for the buckwheat.!

BEES NEAR SALT WATER.

Some years ago I saw an article in Gleanings,
saying that bees near salt water would make salt
honey, or honey that is worthless. That is a pure
fabrication, or worse. I have 50 colonies in a salt
marsh, and the bees do just as good work as those I
have two miles from salt water, and there is no dif-
ference in the quality of the honey.

John Farnsworth.

Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, Sept. 26, 1889.

[Friend F., we have had several communications
to the same effect.]

898

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

WHEN IS IT NECESSARY TO WARM BEE-FEED?

I have a quantity of strained honey. Will it need
heating, or any thing done to it before feeding?

W. Stickney.

Rathboneville, N. Y., Oct. 22, 1889.

[It is not necessary to heat honey for feeding
purposes, unless you suspect that it might contain
the germs of foul brood. If the honey is of your
own production, and you have never had foul
brood, feed without heating. In "feeding back"
to fill out sections, the honey, after being diluted
with water, is warmed if the weather is cool, to get
the bees to take the food more readily. In feeding
syrup late in the fall, we prefer to have it warm, or
to feed it shortly after leaving the stove.]

FROM 31 TO 50, AND 7016 LBS. OF HONEY.

I started in the spring with 24; bought 7 young
swarms; increased to 50, and got 7016 lbs of honey,
about half comb and half extracted. The white
clover promises good for next year.

Raymore, Mo, Oct. 22. 1889. W. O. Heivly.

CAPS THE CLIMAX.

As you want reports, this is mine. It caps the
climax around here: 100 lbs. comb, 20 lbs. extracted,
per colony, spring count; 24 in spring, 50 now.

Wagstaff, Kan., Sept. 28, 1889. C. S. Nevins.

FROM 6 TO 14, AND 600 LBS. OF HONEY.

My honey report is, that, with 6 swarms, spring
count, I increased to 14 (all in good condition for
winter), and took 600 lbs. of comb honey; 2 swarms
gave me 300 lbs. by tiering up on Dr. Miller's plan.

Columbus, Wis., Oct. 7, 1889. R. B. Kidder.

FROM 3 TO 10, AND 350 LBS. OF COMB HONEY.

We have had a good year for honey here in Colo-
rado, and all bee-keepers seem well pleased with
their crop. I began last spring with three; since
have increased (after transferring from box hives to
frames) to ten, and have taken 350 lbs. of comb
honey in one-pound sections, and have all in a fair
shape to winter. E. D. Nichols.

Montrose, Colo., Oct. 20, 1889.

FROM 34 TO 56, AND 2850 LBS. OF COMB HONEY.

We have had a fine honey season here, and honey
is very plentiful and cheap; in fact, the market is
overstocked. We can get only 10 cts. per pound for
nice comb honey, in cash, and that only for small
quantities. I have taken 2850 lbs. of comb and ex-
tracted, from 34 colonies, spring count, and in-
creased to 56 good colonies with a great abundance
of stores for winter. I finished packing 50 colonies
in chaff the 10th of October, and will put 6 colonies
in cellar. Green R. Shirer.

Greene, la., Oct. 18, 1889.

A GOOD REPORT FOR THREE SUCCESSIVE SEASONS ;
ALFALFA IN ARIZONA.

I have been keeping bees here for three years.
In 18871 commenced with 34 colonies, and increased
them to 51. I took 6358 lbs. of extracted and 300
lbs. of comb honey. In 1888 I commenced with 51
colonies; increased to 84; took 8600 lbs. of extracted
and 600 lbs. of comb honey; lost three during the
winter. Last spring I doubled back from 81 to 70;
then I increased to 90. and took 12,948 lbs. of ex-
tracted honey. About 9000 lbs. was obtained from
alfalfa. J. A. Culbertson.

Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 2, 1889. .

GOOD FOR OREGON.

B.F.Kendall started last spring with two colonies,
and now has seven. He took 600 lbs. of comb honey.
No record I have seen can beat it. J. L. Cole start-
ed with 4, and has 15 now. He took 1000 lbs. of comb
honey. This large yield is from sweet clover and
alfalfa. By a process of irrigation we have had a
continual flow up to the present, four crops of hay
being cut from the alfalfa fields. G. J. Gray.

Dell, Ore., Oct. 12, 1889.

We are very much obliged for still anoth-
er testimonial in favor of alfalfa grown by
irrigation. See friend Ball's report on an-
other page.

HOW AN INVESTMENT IN BEES OF $145 BROUGHT
$218 IN MONEY, BESIDES ALL THE FIX-
TURES FOR A SMALL APIARY'.

I had 3 swarms in the spring. I bought 40 frames
of brood and 20 queens, June 15. I put 2 frames of
brood and a queen in a hive, making 20 hives. I let
them build up, and made two swarms by natural
swarming, making 25 in all. I took 2130 lbs. of ex-
tracted honey, and 50 lbs. of comb honey, making in
all 2180 lbs., besides leaving from five to six sealed
frames in a hive to winter on. I have invested
$145.02 in bees and fixtures this year, and in return
I got $218 worth of honey, besides 25 good strong
swarms of bees, and all the fixtures; and at the
same time I never lost a day, as I have charge of a
mill and can not get away; and I never paid a dollar
for hired help. Thus you see it leaves me $73.00 for
interest on money invested, besides all my bees
and fixtures. Jas. McCue.

Alabaster, Mich., Oct. 20, 1889.

Friend M., your experience is wonderful,
and, I must think, quite unusual. It shows,
however, what may be done by one who is
full of enthusiasm during a favorable season.

FROM 84 TO 200, AND 6500 LBS. OF COMB HONEY.

We started off last spring with 84 colonies of bees
—some blacks, some Italians, but mostly hybrids.
The early spring was very favorable. This gave
the bees a good start in the way of brood, but cold
nights and cold rains kept them almost idle. When
white clover blossomed they were very numerous,
and the way they piled up honey and sent out
young swarms was a caution. We sent for sup-
plies, money with the order, and part of it was fill-
ed after the swarming and honey season was over,
and we were out at least 2000 lbs. of comb honey,
and 25 large colonies of bees. We were not pre-
pared to extract, as we have been running entirely
for comb honey. However, they continued to build
some at intervals up to the 18th of September,
when a severe frost ended their business in the
surplus boxes. On counting up at the close, we
find we have 6500 lbs. of comb honey, mostly in 1-lb.
sections, and increased from 84 to 200 swarms.

Big Rock, la., Oct. 20, 1889. Geo. W. Randall.

Friend R., I hope it was not our establish-
ment that made you wait until the honey
season was over. ' But may be it was. if you
were late in getting the order off. Here,
friends, is a good illustration of the losses
that come when you wait until the very last
thing before you order your supplies. Bet-
ter carry them over one season, or at least a
part of Ihem, than to be caught as friend R.
was.

i889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

899

Every boy or girl, under 16 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive

one of David Cook's excellent rive-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 81-00 to 81.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off , Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part I., and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a' photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

UNCLE AMOS TELLS ABOUT A VISIT TO A
POWDER-MILL.

fERHAPS the little friends will be
somewhat surprised to know that Un-
cle Amos should take pains to visit a
powder-mill, and to tell how powder
is made ; and, to tell the truth, I do
not believe very much in gunpowder. There
are, however, places where gunpowder is
needed. Last evening at our teachers'
meeting, one of our German teachers said
that, in the old country, they used to have
great high walls around .their towns and
villages, as a means of protection. These
walls were built a great many years ago,
but many of them are still standing. He
said that, after the invention of gunpowder,
they did not need walls, and so they were
allowed to run down. Well, dear little
friends, in our United States of America it
begins to look as if we did not need stone
walls nor gunpowder either. In our own
town the fences are disappearing, and the
pistols and bowie-knives are disappearing
also ; but for all that, our strawberries and
Bartlett pears are safer than they have ever
been before. How does it come about ?
Why, I think it comes as the result of the
work of our Sunday-schools, Christian En-
deavor societies, and young people's prayer-
meetings. It is a good deal cheaper to buy
these things at the fruit-stands than to steal
them nights and then carry a guilty con-
science around with you all the next day. I
suppose, however, our policemen and offi-
cers of the law will need gunpowder for
quite a spell yet. It is also used to a con-
siderable extent to blast rocks, blow up
stumps, etc. Gunpowder is many times a
very good servant ; but people who get mad
very easily ought never to be trusted with it.
Among other pleasant recollections of my
visit to friend France is that of a visit to
one of the largest establishments, probably,
in the country, for the manufacture of pow-
der. The plant occupies perhaps 100 acres
in a lonely valley at the foot of a great hill.
I say " lonely," for nobody wants to live
within at least half a mile of the powder-

works. Before we came to the factories we
saw the magazines, or storehouses, scatter-
ed here and there out in the fields. They
endeavor to have them far enough away so
that, if one blows up, it will not ignite the
others. Since powder has been stored in
tin cans instead of in wooden kegs, how-
ever, I believe the danger of blowing up the
magazine is much less. Now, instead of
one great factory there are only solitary
buildings scattered through this hundred
acres. As a rule, each workman has his
own building. This is thus arranged, in
order that no workman may lose his life
through the carelessness of others. If he is
" boss and all the hands," he can have eve-
ry thing just as he wants it ; and if he blows
himself up he alone is to blame. White
poplar or willow is used for making char-
coal for powder. The material would make
very nice sections for honey. I believe it is
grown purposely in the vicinity for the
powder-men. It is burned into charcoal a
good deal as they make charcoal for other
purposes, only they have nicer kilns, and
they take more pains. The other ingredi-
ent, saltpeter, is brought from South Ameri-
ca, in bags. It is dried and pulverized on
the grounds. The third ingredient, sul-
phur, is, I believe, nearly ready for the
powder as it is purchased. No railroad
runs nearer than several miles, so the mate-
rials have to be brought in, and the powder
carried away on wagons. Very likely they
would not want a locomotive much nearer
than half a mile, any way. A great part of
the works is moved by water-wheels, al-
though they have one very nice steam-en-
gine. The power is, however, carried by
long tumbling-rods or wire rope, to the
mills. Steam for drying the ingredients
and the powder is also carried a long dis-
tance. After the materials are pulverized
separately they are mixed together and still
further pulverized in large revolving cylin-
ders containing copper balls. When J ask-
ed some questions about the balls, the lone-
ly operator stopped one of the barrels,
reached his hand in, and gave me a couple
of the balls to carry home. They are about
as large as hickory -nuts. Theyiave to be
made of copper, so they will not strike fire.
There are a series of mills used for making
powder into grains. After it is ground to
an impalpable powder it is pressed into
cakes by a powerful hydraulic press. This
press is moved by a water-wheel. This
wheel starts and stops itself. When the
buckets get all full of water, it starts up
and turns an enormous screw until it makes
every thing squeak. Then it rests a while,
apparently, and starts up again, and gives
the powder cake another awful squeeze, and
so on. Each time it seems to squeeze it
down a little more solid. In the caking-
mill fine powder is kicking around the floor,
perhaps half an inch deep. The dust has
settled on the beams and rafters until they
are as black as ink ; and if you touch any
thing anywhere, you are sooty black. The
operator looks like a veritable black man.
When they get through work they slip off
all their clothing, and take a bath. Most of
the hands, I believe, work by the piece, so

900

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

they can start and stop when they like.
The water-mi] Is are always ready to run.
If they do not use it, the water runs away,
so it does not make any difference when
they start or when they stop. The coarse
grains of blasting-powder, almost as large
as kernels of corn, look very handsome.
The grains of powder are polished with
something very much like stove-blacking,
and they shine just like a nicely polished
stove. I do not know whether the shine is
to make the grains look handsome, or
whether the powder goes off better when it
is shiny, and pretty to look at. In the dry-
ing-room, where the grains are thoroughly
dried, it was so hot I could hardly endure it,
even for a few minutes at a time. I asked
the attendant how many degrees it would
have to be to go off, and send us all into
eternity. It did not require very many de-
grees, but he assured me their machinery
was so precise that it could not, by any
blunder, run up to the exploding-point. Ex-
plosions do occur every little while, so
friend France states, and the people in the
vicinity have become accustomed to hear-
ing them. If it is one of the mills where
the powder is in the finished state, it goes
off like a cannon ; but if it is the powder be-
fore it has been made into grains, the re-
port is somewhat drawn out like a slow clap
of thunder. Some years ago one of the men
who had charge of the mills forgot some-
thing, and went back after dark with a lan-
tern. He knew better, but he thought he
would be very careful. Something happen-
ed, and the powder got afire. This tine
powder burned so slowly, however, that he
had time to jump into the race and dive un-
til the explosion was over. Then he put up
his head and got out comparatively un-
harmed. Had he not had his wits about
him, he would surely have been horribly
burned to death.

Visitors are permitted to go anywhere
they wish, but they must not smoke cigars,
nor carry firearms. If a man comes on the
premises with a gun in his hand, he is led
off by the collar. Some years ago a young
dude by some means slipped on to the
grounds unobserved, with a lighted cigar in
his mouth, and, before anybody knew it, he
marched into one of the powder-mills, and
asked to see the foreman. The men in
charge instantly replied, "■ He is right here
by the door," and led the way. As soon as
they got him outside they took him by the
collar and dragged him off to a safe dis-
tance, and then gave him such a shaking
and talking to as he will probably remem-
ber as long as he lives ; and he will proba-
bly not go into a powder-mill again with a
lighted cigar. My friend, if I were you I
would not go into any kind of a mill with a
cigar. No, I would not even go into any
building with one ; and, come to think
about it, I would not go anywhere else with
one. If you expect to go to heaven you may
be sure you will have to throw away your
cigar a long while before you get there. O
boys, I wish you would throw the cigars
away now, before you get any further along
in the journey of life. Please do it, out of
respect to Uncle Amos, even if for no other

reason ; or, better still, throw it away now
for the sake of Christ Jesus.

CLOVER-BLOAT.

My father uses a wisp of hay twisted, and puts it
in the animal's mouth and ties it around the horns.
Carlton, Pa., Aug. '!4, ]889. Hugh Hogue.

BOBBIE AND NELLIE.

We have 50 colonies of bees. We take Glean-
ings, and I suppose we always shall. I have two
pigeons for my pets. I call them Bobbie and Nel-
lie. Winnie Naylor, ape 13.

Lockharts, W. Va., Aug-. 16, 1889.

bee-stings for rheumatism.
Some time ago a doctor discovered that stings
would cure rheumatism. He tried it on a patient,
and found it to work satisfactorily. Now he has a
colony of bees, and has cured a number of pa-
tients, and has inflicted over 3000 stings.

I. E. Hindman, age 14.
Colora, Md., Aug. 23, 1889.

A good deal has been said lately concern-
ing the value of bee-stings as a cure for
rheumatism ; but it seems to us your doctor
must have found out a new way of inflicting
stings to do it in such a wholesale way.
Three thousand stings I Whew! How does
he do it ? He must have an improvement
on the bees' way. We wouldn't want to be
doctored by that doctor.

A GOOD REPORT FOR CARNIOLANS.

Father has 75 swarms of bees. I help him take
care of them. Sometimes I hive them alone when
he is away. He has Italians, blacks, hybrids, and
one Carniolan. He likes the Carniolans best, and
so do I, because we have to use no smoke at any
time. They make verv white honey. Our Carnio-
lan swarm was so light in the spring that we put it
on four frames. It built up of itself, and made 61
one-pound boxes of very white honey, and swarmed
once. Henry C. Cox, age 11.

Monkton Ridge, Vt., Oct. 2, 1889.

BEES, CATS, DOGS, ETC.

My Uncle Joseph has taken about 500 lbs. of comb
and extracted honey, and has sold almost all of it.
I have a little dog named Gypsy, and the bees think
he is a little bear. He got stung last Saturday. We
have four cats. The cats don't like the dog. One
of our cats is very peaceful, and doesn't like to
fight; and when he is asleep, Gypsy will come and
sit on him. Mabel Briggs.

Cornwall Landing, N. Y., Nov. 4. 1889.

THE IGNOTUM THE BEST TOMATO.

We raised three plants of Ignotum tomatoes.
Papa set two of them by the side of the house, and
trained them up. One of them covered a space
four feet wide and eleven feet high. Everybody
thinks they look very handsome, especially when
they had those large, red, ripe tomatoes on. Papa
thinks it is a very nice way to raise tomatoes, where
you have a small garden. Next year he says he
will train them all up by the side of the house. We
think that the Ignotum is the best-tasting tomato
we ever had. Papa takes Gleanings, and expects
to keep bees again. Ldla K. Rcger.

Binghamton, N. Y., Oct. 14, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

901

5f0B^cc0 (3®^MN.

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO I'ERSONS WHO
STOP USING TOBACCO.
First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what lie has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
Gleanings. Any subscriber may. however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or'personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his

E ledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
acco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

THE TOBACCO HABIT, AND ITS EFFECT UPON
SCHOOL WORK.

The following is from the principal of the
Iowa State Normal School. I have copied
it from a little tract sent to me :

After making a study of several hundred boys,
running through a period of ten years, I give only
observed facts, and neither assume the conditions
nor jump at foreordained conclusions.

1. Boys that begin the habit at an early age are
stunted physically, and never arrive at normal bod-
ily development.

2. Accompanied with the use of the narcotic
were certain disordered physical functions, such as
indigestion, impaired taste, defective eyesight, dull
hearing, nervous affections, and diseases of the
heart. I have not found a single case of early ad-
dicting to tbe habit of tobacco-using that did not
suffer with one or more of these direful abnormal
conditions.

3. Tobacco, used in any form, destroyed the abil-
ity to apply one's self to study, and prevented his
comprehending or remembering his lessons. The
mental faculties of a boy under the influence of
the narcotic seem to be in a stupor; and since de-
praved nerve power stultifies and weakens the will
power, there is but little use for the teacher to seek
to arouse the dormant, paralyzed energies, or to
interest and foster the fagged desire. I have not
met a pupil, that is addicted to the habit, who will
go through a single day's work and have good les-
sons. I have never had one whose scholarship rec-
ord was good, and in almost every case the deport-
ment was below the average standard. At the
regular examinations for promotion, nearly, every
one of the tobacco-using pupils fails in doing the
most reasonable test work, even if this is not the
first time the work has beeu passed over in class.
I have had numbers of cases in which they have
remained in the same grade for four successive
years, and then they were not ready to be advanced
into the next higher class.

Actual Cases.— 1. A high-school boy, who had al-
ways done excellent work, was reported one term
as not getting his lessons. I had a talk with the
boy, and stated the facts, assuring him that with
his past record his poor work was unexplainable, as
he insisted that he devoted his time faithfully to
his studies. He denied using tobacco at all. His
work failed from month to month; and before the
year closed, his parents withdrew him from school.
His father deeply regretted the failure, admitted
that a change had come in the boy's conduct at
home, hut as he had heretofore been truthful and
faithful he could not think that the pre-supposed
cause was the true one. In a few months the habit,
thus far secret, became more pronounced and more
public, and it was absolutely established by the
boy's own admissions, that it was begun several
months before the trouble noticed at school, and
that no one knew it save the salesman that furnish-
ed him the supply of the narcotic.

2. Four years ago a boy entered one of my pri-
mary schools as a chart pupil. Before the boy was
four years of age he had learned the habit of smok-
ing cigarettes and stubs of cigars. His father
taught him the use of narcotics, and considered it
sport to see his son exhibit the habits and tastes of
his elders. Durinsr the four years he did not com-
plete the twenty-four lessons on the chart, although
he attended regularly, and applied himself as dili-
gently as the average pupil of that grade. He

seemed perfectly unable to learn like other chil-
dren, though he was at the beginning a precocious,
promising child. His mental activity was so dulled
and paralyzed as to render him but little better
than an idiot or imbecile. Experience has shown
that the younger the habit is acquired, the more
disastrous the results to the mentality of the child.

3. One boy was a successful primary pupil. His
work and his interest were constantly praised
by his teachers. On his entering the last half of
the third grade, his work began to lag and his
interest to decline. At the examination for pro-
motion his case was conditioned, and it was de-
tected that he had begun some months before
to use tobacco. His parents were informed, and
strenuous efforts were made by his teacher to
get the habit restrained and corrected. His reform
was not secured; and, though he remained five
years in the same grade, he was never able to ad-
vance on merit, and several trial promotions proved
failures.

In a case where reform was secured and tbe habit
overcome, the pupil again returned to normal prog-
ress, and had a successful career as a student.

Other Observations.— So far as my observations
have extended, not a single boy has passed the ex-
amination required for admission to the high school
after he had acquired the habit, and not one has
graduated from the high school who began the
habit after beginning his course in that school.

But the moral results are also as serious. Pupils
under the the influance of the weed are constant
subjects of discipline, are not truthful, practice de-
ception, and can not be depended upon. A change
in character in a formerly good boy is a very strong
indication that some habit is getting hold upon him,
whose tyranny must be broken before he will again
be clothed in his right mind. The worst character-
istic of the habit is a loss of personal self-respect,
and of personal regard for the customs and wishes
of ladies and gentlemen, especially when among
strangers.

If these observations mean any thing, they de-
clare that something ought to be done to save child-
life from the pitfalls that commercial interests are
digging, and that greed is encouraging; that more
should be done than to instruct by oral or text les-
sons in school; that teachers, parents, and philan-
thropists are not yet sufficiently aroused regarding
the magnitude of the evil of tobacco-using hy chil-
dren; that, in the crusade against alcohol, we
should recognize that other evils, though more qui-
etly, are just as surely sapping the strength and
destroying the vigor of the youth of this generation.

I have read the above over very carefully,
some parts of it several times, and I am
forced to say that the facts given accord ex-
actly with my own experience. I am pres-
ident of our school board in Medina I have
talked with the boys in our schools, in re-
gard to the use of tobacco. I have watched
those who persist in using it, for years, and,
awful as it is, it is no doubt true. My
friends, are you setting as bad an example
before your boys and your neighboi s' boys?
and, mothers, are you sure your boys are
not using it secretly? Again and again
have I been astonished and pained to learn
that boys had been some time secretly us-
ing tobacco when their parents were mem-
bers of churches, and did not in the least
suspect such a thing. Such boys, however,
soon drop away from the Sunday-school.
The presence of good people is a reproach
to them, because they feel guilty in their
hearts— guilty of living a falsehood, even if
nobody had ever asked them whether they
used tobacco or not; and it seems to me
that the worst kind of falsifying in this
world is telling a falsehood by actions— tell-
ing an untruth to everybody whom you
meet, in trying to have them suppose you
are a clean, pure-minded boy. Every boy
tells such a falsehood when he puts his
cigarette out of sight when he sees some-

902

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Nov.

body coming. Can any boy be real happy,
and have any real fun, so long as he is living
a falsehood every day of his life?

Should he, however, fail to fulfill his promise, I will
pay for the smoker. Chas. Reidel.

Windsor, Dane Co., Wis.

TOBACCO IN THE HOME.

The following, evidently from the New
York Graphic, has been sent us. Whatever
its source, we are glad to give it insertion in
this department. It is what a mother says
of tobacco. It reads as follows :

"My little girl." said a pretty young mother to a
New York Graphic writer the other day, " has been
nearly killed by her father's smoking. You see,
when I married I determined to be very liberal and
advanced, and to do what I could to make home as
attractive to Tom as his club. Mother would never
allow smoking in her house, except in the smoking-
room; but I made sage reflections upon the tact-
lessness of women in managing men, and deter-
mined that Tom should enjoy me and his cigar
together whenever he pleased. When my daughter
Lillian first began to be brought out of the nursery
she was as round and rosy a baby as ever you saw;
but we had not been having her with us much as we
sat together until she began to grow listless and
pale, and lose her appetite. I called in our doctor,
but nothing did her any good; she seemed to be
just dwindling away, and she continued to dwindle
until her father was called away on business for a
month. Then she picked up, and was quite bright
again by the time he came home. That happened
several times, until I said to myself one day, as she
was frolicking with me : ' Her father never saw
her like this.' Then it suddenly flashed on me that
there was something very strange about this. The
upshot was, that we found beyond a peradventure
that it was living in her father's tobacco smoke that
was killing the child. I don't feel so much wiser
than my mother now as I used to, and smoking at
our house is again practiced on ancestral princi-
ples—at the top the house."

GLAD TIDINGS.

f think I shall have to claim a smoker of you, hav-
ing ceased using tobacco. Send it, for I want some
encouragement. When I first took Gleanings I
paid but little attention to the Tobacco Column;
finally, however, I got to reading the different ac-
counts of those who had quit using the weed. I
generally read them with a sarcastic smile, and a
" it can not be did " sort of expression on my face;
but, like the noted drop of water, it made an im-
pression at last, and I thought that what man has
done man can do. So here goes, and they went
(tobacco and pipes). Of course, I agree to the con-
ditions laid down by you regarding the smoker, if
you send me one. Job Davies.

Ballinger, Tex., Oct. 22, 1889.

Most certainly you deserve a smoker,
friend D., and I should be very glad indeed
to give away a thousand under just exactly
such circumstances.

THE NOBLEST WORK OF GOD.

Please find two more claims for the smoker.
Dewey Johnston, my neighbor, has started in the
bee-business. I showed him Gleanings. He has
concluded to quit the use of tobacco. I have smok-
ed for 25 years. I quit on the 10th of last month.
Now, if you see fit to send the smokers I will give
you my word that, if we don't keep our pledge, I
will send you the price of the smokers. "An hon-
est man is the noblest work of God," so says Burns.

Waco, Neb., Aug. 19, 1889. Daniel Meikle.

GOING SECURITY, AGAIN.

Will you kindly send Mr. Fred Karow, of Wind-
sor, one of your smokers ? He will pledge himself
not to smoke, or use tobacco in any manner.

GOING SECURITY FOR A SON.

My son, A. B. Morgan, has quit the use of tobacco.
I told him you would give him a smoker if he would
quit. I will go his security; and if he commences
again, I will see that he pays for the smoker.

Waynesburg, Lincoln Co., Ky. A. B. Morgan.

MORE SECURITY.

Friend Root .-—Still the good cause goes on. My
friend N. E. Young promises to quit the use of to-
bacco, if you will send him a smoker; and if he
ever uses it again, we or I will pay for it.

Anneville, Tex., July 14, 1889. G. H. Reed.

BREAKING AWAY FROM BONDAGE.

I have used tobacco with few intermissions, since
I was six years of age. I am now 54. I read all
that is said on the subject of tobacco in Gleanings,
and have made up my mind to abandon the use of
it, if I can hold out; and if I fail, I will pay for the
smoker. J. L. Pelton.

Sharon, Barber Co., Kan., Aug. 3, 1889.

THE fruit of the tobacco column.

My friend, Abner Sanders, has quit the use of
tobacco after having used it for 17 years. Please
send him a smoker; and should he use it again, I
will pay you for the smoker. He was influenced to
quit, partly if not wholly, from your Tobacco Col-
umn. Pray for him, that he may hold out faithful.

Bokoshe, I. T, June 17, 1889. J. T. Leard.

GOING SECURITY, STILL AGAIN.

I see in the Tobacco Column that several have
quit the use of tobacco, and you sent them smokers.
If this offer will hold good with a friend of mine,
you will please send him a smoker. His name is
Wesley Eakins. He used the filthy weed 26 years,
and has entirely quit its use. If he ever resumes
its use, I will pay for the smoker.

Herbst, Ind., Sept. 13, 1889. Nat. Hoggall.

THE OLD LIFE ENDED, AND THE NEW ONE BEGUN.

My nephew, Mr. Artie Flouse, of Coral, Mich.,
wants a smoker. After reading my Gleanings he
concluded to quit the use of tobacco, and does it
under the conditions given therein. He has smoked
and chewed for a number of years, but has lately
joined the Disciple church. He was baptized in
the waters of a beautiful lake, and is now striving
to walk in newness of life. If he breaks his pledge,
I will pay for the smoker.

Coral, Mich. Lemmon W. Itzenhouser.

HOW TO QUIT USING TOBACCO.

The way is very simple, and easily explained; and
I will try to do so by giving you my experience with
it. I commenced using tobacco when very young—
so young that I can not remember my age. I be-
came a great slave to it. I also learned the habit of
using snuff— a mean practice, and one to be abhor-
red by ladies and gentlemen. But, to the point.
How did I quit it ? This is the way. I saw that I
was committing a sin against God, so I determined
to quit by his help. I took my sorrow to him in
prayer. See Isaiah 53:4; Psalm 125:1. You can see
by these how I conquered my lust for tobacco.
Walk ye in it. W. A. Williamson.

Friendly, W. Va.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

903

CARRYING HIVES INTO THE CELLAR.

ALSO A NICE WAY TO GIVE THE CHILDREN A HIDE
WHEN YOU HAVE NO HORSE.

§OME time ago, a correspondent (whose
name and address was mislaid) sent us
a very neat drawing, showing his meth-
od of carrying his colonies into the cel-
lar. The drawing was accompanied
with no description ; and, in fact, little is
needed. We have reproduced the drawing
as below:

J7-r —

THE CHAIR METHOD OF CARRYING HIVES INTO
THE CELLAR.

The chair, it is to be observed, is to be at-
tached to the back of the bee-keeper, pack-
peddler fashion, the hive having been pre-
viously secured to the chair by means of a
cord. We tried the plan, and found that
hives could be carried into the cellar, but
there was so much trouble and toggery
about getting the hives upon the chair that
we concluded it was more trouble than it
was worth. Either an assistant has got to
lift the hives upon the chair, and secure
them, or else the bee-keeper must himself
put the chair upon a shelf or box nearly the
height of his waist, so as to obviate the ne-
cessity of stooping when about to assume
the burden. One man can carry quite a
burden pack-peddler fashion, and perhaps
some may find the hint of value. The ex-
periment can be very easily tried, and with-
out any particular outlay.

A PROPOLIS-KNIFE.

A HANDY LITTLE TOOL FOR THE PURPOSE.

T SEND you by this mail a sample of my knife for
||f cleaning- sections of comb honey. It is the best
W thing that I have ever seen for the purpose,
"^ and I speak from experience, as I have used
them for four or five years past in preparing'
many tons of honey for market, and have gained a

WRIGHT'S PUOPOLIS-KNIFE.

reputation for clean and neat appearance of my
honey in the market, which is partly due to the im-

plement and partly to the proper use of the same.

In reading the answers to an inquiry in Glean-
ings and the American Bee Journal, some time ago,
as to the best tool for cleaning sections of honey, I
was surprised to learn that most of the parties used
an ordinary case-knife, and a few a jack - knife.
I believe that those who give my knife a trial will
concede its superiority, both for speed and work-
manship. It can be made from an old case-knife or
a cheap new one. I have made several from knives
purchased from the five-cent counter. It needs
touching up several times a day with a flue file, to
keep the corners of the edge square and sharp.
The edge is filed square across, and both sides filed
down, so as to keep it less than a sixty-fourth of an
inch in thickness at the edge, which makes it sharp
enough to cut chunks of propolis out of the cor-
ners, but can not cut the wood. By grasping the
knife near the point with the thumb and forefinger,
using them as a gauge, the section can be cleaned
all around the edges without injury to the comb;
then go all around the outside of the section with
the full length of the blade, which should be an
eighth of an inch longer than the width of the sec-
tion.

The past season has been the poorest for several
years in this section, owing mainly to cold and
rainy weather the fore part of the season.

Altamont, N. Y. W. D. Wright.

CONVENTION NOTICE.

The programme for the American International
Bee Association, which is to meet at Brantford,
Ontario, Canada, Dec. 4th to 6th, is not yet complete.
However, from the following it will be seen that
every effort has been made to have a good one. The
first session will be at 3 p. m. of the 4th.
programme.

Bee-keeping an Occupation for Women. Miss H.
P. Bullers, Campbellford, Ont.

Cellar vs. Outdoor Wintering. R. McKinght,
Owen Sound, Ont.

Shipping Queens. F. H. Macpherson, Beeton,
Ont.

Disposal of the Honey Crop. Thos. G. Newman,
Chicago, 111.

Cellar Wintering. S. T. Ptttit, Belmont, Ont.

Riding Hobby-horses; Bee-keeping a Recreation
from other Pursuits, and an Antidote for Disease.
E. R. Root, Medina, O.

Alimentary System, or Apparatus, of the Honey-
bee. Prof. A. J. Cook, Agricultural College, Mich.

S. Corneil, Lindsay, Ont., subject not given.

The president will deliver his annual address on
the evening of the first day. Reduced rates, at
least one and one-third fare for return trip, may be
secured on Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific Rail-
ways. The latter tickets must be purchased to and
from Gait or Woodstock, and thence to Brantford
via (irand Trunk Railway. For further particulars,
apply to the secretary. Remember, you must have
a certificate when purchasing your tickets for
Brantford on Grand Trunk Railway, or Gait or
Woodstock on the C. P. R'y. Reduced hotel rates
($] 50) may be secured at the Herby House. The
Commercial Hotel, also near the place of meeting,
is a good one-dollar house.

R. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.
Romney, Ont., Canada.

904

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

0U1^ P@MEg.

I will both lay me down in peace, and steep; for
thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.— Ps. 4 : 8.

THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH.

T|p FTER visiting the German Sabbath-
9ll| school, that I told you about in our
j^r last, I selected, among the great ar-
^** ray of churches in Chicago, the Plym-
outh Congregational. I had had some
little experience in finding places of wor-
ship in great cities, miles away, and so I in-
quired at the hotel about how far it was.
As it was toward an hour's ride on the
street-cars, I just had time to be on hand
promptly, after the Sunday-school was out.
Considerable has been said about the con-
venience of street-cars for taking people to
places of worship. In a city like Chicago it
would be a rather hard matter to get to
many of the churches, without the aid of
the street-c;irs or a horse and buggy. One
reason why I did not go on foot was because
of a lack of time ; and another, the conduct-
ors on the street-cars are usually better
able to direct you to any given locality than
anybody else. They told me at the hotel
what line of street-cars to take ; therefore
my first direction to the conductor was to
put me off as near as possible to Plymouth
Church.

" Plymouth Church ? " said he. lt Well,
I'll be blamed if I know where Plymouth
Church is."

Here he turned around to a car full of
passengers, and called out, " Does any one
know where Plymouth Church is ? "

No one could tell. Then I bethought me
that I had torn a list of the churches from a
daily paper ; and, sure enough, it gave the
street and number. As I held it up to him
he said, "Oh, yes ! we run within half a
block of it."

When we reached the vicinity of the mag-
nificent structure I expected that the crowd-
ed car would be pretty well emptied, al-
though I had noticed before that the con-
versation^and appearance of the inmates of
the car did not seem to be just what I
should expect of church-goers. I felt a lit-
tle sad when the car stopped to let me off,
and I found that I was the only individual
who stopped. Perhaps street-cars do carry
people to church ; but, my friends, I begin
to be a little doubtful in regard to the mat-
ter. Next time, I think I shall start earli-
er, and go on foot, even if it is four or five
miles. The voice of conscience had been
whispering all along the route that 1 was
not quite in a line, or, if you choose, I was
not in the company, of those who " hunger
and thirst after righteousness." Now, I
realize that 1 have a great deal to learn
about great cities. I realize, too, that I oft-
en make mistakes ; and I believe that I am
open to conviction in regard to this matter
of running cars of any kind on the Sabbath.

Plymouth Church is the finest structure in
the way.of church edifices that I ever enter-
ed in my life. The audience numbered up
into the thousands — I do not know how
many. There were seats in the various ves-
tibules, where strangers waited until the

ushers were ready to conduct them to the
proper pews. The ventilation and heating
were like a spring morning. I am glad to
know that wealth has succeeded in giving
us an atmosphere as pure and invigorating
as we get outdoors, or pretty nearly that.
The singing was equal to any, I think, I
ever heard in my life ; but I had just a little
bit of feeling that a part of it would have
been more appropriate — that is, letting
your humble servant judge — for some week-
day entertainment. 1 had quite a curiosity
to see what the pastor of such a great and
such a wealthy congregation looked like.
He was a rather spare man, not above 35 or
40 years of age ; but a very few words from
him gave one the impression that he was
able to command the attention of even that
vast audience. The question kept coming
up, " What does he possess above ministers
in common that should have induced the
people to call him to a place of such great
responsibility ? " Was it a fine and superi-
or education V was it wonderful natural
gifts V or was it the fullness of the Holy
Spirit that carried conviction to the hearts
of each one of his hearers almost in spite of
him? I soon decided that it was a good
deal of all together. Perhaps most of you
know already that I am a little inclined to
object to the ways and customs of the very
wealthy — not that I want to find fault with
them, but as a rule it is hard work for me
to feel at home where money is expended
lavishly. There is a sense of relief when I
exchange living in the great hotels for that
of my humble home. In the same way
there is a sense of relief when I step from
the palace cars into the companionship of
the more humble working people of our
land. I expected, or perhaps, rather, fear-
ed, that I should be a little homesick when
the exercises of this great church were con-
trasted with those in our little town of Me-
dina. Now, I believe there are extremes
both ways. We should be as careful about
being uncharitable toward the rich as we
are toward the poor. Although I did not
see people stepping out of the street-cars to
go into this great church, I did see great
droves of them stepping from magnificent
equipages (many of them having liveried
footmen) to open the carriage-doors, and to
hand out the different members of the fami-
ly. Great numbers of these footmen sat
holding the horses during the whole of the
services. I felt a little sad to see this ; for
at our church at home, nobody stays out of
doors. Nobody, so far as I know, waits on
his superiors while they worship God. This
matter, however, is not in my pixwince.
Very likely Moody has taken up this sub-
ject already. I expected to attend his meet-
ings while I was in Chicago, but he was
temporarily absent at the time. Now about
that sermon.

I can not remember the text. I do re-
member, however, that the pastor spoke of
having read recent publications from the
pen of some of our modern scientists. He
mentioned that there is a species of philoso-
phy becoming prevalent, to the effect that
sin is not such an awful thing alter all —
that we are simply learning bj expeiknce.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

905

Every child that learns to walk has a good
many falls, and bumps its nose a good many
times before he learns to be careful. In the
same way, say the modern scientists, we
commit sin— it is a part of our experience.
We can not very well learn better until we
have sown our wild oats, and become capa-
ble of looking on all sides of the question ;
therefore he who commits sin or crime need
not feel so terribly bad about it ; it is more or
less the habit of every human life, and the
world is step by step growing better. In
the present age, and with our limited knowl-
edge, it could hardly be expected that we
should do any better than we do. We shall
all get over sinning by and by, even if we
do not make such a terrible tirade about it
as some of the fanatics and extremists do.

While he was speaking I remembered
that I had again and again heard the same
kind of philosophy ; for it is a sad fact, that
there are men — yes, even teachers in science
—men with fine education and intellects,
who seem to seek some relief from a guilty
conscience other than repenting of and for-
saking their sins. They evidently turn to
science for some relief or escape other than
the only one ever opened since the begin-
ning of the world— the relief through Christ
Jesus. Without any personal acquaintance
or knowledge of some who stand high as
scientists, I have been led to feel from the
very tone of their writings that they were
guilty at heart— guilty, perhaps, of oft-re-
peated and deliberate sin. They try to de-
lude themselves by the thoughts that the
pastor expressed ; and they seem to find a
relief in trying to teach others that we are
so constituted that we can not very well
get along without more or less deliberate
transgression. God says, " The soul that
sinneth, it shall die." This class of modern
scientists take it up in about the same
strain that the serpent spoke to Eve —
" Thou shalt not surely die." Of course, the
speaker held up the Bible and Christ Jesus
as the only relief and the only refuge. Here
his eloquence waxed stronger and stronger.
He held that great audience spellbound ;
and as I heard him plead for the dear Sav-
ior, wave after wave passed through my
soul until I most fervently thanked God
that such an earnest and powerful advocate
had been raised up to publicly proclaim
against the teachings of infidel scientists.
The preacher spoke of sin and crime exactly
as if he had been through the horrible miry
depths himself. As he recalled some of the
experiences of my own life I was fairly
startled. He did not say in plain words that
the experience he related was his own ; but
he made sin in the sight of God, if not in
the sight of men, more hideous than I had
ever seen it pictured before. As I went out
it was with a fervent feeling of thanksgiv-
ing and praise that our great cities, with all
their corruption and sin, are also provided
with such earnest and faithful advocates of

Eurity and righteousness as the one who
ad just delivered the message that God
had given him. I had vis'ted only one of
the great churches, and their spires reach
aloft through every part of the city. Who
can count them? "The Sabbath^ Jlay [was

only a little more than half gone, and I had
had two experiences— that of the German
Sunday-school, and the sermon I have just
mentioned, that was a surprise and a glad
surprise to know that God is working with
great power, not only in the basements of
these grand and beautiful buildings, but
even in the audience room ; and 1 feel glad
to think that Chicago, with all its great
achievements, is scarcely a bit behind in its
efforts to glorify God, and to spread the gos-
pel of righteousness.

Now, clear reader, if you have ever been
tempted to delude yourself into the idea
that sin is not so awful bad, listen to the
warning I have tried to carry to you to-day.
A man in our jail once confessed to me, in
an indifferent manner, a crime he had re-
cently committed. I remonstrated, and
tried to impress upon him the terrible con-
sequences that must follow such an act.
He broke out a little vehemently and said,
" Why, Mr. Boot, you don't know any thing
about what is going on in this world. You
are innocent and unsuspecting, and you
think everybody else is the same. Why,
there is not a man who walks the streets but
has at some time or other been guilty of this
very thing you make such a fuss about."
My friends, his statement is not true ;
and even if it were true, it does not
help the matter. He had deliberately
broken one of God's plain, positive com-
mands ; and the bad, wicked, miserable
life attested to the fact that he was reaping
his reward. Perhaps he deluded himself
with the thought that others had done the
same thing, and repented and had been for-
given. I have even heard men quote the
patriarchs of old as an example, that they
might transgress and it will finally be over-
looked and forgotten. The patriarchs of old
were not forgiven unless they were truly
penitent. It is true, that Jesus offers par-
don as a free gift to all who will accept it.
"Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise
cast out." But, my dear friend, it is not
such an easy thing to come, after a life of
deliberate sin and crime. There is a boun-
dary line ; and those who deliberately trans-
gress until this line is passed, do not, as a
rule, turn back or repent. The words of
one poor soul still ring in my ears. He was
on his dying-bed, and in great agony of
mind over his past wicked life. I searched
the Bible for promises ; but in answer to
them all he said, " It is too late, too late."
I was obliged to leave him, but I could not
learn after his death that any peace ever
came to his poor lost soul.

In our recent Sunday-school lessons we
have learned much of David, and his life
has been quoted in the way which I have
mentioned. David was a godly man ; but
through the temptations of riches and pow-
er he became careless. A snare was set for
his feet, and he fell. I believe, that from
that moment his peace of mind and peace
with God was gone. It never came back
until he was entirely penitent, and had re-
pented in dust and ashes. And even then,
what anguish and torture racked his poor
soul, even to the last'l'days of [his'life — an-
guish and torture that he brought directly

90tt

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

Nov.

on his own head by his own act ! not only
torture and anguish to himself, but a great
stream of sin and crime threw its slimy
folds down through generation alter genera-
tion. One of his own sons committed a
horrible crime that is so rare in our day that
many do not even know the nan e of it.
Another sou murdered this brother, pretend-
ing it was to avenge his sister ; but it is
more likely that it was because this brother
stood in his pathway to the throne. After
that, he with consummate skill laid a plot
to rob his aged father of the throne, and
even planned to put his father to death,
because he could not wait until the throne
should come to him lawfully. To carry out
his schemes he pretended to be pious. Now,
it does not require a very close and acute
study of the Scriptures to see that all this
fearful bloodshed and catastrophe was al-
most the direct result of the decision of a
single moment. Once in his life David con-
sented to follow the promptings of Satan.
He forsook the God of his youth, the God of
his manhood, for a bauble that Satan held
up to his gaze. Then he tried to cover up
this sin. He was foolish enough to think
that, because he was king, he could brave
public opinion. If you want to know how
he writhed under the tortures of a guilty
conscience, read some of the Psalms. " Tru-
ly many sorrows shall be to the wicked ;
but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy
shall compass him about."1 A few days ago,
by accident my eye caught on a single
verse of a Psalm. By the way, I am now en-
joying perhaps better health than I ever did
before, but I still hold on to my noonday
nap. I have tried going without it; but
when I have much mental work, if it is
missed I feel in some way unhinged all the
rest of the day ; my brain is cloudy and dim ;
but after having, say, ten minutes' sleep, or
just enough to entirely lose consciousness, I
am bright and clear all the rest of the day.
Now, this text I am going to give you, I
often think of when I begin to feel the need
of this daily nap ; and, by the way, I have
discovered that, in order to drop to sleep in-
stantly, I must have a clear conscience.
Now, then, listen to the text that has of
late become like sweet music to me: " I will
both lay me clown in peace and sleep, for
thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safe-
ty.'1 My friends, let me make you a pres-
ent of my text. Take it with you to your
day's toil, and hold fast to it when you go to
rest after the toil of the day is over.

As you lose consciousness, let your last
thought be in a line with the text ; and when
that last sleep that knows no waking shall
come, may the thought be yours.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

GARDENING IN NOVEMBER.

lTp S a rule, most gardening operations,
^ffe unless they are conducted under glass,
jP«* are suspended, at least in this local-
■***! ity, during the present month. Our
grounds are, however, making a very
pretty show just now. For the first time

we have tried the Chinese Rose winter rad-
ish and Black Spanish. We are greatly
pleased with both of them, especially with
the Rose. Even when as large as a good-
sized apples, they are perfectly crisp and
tender, and not as strong as spring and sum-
mer radishes. We have had such fine rad-
ishes all summer long, that most of our
customers were getting a little tired of
them ; but after they got a taste of the
above, a brisk trade started up at once.

Spinach is making a beautiful growth,
and we are having a brisk trade in it, at be
a pound. The greatest trouble in getting it
introduced is, that everybody will persist in
calling it "greens.1' It is not greens any
more than asparagus is greens, and it should
be cooked something as we cook asparagus.

We are also having a nice trade in Purple-
top Globe turnips. They are pulled before
they get to be much larger than apples ; and,
cooked the same day they are gathered, they
are excellent.

Of course, we have our greenhouse and
cold-frames pretty well filled ; but so far we
have not had freezing weather enough to
prevent all of these and other hardy plants
from making a better growth outdoors than
they do inside.

Celery is making a finer growth at this
date, Nov. 13, than at any other time during
the season ; and we are furnishing our wag-
on with beautiful stalks of Self-blanching
and Golden Dwarf, which goes off briskly at
10 cts. per pound.

We have very fine tomatoes yet on the
wagon, that come from our greenhouses.
The frost nipped the foliage a little, one or
two nights, even through the glass ; but
they are now growing and ripening all right.

The Oregon everbearing strawberry is al-
ready putting out buds to blossom, both in
the greenhouse andjj outside. There is cer-
tainly something peculiar about the persis-
tent disposition of this strawberry to bear
fruit all through the summer, and even late
into the fall. The large strong plant, men-
tioned in our last issue, full of berries, has
taken root, and the berries are slowly ripen-
ing. We are going to try hard to make
them produce runners under glass. If we
do, our friends shall have plenty of plants.

We have beautiful lettuce still growing
finely in the open air. Grand Rapids seems
to be very hardy, for late lettuce in the
open ground, as well as for cold-frames or
greenhouses. The new mammoth salsify is
giving us roots almost like parsnips, and
they are as great an improvement in quality
as in size.

Burpee has also given us a mammoth
crookneck squash that seems to be equal in
every respect to the common crookneck,
but it is ever so much larger. Now, where
we get hold of a variety that is without
question superior to the old one, as in the
case of the summer crook-neck squash, etc..
why not drop the old ones entirely V I know
by experience that we wrant to be a little
careful about deciding hastily ; for on fur-
ther trial the improved variety sometimes
proves to be lacking in earliness, in quality,
or in some other respect. But where the
new variety proves to be in all respects su-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTXJBE.

907

perior, I would drop the old one entirely.
So far as I know, the Japanese buckwheat
is an illustration in point. It is so much
ahead of all our old varieties in every re-
spect that there is no longer any need of sow-
ing or offering for sale any of the old kinds.
We are going to undertake this in our cata-
logue, for we can not have it cumbered with
a great number of varieties where one or
two answer every purpose for at least the
great mass of the people.

AN INDESTRUCTIBLE LABEL FOR PLANTS
AND TREES.

Simple as it may seem, it has long been a
difficult matter to get just what we want
for this purpose. In our book we have rec-
ommended having seed-packets printed on
stout water-proof paper, and tackirjg this
paper to a stout pine stake. Several times,
however, these stakes have been pulled over
by the harrow, and dragged in the dirt until
even after a careful washing the letters were
too much defaced to be read. In my experi-
ments with early pumpkins I had a good
deal of trouble in that way. We want a
label that can be washed off when it is soil-
ed. We want it to stand frost and rain and
mud. Well, our good friends Johnson &
Stokes, of Philadelphia, are bringing out
something this season that fills the bill. It
is made of very thin sheet copper— so thin
that you can write on it with any sort of a
pencil, and the writing will be indented so
as to be easily read. In fact, thin sheets of
copper, it seems to me, would answer for a
writing that blind people could read. The
slips of copper are about 3 inches long, and
an inch wide. One end of this is narrowed
down and split into two portions that can
be easily twisted around a limb or stake.
If this gets muddy it can be washed ; and if
you want to make it as clean as a new dol-
lar, just heat them hot and throw tbem into
water. The writing will still be perfectly
plain. The price is the principal objection.
They are worth $1.50 a gross. It seems to
me that they should be made for less than
half this amount, and probably will be soon

IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR COMMON VEGET-
ABLES.

We have the following from our Ohio Ag-
ricultural Experiment Station. Our friend
W. J. Green has given special attention to
testing every thing new offered in this line :

We have an experiment in view, in which seed
grown in your locality will be useful to us. We
wish to secure seed of any or all of the following:
Beans, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, corn,
cucumber, lettuce, melons, onions, pumpkin, peas,
radish, squash, tomato, turnip, also grass, grain, or
flower seed of any kind. It is essential that we
know the locality where the seed is grown, also that
the varieties be correctly named. Only a small
quantity of seed is desired, about the same in quan-
tity as seedsmen usually send in packets. If we
can get no more than one variety from a locality it
will be useful to us. We should like to hear from
any one who has seed of any kind, of his own grow-
ing. W. J. Green.

Columbus, Ohio.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRIES BEAR IN AUGUST.

In Gleanings, Oct. 15, you call on the Experimen-

tal Stations to tell you some way to make the Jes-
sie or some strawberry bear in the fall, when, by
calling on your subscribers, I have no doubt you
could find plenty who could tell you the secret. If
you will select some thrifty plants next spring, and
pick out the fruit-stalks before they bloom, and
keep all runners cut, you will have the satisfaction
of seeing tbem bloom in August and mature fine
fruit. We have a gentleman near this place who
sold quite a number of plants because he could
raise berries and have them to sell in September.

E. F. Busick.
Church Creek, Md., Oct. 23, 1889.

Friend B., you give us something exceed-
ingly valuable. I have often thought of do-
ing as you say, but I could never before find
any record of anybody who had done it.
Next season we will make a good test of the
matter.

HOW TO MAKE SOUR-KRAUT.

In response to information wanted, " How to
make and keep sour-kraut, " I submit the follow-
ing very si mple way: Cut your cabbage up finely,
and put about half a bushel of the cut cabbage in
the barrel you intend your kraut to stay in; then
sprinkle over it as much salt as you can hold in
your hand; then with a wooden maul beat it down.
Next put in the same quantity of cabbage, using a
handful of salt to every half-bushel of cabbage,
beating the cabbage down every time you put it in.
It takes a good deal of beating. You can tell when
it is beaten sufficiently, by the brine rising near the
top. When you are done putting all your cabbage
in the beating, etc., cut some boards to fit inside
the barrel. Put boards on top of the cabbage, and
then put a heavy weight on top the boards. Next
morning the brine will stand on top. Put your bar-
rel in the cellar or some cool place, and in a few
days you will have kraut that will keep all winter
and spring. Freezing will not hurt it unless you
gouge down in the middle or on one side of the bar-
rel, thus allowing the brine to sink away from the
top. As you use your kraut, keep it level on top,
and the weight on. When you are making your
kraut, if you will peel your cabbage-stalks and
throw them into the barrel you will have some nice
pickles; and every time mamma goes to get a mess
of kraut for dinner, all the children will want a
stalk to eat. G. C. Hughes.

Pipestem, W. Va.

EGG PLANTS IN FLORIDA.

I have already 3000 egg-plants out, and they are
looking finely. The plants are set out 4 feet each
way, and you will be surprised to know that my
patch of egg-plant will be good from 3 to 5 years
for fruiting, all because we have no killing frost.

Narrows, Fla., Sept. 28, 1889. S. B. Dawson.

LIMA BEANS WITH A VENGEANCE, ETC.

We are now having the heaviest rains for October
that we have had in 38 years. It has now rained
over four inches, doing great injury to beans still
unthrashed. There are close on to 2000 tons of
limas still in the field. The season starts in good
for honey, but nearly all the bee-ranges were
burned over in Southern California last month,
which will give us a light crop of sage honey, as the
sages make no bloom the first year.

S. M. W. Easley.

San Buena Ventura, Cal., Oct. 23, 1889.

908

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

Gleanings in Bee Culture.

Published Semi-Monthly.

JL. X. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

*£E:DI2ST.fi-, OHIO.

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Clubbing Eatos, See First Page of Beading Matter.

ib^iEiDinsr^, n^ro^r. is, iss9.

In peace will I both lay me down and sleep:

For thou. Lord, i alone ruakest me dwell in safety.

i Or, ix solitude. Psalm 4: 8, Kc\ ised Version.

DEATH OF MRS. CHADDOCK.

As we pro to press, the following- reaches us:

Mrs. Mahala B. ('haddock died at her home in Vermont Tp.,
Fulton Co., 111., at 8 o'clock on the evening; of Nov. 12. She had
been ill for five weeks, but not dangerously so, until toward
the last, when typhoid pneumonia developed and caused
death. Anna B. ^uillin.

Mrs. Chaddock, by her spicy writings, was wel*

known through these columns; and her sudden

death will be lamented by many of our readers.

QUEENS FROM THE SOUTH.

The following queen-breeders from the South
agree to furnish untested queens during the winter:

Simon P. Roddy, Mechaniostown. Md., has four nice tested
queens which he will sell for 81.00 each.

I can send out young tested queens during the winter, if
wanted. Nellie Adams.

Sorrento, Fla., Oct. 28, 1889.

Untested Italian queens all winter, ready by return mail, at
price in Root's catalogue. If sent at bujer's' risk, one-half of
Root's price. Luther W. Gray.

Orlando, Fla., Nov. 9.

I have about six untested Italian queens which 1 will send to
any address upon receipt of $100 each, by return mail.

New Braunfels. Texas, Nov. 9. H. H. P. Kohlenberg.

I have untested queens now ready to ship.

San Marcos, Tex., Nov. 7. J. P. Caldwell.

A HONEY ALMANAC.

The Honey Almanac for 1890, published by T. G.
Newman & Son, Chicago, 111., is now out. It con-
tains 32 pages of facts, figures, and suggestions, for
honey in its various uses, besides the matter usual-
ly contained in almanacs. A very large number of
honey recipes for cooking are compiled. The vari-
ed uses of honey as a food and medicine are also
discussed. The design of this almanac is to place
in the hands of bee-keepers a lever by which they
can revolutionize public sentiment, and create a
market for honey. Sensational stories in regard to
adulterated honey are refuted. The following is a
pithy paragraph which sums up the whole story:

THERE IS NO ARTIFICIAL COMB HONEY.

"Combs made of paraffine, tilled with glucose, and sealed
overby machinery made for that purpose "—is a mere fabri-
cation! A LIE! that story was started by Prof. Wiley, in an
article for the Popular Science Monthly, which he says was
intended simply as a " scientific pleasantry." He expresses
surprise that any one should ever have taken it for a sober
fact. It was intended for a " huge joke," but the newspapers
have been deceiving the public by asserting that it i^ truth.
Several years ago, Mr. A. I. Root, of Medina, O.. offered a thou-
sand dollars for proof of the existence of such a factory, and
to sec such artificial comb made. He has never had an appli-
cation for the money— good proof that there is no such thing.

FATHER LANGSTROTH.

The following editorial from the American Bee
Journal of Nov. 2, we take pleasure in presenting
to our readers. It contains a bit of news in regard
to our much-respected friend, and some cheering
words from the editor that are well worth repeat-
ing. It is as follows:—

The Northwestern Bee-Keepers' Society at its
last session voted to empty its treasury into the

pocket of our venerable friend father Langetroth.
Accordingly, being the treasurer, we sent him a
check for the amount, $12.25, together with another
small amount sent to us by one of our subscribers
for that purpose. The following is the response
from Mrs. A. L. Cowan, his daughter.

Mr ThoshsG. Newman:— My father is deeply grateful to the
bee-keepers for their remembrance of him. He is still sad and
feeble, and I appreciate highly every kind act which lightens
for a time the clouds which surround him— by the knowledge
that his labors are not forgotten.

My father sends his kind greetings to you and to your fami-
ly. We are grieved to learn of Mrs. Newman's illness. I have
suffered so often from the same terrible disease (erysipelas),
that I know how to sympathize with her. With best wishes
for her speedy recovery. Respectfully,

Dayton, O., Oct. 22, 18&. ANNA L. Cowan.

"Sad and feeble" — how these words send gloom
to our hearts! Has that kind face, genial smile,
and sweet voice, given place to sadness, because of
the feebleness and natural decline of the physical
system? Be not sad, noble brother. Though
" weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in
the morning!" Cheer up, and remember Him who
says, " When thou passest through the waters, I
will be with thee." With eyes fixed on him to guide
through the deep waters, and through the pearly
gates, we hope with you soon to be made " living
stones in that temple not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens"— where "no discordant voice shall
e'er be heard, and all that we experience will be
perfect bliss, and all we express will be perfect
praise," and where " love divine will ennoble every
heart, and hallelujahs exalted employ every
tongue."

MEMBERSHIP TO THE N. A. B. K. A.: AN INTERNA-
TIONAL BEE-ASSOCIATION AT THE WORLD'S
FAIR IN 1892.

A letter just received from Secretary Holter-
mann will explain itself. It reads as follows:

Friend Root:— I should like to see the International Ameri-
can Bee-keepers' Association what it should be; and it should
have, in its treasury, funds to defray the expenses of an inter-
ternational convention at no distant date, say during the
World's Fair in New York. 1892. As I have before said, who
knows the grand results which may be secured from a conven-
tion of bee-keepers of the World f To do this we must com-
mence at once; and I propose that every one who can, shall
send one dollar as membership fee to the international for the
coming year; and. as far as I am concerned, if the surplus be
voted to me for the work of the past year. I will turn it over
to the treasurer, to remain as funds of the association.
Surely very many will be found who will indorse this scheme,
or something like it, and send their dollar. We should no
longer have an empty treasury R. F. Holtermann.

Romney, Ont., Nov. 1, 1889.

We most heartily indorse what friend Holter-
mann says. It has been said several times, and
with some truth too, that the N. A. B. K. A. in its
meetings is largely a local affair. If we can not se-
cure the attendance of representative bee-keepers
from all parts of the United States, let those who
are interested in the success of the Association
send in their one-dollar membership fees. The
programme as announced elsewhere in these col-
umns promises to be interesting, and friend Hol-
termann has left no stone unturned to make the
meeting a success. In regard to the international
at the World's Fair, we feel sure that we ought to
begin to think somewhat of the matter. We want
an exhibit at that fair which will be a credit to our
industry in this country. We also want an inter-
national convention, international in name and in-
ternational in reality. It will be a fine thing if
French, German, English, Italian, Spanish, and
American bee-keepers (and that Includes Canadi-
ans too) could rub against each other in one grand
brotherhood of representative world's bee-keep-
ers. We should like to hear what our European
cotemporaries think of the matter.

Since writing the foregoing, the following, from
the pen of the president of the association, has
come to hand:

Friend Root:— Please say in next Gleanings that several
in Canada and the United States have suggested to me that it
would be a good plan to request those who attend the conven-
tion at Brantford next month to take along with them sam-
ples of both comb and extracted honey, say one or two

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

909

pounds, so that we may see and taste honey from different
parts of America. Those not in attendance, and so desiring,
could send theirs to the convention (care of the secretary,
charges paid), each package marked, kind of honey, price in
their market, and owner's name. The convention could ap-
point judges if they thought licst. I like the idea myself, and
will " second the motion." A. B. Mason, Pres.

Auburndale, Ohio, Nov. 7, 1889.

The idea is a good one, and we will second the
motion; and we feel sure that every other member
will do so by bringing- along- with him samples of
honey produced in his locality. We should like to
have some of the convention test some of the nice
alfalfa honey mentioned elsewhere. We hope that
friend Ball, or some other bee-keeper of that irri-
gated district, will favor the convention with their
presence, or at least with samples of their beauti-
ful honey.

{Specie j^fice^.

DISCOUNT FOR EARLY ORDERS.

Those who expect to take advantage of a dis-
count for ordering during our dull months will
find, by referring to our discount notice on the in-
side of the cover, that the discount during this
month is 4 %, and on Dec. 1st it drops to 3 %. Order
during the next two weeks if you would secure
the extra 1%.

EXTRACTED HONEY WANTED.

We have met with an unexpected outlet for our
stock of extracted honey, and we should be pleased
to receive samples from those who have a choice
article .of basswood or clover to sell or exchange
for supplies. When you send a sample, write how
much you have and how it is put up, and what you
will take for it. By doing this we can give it one
free notice in the Honey Column, if we can not
use it ourselves.

PREMIUM LIST.

We call our readers' attention to our large pre-
mium list in this number. If by chance it slips out
and you fail to get it, or if you lose it, be sure to let
us know, so that we send you another. We would
advise you to keep it in a safe place, for reference.
Besides the many bargains we offer you, you may
do well to look over the advertisements in the front
and back, and see if you do not find something
there to your advantage.

EXTRA QUANTITY OF THIS NUMBER.

We use, in printing this number and the premi-
um list, about 70,0(10 white sheets of paper, 21 x 27
inches, besides the covers, of other colors. This is
over three times the amount used in a regular issue.
We print an extra number, to be distributed as
sample copies, and therefore this will be read by
some who may never have seen Gleanings before.
We ask you to read the number carefully in all its
departments, and see if it would not be a good in-
vestment of $1.00 to have such a magazine come in-
to your home twice a month for one year; 24 num-
bers, or about 4 cents each. Send your subscrip-
tion, and try it a year.

ODD BUT TRUE.

Send me the names of 10 regular subscribers to
the American Agriculturist, or Ladies' Home Jour-
nal, and I will give you next season your choice of
the following: 1 untested Italian queen, 13 Laced
Wyandotte eggs, 13 B. Leghorn eggs, or 10 S. S.
Hamburg eggs. All I want is the names of 10 per-
sons who take either of the papers. Write for cat-
alogue of nearly 2000 papers at reduced rates.

C. M. (.OOKM'lllt, Tborn Hill, N. Y.
[ >' '.ii iVKpunding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 5 lines, and you must say you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

IStfdb Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange improved Hammonton
Incubator, capacity 240 eggs, new, for honey or
offers. A bargain. Finis A. Wootton,

20-21d Skilesville, Muhlenberg Co., Ky.

WANTED.— To exchange a Barnes foot-power saw
and Pelham fdn. mill, for extracted honey.
Both saw and mill are as good as new. 22d

K. H. Campbell, Madison, Morgan Co., Ga.

WANTED.— To exchange No. 1 sections for ex-
TT traded honey or beeswax. M.H.Hunt.
22-23 Bell Branch, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat,
$1.25 per bushel, for Eddy drill or offers. 22d
F. C. Fuller, Montague, Mass.

WANTED.— A Given foundation - press in ex-
change for hives, foundation, or supplies.
Press for L. frame. O. F. Sunderland,

22d Box 411, St. Albans, Franklin Co., Vt.

WANTED.— To exchange fine P. Rock cockerels,
also comb and extracted honey, for bee-sup-
plies or offers. H. A. Hubbard, New Lisbon, N. Y.

WANTED.— To exchange a Perfect Hatcher incu-
bator, capacity 750 eggs, Japanese buckwheat,
and Kaffir corn, for honey. Chas. D. Duvall,
22 23d Spencerville, Montgomery Co., Md.

WANTED.— To exchange a 24-inch Kaestner feed-
mill for small planer, V-groove section ma-
chine (Root's), or offers. Geo. Rall,
22-23 Frenchville, Wis.

WANTED.— To exchange 200 colonies of bees, 2
foot-power saws, and one foundation-mill and
tanks, for any thing useful on p'antation. 22tfdb
Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark.

NOW IS THE TIME

FOR MARKETING HONEY, AND NEW YORK
IS A GOOD MARKET.

We make liberal advances in CASH on consignments, sell quick-
ly at highest obtainable market prices, and pay the net proceeds

IMMEDIATELY after honey has been sold. We charge for com-
* mission and GUARANTEE of payment, five per cent. Ship by
freight to F. G. STROHMEYER & CO.,

Wholesale Honey Merchants,

122 Water Street, New York.

910

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

Engines k Boilers.

(Complete Outfit, or

Engine Alone.

Tin- /{est mill Most Sub-
stantial Engine Made, •■■Jj

2 Horse Engine and Boiler, $125

4 ' " 200

10 " " " " 325

Fully guaranteed. Send far
circular. Mention this paper.

MEDINA ENGINE CO,
30tfdb Medina, Ohio.

i In responding to tins advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

TAKE NOTICE !

BEFORE placing your Ord<rs for SUPPLIES,
write for prices on One Piece Basswood Seo-
tions, Bee-Hives, Shipping-Crates, Frames, Foun-
dation, Smokers, etc. AddresR

K. H. SCHMIDT ic CO.,
21-20db NEW LONDON, Waupaca Co., WIS.

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

1X7 E make the best Bee-Hives, Shipping-Crates,
" Sections, etc., in the world, and sell them the
cheapest. We are offering our choicest white one-
piece 4J4X414 sections, in lots of 500, at $3.50 per 1000.
8^~ Parties wanting more, should write for spe-
cial prices. No. 2 sections, $2.00 per 1000. Cata-
logues free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb
C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

C^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

UOR Folding Paper Boxes send to

* 31-8db A. O. CRAWFOBD, S. Weymouth, Mass.

MUTH'S

HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

!«tl UtE (.LASS HOMEV-JARS,

TIM BKKETS, BEE-HIVES,
HONEY-SECTIONS, &c, &c.
PERFECTION COLO- BLAST SITIOKEKS.

Ci'Mii responding to this ad\

■ tion cleanings.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
P. S.— Send 10-oent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Rep-Keepers" (Mention Oleaninas.) ltfdb

""■»

G loves for Ladies.
"about gloves," giving

prices of over fifty patterns, simple guide tor
self-measurement ; thus enabling you to order \
by mail as safely as if measured in our store_j
and as perfect fit and satisfaction are guaranteed

YOU TAKE NO RISKS.

Refer to Johnstown Rank, American Express Co., or
Postmaster, all of Johnstown, or Commercial Agencies.

JOHN C. HUTCHINSON,

JOHNSTOWN, N. V.

IVES 2IMCJ TO YOU

I have decided to place my gloves ^the best made)
within the reach of every purchaser, no matter where
he or she may live. You purchase direct

FROM THE MANUFACTURER,

get better gloves and save money. My gloves are made
from selected skins suitable for different grades of ser-
vice and are made with the best skid by the most ex-
perienced operators. They are perfect in style and fit
and the most serviceable gloves that can be made. They
are warranted and if not as represented you can return
them and receive back your money. A splended holi-
day, birthday, wedding or complimentary present.

27 YEARS

BEFORE the PUBLIC.

I offer my gloves
for Ladies and Gen-
tlemen, with assort-
ed colors, real dog
skin, kid, cheverette,
and fur. Send stamp
for illustrated book
full description, with

GLOVES FOR STREET WEAR,

^^TJCJipTO^TX? I send a good ;
%J£JOEjA\/ W Atgloveiueasnre,
-^S"1 of charge with above book to tbose wbo
mention this paper when writing.

**■

J

t#"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SUPPLEMENT.

PICTURE GALLERY OF GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

-^n&s

8URING the 17 years in which Glean-
ings has beeii published, a large num-
ber of fine engravings of apiaries and
bee and honey exhibits have been
presented to the readers. They were
executed at considerable cost, and are also
suggestive of many ideas with regard to
apiaries and apiarian exhibits. Those of
the better sort we take great pleasure in
presenting to our readers again, in the
shape of a souvenir, and we trust it will be
appreciated. Our list is double, and in
some instances perhaps three times the size
it was when the pictures originally appear-
ed, and hence to the majority of our readers

they will be new. Perhaps we should re-
mark, that these engravings will appear in
the A B C of Bee Culture, just after the bi-
ographical sketches. The two together will
give an excellent idea of prominent apia-
rists, and of their apiaries ; of prominent
honey-men and of their honey -exhibits,
from all parts of the world. While it is not
possible, by reason of space, to give descrip-
tive reading-matter for each, we have indi-
cated the page and volume in which full
details can be found. If you do not happen
to have the required back number, describ-
ing a certain exhibit or apiary, send 10 cts.,
and we will mail vou the desired number.

A, E, 3IAN1TM'S SIDE-HILL APIARY; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE 665, VOL. XVII.

O. J. HETHERINGTON SBEE-RANCH, NEAR EAST SAGINAW, MICH.; SEE GLEANINGS,

PAGE 840, VOL. XVI.

A. E. MAM M AND HIS HELPERS IN HIS BEE-YARDS; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE 665,

VOL. XVII.

M. H. HUNT'S CHAFF-HIVE APIARY, BELL BRANCH, MICH. ; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE 625,

VOL. XVII.

yi*rv

CAPT. J. E. HE'IHERINGTON'S HOME, CHERRY VALLEY, N . V.. \\ II II LOAD OK 32 COLONIES

IN THE FOREGROUND.

; ii „ m1^

J. w

. NDIAN'S EXHIBIT, SPRING MILL, O. ; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE 122, VOL. XVII.

IIKX\.Gn\AL LAWN-'IIVE APIARY OF NINETEEN 1IIVi>. BELONGING TO N. H. ALLEN,
K I UK WOOD, MO. ; SEE GLEAM NfOS, P. 373, VOL. VIII.

R. WILKIN'S HEXAGONAL APIARY, SAN BUENAVENTURA, CAL. ; SEE GLEANINGS, P.

340, VOL. VII.

APIAKY OF THE LATE W)t. RAITT, BLAIRGOWRIE, SCOTLAND ; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE

179, VOL. IX.

RAILROAD APIARY BELONGING TO M. A. WILLIAMS & CO., BERKSHIRE, N. Y. ; SEE

GLEANINGS, PAGE 533, VOL. X.

APIARY OF W. H. SHIRLEY, GLENWOOD, MICH.; SEE GLEANINGS, P. 561, VOL. XI.

CHAFF-HIVE APIARY OF J. H. TOAVNLEY, TOMPKINS. MICH. ; SEE GLEANINGS. PAGE

194, VOL. VI.

T. P. ANDREWS' APIARY,, FAKINA, ILL. ; SEE GLEANINGS, P. 14, VOL. XV.

J. H. MARTIN'S APIARY, HARTFORD, N. Y. ; SEE GLEANINGS, P. 4-!4, VOL. VIII.

APIARIST AT WORK AT THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES

GLEANINGS, PAGE 30, VOL. XV.

<EK frontispiece: ALSO

J. ARCHER'S BEERANCTIE, SANTA BARBARA, CAL.; SEE GLEANINGS, P. 113, VOL. VI.

O. M. BLANTON'S APIARY, GREENVILLE, MISS. ; SEE GLEANINGS, PAGE 341, VOL. XIII.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

y«y

Contents of this Number.

Alfalfa of Arizona 953

Alfalfa of Kansas ...953

Alfalfa in Michigan 945

Apiary. Caldwell's 913

Australia, Encouraging — 958

Bee-hunting 949

Bees, Moving-, Peet's Plan. .956
Bees, Setting in Cellar 941

Books, Quillin on 9*4

Carp and Bees.. 9(i0

Cuckoo-bees 947

Cyclopedias Not Reliable.. .950

Doorsteps for Hives 960

Editorial 969

Extractors, Four comb 956

Fire at St. Joseph 959

Flagging at Entrances 960

Foundation. Wired 945

Frames, Closed-end 957

Gardening 968

Grampus, The Black 960

Heads of Grain 958

Holtermann's Biography.. .948

Homes, Our, Terry on 954

Honey-dew 961

Honey, Selling on Streets. . .958

Humbugs and Swindles 963

Insane, Treatment of 951

Japanese BuckwheatAhead 959

Lahels for Honey (Q. B.) 961

Langstroth, Visit to 959

Mason's Picture 949

Notes and Queries 960

Omaha 947

Out-apiaries 941

Queens, Red clover 958

Remedy for Stings 946

Reports Encouraging 958

Rocky Mountain Bee-plant 959

RoyalJelly 959

Skunks. To Poison 960

Stings, Remedy for 946

RERUM C0GN0SCERE CAUSAS,

TO know tlie Causes of Things, is the key to
Success in any industry. It you wish to succeed
in the Bee Business, you must read and become
acquainted with the most Successful Methods of
Bee-Management and Honey-Production.

LANGSTROTHS WORK,

REVISED BY DADANT,

Contains the result of practical experience with
Bees. It gives the Physiology of the Bee, with nu-
merous Quotations from the latest Scientific
Writers, the Description of the best Hives, Direc-
tions for the Proper Management and Handing- of
Bees; the most Practical Methods of Queen -
Bearing, Swarming (Natural and Artificial),
with controlling- methods: instructions on Estab-
lishing Apiaries, Transferring, Shipping, Mailing,
Feeding, Wintering; the best methods of producing
Comb and Extracted Honey, the Handling and
Harvesting of Honey, the Making of Comb Founda-
tion, etc., etc.

The instructions for the Bendering of Bees-
wax are alone worth the price of the Book, to
many bee-keepers who waste a part of their wax in
rendering it.

This book, "the most complete ever published," is
shortly to be published in the French, Italian, and
German Languages, by Practical European Apia-
rists. It is highly recommended by all publishers
of Bee-Literature in the Old World as well as in the
New.

Cloth Binding, 550 Pages, 199 Engravings, 19
Full-Page Plates. Gilt front and back. This book
is an Ornament to any Library.

Price: By Express, $1.85. By mail, prepaid,
$2.00. Special prices to Dealers who wish to ad-
vertise it in their circulars.

^"We also offer for Sale, 20,000 Lbs. of
Honey, of our crop of 1889; 25 Tons of Comb
Foundation, Smokers, Bee- Veils of Imported Ma-
terial, etc. Send for Circular. Address
3tfdb CHAS. DADAM & NOJV,

Hamilton, Hancock Co.. Illinois

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA IE 1REK1HT.

We carry a complete stock of Apiarian Supplies.
Our motto: Good goods and low prices. Illustrated
catalogue for your name on a postal card.

tyin respo

R. B. LEAHY & CO., Higginsville, Mo.

advertisement mention Gleanings.

BEE-HIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

We are now selling our No. 1 V-groove sections,
in lots of 500, at $3.00 per 1000; No. 2 sections at $3.00
per 1000. For price of Italian queens, foundation,
smokers, etc., send for price list.

J. STAUFFER & SONS,
Successors to It. J. Miller & Co.,
16tfdb Nappanee, Ind.

t^"In responding to this advi 1 1 isement mention Gleanings.

HOME

EMPLOIMENT. — AGENTS

wanted everywhere, for the HOME

JOURNAL— a grand famil> paper

at $1 a year. Biy caak premiums.

Sample Fkee. THOS. G. NEWMAW & SON,

923 & 925 West Madison Street, - CHICAGO. ILLS.

t^"In responding to thi.s advertisement mention cleanings.

TAKE NOTICE !

BEFOBK placing your Orders for MPPL1ES,
write for prices on One-Piece Basswoud Sec-
tions, Bee-Hives, Shipping-Crates, Frames, Foun-
dation, Smokers, etc. Address

B. H. SCHMIDT & CO.,
21-20db NEW LONDON, Waupaca Co., WIS.

tyin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half onr
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exooed 5 lines, and you must sat you want your ad. in this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can have the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-fide exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one. Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

18tfdb Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange a 24 inch Kaestner feed-
mill for small planer, V-groove section ma-
chine (Root's), or offers. Geo. Rall,,
'>->-'>a Frenchville, Wis.

-23

\V ANTED.— To exchange 200 colonies of bees, 2
Vi foot-power saws, and one foundation-mill and
tai.ks, for any thing useful on plantation. 22tfdb
Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange No. 1 sections for ex-
tracted honey or beeswax. M H. Hunt,
22-23 Bell Branch, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a Barnes combined foot-
power saw, for extracted honey. A good ma-
chine, cheap, used but little; cost $35.00; price now,
$18.00. Please write at once.

Geo. Beede, Sandwich, N. H.

WANTED.— To exchange a Perfect Hatcher incu-
bator, capacity 750 eggs, Japanese buckwheat,
and Kaffir corn, for honey. Chas. D. Ddvall,
22 23d . Spencerville, Montgomery Co., Md.

ANTED— To exchange two saw-tables designed
for making dovetailed sections, for sections.
W. S. Wright, Battle Creek, Mich.

W

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat at
75c per bushel, or No. 1 sections, for extracted
honey. W. D. Soper, Jackson, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a fine-blooded stallion
for Italian bees. Will take a quantity of sec-
tions and foundation. A bargain for somebody.
J. H. Johnston, Leclair, Iowa.

WANTED.— To exchange complete photograph
outfit, for Barnes foot-power saw.

F. Shilling, Jewett, Harrison Co , Ohio.

WANTED.— To exchange wood-enerraving tools for
carving-tools. E. V. Whittlesy.

Pecatonica, Winnebago Co., 111.

WANTED.— To exchange a new foot-power saw
for extracted white-clover or basswood honey.
23d W. S. Wright, Battlet Creek. Mich.

WANTED.-To exchange. Barnes foot-power buzz
saw, latest pattern, one Parker Bros, shotgun,
B. L . new, lor type-writer or anv thing can vise in
family. Adolphus Newton, 23d

Box 911, Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y.

940

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dva .

JlONEY (36MJ1N.

CITY MARKETS.

Cincinnati.— Huncy.— There is a large amount of
comb honey on our market. Sales have been slow
lately and prices are easier. It is held at \Wi 16c for
best white in the jobbing- way. Extracted honey
brings 5@6 on arrival. /insiid/.-Demand is good
at 30(3)33 for good to choice yellow on arrival.
Chas. F. Mdth & Son,

Nov. 23. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kansas City.— Honey. — Honey is selling very
slow, especially extracted. We attribute the cause
some to the mild weather. We quote: 1 lb., white
comb at 13(5 14; 1 lb., dark, 10@12; 3 lb., white, 12@,13;
3 lb., dark, 10@ll. Extracted, white, 7@8. Beeswax,
32c. Clemons. Cloon & Co.,

Nov. 32. Kansas City, Mo.

Boston.— Honey.— Honey Is selling a little slow.
Fancy white one-pound combs jobbing, 16@17c;
common, 15fr'Ui; extracted. 8@9. Beeswax, 24.
Blake & Ripley,

Nov. 27. 57 Chatham St., Boston, Mass.

St. Louis.— Honey.— Market steady. Better in-
quiry. Comb, 12 ^@14 for choice; 8@10 for inferior.
Choice extracted, 5$£@6; dark, 5@5%. Beeswax.—
Prime, 22. D. G. Tutt Grocer Co.,

Nov. 23. St. Louis, Mo.

Albany.— Honey— The market is slow and weak.
White clover, 13@ 14: mixed, 11@13; buckwheat, 9@
II. Extracted, light, 8; dark, 6.

Nov. 33. H. R. Wright, Albany, N. Y.

Detroit.— Honey. — White comb honey in fair de-
mand at 13® 15c. Fall made. 12(3)13. Beeswax. 34@35.
Nov. 33. M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch, Mich.

For Sale Six 60-lb. square cans, heart's-ease
honey, crated. Will take 7^c at Hamilton, Cald-
well Co, Mo. C. B. Thwing,

Evanston, Cook Co., 111.

For Sale.— Three (iO-lb. cans of honey like the
sample sent you (fair); I will take $5.00 per can for
it on board the cars in Addison.

Thaddeus Fisk, Addison, Lenawee Co., Mich.

For Sale.— 300 lbs. white-clover and 350 lbs. gold-
enrod comb honey, at 15 c and 1254 c respectively,
put up in 13, 14, and 30 lb. crates. Would exchange
some for good extracted honey. L. J. Tripp,
23d Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Mich.

For Sale— 17 kegs of clover honey that hold 15
gallons each, or 177 lbs. each net. I would like to
get 8c for it here on track, no charge for kegs.
Mont Wyrick, Cascade, Dubuque Co., Iowa.

For Sale— Three barrels of clover honey of
about 600 lbs. each, about 1800 lbs., for which 1 will
take 7c per lb. here on board cars.

Geo. W. Cave, Kirkwood, Warren Co., 111.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The next annual meeting of the Vermont Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation will be held at Burlington, Vt.. .Ian. 22, 1890.

J. H. Larrabee, Sec'y.

The first annual joint meeting of the bee-keepers of Huron
and Tils. 'mI i ( '..unties will be held Dee. 15, 1SS9. at Sebewaing,
Huron County, Mien. The committee has secured a fine hall,
which will be at our disposal during the convention. The hall
is.it and in connection with the Union House, and is known as
Concordia Hall. We earnestly ask all interested beekeepers
to be present, and help to make this, our first convention, a
success. .1. G. Kunmnger, Cor. Sec'y.

I'M'i l ED RATES OF TRAVEL TO THE CONVENTIOH AT BRANTFORD,
DEC. i. 5, UTD 6.

Applications for railroad cerl ificates are pouring in, and the

Srospects are very bright indeed. Our friends in the United
tates can yet reduced rates only on Canadian railways. Upon
Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk they must
repurchase to the nearest Canadian point, and from there to
Brantford a ticket with a certificate. Those traveling on the
C. P. R. can purchase . t i.-ket for Woodstock or Gait, and then
to Brantford via < i. T. U. When two railway lines are used.
two certificates to id I out must be secured from me. At Brant-
ford the follow ing hotel rates have been secured at the Kirby
Mouse: Regular rates. *'i (ill; rale to members, 91-60. Commer-
cial Hotel, regular rate, $1.00; rate to members, 78 cts. per daj .

Both hotels are within less than a block of the City Hall, at
which place the convention will be held, Dec. 4, 5. 6, 1889. There
is a sample-room for the display of honey bee-keepers' sup-
plies, etc., so all should bring something.

K. F. Holtermann, Sec'y.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS.

Please mail me three or four of your seed cata-
logues as soon as out, and I will hand them to
friends with my opinion. My seeds were of the
very best, and a half cheaper than elsewhere. I
can send orders for $100 worth of seeds alone.

Lewiston, Ida , Nov. 10, 1889. L. A. Porter.

HOW TO FIND A CUSTOMER FOR HONEY.

You need not put my advertisement in again.
The postals and letters come in nearly as fast as I
could read them. If you have more than you want
of honey, just tell it in Gleanings, and away she
goes. 1 received letters of inquiry before I receiv-
ed Gleanings. I was "just astonished, I was.",
The advertisement, " Bees for Sale," you may omit.

Elsie, Mich., Nov. 24, 1889. N. L. Higbie.

\ few weeks ago I wrote a second time to have
Gleanings stopped. You very kindly did so, or,
rather, I should say you were kind enough to send
your check for $ 1 00 for the year when I did not
want it. Really this is too generous. I read your
paper all that time, and think I got my $1.00 worth
of information ; so I return your check, with a feel-
ing that I have at last found what is popularly not
supposed to exist; viz., an editor with a soul. Per-
haps it may be of interest to you to know that
Gleanings is on file here in the Agricultural read-
ing-room, and also that Prof. Comstock conducts a
summer course in apiculture in the university.

Ithaca, N. Y., Oct. 9, 1889. J. Van Wagenen, Jr.

Save 10 Per Cent.

sa ve tj:s peu cent and order youb
supplies this month.

We carry a complete stock of Sections, Hives,
Smokers, etc. Illustrated catalogue for your name
on a postal card. R. B. LEAHY A: CO.,

23-ldb Higginsville, Rio.

tWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

FOB. SALE!

One of the best located apiaries in Iowa, 150
Colonies, iu Langstroth hives. Handsome two-
story frame residence. Twenty acres land. All
necessary out-buildings. Also fine flock White Wy-
andottes. Two cows, nice span driving horses. Nev-
er a failure of honey. White clover, basswood, gold-
en-rod, buckwheat, etc. House nearly new, nicely
decorated paper, a very pleasant home. Price
S2500. C. A. SAYKE,

23tfdb Sargent, Floyd <o., Iowa.

E^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

DOOLITTLE

Wants You, reader, to turn to page 533 of Glean-
ings for July 1st and read his article, and A. I.
Root's comments thereon; then if you are interest-
ed in Rearing Queens, or in their Sale Intro-
duction, send $1.00 for this cloth-bound book of
170 pages. Address G. M. DOOT.ITTI.E,

Borodino, Otion. Co., N. Y.
O^ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

WANTED.— To exchange one M. C. Henley Fence
machine, almost new, for honey, or supplies,
or any thing I can use. Geo. R. Stewart,

New Florence, Westm'd Co., Pa.

WANTED.— To exchange Winchester repeating
rifle, 23 cal.; a splendid target gun, in good or-
der, for apiary supplies. (!eo. W. Milse,

Teepleville, Pa.

Vol. XVII.

DEC. 1, 1889.

No. 23.

TERMS: $1.00 Per Annum, in Advance; 1 T? <,+ n Til -i o Tt n rl t't/j 7 J? 'V Q
2Copies for $1.91); 31or$2.75; 5for$4.00; \ H/O iU>U Lib rOVLV Lib JL O iO.

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num- I published seni-mcnthly by

ber, 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be

Knft^'^sro^cEf area^j/]. /. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO.

f Clubs to different postoffices. not less
I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the
U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun-
tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries
not of the U. P. U.. 12 cts. per year extra.

OUT-APIARIES, NO. XX.

GENERAL REMARKS— PICNIC DINNERS, ETC.

SAVING talked over the main ground of what
is peculiar to the work of out-apiaries, I
want the liberty of a little desultory talk. I
find there is a growing feeling among bee-
keepers that they want to keep a smaller
number of colonies in an apiary for best results,
and, somewhat as a result, the number of out-
apiaries is on the increase. I am not so sure that
some are not making mistakes. What is just right
for one man is not always best for another. With
your time and surroundings it may be better for
you to limit or lessen the number in your home
apiary and confine yourself to that. You may be
very successful in a single apiary, doing all the
work yourself, and make a dismal failure if you at-
tempt to run a number. Then it's one thing to have
a force of hands present with you all the time, go-
ing from apiary to apiary, and quite another to
have each apiary separately manned: Feel your
way, and find out just what you can best do.

In the new Langstroth on the Honey-Bee, so ex-
cellently revised by Dadant, he very wisely says:
" Do not put your bees on land which is tenanted.
Let them be placed at some responsible farmer's
own home, for a tenant may leave on short notice,
and you can not remove your bees at all seasons."
I may add, that it is much pleasanter to go each
year to the same place, as you get better ac-
quainted.

When you leave for the winter, be sure that every
thing is picked up and left in neat shape at the out-
apiary— nothing to offend the eye of the farmer's
good wife every time it happens to stray in that di-
rection. And here I must confess the superiority
of womankind. Many a time when the shop or
apiary appears to be in dire confusion, I say to my

wife or Emma, " It's a hopeless case. You're wel-
come to all the physical strength I have— tell me
just what you want me to do, and I'll obey orders
implicitly, but don't ask me to engineer the thing."

Another thing in which a woman's presence and
skill are appreciated is in the matter of lunch. Of
all the meals we eat, I thins none are enjoyed so
much as the dinners at the out-apiaries. Of course,
every thing is cold, but the weather is such that
we're not anxious for hot things. Under the shade
of the trees in the pure air, a cloth is spread on
some hive-covers, at a safe distance from the hives,
so no scolding jbees will be around, and the few ar-
ticles of food are placed thereon, with no super-
fluous garniture in the way of dishes beyond what
are actually needed; seats are taken, God's blessing
asked, and we eat with a relish that might well be
envied by those who sit before carved tables loaded
with costly viands in dishes of silver and gold.

Sometimes our work is such that we visit one out-
apiary in the forenoon and another in the after-
noon; and by way of variation we stop at some
pleasant point on the road between, and, without
leaving our seats, eat our dinner. I say dinner
rather than lunch, because it is the principal meal
of the day. Although it may not be convenient, if
indeed it were best, to have a great variety at one
of these out-door meals, the bill of fare from which
we may select for different days is by no means
small, including cold meats of all kinds, the differ-
ent canned goods including fruits, fish, oysters, etc.,
fresh berries, sandwiches, bread and butter, boiled
eggs, morning's milk in a Mason fruit-can, cold as-
paragus, peas, beans, etc.

You can see that it's a sort of picnic every day. 1
must say that, if even the plan of having each one
isolated at]a separate apiary were just a little more
profitable, I should still prefer to keep the crowd
together, and I should want no discordant element,

til-2

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

as nearly as possible just like a family, and all hav-
ing- such an interest in the work as to make it a
pleasure to talk over together the plans and pros-
pects. C. C. Miller.
Marengo, 111.

Friend M., there is one thing in your re-
marks that takes a mighty hold on your old
friend A. I. Eoot. God's blessing is asked
on the cold lunch spread on top of a bee-
hive. No matter how busy you are—no
matter how commonplace may be your sur-
roundings, in the middle of the day and in
the midst of the work you all agree to come
to order, or, if you choose, you call your-
selves to order while the divine blessing is
invoked. I know we do not always feel
like it ; at least (and I am ashamed to say
it) / do not always feel like it ; but that is
the very time when it is of the utmost im-
portance that we bow our heads in rever-
ence to the great Ruler over all. Asking
the blessing seems to settle the troubled
waters, and it always has the effect of mak-
ing all the good there is in me come upper-
most or to the surface, and also of making
all that is bad or wrong go away out of
sight. If I had been cherishing a wrong
feeling when it comes time to ask a bless-
ing, the wrong feeling must be put away,
crowded down out of sight. Nine times out
of ten it stays down out of sight, and per-
haps never shows itself again. Perhaps
some new reader of Gleanings may in-
quire, " Well, what has all this to do with
out-apiaries?" Simply this, my friend : It
will oftentimes of itself decide between suc-
cess and failure.

SETTING BEES IN THE CELLAE, ETC.

KHIEND DOOLITTLE GIVES US SOME GOOD HINTS
ON A SEASONABLE MATTER.

T AM frequently asked which is best, a cold day
||r or a warm one, to set bees in the cellar; and I
W invariably reply, that I prefer the warm one.
I never set bees in the cellar when they went
in with as little trouble as this year. Two days
before, they had a nice fly, the mercury going to
63° in the shade, with scarcely a cloud or a bit of
wind. That night and the next day the weather
was very drying, while on the morning of the sec-
ond day it looked as if fixing for a storm. I said to
myself, " Now is the time to put the bees in the
cellar ; " but upon looking at the thermometer I
found that it marked 52°, while bees can fly at 45°.
I was a little afraid that I might have trouble with
their flying while it was so warm ; but I resolved to
try, and, to my astonishment, I found that I never
set bees in the cellar when they flew as little or
were disturbed less than with this warm tempera-
ture. As the hives were not frozen down on the
bottom-board, they lifted off the same without a
bit of jar, thus helping- much in the matter. To
keep from jarring them in carrying to the cellar I
placed several thicknesses of old carpet on the
spring wheelbarrow, letting the same run up over
the front board, to which it was tacked on the back
side, to keep it from slipping down. The hives
could now be set on the wheelbarrow without the
least bit of jar; and as the work of carrying them
into the cellar seemed rather uncalled for, after I
had them at the door of the cellar I conceived the

idea of laying down a couple of plank, which made
it just right so that I could run the wheelbarrow
right into the cellar, and thus bring every hive to
the place where it was wanted, so that all the lift-
ing there was to it was the setting them on the bar-
row and off again. Only now and then a colony
seemed to realize that they had been disturbed at
all, and I believe that it will be quite a little in
their favor for safe wintering, in their not being
disturbed in putting- in. I can not help but think
that it is much better to put bees in thus early in
warm weather, than to wait till into December, as
some advise, when it often happens that the hives
are covered with ice and snow, and the inside of
the same covered with frost, the melting of which
causes a dampness to the cellar and hives not bene-
ficial to the bees.

HOW TO WINTER THE HIVES WITH HALF-DEPTH
FRAMES.

1 have had very many letters since my article ap-
peared in September Gleanings about " Non-
swarmers," speaking in very high terms of the
same, and many ask how I intend to winter the
bees in these half-depth frames. My way of fixing
them is this: After the honey season is over I look
them over to see what honey they have in the
combs; and whether I find any or not, I place eight
combs which are the nearest empty of any, next to
one side of the hive, when the other half of the
hive is placed on top of this one, the same as used
in the early part of the season. During the sea-
son I have used some of these half-story hives on
the colonies which were worked for extracted hon-
ey, looking toward the wintering of these colo-
nies; and as fast as they were filled they were set
away for this very purpose, so that all I have to do
at this time is to go to these hives stored with
combs of honey and get eight frames from them,
which are generally so well filled that they will
weigh three poands each, so that the eight contain
34 pounds of honey, which is the right amount the
bees need for winter. These are set in the upper
half of the hive, directly over the others in the
lower half, when a division-board, such as is used in
full-depth hives, is set in next to the combs, thus
making a hive a foot square for wintering, with a
passageway through the center of the combs for
the bees to pass and repass as the cluster contracts
or expands during the winter. In this way I get a
deep hive for wintering, which some contend is bet-
ter than a shallow one; and I get the bees in a snug
compact form for winter, which my old teacher,
E. Gallup, claimed to be of great advantage, and do
away with the Hill device, or the cutting of holes
through the combs for winter passageways, as
nearly all bee-keepers think must be done. The
space between the division-board and the end of
the hive is now packed with chaff; and if they are
to be wintered on the summer stand they are
packed all around with chaff between the outside
shell and the hive. When sugar is low enough so it
can be afforded, the bees can be fed instead of put-
ting in the frames of honey as above; or they can
be fed at any time when sugar is high if the bee-
keeper thinks that sugar is preferable to honey to
winter on.

AT WHAT TEMPERATURE DO BEES FLY ?

On page 418,1889, I find these words: "Bees in
health seldom go out of their hives unless the tem-
perature of the air runs to about 65." As I can not
agree with this, I wish to say a few words on the

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

943

subject, as it may lead some one into trouble. All
of the older readers of Gleanings will doubtless
remember the experiment which I tried, of keep-
ing my bee-cellar at about that temperature one
winter by the use of an oil-stove, and how all of the
bees left their hives during February and March,
in many instances, thus causing me the loss of
nearly all of them; while both before and since I
have been very successful in wintering bees in this
same cellar when the temperature ranged from 42
to 45, as it always does when no artificial heat is ap-
plied. During the months of November and De-
cember, bees are comparatively inactive in this lo-
cality, no matter what the temperature may be;
but as spring draws on apace, the bees seem to re-
alize it, so that a temperature at which they were
quiet in December will not be endured by them
later on. For this reason I have frequently seen

a still, cloudy day, and the bees I thought
at the time would probably fly as soon as
the temperature got at the right point. At
•50 none were seen outside*, at 52 and 53,
only a few ; while at 55 there was a pretty
general buzzing all over the apiary.

A TEXAS APIARY.

A VIEW OF CALDWELL'S HOME YAH I).

fRIEND ROOT:— By way of an explanation of
the engraving, I will say that this is my home
apiary, and it consists of 200 colonies of Ital-
ian bees. Part of the hives are out off from
view by the building, which is the extracting-
room. The boy with the wheelbarrow is bringing
empty combs to be put on one of the 35 hives on the

A GLIMPSE OF A TEXAS BEE-YARD.

bees bringing pollen at 42 during the month of
April, and general work being done later on, with
the mercury at from 48 to 50. G. M. Doolittle.
Borodino, N. Y., Nov. 16, 1889.

Well, old friend, you ought to have a med-
al for that idea of putting a carpet on the
wheelbarrow and tacking it so it can not
slip. When reading it I felt ashamed to
think that I had never before thought of
any thing so simple. I agree with you, that
two tiers of half-depth frames seem to offer
many advantages for winter. When it
comes to rearing brood in the spring, how-
ever, it seems as if those spaces with a stick
above and below were not quite the thing
when you want to push brood-rearing. You
may be right about the temperature bses
fly. My statement was based on an experi-
ment made, I think, in the spring. It was

left side. These arc run for extracted honey. The
hives on the right are fitted out with T supers, and
are run for 1-lb. sections. T have a good home
market for all the honey I can produce.

The honey-flow has been poor this season. We
get our best honey from white brush, a plant which
is valued only for honey. The honey much re-
sembles that from sweet clover. I have several out-
apiaries, and can say that I have had but one total
failure in the past seven years that I have devoted
almost entirely to bee-keeping. J. P. Caldwell.

San Marcos, Tex., Oct. 10, 1889.

Friend C, we are very much obliged in-
deed for the beautiful glimpse you give us
of your home in the South. The little curly-
headed girl a little in the background, be-
tween the two lawn hives, especially draws
us to the picture. The stout boy with a

nu

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

Daisy wheelbarrow, carrying two Simplicity
hives, in the background, is another plea-
sant feature. The fellow behind him, still
further in the background, has probably
been taking his turn at the wheelbarrow,
for he seems to be resting. The trees which
are scattered among the hives, from their
boughs and foliage 1 should call the euca-
lyptus, or blue gum, that I saw in Califor-
nia. You did not tell us that it is yourself
holding a comb as if you were looking for
the queen, but I guess we will take it for
granted. The sunlight, as it falls on you
through the foliage, at first sight would al-
most make one think you had been picking
blackberries, and had got your shirt torn.
We are glad to know that you have been
successful in bee culture. We remember
your name and your kind words, away back,
almost if not quite as long ago as when
Gleanings first started.

A LITTLE TALK ABOUT BOOKS.

WHAT BOOKS TO READ.

Of making- many books there is no end.— Eccle-
SIASTES 12 :12.

fHE above text seems to have been very liter-
ally fulfilled of late years, for a great num-
ber of books are written every year, and
new books are being published daily. How
very different from what it was sixty-five or
seventy years ago! Books were not so numerous
nor so cheap in those days, and a family who could
boast of a library containing a Bible, Testament,
Hymn-book, Baxter's Saints' Rest, Call to the Un-
converted, Pilgrim's Progress, .Esop's Fables, a
few school-books, and perhaps a volume of history
or one or two story-books, were considered very
rich in literature; were looked up to, and often-
times envied by their ambitious but less-favored
neighbors. To-day, if any one should attempt to
enumerate the books of a good, bad, and indiffer-
ent character which are being brought into the
majority of homes in our land, they would find they
had undertaken an herculean task— one impossible
to accomplish.

Although it would be impossible to give an ex-
tensive list of good books in a short article, it may
not come amiss to mention a few interesting ones,
and perhaps they may prove helpful to some per-
sons who wish to purchase books for Christmas
presents.

" Letters to a Daughter," and " Letters to Elder
Daughters," are two excellent books (are small, the
two cost $ 1 85), by Mrs. Helen Ekin Starrett. They
will he welcomed and appreciated by any young
girl who desires to become a noble woman, digni-
fied and refined in her manners.

" Six Girls," by Fannie Belle Irving, is an excel-
lent story of home life. It is bright, and full of
life; will be enjoyed by any girl, and at the same
will teach her useful lessons.

Books by Pansy, Louisa M. Alcott, Mrs. A. D. T.
Whitney, the Mi6ses Warner, Miss Mulock, Hesba
Stretton, Mrs. Andrew Charles, Mrs. Elizabeth
Prentiss, and others of similar character, are
healthful in tone, good in sentiment, and enjoya-
ble.

"Stepping Heavenward." by Mrs. Prentiss, has
been more widely read, I believe, than any of her
other works; aud right here let me tell you a little
incident concerning it. Some young ladies were
one day discussing books by various authors,
when one of them remarked in an interrogative
way:

" ' Stepping Heavenward ' is a good book ; have
you read that, girls? "

" No," said one ; " I never read it. but I have
heard a great deal about it, and would be glad to
read it if I had an opportunity, for I think I should
like it."

" Well," said another,"! don't know whether 1
should like it or not. To tell the truth, T think the
name sounds too 'goody-goody; ' and T don't like
prosy or 'goody-goody ' books; they are too insipid.
I like good books, but I want them to have a little
spice of wickedness in them— just a little, you know,
enough to make the characters seem like human
beings instead of angels. Now, I am not very good
myself; and when I read of these marvelously good
people it makes me feel so awfully wicked. Then
I'll confess I'm seized with a desire to shake them
up and try to make them like ordinary mortals, or
else send them off to heaven, where they will find
congenial society."

" Well, my dear," laughingly rejoined the first
speaker, "if you desire 'congenial society,' some
one with ' a spice of wickedness,' you can find it in
the heroine of ' Stepping Heavenward.' She had as
great a horror of being "goody-goody ' as you have;
and when she tried to be good and step heavenward
she found it exceedingly hard work. Read it, and
see if it is not so. It is an excellent book, and will
prove interesting as well as profitable."

A book by Margaret Sydney, " How Tom and
Dorothy Made and Kept a Christian Home," is a
sweet little story of home life. It tells us how a
young couple made a home for themselves, and
lived true Christian lives under rather trying cir-
cumstances. It is well worth readingby any young
person, and might also benefit their elders.

" Ben Hur; a Tale of the Christ," by Gen. Lew
Wallace, is so well known that one needs but to
say that it gives us an imaginary history of Christ's
life on earth; is exceedingly fascinating, seeming
to fill out the history given in the Bible, making it
more real to our minds, and is a book which can be
read and re-read with interest and profit.

"In His Name; a Story of the Waldenses Seven
Hundred Years Ago," is a lovely Christmas story.
"Ten Times One Is Ten: The Possible Reforma-
tion," is a story of reformation. These two books
are by Rev. Edward Everett Hale, and are the
origin and foundation of the societies known as
"The King's Daughters," "The King's Sons,"
" Lend a Hand," and some others. These books
are delightful, and profitable reading- for any one.
With Harry Wadsworth's motto— which is the
motto of these societies— we must close our little
talk.

To look up, and not down ;
To look forward, and not back;
To look out, and not in; and
To lend a hand.

Ipava, 111., Nov. 9, 1889. Anna B. Quillin.

Many thanks, my good friend, for the
suggestions you make in regard to what
books to read. I can warmly second what
you; say about " Stepping Ileavenward ; "

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

945

and I. wonder, since you mention it, that
we have not had it on our book-list before.
— I am glad to know that there is a bosk
published in regard to this organization
known as the King's Daughters. There is
something inspiring in the very thought ;
and when we come to know that their work
is really in spreading the truths of the gos-
pel, we can not wonder that a blessing
seems to follow them. At our noon-day
service, we have been in the habit, every
Thursday, of repeating texts. For some
years text-day seemed to drag a little.
Finally a band of King's Daughters was or-
ganized among our women folks, and since
then we have had more beautiful texts,
sometimes, than our ten minutes will give
room for.

WIRED FOUNDATION.

FOUNDATION ON FINE WIRE, CHEESE CLOTH, OR
OTHER FABRIC; IS THE IDEA NEW?

T HAVE read in the American Bee Journal of
|jr wooden comb and its many claims, and this set
W me to thinking about the wired combs. I
thought this: Why not take close, smooth
print cloth, or good cheese-cloth, or even
the veiling or strong unsized paper, or else fine
wire cloth, or any such material, which upon trial
may be found suitable, and pass it through the
melted wax, the same as the wire cloth is passed
through the melted metal to coat it ? If one
time passing through should not be sufficient to
give a suitable coating, pass through the second
time, and let it be rolled upon round rollers or
drums; then to print or manufacture, run through
the machine as the dipped sheets are, then there
will be no trouble about combs breaking down,
queens hiding in the holes, and running around the
ends and the bottoms, for the sheet of foundation
can be tacked in tight, full, and straight. What do
you think of this? Is it original ? Who has tried?
Will it do? Why will it not do? Many other ques-
tions could be asked.

What do you think of foundation made on fine
cloth, put up in rolls of 25 yards, of all widths ? If
I had a machine, I would not ask so many ques-
tions. I feel very confident that there is no reason
why it can not be made, and that the bees will not
work it out as well as they will any other founda-
tion. If so, then wired frames will be a lost art,
broken combs a crime, shipping bees and their
combs a certainty that is doubly sure. Try this on
eome fine close cloth; and if it will do, say so. If
any person has tried it, let him arise and say when
and where, so that, if there is any good in it, I want
the originator to have the praise and the profit. I
do not think it will take as much wax to properly
coat such cloth as to make the brood-comb founda-
tion, as we use a fine cloth coated with beeswax,
and torn into strips about one inch wide for wrap-
ping the buds in when budding the orange-tree; and
from this I think there can be no doubt but that
such comb foundation can be made, and I will leave
it to you and the bee-keepers to test; but if I am
the first, I want the credit as the originator, and
shall claim the right of a patent if I so think in the
future. John Craycraft.

Altoona, Lake Co., Fla., Nov. 11, 1889.

Friend C, you are wasting your time and
brains in giving any further attention to
cloth or other material as foundation as a
base for making foundation. Every thing
you suggest has been invented again and
again. Cheese-cloth or any other kind of
cloth will be eventually torn out by the
bees. They seem to regard it as some indi-
cation that the moth worms are at work.
Paper has been used to some extent, but it
is open to the same objection. Very tine
light wire cloth will do, but it spoils your
rolls, and makes your foundation unneces-
sarily heavy. You can not incorporate any
thing of the sort without using a great deal
more wax than \ou use with the ordinary
wired frames. No doubt you could get a
patent, and very likely it would be worth
fully as much as the patents we have al-
ready on bee-hives and their fixtures— just
nothing at all.

ALFALFA IN MICHIGAN

VALUABLE POINTERS FROM GEO. E. HILTON.

f OR the past three years I have been trying to
get the farmers living on the light sandy
land known as "stump lands," and where it
seems quite difficult to get the common clo-
vers to catch, to try alfalfa. Two years ago
a Mr. Davis, living about four miles from here,
sowed a small patch, and it did nicely. Last fall I
sent for a bushel of seed, and a friend of mine has
sown it. Should this prove a success it will not be
long until there will be a large amount sown abroad
here; and if it produces honey in Michigan, as
friend Ball reports from Nevada, Middle and
Northern Michigan is coming to the front as a hon-
ey-producing locality. What a wonderful trans-
formation it would be, friend Root, if that waste of
land we passed over on that (to me) eventful day
between Baldwin and White Cloud could be cover-
ed with fields of alfalfa, dotted with happy homes
surrounded by herds of cattle and humming bees!
Our State officials see the necessity of reclaiming
these lands, and now have experimental farms at
Baldwin and other places. I am watching closely,
and hoping that alfalfa is to be at least one of the
agencies to do the work. I shall watch closely this
little experiment in which I am directly interested,
and report as fast as there is any thing to report,
either favorable or otherwise.

WIDTH AND THICKNESS OF TOP-BARS.

I very much dislike to throw a " wet blanket " on
anj project, but I don't think the heavy-top-bar
project will " hold water." About two years ago,
T. F. Bingham shipped his entire apiary to me. It
now comprises my out-apiary, known as the " Gold-
enrod Apiary." Vou are aware, the top-bars are
% of an inch square; the ends of frames project
| of an;inch above the top-bars; then comes the
slatted honey-boai-d, then the clamp of sections,
with !4-inch bottom-bars, bringing the sections 2&
inches from the brood, providing the brood is close
to the top bar, and it usually is, in these shallow
frames. Now, if the honey - board could be dis-
pensed with we could get the sections % of an inch
nearer; but, bless your heart, in 99 cases out of 100
it is built 6o full of comb that in some cases there
are riot as many "pop-holes" left as one tow of

946

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

perforated zinc would make. This would make a
bad condition of things were the clamp placed
where the honey-board now is. They seem to enter
the sections just as readily as they do in my hive
where the sections are only % of an inch from the
top-bar, or 3i of an inch from the brood. The mat-
ter of distance of sections from brood was brought
up at our last State convention, and some of the
friends said they had put on three or four honey-
boards, and could see no difference in the bees en-
tering the sections. But, all things considered, I
prefer having the sections as close to the brood
as possible. In my home yard there is but one
bee-space, no slatted honey -board, and no burr-
combs, and all increase comes under this plan. I
think, in Oct. 15th issue of Gleanings Prof. Cook
spoke of the advocates of chaff hives, clamps, etc.,
for wintering. He did not get the mode of packing
the Bingham hive just right. They are in winter
quarters now. If you would like I will have a
photograph taken, and send you, with description
and manner of manipulating for comb honey.
Fremont, Mich., Nov. 21, 1889. G. E. Hilton.

Friend^II., well do I remember that event-
ful day ; and every time I think of it, espe-
cially "when brought to mind by your ear-
nest work in the Master's service, I can only
say, " May the Lord be praised ! " — Since
you speak of it, I do not see why alfalfa
should not thrive on many of the sandy
wastes of Northern Michigan. If any of
our bee-friends in that section have given
it a trial, will they please speak out?

CONVINCING TESTIMONY OF THE
VALUE OF BEE-STINGS AS A

BEMEDY.

HOW THEIR DIRECT APPLICATION CURES INFLAM-
MATORY RHEUMATISM; BY A COMPETENT
PHYSICIAN.

fRIEND ROOT:— I have seen several state-
ments in Gleanings in regard to rheuma-
tism being cured by the sting of bees. I will
now give you some of my experience, and a
few facts, which have placed apis melifica
very high in my estimation as a rheumatic, and also
as a kidney and bladder remedy. I give it in many
cases for these diseases when indicated.

1. I do not recommend it in all cases; but it is
worthy of a trial; and if it gives relief it will nearly
always effect a cure if continued for some time.
As rheumatism is often caused from diseases of
the kidneys and bladder, 1 deem it a favorable sign
when the flow of urine is increased, if ever so little,
by its use. It matters very little which way it is
introduced into the system, just so it gets there.
I have used the tincture many years in my general
practice, and I should not like to dispense with it.
Its use has a broad field in the healing art, and is
not confined by any means to the above-mentioned
diseases. In the treatment of rheumatism I should
rather prefer the direct sting from the bee, if it
were possible to apply unbeknown to the patient,
which I have succeeded in, in a few instances, for I
fear that, to make public the mode of application,
would have a tendency to elicit unfavorable com-
ments from the medical fraternity and a criticising
public.

In the month of January, about twelve years ago,
I was called to the country to see Mr. J. B. I found

him confined to his bed with intiammatory rheuma-
tism. The attack was very severe, considerable
swelling and intense pain. Not having any apis
melifica in my case, I inquired if they had any bees.
I was answered they had, and I requested to be
taken to a hive. I procured a number, and return-
ed to my patient. I gave him one sting before he
knew what I was doing. He said, "Oh my! Dr.
Gress ! do you intend killing me?" I assured him it
was necessary to give him reliei in that way or he
would have to continue suffering until I returned
to town and procured other remedies. After argu-
ing a few moments I gave him a second pop, and
then agaiu a third, fourth, fifth, and 1 think in all
about eight, when he commenced to enter serious
objections, so I patiently awaited results, which
soon followed in the way of relief of pain, free se-
cretion of urine, and perspiration. I left one hour
after, with advice to use the little doctors in the
morning. In the afternoon he came to town to see
me, and during our conversation he stated he
would like to have me make a statement in the
paper in regard to the great benefit he had derived.
I objected, for reasons before given. But I am
frank to admit that I never attended him for any
more rheumatism, as the bees were alwajs his doc-
tor in that particular disease.

My second experience was with a negro who ap-
plied at the office, suffering with inflammatory rheu-
matism. I requested him to call at two"1 o'clock, as
I had just received a call. While at home at dinner
time, I procured some of my cross Italian bees,
and on returning to my office I turned them loose
in my consultation-room, so I could go in and pick
them up as I should require them. I examined the
limb, found it swollen and'painful. Using his own
words he said, " Doctor, if you don't do something
for me I shall be compelled to get some one to car-
ry me home. I am growing worse every minute." I
told him I would use the medicated needle, as it
would act quick. I secured one of my little doctors,
hiding it with a piece of tissue paper. 1 quickly
applied it to a sensitive spot. Say's he, " Boss, that
needle am pretty sharp," and began to scratch the
place, while I went in for another Italian bee. Re-
turning I gave him another pop. He then, wanted
to see the needle. Of course, 1 did not show him
what I had used. I then went back to "put some
more medicine on the needle," and on my return he
exclaimed, " Say, boss, that pain am getting better;
but it am smarting just like the sting of a wasp." I
made no answer, but kept on applying until I had
stung him about ten times. Perspiration now com-
menced to start, when he got up, stating he was
free from pain. He called the next day, stating he
gradually grew better, and there was scarcely any
swelling left. I have used the tincture of apis with
almost the same results, although for prompt re-
lief I prefer the " little doctors."

Atchison, Kan., Nov. 20, 1889. P. C. Gress, M. D.

Well, friends, this begins to look like busi-
ness in dead earnest, so far as inflammato-
ry rheumatism is concerned. There are
enough, I presume, afflicted with this mal-
ady to give the matter a complete test in a
very short time. If one case of inflammato-
ry rheumatism in ten is cured as promptly
as in the above instances, the discovery will
be a boon for mankind, without any ques-
tion. Let the afflicted at once make the
trial, and report.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

!)47

CUCKOO-BEES.

WILL WONDERS IN ENTOMOLOGY NEVER CEASE?

fRIEND ROOT:— I have become very much in-
terested in these cuckoo-bees. I have sever-
al communications regarding' them, so that it
seems to me there can be no mistake in the
matter. Tho longest and most interesting
letter is from Mr. E. H. Collins, the intelligent and
wide-awake president of the Hamilton Co., Indiana,
Bee-keepers' Association. Mr. Collins states that,
at their May meeting, the matter was discussed at
length. Many complained of a small black bee rob-
bing in their apiaries. It was urged by all, that
closing the entrances of the hives did no good.
The bees seemed to make no effort to repel the in-
vaders. It was also urged, that the queens could
not be at fault, as the colonies were strong, and the
hives full of brood; yet the little bees pass into the
hives in a stream. Several confirmed these state-
ments, and insisted that these bees were not the
common black bees. The association voted that
their president investigate the matter. Mr. Collins
wrote to me, but, unfortunately, sent none of the
bees. You will remember my suggestion, that the
intruders were probably our common small black
wild bees— Andrasna— as I had often known of
their stealing into hives for honey. You, in an ap-
pended remark, suggested that they were robber-
bees that appeared small and bald, from the hard
usage that they had received. Mr. Collins report-
ed the above to the society at its next meeting, but
neither my explanation nor your suggestion seem-
ed to satisfy those most interested. An old expe-
rienced bee-keeper, but an uneducated man, said
the insect was not new, as he had seen it before,
and he was sure it was produced in the hive. He
had often seen it come forth from the cell. Mr.
Collins also writes that he is sure that these bees are
reared in the hives. At the August meeting of the
Society, held at Oran Maker's, Westfleld, Ind., this
old gentleman took some of the members to an
apiary; and though the bees were flying but little—
as the day was cold and unfavorable— still two of
the bees were caught. Mr. Collins says he sent
these bees to me. I regret to say that they never
reached me. It seems that several present at all
these meetings were familiar with the bees, and
some had hunted for them in the forests, but to no
purpose. Mr. Collins says he will promise to send
scores to me next summer, or even a whole colony
that is infested, if our station wishes to experi-
ment with them.

You see, Mr. Editor, that these are almost cer-
tainly the same bees— species of the genus Apoth-
us— that Mr. Perry Moore sent me, and which I de-
scribed in brief in Gleanings, current volume,
page 811. The specimens sent by Mr. Moore are de-
nuded of their hair, so I can not surely identify the
species or send you a good drawing. Just as soon
as I can get a perfect specimen I will do both. This
is certainly a very interesting discovery; and as
several have requested it I will give a more com-
plete account of these bees. These bees are not
social, like the honey-bee, bumble-bee, carpenter-
bee, and yellow-jackets, but are solitary. Instead
of queens, workers, and drones, there are only
males and females.

Owing to some peculiarity, perhaps that they are
reared in the hive, these bees are permitted to en-
ter the hives as freely as are the rightful owners.

This possibly explains their occupancy of the hives,
and their undisturbed ingress and egress. Of
course, it would not explain the first entrance; but
it is easy to see how a sharp, wide-awake bee might
steal in and deposit a score or so of eggs in the
cells, even by a colony of Italians or Syrians. It
will be remembered, that Sir John Lubbock, in his
admirable book, " Bees, Ants, and Watps," states
that, if ants in the pupa state are taken from one
colony and given to another, they will be accept-
ed and reared, and then the mature form could be
returned to the parent nest with no harm; while if
an ant, reared throughout in colony No. 2, were giv-
en to colony No. 1, it would be dispatched at once.
We all know that young queens just from the cell
will be graciously received at all times, if introduc-
ed into another colony of bees. Thus we easily be-
lieve that the cuckoo-bees, reared in a colony of
honey-bees, would be considered as real children of
the bee-home, and always welcomed as such.

I do not think these bees have ever been known
to " cousin " on the honey-bee before. How seri-
ous a matter it will become, will depend wholly up-
on how numerous they get in a hive. A hundred
or so would do no more harm than so many drones,
possibly not so much. If they are able to appear
in thousands, then it will be quite a different mat-
ter. Their winter habits will control this largely.
If they pass the winter in the hive with the bees, so
that all survive the winter, then we may well be
solicitous regarding the future mischief of these
bees. 1 am very desirous to work out the entire
problem, and shall be very grateful for specimens,
and also for any observations which others may
make. A. J. Cook.

Agricultural College, Mich.

And so this insect really used the princi-
ple of the diving - bell, with an air- tube
reaching above the surface of the water,
ages and ages before mankind ever thought
of it !

A GLIMPSE AT OMAHA.

A LETTER FROM MRS. JENNIE CULP WILLIAMSON.

SEAR BROTHER:— After a silence of over two
years I shall venture to write you a few
lines, for my heart and sympathies are still
with the bee-brethren of Ohio, even if I am
away out here in " Newbraska." I do not
know much about that branch of industry here, but
the subject is. being talked up. Almost the first
call I return I found your ABC, with my home
and apiary in it, occupying a prominent place
among the young people's books. If you have ever
been a stranger in a strange land, you can imngine
with what pleasure 1 greeted it.

It is too bad, Bro. Root, when you were return-
ing from California you did not stop off at the great
Gate City of the West, and see how they "run"
things here. One of the greatest items of interest
tome is the great number of churches; also our
Y. M. C. A., with a membership of nearlj 1.00 jouDg
men.

Our city contains about 24 square miles, and it is
astonishing to see the miles of paved streets we
have in a city so young, and the rapidity with
which we can travel over it from one end to the
other with our cable and motor cars. Columbus,
O., seemed very tame to me this fall when I was
home on a visit. I spent a month at my old home

948

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

with the honey-bees, and I am proud to tell you
that my son Charlie proves to be a " chip off of the
old block," for he is running the apiary as success-
fully, to all appearances, as I did; and I am still
more pleased to find he is training up his two little
" chips " in the business. Henry, past seven years
old, took the smoker last summer, went down into
the apiary, opened up a nucleus hive, took out the
cards, and found the queen; and Harry (five years
old) would amuse himself by playing he was A. I.
Root shipping queens. He would take a tin cup,
pair of scissors, and an old queen-cage, sit down by
a bee-hive, and catch the bees by their wings, clip
them, letting them fall into his cup until he had
enough to select his queen from, stir them arcund
with his little fingers, seldom getting stung. Now,
while I would not allow that to be done a second
time after I found it out, it certainly did please me
to think I had a little grandson so courageous; and
it gives me encouragement to think the children
and grandchildren, in all probability, will take care
of grandma's bees from this out; but they will re-
main mine, I think, while I live. They are a source
of comfort to me, even if they are 900 miles away.
Living in the very heart of the city as we are, I
have to deny myself the pleasure of keeping bees.
Mrs. Jennie Culp Williamson.
Omaha, Neb., Oct. 23, 1889.

We are glad to hear from you, dear friend ;
but it seems a little sad that you can keep
bees no longer. Can't you have a few hives
on the roof of the house, even if you are in
a city, as friend Muth is? Most people who
have once had a real love for the bees will
return to the pursuit, sooner or later ; and
we rather expect to hear that you are keep-
ing bees again, before many years. I should
have been exceedingly glad to make a call
on you.

A GLIMPSE AT THE FACES OF THE
OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.

A SHORT SKETCH

OF THE SECRETARY
N. A. B. K. A.

TT is with pleasure that I give our read-
dp ers a view of our energetic and efficient
it secretarv of the North American Bee-
-*■ keepers'Association. Richard Ferdinand
Holtermann was born in the city of Ham-
burg, Germany, June 14, 1N60. Two years
later, the parents, with their £on and two
daughters, emigrated to Canada, settling in
the county of Renfrew, Out. Here, at the
age of twelve or thirteen, young Holtermann
received a portion of his education from a
governess. Later he was sent to a private
school, and shortly afterward he attended
the Ottawa Collegiate Institute at Ottawa.
Here his mind wandered, he says, in the
direction of boating, cricketing, swimming,
etc. , rather than toward study. When about
fourteen his father moved to Toronto, and
then sent his son to the Upper Canada Col-
lege, and subsequently to Hay's Commercial
College, where he received the "1A diplo-
ma." He then decided to go on the farm.
Shortly afterward he attended the Ontario
Agricultural College. Here he graduated
with honors, being only 70 marks out of
4000 behind the first medalist. It was in
this school, in the capacity of librarian, that

the subject of apiculture was opened up to
him through the medium of the ABC and
Cook's Manual. The next season was spent
as a student with D. A. Jones, in the apiary.
He next made the great mistake, he says, of
embarking in apiculture a little too soon.
The result was, he learned many severe les-
sons. With his apiary of 79 colonies he
underwent the trying ordeal of a bad season
to begin with. However, he secured enough
alsike honey to enable him to secure the
second premium at the Toronto Industrial
Exhibition.

R. F. HOLTERMANN.

Later he entered into some speculations,
and came out nearly $ 1000 in debt ; but, un-
like a good many young men, he was not
discouraged, went to work again, and paid
100 cents on the dollar, instead of trying to
get out, as he could have done, by paying a
few cents on the dollar. He entered the em-
ploy of E. L. Goold & Co., of Brantford,
commencing at 85 cents a day, and left as
manager of the supply-business, and editor
of the Canadian Honey Producer. He mar-
ried, May 17, 1887, Lois, daughter of S. T.
Pettit, whom he met at the last meeting of
the N. A. B. K. A., held at Rochester, N. Y.
They have one son and a daughter ;
and in their home they seek to have God's
will their own. As might be expected, Mr.
Holtermann uses neither tobacco nor liquor.

Mr. Holtermann has made bee-keeping
pay, and he has averaged, he says, latterly
$8.00 per colony income. He thinks anybody
can do as well in a fair locality, providing
they start with one or two colonies.

Mr. Holtermann has been active in bee-
associations, in which he has held various
offices. At the late meeting held in Colum-
bus his name was proposed several times for

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

949

the presidency of the association ; but he
very modestly declined the honor, in favor
of another member. His name was next
proposed for secretary, and was carried by
the unanimous consent of the associaton.

DR. A. B. MASON, THE MAN FOR SUPERIN-
TENDENT OF THE APIARIAN DEPART-
MENT AT THE WORLD'S
FAIR IN 1892.

Well, now I have given you a little insight
into the life and face of the secretary of the
association, I can hardly with propriety
omit in this connection the genial face (it's
sober in the picture) of the president of the
association. We have already given our
readers a view of him, accompanied with a
biographical sketch ; but he is such a large-
hearted, good-natured, and almost indispen-
sable member of bee-associations that I
feel constrained to introduce him again.
He has a happy faculty of making every-
body feel well acquainted and real good at
conventions. Sometimes one of his huge
jokes makes some other good friend, at
whose expense it was made, feel just a little
touchy ; but when he begins to know the
doctor better, he will always find that the
kindest intentions prompted it.

DR. A. B. MASON.

Now, then, while I am about it I want to
revive the matter regarding the appoint-
ment of a superintendent for the Inter-
national Bee Exhibit, to be held at the
World's Fair in 1892. The suggestion ema-
nates from John Aspin wall, and is a good
one. I suggested Dr. Mason, and Prof.
Cook seconded the motion ; and when the

motion is put to a vote, at the Brantford
convention, 1 hope the doctor w ill be unani-
mously elected. From his laige experience
in the line of prepaiing exhibits, and his
ability to talk down comb-honey slanders,
he is the man, in my humble juuginent.

Erin est.

BEE-HUMT1KG 1W THE S1IEBA MVA
DA MOUNTAIN b.

BY A SUCCESSFUL BEE-HUMEK.

J|5% EE-HUNTING always had a lascmation lor
yjjf me. In my leisure time I took delight lot.m-
flm *a& through the woods in search ot wild bees,
*"* tracking and lining them to tbtir habitation.
I was generally pretty successlul in my
search, frequently finding three or lour trees in a
day. I first became interested in bees by reading
one of Cooper's novels, entitled "Oak Openings."
It described a bee-hunter, his method of operating,
lining, and angling for wild bees. I had long known
whereaswaim of bees came for water near our
place. One afternoon, after reading Cooper's plan,
I decided to try my luck at bee-hunting. Having
arrived at the place, I had all necessary implements
ready for business, and soon had quite a line of bees
started. I noticed that some of them swerved con-
siderably to one side, owing to a heavy growth of
young firs being in their line of flight, while others
went directly over them. Having bees working on
two combs of honey, I ventured to move one comb,
containing perhaps 25 bees, about 100 yards to one
side. After filling up they circled around a little,
marking the location of the honey, and then took a
direct line to a clump of old dead cedars at the bot-
tom of the cauon, where those that had taken a
dneot line from the first place went. Thinking that
the tree must be near where the two intersecting
lines met, I gathered up my implements and started
down the mountain-side. Arriving at the clump of
dead cedars, and making a thorough examination,
I soon found the tree. They entered a small knot-
hole about 40 feet from the ground. The next
thing on the programme was to get the tree down
and see what it contained. On going home I re-
turned with axes, wedges, and saw; and after two
of us had worked a couple of hours we had the sat-
isfaction of seeing the tree tumble to the ground.
It burst open where the bees had constructed their
hive, throwing bees, honey, and brood out in wild
confusion. We had no difficulty in taking all the
honey, and did not receive a single sting. The tree
contained upward of a hundred pounds of honey,
seventy pounds being beautifully white clear
honey. The rest was mixed with bee-bread. I
undertook to save the bees, but, not knowing much
about them at that time, I made a failure of it.

DIFFERENT PLANS AND METHODS OF BEE-HUNTING.

Cooper's method of bee-hunting is as follows:
First get a small light-colored glass or tumbler,
transparency being necessary in order to watch the
movements of the bee. Find a bee to suit you, and
place the glass over it, flower and all, placing your
hand underneath to keep the bee from escaping
from the bottom. You must have a small empty
piece of honey-comb, and some thin honey to pour
into the comb, drone comb being best. After
obtaining your bees, place your piece of honey-
comb on some level surface, and set your bee
and glass over the entire comb. Next place your

960

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

handkerchief or hat over the glass, making a dark-
ness like that of the hive inside the glass, and then
the bee will immediately settle on the comb and
commence filling up on the thin honey. While the
bee is intently occupied in filling itself, remove the
glass and go off to one side, so you can have a better
chance to observe the movements of the bee when
it commences to circle. The first few circles will
denote the direction of the hive, and each succeed-
ing circle will swerve more and more in that direc-
tion, until finally, when on the last circle, it will
strike off in a direct air-line for its habitation, pro-
vided there are no clumps of trees in the way, when
it will often swerve to one side, misleading the bee-
hunter.

When angling for bees you must move a few
hundred yards to either the right or left, and note
the direction of their flight. Where the two inter-
secting lines meet, there will be the hive also. In-
stead of using the glass, as I used to, I now use a
box made as follows: Take two pieces of %-inch
stuff, (3 inches long and 2 wide; two more pieces, 6
inches long and 4 wide. Use the 6x4 for sides, and
the 6x2 for ends; nail together lengthwise. Next,
take two pieces, 2 inches long, 2 wide, and % thick,
and put together thus: /\ Now bore a half-inch
hole in the middle, where they come together, and
insert it in the under side of the box, something on
the principle of Alley's drone and queen trap.
Now saw the box in two where this inverted
V-shaped piece reaches, and put on a small pair of
hinges. Next, nail a piece of wire screen across the
top, about 12 meshes to the inch, and you are ready

CYCLOPEDIA SCIENCE NOT ALWAYS
RELIABLE.

WATKINS' BEE-HUNTING BOX.

for business. When you want to catch a bee, place
the trap down over it, and the bee will immediately
go to the top, where the wire screen is. You can
venture to catch any number of bees that you want
to. Now get your piece of honey-comb; open the
trap, and set it in— no danger of the bees escaping,
as they are too intent on trying to get out through
the wire screen. Close the trap and place a piece of
cloth over the screen to darken it, and make the
bees settle on the comb. When they are occupied
in filling themselves up, open the trap about half
way, in order to let the bees that are filling them-
selves get out. When you have found the course
of two or three bees, close the trap and move a few
hundred yards further along. By this method you
can soon find any bee-tree. S. W. Watkins.

Placerville, Cal.

(T<> be continued.)

PROF. KOONS HA8 SOMETHING FURTHER TO SAY IN

REGARD TO APHID^, AS SUGGESTED IN MISS

QUILLIN'S LETTER OF NOV. 1.

ISS QUILLIN was unfortunate in two re-
spects, at least, in her selection of authority
on aphidte, as printed In Gleanings for
Nov. 1st. In the first place, she went to a very
unreliable source, which in this case is
about as trustworthy as the statements concerning
glucose being extensively fed to bees, as quot-
ed from the American Cyclopedia in Gleanings
of July 15th. The fact is, that much of the sci-
ence, so called, in our cyclopedias, is compiled
by men who glean from all sources— good, bad, and
indifferent, and who are entirely incompetent to
judge, either of the accuracy of the statement or
the reliability of the source gleaned from; but they
conclude that, as they are found in print, the state-
ments must be true.

I am constantly compelled to remind my students
that the science found in the general press, the
daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals, is very un-
reliable. As for myself, I never feel safe in accept-
ing a scientific statement unless 1 get it over the
name of a well-recognized authority, or in a book
from one of the masters in that special department.
Until within comparatively recent years, science
was in a very confused state, and, indeed,.' is still so
in many respects, some fact being mingled with
much fancy; but out of this "scientific Babel" a
more reliable literature is slowly growing.

Webster's Dictionary was found to be so incorrect
in many of its cuts and definitions that it is now be-
ing revised by a number of specialists. For ex-
ample, one takes all the chemical words, another all
the botanical, another those of a physiological
character, and still another the zoological, or archi-
tectural, or law, etc., each being a well-recognized
authority, and standing high in his profession; and
thus we shall soon have a thoroughly reliable book.

Again, besides going to an oft-unreliable source.
Miss Q.'s statements, when secured, were not entire-
ly correct; and I am constrained to call attention to
it because Gleanings, doubtless, is read by many
who are interested in hop culture, and consequent-
ly in the hop-pkutt louse. The true history, as
recently worked out, is as follows :

The eggs are deposited on the plum in the fall by
perfect wingless females. In the spring, as the
leaves put forth, these hatch into wingless agamic
females; that is, females that can reproduce without
the aid of males ; and these bring forth a generation,
the second wingless like themselves. The third
generation, which appears during the early days of
June, are winged agamic females, and these mi-
grate to the hop, which by this time is far enough
developed to furnish food to the plant lice; and
these, after going to the hop, produce the fourth
generation, which are again wingless, and these in
turn produce other wingless forms, and thus on
through the summer, generation after generation,
till late in August or early in September, when a
generation of winged forms, about the twelfth of
the year's product, are brought forth. These, too,
are agamic, as all preceding have been; also at this
time all those produced by the surviving members
of previous generations, even as far back as the
fifth, have wings. In other words, all those pro-

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

95]

duced late in August or early iu September, are
agamic winged females, no matter from what gener-
ation they come. Then the very late members of the
twelfth generation, late in September, are winged
males. The winged females, just previously pro-
duced, fly away to the plum, and there begin to
produce, not agamic, but perfect wingless females,
which are full grown by the last of September,
when the winged males, above mentioned, fly to the
plum, where the perfect wingless females are, and
here they mate, and winter eggs are soon deposited
about the base of the twigs, and thus provision is
made for the same round of life-history the follow-
ing year. It seems that, if the perfect wingless
females of this last generaiion are deposited upon
the hop or any other plant except the plum, they will
not live, the latter being necessary to their develop-
ment.

In the life-history as above given, we find an il-
lustration of that wonderful adaptability so often
met with in nature. These little creatures have no
use for wings in the spring till the third generation
is produced, and the hop is ready to receive them;
then after the migration, no further use for them
till fall, and it becomes necessary to return to the
plum for a late fall, winter, and early spring abode.
Nature is not prodigal in her resources, producing
only that which is necessary to carry out her de-
signs, giving wings when needed; but when not
required, they are not developed. Often it is diffi-
cult to interpret those wonderful adaptabilities in
nature; but here, at least, we may conjecture why
this remarkable life-history. The hop-vines die,
and are likely to be removed and burned, or other-
wise destroyed— perhaps made into a compost-heap;
and if the plant-louse eggs were left upon these, it
would be only by mere chance that they would
escape destruction; and even if they did escape, the
young, when hatched in the spring, would not likely
be where they could get suitable food; hence a wise
Creator ordained that the winter eggs should be left
where destruction would be less likely to overtake
them, and where the young woulJ have fresh leaves
to feed upon when hatched. Indeed, here, as so
often everywhere, the devout student of nature
may exclaim, " All thy works are truly and wonder-
fully made." B. F. Koons.

Connecticut Agricultural School, Storrs, Ct.

Friend K., we are exceedingly obliged to
you for giving us such opportune help in
making this complicated matter plain. It
has seemed to me a sad thing that our cyclo-
pedias should teach so much error and hear-
say. I did not know before that Webster's
Dictionary was open to the same charge—
at least to any considerable extent. By all
means let well-posted, honest men, correct
these matters, each in his separate line of
work or industry.— In regard to the hop-
insect, I want to say to our readers that the
hop-growers have been for years almost on
the verge of bankruptcy because of the dep-
redations caused by this mischievous little
insect. All efforts to combat the foes seem-
ed unavailing, because they came from such
mysterious sources at a certain season of
the year, and then disappeared as mysteri-
ously as they came. Burning the vines, and
every thiLg of that sort, of course was fu-
tile. It did not reach the root of the matter
at all. When some professor, I have for-
gotten his name, first declared that the in-

sect commenced on the wild plum, it seemed
to be too wonderful to be true ; and the sci-
entific world rejected it as a wild specula-
tion. It is now, however, universally ac-
cepted and recognized as true. People who
refuse to accept the Dzierzon theory in re-
gard to the natural history of the honey-bee
may well be deemed excusable for finding it
hard to believe that this hop-insect goes for-
ward for several generations without any
males at all. The matter is so complicated,
that I confess I never clearly understood it
until I read Prof. Koons' explanation as
above. The italics are my own. I have
taken this liberty, which I am sure the pro-
fessor will excuse, because I found it so
difficult to understand, until I had studied
out and decided what words needed to be
emphatic.

TREATMENT OF THE INSANE.

A POSTHUMOUS ARTICLE PROM THE PEN OF THE
LATE MKS.MAHALA B CH.VDDOCK.

JTp FTER the death of our correspondent
<$NJk and friend Mrs. Mahala B. Chaddock,
jNf we began to hunt around amongst
^*- our unused MSS., which, though mer-
itorious of themselves, were, for lack
of space at the time, crowded out. We
came across the following article, written
some time since, and we are glad to give it
insertion, as it is a true index of Mrs. Chad-
dock's real character, and of the philan-
thropic spirit which actuated her through
life. This posthumous production, though
exceedingly interesting and valuable in it-
self, will be read with melancholy interest
now.
Editor Gleanings:—

For several years ever since a friend of mine
spent a year at the Jacksonville Insane Asylum— I
have been trying to think of some way to help
these unfortunate people; but 1 did not know what
to say— that is, what I had better not say. Of the
overcrowded condition of tha insane-asylums in
Illinois, and the wretched treatment that the
chronic insane receive at most of our poorhouses,
I will not speak, but point out the better way that
Wisconsin has cleared out for herself, and which
we may all walk in if we are not too bigoted. My
information is obtained from the article mentioned,
and from pamphlets sent me by A. O. Wright, Sec-
retary of the Wisconsin State Board of Charities
and Reforms.

Wisconsin has about 2*300 insane, increasing at
the rate of about 167 a year. These insane are pro-
vided for in the State and city hospitals, and in six-
teen county asylums for the chronic insane. The
improvements in the care of the insane consist in
the doing away with restraints, either by mechani-
cal appliances or by narcotics; separation of the
chronic cases from the others; increased liberty,
and the substitution of wholesome labor for idle-
ness. These county asylums have been in opera-
tion (with two exceptions) for six years. These
county asylums are managed by local authorities,
but under the constant and close supervision of
the State. The buildings are of brick, very plain,
solid, and comfortable, and are of a size to accom-
modate not less than 51) nor more than 100. A farm
is needed for economy in maintenance; and to fur-

952

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

ni^n occupation for the men, about four acres for
each inhabitant. The fact is recognized, that idle-
ness is no better for an insane than for a sane per-
son. All the outdoor work is done by the men, the
housework by the women.

Experience shows that three-fourths of the chron-
ic cases can be furnished occupation of some sort,
greatly to their physical and moral good. They are
less nervous, and need less'restraint when occupied
with work, and sometimes a perfect cure is effected.
One attendant to every twenty insane persons is
sufficient. These asylums are as open as a school;
no doors are locked, no bars to the windows, but
the glass frames are of iron, painted white; no pens
made of boards. The inmates are free to go and
come at their work, with no other restraint than the
care of the attendant. These asylums are homes,
not prisons. The great thing is to provide occupa-
tion. In the county asylums of Wisconsin, about
one person in a thousand is in restraint or seclu-
sion each day. The idea is, that the insane are dis-
eased, and that they need occupation, amusement,
and kindness. The practice of this idea has been
so successful that it must affect the treatment of
the insane all over the country. The secret of pro-
viding work is to buy as little material, and hire as
little labor, as maybe; let the women make the
clothes, and the men do the outdoor work without
the aid of machinery. Some of these county
asylums are almost self-supporting, and all of them
save money to the counties, compared with the old
method. The State has not lost, and the counties
have gained; and the insane in these county
aeyluras have been as well clothed, lodged, and fed,
as in the State institutions, and have more freedom
and personal comfort, and a better chance for im-
provement. The new system considers the educa-
tion of the chronic insane as an important part of
the treatment— education of the mental, moral, and
physical faculties in habits of order, propriety, and
labor. Bv their means wonders have been worked
for the insane.

Now, perhaps you will ask why I write this for
Gleanings. Because Gleanings is a humanity
paper, and this is humanity. Everybody is inter-
ested in the treatment of the insane; and then, see!
they have a difficulty to find suitable employment
for the men in winter time. Then I thought of bee-
keeping. Seems to me there could be no more ap-
propriate work than the keeping of bees and rais-
ing of honey. How good and how handy the honey
would be for the asylum tables! and the men could
make the hives, the foundation, the crates, and
sections, in winter time. I do not know whether
Wisconsin is much of a honey State or not. There
are plenty of readers of Gleanings who do know.
I have sent for the names and postoffices of these
sixteen county asylums; and whenever you feel
like sending out sample copies, you will please
remember those poor unfortunates in the Wiscon-
sin county asylums.
Vermont, 111. Mahala B. Chaddock.

Although Gleanings has had many kind
words and many compliments, I do not
know that it ever received any thing in
that line that is really a higher compliment
than the expression in the concluding para-
graph above : " Gleanings is a humanity
paper ;" and I think the readers of Glean-
ings will agree with me in deciding that
our departed friend was a humanity writer.

Like the rest of us she had her peculiarities
and perhaps some eccentricities; but through
all her writings there shone out clearly and
unmistakably a love for her fellows. There
was nothing narrow and contracted in her
ideas and teachings. Her sympathies were
as broad as the universe ; and in the above
article her sympathy for this special class of
poor afflicted humanity shines forth almost
Christ-like. May God be praised, that Wis-
consin has set an example before her sister
States. The above was written before my
visit to Wisconsin, therefore our poor friend
did not at the time of writing know what a
grand State for bee-keepers Wisconsin is.
The idea of interesting the insane in bees is
grand. I have for years been well aware
that I can, by taking time, interest and en-
list the sympathies of almost any individual
in the habits of bees. A child, even one of
tender years, soon becomes enthusiastic,
and so will elderly people. I do not know
that I have ever tried the effect on one
whose mind was diseased ; but I feel quite
certain that bees and outside air will ac-
complish good results if any thing can.
Here are a few words from our good friend
Mrs. Harrison, who, perhaps, knew Mrs.
Chaddock better than almost any one else
who reads Gleanings.

Dear Mr. Root:

To-day, in sorrow and saduess. I stood beside the
finely molded clay, which for nearly forty-six years
had been the home of the immortal spirit of Mahala
B. Chaddock. Her freed spirit, borne on wings of
infinite love, has sought another clime. She, " be-
ing dead, yet speaketh." "Be ye therefore ready
also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when
ye think not." Mrs. L. Harrison.

Peoria, 111., Nov. 14, 1889.

" Being dead, yet speaketh." That is ex-
actly it, dear Mrs. Harrison. Our departed
friend's words are yet in print, and before
the multitudes, and good is going to come
from them. Now, let us as readers of
G leanings see what each and every one of
us can do to further the grand thought in
regard to more intelligent care for the in-
sane. As I read the article my mind moved
vividly from one to another in our county
infirmary. I thought of their farm, the
crops they have raised, their pretty vegeta-
ble garden, and the earnestness with which
the inmates have delighted to show me their
work, and the success of their plans. I am
very glad to say that our county infirmary is
located on one of the finest farms in the vi-
cinity. It is thoroughly underdrained, and
producing good crops. Who knows how
soon we may need the kind offices of some

good Samaritan in just the very line of Mrs.
haddock's last words to us? We close
with a brief letter from her lonely companion.

Mr. Root:— I have sad news for you. My wife,
Mrs. M. B. Chaddock, is dead. After a lingering ill-
ness of five weeks she departed this life at 8 o'clock
p. m., the 12th instant. About the 1st of October
she took a severe cold, followed by a remittent
form of fever, complicated with other troubles of
the body, of long standing. About ten days before
her death she had a severe attack of the pleurisy,
then a sudden change to pnuemonia of the worst
type. She suffered much pain and distress of body,

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

953

seemingly, though she seldom complained, and
thought she would recover, till within a few
hours of her death. Myself and family are very
sad, and sorely bereaved; and it is hard for me
to realize that so valuable a life must be taken
from us. Toward the last she seemed unconscious
of suffering, and passed quietly away. Funeral
service yesterday at 1 o'clock p. m., in the Presby-
terian church, Ipava, conducted by Rev. Mr. George,
of Lewiston, 111., after which we laid her to rest in
Ipava cemetery. John Chaddock.

Vermont, 111., Nov. 15, 1889.

Dear brother, our sympathies and our
prayers are with you. May Christ Jesus
sustain and comfort you in this your great
affliction ; and may you, too, be cheered by
the beautiful but brief little text given us
by our friend Mrs. Harrison : She " being
dead, yet sleepeth."

at the upper end of the land. When it is Hooded
for about 100 yards we put the greater part of the
water in the first ditch and make a tappoon, or dam,
and turn it out on the land at the point where the
water has run to on the land; and when it has run
another 100 yards on the land we make another tap-
poon in the ditch just where the water on the land
has got to. and break or take out the dam above,
and let the water come down and go on the land at
that point, and so on till that land is irrigated; then
we go up to the head and turn the water to the next
land, and shut it off the first. I send a diagram,
showing a field laid off for irrigation.

THE ALFALFA OF ARIZONA.

AN UNFAILING SOURCE OF HONEY; MANNER OF
IRRIGATING.

SEAR FRIEND ROOT:— To think of you paying
us a visit! well, well! Your brother and I
have often talked about the matter, and
wondered if we could not in some way (now
that the ice is broken, and you have made a
visit to California) induce you to pay us a visit here
in this incomparable country, a paradise for bees
and fruits. It is the great sanitarium for all lung
diseases, and the most healthful climate it has
ever been my lot to experience, though I have
lived in several States said to have the healthiest.
This is a land whose bright sunshine is far ahead
of any thing else in these United States, and whose
moonshine surpasses even that of far-famed Italy.
You ask if we get large yields of honey every
season. Yes. We have never had what you would
call a poor season; but this season has'been a poor
one for us. The mesquite was almost a failure-
here, and that is our finest honey, it being as clear
as water, and very fine flavored. When granulated,
it is as white as butter. Alfalfa is not quite clear,
but is what is commonly called white honey; but it
is clear enough so that you can seeja pin at the bot-
tom of a gallon bucket, and that is clear enough for
any purpose. Alfalfa honey is a certainty every
season; and right here I will say we have never be-
fore had any thing like the army-worm. It was not
really a grasshopper, though we called them grass-
hoppers. They were a very small beetle, or bug, that
could hop somewhat less than a flea, and lived en-
tirely on the alfalfa bloom during one crop; and
when the crop was cut we saw no more of them.

When we run our alfalfa fields for hay alone we
cut it six times. Last [year I made four hay crops
and one seed crop; this season I made one hay crop
and two seed crops, without irrigation.

We usually irrigate every time we cut the crop
off, which 1 think is unnecessary. I think we
could make just as much to make two crops and
irrigate, though some people think the ground
must be flooded every time. I have seen some ir-
rigate twice for every cutting.

To irrigate the ground there are two ways prac-
ticed here, quite similar in some respects, owing to
the length of the lands. If the lands are more than
220 yards in length we make ditches every 20 yards,
the full length of the field, and turn the water on

DAM. DAM. DAM.
Irrigating ditch.

WATER- Irrigating ditch.

Irrigating ditch.

Irrigating ditch.

Irrigating ditch.

Irrigating ditch.

Irrigating ditch.

DIAGRAM SHOWING THE MANNER OF IRRIGATING ALFALFA
FIELDS.

When the lands are short we simply throw up
high strong borders every 10 yards, and then all we
have to do is to turn the water on at the upper end
and let it run till it floods the whole land, then turn
it on the next, and so on till the whole piece is irri-
gated.

Land set to alfalfa is valued at *100 per acre, be-
cause it will pay the interest and taxes on that
amount. Alfalfa does not bloom in our winter
sufficiently to do much good as bee pasturage. We
have not tested sufficiently to answer your last
question. Jno. L. Gregg.

Tempe, Arizona, Nov. 15, 1889.

ALFALFA AS A HONEY-PLANT.

SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS FROM THE AL-
FALFA FIELDS OF KANSAS.

R. ROOT: —About a year ago, while preach-
ing in Hiawatha, Kan., I became acquaint-
ed with Judge Dickinson, who is a lover of
bees, and a warm admirer of Gleanings;
and through him I became a subscriber
and reader of your journal. While I am not a bee-
keeper, yet I have always had a strong desire in
that direction, but have never just seen my way-
clear to embark in the business. In the last issue
of Gleanings I saw an article from Arizona, head-
ed " Alfalfa and Bees," which dealt with a subject I
have been interested in for some time. I have oft-
en asked, " Can bees make honey from alfalfa?"
but never happened to ask any one who knew. If
alfalfa is good for bees to work on, and can make
good honey from it, then indeed in this Southwest-
ern country we must have the best territory for
bees there is in the United States; yet in the whole
of Southwestern Kansas I do not know of a stand
of bees. Here in the vicinity of Garden City we
irrigate, having now 'adjacent to Garden City fully
three hundred thousand acres under a most perfect
system of irrigation ; and this vast territory is fast
becoming an alfalfa field. We now have in Finney
County several thousand acres in alfalfa, and
fully as much more will be sown in the spring.

<)r>4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

Over ten thousund bushels of alfalfa seed will be
shipped from Garden City this year. Now, this
clover (as it is sometimes called) is in bloom from
May 10th until in November. We always cut four
crops of hay per year from it, and quite frequently
five, depending- entirely as to whether we have an
early or late spring. From the time we cut the first
crop in the spring until winter comes on, our alfalfa
is ready to cut every thirty days, and we get from
seven to ten tons per acre during the season. Un-
like red clover, alfalfa, when once set, is good for
all time. So long as we irrigated it, it became
thicker every year; and if a person were handling
bees there would be no trouble in having a continu-
ous bloom from them from May 10th until in Novem-
ber, which, it seems to me, would certainly pay
well.

From those who have experience, I hope we shall
hear more through your excellent paper, as to the
quality of honey and the amount that can be made
from alfalfa bloom; and if it is profitable, we shall
hope for some one who has had experience in the
business to bring some bees here and utilize the
sweetness we are each year wasting.

In Finney County we have alfalfa fields ranging
from 50 to 350 acres. The hay is used to feed stock.
Alfalfa hay will fatten cattle about as well as corn,
and is much cheaper, and requires less work than
corn, even in the best corn countries. We winter
our hogs on alfalfa hay and water. They will eat it
as well as cattle will eat timothy hay, and keep in
good stock shape on it. We can run ten head of
hogs per acre on green alfalfa, and make nine-
months-old pigs weigh from 200 to 225 pounds.
Many of our farmers are using their whole farms in
alfalfa and hogs, cutting only enough hay to winter
the brood sows. While in all these ways alfalfa can
be used, yet the part the bees utilize goes to waste.
Let us have some apiaries here. Good alfalfa land
under irrigation is cheap— can be purchased from
$6 25 to $12.00 per acre, owing to location. Alfalfa
seed is worth $3.00 per bushel. One bushel of seed
will sow three acres. It costs from $1.00 to $1.25
per acre to irrigate during the whole season, so
that, at a cost of about $1800, 160 acres could be set
in alfalfa for bees, and at much less expense, if the
party does his own plowing and sowing; or if the
party does not desire to purchase land and go into
the alfalfa business, let him bring his bees to gath-
er the honey from the alfalfa already growing.
Surely no one will object.

Now, Mr. Editor, I hope you will excuse me for
having introduced myself to you in such along
article; but I felt like writing this much, for I am
interested in this subject; and if you consider this
worthy a place in your paper, I shall be pleased.

Permit me to say, I am wonderfully well pleased
with your publication, both for the many useful
suggestions it gives— the general information with
which it abounds, and especially am I well pleased
with its high moral tone. A. ('. McKeeveb.

Garden City, Kan., Nov. 16, 1889.

Friend M., we'are very glad indeed to get
the facts yon furnish us. It is going to be a
pretty hard matter for me to make a trip to
Arizona, at least very soon. But I could
skip down to your locality with but compar-
atively little trouble. The first thing, how-
ever, is to find some live bee-keeper in your
vicinity, and have him give this matter a
careful test. Come, friends, ye who hail

from the locality mentioned, stand up and
tell us what you know about it. During my
trip to California I was constantly on the
lookout for alfalfa. Perhaps it was not the
right time of year. For some reason I have
never yet seen one solid field of alfalfa of
even 25 acres. If so, I did not know it.

OUR HOMES.

AN INTERESTING ARTICLE FROM THE PEN OF T. B.
TERRY, WHICH EVERY FATHER AND MOTH-
ER SHOULD READ.

fRIEND ROOT:— Our minister called on us last
Sunday for aid to establish a good reading-
room for the boys and young men who hang
around town nights. He didn't put it in just
those words, but that is the truth of it; it is
for the idle young men who hang around the stores
and saloons evenings. This matter has been run-
ning in my mind all the week. It has seemed to
me that prevention would be a thousand times bet-
ter than the cure in this case. There should be no
call for a young men's reading-room in a little
town the size of this, where almost every one is
comfortably well off. There should be no occasion
to fix up a pleasant room to try to draw the boys in
and keep them from the saloons and other such
places.

How should we manage to prevent it? Why, in
the first place by making home the brightest and
most cheerful place possible, and providing good
books and papers suitable for the boys and young
men as well as the older people. I think we ought
to study to do this, and to encourage the young
folks to have their mates visit them and have a
good time at their own homes. Then I would, from
the very beginning, never allow a boy to run around
town nights. Pray tell me why he should any more
than his sister? No decent girls ever hang around
the saloons and shops and stores. Such a thing is
never thought of. Wouldn't we have thought our
minister crazy if he had wanted help to fit up a
reading-room for girlsf Is a boy any better able to
stand temptation than a girl?

It is beyond a doubt a duty required of us par-
ents to keep our boys at home nights; but it is hard
to do this, entirely against their wills; therefore as
a help I would make home pleasant— so pleasant
that it would require but very slight authority to
keep them there— often, perhaps, none at all. I re-
member once visiting at a farmhouse where the
mother expressed much anxiety because her only
son went to town nearly every night. They were
moderately well-to-do farmers. But I could hardly
blame that bright son for wanting to get away from
the place where he ate and slept. Wasn't it a good
house? Oh, yes! quite good, and well furnished;
but it was wretchedly warmed and lighted, and
there wasn't a book or a paper that any boy would
care to look at. They cut their wood each day,
from hand to mouth; lived around the cook-stove,
mostly, and had one poor little lamp burning that
hardly gave more light than a candle. This partic-
ular case interested me a good deal. I remarked to
the mother: "That is a nice new carpet you have
in your best room. "

"Oh, no!" she said; "we have had that twenty
years! "
Do you know what thoughts came to my mind?

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

955

Why, that those parents cared more for their car-
pets and furniture, and wood and oil and money,
than for that only son— at least their actions seem-
ed to make it appear so to an outsider. Now, in
contrast, go up to the " Center " with me and see
the brilliantly lighted saloons and billiard-rooms
where all is warm and comfortable. Were they as
stingy with their lights and fires and other comforts
as some parents are, how much of a crowd would
they draw? Our saloons and other bad places where
boys congregate at night do not seem to love dark-
ness better than light, even if their deeds are evil.
Or, if they do love it better, they know what will
draw in a crowd, and they work from policy. Why
should not all of us who have boys or hired men
work as persistently to save them as the enemy
does to entice them away? Now, these parents
spoken of above were plain, simple people, who
started with nothing, and thus got in the habit of
being very economical, and they failed to see that
their son and hired man and daughters were not be-
ing cared for any better than so many head of cat-
tle. Why, I just ached to go and buy a big hanging
lamp for their best room, and a larger heating
stove, and $35.00 worth of good papers, magazines,
books, and games, and tell these young people:
" Now have a good time; invite in your mates, and
enjoy daily the best we have got." T couldn't pos-
sibly sit still and see my children go to the bad, and
talk about what a " trial and affliction " they were
tome.

In our own family we never attempt to econo-
mize in either lights or fuel. We have three large
rooms opening together with double doors, and a
large hanging lamp in each one, and one large
base-burner heats tbem all. We usually use all
these rooms— the best in the house. The lamp in
one room, particularly for reading, gives a light, it
is said, equal to 80 candles. I know it is brighter
than ordinary daylight. We burn about two gal-
lons of oil per week, at this season of the year.
Bought by the barrel, this costs about 20 cents.
Rather than try to save by burning less lamps, I
would wear my old overcoat another winter; but
there are very few people who can not afford this
much oil. What is $5.00 by the side of a brilliantly
lighted house all winter? You might call us ex-
travagant in the amount of fuel used. We bought
seven tons of anthracite coal for our big heating
stove this winter, at a cost of $5 40 a ton. Well,
think a moment. Aside from a pleasanter home,
think of how much less danger there is that the
health of my wife and daughters will be injured,
where the whole house is warmed up. Plenty of
pure air is essential to the best health. When I see
a whole family sitting in one ordinary-siztd room,
I can not help but think that the doctor may take
more than they save on fuel.

The season is now at hand when our homes need
the most lighting and healing. May your readers
think over these things; and if there be any truth
in what has been said, act accordingly. Now is the
time, also, for getting a supply of books and papers
for the year. Wife and 1 visited our friend John
Gould the other day. I want to tell you one thing
that "John " has done that calls for our highest
praise. When he was married, some ten years ago,
he was in the habit of using tobacco. I suspect his
wife didn't like it; but be that as it may, John fig-
ured up what his cigars, etc., had cost him per year,
and found it was about $35. Then he said: "No

more tobacco for me hereafter; but I will each
year spend this $35.00 for new books." He has
done so, and now has a $350 library. He is proud of
it, as he should be. How much better than to have
used up the money in worse.tban useless smoking
and chewing! How many young men who read
Gleanings will go and do likewise?

To the older ones: When you are getting your
papers and books for the year, get some paper like
The Youth's Companion for the young folks, and al-
so some good story-books such as the children like.
Remember what you liked to read when you were
young. I think I may safely say, that not one
farmer's family in ten takes any paper or maga-
zine, or buys any books especially for the young
people. T. B. Terry.

Hudson, O.

Friend T., while I do not like to throw
cold water on any project for reaching our
boys, J must say that I have had just about
the same feeling, for a good many years,
that you have. The matter of a reading-
room for young men has come up a good
many times here in Medina. In fact, it
usually comes up after each of our revivals ;
but I confess that it has seemed to me, es-
pecially in a town of our size, as if it were
hardly just what we need. To make a suc-
cess, a room should be procured in the busy
part of the town. It ought also to be of
convenient access to the street ; then it
must not only be warmed and lighted, but
somebody must be on hand to look after it ;
if not, it will soon go to ruin. All of these
things are expensive ; but even after the
expense has been incurred they are apt to
be deserted. I vieited many reading-rooms
in California ; and as a rule the papers and
magazines were old and out of date because
somebody had carried off the late ones, and
there was a good deal of disorder besides.
At one time in our town they had the mon-
ey raised, and were almost ready to start,
when so much disagreement arose in re-
gard to the character of the amusements to
be brought in that it fell through. In fact,
a considerable class of people insisted that
the boys should be allowed to smoke cigars
in the readiug-room. Others thought that
a smoking-room adjoining would be the
thing. Now, where in the world is a better
place to settle all such perplexing matters
than in the boy's own home V If the father
and mother, and brothers and sisters, can
not settle it amicably, who else shall do so ?
In regard to making a home pleasant, my
late hobbies have been, as you know, plenty
of pure air and pure water ; and as my eyes
begin to fail, I am just ready to second with
a loud amen your remarks in regard to plen-
ty of light during these long evenings. And
when we begin to ,get old enough to feel
twinges of rheumatism, we surely ought to
be ready to second your suggestions about
good-sized rooms well warmed. In towns
and cities large enough to make it worth
while to support a reading-room, I would by
no means object; but in the majority of
cases I think our homes are the placed to
have our reading-rooms. Let the boj s and
girls read together ; let them invite in their
friends ; for what shall it profit a man if he
gain the whole world and lose his own soul ?

956

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Dec.

or, if you please, lose the soul or the affec-
tion, and influence over his sons and daugh-
ters V There is not a father or a mother
anywhere but that has a true love and re-
gard for their children ; but, alas ! they oft-
en wait until it is too late. Now, then,
dear friends, shall we not go to work and
fix up these reading-rooms, or, rather, fix
up the rooms we live in ? Go without al-
most any thing else rather than to scrimp
or discourage the children ; and by all man-
ner of means chop off the tobacco whenever
it in any sense stands in the way of a $350
library. May the Lord bless our good friend
John Gould for the example he has set us.
Perhaps he has told us of it himself in his
writings in the Ohio Farmer ; but if so, I
have never noticed it. Who is there among
our readers who will stand by him in giving
up tobacco for the sake of a good library ?
Come, now, let's see you stand up and give
us your promise through the Tobacco Col-
umn.

MOVING BEES.

THEODORE O. PEET TELES HOW HE DID IT.

TN reading our text-books, we are told it is al-
|]P most impossible to move bees less than a mile
W away from their old stands. As I had occasion
■*■ to move mine this spring only about two hun-
dred yards, 1 was at first a little puzzled as to
how I should do it. But " necessity is the mother
of invention;" and as I possess some little genius,
I set myself to thinking out how I should do it, and
with the following result.

A year ago last spring I moved from Arlington,
N. J. (which is a small country town adjacent to
Newark, and only about one hour's ride from my
business in New York), to Brooklyn, N. Y. I had
two very nice swarms of bees which I desired to
keep possession of ; and as I could not take them
with me to the city, I obtained permission from a
neighbor, who kept a number of swarms, to place
mine in her yard. During the spring they swarmed,
and either went away or were gathered by my
neighbor, thinking they were hers. I did not care
particularly about this, as I only wanted to keep
my two colonies intact till I was ready to take them
again myself. This last spring I moved back again
to Arlington, and so wanted my bees back again.
My new home is only about two hundred yards
away from my neighbor's, as I told you before; but
I wanted my bees close by where I could look after
them with as little trouble as possible, as I have
very little time now after business, my whole time
belonging to my employers.

On examining the colonies, I found one of them
was queenless; the other one was in good condi-
tion, the queen laying rapidly. I immediately sent
to a queen-breeder and obtained two queens. The
extra one was to start a colony for my next-
door neighbor, who had at one time kept some, but
had lost them. As soon as the queens arrived, I
took the queenless colony and divided it, giving
each queen two combs, and the bees that were cling
ing •> them, together with a comb of brood from
the colony that was all right. I put one of them in
my neighbor's attic, and the other one in my own
attic, arranging to let the bees fly out of the win-
dow. As soon as I took this colony away from the

yard, I moved the other colony (which stood about
three feet from the one removed) about where the
space was between the two. This I did to catch any
bees that might wander back to the old spot. It
worked admirably, and I lost very few; in fact, I
think none were lost entirely. IJkept robbing the old
colony, with the laying queen, of hatching bees,
replacing with empty combs till the two new colo-
nies were thoroughly established, which soon came
about. Now, the question, " How should I get the
other one home?" arose, and this is the way I did
it: I just picked it up and carried it, hive and all,
and set it in my yard. I then took a shipping-box
that held four frames, and put two frames of empty
combs in it, and set it on the old stand. The next
night, after dark, I went and got it, brought it
home, found a couple of handfuls, or, say, about a
pint, of bees, clustered on the two combs. These I
quietly slipped into the old hive, and took the box
back again with one frame of comb in. The next
night I went after this, and found only half a dozen
bees in it. I concluded I had moved them success-
fully, and did not set my trap again. All these are
doing well now. I did not get any honey, but that
was on account of the almost incessant rains during
the season of bloom, and not the fault of the bees
or moving them. Theo. O. Peet.

Arlington, Hudson Co., N. J., Nov. 19.

Friend P., if you take a queenless colony,
or one that has been some time queenless,
and give them a queen, or, if you choose,
divide them and give each half a queen,
they will be pretty much in the condition of
a new swarm, and they will stick by their
new queen, no matter where you put them.
In the other case, where a pint of bees
went back to the old locality, you had about
the same success that we do as a rule. I
think, however, that perhaps as many more
scattered about and went into other hives.
I am surprised, however, to find that a sec-
ond night you found only a few bees. Most
of my experience resulted in finding just as
many the second night, the third, and soon ;
and I decided that

A bee removed against his will
Is of the same opinion still,—

unless you give them a new queen, or bring
some unusual influence to bear to make
them adhere to a new location.

EXTRACTORS REVOLVING FOUR OR
MORE COMBS AT ONE TIME, ETC.

OUR FRIEND J. F. M'lNTYRE GIVES US SOME IM-
PORTANT FACTS.

TF our readers will turn to page 842, Nov.
m 1, they will be able to read the following
jit more understanding^ :

M'INTYRE'S REVERSIBLE EXTRACTOR VER-
SUS THE TWO-FRAME NOVICE.

Friend Boot:— Gleanings is just received. The
extractor cut is very fine, and shows the reversing
gear correctly. The only fault I can find is, that it
doesn't show the chains that keep the baskets from
swinging out too far, and the tin braces that sup-
port the wire cloth in the baskets. With regard to
your editorial comments, I suppose the inside gear
of my extractor will weigh four times as much as
one of yours, yet ray wife (who is not very strong
and weighs only 110 pounds) 6ays she will take hop-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

957

ey out of the combs, uncap and extract, against any
of your experts, he to use a two-comb Novice. I
weigh 170 pounds, and can uncap and extract from
250 to 300 pounds per hour, according to the amount
of uncapping to be done, and the thickness of the
honey. I should like to know how much one of
your experts can extract in an hour with a two-
comb Novice. When I came to California, Mr. Wil-
kin was running this apiary with two Novice ex-
tractors and four assistants. I run it now with one
assistant, and extract as much honey per day as he
did with four. After a vast amount of experiment-
ing, I find the best thing to prevent combs from
breaking in any extractor is to put only eight
combs in a ten-frame super. The reason why so
many break is because, in uncapping, the comb is
cut down to or below the level of the frame. If the
comb is % inch thicker than the frame after the
capping is off it will seldom break. It is no more
trouble to put combs in a reversible extractor if the
baskets stand with the side toward you; and as
they do not come out until empty, it is less trouble
to take them out. Non reversible extractors have
not been handled by dealers in this county for sev-
eral years. J. F. McIntyre.
Fillmore, Cal., Nov. 11, 1889.

Very good, friend M. Such facts as you
give from actual work are exactly what we
want ; and even if they do upset and contro-
vert the opinion I expressed, we are all the
more glad to get them. From the above it
would seem that 1 am entirely mistaken.
But before I give up I should be glad to
hear from others who have used extractors
swinging four or more combs at once. Per-
haps I may say to the readers of Glean-
ings, that Mr. McIntyre is a remarkably
bright, keen, young Canadian. Hrs grounds,
tools, and manner of working, reminded
me vividly of friend Terry. Almost every
bee-keeper has his notions in regard to im-
plements and ways of working. I am some-
what surprised to find that a rather small
woman like Mrs. McIntyre should succeed
so well ; but if anybody could take from 250
to 300 lbs. an hour with any extractor, I
should think likely friend M. would be the
man to do it. When they were soldering up
their cans for honey, in order to fill a large
shipment to go to Europe, you may remem-
ber that I told you that he in a very little
time soldered more cans than an experienced
tinsmith. If nobody comes to my aid, I will
own up that I was mistaken. I am very
glad of the point made, that heavy combs
are broken by slicing off too much with the
cappings. Since you mention it, I remem-
ber the same thing. Hurrah ! here is a let-
ter already, pretty nearly in a line with my
position.

A REPORT FROM ONE WHO HAS USED THE STAN-
LEY AND NOVICE EXTRACTORS.

In Gleanings for Nov. 1 you ask for a report of
those who have had and used the Stanley reversing
extractor. I have used one two years; and now
that I have the Novice extractor, which I got of
you, I do not expect to use Stanley's much, if any
• more, as we prefer to use yours. My extracting
man calls the Stanley a "man-killer," as it requires
so much more strength to operate it. If 1 were
buying new, I would take the Novice, even at the
same price (mine cost less than one-half), every

time. I have extracted from 150 hives, and know
what T am writing about. O. R. Coe.

Prattsville, N. Y., Nov. 11, 1889.

CLOSED-END OR STANDING FRAMES.

IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES, HIVES, ETC.

SOW, then, Mr. Root, as you have evidently,
from your own articles, and also from the
contributions of others, published in Glean-
ings of late, been thinking that closed-end,
or standing frames, have advantages, and
are sought for, and actually in use by many suc-
cessful bee-keepers (I don't include myself), I hope
you will still continue the good work, and shortly
give us another improved hive containing this prin-
ciple in some form or other. I also hope that Mr.
Vandeusen, Mr. Hetherington, Hawk, and many
others, while giving their views, will mention par-
ticularly the difference of bees wintering in closed-
end frames that fit closely to the end of hives, and
those in standing frames having a space between
the end of the hive and the frames, as with the or-
dinary hanging frame, as this is an important mat-
ter to beekeepers in the northern part of North
America (Canada is not yet in the United States,
but may be about the time the international is held
in Brantford).

As for myself, I have used several styles of hives
with hanging frames since I first commenced bee-
keeping, in 1863, and have still to-day one of the
ten-frame Langstroth observing hives, made that
year, in my apiary. I may also add, although some-
what foreign to the subject, that I purchased from
father Langstroth, and successfully introduced an
Italian queen to a colony of black bees, in the hive
referred to, 25 years ago. But, to resume.

I finally settled, several years ago, on the eight-
frame L. hive, without bevels, having a plain flat
board, cleated at the ends, for a cover, with a full
bee-space above the frames, the bottom-board be-
ing loose, and having a % space on its upper sur-
face for entrance, etc.

This hive, you will observe, is similar to your
Dovetailed hive, and also very much resembles the
old-style Heddon-Langstroth. Well, I liked it for
all purposes, and still do so; but I wish something
better, if it can be had; and thinking the closed-
end frames had advantages not possessed by any
other, you can not wonder that I lost no time in
securing 25 of the new Heddon hives as soon as
they were manufactured in Canada.

Without further reference to this hive at present,
I will explain that I have entertained the hope of
soon establishing an out-apiary, and, therefore,
have the desire for some readily movable hive, and
one that can easily be prepared for moving speedi-
ly and safely from one location to another; and
while wishing to make this change, aside from the
mere " fun of the thing " 1 wish also that it be done
with as little expense as is consistent with securing
the end in view. I am not prepared by any means
to discard all my stock on hand, nor do I think it
necessary to do so; still, I am well aware, that, the
deeper the frame, the greater will be the difficulty
in securing an easily manipulated frame, especial-
ly of this description, as I prefer them spaced If
inches from center to center. I also am in favor of
a reversible frame independently of the pleasure of
having the comb securely attached to both top and

9.5S

GLEANINGS INBEE CULTURE.

Dec

bottom bars; but whether or not it should be
handled by the single frame or by the hiveful, de-
pends on circumstances and the system followed
out by the operator.

Now, Mr. Editor, by all means give us a closed-
end or standing reversible frame and one suited to
your Dovetailed hive as you now make them.
There need be no unnecessary confusion in this re-
spect, as all the purchaser needs to do is to state
the kind of frame preferred in the brood-chamber.
For myself I see no reason why the Vandeusen met-
al corner would not work well. It certainly will
kill fewer bees than any thing- else I know of; but
whether the metal corners and the ordinary Vwide
frame, having the space between the end of the
frames and the end of the hive is not as good for
wintering and springing the bees as the closed-end
all-wood ones, coming close to the end of the hive,
I know not. This feature is certainly worth con-
sidering, apart from the propolis question, which,
in this locality, is a very great nuisance in any kind
of hive, and much more so in one not very accu-
rately made.

In conclusion, I am g-lad you are going to make
white-poplar sections and all in one piece too ; but
if you can not do so without having the naughty
corner on them, then by all means make them
dovetailed. I have used the T super, and also the
half-story wide-frame case with separators, and 1
am considerably taken up with your topless sec-
tion-holders also, although I have not yet tried
them. F. A. Gemmill.

Stratford, Ont., Can.

Thanks, friend G., for your suggestions.
We have been doing, for a year back, just
what you express the hope that we would
do— that is, working toward closed-end, or,
rather, frames standing at fixed distances,
the same adapted to the Dovetailed hive.
In the article in our issue for June 15 a hint
was thrown out on page 514 by your humble
servant, that we might in time work into
the Vandeusen frames, and the idea is now
beginning to materialize. From scores of
letters — most of them unpublished — it is
pretty evident that there is a demand for a
frame that will be suitable for moving to
out-apiaries, adapted to shipping, capable
of being reversed, and one which will secure
nearly all the advantages of a suspended
frame. This frame, as nearly as I can so
far see. seems to be the Hetherington- Van-
deusen. A great many inquiries have come
in, in regard to it since the initial article in
the issue for June 15. In a private letter
received from friend Hawk he states that
he received likewise a great many letters
concerning them. 1 may say, for the bene-
fit of those who desire to test them on a
small scale, that we shall put them on the
market soon. I have just been through
some experiences in removing bees to and
from out-apiaries, and carrying them into
the cellar. If I ever appreciated the ad-
vantages of a frame that would not shuck
about, come off from its bearings when the
hive was tilted a little bit out of level, or
subjected to an unexpected bump or jar, I
appreciate it now. Let me say right here,
that I do not wish anybody to invest very
largely in these frames when they come be-
fore the public. Test them on a small scale
yourself ; and if you do not like them you

will not have been to any very great ex-
pense. If you do like them, you will know
what to do, of course. Ernest.

I^ep0to ENceai^GiNG.

ENCOURAGING FOR AUSTRALIA.

We are going to have a real booming season this
year. Although the honey season has only just
commenced in most parts, I have already extracted
over 4000 lbs. of honey; and as there are about 6
months yet before the close, things look very
promising. I shall very probably send you a re-
port at the end of the season. I have now 150 hives
of Italian bees. I have steam-power, and one of
your $30.00 saw-tables, for making hives, etc. I do
a good trade in foundation, and supplies generally,
and am 23 years of age, so I am progressing nicely.

I am mailing you a small lump of wax produced
by our small black stingless bees. If you are any
way interested I shall tell you more about them in
the future. H. L. Jones.

Goodna, Queensland, Aus., Sept. 26, 1889.

RED-CLOVER ITALIAN QUEENS, CARNIOLANS, ETC.

The fore part of the season was very poor for
bees. They swarmed very little this year. Honey
is scarce; but since August the bees have done
well, and are in a good condition for winter. I have
20 stands at present. The three queens you sent to
me last August are good red-clover queens. I re-
ceived Wt lbs. of bees and two queens from J.
Nebel & Sons, High Hill, Mo., the 6th of June, and
they are red-clover queens. I have five stands of
them, and they have gathered 675 lbs. of honey this
poor season. I think they have done well. The
blacks have done nothing here for me this season.
I have two stands of Carniolan bees. I got the
queen from S. W. Morrison. They are gentle, and
good workers. My bees worked well on Japanese
buckwheat, and I raised a nice lot of spider-plant
seed. I think it yields more honey than any thing I
have seen in this locality. I am giving the seed
away to my neighbors. T. Obekhitnek.

Deshler, O., Oct. 7, 1880.

JlE/iDg m &bjiih

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

marketing honey on the streets.

This has been a poor season here for bees. 1 am
the only one that g-ot any houey here this year. I
had 500 lbs. from 12 hives, most of it extracted. I am
selling it in yeast -powder bottles holding 9 oz.,
for 15 cts. a bottle, or two for 25 cts.. or SI. 20 a doz-
en, wholesale. I stand on the market once a week.
I have no trouble to sell it, because it is pood hon-
ey. T generally sell about 7 dozen bottles in half a
day. I go to market to-night with one of our truck-
ers to Wilmington, Del., 15 miles. We start about
one o'clock tonight. I bought five Carniolan
queens this fall, and lost them all by introducing
by a new plan given by the shipper. I wanted to
give the Carniolan bees atrial next year, but will
give it up, as I am a poor man and can not buy
more. S. M. Hickers.

Delaware City, Del., Oct. 15, 1889.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

959

THE COMPOSITION OF ROYAL JELLY.

I see it has been said in one of the back numbers
of Gleanings, that royal jelly is but an accumula-
tion of chyme, such as is fed to ordinary young
brood. Inclosed 1 send you some information, from
the Eoglista Daily News, that may throw some light
on this interesting subject. This seems to support
Mr. F. Cheshire's remark in "Bees and Bee-keep-
ing," Vol. I., page 83; namely, that the " food fed
to the very young grubs is extremely rich in nitro-
genous substances, and this alone is the secret of
the future development of the grub." It would be
interesting to know if the experiment has been
tried, of injecting, by means of a minute glass syr-
inge, the further allowance of fully digested or
young-brood food at the right time, so as to cause
the queen to develop artificially, as it were. This
would prove once for all in a most unmistakable
manner how a queen is produced, and possibly start
a new era in the queen-rearing business.

Nashvilie, Ore.. Nov. 18, 1889. J. T. Sibree.

The clipping referred to is as follows :

One of the strangest facts in the social economy
of a bee-hive is the way in which the development
of the larvte is directed by the workers. If the
queen is removed, a new sovereign is promptly
raised by the simple expedient of enlarging the cell
and altering the food of a working larva. The food
supplied to the grubs has now been carefully stud-
ied by Herr A. von Planta, whose results are ex-
tremely curious. The larval queen, he says, is fed
during the whole of her time on fully digested ma-
terial very rich in nitrogenous substances. Those
which are to turn into drones are supplied for the
first four days of their existence with a similar diet,
but one which is even richer in nitrogen, and for
the rest of the time this digested food is diluted by
the addition of pollen grains and honey. The
worker grubs are treated in much the same way.
They receive for ihe first four days a food interme-
diate in composition between that of a queen and
that for a drone. Then comes a change, and the
food is diluted with a large quantity of honey with-
out any admixture of pollen. This alteration is the
determining point in the life-history of the insect :
for if, at the fourth day, the cell is enlarged and
queen food supplied, a queen will result; but if
once the inferior diet has been begun it is impos-
sible or very difficult to effect the change.

THE JAPANESE BEATS EVERY THING ; A SPLENDID
REPORT.

If you wish to know how the Japanese buckwheat
has done, I would say it gave good satisfaction to
all parties concerned, ft was ordered for four dif-
ferent men. 2 pecks each. One man hasn't told me
yet how much he raised from his, but he says it is
the best in the world. He sowed half a bushel of
silverhull buckwheat alongside of the Japanese. It
wasn't worth any thing; and the report of the old
buckwheat, so far as I have heard, is about the
same in substance. The man who hasn't told how
much he raised, took 1% bushels to the mill on the
16th inst., and got it ground, and had 53 lbs. of flour.
The IX bushels that were sown on my own farm
yielded 69 bushels. 1 came pretty near having to
buy a new mill to clean the Japanese on. It took
an extra hand to rub it through the fine riddle, and
even then some grains wouldn't go through. The
Japanese buckwheat made a splendid yield in
grain, a big turnout of flour, and good griddle
cakes; but it bloomed so nice, and smelled so good,
that nearly all the bees in the neighborhood worried
themselves to death flying from blossom to blos-
som in search of nectar. Well, honey is scarce, and
so are bees. H. T. Sewell.

Plea8anton,0., Nov. 19, 1889.

THE FIRE AT THE ST. JOSEPH EXPOSITION.

In preparing exhibits for fairs or exposi-
tions, especially where property of great
value is carried on to the grounds, it were
well to consider the chances of fire. One of
our bee-friends has had a sad loss in that di-
rection. See what he says :

All the books and things I got of you went with
the rest. It seems like hard luck, as this was all we
had laid up to do business with; but we are trying
to make the best of it, and hope to be able to re-
sume business in the spring. We had no insurance,
and so it was all a clear loss. We had set up a very
fine display of comb and extracted honey, and one
of implements and bees. Emerson T. Abbott.

St. Joseph, Mo., Sept. 23, 1889.

As such things are not very common,
most of us have perhaps overlooked the
matter of getting insurance on such proper-
ty. We deeply sympathize with friend Ab-
bott ; and if any of the brethren feel like
doing a little more than extending sympa-
thy they might do so by consulting his ad-
vertisement, which appears on page 766,
Oct. 1.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEE-PLANT SEED.

I send by this mail 5 lbs. of cleome (Rocky Mount-
ain bee-plant). I sold the seed to Mr. Samuel Wil-
son, that he made the extravagant puff about. The
party that speaks of sowing the cleomes in a box
with damp earth in it, and letting it freeze till
spring, then putting it where you want it to grow,
has the proper idea, as it will not germinate with-
out freezing, according to my experience. I have
on hand about 100 lbs. of Rocky Mountain bee-
plant seed, which I will sell in bulk, for $1.00 per lb.,
or 10 cts. per oz., postage paid.

Jewett, N. M., Oct. 25, 1889. W. S. Mitchell.

A VISIT TO FATHER LANGSTROTH AND OTHER BEE-
KEEPERS.

Friend Root:— As I have just returned from Day-
ton, after a visit to father Langstroth, I feel sure
that our brothers of the hive will be glad to get re-
ports from headquarters. I came hither from Cin-
cinnati, O., where I left my esteemed friend, Chas.
Muth, hale and interesting as usual. I am glad to
say that I found the veteran bee-keeper had been
enjoying better health of late, and we had quite a
pleasant talk about bee-keeping and bee-men, past
and present. Among those of whom we compared
mutual reminiscences we spoke of the late lamented
Joseph Woodbury, of Mount Stud lord, Exeter, Eng-
land, whose name will ever be remembered among
British apiarists as the inventor of the improved
box-frame hive. This hive, which was rathe small-
er than the standard Langstroth, was practically a
square box about 10 inches deep, consisting of two
wood frames connected by corner posts, the sides
being filled out with lengths of straw tightly com-
pressed between tin uprights attached to each
corner post. The top was a wooden frame, similar-
ly fitted, and the whole was protected from weather
by an outer wooden case. The whole hive, though
more expensive than wood, was found to be ex-
ceedingly durable; and from the non-conducting
properties of straw, it combined all the advantages
of the present chaff hive with the minimum of
weight. Mr. Woodbury was the first to export the
Italian and Egyptian bees into England; and at the
time of his death he was making arrangements for

960

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

t>EC.

the introduction of Apis dorsata, the giant bee of
India; and had it not been for his untimely decease
the domestication of that bee in Great Britain
would probably have been an accomplished fact.
Mr. Langstrotb's book, as revised by the Dadants,
will be read with interest all over the world. There
are, I understand, also to be German and French
editions.

This has been only a fair honey season in Virgin-
ia, owing to excessive rains; but there has been
quite a quantity of good fall honey made from the
white aster, which yields a honey, the scent of
which, when first gathered, can be noticed even
when at a distance from the apiary.

H. Stillington Stephenson.

M edina, Nov.8.

CARP AND BEES.

Some of my bees nearly starved until some time
in June. The honey-flow started, and kept up a
gradual flow until frost. The flow was not as rapid
as 1 have seen from white clover, but it lasted
longer than I ever saw before, and the bees worked
on red clover all the fall, so the bees had plenty to
do from the time white clover started until frost
stopped them. The quality is extra good, but the
price is low and the demand light, on account of
too big a crop. This has been a No. 1 honey year in
this section of the country.

How are your carp doing? I placed 28 lA-lb.
spawners in my pond last spring. This fall they
weighed %}i lbs. We got about 2000 young ones,
from 3 to 6 inches long, besides what a big turtle
killed that was in the pond. The water got very
low, so the fish were crowded, which gave the tur-
tle a good chance to get fat on the young carp. We
caught him when we drained the pond. We are
wintering our carp, some in a large supply-tank
10 feet high, 10 in diameter, and some in a milk-
tank supplied by a drilled well, 05 ft., and a wind-
mill to do the pumping. G. J. Klein.

Conrad Grove, la., Nov. 2, 1889.

Friend K., our pond is pretty well stock-
ed ; but we have not used very much of
them for food as yet. Turtles and musk-
rats are much more troublesome when the
pond gets low. Better turn the supply from
your windmill into the pond so as to keep it
always full. That is the way we do now,
and our pond has never been low since the
windmill was put up.

DOORSTEPS FOR BEE-HIVES ; FLAGGING AND
BRICKS.

1 am to-night in receipt of the Nov. 1st issue of
Gleanings, and I have just been reading friend
Boardman's " Dooryards for the Bees." About 20
years since, I wanted to put my bees in a new yard,
and have it look in decent order; so I procured
flagstones larger than the bottom of the hives. At
each corner, under the hive, I put half of a brick to
keep the hive off the stones; and on the center of
the flagging, in front of the hive, I put a whole
brick for an alighting-place, so that, if a bee should
fall on the ground short of the entrance to the hive,
it could at once walk directly to the hive without
having to rise on the wing. The stones should ex-
tend some inches beyond the bricks all around, and
be raised slightly above the level of the yard; then
it is an easy matter to trim oil' any grass or weeds
that may grow up in the way of their homeward
flight. I prefer stones of a light color, instead of

slates or daik-colored ones. I suppose they would
not be so hot under the hivts. The arrangement
has given me entire satisfaction as a bee-stand,
with no trouble from warping or rotting to be look-
ed after. Care should be taken in placing the
stones to have them level on top. C. Kisler.

Locktown N. J., Nov. 4, 1889.

Very good, friend R. I suppose your
hives have a permanent bottom, and, ir set
over the stones, water would collect and
stand between the bottom-board and the
stones. I think I should prefer to have the
hives raised up from the stones a little, by a
cleat clear around ; then mice, spiders, etc.,
could not crawl between the hives and the
stone.

GETTING RID OF SKUNKS BY MEANS OF POISON.

Tjust happened to be looking over a back num-
ber of Gleanings, and noticed two articles telling
how to get rid of skunks. Now, I should like to add
my mite. I was very much bothered with them, as
they are very numerous here. I get a can of sal-
mon, and treat it to a little good strychnine, and
spread it around near the bee-yard. Fish of any
kind is a choice morsel for them. I do not know
how many I have killed; but I know I thinned them
out in my vicinity. I once found one lying right
where he found his supper. I am indebted to an
old miner for this recipe. H. P. Luther.

Redlands, Cal., Oct. 31, 1889.

We are much obliged, friend L., for the
fact you give us in regard to poisoning the
"• varmints."

We solicit tor this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

SMOKING TO MAKE THE BEES FILL THEIR HONEY-
SACS.

When bees are disturbed by smoking them, and
they fill themselves with honey, is the honey en-
tirely lost, or do they return it to the combs?

Pipestem, W. Va., Nov. 3, 1889. G. C. Hughes.

[Friend H., the honey is not exactly lost, of
course, for the greater part of it will be put back in
the combs, after the bees quiet down. But I feel
quite certain that a great part of the honey is very
often about as good as lost, where bees are made to
fill themselves by smoke. This is especially the
case with hybrids, or bees having enough black
blood to tear open the cappings, and gorge them-
selves with honey every time the hive is opened or
disturbed. 1

FLAGGING FOR ENTRANCES.

You ask in Gleanings for the price of stone to
use in front of hives. I have thin flagstone for
that purpose, which cost me six cents a foot, su-
perficial measure. A cheaper material, and one I
think you will find as good, is slack coal.

Belle Vernon, Pa., Nov. 8, 1888. A. B. Buird.

THE BLACK GRAMPUS ; THE FLUID FROM ITS
TAIL.

Friend Root:— The black grampus sent to Prof.
Cook did discharge a greenish fluid from its whip,
or tail. See page 843, Nov. 1. I placed it on a white
cloth, and poked it with a stick, when it at once
clinched the cloth with its claws and discharged
from its whip this fluid, which was very offensive.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

96l

I had a moccasin snake this week for Prof. Cook,
but it bit itself and died. S. C. Corwin.

Sarasota, Fla., Nov. 7, 1889.

.JAPANESE - BUCKWHEAT FLOUR SELLING AT $3.00
PER 100.

We have had a good honey crop here this season.
I rented ten acres of land and sowed six acres to
buckwheat. 1 received 120 bushels of seed. The
flour will bring $3.00 ptr hundred. I think it has
paid me well for my trouble. Honey will average
12 cts. per lb. J. W. Morrison.

Oswego, 111., Nov. 1, 1880.

[Friend M., I should say that you were getting
very good prices for your buckwheat flour. It is
selling here at from $2.25 to $2.50 per 100 lbs. The
Japanese buckwheat will, without question, break
down both the price of the grain and flour.]

OVER 1100 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM
40 ACRES.

I have raised this year 1170 bushels of Japanese
buckwheat from about 40 acres, the best of it aver-
aging 40 bushels per acre. This crop is from seed I
bought of you in 1888; $3 00 per bushel is the price
I paid. As there is no market here for buckwheat
will 6<>me one advise me how I can dispose of it to
the best advantage ? Milton Parker.

Quick, la., Nov. 9, 1889.

KNOCKING PRICES DOWN WITH HONEY-DEW.

Bees here have been a complete failure this year.
One man sold a lot of honey-dew at one of the
stores. He sold it, I suppose, for good honey. That
is what smashes the home market. People eat
such stuff as that, and they are sick of honey, when
perhaps ihey do not know how good honey tastes.

Fred C. Fuller.

Montague, Mass., Oct. 22, 1889.

PREVENTING INCREASE.

I am interested in methods of preventing in-
crease when working for comb honey. Have we
had all the available information about methods of
proceeding, and of the success of the plan of re-
moving the queen to prevent swarming? Can we
not try Mr. Doolittle's new plan of preventing in-
crease without transferring the bees to half-depth
hives? J. S. Hunt.

Charlestown, N. H., Oct. 29, 1889.

0a^ QaEgJFi0N-B@&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

RHEUMATISM, ETC.

I used to have it a good deal, but have been prick-
ed a good many times by the little " varmints." I
don't have it now; and whether it is the stings or
honey that I eat, I can not say.

The Ignotum tomato seeds were received late, and
the ground was rather wet from so much rain; but
they did quite well. I think, all things considered,
they are the best tomatoes I ever raised— nearly
solid, no rot, and fine flavor. C. S. Walker.

Grafton, Vt., Nov. 1, 1889.

I send the latest quotations on honey and wax,
from the Sao Francisco Bulletin.

Honey— We quote: White comb, 10@12c; amber,
7@9c; white liquid, extracted, hlA%6o; amber, colored
and candied, \lA&oc per lb. Beeswax— Quotable at
I9@aicperlb.

St. Helena, Cal., Nov. 2, 1889. W. C. Aiken.

[Thanks, friend A. By the way, will not some of
our Calfornia readers send us the names of one or
more reliable honey commission men in their state?
No one quotes the California market in Gleanings.
We should like the names of one or two in New Or-
leans also.]

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked. " For Our Question-Box."

Question 149.— a. How much per pound can we af-
ford to pay for retailing-packages (of a capacity of,
say, from one to five pounds) for extracted honey? b.
Which do you prefer— glass or tin for the purpose? c.
What sort of a label do you prefer for each; that is,
large or small?

Where 1 have retailed extracted honey, the par-
ties buying furnish their own packages.
New York. C. G. M. Doolittlk.

a. A cent a pound in our town; a 5 and 3 lb. pack-
age sells the best. b. We use tin pails without la-
bels.

Wisconsin. S. W. E. France.

a. That depends entirely upon the advantage the
package is in securing a price for the honey, b.
Glass is the most attractive, or may be so. c. Medi-
um size, and plain.

Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boahdman.

a. I never sold my honey in a market that requir-
ed such small packages, so I can not answer from
experience, b. I prefer tin for larger packages, c.
I never used large labels.

Cuba. O. O. Poppleton.

a. I allow one cent per pound. I deliver the goods
at the store, b. Tin pails, holding 3, 5, and 10
pounds c. A large label, well printed, with direc-
tions how to bring the honey back to a liquid state
when granulated, etc.

Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum.

a. My experience is limited. The whole affair de-
pends much upon how your customers have been
educated, b. At the same price, I should prefer
glass, c. On glass, a small label; on tin, the larger
the better.

Illinois. N. C. C. Miller.

a. I never have honey retailed in less than 10-lb.
packages, on which 1 feel free to pay 10% for the
selling, b. I use tin only. c. A large label, giving
a number of brief points of information in refer-
ence to our occupation.

California. S. W. R. Wilkin.

I can not answer. It depends on the market. I
prefer useful glass cans like fruit-jars, or else jelly-
cups, or else cheap tin pails. That is, I can market
such most readily here. The Muth jars do not sell
well. People say they don't wish to pay so much
for a " bottle."

Michigan. C. A. J. Cook.

a. We must buy vessels as cheap as we can get
them, consistent with the style we want. b. We
prefer glass jars for small packages up to 2 pounds;
tin, for packages from 3 to 50 pounds, c. The label
should always be in proportion to the package.
Our tin cans cost f rom 1 to 2 cents per pound for
honey.

Ohio. S. W. C. F. Muth.

I always sell extracted honey in the 25 to 50 gallon
barrels, therefore I can't say; but as you have
quoted prices of all kinds of receptacles for honey,

962

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

and no doubt know your market prices of honey,
you certainly can estimate better than one who
sells in another market. A neat and attractive la-
bel, and one that suits the package.
Louisiana. E. ( . P. L. Viallon.

a. I have never handled packages of less than 10
pounds for extracted honey. Dealers have gener-
ally handled honey for me for one cent per pound,
b. Tin. c. One having good plain type, so they can
be read easily— not too coarse and gaudy, like the
cheap-soap advertisements.

Wisconsin. S. W. S. 1. Freeborn.

a. We should pay more for a pound package, per
pound, than for a 5-pound , package. We pay about
3 cents per pound of honey for the small ones, and
1V2 to 2 cents per pound of honey for the larger
sizes, b. We prefer tin. c. Large labels, explain-
ing that granulation is the best proof of its purity,
and how to liquefy granulated honey.

Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son.

a. I don't know. I haven't retailed any for sev-
eral years in anything else than yellow pails. I
should prefer tin; and for the pound, a can without
bail. Two to three cents a pound, I judge, would
buy them. A neat and fair-sized label, in propor-
tion to size of package, would be better than too
much display. Its purity would be less questioned
if without any label.

New York. C. P. H. El wood.

a. I don't know. I have had but little experience,
my honey being mostly sold by the gallon, to con-
sumers, b. I saw some very neat paper packages
at the Detroit exposition, that I should think would
be nice for the purpose. The cost would be less
than one cent per pound, c. If the package is large,
use a large label; if small, use a small one. If tin
is used, cover with a neat label; if glass is used,
use such a label as will allow the honey to be seen.

Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason.

The less we have to pay for a package, the more
honey we can sell put up in that package. For any
thing over a quart, I prefer tin to glass, especially
for liquid honey. The package should be useful
after the honey is taken from it, and we have no
tin receptacle of less than that capacity that is of
any use. Liquid honey sells best in glass, but can-
died honey better in tin. Glass jelly-tumblers do
well for a small package, but are too expensive to
sell a great quantity of honey in. Until the house-
keeper gets all the jelly-tumblers she wants, they
are the best thing we can get for a small package.
The label for a glass package should be small. For
a tin package it should cover the entire surface as
far as possible.

Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green.

The subject of this question is one of great inter-
est and importance to bee-keepers. We can stand
it to pay a cent or half a cent per pound for the
cost of packages— I mean per pound of honey they
contain; but you see when we get down to half
pounds and pounds they must necessarily cost very
much more. There is where the trouble is. In my
opinion, tin is not going into general use for honey.
Honey is not a staple, and never will be at any
price for which we can afford to produce it. It is a
fancy luxury, first, last, and all the time, and glass
is the thing to put it up in, in packages of less than
half a gallon. Use a small label on glass, so the

contents will show off well,
prefer to label it all over.
Michigan. S. W.

If I used tin I should

James Heddon.

This would depend upon the style of package. If
the package itself would enhance the price of the
honey, we could perhaps pay 2 cents a pound; but
for a 5-pound package, the price should not be
much over one cent. Our 5-pound packages, with
label, cost 1J4 cents, b. We prefer tin for %%, 5, and
10 pound packages; glass for anything smaller.
The latter should come under the head of fancy
packages, c. For a 5-pound pail, a plain label, to go
about half way around— the same size label used
on all of our tins. For glass, a small fancy litho-
graph label.

New York. E. Rambler.

I think we should keep the cost of package be-
low 2 cents a pound, although for one-pound pack-
ages it may be necessary to go higher. I prefer tin.
As to label, I am just heathen enough to think it is
a good plan to sell honey without any label at all.
The general public know more than you give them
credit for, brethren. They actually know that it
takes time and expense to make honey-packages
look like Solomon in all his glory, and that they
have to pay for it all. With all the wealth of orna-
mentation that we have now almost everywhere,
they don't care to have their honey-cans decorated
by Raphael and Rubens. One of the best strikes a
body can make is to induce his customers to think
he is trying to furnish them with good honey as
cheaply as practicable. People like to believe this
—and if it is true, it is not so very hard to induce the
belief. To avoid all needless clap-trap that makes
expense, is one good way to convince people that
you are thinking of their interests as well as your
own.

Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty.

There seems to be a pretty fair agreement
all through the above answers. Two of the
friends, however, Elwood and Hasty, sug-
gest that, under some circumstances, honey
will sell better without a label than with.
After people get acquainted, and know you,
they do not care any thing about a label. In
fact, I have noticed the disposition that
friend Hasty speaks of. It is something
like this : " Give me some honey as cheap
as you can, and in the cheapest possible
package. I do not waut any show or dis-
play. 1 just want some genuine honey."
When we first began selling horseradish on
our wagon I thought it was very important
to have a label on it, telling that the horse-
radish was put up with the very best quali-
ty of white-wine vinegar, and that the en-
tire work was in the hands of careful wo-
men in our establishment, so it was pure,
clean, and wholesome. The boys, however,
very soon began to report that people pre-
ferred it without any label. The label made
it look as if it came from a city manufac-
tory, and they preferred home-made horse-
radish in plain clean bottles. White flint-
glass bottles, instead of green window-
glass, was a decided improvement. When,
however, some careless packer let a fly or
two get into the bottle in such a way that
customers could see it, it was an advertise-
ment in the wrong direction, you may be
sure.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

963

PERTAINING TO BEE CULTURE.

THE GOLDEN BEE HIVE, AGAIN.

Dear friend Root (for I have learned to love you as
one through Gleanings):— Inclosed please find a
circular containing- something' about the Golden
hive. I saw in Gleanings, Sept. 15, 1889, page 693,
that the circular is a fraud. Mr. .1. B. Picked is now
in Concord, Cabarrus Co., N. C, selling farm-rights
for $8.00, and giving a hive. Please ^publish the
same in Gleanings, and send a copy to our local
paper, The Times, Concord. He promised me to-day
that he would publish what you had in Gleanings.

Concord, N. C, Nov. 14, 1889. S. L. Klutts.

The day after, friend K. writes again as
follows:

Mr. A. I. Boot.— On my way home yesterday even-
ing, J. W. Carriker showed me a circular that J. B.
Pickerl had given him on you. which you will find
inclosed. We do uo( like to see such reports
circulated on you, for we have come to love you as
a true Christian gentleman. Of course, we know
nothing of Gleanings ten years ago, but we do not
believe one word of it. I am trying to get all the
evidence that can be had concerning the Golden
bee-hive man. I wrote to A. J. Cook, asking him if
it was true that he ever used the Golden hive.
Please send a copy of Gleanings to The Times,
Concord, with the article marked. He promised to
publish it. Also send a copy to J. C. Klutts, who
bought a farm-right of the Golden bee-hive. His
postofttce is Clear Creek, N. C. Send one to J. W.
Carriker, Pioneer Mills, N. C. S. L. Klutts.

Clear Creek, N. C, Nov. 15, 1889.

Here is another letter from another friend
in the same vicinity :

Mr. A. I. Root:— I have been a subscriber to
Gleanings for some time, and have become some-
what attached to you in that way. But there is a
gentleman in our county (if I can call him such)
who is selling the Golden hive, and circulating
scandalous circulars concerning you. In looking
over Gleanings I find him advertised in the
September number, 1888, as a humbug. I tell you,
I just felt like saying Sunday-school words to him
when he tried to injure a man whom 1 have every
reason to believe is honest, and a Christian, and is
trying to better his fellow-man. Please to give the
gentleman a hearing in the Concord Times, a weekly
paper published in our county.

R. J. Caldwell, M. D.

Clear Creek, N. C, Nov. 15, 1889.

We do not need to occupy very much
space in noticing these circulars. A single
sentence from the large circular will be suf-
ficient :

Prof. A. J. Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural
College at Lansing, reports over $ 80.00 from each
swarm of bees kept in the Golden hive last year.

Our friends will notice that this is the
same thing we gave in the September issue.
Now, a man who will, year after year, print
such a statement, when Prof. Cook never
made any such report, and never had the
Golden bee-hive in his apiary at all, would
probably do any thing to get money. In re-
gard to the small circular alluded to, slan-
dering your humble servant, I will only say
that it is on a little sheet without a date, put

out by N. C. Mitchell about ten years ago. A
sentence, or even a part of one from this
circular, will explain why Mitchell got it
out.

" No doubt many of you, and especially those who
read Gleanings, know that A. I. Root has kept our
name at the top of his Humbug column . . . ."

This is true. N. C. Mitchell has been ad-
vertised as a humbug and swindler, off and
on, for toward fifteen years. Good father
Langstroth, in commenting on the matter,
once said, " If Mitchell had employed the
same talents, skill, and education, in honest
work, that he has in trying to defraud, he
might have been well off." This is no
doubt true. Well, he who exposes hum-
bugs must expect slander and abuse. Many
of the present readers of Gleanings may
perhaps not be aware that your humble ser-
vant has not been preaching Jesus Christ all
of his life. When there came a change it
was a great change. " To be carnally mind-
ed is death ; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace." Mitchell, of course, picked
up fragments of the old A. I. Root, and
thought with these to frighten me from my
purpose of exposing him. Of course, I did
not frighten worth a cent ; for he who is
serving the Master has nothing to fear,
even from his enemies. Do not be troubled,
dear friends. Let the enemies of truth and
honesty scatter as many circulars as they
please ; they will not harm your old friend.
His trust and refuge is with Him who
said, 'k Blessed are ye when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and say all manner
of evil against you falsely, for my sake.''''
Something comes in here, however, "which I
do not understand. What has Pickerl or
the Golden bee-hive to do with Mitchell, with
his old adjustable hive? It seems to me
that we are unearthing and bringing to
light an old humbug under a new guise.
We are very much obliged to the friends for
giving us prompt notice of the patent-hive
frauds. When Mitchell was exposed in one
locality he moved to another. In fact, he
started out in different localities, north,
south, east, and west; but when he found
that a subscriber of Gleanings popped up
in almost every neighborhood, he seemed to
lose heart, and, we hoped, had concluded,
as good father Langstroth had said, that
more money was to be made in honest, legit-
imate business, than by trying to get it by
falsehood and fraud. We have heard of
nothing in regard to Mitchell now for some
years. When friend K. gets his answer
from Prof. Cook, we hope he will place the
matter in the hands of the proper author-
ities, and have Pickerl arrested. If money
is wanted to bring him to justice, we shall
be glad to help furnish it.

Since the above was written we have been
printing a lot of order-sheets for friend Jen-
kins. On the back of these he has the fol-
lowing :

A WARNING I

Stop thief! I hail the vender of " Rights " to use
the " Golden," the " Bernbeiin." and other so-called
patent (?) bee-hives. Quit your meanness, and make
an houest living by doing something else than going
about the country, taking people's money for—
nothing.

Let us review the matter of patented hives a lit-
tle. In 1851 the Rev. L. L. Langstroth invented and

964

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec

patented the first practical bee-hive the world ever
knew. Its principal features were the movable
frame and bee-space. As Mr. Langstroth's patent
expired more than twenty years ago, his hive, and
all its valuable features, are public property. Since
that time hundreds of patents have been issued on
bee-hives, and the great majority of them have
been on claims or principles worse than worthless.
It is an easy matter to get a patent on any novelty
or new design, even if it is practically useless. Thus
it is easy to attach some clasp, feeder, fixture, or
something patented, to an otherwise unpatented hive,
and the combination proclaimed, with a slight de-
gree of truth, a patented hive! Some so-called pat-
ented hives have been industriously shoved in com-
munities; and the people would afterward discover
that there was no patent on the hive at all, may be
on no part of it, and that they had been duped by
swindlers who had sought fresh pastures elsewhere.
In either case the usual result is, the purchaser of
the "Right" finds himself in possession of the
plans for a hive that no one but a flrst-class me-
chanic can construct properly (as the majority of
them are very complicated). Such labor costs more
than he can afford to pay, and he does not use his
" Right " after buying it !

This is a significant fact; think of it: The largest
and most successful bee-keepers in the world— men
who produce tons of honey, and who make bee-
keeping a life study, do not use patented hives!
They are posted, and would not hesitate to pay $100
for the right to a hive that would give them any ad-
vantage over the unpatented hives they use.

Bee-keepers and farmers, put your bees into
good unpatented frame hives, and keep them as
they deserve; and if you want to make your own
hives, do so; but don't pay any man a cent for the
right to make them. If the patent-hive agent calls
on you or gets into your neighborhood, set the dog
on him; show him up; warn your neighbors of him;
make it unpleasant and unprofitable for him, and
he won't abide with you long.

My friends, these are hard things to say; but
the Southern people have been and are being so im-
posed upon that I feel justified in thus warning
them. If you don't believe what I say, write to the
editor of any bee-paper in America, and ask him if
I am not right.

I^YgEIiF Tip W ]^EIGflB0I^.

There shall arise false Christs and false prophets,
and shall show great signs and wonders ; insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect.— Matt. 24 : 24.

TTp S a rule, those who follow Christ Jesus
^fjb are expected to show, in their daily

jP** conduct, love and kindness ; and per-
■*** haps I should say, only love and kind-
ness under all circumstances and on
all occasions. Jesus conquered by love. It
is true, that on one or two occasions he had
to drive certain people from the temple.
He even used a whip of knotted cords, and
turned their money-tables over. But these
few occasions are isolated, and stand almost
alone. His mission in this world seems to
have been mainly to persuade people toward
better ways. If they would not be persuad-
ed, they were allowed to go on in their own
evil ways. We therefore, then, who are fol-
lowers of Christ, should do our work in the
spirit of love and kindness. This the world
has learned to recognize and expect. When
we attempt to enforce law and order in any
other way, very likely we shall hear, " A
pretty specimen of a Christian you are ! "
or, " Do you call that Christianity? " Well,
even if we do meet such words and opposi-
tion, I believe that every true Christian is
called upon, sooner or later, to meet Satan
in a regular pitched battle. I would not
court controversy nor quarrel nor conflict ;

but I think there is a time when forbear-
ance ceases to be a virtue. A very simple
incident will perhaps illustrate my mean-
ing. A good deal is said about ruling dumb
brutes by love and kindness. In fact, I am
a strong believer in the doctrine myself. I
would not pound a balky horse, neither
would I allow it to be done in my presence.
I would strive, however, to accomplish
what I wish, by mild words. We may be
mild, and yet Arm at the same time ; but
with me it is one of the most difficult mat-
ters that I have ever had to meet. Our old
Charlie, that draws the market-wagon, is
an excellent horse for business. He is large
and strong, and ambitious ; yes, he will
work until he falls down, if you let him.
He will also stand hour after hour, all over
town, and we never think of such a thing
as hitching him. At the same time, he has
some little notions that are not pleasant,
and, like one of the human family, he very
soon discovers whether he can make his
driver respect his notions or not. If his
driver is a man who knows what a horse
ought to do, and is determined to make him
do it, he submits readily enough. When
we back the market-wagon out of the house
built expressly for it, sometimes when the
roads are heavy the thills are dropped part-
ly on the plank sidewalk. Old Charlie has
a kind of theory of his own, that sidewalks
are made for men and women to walk on, but
not for horses. He will not step on the walk
if he can help it ; and if he is obliged to
stand there, he backs and stamps and
twists. I have often remonstrated with the
boys for allowing him to have his own way ;
but rather than have a tussle with him they
push and tire themselves out in backing the
wagon off through the mud. When I re-
monstrated, one of them asked me to make
him step into the thills while they were
across the sidewalk, if I thought I could do
it. He backed so stubbornly that I had
much difficulty in getting the thills through
the straps, and then he came very near
breaking them by trying to get off from the
planks, cramping them sidewise. We were
late that morning, and so I let him go.
Another morning, when we had more time,
I told the boys to wait until I had taught
the horse a lesson in obedience. I had had
a like experience with him before in other
things, and I knew what was needed. I
did not want a whip. I simply wanted a lit-
tle stick— a short piece of lath suits me best
for such a purpose. I waited until I found
it, and then I took him by the bits, and
said, decidedly, " Now, Charlie, behave your-
self, or there will be trouble.'1 He saw the
stick in my hand, and knew by my tones,
doubtless, that there was not going to be
any fooling, nor time wasted. I took pains
to hold the stick where he could see it clear-
ly. He stepped into the thills, without any
trouble whatever. When we began to raise
them he commenced to back, as on former
occasions. I simply raised the stick, and
said, firmly, " Look here, sir ! you behave ! "
That was all. He did exactly as I wanted
to have him, without any fooling, and with-
out wasting perhaps five or ten minutes.
The next time, he behaved well without

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

965

any stick ; but when the boys tried to handle
him he behaved just as he had on former
occasions. I presume he rather enjoys hav-
ing a tussle. Very likely it varies the mo-
notony of going around from house to house,
and standing still, doing nothing a great
part of the time.

Now, my friends, please do not get an
idea that I think we ought to make every-
body toe the mark according to our own pecul-
iar notions. God forbid. Most of us are,
however, called upon, sooner or later, to be
responsible for the conduct of others, to a
greater or lesser extent. When God spoke
to Samuel, pronouncing judgment on Eli,
the accusation was, " His sons made them-
selves vile, and he restrained them not.'* The
three little words tell the story — " restrained
them not.11 The Scriptures tell us that he
remonstrated, and doubtless protested. He
told them they ought not to do so, but omit-
ted to say any thing about must. But they
did so, notwithstanding. " What is to be
done?" do you ask? Well, I should say
take a lath, as I did to old Charlie. Very
likely you mav not need to use the lath any
more than I did ; but if you can not give the
boys to understand in any other way than
that, that you mean what you say, by all
means take a lath. I think, however, the
parent who is in real earnest can get along
without any lath or rod either. He must be
prepared, however, to enforce obedience,
even though it cost a conflict. One who
teaches school is in the same position, only
his held is a wider one. One who is employ-
ed by the government to look after govern-
ment property has a still wider field. One
who is employed by a great institution to
look after the men and women who do the
work, in the same line has responsibilities
that he can not safely evade. I know the
workmen are sometimes inclined to feel ill
will toward the foreman who "squeals.'1
Now, it is bad to lose the good will and hearty
co-operation of those over whom we have
charge ; but it is a worse thing to let them
have their own way, and destroy or pilfer
the property of the employer.

Shall I tell you, dear friends, what has led
to this long preface ? Well, it is because I
have been feeling for some time that there
were some few things that I ought to touch
upon, even through these Home Papers. I
have hesitated, and have forborne to do so
because I might hurt the feelings of a good
many — perhaps some near and dear friends.
Even though this be true, however, I ought
not to hesitate to sty things when I see oth-
ers suffering and being led into error while
I say nothing. Of course, I ought to be very
sure that I am not in error myself; and in mat-
ters where there are differences of opinion,
perhaps it is often as well to let them alone.
Gleanings has for vears kept up what we
call a Humbug and Swindle department. A
good many times, however, this department
has been out of sight because it is so ex-
tremely necessary that I make no mistake in
the matter ; that is, that tlie thing pro-
nounced to be a humbug and swindle be
most unmistakably and clearly so. And
even when it seems there can be no question
or doubt in the mind of any sane individual,

there will still be a few who insist that the
thing is honest and legitimate. A great
trade is now being carried on in our coun-
try in what are called electrical appliances
for the cure of disease. I am himly satis-
fied that these are, without question, hum-
bugs and swindles. The fact that many have
tried them and have been helped (in their
opinion) does not change my convictions a
particle; neither does the fact that there
are large manufactories engaged in making
electric medals, belts,' bracelets, braces,
jackets, hair- brushes, etc. My friend, if you
have any confidence at all in A I. Root,
please believe that he knows when he tells
you that these things by themselves have no
effect whatever in the cure of disease.
Electricity has been my study a great part
of my life, and almost a passion from child
hood.

I know, while I speak, that many of you
will not believe me. Even in our own es-
tablishment, electrical belts have been pur-
chased by women who are comparatively
poor ; yes, and they have paid as high as ten
or fifteen dollars for them to smooth-
tongued agents. Worse still, the agent was
a woman ; and it is not a very pleasant task
to tell a woman that she is a humbug and a
swindler. This woman carried a magnetic
needle which she placed on the table ; then
because it flew around when she moved the
belt under the table, with the statement
that the belt exerted a powerful influence
for the cure of disease, it carried convic-
tion. The belt was made of a string of
magnets. I know that many of you insist
.that magnetism has power over disease.
Let me quote from Scribner^s Magazine, for
November, page 598. The article was writ-
ten by M. Allen Starr, M. D. :

The most careful experiments have shown that
the human body is as completely insensitive to
magnetism, and as wholly unaffected by it, as a
piece of rubber or of wood. A person may stand
between the poles of the strongest mag-net. one
which might hold up a ton of iron, without the
slightest perceptible effect upon any of the bodily
functions being produced. Hence all so called mag-
netic appliances, brushes or combs, disks, belts,
and magnets, have absolutely no curative power
whatever.

Magnetism is not electricity ; but even if
it were, it would do you no good. Later on,
a gentleman came into our office and wished
to show me a belt that really gave forth a
current of electricity. When I took the
ends in my lingers there was, unmistakably,
a feeble electric current. The belt was
made of zinc and copper. It was wrapped
in a cloth moistened with some acid. He
said it was dipped in a solution of weak vin-
egar every morning to start the current.

"Very good,"' said I. "You have an
electric current here ; and I may say this is
the first time that I have ever seen a trace
of electricity from these so called belts,
medals, etc. But, my friend, do you know
that even this current of electricity has lit-
tle if any power at all in curing any sort of
disease '?"

He owned up that 1 was right. " But,'"
said he, " Mr. Root, the world is so crazy
for something in the way of electricity, that
the'fact that they' can feel the current does

966

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

a wonderful sight toward making them feel
better."

This agent was honest enough to admit
what I knew to be true. He had once been
a bee-keeper, and had read Gleanings. He
had quite a talk with me on the matter, and
1 am pretty sure he has never sold any more
electrical belts. Perhaps it is true, that
electrical instruments in the hands of your
family physician may at times prove bene-
ficial; but your family physician, if he is
well informed and honest, will tell you that
the effect is more upon the imagination thau
upon the body. Mrs. Root had one of the
latest and most improved machiues in the
house for several weeks. Our family phy-
sician advised her to try it for neuralgia.
She and I were anxious to succeed just a
little with it, and for a double reason. We
were both compelled, however, to decide
that it had no effect, after giving it an ex-
tended trial. The same article I have
quoted from in Scribyier's Magazine, "Elec-
tricity in Relation to the Human Body,"
gives the following on page 599 :

The curative powers of electricity are really very
limited, and have often been exaggerated by those
to whose interest it is to urge them.

Now, then, friends, if it is a fearful thing
to take the money of poor, hard-working
women, and give them something under the
pretense of science which really is as inef-
fective as a horseshoe nailed over a door,
there is a kind of humbugging and swin-
dling growing rapidly among us, that is, in
my mind, a hundred times worse. It comes
under different guises and under different
names. It is this matter of curing disease'
by what the advocates term the prayer or
faith cure. The manufacturers of electrical
appliances, although they are swindling the
masses, do not call upon the Almighty to
witness that they are honest. Nor do they
pretend that they have a special power from
on high to heal by touch, as did our Savior,
or to heal by simply praying when miles
distant. I know there are many among our
readers who will, perhaps, be greatly offend-
ed because of the above ; and many, no
doubt, will refuse to have our journal any
longer in their homes. You will say that I
am wrong. You will say that I have not
seen the right kind of faith cure. Some of
you will say, that I am entirely unacquaint-
ed with Christian science. I assure you that'
I have taken pains to acquaint myself re-
peatedly, only to discover, after sufficient
investigation, unmistakable signs of the
cloven hoof. I heard of it in different places
in California, and I met it in Wisconsin. It
is round about my own home. In fact,
near relations have sent money to pretend-
ers in cities far away to have them pray for
them. Men who have never prayed for
tJiemselves are praying for others, for a fee of
$5.00 per hour. You must pay $ 5.00 before
any praying is done. It reminds me of the
reply of Peter, as we read in the eighth
chapter of Acts : " But Peter said unto
him, Thy money perish with thee, because
thou hast thought that the gift of God may
be purchased with money. Thou has nei-
ther part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart
is not right in the sight of God." When-

ever I hear of these things I at once make
inquiries in regard^ to the character and
reputation of the one who pretends or pro-
fesses to effect the cures ; and every time it
seems to me that Peter's answer fills the
bill exactly.

Many of them profess to love the Bible
and the Christian religion. They want to
walk hand in hand with Christian people.
For a time I have been deceived myself.
Sooner or later, however, it comes out like
the little story in the 16th chapter of Acts,
as follows :

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a cer-
tain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
met us, which brought her masters much gain by
soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and
cried, saying, These men are the servants of the
most high God, which shew unto us the way of sal-
vation. And this did 6he many days. But Paul,
being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I com-
mand thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her. And he came out the same hour.

You will no doubt tell me that the follow-
ers of Christian science in your neighbor-
hood do not receive money ; that they do
their work as Christ did his, without fee or
recompense. I have heard this repeatedly ;
but in every case where I have followed it
out I found that it was not true. The five
or ten dollars came in somewhere. Of
course, they explained it by saying that the
money was a tree gift from' some person of
means who felt grateful. Very well. Ask
these persons who have been healed, after a
few mouths have passed, how it turned out.
It is like the poor girls in our factory, who
would not listen to me. Sadly and sorrow-
fully I' was obliged to give up arguing, and
to wait a few weeks or a few months, until
the things were thrown aside, and remem-
bered only a? mistaken notions that did not
stand the wear and tear of everyday life and
of every-day experience. Your family physi-
cian, through his medical journals, is
promptly informed of every inch of prog-
ress made in the way of new remedies and
new methods of curing disease. He knew
all about electricity and its applications
in this line years ago. New discoveries, of
value, do not come through traveling agents
without name and without reputation. In
the same way our established ministers of
the gospel are perfectly competent to ad-
vise in regard to the cure of disease by
prayer. Do not let anybody persuade you
that God is more ready to hear somebbdy
else pray for your afflictions than he is to
hear such a prayer as you can make your
own self. I have, through all my Christian
life, been in the habit of asking God to help
me and give me light in regard to this mat-
ter of sickness and pain. After such prayer,
I have many times been strongly impressed
with the importance of pure air. pure water,
plenty of sunshine, plenty of sleep, etc. Per-
haps when I am suffering bodily pain I pray
for myself with alittle more earnestness than
I do for others ; but I hope I am not so self-
ish as to pray for myself only. Sometimes,
it is true, I pray for those who will not pray
for themselves; but I pave much more faith
when 1 know the afflicted one is lifting up
his heart also to the great Judge of all the
earth. If you are under great affliction, by
all means ask your pastor or your believing

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

967

friends to pray for you. But do not, I beg
of you, think of paying money to somebody,
for a little careful reading of your own Bi-
bles will show you that such a course is al-
most exactly in a line with Simon the sor-
cerer, or the damsel that grieved the heart
of poor Paul. Perhaps I should say a little
more about those who declare that they
have experienced this relief that is almost
miraculous. The article 1 have copied from
Scribner's Magazine touches a good deal
upon this point. Let me give you an illus-
tration from my own experience.

When Warner's Safe Cure first became
advertised so extensively, I, like thousands
of others, imagined that it was just what I
needed. I purchased a bottle at our drug-
store, and was so greatly benefited, that,
had it not been for Mrs. Root, I might have
come out in print and advised all the
readers of Gleanings and all the friends
of A.. 1. Root to buy Warner's Safe Cure.
By her advice I waited awhile. I bought a
dozen bottles. I took the medicine accord-
ing to directions, for a month. Then I
stopped for a month, and varied the test re-
peatedly until I became fully satisfied that
it had no effect on me whatever. My ex-
planation is something like this : There
was a great excitement about the new med-
icine and its wonderful cures, made known
by testimonials from great men. I was ani-
mated and enthusiastic over the idea of get-
ting relief. I had faith enough to expect
speedy results. The faith and the anima-
tion of testing something new seemed to bring
what I hoped for. Perhaps the result was
somewhat due to my specially hopeful or-
ganization. After I had finished eleven
bottles my difficulty was a little worse than
it had ever been before. I do not think,
however, it did any harm at all in my case.
(A teacupf ul of hot lemonade, just before go-
ing to bed, is the remedy I now feel like rec-
ommending.) lean tell you, however, of a
case where the Safe cure did do harm. It
resulted in the loss of the life of a most val-
uable man. He needed the advice of a com-
petent physician. Dreading to consult one,
however, he, like myself, was attracted by
the wonderful promises of Warner's Safe
Cure, so he depended upon that instead of
upon the physician. When the doctor was
finally summoned, it was too late. Had he
first consulted even a member of his own
family who was teaching physiology and
anatomy, his life would, without question,
have been saved. He, however, kept the
matter to himself, and trusted in the patent
medicine. My friends, these things can never
take the place of the family physician and
the pastor of your church.

Before I leave this matter of patent medi-
cines I want to say that I do not believe it
honest and upright to advertise by trickery.
Any thing that can not be brought to the
people boldly and squarely, I should be sus-
picious of. I also believe that the editor
who humbugs his readers by giving them an
advertisement in the reading - columns
(couched in such terms as are generally
used for reading-matter) will suffer for it
sooner or later. Suppose, for instance, the
druggist in your town should go to the doc-

tor, and say, " Look here, doctor, I have a
great lot of old medicine on hand that is out
of date. If you will recommend it to your
patients I will give you half I get for it.1'

Now, suppose that the doctor should, in
his smooth and natural way, tell his patients
right and left that he had found something
of great value at the drugstore, and that he
could honestly recommend it for the very
difficulty in question. No doubt both par-
ties would get quite a lot of money. But,
when you come to find out what had been
done, how would you feel toward the doc-
tor and toward the druggist V They would
very soon be obliged to move out of town.
It is the same with the editors of newspa-
pers. They are expected to give advice as
the family physician does ; and if they abuse
this trust, by recommending something they
know nothing about, because they are paid
for lending their name and influence, woe
betide them. It has been urged, that, when
we employ our pastors to our separate
churches, we hire them with money to pray
for us. The statement is not true. The
pastor of a church is employed, like the
superintendent of a school or of a factory,
to look after the best interests of all employ-
ed. Now, neither the pastor nor the school-
teacher, nor the foreman of a factory, can
do his work well, in my opinion, without be-
ing a praying man. But that does not mean
that we pay him money to get him to pray.

A few days ago I found on my table a pa-
per written by our stenographer, W. P.
Root. It was .in reply to a question from
one of his fellow-workers as to what he
thought of a certain journal devoted to
Christian science. I think it will answer
uicely to close our talk with to-day :

Friend L.—lf you will but examine for a moment,
what those Christian (?) scientists claim, you and I
can have but one opinion of them. They claim, for
instance, to cure disease by thought. They put
Christ in the same kettle with a dozen imaginary
characters in the poetical books of the Hindoos,
coin a lot of big and unpronounceable words, boil
the whole together, and call it Christian science.
They ask us to throw aside all the conclusions of
modern science in regard to medicine. I have
no patience with a man who will put Jesus
Christ's name down as a mere fetich, as of
no more value than a horseshoe, to insure us
against bad luck. Is it any wonder that such men
should print large books, telling us what to do with
children that are born when the planets are in a
certain position in regard to each other? What
sense is there in that, any more than in consulting
the wagon-tracks in the road? The planets exercise
no influence upon us, except to preserve the equi-
librium of the solar system. If " fools rush in
where angels fear to tread," this Christian science,
or esoteric philosophy, is a splendid proof of it.
Well did Christ say, that in the last days men
should arise, deceiving, if possible, the very elect.
But the greatest surprise is, that humanity at large
can be so easily led astray by the talk of these men.
They speak in a friendly manner of the Bible, of
God, and of Christ; but Christianity has never had
such terrible enemies as those that cast out devils
in her name. We may be sure that God has given
these men no particular measure of wisdom above

968

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

other people. Their pretensions are palpably ab-
surd. Of course, some things they say are true;
but these truths are mere spangles on a garment of
falsehood. In its open attack on Christianity, infi-
delity has spent all its venom. Christianity has
proved itself to be of divine origin by its fruits;
and now Satan appears in another garb— that of a
hand-maid — begging to walk along with Christian-
ity. But of this be sure: At the last great day it
will be said, " Depart, I never knew you." W. P.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

That art on which a thousand millions of men are dependent
for their sustenance, and two hundred millions of men expend
their daily toll, must be the most important of all— the parent
and precursor of all other arts. In every country, then, and at
every period, the Investigation of the principles on which the
rational practice of this art is founded ought to have command-
ed the principal attention of the greatest minds

James F. W. Johnston.

TOMATOES AND TOMATO CULTURE.

Editor Gleanings:—

1 am becoming enthusiastic over tomato culture
in winter. We have only hard frosts here; no
snow nor much ice; I want the kinds of tomatoes
that bear the largest crop late. What kinds of to-
matoes stand freezing best, have the largest crop
of green tomatoes, late and strong grower, etc.?
Nice tomatoes in winter bring a handsome price
here as elsewhere, and no great protection is need-
ed. Does the tomato stand heavy fertilizing, like
strawberries and some kinds of vegetables?

Fresno, Cal., Nov. 13, 1889. O. S. Davis.

Friend D., I should say that you have
wonderful facilities for growing tomatoes in
the winter time. As they are a tender trop-
ical plant, however, you will need to protect
them, not only from frost, but they seem to
be a good deal injured when the thermome-
ter gets down to about 40 degrees. Most
plants, when the leaves are scorched by
frost, will recover, and grow about as well
as ever ; but the tomato seems to be hurt
clear down to its roots whenever even the
tops of the foliage are frosted. I do not
think there is very much difference in varie-
ties, so far as standing cold is concerned.
Perhaps in your locality a cold frame in a
protected situation will be all that is need-
ed. I am afraid, however, that you will
need a little heat during severe spells. If
the sash were so you could cover them with
mats or shutters, you might be able to get
along without any heat at all.— The Igno-
tum gives the largest crop of green toma-
toes of any thing we have ever had, and
they are of a nice shape as a rule. We had
wagon-loads on the ground, after frost this
season. Some of them are fit to use after
one or two or three pretty severe frosts. I
believe, however, that the little pear or plum
tomatoes will stand more freezing than any
other variety. Only yesterday, Nov. 27, 1
took up some from the ground that looked
to be sound and perfect, and they tasted
almost as well as if they had not been froz-
en at all ; yet I presume they have been
frozen as hard as bullets more than a dozen
times. In fact, we have had one freeze that
would hold up a horse, and yet these toma-

toes were scarcely harmed. — My experience
is, that tomatoes. will not bear fertilizing
like strawberries. Of course, the manure
gives large quantities of fruit ; but they do
not ripen with us before frost, near as well
as when they are put on poor ground. To
get the earliest of almost any thing, you
need rather poor soil, on a hillside facing
the south.

The October Bulletin of the Experiment
Station of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.,
is just at hand. This number is devoted
entirely to tomatoes. Prof. Bailey says, in
regard to the Ignotum :

This variety, which originated with the writer, is
a sport from Eiformige Dauer, a German variety.
It appeared in a very large tomato test made in
1887. It was sent to several parties the following
year, and a plantation of 5U0 plants was made by
the writer. Last year it showed some tendency to
revert, but careful selection has been practiced,
and our plants this year, 422 in number, were all
true to type, with the exception of the variation
due to culture, as discussed on page 116 of this bul-
letin. The Ignotum is without question by far the
finest market tomato which we have ever grown.
Its particular points of superiority are large size,
regularity of shape, solidity, productiveness, and
uniformity throughout the season. It is the largest
and heaviest of the perfectly regular tomatoes, and
the most solid of any of the market sorts. The
pickings from our patches this year were usually
fit for market as they came from the vines; and the
last picking, October 10th, after a long season, was
scarcely inferior to the best picking of the season.

On the last page of their bulletin we find
the following summary in regard to tomato
culture :

1. Frequent transplanting of the young plant,
and good tillage, are necessary to best results to
tomato culture.

2. Plants started under glass about ten weeks be-
fore transplanting into field gave fruits from a
week to ten days earlier than those started two or
three weeks later, while there was £ much greater
difference when the plants were started six weeks
later. Productiveness was greatly increased by the
early planting.

3. Liberal and even heavy manuring, during the
present season, gave great increase in yield over no
fertilizing, although the common notion is quite to
the contrary. Heavy manuring does not appear,
therefore, to produce vine at the expense of fruit.

4. The tests indicate that poor soil may tend to
render fruits more angular.

5. Varieties of tomatoes run out, and ten years
may perhaps be considered the average life of a
variety.

6. The particular points at present in demand in
tomatoes are these: Regularity in shape, solidity,
large size, productiveness of plant.

7. The ideal tomato would probably conform
closely to the following scale of points: Vigor of
plant. 5; earliness 10; color of fruit, 5; solidity of
fruit, 20; shape of fruit, 20; size, 10; flavor, 5; cook-
ing qualities, 5; productiveness, 20.

8. Solidity of fruit can not be accurately meas-
ured, either by weight or keeping qualities.

9. Cooking qualities appear to be largely individ-
ual rather than varietal characteristics.

10. The following varieties appear, from the sea-
son's work, to be among the best market tomatoes:
Ignotum. Beauty, Mikado, Perfection, Favorite, Po-
tato Leaf.

11. The following recent introductions appear to
possess merits for market: Bay State, Atlantic,
Brandywine. Jubilee, Matchless, and perhaps Lor-
illard, Prelude, and Salzer.

12. The following recent introductions are partic-
ularly valuable for amateur cultivation: Dwarf
Champion, Lorillard, Pt ach, Prelude.

By the way, on the first page of the above
bulletin 1 found a little paragraph from the
pen of James F. W. Johnston, that pleased
me so much I have given it a permanent
place at the head or my talks on raising
plants. See head of this department.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

909

THE KUMEKLE LIMA BEANS.

We have succeeded in saving a few seeds,
but not many. The principal trouble with
the bean seems to be the difficulty of getting
the seeds to ripen up dry. They just stay
fit to shell, for weeks and weeks. We cov-
ered them from frost quite a while, then
pulled the stalks and put them in the green-
house, but they kept green, even then.
Finally we placed the pods on trays, and
dried them by steam heat; but some of
them molded, even then, before they had
dried. Now, this is a splendid feature so
far as having the beans to cook is concerned ;
but it is not very splendid where you want
them for seed. In order to find out what
they would be wrorth another season, I ad-
dressed a card to Thorburn, the introducer.
Below is his reply :

Dear Sir:— We shall not have any of Kumerle's
lima beans to offer this season. Yours truly,

New York, Nov. 14, 1889. J as. M. Thorburn.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi-JHoutJtl tj .

JL.. I. BOOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

IvIEDI^T-fi., OHIO.

TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.
i~*—i

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Reading Matter.

2*j£JEIJDTJ<TJ^, DEC. 1, 1889.

Then Saul (who is also called Paul), tilled with the Holv
Ghost, set his eyes on him and said, O full of all subtilty and
all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all right-
eousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the
Lord!— Acts 13: 9, 10.

We have at this date, 9161 subscribers.

EARLY CATALOGUES.

The first catalogue for 1890 that conies to hand is
from Jno. C. Swaner, Salt Lake City, Utah. He ad-
vertises nursery stock and bee-keepers' supplies.
We have just printed catalogues of bees and sup-
plies for John H. Kundinger, Kilmanagh, Mich.,
and for F. W. Lamm, Somervilie, O. We have also
just finished the annual catalogue of J. M. Jenkins,
Wetumpka, Ala., which all our Southern friends
will do well to send for.

GLEANINGS AND THE ABC BOOK FOR COUNTY
INFIRMARIES.

Mrs. Chaddock mentioned, at the close of her
article on page 951. the advisability of sending sam-
ple copies, etc. We will with groat pleasure furnish
& copy of the ABC book, and Gleanings regular-
ly, without charge, to any infirmary or asylum for
the insane, in Wisconsin, or any other State or
place in the world, where there is anybody interest-
ed enough in bee-keeping to care for it.

r-OOK OUT FOR HlMl

B. G. Luttrell, formerly postmaster of Luttrell,
Dekalb Co., Ala., is complained of by several bee-
keepers. He probably obtained credit by the fact
of his being postmaster. As a rule, postmasters are
supposed to be good straight square men; but we
find now and then an exception. Tt seems to me,
however, that there is a wrong somewhere, when a

man who is not responsible is given such an impor-
tant position.

HOUSE-RACING AND FAIRS.

Two of the friends take me to task for recom-
mending fairs while so many of them encourage
horse-racing, gambling, lotteries, etc. I am well
aware of this; but it is not true that all fairs en-
courage even horse racing. Intoxicating liquors
are, 1 believe, ruled out from most of them. Games
of chance are fast following in their wake, and
quite a few counties are holding excellent fairs
without any horse-racing. If it is thought best I
can publish a list of these last. So long as fairs are
mainly for the encouragement of agriculture, the
arts, and industries, I am sure it is not best to turn
our backs on them, even though most of them have
these objectionable features. Let all the good peo-
ple attend, be present at the annual meetings for
discussing these matters, and let us work for these
reforms that are still under way.

PRICE OF ALFALFA SEED.

On page 954 we are told that alfalfa seed is worth
#3.00 per bushel in Kansas. In our catalogue the
price is given as ten dollars per bushel; and, in
fact, considerable quantities were sold a year ago
at $10.00 per bushel. This looks rather bad. Now,
if any of the bee-friends have alfalfa seed for sale
at any thing like $3.00 per bushel, please let them
speak out, and we will remodel our price list. By
the way, I think it will be an excellent idea to give
it a pretty good test on a small scale in a good
many localities. Of course, it will not pay for the
honey alone; but if it wili pay for the hay, even
though we should have to irrigate during a severe
drouth, it may thus indirectly be of great value to
our industry.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT, AGAIN.

Since my Special Notice on page 970 was put to
press, still larger lots of Japanese buckwheat have
been offered us in such quantities that the best
offer we dare make at present writing (Nov. 29) is
50 cents per bushel, of 50 lbs., in cash, or 60 cents in
trade, delivered here. This is for nice clean seed,
suitable to sow. We do not know how long we can
keep even this offer open, nor can we at present
state definitely what will be our selling price. It
will depend upon how much is sent in at the above
figures. Truly the Japanese buckwheat is one of
the greatest improvements, in a single line of grain,
of the present age. All other kinds of buckwheat
can well be thrown aside; and not only the bee-
keepers of our land, but farmers in general, can
unite in tendering a vote of thanks to our enter-
prising seedsman, Peter Henderson. Buckwheat
flour, first quality, York State, is now offered in
the city of Cleveland al $2.00 per cwt.

FALSE STATEMENTS.

There are quite a good many who hold persis-
tently to the idea that comb honey is manufac-
tured; and I am sorry to see in some of the papers
the absurd statements about artificial eggs Still
given. When we remonstrate, a good many say
that more wonderful things than making artificial
eggs and artificial honey-comb are being done every
day. True; but, my dear friends, the great prog-
ress that is being made in the arts and industries
is not in line with fraud at all. It is the reward of
honest, faithful, and persistent work. The man
who dares to perpetrate a fraud upon humanity,
especially in the line of food products, is bad and

970

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

unprincipled ; and it would be a sad thing indeed,
if it were true, that God blesses frauds in that line,
as he does in the line of honest investigation. The
Bible says, " Blessed is the man that walketh not in
the counsel of the ungodly." It also says, further
along, in speaking of the same man, " He 6hall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Now, the
progress of the JOth century has not, and never
will, set these old Bible teachings aside; on the
contrary, if we look carefullj w e shall find it is ex-
actly in a line with them.

.MAILING BEES BY THE POUND.

We notice that friend Doolittle considers the
matter practicable, and defends it. In the Ameri-
can Bee Journal for Nov. 16 he enumerates some of
the benefits that would accrue if it should be ac-
complished. Now, I think I can see more impor-
tant results, even, than he mentions, if this were
possible. A great many people of limited means
ask the question, "How cheap can I get a start in
bees?" Some boy or girl, or perhaps a widow of
small means— one who has leisure, and who has be-
come greatly interested in the industry, would like
to know if a start could be made by getting a
queen-bee and a few attandant bees by mail. Again
and again we explain to them that it is impossible.
Then comes the question, " If they order by ex-
press, what will the express charges be?" Very
often, more than the bees and queen. Now, then,
if half a pound of bees could go along with the
queen. $2.00 would cover the cost of the start,
transportation and all; and from this investment
of $2.00 a whole apiary might be built up; for with
careful management during the month of Mayor
June a queen and half a pound of bees could be
built up to a good colony, and that, too, without
any comb or brood. May be it could be done with
a quarter of a pound of bees; but it would, perhaps,
be a little doubtful. I thought of this years ago—
yes, when I first commenced sending out little
swarms of bees in the wire-cloth basket; but I have
always finally decided, as I do now, that no kind of
cage can be made, stout enough and still light
enough, to make it safe to risk by mail, as there is
so much throwing and banging, the way our mails
are handled. I am, however, open to conviction.

SEEDS OF HONEY-PLANTS.

The trade in these has dropped off greatly. In
fact, it has been dropping off for two or three years
past, and I am very glad of it. It really gives me
pain to get a letter from a beginner in bee culture,
indicating that the writer has an idea that, because
he has half a dozen colonies of bees, he must
"plant something" in his garden so as to furnish
honey for them. Quite a few seedsmen have been
encouraging this idea, prominently among them
being Mr. Samuel Wilson, who has recently recom-
mended and brought out under a new name our old
well-known spider plant. Every effort that I know
of, to raise plants exclusively for honey, has failed,
and 1 think must fail. If you have only half a doz-
en colonies you need at least an acre of the plant in
question to do any good. Now, if said plant gives
you a profit for seed or for hay, aside from what
honey it furnishes, well and good; but please do
not plant an acre, or even a little patch in the gar-
den, exclusively for honey. If you can arrange with
the farmers around you to grow buckwheat, alsike,
or rape, well and good; for an acre of these may be

worth four or five dollars to you. At the same
time, it may not benefit you at all. If circumstances
are such that you can not plant your bees beside a
field of a hundred acres of buckwheat or alsike or
rape, or even teasel, there is quite a chance that
you may get honey by the ton, from these sources
alone; but if instead of a hundred acres you say a
thousand, then there is a chance for something
worth while; and our friends in Nevada, Arizona,
and other western points where alfalfa is raised by
means of irrigation, are doing just this very thing.
If sweet clover could be made use of for some pur-
pose besides the honey it furnishes, there would be
a possibility of profit in that direction; but I do not
see how anybody can raise sweet clover or any
thing else, simply for the honey it furnishes, and get
his money back.

gPEeiTm ]^e¥icEg.

ADVANCE IN WIRE NAILS.

Owing to large advance in cost of raw materials,
we have to pay higher prices for wire nails. There
will be no change in the 1 and 10 lb. rates, but we
can not sustain the 25 and 100 lb. rates in our cata-
logue.

ALSIKE AND WHITE DUTCH CLOVER.

If any of our readers have for sale any choice
seed of alsike or white Dutch clover, will they
please send us small samples, and say how much
they have, and what they want for it? We are en-
tirely out of white Dutch clover, and should like
some of that as soon as we can get it.

ADVANCE IN PRICE OF TIN.

Tin plate has already advanced about 50c a box
on 14 v 20 size, and at the same rate for larger sizes.
The prices don't seem inclined to stop advancing
yet. We were fortunate in having contracted for
most of our supply for next season before the ad-
vance, and therefore we will ask no more than our
catalogue price at present; but we can not discount
these prices for early orders.

VANDEDSEN SPACING IRON CORNERS.

The?e corners were illustrated in Gleanings,
page 514, 1889, and a number of readers have in-
quired where they could get them made for 1%-
inch spacing, the original corners being made to
space 1>< inches. We are at present working on a
pattern, and expect soon to have corners to offer
for sale that are made to space 138. As soon as we
have them ready we will mention it in this depart-
ment, giving the price.

ANOTHER REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF WIRE

NETTING.

We omitted to mention, in last number, that you
would find on the last cover page of our premium
list our new and reduced prices on poultry-netting.
We are now selling a single bale at the same rate as
we sold 10 bales, which, for 2 inch. No. 19, 4 ft. wide,
in rolls 150 ft. long, is $4 00 per bale; 5-bale lots,
$3.75; 10-bale lots, $3.60. We make this big redu3-
tion, too, in spite of the recent large advances in
the cost of steel and wire goods.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

In my plea for seedsmen, in our issueforNov. 1, 1
tried to tell you why they should have a good mar-
gin for their seeds. Well, we are just now pretty
well stocked up with a great lot of Japanese buck-
wheat that cost us over a dollar a bushel. We
thought that it would certainly be sat'-- to lay in a
good lot at that price; but we now find that the
supply is so great that we should be very glad in-
deed to close it out for a dollar a bushel, you to pay
for the bag. A good-sized bag, suitable for ship-
ping two bushels of grain, is worth 20 cts.; one
bushel, 15 cts. ; half-bushel, 10 cts. Of course, there
may be a reaction; therefore, if you want to avail
yourself of this offer, you must take it between
now and the first of January.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

975

Sturwolds' Show-Case

FOR THE PROTECTION AND DISPLAY
HONEY.

OF

In well-equipped retail stores you will find many
goods displayed in show-eases. This is because,
from their nature they are liable to damage from
dust, exposure, and frequent handling. What is
more worthy a place under glass than our honey?
By adding to its attractiveness it calls the attention
of more people to it, and thus increases its sale.
We have just made a new lot of cases, similar to
the one shown above. We have used chestnut in-
stead of walnut, and have improved the construc-
tion of the case so as to make it stronger, lighter,
and simpler. To save transportation charges we
can finish these all up and then take out the four
corner standards and ship '-knocked down " and se-
curely boxed. They will thus go as first-class
freight, while put up they charge three times first-
class rates by freight. By express there would be
no difference. Price of the case, put up with glass
in, or boxed separately, or knocked down and box-
ed any of the three ways, will be the same— $4.00.
With name and address on the front glass, $4.50.

A. I. ROOT, Medina. Ohio.

TYLER'S FLOUR-RECEPTACLE

A MUCH-NEEDED HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCE.

This is the most
c o nve n i e n t ar-
rangement for
flour that we have
ever seen. It
holds just a 49-lb.
sack of flour. It
is to be hung on
the wall just
above your table.
When you want
some flour simply
place your pan
under it, open the
lid on the bottom
and turn the
crank and you get
your flour already
sifted. It is sim-
ple, neat, and ef-
fective, and not
expensive either.
Price $2.75 each,
crated ready for
shipment, or giv-
en free for 8 subscribers, with $8.00.

T, ITIedina, O.

LITHOGRAPH LABELS

la 12 Colors, a-b $2.00 per lOOO.

The 12 colors are all on each label. They are ob-
long in shape, measuring 23^x2%. They are about
the nicest labels we ever saw for glass tumblers,
pails, and small packages of honey. We will mail
a sample, inclosed in our label catalogue, free on
application, and will furnish them postpaid at the
following prices: 5 cts. for 10; 35cts. for 100; #1.20
for 500; $2.00 for 1000. A. 1. Root, Medina. < >.

KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUS MiiRS.

I unpacked the barrel and crate to-day, and found
every thing in place. Your work fits, to a gnat's
heel. The freight for both was only 67 cts., which
strikes me as very moderate. By mixing up the
Dovetail and Simplicity, 1 can make a hive to suit
myself at least. A. T. Goldsborough.

Washington, D. C, Dec. 5.

Last spring I sent to you for "First Steps for
Little Feet," as a birthday present to our youngest
son. You ought to have seen that happy face. He
has read it through several times. Please send me
the "Story of the Bible." It is a birthday present
to our oldest son. He will be 16 the 4th of Au-
gust. A. Shiffler.

Roseland, Neb., July 17, 1889.

THAT DOLLAR QUEEN, AND HOW SHE EXCELS A I.J.
OTHERS.

That dollar queen I got of you last year is pro-
ducing the best workers 1 have. She and her
daughters gave me 140 lbs. of extracted honey per
colony; the rest of my bees averaged 80 lbs. per
colony. They seem to be always at work when the
rest keep at home. F. H.Thiei.k.

John's Pass, Fia., Nov. 4, 1889.

THAT QUEEN TO OREGON, IN A BENTON CAGE.

The untested queen sent me was received Oct. 1.
just seven days en route. She was a beauty, and
just as smart as a cricket. I introduced her with-
out much trouble; I fed a little for a night or two,
to stimulate laying. On the 21st she had brood in
all stages, and yesterday I noticed a fine lot of
young Italians out taking a play; so you see I am
well pleased with my queen. A. A. MormiLL.

Glenwood, Ore., Nov. 15, 1889.

LETTER FROM MINNIE CHADDOCK.

Dear Friend:— We received a card last week stat-
ing that there were five dollars due us for our dear
mother's writing, and that you would send Glean-
ings this year if we would accept. There is no
'■ if " in the way; wea 11 accept heartily— would be
lonesome without it. My brother Irving will take
charge of the bees; and as he has had very little ex-
perience, will need Gleanings very much. Thank
you for all your kindness to us.

Vermont, 111., Dec. 10. Minnie M. Chaddock.

pleased.

We owe you our sincere thanks, and know of no
better way of expressing ourselves than to tell you
how we have succeeded in the bne-business by fol-
lowing your directions in the A B C of Bee Culture,
and using your style of hive, the Simplicity. Last
spring we boujrht two colonies of bees in American
hives, for which we paid $6.00. In July I found a
bee-tree, and saved the bees. I transferred them
from the tree into a nice clean Simplicity hive, and
they filled the lower story Cull, anil made 50 lbs. of
surplus honey. We have increased from the two
old colonies to eight in all. Three of the new ones
have two swarms in each hive. That is how they
did in the way of swarming. Now as to honey:
Every colony has the lower story of its hive full of
honey, and all are in tine shape for goinjf into the
winter. They mad;', of surplus honey, 200 lbs. in
one-pound sections. All the above was done with
two colonies, with the aid of one more after the
first of July. We owe our success to you for the
good advice you give us in the A B C book, for
which we tender our Binoere thanks.

Jamesport, Mo., Dec. 5, 1889. < K. Gwinn.

97(i

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

A No. 1

EXTRACTED

HONEY,

CHL
Send for New Prices.
JAMES UEDDON, DOWAGIAC, MICH.

FORlALL

A well-established apiary business, located in the
best section of Iowa. Established ten years. Good
trade. Building located on main street; for $500.00.
A bargain. Also 50 stands of bees, in good"L."
hives, at $4.00 per stand. Reason for selling is age,
and other matters requiring my attention.

E. W. COE, Clarence, Cedar Co., Iowa.

ODD IOTXT THt7B.

Send me the names of 10 regular subscribers to
the American Agriculturist, or Ladies' Home Jour-
nal, and I will give you next season your choice of
the following: 1 untested Italian queen, 13 Laced
Wyandotte eggs, 13 B. Leghorn eggs, or 10 S. S.
Hamburg eggs. All I want is the names of 10 per-
sons who take either of the papers. Write for cat-
alogue of nearly 2000 papers at reduced rates.

C. M. UOODSPEE l>. Thorn Hill, N. Y.

t^"In responding to this advei-tisement mention Gleanings.

Save 10 Per Gent.

SAVE TEN PER VENT AND ORDER YOUR
SUPPLIES THIS MONTH.

We carry a complete stock of Sections, Hives,
Smokers, etc. Illustrated catalogue for your name
on a postal card. R. B. LEAHY & CO.,
23-ldb Higginsville, Mo.

t3Tln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

I-OOX HERE^T

Bee-Keepers and Fruit-Growers, before
you order your supplies for 1890, send for my cata-
logue and price list of Bee-Keepers' Supplies
and Strawberry Plants. Twenty-five approved
varieties grown for this season's trade. Prices
reasonable. Bees and Queens for sale; $1.00
queens a specialty. Address F. W. LAMM,
24-23db (Box 106.) Somen i I le, Butler Co., Ohio.

LIGHT BRAHMAN Felch 8train- on]y «3 to
i_ i u n i d n h n m h o . s , per trio if Jordered

now. Also a few W. P. Rocks to spare. Eggs in sea-
son from five leading- breeds. Circular free.

S. P. YODER, E. Lewistown, Mah. Co., Ohio.

Four-Color Label for Only
Cts. Per Thousand !

75

Just think of it! we can furnish you a very neat
four-color label, with your name and address, with
the choice of having either " comb " or " extract-
ed " before the word "honey," for only 75 cts. per
thousand; 50 cts. per 500, or 30 cts. for 250, postpaid.
The size of the label is 2*4 x 1 inch— just right to go
round the neck of a bottle, to put on a section, or to
adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our
special label catalogue for samples of this and
many other pretty designs in label work.

A. I. BOOT, Medina, Ohio.

WANTED.— Fur sale or exchange, good small farm
with apiary. Fine honey country.
Box 65, Amherst, Va.

WANTED.— To contract with bee-keepers using
5000 and over sections— to supply them at let-
live prices. C. A. Graves, Birmingham, O.

24-27

COB SAlilC at a sacrifice, 120 stands hybrid and
■ Italian bees, on L. frames: crop of '89, 100 lbs. per
colony. 24-ld B. A. Rapp, Chillicothe, Mo.

Wants or Exchange Department.

Notices will be inserted under this head at one-half our
usual rates. All ad's intended for this department must not
exceed 6 lines, and you must say you want your ad. In this de-
partment, or we will not be responsible for any error. You
can hare the notice as many lines as you please; but all over
Ave lines will cost you according to our regular rates. This
department is intended only for bona-nde exchanges. Ex-
changes for cash or for price lists, or notices offering articles
for sale can not be inserted under this head. For such our reg-
ular rates of 20 cts. a line will be charged, and they will be put
with the regular advertisements.

WANTED.— To exchange honey for beeswax. We
will take beeswax in exchange for honey in any
quantity. Will give three pounds for one, Write for
particulars. Chas. Dadant & Son,

18tfdb Hamilton, Hancock Co., 111.

WANTED— To exchange 200 colonies of bees, 2
foot power saws, and one foundation-mill and
tanks, for any thing useful on plantation. 22tfdb
Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark.

WANTED.— To exchange Japanese buckwheat at
75c per bushel, or No. 1 sections, for extracted
honey. W. D. Soper, Jackson, Mich.

WANTED.— To exchange a fine-blooded stallion
for Italian bees. Will take a quantity of sec-
tions and foundation. A bargain for somebody.
J. H. Johnston, Leclair, Iowa.

W

ANTED.— To exchange religious reading-matter
free to all, who will send their address to
Box 1516. Fresno City, Cal.

WANTED —To exchange a Given Press. L size, in
good shape, for first-class photographic outfit,
or offers. 24-ld C. A. Graves, Birmingham, O.

WANTED.— To exchange Simplicity hives com-
plete, for comb and extracted honey, for saws
and groovers to make brood and wide-frames, or
offers. E. J. Shay. Thornton, Taylor Co., W. Va.
24tfdb

WANTED.— Tc exchange 1-piece sections and bee-
hives for extra'd white clover or basswood
honey or beeswax. J. M. Kinzie,

24tfdb Rochester, Oakland Co., Mich.

WANTED Situation. A young married man of 26
years, without children, wishes a situation with
a good Christian bee-man to work on bees and do
light farm work. A supply-dealer who makes his
own supplies preferred, as I have had 10 years' ex-
perience with wood-working machinery.
24d W. H. Dickinson, Deep River, Conn.

WANTED.— To exchang-e corn - sheller. cost'$75;
fence loom, cost $150; very low. used but little,
for bee-suppl.es. or offers. Write for particulars.
Address 24d Thomas & Kissel,

Horatio, Darke Co., O.

WANTED.— Extracted honey, in exchange for
printing, seeds, plants, etc. Write.

Christian Weckesser, Marshallville, O.

WANTED.— A bee-miin for the season of 1890.
Filmore Cole, Lima, O.

WANTED.— To exchange a sample copy of the
South Florida Home for your name on a postal
card. Address South Florida Home, 24d
Charlotte Harbor, Fla.

WANTED.— To exchange bees, hives, frames,
or foundation, for honey. Send for particulars.
F. A. Dayton, Bradford, la.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

977

Engines & Boilers.

Complete Outfit, or

Engine Alone.

The Best and Most Sub-
stantial Engine Made.

Fully guaranteed. Send for
circular and price list. Mention
this paper.

MEDINA ENGINE CO.,

20tfdb

FOR Folding Paper Boxes send to
21-8db A. O. CRAWFORD, S. Weymouth, Mass.

iPllRIAN SUPPLIES CHEAP.

BASSWOOD V-GROOVE SECTIONS, $2.75 to $3.75

PER M. SHIPPING-CASES VERY LOW.

SEND FOB PRICES.

COODELL & WOODWORTH MFC. CO.,

3tfdb rock Falls, Illinois.

£F"ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaninos.

BEES

16tfdb

SEND for a free sample copy of the
BEE JOURNAL - 16-page Weekly
at $1 a year— the oldest, largest and
cheapest Weekly bee-paper. Address
BEE JOOKML, Chicago, 111.

THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW.

A 50-cent monthly that gives the cream of apicul-
taral literature; points out errors and fallacious
ideas; and gives, each month, the views of leading
bee-keepers upon some special topic. Ttiree sam-

pies free. w. Z. HUTCHINSON, Flint, Mich.

t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

15 poultry

oultry
A oultry

The Canadian Bee Journal and Poultry Weekly is
the best paper extant devoted to these specialties.
24 pages, WEEKLY, at $1.00 per year. Live, prac-
tical, interesting. Nothing stale in its columns.
Specimen copies free. Subscribers paying in ad-
vance are entitled to two insertions of a five-line
adv't (40 words) in the Exchange and Mart column.
THE D. A. JONES 00., BEET0N, ONTARIO, CAN.

SAVE FREIGHT.

BUY YOUR SUPPLIES NEAR HOME AND
SA VE FREK1HT.

We carry a complete stock of Apiarian Supplies.
Our motto: Good goods and low prices. Illustrated
catalogue for your name on a postal card.

ES~ln respi

R. B. LEAHY & CO., Higginsville, Mo.

lis advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

MUTH'S
HONEY-EXTRACTOR,

NQHAKE ULASS HONEY-JAKS,

TIN BUCKETS, BEE-HIVES,
MONEY-SECTIONS, Ac, Are.
PEBFECTION COLD-BLAST SMOKEBS.

Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON,

Cincinnati, O.
V. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for " Practical Hints to
Bee-Keepers. " {Mention OUani/nas.) ltfdb

The Ullmann & Philpott Mfg. Co.,

89-93 MERWIN ST., CLEVELAND, 0.

Manufacturers of Fine Black and Colored

PRINTING INKS.

This Journal it

Printed with our Inks.
24 23d

TILLINCHASTS NEW

FLORAL ALBUM

I* not a seed catalogue but a luaguilieent
volume containing; 270 Elegantly Colored
Plates, making tlie most Beautil • ■ I and
Extensive Colleetiou ol Floral Lithographs
ever published. '1'lie lirst copy cost over
$2000.00. I will mail one copy ibr intro-
duction on receipt of 50 cents.

ISAAC F. TII.IJM.IIlvi, La Plume, Pa.
t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SECTIONS and FOUNDATION.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.

All supplies cheap. Send for new price list free.
Japanese buckwheat, 75 cts. per bushel.
22tfdb W. D. SOPER.

Box 1473. Jackson, Mich.

YOUNG Italian Queens by Beturn TIail.
Untested, $1.00. Tested, M.50. Albinos, un-
tested, $1.00. Tested, $1.50.

J. W. TAYLOR, Ozan, Hempstead Co., Ark.

FOB. SAXE!

One of the best located apiaries in Iowa, 150
Colonies, in Langstroth hives. Handsome two-
story frame residence. Twenty acres land. All
necessary out-buiidings. Also fine flock White Wy-
andottes. Two cows, nice span driving horses. Nev-
er a failure of honey. White clover, basswood, gold-
en-rod, buckwheat, etc. House nearly new, nicely
decorated paper, a very pleasant home. Price
$2500. C. A. SAYBE,

23tfdb Sargent, Floyd Co., Iowa.

CWln responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings.

SGGS, $1.00 PER 13.

From White Leghorns and White Plymouth Rocks.
Also a few cockerels, cheap. C. W. Chapman,
Reference, A. 1. Root. Medina, O.

BEEHIVES, SECTIONS, ETC.

WE make the best Bee-Hives, Shipping-Crates,
Sections, etc., in the world, and sell them the
cheapest. We are offering our choicest white one-
piece 4J4x4>4 sections, in lots of 500, at $3 50 per 1000.
|3F~ Parties wanting more, should write for spe-
cial prices. No. 2 sections, $2.uu per 1000. Cata-
ogues free, but sent only when ordered. ltfdb

C. B. LEWIS & CO., Watertown, Wis.

Kgrin responding to this advertisement mention Glkaninos.

Ho! Ye in Dixie Land!

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Of Interest to You in my New 1890 Catalogue

MAILED IN DECEMBER.

Enlarged, and prices reduced. It gives LOW
SPECIAL FREIGHT RATES to many Southern
points, especially to points in TEXAS.

Southern Bee- Keepers, Send for it NOW.

J. M. JENKINS, - Wetumpka, Ala.

t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention GLEANINGS.

97S

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Disc.

JlejvEY Column.

CITY MARKETS.

New York.— Honey.— Our market has been inac-
tive for the past month, and the demand for comb
honey has been light in consequence of the un-
usual mild weather, with prices gradually declin-
ing. We quoti : Fancy white 1-lb. sections, 13(514;
2 lbs., 12; off grades. 1 lbs, 11@12; 2 lbs.. 10@11;
buckwheat. 1 lb., 10@11; 2 lbs., 9. Extracted is in
good demand at the following prices: White clover
and basswood, 1%; California, 7%; orange bloom,
8@8>6. Buckwheat. 6; Southern strained, 70®75 per
gallon. Hildketh Bros. &Segelken,

Dec. 6. 28 and 30 West Broadway, N. Y.

Chicago.— Honey.— Trade is slow at this writing,
and the last week's sales are not as good as those of
the preceding week. The falling off in sales during
December compared with same time in November,
is forty per cent. Prices are nominal, at 12@13 for
best grades, to 14 for fancy in cartons: off grades,
10; dark, 8@10; extracted. 6, 7, and 8. Beeswax, 25.
R. A. Burnett,

Dec. it. 161 South Water St., Chicago, 111.

Kansas City.— Honey.— Honey selling slow; don't
look for much improvement in the demand until
we get colder weather. We quote: White 1-lb. sec-
tions, 13@14; amber, 10@12; white. 2 lb.. 12@13; am-
ber, 10@11. Extracted, white, 7(5)8; amber, 5@6.
Beeswax, 22. Hamulin & Bearss,

Dee. 9. 514 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.

Columbus. — Honey. —Market on honey dull.
White clover brings 14(5 15 for fair grade. Nothing
but first - class goods find sale. Extracted honey
meets with ready sale at 8@9. Market about clean-
ed up on that class of goods. Earle Clickenger,

Dec. 10. Columbus, O.

Boston.— Honey.— We quote fancy 1-lb. white clo-
ver honey. 16@17; fair to good, 15@16; 2 lbs., 15@16.
Beeswax, 24. Blake & Ripley.

Dec. 9. 57 Chatham St., Boston, Mass.

Albany.— Honey.— Market quiet and unchanged.
Clover, 12@15; buckwheat, 10@11; mixed, 10@12.
Extracted, clover, 8(510; buckwheat, 0@7.

Dec. 10. H. R. Wright, Albany, N. Y.

Cleveland.— Honey.— Market easy. Best white
1 lb. sections sell slowly at lE(gtl7c.
Dec. 9. A. C. Kendel, Cleveland, O.

Detroit.— Honey.— Comb honey dull and lower;
now quoted at 12(5 14. Extracted, 7@8. Beeswax
firm at 24(5 25. M. H. Hunt,

Dec. 9. Bell Branch, Mich.

New Yoke..— Honey. — White comb honey, paper
cartons, 13c. Market flooded.

Thurber, Whyland &Co.,
Dec. 10. New York City.

For Sale.— White basswood honey, 8 ets. per lb.;
dark, 0 cts. Mj honey is all put up in barrels, kegs,
and pails, made of basswood lumber. The pails are
painted, and have bails. Austin Dexter,

Boscobel, Wis.

For Sale.— About 2500 lbs. No 1 clover honey in
60-1 b. cans. P. O. B. here at $4.80 per can, boxed
singly. In kegs or large lots, less. R. L. Tucker,
Nevada, Vernon Co., Mo.

For Sale.— I still have about 4000 lbs. choice ex-
tracted white-clover honey. I have also about as
much nice Spanish-needle honey, which I consider
as fine as the best goldenrod. Write me for price
list. Emil J. Baxter, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., 111.

For Sale.— Choice clover comb honey in 14-oz.
sections, and glass cases of 12 lbs. each, net, 2
cases, 14 cts. per lb. ; 12 cases, 13 cts. Amber honey,
same shape, one cent less. Cheaper packages, J3 ct.
less. Extracted, 60-lb. cans, white, $4.80; amber,
$4.20 per can. Safe arrival guaranteed.

Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, la.

A BARGAIN. —Sixteen colonies of hybrid bees in
L. hives, in good condition. Delivered at Horn
Lake, for $35.00, or offers. Correspondence solic-
ited. J. R. ELMORE,

Horn Lake, Desoto Co., Miss.

WANTED.— To exchange Spider plant, Catnip
seed, Turner, Mammoth -cluster raspberry,
plants, for Japanese buckwheat, bee-books, or of-
ers. • G. M. Whitford, Arlington, Neb.

gPECI^Ii ^0TICEg.

DISCOUNTS FOR EARLY ORDERS.

Remember that the 3 per cent discount for early
orders is changed to 2 per cent Jan. 1, 1890.

JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT.

We cancel all former offers on Japanese buck-
wheat by this one, 40 cts. cash or 50 cts. trade, per
bu. of 50 lbs. choice seed, delivered here. Extra for
bags to ship it in.

FABLES AND ALLEGORIES.

This book, illustrated in our premium list, is a
magnificent volume, gilt title and gilt edge. Noth-
ing is nicer for a Christmas present. The publisher,
in closing out this particular style, gave us a very
low price, and we offer them to you at $1.50 each, or
by mail for $1.80.

COMB AND EXTRACTED HONEY.

We have a large stock of both comb and extracted
honey that can not be excelled in quality. If any of
our readers are wanting honey, write us for prices
naming quantity you can use. We offer the comb
honey, 24 or 42 sections to the case, net weight about
:iS and 36 lbs. respectively, at 16 cts. per lb., 1 to 5
case lots. Extracted clover or basswood in 60-lb.
sq. cans, 2 cans in a case, at 9 cts. a lb.; in 550-lb.
barrels, at 8 cts.

TWO MORE BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR OF THE STORY
OF THE BIBLE.

We have just putin stock the two following books,
which will mase excellent additions to any library,
public or private. The Story of Bible Animals, by
J. G. Wood, is just the same size us the Story of the
Bible, 704 pages and 300 illustrations. It is a de-
scription of the habits and uses of every living
creature mentioned in the Scriptures, with explana-
tions of the passages in which reference is made to
them. Price $1.50, postpaid, or $1.30 by freight or
express with other goods.

Bible Pictures, and What They Teach Us, is a
handsomely bound book, 8>4xl0 in size, 232 pages,
312 illustrations, with descriptions by Chas. Foster.
An agent, who has had large experience in selling
books of different kiud6, says none sell as readily as
this. Price $1.50, postpaid. Parties wanting a quan-
tity will please write us for prices.

MANUAL OF PHONOGRAPHY, AND OTHER GOOD
BOOKS.

It is not alone garden-seeds, but a good many
other things, that lie on our shelves and get out of
date, if we don't look out. By "we" I mean us
store-keepers. We found in our vault, where we
keep our books, 20 copies of the " Eclectic Manual
of Phonography," by Elias LonglejT. Our stenogra-
pher says these are admirable helps in this branch
of phonography, which is known the world over as
Pitmanic. Now, the price of the books is $1.00, and
1 think they cost us 75 cts.; but if anybody wants
one he can have it for 40 cts. If sent by mail, 6 cts.
extra. The book was published in 1882.

We also have 40 copies of W. W. Rawson's little
book, "Celery and its Cultivation." We regard it
as the best authority, and I have taken pains to
read carefully all of the pamphlets that have been
published. By some mistake they received only an
editorial notice, and never got into our catalogue.
The price is 15 cts.; by mail, 16. It tells all about
putting up celery for winter.

There is just one more book that does not sell-
Household Conveniences— published by O. Judd &
Co. The price is $1.40; by mail, $1.50. The book is
full of valuable illustrations, and it ought to make
a beautiful present for any housekeeper. Do you
know any housekeepers around in your neighbor-
hood? Well, you may have the book for an even
dollar; by mail, 10 cts. extra.

Vol. XTII.

DEC. 15, 1889.

No. 24.

TERMS : $1.00 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE; ] TT <> + r*~hl n oTn n rl 7'm 7 i? "V Q
2Gopies for $1.90-, 3 for 12.75 ; 5 tor $4.00; | -C/O l/lbULl/O IVtyUy LlV ±0 / O

\ PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY

\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO

10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single mini- I
ber, 6 cts. Additions to clubs may be
made at club rates. Above are all to
be sent to one postoffice.

f Clubs to different postoffices. not less
than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the

j U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun-

! tries of the Universal Postal Union. 18
cts. per year extra. To all countries

I not of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra.

WORKING FOR COMB HONEY.

DOOLITTLE ANSWERS A PECULIAR QUESTION.

fHE following has been sent in to me as a text
from which to write an article for Glean-
ings: "How to manage a home apiary of 50
colonies for comb honey, in connection
with another business, said business to oc-
cupy the apiarist's time from 7 A. m. to 6 p. m. In-
crease desired, 30 colonies, or the apiary to contain
80 in the fall. Hives, eight-frame Simplicity." This
is a good deal of ground for me to cover in the
space allotted for one article, but I will do the best
I can. We are also to understand that the source
from which a surplus of honey is gathered is only
white clover and heart's-ease, other flowers yield-
ing enough for brood-rearing in good years. Now,
we will suppose these bees to be in fair condition
in early spring, which, according to my definition
of that term, would be about 10 colonies extra good,
30 colonies from good to medium, and the remain-
ing 20 from medium to weak. As white clover is
the thing we' are to keep our eyes on for the main
crop of white honey, we must have our bees ready
for it as early as the tenth to the fifteenth of June,
or we lose this part of our field. Considering this,
1 should, in early spring, shut the bees of all the
colonies, except the 10 strongest ones, on as few
frames as they would cover, allowing none of those
so contracted to have more than five combs, while
the very poorest would probably not have over
two. This contraction is done by the use of a di-
vision-board; and if, in addition to this, we have
chaff or sawdust cushions to slip down and till the
space behind the division-boards, we are so much
nearer accomplishing our object tagood yield from
clover) than we should otherwise be, for the confin-
ing of the heat generated by the bees to the space
occupied with brood is what gives us much brood

early in the season. As soon as the strongest of
these contracted colonies have their five frames
filled with brood, take a frame of hatching brood
from them and give to the next weaker, and so on
till each hive has five frames filled with brood, as
you are to give a frame of empty comb each time,
to the colony that you take the hatching brood
from. If you have been as successful as you
should be, when the 10th of June arrives you will
have 10 hives in the apiary having 8 frames of
brood, for the stronger will have filled their hives
by this time, and 40 hives with 5 frames of brood.
We will now go to each of 20 hives and take out 3
frames having the most brood in that is the nearest
to hatching, being careful not to get the queen on
any of these frames, and set them, bees and all, in-
to the other 20 hives which contain only 5 frames
each, alternating them with the other frames so the
bees will not quarrel. Having this done, we shall
find that our apiary now stands, 30 hives full to
overflowing with brood, and 30 hives with a queen
and two combs full of brood, with bees enough to
cover three frames, when the old bees return which
we carried to the other 20 hives, which they will do
the fir6t pleasant day after we united them with
the others. We now give each of these 20 small
colonies an empty frame having a starter of comb
foundation in it V2 inch wide to keep them busy,
which will be filled with worker comb by this small
colony, as such colonies will build all worker comb,
and do it without any apparent loss of time. The
other colonies are to have the sections put on, so
that the very first honey which comes from the
field can go into them ; and it must go into them, if
honey is gathered, for the brood below hinders
them from putting it elsewhere. As to the surplus
arrangement used, I do not think there is very
much difference whether a T super is adopted,
wide frames, or the Manum, or Heddon case, only

980

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

that you use that which is best suited to your hives.
If a cap, half-story cover, or hood, as it is variously
styled, is used, then I would use one of the three
first-named surplus arrangements; while if I used a
flat cover I would use something' similar to the
Heddon case, if not that one.

Having the full colonies all boxed, and the bees
well at work in the sections, they should be watch-
ed closely, to the end that they do not become
crowded for room; for if they do, swarming will be
brought on sooner than it otherwise would, and we
desire to get the bees started in as many sections
as possible before they swarm. As soon as they
need more room, tier up the sections, by placing a
set of empty sections filled with thin comb founda-
tion on top of the first set (if the questioner used
chaff hives, I would say use wide frames and the
lateral plan which I have lately given in Glean-
ings), and so keep tiering up as long as the bees
show no signs of swarming. When it is expected
that they will swarm, the apiarist, when he gets
home some night at six o'clock, is to eo to such
hive as he thinks will soon swarm, and set it from
its stand, placing an empty hive in its place, which
hive is to contain only five frames having founda-
tion starters in them, a la Hutchinson, the rest of
the space being contracted with dummies. The
surplus arrangement is now to be lifted off the old
hive and placed on the new, when all the bees are
to be shaken off the brood combs, and out of the
old hive, in front of the prepared new hive, into
which they will immediately run, when swarming
is over with for that hive. The combs of brood are
to be taken to the hives having the small colonies
in them and given to those which can care for them
best, giving none over three combs at a time. In
this way keep on till all the colonies are " swarm-
ed," when swarming will be through with for the
season, for if properly managed in the heart's-ease
bloom they should not swarm thus late in the sea-
son. As there will be more brood in the 30 strong
colonies than you can put in the 30 weak hives,
colonies are to be made from those whose hives
were first filled out with brood, by taking one
frame with adhering bees from each of 8 hives and
setting them all together in one hive, and giving a
queen, thus making a strong colony at once by the
old plan so often given. In this way you make
room for the rest of the brood and obtain the 30 in-
crease desired. As soon as each hive is full of
brood, these too are to have sections put on them,
so that they may help swell the amount made by
the stronger ones. When the harvest of white hon-
ey is over, take the dummies out from those hives
having only 5 frames in them, and fill out with
frames filled with foundation, so that lots of brood
can now be reared to work on the henrt's-ease later
on when the surplus is to be obtained from this
source. In this way we secure all the honey pos-
sible from the white clover by having the laborers
in shape for that harvest; make our increase in a
way and at a time so as to interfere the least possi-
ble with our crop, and get our bees in good shape
for the fall crop and for winter.

Borodino, N. Y., Dec. 4, 1889. G. M. Doolittle.

Very good, old friend. Had not our que-
rist put in so many conditions, we might
have differed from you a little ; but as it is,
I think you have it about right. When I
used to keep bees, and could see them only
morning, noon, and night, I adopted a good

deal the routine you mention. Where the
apiarist can be on hand all the time, I think
I would not swarm any of them until they
swarmed themselves ; but where he can not
attend to that, perhaps the best way to
avoid swarming is to take it into our own
hands, and decide as you suggest.

THE INTERNATIONAL BEE-ASSOCIA-
TION AT BRANTFORD.

ON THE WAY AND WHILE THERE, AS REPORTED
BY ERNEST.

E (myself and better half) started on
the evening of the 3d for Brantford.
With the other necessary baggage, I
took along my Anthony Detective
camera that I might take some
views of the Palls, and also a view or two of
the bee-keepers' convention. I had heard
that amateur photographers had experi-
enced some difficulty in getting their instru-
ments over into Canada, even when they
were for their own use. Accordingly, I in-
quirer! concerning the matter, at the Bu-
reau of Information, at the Erie depot, at
Buffalo. Said the agent, " Put on a brazen
face, and make no effort to conceal the
camera, and I'll guarantee you'll have no
trouble."

On arriving at the Suspension Bridge at
the Falls, I did as directed, " brazen face "
and all. My camera and contents were
worth about $50.00 ; and the duty, if de-
manded, would amount to one-fourth, or
over $12.00. The customhouse officer in-
spected our sachel, and then, glancing at
my camera, said, " What do you call that ?"

" A camera. It is one I have had a couple
of years, and I should like to take some pic-
tures in Canada."

Said he, in a very gentlemanly manner,
" It's subject to duty. While I should be
glad to make an exception in your case, I
am acting under the instructions of the
government of Canada."

" Can't I leave it somewhere V *"

" Yes,11 said he, " in the Custom-House
office."

" But," I said, " you people will put me to
considerable trouble in getting it out again.
There is a lot of red tape in this business."

He assured me kindly, that on the presen-
tation of my name on my return I could
have it. With some misgivings I accepted
what I could not help, and surrendered my
instrument into the hands of the officer.

The train pulled out. and ere long we
rpached Brantford. We went immediately
to the Kerby House, where special rates to
bee-keepers, at $1 50, had been secured, the
regular price being $2.00 By way of a pa-
renthesis, I want to say that I have been to
several three and four dollar houses, with
no better (if as good) accommodations in
the United States. Most of the bee-keep-
ers, as a matter of course, took lodgings
there.

The first person I met was Frank Mac-
pherson, of the D. A. Jones Co., of Beeton.
Frank and I, you know, had a little— well,
argument — respecting the place of meeting
for.the last session of the American Bee As-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

981

sociation ; but that did not lessen the
friendly grip of the hands, and the cordial
greetings.

It was with no little pleasure that I made
the personal acquaintance of that scholarly
gentleman, Mr. S. Cornell, of Lindsey, and
that prince of Canadian honey- exhibitors,
Mr. R McKnight, of Owen Sound.

I met many others, whose faces and
names 1 could not remember, but whose
greeting and friendship I appreciated no
less.

Contrary to my expectations, there was a
large attendance of bee-keepers at all of
the sessions. While it was largely local,
yet there were a good many from the Unit-
ed States and the more distant points in
Canada. The Ontario Bee-Keepers' Associ-
ation was well represented. The total
number in attendance was in the neighbor-
hood of 125 ; but not all of these were regis-
tered members. As a detailed report of the
proceedings will appear in the American
Bee Journal and other journals, I will not
attempt to give even a summary of all of
the interesting papers and discussions. I
will only pick out here and there some of
the things as they stick on my memory.

The president's address was a valuable
contribution. It rehearsed the year's pro-
gress in apiculture, and was full of sugges-
tions. I was sorry that it came close to the
adjournment of the session, so that some of
the things brought forward might be dis-
cussed. Somehow it was overlooked at the
next session, for the president was too mod-
est to bring it up himself.

The convention gave rather more attention
to the subject of wintering than I thought
was necessary or expedient. But one fact I
noticed was, that there was less conflicting
testimony on the subject than usual, and
this is encouraging, for it indicates that
this perplexing subject is gradually reach-
ing a satisfactory solution. It was quite
generally agreed, that bees could be suc-
cessfully wintered outdoors packed in chaff,
and that, while less skill is required, a
larger consumption of stores is the result
when compared with the indoor plan. Mr. G.
Sturgeon, however, of Kincardine, after try-
ing both ways, now uses the Root chaff
hives exclusively, and winters very suc-
cessfully every year ; and, if I remember
correctly, he said with no larger consump-
tion of stores. As for cellar wintering, sub-
earth ventilators were considered a useless
expense. If they serve to lower the tem-
perature, they answer a good purpose ; but
this result could be accomplished cheaper by
opening doors or windows at night. It was
decided that artificial heat is not only use-
less, but positively injurious. Roaring in
the cellar does not indicate a desirable con-
dition of the bees. Just how to stop it is
not an easy thing to settle. Some interest-
ing tables as to the minimum consumption of
stores in cellar wintering were given in a
valuable paper by R. McKnight, of Owen
Sound. If correct, the rate «»f consump-
tion per hive while in the cellar is astonish-
ingly low. Corroborating testimony from
others present was given.

When the subject of bee-keeping for wom-

en came up, there was not a uniformity of
opinion. Considerable stress, however, was
laid upon the point that bee-keeping is suit-
able for women, providing they could now
and then call upon the men-folks to assist
in the heavier work. The opinion did not
seem to prevail that bee-keeping is a light
occupation.

Shipping queens was considered by F. II.
Macpherson, of the Canadian Bee Journal.
He emphasized the point of putting up
queens a few hours before shipping, and
keeping them in the meantime in a dark
place. For material for queen-cages, he
prefers pine. He also said that too much
ventilation is very often given. After Mr.
Macpherson 's paper, I brought up and ex-
plained the Benton cage. The great point
in its favor is its almost universal success in
shipping queens long distances. Considera-
ble corroborating testimony was brought
forward to this effect. Some queens, after
a journey of forty days, have been found in
most excellent condition, in this cage.

Warm hives, and how best to obtain, was
discussed in a very able manner by Mr. S.
Corneil. The relative values of packing ma-
terials, as determined by careful experiment,
was given, and the result was in favor of
pulverized cork.

One of the rare treats of the convention
was the reading of a paper on the alimenta-
ry system or apparatus of the honey-bee, by
Prof. Cook. The paper was illustrated by
drawings, to which the professor referred
frequently. I hope we may be able to pre-
sent this, or something similar, to our read-
ers, in a short time, accompanied by some
good engravings. That most beautiful mech-
anism, the bee's tongue, and the manner in
which it draws up honey under different
circumstances is wonderful. It is something
that every bee-keeper ought to have more or
less knowledge of.

Bee-keeping as a hobby was the topic of a
paper by your humble servant. I took the
ground that every one needs some recrea-
tion. As I have been a rider of many dif-
ferent hobbies, I touched briefly on each,
and decided most emphatically upon bee-
keeping. In my paper I alluded to the fact
that driving a good colt has been one of my
hobbies, and that I had ridden this hobby
so hard that I have been through a literal
runaway on two occasions. After I had fin-
ished, Mr. R. L. Taylor took the floor, and
made this very neat application : Hobby-
horses are good things, but they are danger-
ous. We should be careful not to let our
hobby-horses run aioay with us. He thought
many of us would have made more money
i£we had let hobbies alone and given our
whole time to business.

Our friend W. F. Clarke made another
application upon'|hobby- horses, which I
thought was far-fetched. He said that his
friend A. I. Root was riding a hobby a little
too hard over other people, and that was his
tobacco hobby in the shape of the Tobacco
Column in Gleanimgs. He did not approve
of the plan of giving out smokers. He",thought
Mr. Moot was pushing the matter a little too
hard. Although a minister of the gospel,
Mr. Clarke said that he uses tobacco, and

982

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

that he smokes it to the glory of God; and
although he at first opposed its use, his
brother and a physician advised him to use
it, and he says he has since derived great
benefit.

President Mason then took the floor, and
remarked that a good many tobacco-users
are riding their tobacco hobby-horses right
in the very faces of the people who do not
use it ; that is, the tobacco-users compel oth-
er people to breathe in their offensive smoke,
and to inhale tobacco odor. This was, he
thought, a clear case of riding hobbies over
other people. As to the matter of life or
death, tobacco or no tobacco, the doctor
thought that, if lie had got to choose be-
tween a prolonged life with tobacco, and
death and no tobacco, he would get ready to
die just as soon as he could. He did not
exactlj approve of giving out smokers as a
pledge.

Continued in next issm.

QOLDENEOD.

H(i\V TO GET THE WHITE HONEY. AND GIVE THE
BEES THE INFE1UOK ARTICLE.

fRIEND ROOT:— On page 815 I mentioned ex-
tracting: the crop of late summer boney, most-
ly peach and bitterweed, about Sept. 6th. It
was to test what the goldenrod and aster yield
would be, with the view, next season, of tak-
ing off that crop of second-rate honey in sealed
combs, and substituting empty combs for the choice
fall crop, then returning the sealed bitterweed
combs for the bees to winter on.

On going through, and getting things in shape for
winter, I find about as much choice honey in the
hives as I extracted of second-rate in September.
So it looks us if this late fall crop were worth trying
for. If I should extract much of it now, however.
I should have to feed back a considerable amount
of extracted bitterweed, which is now very thick,
and candying. Robbers would be troublesome, and
any day may bring a cold snap; so I think they may
keep most of what they have. But another season,
will it not pay to have the extra eomhc ready, and
try the plan outlined? Keeping the sealed combs of
bitterweed honey free from moth depredations will
be the chief drawback. I should be glad of some
light on this late fall-crop business i I any of your
Southern readers have tried it.

GETTING BID OF STUBBORN FERTILE WORKERS.

An experience with a colony having a fertile
worker may be of some interest. 1 recently pur-
chased two Italian queens to introduce into two
black-hybrid colonies. One was accepted, the other
was killed; both were in Peet cages, aud escort bees
had been taken out before fixing the cadres on the
combs. Going away to assist a friend in introduc-
ing a lot of queens, I left my two to take their
ch;mces; and returning I found one dead before the
entrance, the other laying. Both hives had had
queens up to the time of introducing the new ones.
Taking out all brood, unsealed from the hive now
queenless, I gave them Italian brood, hoping in this
way to get a purely mated queen, as I found the on-
ly drones flying were from a choice Italian colony.
The bees would not even care for this brood, but
carried it out. I then gave another comb, thinking
the first might have been chilled. This brood they

raised " a la worker," but no queen-cells were start-
ed. By this time the few eggs scattered about,
sometimes two in a cell, told " what was up." So,
to demoralize the whole thing, they were all shaken
out in front, and allowed to crawl back, two frames
of brood and bees having been inserted. Again no
go, when I hit upon this plan: There was a strong
colony, not far off, in a two-story hive, both stories
full of bees. Making sure their queen was below, I
took the upper story and "swapped" it for my
fertile-worker colony (one storyi, which left the
bogus queen in the second story of a colony having
a queen. Of course, most of the old bees of both
hives went back to their respective homes. The
stores were about equal. 1 then gave more Italian
brood to my queenless colony, and queen-cells ap-
peared in due time. There was no fighting in either
hive. c. P. Coffin.

Pontotoc, Miss., Oct. 21, 1889.

McNAY'S TABULATED REPORT

IN REGARD TO THAT LARGE YIELD.

Mr. Boot;— In compliance with your request I
herewith inclose a tabulated record of our season's
extracting, from six apiaries. I trust the table will
lie understood by referring to my report on page
806, Gleanings, Oct. 15, without further explana-
tion.

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Mauston, Wis., Dec. 2, 1889.

Frank McNay.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

983

BEE-HUNTING IN THE SIERRA NEVA-
DA MOUNTAINS.

BY A SUCCESSFUL HEE-KEEPEK.

Continued from last issue.

TN the spring of the year, bees prefer salt to hon-
||P ey; and using salt and water instead of honey,
W works first rate. Toward the latter part of the
"*■ season, bees pay no attention to salt, but are
crazy after honey. The breeding season is
about ended, I suppose, and they have no more
need of salt.

Some varieties of trees are more frequented by
bees than others. This is owing, probably, to the
large cavity these trees contain. In this location
most bees construct their hives in sugar pines and
firs. Old trees of the fir family are usually dead at
the top, and sometimes broken off, caused by win-
ter snows and winds. Trees thus broken off, usual-
ly send out a number of younsj shoots which grow
up parallel with the main axis of the tree. Trees
that are hollow within, usually give some outward
signs of such defect, such as dead tops, the end of
the branches dead, etc. When oak-trees are divest-
ed of their foliage in the fall of the year, is a good
time for hunting bees where oak timber abounds.
When saving bees, oak-trees are the best, as they
can generally be felled pretty easily. When there
is four or five feet of snow on the ground, that is
the best time to cut the larger trees, as they do not
fall so heavily.

HUNTING BEE-TREES WHEN SNOW IS ON THE
GROUND.

I usually have as good success in hunting bees in
the winter as in the summertime. When the ground
is covered with snow, and the bees come out for a
tly-spell, a great many become chilled, or snow-
blind, I do not know which, and the snow around
the tree is generally covered with dead bees. In
running over the mountains in the winter time, on
snowshoes, we frequently find bees on the snow.
Marking the location, we return some warm day
and find the tree. On Jan. 1, 1887, we found and
cut a bee-tree. The bees were working on the
black alders, in great numbers. I filled five L.
frames with brood, and two with honey. That
was an immense swarm of bees for that season of
the year. I have taken bees out of trees almost
every month in the year, and generally have pretty
good success.

My method of taking bees from trees is as fol-
lows: After getting the tree opened, take all the
combs containing brood, and cut each piece of
brood so it will fit securely in the frame. With
small wire nails, tack securely four small strips on
I I i I the frames thus: Incline your hive to
I'M one side, and set in your frames as
soon as filled. When you have all brood and empty
comb in the frames, and your hive inclined to one
side, so there is no danger of combs tumbling down,
you will be ready to put the bees in the hive. Wait
until they get clustered together, then lay a piece
of cloth underneath them, and, with a small brush,
drive all the bees off, causing them to drop on the
piece of cloth. Shake the cloth in front of the en-
trance, and the bees will soon commence to call for
their comrades. Put about half of the bees in this
way, and the remainder will go in of their own ac-
cord. After they have been in there a few days
you can remove them to their permanent location ;

and if the weather is pleasant, and they have had
a chance io fly out, you can take out the frames
and remove the small strips, tacked to one side.

DISTANCE BEES GO FOR STORES.

Black bees rarely if ever go over one and a half
miles for stores in this mountainous part of Califor-
nia. I suppose that, in a level country, they would
go considerably further. _Jn bee-hunting I never
tracked black bees over a mile and a half from
their habitation. All the wild bees here in the
woods are black bees. Some of these bees are
wonderful workers too. Bee-trees have been cut
here at an elevation of 6000 ft., and some of these
have contained upward of 300 lbs. of honey. Large
quantities of honey are sometimes taken from
wild bees here in these mountains, being the accu-
mulation of several years of gathering. I remem-
ber one bee-tree in particular. In the month of
July, having some leisure time at my disposal I
started out bee-hunting. Having arrived at the
place, I found a number of bees working on penny-
royal. I was soon trapping them, and noting their
line of flight. In a few moments I had a pretty
fair line started r.p the mountain-side. I had to
crawl on my hands and knees quite a distance.
The mountain-side was covered with a dense
growth of young hazels, deerbrush, flowering dog-
wood, young firs, and spruces. After wandering
about considerably I came across a large dead fir-
tree, a regular old patriarch, having withstood the
storms of several centuries. After making a care-
ful scrutiny, I observed the bees^entering where
an old limb had broken off, at a height of about 130
feet from the ground. The tree was about seven
feet in diameter. A few days afterward we cut it
down; and in felling it it struck a large rock and
was mashed all to pieces, throwing bees, honey,
and brood in all directions. What few bees were
not killed were terribly cross. We had quite a time
gathering up comb and honey. The ground around
where the tree had burst was covered with it.
There must have been nearly 300 pounds of honey,
if we could have saved it. Part of it was candied.
We did not try to save the bees, too many being
killed. S. L. Watkins.

Placerville, Cal.

To be continued.

HOW VANKIRK|OBTAINED|20 CTS.
FOR HIS HONEY.

BUIDDING UP A REPUTATION.

fRIENDROOT:— As I have not time to answer
private letters I will ask space to answer
some of the questions that my report in
Gleanings, Sept. 1, has brought. I have been
selling honey in our town for about fifteen
years, and I have a set of customers that always
depend on me for their honey. My price for about
a dozen years has been 30 cts. per lb. for choice
comb honey, and I have no trouble in getting my
entire crop off at this price. It is sometimes high-
er and lower in our market, but all that buy my
honey know that the price is the same, year after
year. Choice comb honey has been worth 35 cts.
per lb. in our town this present season, and I could
have had that price for mine. But if I should raise
on my customers when it is scarce I should have to
come down when it is plentiful. It is not scarce
here, by any means; but the consumption is great-

984

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

Dec.

er than it has ever been since I have been in the
business. I sold from the wagon this season from
thirteen to nineteen dollars' worth once a week for
quite a number of weeks, and canvassed only a
very small portion of the town. I run a trip once
each week with other produce, and the honey goes
along as a " side issue."

Can i/mi sell your honey here at these prices?

This is the main question that I have to answer.
I answer, no. There has been so much honey ship-
ped here, of poor quality, that the people will hard-
ly buy at any price. There has been "California
honey" sold here that never saw that State, and
"Ohio honey " that only passed through the State.
Some of our leading bee-men have shipped honey
here with their names on the crates that was fair
without, and the worst-tasting honey within that I
ever sampled. But this is the exception. Dear
friends, your honey is just as good as mine, and I
could sell thousands of pounds of it for you if it
were " Washington Co." honey. I have tried pur-
chasing honey to supply my trade when I was
short, but it did not work well, and it wasn't the
honey's fault. I once got a small case of very good
honey from friend Root to supply a lady customer,
but she declared it didn't taste like mine. It is
prejudice and conceit, and not so much the fault of
your honey. Now, friends, I would gladly help
you; but " charity begins at home." I have all the
work that I care to have, and once for all I can not
handle your honey. Our grocers are nearly all
nice men; and if you would try them they might
help you out. My experience has been, that it
were better to sell at home. If you are a pretty
good man, and have pretty good honey, I don't
think you will have any trouble in getting it all off
before honey comes again. I feel sure that I could
do it, and I see no reason why you can not if you
will just wake up and arouse your "latent vim."
I hardly know how I acquired my reputation; but
one thing I do remember: It took patience and
hard work. L. W. Vankirk.

Washington, Pa., Nov. 21, 1889.

Friend V., we read in the good book that
" a good name is rather to be chosen than
great riches," and your statement above
verifies it.

BEES UNDER THE BED.

A CHINESE HOUSE-APIARY.

fRIEND ROOT:— I have something a little odd
to tell; but in order to tell it well, I must first
tell a few other thing's. One very common
way which the people in this particular cor-
ner of the world have of building their one-
story or story-and-a-half houses, is as follows: A
foundation of cobble stones having been laid where
the side walls are to stand, and perhaps also where
the back of the house is to be, two broad planks
are fastened on their edges between upright poles
set in the ground, on each side of the foundation,
and damp earth is put between them and pounded
down hard. The planks are then raised one course
higher, fixed firmly in place, and more earth put
in and tamped down, and so on till a height of ten
feet or so is attained. Then a wood frame is put up
inside of these walls. If the house is designed for
a shop or store, the whole front consists of mova-
ble boards sliding in grooved pieces at top and bot-

tom. This is the general plan on which many a
Chinese inn is built. To economize space, the tav-
ern-keeper generally has a box-bed for his own use.
This consists of two boxes, each one about 3 by 3%
feet in length and breadth and 2$4 feet or more high.
These two boxes, set side by side, make as good
a bedstead as most Chinamen have. 1 was resting
in front of a tavern one day last February, when I
observed a string of bees pouring in and out
through a crack between the corner post and the
earth wall on my right. Through the obligingness
of the landlady I was enabled to investigate the
matter. There in that corner of the building stood
one of these box beds. Rats had gnawed a hole in
the lower corner of the box at the bottom, close by
the crack, and through this crack and rat-hole the
bees had come in and taken possession of the box.
The landlady told me that they came of themselves
in the previous May, and that she cut out their
stores last fall. They had nearly half a bushel of
new white comb partly filled with clear honey.
Rape, which is much cultivated here as a winter-
spring crop for making rape-seed oil, was just com-
ing into bloom, and the bees were doubtless at
work on this. In fact, ten days of mild weather
had started a number of wild plants:?to blooming,
and the bees were booming. Chinese bees always
seem very docile. Rape honey is said not to be
equal in flavor to tea honey. The tea-plant blooms
in December. J. E. Walker.

Shaowu, China, March 20, 1889.

MANUM'S HOME APIARY.

HOW IT LOOKS IN WINTER.

R. ROOT:— Agreeably to promise I herewith
hand you a view of my home apiary in win-
ter. This picture was taken the day fol-
lowing one of our Vermont snowstorms,
and, as will be seen, Manum walked out
into the snow nearly up to his waist to have his pic-
ture taken. There is quite a contrast, as you will
observe, between his complexion and the beautiful
snow, as appears around about the hives in the
front row on the left. The playful winds toyed
with the descending flakes in such a manner as to
cause them to nestle down one over the other, be-
tween the rows, leaving the hives somewhat free
from snow, while that portion of the apiary on the
right is almost completely covered.

I am often asked if I shovel the snow away from
the hives whenever I find them so covered with
snow. My answer is, "Not alwavs;" though when
there comes a warm spell, so I think the bees can
fly, I do so, that they may have a cleansing flight,
which I believe to be very essential for the welfare
of the bees, especially if their stores consist princi-
pally of honey, but not so essential if composed
chiefly of sugar syrup.

The rows of hives at the left, along by the fence,
have been some winters completely covered with
hard drifted snow— so hard, in fact, that I have been
able to walk over the hives, and a stranger would
hardly have believed there were live bees under
so much snow, and yet the bees always came
through in good condition. But remember, when-
ever there were indications of a thaw I was on
hand to give the bees their liberty. I well remem-
ber the first winter that the snow drifted in the
manner above mentioned. I took a shovel and un-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE

985

dertook to dig- them out; aDd after working- a
while I struck the corner of a hive about three feet
below the surface of the snow. I continued to
work away until I had dug a sort of well in the snow
in front of the hive. As it was pretty hard work,
and as I thought ray time was .'worth more in my
harness-shop than it would costjto hire it done, and
thinking it must be done or the bees would smother,
I secured a man to do the shoveling, and returned to
the shop. In about an hour the man came in to ask
what he should do with the snow shoveled out. I
returned with him, to find that only two hives had
come to light. I also found that, owing- to the snow
being packed so hard, the man had broken my shov-
el, and borrowed another of a neighbor. I finally
scratched my head, and commenced to think and
reason, and came to the conclusion that, as there
was only about one foot of the top of this snow that
was so hard, while the remainder was comparative-
ly light, I decided that there would be air enough
circulating through it to answer the requirements

being buried under snow too long at a time; but I
do not object to their being well banked, except in
front; yet 1 do not think that much snow around
our double-wall (or chaff) hives is very much bene-
fit after all. I once thought it was, and 1 have
banked it around them; but I do not do so now, as I
find that the bees in the hives wholly exposed—
which are in the same apiary with those drifted un-
der—winter as well as any; therefore I have come
to the conclusion that deep snows are really no
great benefit, nor, if watched, any great damage to
the bees. If I could have just the proper amount
of snow around the hives all winter I would not ob-
ject, providing it be removed as soon as there
comes a thaw; but to have the hives completely
covered for a long time is, I think, detrimental to
the bees, as it causes too early breeding, if the
weather is mild.

After my bees are all packed and fixed for winter
—which I usually do the last week in October or
first of November— I leave them entirely undis-

A. E. MANUM'S HOME APIARY IN WINTER.

of the bees. I therefore discharged the man, and
left the bees to their fate.

In about three weeks from this time we had a
thaw, so that bees not so protected by snow had a
good fly. 1 left these for experiment. In March
the south winds so melted the snow that I was able
to clear the entrance of all the hives, when the bees
had a good fly, and I found, upon examination, that
every colony was alive and in good condition. But,
mind you, that, if my entrances had been at the
side of the hives, as in most hives in use, and not
underneath, as they are in my hives, I believe the
result would not have been so satisfactory, as it is
impossible for my entrances to become clogged by
ice, as is often the case with side entrances. Since
then I do not worry when my home apiary is buried
in snow, because I am near by to shovel out when
there comes a warm spell; but not so with my out-
apiaries, as I have lost bees in outapiaries by their

turbed until there comes warm weather enough for
the bees to fly. Then I shovel away the snow from
the entrance, and pull the slides to see that the en-
trances are all clear, and at once return them, as
the notch in the slides g-ives the bees all the en-
trance they need in winter and early spring, it be-
ing 2 inches long by | wide.

Since I have used the Bristol hive there have
been two winters when the bees were unable to fly
from November till April; hence not a track was
made in the snow in any of my apiaries.

I will add, that my bees never wintered better
than they did the two past winters; however, I al-
ways feel better when they can have at least one
good cleansing flight in January.

Were I using hives with the entrance unprotect-
ed, as most chaff hives are made, I would either
lean a short board against the hive over the en-
trance to protect the entrance from 1 cing clogged

9S6

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

by snow and ice, or I would take pains to keep the
snow away. A. E. Manum.

Bristol. Vt.

Friend M., I was greatly pleased to get
your excellent picture of an apiary in win-
ter, because it may give perhaps hundreds
of our readers, if not thousands, a glimpse
of something they have never seen. I am
very glad indeed to get the facts you give
us in regard to bee-hives covered with snow.
We notice in the picture there are ventilat-
ing-holes in the upper part of your hives.
Now. I should think this would afford air
enough. Of course, after a long confine-
ment it may be desirable to cut away the
snow, so as to give the bees a fly. My im-
pression is, however, that with the greater
part of our readers more harm than good
will result in tinkering with the hives in
winter. I am afraid it would turn out as it
did with the man you hired. In our locali-
ty we never had snow enough to do any
harm, in my opinion. We have such fre-
quent thaws that there is almost always a
space above the entrance, between the
hives and the snow, to let in air. and to let
the bees get out. I have often seen them
crawl up the side of the hive, take a fly, and
return in the same way.

THE ALFALFA FIELDS OF ARIZONA,
ETC.

BY J. H. ROOT.

R~?J KO. A. I.:— In reading the report from the
Ljr Nevada man, Mr. Ball, I was somewhat sur-
pE] prised at some of his answers compared to
■"^ alfalfa grown in this valley. I always sup-
posed it required warm weather to raise
good alfalfa, as here in the warm months it grows
very fast with proper care. Some cut it five times,
and some six and even seven times in one season;
but it can be cut five times, and then be pastured
from the last cutting until spring. It remains
green here all winter. Some are cutting now. I
see a great deal of it in bloom yet. The beauty of
this valley for bees is, there is no dew at night, and
the bees can go to work as soon as it is lieht, and
can work nearly every day in the year. They say
they can gather their living here during the whole
year, summer and winter. The bloom from an al-
falfa held is sweeter than any flower-garden I ever
saw. I suppose that is owing to there being so
much honey in the blossom.

The honey here is different from that of Califor-
nia or the East. It is sweeter, and has more of a su-
gar taste in it, and is whiter. I never cared much
for honey East; but here I can eat it all the time.

In this valley the water is run in between borders
about 100 feet apart, the distance depending upon
the lay of the land. If level they are further apart
than when rolling. They do not furrow here nearly
as often as they do in Nevada.

The only one great objection to the bee-busines6
here is transportation on the supplies in, and the
honey out. There is no trouble in making honey,
and there is a railroad on foot now that will open
up the lumber district from the mountains and
give us a market out for all our hay, grain, poultry,
and dried fruits.

I get fine alfalfa hay for my cow at $3.50 per ton,
when in the lumber region, less than 200 miles from

here, il brings ¥30 per ton, and every thing else in
proportion. Times are awful dull here now, be-
cause the markets are hard to get to— that is, min-
ing and lumber camps; but the new railroad runs
to both. Now is the time to strike this valley, as
lands are cheap. I like it here much better than
Southern California, where lands were held at
from $150 to $400 per acre. Good land can be got
here by buying a " ritrht," from $450 to $1000 per 160
acres, and then water can be had for so much per
share, or part of a share, depending upon the canal.
The way the land is situated, some canals sell ten-
acre rights for $100. That includes so much water.
They calculate 100 inches here to water 160 acres.
Well, the more the country is irrigated here, the
more water there is from year to year. The water is
coming nearer the surface. The main canals are tak-
en out of Salt River, up near the mountains, and is
then run all around the valley in small ditches. With-
out water here there would be no living thing, as
the rains are very few. We have had only two
since I have been here. They were good ones,
though.

I have not had a stove in the store yet, and have
been comfortable. We get good mesquite wood at
$2 50 per load.

1 can not tell you as much about the bees as you
would find out from some of the bee-men. Alfalfa
for stock is the same as bread to us Hogs and
poultry will keep fat on it, and stock will eat every
particle of it as clean as though it were oats.

Tempe, Arizona, Nov. 22, 18S9. Jesse.

Many thanks, dear bBpther, for the impor-
tant facts in regard to the matter you fur-
nish us ; and we are now looking forward
to the time when I can make my second
trip to California, taking in Arizona. I say
" we,'' for I mean there will be two of us —
Mrs. Root and myself.

CHAS. F. MUTH.

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ONE OB' THE PIONEERS IN
THE BEE-BUSINESS.

fRIEND ROOT:— Since you insist on a bio-
graphical sketch of my humble self, I shall
endeavor to give you a history of my exist-
ence in America in as few words as possible.
I was born and raised in Hesse-Cassel, Ger-
many. 1 arrived in Cincinnati in the spring of 1854,
about 20 years old. Here I found a situation as
salesman in one of the best groceries of the city, a
business to which I had been reared. A desire to
see the country, made me give up a very good situ-
ation after a stay of two years. I saw the orange-
groves, sugar and cotton plantations of the South;
and after my ambition was satisfied with a few
years' experience in the wild West, I returned to
Cincinnati; got married; filled a position as sales-
man in another grocery for nearly three years, till
I started my own business, in 1861, at 976 and 978 Cen-
tral Avenue, in our city. Two years afterward I
bought the property, built it up, and am living
there now.

My career as bee-keeper commenced with the es-
tablishment of my business, in 1861, although bees
have been my hobby ever since I remember.

The first five colonies of bees in patent)?) box
hives were placed on my roof in 1861. These patent

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

987

hives did not fill the bill with me, for I had read
father Langstroth on the Hive and Honey-bee. I
commenced to read the American Bee Journal. I
read every book in the English and German lan-
guages within my reach, and was an interested
reader of every periodical on the bee-question, as
they, one after another, made their appearance.
The Bienen-Zeiturig, Salzburg, Germany, with its
able editor, Schmidt, was a great source of informa-
tion, as well as the American Bee Journal under
Wagner. I have read, and still have, each issue, be-
ginning with the very first of each. It is due to my
friend Hill, Mt. Healthy O., that I adopted the
Langstroth hive. Hill was my first tutor in scien-
tific apiculture.

(HAS. F. MUTH.

You may remember yet, Brother Root, that I was
one of the first warm advocates of " extracted
honey." My labels read to-day as they did in 1869—
" Pure machine-extracted honey. "^ You remember,
perhaps, also, the objections of old to the words
" machine extracted." We have had for years, per-
haps, as large a home trade for extracted honey as
any house in the country. My first tin honey-ex-
tractor was made in 1869 by H. W. Stephenson, of
our city, after the pattern of a wooden extractor
made for me the previous season by Prophetor
Bros., coopers, of our city. During the season of
1870 I sold my first four tin honey-extractors to bee-
keepers in this neighborhood.

My apiary has been, since 1861, on the roof of my
house, and the average number of colonies per
season is about 45. The largest average yield per
colony in a season was 198 lbs. of extracted honey,
all of which was gathered during 26 days, in the
month of June. My largest crop in a season was

between 60U0 and 7000 lbs. So you see I was one of
the first to make good use of the honey-extractor.

This neighborhood has been visited by foul brood
for the last eight or ten years, and our ardor as
bee-keepers considerably dampened thereby. The
study of the cure of foul brood has been an expen-
sive experience to me. I have cured hundreds of
colonies, but I can not prevent reinfection, and I
have come to the conclusion that the cheapest and
best remedy, after all, is the brimstone-pit, and wip-
ing out of existence the stand, hive, combs, and all,
on first discovery. Chas. F. Mdth.

Cincinnati, O., Oct. 22, 1889.

FLORIDA.

APPURTENANCES AND METHODS NOT NECESSARILY
SUITED TO THE SOUTH.

R. ROOT:— Gleanings reaches us regular-
ly, is looked over closely, and then careful-
ly read and thought over. I have been a
reader of its teachings for about 14 years.
I have always found something in each
number, which, practically applied, has proved to
be worth the yearly subscription price of one dol-
lar, or, for the 12 years' reading, $288. This may ap-
pear to many a high estimate of its value, but 1 am
sure I should much regret to be set back in the
A B C of 14 years ago for the sum of $288, and I
think I speak the thoughts of many others of its
patrons and readers.

There are a great many of the thoughts, theories,
and appliances, used, recommended, and put be-
fore the bee-keepers, that are entirely useless to us
in this climate. The problem of wintering is a
great study. The care and cost, and the loss, are
often great, even after all the precautions taken to
make it a success; also spring dwindling, and a suf-
ficient amount of stores to feed them until they
can secure their living— all this is superfluous
reading to us here.

LARGE VERSOS SMALL HIVES.

There is much speculation about large hives vs.
small hives. Much of this appears very useless argu-
ment. The farmers of the country could, with equal
claims over the officers of agriculture, advocate
large horses in Ohio when small ones in the cotton-
fields of the South would be far more economical,
and so with hives. Location, source of honey, sea-
son, climate, all these may and do certainly and
practically, and with a view to economy of the bee-
labor, and that of the man, make a difference in the
working size of a hive, as necessary as the differ-
ent places where they are in use; hence the argu-
ments appear useless, and the talk about a "stand-
ard " hive would be like a standard plow suitable
for all climes and soils. But when real, practical,
scientific, and natural subjects are made a basis of
argument, then the interest is aroused all through
the fraternity, and goodwill be the result. This,
then, brings out thought, and reason from cause to
effect. Such reading is very desirable; gives use-
ful instruction, when personal arguments about
"the hive I use "are of very little value to the
practical honey-producer who thoroughly knows
the flora of his location, and adapts the hive he
uses to the profitable production of honey. The
best argument is the honey produced. The hive is
a very small part of the necessary elements of sue-

CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

cess. The man or woman, and the flora, are the
main stays of a successful honey crop.

Our crop of honey this year has not been large,
but we are well pleased that it was as good as it is.
The quality is of the very best. We commenced
the season with 20 colonies, only in fair condition;
made no increase, and have taken 2000 lbs., all ex-
tracted, qunlity excellent. It was sold by the gal-
lon at $1.25, all at home, except 20 gallons to A. I.
Root, and 40 to Dr. L. H. Harris, Pittsburg, Pa.

Our bees are located at St. Francis, on the St.
John's River, 10 miles from Deland. The honey
gathered there can not be excelled in the State, and
I very much doubt whether it could be in any oth-
er State.

I see that Mr. C. E. Jones says he is going to
move 200 colonies to Florida for the orange-blos-
som honey. I hope he will come. The orange hon-
ey is very fine, and the bees are a great help to the
setting-on of the fruit, carrying the pollen into the
bloom as soon as it opens, thereby causing a more
complete fertilization than would be without their
aid, when the bloom first opens, when all its nature
is complete. I can not well dismiss this subject
of the honey-bee being a great help to the orange-
groves. They carry the pollen into thousands of
flowers that are pendent, that would perhaps nev-
er be reached by any other source, or, if so, only by
the floating particles. More than this, my atten-
tion has been called to some of the groves in this
vicinity; and where there were bees kept, this sea-
son the orange crop is very fair, fruit evenly dis-
tributed, while other groves, not having any bees
near them, are not so full of fruit, and not so even-
ly distributed; and I think the day is not far distant
when the large grove-owners will solicit bee-keep-
ers to bring their bees within reach of their groves,
thereby benefiting both parties.

1 see, friend Root, you have been up among the
northern bee-keepers. Could you not make a visit
to Florida this winter, and call and see us? I think
you would enjoy it, and also in the trip call on
friend Poppleton over in Cuba. Do come— our latch-
string hangs outside the door.

John Craycraft.

Altoona, Fla., Aug. 24, 1889.

A REFERENCE TO QUESTION 111.

GENTLE BEES, BETTER WORKERS, AND SMALLER

CONSUMERS.

'HICH will make the better working colonies
during the working season— that is. secure
the most honey— those that require 20 to 25
pounds to carry them through, or those
that will get along on from 5 to 10 pounds
while in winter quarters?

The various answers to this question, and your
remarks, set me to looking back for several years,
and thinking up concerning various strains that I
have had for the past 13 year6. That there is 60
much difference in different strains concerning the
amount of stores consumed between November 1
and April 1, I can trace back to 1876, on a queen
that came from C. C. Vaughn, whose stock was al-
ways strong, as were also those of her daughters
and granddaughters. From the time of the end of
the fall harvest to the time of pollen and honey
in the spring, it was a rare case to see the workers
fly out much; and for 7 or 8 years that I kept this

strain as near pure as possible, it was very notice-
able what a small amount of stores was consumed,
and it was also noticeable to the same extent where
this blood was intermingled with some other
strains

Between 1876 and 1882 I obtained new queens
from 15 different strains; and among them were
several that were noticeable for their extreme
activity, as were those referred to from C. C.
Vaughn, and two other places, for their extreme
quietness. Those that were s<~> active consumed
pro rata as much more stores as the quiet ones did
in minima. These quiet strains always came out
strong in the spring, were always in readiness for
the harvest, were gentle to handle, were good to go
to work in the boxes, and did a good business at
boxing; and just the reverse were the results from
those that were active, and consumed a large
amount of stores from November 1 till April 1.
These various differences were noticed by other
parties in this locality for 12 or 15 miles in all direc-
tions, and by those wintering in the cellar, in
clamps, or on the summer stands; and as those
that were quiet built up strong and fast in the
spring, just as noticeable was the spring dwindling
of those that had been active; and the active ones
were, in the same proportion, irritable, and prone
to sting. These qualities were so apparent, that
several of the bee-keepers I know of made it a
point to keep weeding out the active propensities
as fast as possible. The active ones were more in-
clined to swarm, and were quite often very much
given to not freely taking a new queen, and to very
often ball their queens whenever the stocks were
examined. The workers of these active stocks
were generally among the brightest-colored of the
apiary, and the quietest were among the dull and
darker colored ones, and were quite often called,
by those that were not experienced, the " hybrids."

These quiet ones, when started to breeding in the
spring, usually consumed stores enough to make
up for their lack when in winter quarters, and not
uncommonly surpassed the amount used by the
active strains; so you see that the experiences of
the past 13 years here in Connecticut are in accord
with Mr. Doolittle's, and why should they not be?
because bees at several of the apiaries contained
blood of his strain, and from the Dadants' too. and
from stock from imported queens from A. I. Root,
and from queens from the Oatmans, Alley, and
Nellis. That there is a vast difference in regard to
the uneasiness, activity, and amount of stores con-
sumed, seems to be qualities possessed by various
strains or families of bees; and that these propen-
sities are perpetuable characteristics, are things
that I am not the only one who is convinced that we
must guard against. There are apiarists within a
few miles of me who think as much of keeping a
record and pedigree of their bees as any Jersey,
Durham, Devon, or Holstein breeder does of his
cows; and by these memoranda for from 10 to 20
years they have arrived at the conclusion that blood
will tell in the bees as much as anywhere else in
the animate kingdom; and yet one will preach out,
" It's pollen;" another will preach, "It's poor hon-
ey;" another, thatit's the weather. Why, Mr. Root,
I know where there is a bee-keeper— yes, several of
them— who will tell you, and prove it by practice,
that it is an absolute necessity for the bees to have
lots of pollen that they may winter well, and they
have followed the practice ever since 1877, and they

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

989

don't lose their bees either. I practiced it in one
apiary myself ever since 1877, and it is the apiary
where I always have the strongest colonies, the tirst
drones, and raise the earliest queens, and lose the
fewest colonies in winter or spring, and yet they
have all the pollen that I can give them. I think
that question til will set many to looking for some
of their winter losses among these very active and
naturally uneasy colonies, and find not a few of
their most unprofitable ones among the same class.
I have found it so, and so have some other bee-
keepers. Just look around you; keep watch, and
see if I have not told you a grain of truth this time.

One thing more: While 1 was looking over the
bees in the Grove Street Apiary in New Milford
last week, one of those pleasant days (the ther-
mometer told 60 in the shade), it was very plain to
be seen that those stocks having used the least
amount of stores were in the best condition, were
the strongest, had the fewest dead bees on the bot-
tom-board, and, besides that, could be traced by the
register for the past four seasons to stock possess-
ing those qualities, and just the same could those
of the active and weak stocks be traced out in their
qualities. H. L. Jeffrey.

New Milford, Ct., Mar. 18, 1889.

AN ABC SCHOLAR'S EXPERIENCE.

HIS UPS AND DOWNS.

MDITOR GLEANINGS:— Do your students of
the grammar class, bee-college graduates,
"and all that," ever look back to the time
when you did not know a drone from an eye-
bunger bumble-bee, or a worker from a yel-
low-jacket? I am pretty sure you do, judging from
the kindly sympathy and infinite patience with
which you answer our questions and rehearse the
(to you) monotonous beginnings of bee-lore. I
suppose I am beginning much as some of you did —
knowing almost nothing on the subject. I am not
much given to enthusiasms, so when this fever
struck me the attack was something serious. There
was no incipient stage, such as is common to
fevers, and my system seemed unable to resist the
contagion in the least. I caught the disease from a
stray copy of a book which I found in the
Y. M. C. A. library of our town; viz., "Blessed
Bees," by John Allen. Being favorably disposed
toward Hahnemann's " Similia similibus curantur,
the medicine I took was Quinby's Mysteries of Bee-
keeping, Boot's ABC, and a subscription for
Gleanings, full doses of each, daily. As pulse
and temperature seemed to increase under this
treatment I prescribed for myself a remedy which
is said to often effect a cure when all else fails;
viz., a swarm of bees. I had a deal of faith in this
last medicine. I thought, if it both does and does
not cure rheumatism, there is at least a good
chance that a few stings will cure the bee-fever.

But like failed to cure like in my case; on the
contrary, the prescription worked up an enthusi-
asm which as yet shows no signs of abatement.
There was unalloyed pleasure in the hours that I
watched them, investigated, experimented, blun-
dered, and rejoiced to see how docile and patient
they were with me; how quietly they repaired my
mistakes, and recovered from the effects of my
mismanagement.
My first task was to transfer them from the bar-

rel in which they were brought to me, to an L. hive.
I bad every thing at hand that I expected to use.
Even my better half, in gloves and mosquito-net
veil, was there as assistant. It was seven o'clock
of a bright August morning when I inverted the
barrel and began operations. I may as well con-
fess I was " scared of them," as our colored girl put
it. It was no with little trepidation that I sawed the
hoops away and put a carving-knife into the combs
and my bare fingers among the bees. But they re-
spected my sentiments, and I got but two stings
that day. What a mess I made of it! By the time
I was half done, the barrel fell to pieces, and there
were about two robbers to every home bee. I could
not keep them off a comb long enough to lay it
down on the table, and was obliged to fit and tie,
with every thing black with bees. In an hour and
a half I had six frames of pretty fair comb hung in
the new hive, and the most of the bees were in too,
or flying about the entrance. I did not see any thing
of the queen, and don't know when or how she got
in. Then I left them to their own devices, and did
not see them till next morning, when I opened the
hive, and, to my great surprise, found they had not
a drop of honey. I had hung the frames in half full
of honey, but the robbers had kept on at their
work after I had finished mine, and had cleaned
them out.

As there is very little honey in our summer flow-
ers, I knew I must feed them or they would starve,
or, at least, raise but little brood. So I fixed up a
pepper-box feeder, and for two or three weeks gave
them a nightly feed of sugar syrup. A few days
after transferring, while removing some clasps and
sticks, 1 found the queen. Didn't we all rejoice,
though, over that first sight of a queen-bee? Wife
and children gathered about me as I held the frame
and watched her run over the comb, and tried in
vain to see the "attendant bees," the " retinue,"
pictured in our books. Such a beauty she was—
long-bodied and yellow ! We, at least, did her hom-
age, if the bees did not. By smoking the bees off
the center of some of the combs we found she had
been laying. Then we counted the days until
the brood was sealed, and again until the in-
mates of the cells cut their way out, fuzzy-headed
and hungry. It was a revelation to grown folks
and children; and we took daily observations of
their progress, and read and talked of them, almost
to the exclusion of other topics.

If our incessant smoking and watching hindered
them in their work thej did not show it; and soon
there were so many bees and so much brood that I
concluded to divide them, and see if they would
raise some new queens. I had given them two or
three frames of wired foundation which they had
drawn out, and nearly filled with brood; so I
thought I had enough for two pretty fair nuclei. 1
took the queen and all but three frames of brood to
hive No. 3, when they went to work, very few leav-
ing for the old stand. Then we watched No. 1 closer
than ever. In two days they had four cells started ;
and we saw with an interest that amounted to ex-
citement, the baby-queen lying in its milk-white
bed, which we knew was the royal jelly we had
read about. One was so big when only three days
old that we were afraid it would not make a good
queen; so I tore it out. In due time the rest were
capped, and we waited, impatiently enough, for
the culmination of our hopes. One morning there
was an empty cell, and a nice young queen travel-

990

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

ing on a tour of inspection over her kingdom. The
other cells were yet intact, and I cut them out to
save her majesty;a quarrel.

All had been plain sailing- so far, and we were
proud of our success— perhaps a little too much
elated. Perhaps we needed (at least we got) a les-
son which we will not soon forget. The queen-
raising was done in October, while the bees were
getting a good deal of honey from goldenrod.
About a week after our queen was hatched, the
harvest ended. I was feeding my two swarms a
little daily, as I wanted to have them strong when
orange-blossoms came, in February.

One evening 1 came home and found things in a
turmoil. Bees were Hying about wildly, crawling
over the hives, and lighting everywhere. As it
was then after sunset I did nothing and soon had
the pleasure of seeing the robbers withdraw their
forces for the day, and things quiet down. That
was the beginning of the end. I shut up my hives
for days at a time; but, 6hut or open, the thieves
were/there at daylight, and stayed until dark. If I
left a hive open so just one bee could get in or out,
the result was an all-day fight and a pint of dead
bees at evening. After a week of this sort of thing
I opened No. 2 one morning, and found the bees so
starved that they could scarcely crawl. They were
tearing out the sealed brood. I gave them a good
feed, and shut them up " for three years or during
the war."

In No. 1 my beautiful young queen was dead,
and there was no honey and no brood. There was
a sorrowful party around the evening lamp that
night. Two-thirds of our bees were dead, one hive
queenless, and a poor outlook tor orange-blossom
honey. The conclave decided to unite what were
left, shut them up, and feed by lantern light until
spring if necessary.

I was afraid they would fight, and kill the queen;
but it seemed the only thing to do. So I hung the
frames on opposite sides of a hive, inverted a Ma-
son quart jar of syrup in a saucer, between them,
and left them to their fate. Next morning the jar
was empty, and the queen all right. That night I
put the frames together, and the feed in a wooden
butter-dish on top of them. Twenty-four hours
later the q ueen had changed sides and all was quiet.
In a few days the thermometer dropped to fifty,
and the robbers suspended operations. We have
also suspended our experiments and investigations,
and are going to feed steadily, and give the veteran
survivors of the autumn campaign the rest which
they so richly deserve.

As to the outcome of this, my first term in the
school of bee culture, I think it has paid largely in
experience, and over and over again in enjoyment.
The ABC has been our text-book, and we look on
it as the X Y Z as well, in all that pertains to the
honey-bee. Gleanings is devoured as soon as re-
ceived, and re-read to wife and children when the
evening shadows bring us together. We are glad
to have found our way into the circle of genial,
intelligent patrons of this pure and elevating indus-
try, and glad to find that so many of you are confi-
dently looking forward to even a better inheritance
than our all-bountiful Father has given us in this
beautiful world. E. J. Baird.

Orlando, Fla., Nov. 20, 1889.

Friend B., the story of your commence-
ment is so nearly like my own in the earlier
volumes of the American Bee-Journal, be-

fore Gleanings had an existence, that it
would make you smile to read it over. I
had exactly the same troubles with robbing,
and I once thought I would almost go to
the expense of a trip to either Langstroth or
Quinby, to have him explain to me just
how I could tell robbers from other bees,
and know what to do when they acted as
they did with you. I was assured by bee-
men of experience (through print, of course,
for I had never seen a live bee-man till I
commenced), that in a little time it would
be all plain and easy. — Your plan of shutting
your bees up for " three years or during the
war " may do when you ban not do any bet-
ter ; but I should regard it as a wasteful
way, at least when honey or pollen is to be
obtained. Almost any colony will defend
itself from robbers if it has plenty of bees, a
fertile queen, and an entrance not too large
for the quantity of bees. I rather think
they defend themselves a little better where
they have brood in all stages. When they
are suddenly attacked they sometimes have
to have a little assistance until things are
straightened up. and a decision has been
made as to who is running the institution —
the robbers or the honest owners. You will
get out all right— never fear. We shall be
quite glad to hear from you again. Give
our respects to Mrs. B. and the little" B.'s,''
who are interested in the success of the new
enterprise.

BEES IN HOUSE-APIARIES.

J. A. GOLDEN S METHOD.

fRIEND ROOT:— 1 inclose you a picture of my
plan of keeping bees, also how I hive them.
If you lookjat the further house, and at the
lower right-hand bee-entrance, you will ob-
serve what we call a feed-board. On each
side there is a wire hook that fastens into two small
staples jplaced in the alighting-board at the proper

GULDEN'S HOUSE-APIARIES, AND PLAN OF HIVING
SWARMS.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

99i

places, the standard being- hinged to the under side
of the feed-board, with a nail driven into the lower
end, tiled sharp, and, when swung against the
Louse, will hold the board very rigid. It is one of
the handiest tools one can have about a house-
apiary for hiving bees. I use the wire basket that
shuts automatically when the bees drop into the
basket, should the bees cluster on a tree; but I usu-
ally catch the queen when she comes out, and
place her in a trap, and hang the trap on a pole or
in a tree, as you will observe in the picture. The
bees will soon cluster, and may be shook on the
feed-board, the queen liberated, and hived with the
least trouble. The small dark spots above the en-
trances are two-inch auger-holes with funnel-shap-
ed wire-cloth bee - escapes. A three -inch space
between the hives and weather-board is packed
solid with sawdust, answering the same purpose as
the chaff hive. During the winter I fill the porti-
cos with straw, having an air-chamber on the in-
side of the house to the hive, covered with wire
cloth, that affords abundance of air for the bees. I
also have a three-inch tiling, 60 feet in length, pass-
ing about six feet under the ground, and conducted
thence up through the floor of the house, having a
small ventilator at the roof; and on a cold day one
would be surprised to see how mild the air seems
to be, passing from the ground. My floors are car-
peted, and no jarring is noticeable when one desires
to examine the bees. J. A. Golden.

Reinersville, O.

ALSIKE TURNING TO WHITE DUTCH
CLOVER.

ALSO RED CLOVER TURNING TO ALSIKE ; AN EX-
PLANATION OF THESE APPARENT PHENOMENA.

R. C. L. GOUGH states in Gleanings of
June 1, that he believes alsike has turned
to white Dutch clover with him. Now,
after an acquaintance with both of tbese
varieties for years, I think he must be mis-
taken. That the changes, as he states them, un-
doubtedly do happen in hundreds of fields all over
the United States, I believe. Perhaps it would be
better to say that one kind of seed is sown, and, by
some reason, destroyed, and another growing
plant, perhaps of similar habit, takes its place.
Some of the reasons that may lead us to think al-
sike may change to white Dutch, are, that in many
seasons, on a dry soil (especially if sown thick), al-
sike will grow short, and about the height of white
Dutch, and it will also have a great many nearly
white blossoms. With us, about the middle of
June, there were many stalks of white Dutch one
foot in height; but the difference between this and
alsike could be readily seen by comparing their
different way of flowering. The flower of the white
Dutch is borne at the top of a leafless, branchless
stem, springing from near the root of the plant.
With alsike there is generally a flower formed for
every joint on the stalk of the plant. This differ-
ence in the manner of flowering is sufficient to
show that one variety can not change to the other
in the course of a season.

To account for the presence of the white Dutch
in any soil here is not difficult, as it will spring up
under favorable conditions everywhere. The seeds
are probably scattered by the winds, animals, etc.
On a piece of ground lately cleared of timber, the

white clover has made a flne;growth, and yet proba-
bly no grass seed has ever been sown there by the
hand of man. May we not refer this to the provi-
sion made by an all-wise Providence to always keep
the ground covered with growing plants?

One of my neighbors has perhaps some reason
for thinking that red clover turns to alsike, al-
though he knows better. He seeded a field of six
acres to red clover and timothy, and was surprised
the next year with a fine growth of alsike. It had
been about ten years since any alsike had been
sown on this field; but the conditions were favora-
ble for its growth, and all the seeds in the soil ger-
minated, while the red clover had been winter-kill-
ed. Perhaps the same happened to Mr. G.'s alsike,
and the white Dutch came in its place.

Watkins, N. Y. Chas. Chapman.

Friend C, there is certainly something
wonderful about the way alsike and other
clovers come up, years after the ground was
first seeded, and I think that this fact alone
explains not only one kind of clover turning
to another, but the complaint that has been
made that seed furnished does not always
produce the kind of clover that it ought to.

SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS
FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS.

That art on which a thousand millions of men are dependent
for their .sustenance, and two hundred millions of nun expend
their daily toil, must be tin- most important of all the parent
and precursor of all other aits. In every country, then, and at
every period, the in\ estimation of the principles on which the
rational practice of this art is founded ought to have command-
ed the principal attention of the greatest minds.

James F. W. Johnston.

EXTRA-EARLY CABBAGES.

Mr. Boot:— Have you grown any or all of the fol-
lowing varieties of early cabbage? Early Jersey
Wakefield, Early Etampes, and Early Express (both
Early Etampes and Early Express have been re-
named by several seedsmen, and called their "Ear-
liest"). We should like to hear what you think of
any or all the varieties named, under whatever
name you may have grown them. We want to
know what estimate of value you put upon them as
early market varieties; which is the earliest, and
which sells the best in market.

W. J. Green, Horticulturist,
Ohio Agricult'l Experiment Station.

Columbus, O., Nov. 26, 1889.

We have tested all the kinds you name,
besides every thing else that has come out
claiming to be earlier than the Jersey Wake-
field. Some of them have, perhaps, been a
trifle earlier, providing we call loose heads
cabbage; but so far as sound heads are con-
cerned, we have not found any thing that
would compare at all with the best strains
of the Jersey Wakefield. I ventured, two
years ago, to plant just one row of Early
Express, but the experiment cost me several
dollars. The Wakefield was so near the
same time in maturing, that no one would
buy the Express at all, on account of its in-
ferior quality. Landreth's Extra Early gave
us a few fair heads ; but there was nothing
uniform about it. The product seemed to
be all sorts and sizes, both early and late.

992

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

t)EC.

WANTED— A COAL-OIL STOVE FOR HEATING
GREENHOUSES.

Mr. Boot:— I want a small coal-oil stove for heat-
ing a small greenhouse ; and as you have had expe-
rience in that line of business, and know the make
that would suit best, I come to you. My house is
quite small, and I want a stove to burn coal-oil in,
and one that will not injure the flowers.

Kelleyville, Tex., Oct. 17, 1889. J. Bown.

Friend B., I can not find by any of the
floral or gardening magazines that any such
thing is in the market. I have seen ac-
counts, however, of several home-made
ones. It has been found necessary, I be-
lieve, to have some sort of a chimney, or
small stovepipe, to carry off the gases and
smell. As steam-engines are now run by
coal-oil or gasoline, without question they
could many times be profitably employed
for warming greenhouses. Such a stove
ought to be run 24 to -48 hours without any
special attention. There are coal-oil stoves
made for heating dwellings, to be found at
most stove-dealers' establishments; but
they will probably need some modification
to fit them for a greenhouse, unless, indeed,
your greenhouse is so small that no pipes
for either steam or hot water are needed.
An ordinary coal-oil stove answers nicely to
keep the temperature of a cellar just above
the freezing-point; and I do not see why
they would not answer a similar purpose to
keep flowers from damage, especially in the
comparatively mild climate of Texas.

THE "PLANET" TOOLS, FOR LADIES.

Dear Sir:— Please be kind enough to tell me if
the "Planet Jr." double-wheel hoe and cultivator
(Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 11, and 15), illustrated in the cata-
logue you sent me, can be used by a lady ; or if it is
too heavy. Our soil is sandy and mellow; and as
help is scarce, I should like to find something to
help me work faster. Miss S. E. Rauchenstein.

Whistler, Ala., Nov. 18, 1889.

My good friend, unless you are very stout
and strong, I fear that you will find any of
the machines mentioned very fatiguing.
The amount of enthusiasm you have, will,
however, make a vast difference. You can
take off some of the teeth or cutters, so as
to make it run easier, but then it would not
work so fast. If you possess the strength
of an average woman, I think you will do
much more work, and do it better, with the
machines mentioned. I believe, however,
1 would first try the Firefly, Nos. 24 and 25.
You can work these without any trouble,
and they are easier than a common hoe, be-
cause the wheel enables you to go at exactly
a certain depth, and not deeper. Of course,
you must have nice mellow soil, or none of
these tools will be available. If you could
borrow one of some friend near you, before
investing, it would be quite an advantage.
A good deal depends on getting accustomed
to these tools, and knowing just how to use
them. Our average hired help do not get
along very well with them. The trouble is,
they do not understand it, and, worse still,
they have no enthusiasm in making it bring
out its best capabilities. Now, to me there
is nothing I enjov in the world more than
taking these tools into the garden, after a

rain, when the soil is just dry enough, and
make them put the plants in nice order,
and do it rapidly.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A WATERMELON IS RIPE.

In my young days I was laughed at so much for
pulling green melons (for I could not decide when
ripe by thumping) that I put my wits to work to de-
cide in some other way; and after experimenting
for years I at last learned to tell very easily. My
plan is this: I draw my thumb-nail over the melon,
scraping off the thin green outer skin. If the edges
of the skin on each side of the scar are left ragged
or granulated, and the rind under the scar is
smooth, firm, and white, and has something of a
glossy appearance, the melon is ripe. But if the
edges of the scar are smooth and even, and the
thumb-nail has dug into the rind in places, and the
skin does not come off clean, then the melon is
green. I hope I have been explicit enough to make
it plain. You can easily learn by experimenting on
two melons, one ripe and the other green (after
they have been cut open), and noting the differ-
ence. J. J. Hardy.

Lavonia, Ga., Oct. 31, 1889.

Friend H., I have been in the habit of de-
ciding somewhat as you decide — by appear-
ance ; but I never thought of scraping the
melon with the thumb - nail. Since you
mention it, however, 1 am inclined to think
that your test is a good one, and we hereby
tender you our thanks.

THE IGNOTUM TOMATO AND THE BEES.

The packet of Ignotum tomato seed sent me last
spring by you gave me 25 plants, which yielded a
good crop of tomatoes. I set them alongside of
Livingston's Prolific. The Ignotum, with me, grew
smooth and nice, of good size, with only one fault;
and that is, in the blow end of the tomato there
seems to be a small scar left, or rusty spot. They
seemed to be wonderful bearers.

As to the honey crop, that seems to be almost a
failure with me this year. I have 196 colonies of
bees, and only 1300 lbs. of honey, all told, extracted
and comb honey combined. I would lay the cause
here with me to the excessive rains through the
season for honey-gathering.

Akin, N. Y. J. Lingenfelter.

THE DELICIOUS VERSUS THE STRATAGEM PEAS.

We have had the Stratagem pea for several years.
They are an excellent pea, but we have found
something decidedly better. It is called the Deli-
cious. It has larger vines, larger pods, and larger
peas, and they are decidedly more delicious. They
are a little later than the Stratagem ; but if you try
them once I think you will drop the Stratagem and
take these for your main crop. The first year they
did not seem to be quite so prolific as the Strata-
gems, but this year I think they were fully their
equal. E.Z.Green.

Montague, Mich., Nov. 22, 1889.

HENDERSON'S BUSH LIMA BEAN.

With me, the Henderson lima bean is No. 1— no
sign of any tendency to run, and is two weeks
earlier than the pole small lima beans planted at
the same time, and it has the appearance of yielding
better than^the pole lima. Geo. Drew.

Bunker Hill, July 20, 1889.

We agree with you, friend D , except in
your last statement. The bean is certainly

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

993

very prolific, but we somewhat doubt wheth-
er it will give us as many bushels to the acre
as the pole lima beans.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS,

THE STANLEY EXTRACTOR DEPENDED.

I do not consider Mr. Coe qualified to pass a cor-
rect verdict on the Stanley extractor (see page 957),
as the one he refers to was made by Mr. Stanley,
who never gave proper care to their manufacture.
Mr. Coe got from him a machine whose baskets did
not fit his frames; and in ordering new baskets,
months later, from me, he put them (probably) on
the same arms as the first ones, and did not get the
nicety of adjustment that is necessary, or else has
a very weak operator. A nicely adjusted, well-
made machine, is easily run, easily reversed, and is
appreciated by those who have tons of honey to ex-
tract. I inclose a card from Mr. A , who used

three machines the past season, one in each apiary.

E. R. NewCOMb.
Pleasant Valley, N. Y., Dec. 3, 1889.

The inclosed is the card referred to. We
withhold the name, as requested by the
writer.

E. R. Newcomb :— The extractors I bought of you
are all I could ask for in a honey-extractor. I have
extracted tons of hooey the past season, and they
have worked well; but for certain reasons I would
rather not have my name go before the public.

We are glad to get this ; and may we not
hear from others who have used the Stan-
ley? Let the truth be what it may. We
shall be just as pleased to get testimony fa-
voring the Stanley as our own extractor.

THE HONEY THAT WILL NOT CANDY.

Have you any extracted on hand that is not yet
candied? The heating of it is a small matter; but
if it is not yet candied, it is an indication that it will
not granulate so readily as what we have had. We
have never before had so much trouble with honey
becoming candied, and simply because we have
been using the linden honey almost entirely. I
have had several lots of California extracted from
New York, but none that has been real nice.

Allegheny, Pa., Nov. 15, 1889. M. H. Tweed.

Friend T., you call attention to some-
thing we had not particularly thought about
before, only I had observed that honey once
candied is, as a rule, much more liable to
candy again — that is, if it is not sealed
from the air, like canned fruit. There have
been quite a few complaints this present
season, that honey candies unusually quick.

WINTERING BEES IN A FR01T-CEDLAR.

Can you tell me whether bees will winter as well
in a cellar with apples and potatoes, as in one with
bees only, other things being equal?

Roseburg, Mich, Nov. 20, 1889. J. Mitchell.

Friend M., my impression is that a cellar
that is right for apples would be rather cold
for bees ; but some may perhaps prefer to
have their bees as near the freezing-point as
apples will bear. 1 think, however, that

most bee-keepers decide that a temperature
just right to keep potatoes to the best ad-
vantage would be about right for bees.
Those who advocate keeping the bees at
from 45 to 50 would want the cellar rather
warmer than is best for either apples or po-
tatoes. Potatoes would be more likely to
sprout, and the apples more likely to rot.
Apples do very well when kept just at the
freezing-point, and a little below does not
seem to harm them. I do not think that
the odor from apples or potatoes would do
any harm, unless they were rotting. Of
course, in that case we should not want
them too near the bees. Potatoes and ap-
ples also need a certain degree of dampness.
This was formerly thought to be detrimen-
tal ; but I believe late decisions have left
the matter somewhat undecided.

TOILERS OF THE SKY.

How gladsome are the songs that greet
Our ear from forest, field, and street!
The songs of toilers as they fly,
The myriad toilers of the sky.

We do not know the words of song
The singers sing that haste along;
But yet we know they're songs of praise.
And Jesus knows what each one says.

Lord, how minute thy love and care
For thy creation everywhere !
The smallest gnat the eye can see
Is toiling on and praising thee.

And shall the sons of Adam's race
Be dumb before that blessed face
Who, from the stable to the cross,
Hath lived and loved and died for us?
St. Mary's, Ontario, Can. F. M. Master.

WINTERING ON HONEY-DEW; WHEN WE CAN AND
WHEN WE CAN NOT.

The discussion of Question 148 in the Nov. 15th
Gleanings was very interesting to me, as I have
had considerable experience with honey-dew. In
looking over my diary I find that my bees have
gathered no honey-dew since August, 1884, until
the present season. During the season of 1884 they
gathered about 20 pounds of honey-dew to the hive.
I also remember taking all the honey-dew from
every hive except one, and this one colony was the
only one that died. Nine-tenths of the bee-keepers'
bees around here died that same winter. I find
also in my diary that the winter of 1884 was a very
severe one. The bees were confined to their hives
75 days without a chance to fly. They were in from
the 9th of January until the 26th of March. Twenty
days during this time the thermometer was below
zero. Bro. Root, I suppose if you had been here
you would have given a few colonies honey-dew
the following winter, to see if it was that which
really killed the bees. It would not have killed
them the following winter, I know, because 35 days
was the longest time that they were confined to
their hives, being from the 4th of January to the
9th of February, with only six days below zero.
This would make all the difference in the world.
My bees have not been confined to their hives 75
days in succession in any one winter since. Last
winter 59 was the longest, or from the 5th of Janu-
ary until the 6th of March, with only two days be-

994

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE.

Dec.

low zero. It seems of late years that the longest
cold spells come in the latter part of winter. Now,
it was not always this way. If we have a winter
like 1882 the honey-dew will make the bees kind o'
tired. During that winter the worst cold spell
came in the fore part of winter, or from the 12th of
November to the 27th of January, making 75 days
of confinement. During the winter of 1880 the bees
were kept in their hives 99 days in succession, or
from the 4th of December to the 15th of March.
Any honey-dew during that winter would have
been fatal. Now, if the fore part of this winter
consists of a prolonged cold spell, Bro. Doolittle's
eyes will begin to stick out toward spring. If the
longest cold spell keeps off until after the first of
the year, any hive with less than ten pounds of
honey-dew is safe. If they have more I should not
like to insure them. I left very little honey-dew
with mine this winter; but having only a limited
amount of white honey on hand I have placed them
on short rations for winter. I winter half in a cave,
the rest on their summe stands.

I have sold 40 gallons of honey-dew up to date, at
one dollar per gallon. It is as black as pine tar,
and has a very unpleasant flavor. Some of my
hives stored as much as 00 lbs. of it. They gather-
ed all of it from the 20th of August to the 12th of
September, just working in the mornings. I ex-
tracted about half of it, and left the rest in combs.
I don't think my bees will starve the coming sea-
son, unless they starve this winter. J. Dallas.

Sharpsville, Pa., Nov. 26, 1889.

Friend D., you speak only of wintering
outdoors, if I am correct. How about keep-
ing bees 100 days in confinement in the cel-
lar, as many of our friends do right along?
I am inclined to think that some specimens
of honey-dew are very wholesome ; but I
am well aware that the greater part of it is
very poor. Sometimes when I get a taste of
it in comb honey, I find it so exceedingly
disagreeable that I do not wonder that it
kills bees. Who was it, pray, that bought
forty gallons of honey-dew, as black as pine
tar, and what did they want to do with it —
that is, if you have no objection to letting
us know? If it was used for flavoring to-
bacco, may be it was all right, although I
should be much better pleased to hear that
the tobacco, honey dew. and all had been
thrown away or burned up.

THE " BEE ELDORADO OF THE WORLD."

I see by the last number of Gleanings that Mr.
W. K. Ball, of Iteno, Nevada, gave you a few items
about alfalfa. I have no doubt but that, at some
future day, that country he speaks of will be the
bee Eldorado of the world. As there is considera-
ble money in raising alfalfa, all the available land
in that section will be set to this plant of the des-
ert.

There is a long strip of territory on the east side
of the Sierras, which extends from the northern
boundary of Nevada down into Arizona. Our bee-
keeping friend, Mr. John L. Gregg, is located on a
continuation of this same belt. All through the
Great American Desert, alfalfa would flourish if it
could be irrigated, and then, truly, the "desert
would blossom as the rose." On the west side of
the Sierra Nevada mountains (in Eldorado Co.) it
does not yield honey to amount to any thing. On
the east side it seems to be the reverse as regards

the secretion of nectar. I suppose the change of
climate, atmospheric conditions, and sandy soil are
more favorable for honey secretion. Alfalfa flour-
ishes best on sandy soil. It is a pretty sight to see
a field of one hundred acres one vast sheet of pur-
ple blossoms. S. L. Watkins.
Placerville, Cal.

bee-stings vs. rheumatism; another valuable
testimony.

I see many statements in Gleanings regarding
the subject of bee-stings as a cure for rheumatism.
I contracted it while in the army, and have been a
great sufferer for many years, often being confined
to my bed for months at a time, experiencing all
the excruciating agony and pain that any mortal
could endure. I was given up to die, by the best
doctors in eastern Pennsylvania, being reduced to
a mere skeleton of ninety pounds. After the doc-
tors forsook me, and had told many of my neigh-
bors that I could live but a few days at most, I,
through the intervention of a kind Providence,
gradually got better, and in three months I could
get out on crutches, and in that condition I lived
for six years, when I bought a swarm of bees in the
spring of 1883. When the bees showed their temper
I could not get away from them very lively, and I
received many very severe stingings. At one time
I came near dying from stings. Oh, but I was sick !
I broke out in blotches all over my body, and a
numbness came over me so that I could not move
my tongue to speak, and for once in my life I was a
mute in reality. From that time I have often told
my friends (when they speak of my improved con-
dition) that I give the bees the credit of doing what
the doctors could not. I am not careful to avoid an
occasional sting, and I can walk around comforta-
bly with a cane, and I weigh 190 pounds. I do not
claim a complete cure, but I am so much improved
over my former condition that 1 cm not help hail-
ing with joy any thing to relieve such terrible suf-
fering as I have endured. • S. W. Taylor.

Harveyville, Pa., Nov. 25, 1889.

bee-stings a positive cure for inflammatory
rheumatism.

I have read the reports in Gleanings about bee-
stings as a remedy for rheumatism; and as there
are some that claim it cures them, and some that it
does not, 1 thought perhaps my case might interest
you a little. I have suffered with the worst kind of
what I call inflammatory rheumatism at different
times for over fifteen years. Sometimes it would
be two months when I could scarcely turn over in
bed and could not even bear the bed clothes to touch
the limb that was bad. My knees and ankles and
feet were the most affected. It would commence
in one joint, and get so bad that the joint would
swell terribly, then all in a second it would ease off,
and in about an hour the pain was all gone; then in
perhaps another hour it had settled into another
joint, and it was as bad as the first one. It would
sometimes move three or four times before it had
run its course, then I would gradually improve.
Some years I would have only one or two spells,
and some years I would have three or four, and it
was mostly when I caught cold.

About four years ago I commenced to keep some
bees, and, of course, I got the allotted number of
stings, and now I have been three years without
any rheumatism worth speaking about. I have
had a slight aching this last rainy weather, but not

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

995

worth noticing. My opinion is, that stings will cure
some kinds of rheumatism; but I am satisfied that
there are more than one kind, and perhaps it will
not affect some kinds. Of course, I can not be pos-
itive that the stings made the cure. It might be
the honey I ate, and that is lots, as I am fond of it.
then, again, it might be the change of climate, as I
moved from Chicago to this place; but I don't
think it is the change, as I have had some of my
worst spells since I moved here. If I should have
any more bad spells T will give the bees a good
chance to annihilate it; and if they do I will let you
know. John Hammond.

Buena Vista, O., Nov. 25. 1889.

Friend H., we are exceedingly obliged for
your careful and conscientious report. No
doubt you are in the right about it, and that
there are different kinds of inflammatory
rheumatism. The testimony is coming out,
however, exceedingly strong on the side of
bee-stings.

We solicit for this department short items and questions of
a practical nature; but all questions, if accompanied by oth-
er matter, must be put upon a separate slip of paper with
name and address.

We had nearly 4 inches of rain in October— the
heaviest Hood in October since 1849.
Long Beach, Cal., Nov. 4, 1889. F. J. Farr.

100 BUSHELS FROM 2l/2 OP SEED.

I purchased 2l/2 bushels of Japanese buckwheat
of you last spring, to sow. and I now have at least
100 bushels of it to sell—a better sample, I think,
than that I got of you. O. D. Hacklev.

Batavia, N. Y., Nov. 22, 1889.

264 BUSHELS OP JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 7
ACRES.

We have this day thrashed the Japanese buck-
wheat raised on 7 acres of land from the first five
bushels of seed bought of you. There was 264 bush-
els. E. H. Hough.

Saybrook, Ohio, Oct. 17, 1889.

435 BUSHELS OP JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 20
ACRES, AND 625 BUSHELS OF WHEAT, ALL

IN THE SAME SEASON.

I harvested 625 bushels of nice f ultz wheat from
20 acres of ground. Then I plowed the ground, and
sowed it to Japanese, from which I thrashed 435
bushels, making 1060 bushels of grain from 20 acres
of land, and I have drilled the buckwheat stubble
into wheat again. How is that for Kansas? I also
have a good crop of honey. I do not think the
Japanese is as good for honey as the silverhull.

Quenemo, Kan., Oct. 18, 1889. J. H. Kennedy.

BURLAP OR ENAMELED SHEETS FOR WINTER;
WHICH?

Would you advise usins enameled cloth beneath
the burlap chaff bag on top of bees, for wintering?
Would not moisture condense thereon, and make it
unpleasant for them? Would not a double thick-
ness of burlap just above the bees and under the
chaff cushion be a good plan? Wm. C. Baker.

Shanesville, O., Oct. 25. 1889.

[We take off our enameled cloths when or soon
after we put on the cushions, and put in their place
burlap sheets. One thickness of burlap is suffi-
cient. The enameled cloths are objectionable, for
the reason you name.]

TO SAMPLE HONEV IN THE COMB, WITHOUT
MUTILATING.

I have a honey-quill for sampling honey, which
will take the honey out of a single cell, of which 1
have seen no description, although it may be an
old thing with bee-keepers. It is this: Take a o,uill
of the right size at the large end; cut off the small
end; push it down into a cell; put the thumb over
the small end, and it will take out the honey of a
single cell. Mark Coffin.

Milton, Ky., Nov. 26, 1K89.

]^EP0I^F$ ENC0«^6IN6.

PROM 50 TO 102, AND 4000 LBS. OF HONEY.

I started in the spring with 50 colonies. I increas-
ed to 102, and got 4000 lbs.— 3400 of comb, and 600 of
extracted. My bees are all in good shape to winter.

Chillicothe, Mo., Nov. 26, 1889. Geo. W. Babb.

KEEPING BEES FOR RECREATION.

My honey crop is 115 lbs. extracted per colony,
spring count. I keep the bees in the heart of the
city. How is that for an engineer? I keep them
for recreation. K. B. Holbrook.

St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 7, 1889.

FROM 20 TO 34, AND 23K0 LBS. OF HONEY.

I started with 20; increased to 34, and took 1520
lbs. — 860 comb, and the rest extracted. This is my
first year with bees. I am delighted with them. 1
put them in the cellar yesterday. I owe most of
my success to Gleanings, which I could not do
without. G. L. Head.

La Valle, Wis., Nov. 21, 1889.

FROM 150 TO 240, AND 21,500 LBS. OF HONEY.

I commenced the season with 150 stands for ex-
tracted honey, and 8 for comb. I have extracted
21,500 lbs., and have taken 500 lbs. of comb honey,
and increased to 240 stands. I kept them in two
apiaries 6% miles apart. I have sold all the honey
at an average of 6^ cts. per lb. Robt. Qoinn.

Shellsburg, la , Nov. 25, 1889.

As I have said nothing about my bees this year,
here is my report: From 20 colonies, spring count, I
secured 660 lbs. of extracted honey, and increased
to 35. Honey was gathered from aster; too much
wet weather through spring and summer to get any
surplus. The honey from aster is splendid to winter
on. Our winters are very mild. We have no pack-
ing to do. We just leave the bees on summer stands
as they are. S. L. Klutts.

Clear Creek, N. C, Nov. 15, [889.

HONEY FROM RED CLOVER.

I put 28 swarms in cellar Nov. 15, 1888; took them
out about April 15, 26 of them all right and two
dead; no spring dwindling. I increased to 40, and
extracted 1900 lbs , and had 200 lbs. of comb honey.
The honey was from red clover. I have been notic-
ing for years the reports of honey from red clover;
and have also noticed that all the heavy work on it
here has been on the mammoth clover, and the first
year 1 hat it blossoms; alter that it does not seem
to amount to much for honey. E. Z GREEN.

Montague, Mich., Nov. 22, L889.

FROM It TO 26, AND 120(1 LBS. UK HONEY.
As far as I can learn, bees have done well around
here. I had 14 hives last spring, now 1 have 26,
most of them ten frames full of honey (I have no

996

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

extractor). I made over 1300 pounds of nice sec-
tion honey, nearly all of it wbite. I had one large
swarm come off the last of August. I put it in a
nine-frame hive, and it filled and sealed all the
frames. I have never known bees to make honey
so late in the season, and so clear and white. I
have no idea what they gathered it from.

Honey is in small demand here this fall, and but
little money to be got on it.

Roseburg, Mich., Nov. 20, 1889. Jno. Mitchell.

1000 COLONIES ON AN AREA OF FOUR MILES SQUARE.

There are at this time at least 1000 stands of bees
here, located on land not to exceed four miles
square. I have 204 stands myself in one place.

The sage and wild flowers make this county a
bee's paradise; then there is the alfalfa, wheat, and
corn they work on ; and, in fact, all kinds of flowers.
Now for results: 1 had 120 stands of bees last
spring, and I divided about the middle of April to
increase to 200. Every thing went nicely for about
two weeks. They were making enough honey to
live on; but the weather turned cold, and it snowed
in the mountains clear down to the valley, on each
side of the valley, which is about 15 miles wide here,
and kept the weather so cold as to keep the bees in
the hives, and about 30 of the divided hives starved
before I knew it. The 28th of May, I divided again,
and filled them up, and did not put on a super until
the middle of June, which is a month later than
usual here. Then I got 10,000 sections of nice white
honey and 2000 pounds of extracted honey by the
15th of September, and all have enough to winter
on. I took from one stand of bees this year, for an-
other person, 254 sections of nice white honey, first
class.

If you think this will do for a poor year, the next
time you come to California just come down here
from Reno, Nev., and see us. Henry Trickey.

Bishops, Cal., Nov. 11, 1889.

^ef0to Di?C0a^eiN6.

HONEY CROP A FAILURE.

Honey in this.locsility is a failure this year, due
perhaps to the excessive rainfall. The usual quanti-
ty of pollen was within reach of the bees, and I had
much trouble from their storing it in the sections.
I should like to know the conditions which give rise
to such trouble. We never had this experience be-
fore. If any back number of Gleanings states the
cause, I should like to have it.

Strafford, Pa., Nov. 9, 1889. Chas. H. Harrison.

VERY DISCOURAGING — GOING TO BRIMSTONE THE
BEES BECAUSE THEY DON'T PAY.

You will have to put me in Blasted Hopes. I com-
menced last spring with 75 colonies, mostly strong;
increased to 83, with 600 lbs. of comb honey; but this
is not the worst, for I expect to have to sell for 10 or
12 cts. per lb., for I am informed of a lot of 80)0 lbs.
which sold for 10 cts. If this is not discouraging,
pl3ase tell what is. In regard to reports encourag-
ing, I think there are two discouraging to one en-
couraging, if they could be written up. You say, if
one can not keep bees without brimstoning some,
they had better go out of the business; but by the
time this reaches A. I. Root, some of mine will be
dead by its me. 1 Nelson Dewey.

Adrian, Mich., Nov. 10, 1889.

0ai^ QaEgTON-Be&

With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees.

All queries sent in for this department should be briefly
stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question
or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper,
and marked, " For Our Question-Box."

Question 150.— a. Taking one year with another,
what is your average honey crop in pounds? and from
how many colonies, on the average? State whether for
comb or extracted, b. Do you think you would in-
crease or decrease your annual income by keeping more
than your present number of apiaries, and employing
more help?

a. 100 pounds of extracted, b. I think we should
make more income by keeping more apiaries and
employing more help.

Wisconsin. S. W. E. France.

a. I think something less than 40 lbs. of comb per
colony, from about 200 colonies, b. Yes, if I could
get the right help.

Illinois. N. C. C. Miller.

Until the past three years it had been 75 pounds,
about 25 colonies. We could do better by keeping
more. Indeed, we have increased to over 70 now.

Michigan. C. A. J. Cook.

a. About 80 pounds of extracted, from an average
of 100 colonies, b. Different apiaries in different
localities would certainly increase the yearly in-
come if they are well attended.

Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viallon.

a. I consider 45 to 50 pounds of comb honey a good
average yield, excepting in seasons of failure like
the past in this vicinity, b. I think I could increase,
but may be I would not.

Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boardman.

a. About 80 pounds during the past 17 years, with
an average of about 45 colonies, spring count.
Mostly comb honey, b. Increase by keeping more
if I could attend to them myself; but I have too
many "irons in the fire " to keep more.

New York. C. G. M. Doolittle.

a. I can not say. I have not kept a sufficiently
careful record for about ten years to state positive-
ly, b. Decrease in this locality, with the poor sea-
sons we have had during the past five years. If
the apiarian expects a profit, he must do his own
work.

Illinois. Mrs. L. Harrison.

a. I am unable to say. Our last four seasons
were too poor to keep a correct account, b. Poor
seasons and prices of honey did not encourage my-
self and neighbors to increase our apiaries. The
tendency is the other way.

Ohio. S. W. C. F. Muth.

My average honey crop for the last ten years fig-
ures about 1580 pounds. My number of colonies in
spring has varied from 17 survivors of a winter,
when my apiary mostly perished, to 121, when they
didn't perish. The average is 77. To establish out-
apiaries, and run them by hired help, would evi-
dently run me behind hand.

Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty.

a. 1 have no means of knowing what my average
honey crop has been. Some years none, as in 1887
and '88. This year I have about 30 pounds' per colo-
ny of surplus, and I guess it might be called comb
honey, for it is still in the comb (brood-combs), and

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

997

all sealed over. b. That would depend upon the
locality and the honey-flow.
Ohio. N. W. A.B.Mason.

Between forty and fifty pounds per colony, from
five hundred to a thousand colonies. Comb honey.
We think we are entitled to about fifty pounds as
an average, with good swarms. It is very doubtful
whether the net income would be increased.

New York. C. P. H. Elwood.

a. For the past 10 years my average sales have
been about nine tons per year, comb honey, from
an average of about 3r>0 colonies. This is averag-
ing the ten years, and is simply an off-hand esti-
mate, as it would take too long to look up the ex-
act figures, b. Yes, possibly for ten years to come,
as I am learning more and more about the business
every year, and especially how to economize.

Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum.

a. 75 pounds to the hive, with about 300 hives to
the apiary, extracted honey, b. If I had abun-
dance of energy to expend I would have more
apiaries; but not now feeling capable of looking
after things rigidly, I am best off with a small num-
ber.

Larger boats may venture more,
But little boats must keep near shore.
California. S. W. R. Wilkin.

I can not give exact figures for more than a part
of the time, but I should estimate my average
yield per colony at 45 pounds of comb, or 90 of ex-
tracted. This includes the season of 1886, when I
did not get a hundred pounds of surplus from my
whole apiary, and the very poor season of 1887.
This was from an average of about 90 colonies,
spring count. I think I could increase my income
somewhat by keeping more bees.

Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green.

a. Our average, for 15 years or more, is between
31 and 22 thousand pounds of extracted honey from
350 to 400 colonies, b. Our six apiaries are managed
by a single man, excepting a few days when we are
in a hurry to put the supers on the hives; then we
employ another man; and when we extract we
have work for two men and a boy besides our apia-
rist. We could increase the income by increasing
the help and the apiaries, but it would involve more
responsibility, and we do not wish to try it.

Uliaois. N. W. Dadant & Son.

a. My average crop for about ten years was a
minute fraction over 110 pounds per colony, mostly
extracted. In estimating yields, I count all colo-
nies there are in the yard, both large and small, at
the commencement of the honey-flow, before any
new colonies are made. Number of colonies varied
from 30 to 140, and averaged nearly 100. My best
average yield was from 108 colonies, spring count,
b. Annual income would be decreased unless the
number of colonies was increased as well as the
number of apiaries.

Cuba. O. O. Poppleton.

Our greatest yield from an apiary has been 100
lbs. per colony. Certain colonies ran up to over
300 lbs. Our average yield has been not far from
40 lbs. per colony, for a series of,'years. Extracted
honey, and from 150 colonies, b. It has been our
endeavor to increase our 'colonies, and establish
out-apiaries. We have thus far employed but little
help to run two apiaries. A very little more help

at the right time would enable us to run two more
apiaries, with increased income.

New York. E. Rambler.

I can not answer this ()uestion. J have not kept a
record. It lies between fifty and a hundred pounds
of extracted honey, taking all of the years together,
I presume. Where one sells bees, both spring and
fall, changing his number of colonies constantly,
and raising both comb and extracted honey in the
same apiary, as well as increase, unless he keeps a
careful record - book it is impossible to answer
question a. Question b. is also just as knotty. I
know but very little, and believe but very little, in
regard to overstocking. As far as the help ques-
tion is concerned, it would be very profitable to in-
crease the number of colonies, for the cost of help
pro rata would decrease. That is one point against
out-apiaries; but in regard to overstocking, 21
years' experience is not enough for me. Although
I have taken much pains to pump such bee-keepers
as I met, who ought to know most about it, I must
say 1 have never yet found one who could shed one
clear ray of light on the subject. It is the most
obscure problem in bee-keeping, that of overstock-
ing, and yet very much hinges on it.

Michigan. S. W. James Heddon.

a. The last four seasons, my honey crop averaged
29,000 pounds extracted and 500 pounds of comb
honey, from 350 to 300 colonies, spring count. Four
years ago I had only 8000 pounds for my crop, hav-
ing lost a large proportion of my bees the previous
winter, b. How can I tell what I could do till I try?
Do you suppose Grant, Lee, Sherman, and other
officers in the late war knew what they could do
until they tried? Trial proved their capacity to
vary greatly. Some were competent to handle
100,000 men or more. The outside limit of others
was 10,000, and others proved themselves unfit to
handle any. As in war, so in bee-keeping and other
pursuits. Capt. Hetherington has proved himself
competent to manage a large number of colonies;
so did Adam Grimm; so did Harbison, till he found
something to suit him better. In my own case I at
one time thought of running up into the thousands ;
but poor health warned me to curb my ambition.
At present, had I the strength and inclination, lack
of pasturage and locations would bar the specula-
tion; for should bee-keepers increase in the future
as they have in the past two years it would soon be
hard to find an unoccupied field.

Wisconsin. S. W. S. 1. Freeborn.

Well done, friends. A beginner might
well take courage from the above replies.
Yet there is, however, a glimpse now and
then of blasted hopes. I notice, also, that a
good many of the friends have settled down
to the idea that they prefer to take life a
little easier, even if they do lose some dol-
lars that might be made by shouldering
more responsibilities. There is a good
point here. I now call to mind quite a few
among the bee-friends who have made their
lives unhappy and perhaps unprofitable by
trying to do too many things, or, if you
choose, too much. Better have a little, and
do it well, than to attempt great things,
and be for ever worried to death, and in hot
water all the time. Many of us are a little
older than we were fifteen or twenty years
ago, and I trust, also, a little wiser. Con-
tentment is better than riches.

998

GLEANINGS INBEE CULTURE.

Dec.

Every boy or girl, under 15 years of age, who writes a let-
ter for this department, containing some valuable fact, not

GENERALLY KNOWN, ON BEES OR OTHER MATTERS, will receive
one of David Cook's excellent five-cent Sunday-school books.
Many of these books contain the same matter that you find in
Sunday-school hooks costing from 81.00 to 81.50. If you have
had one or more books, give us the names that we may not
send the same twice. We have now in stock six different
books, as follows; viz.: Sheer Off, Silver Keys, The Giant-Kill-
er; or. The Roby Family, Rescued from Egypt, Pilgrim's
Progress, and Ten Nights in a Bar-Room. We have also Our
Homes, Part l.,and Our Homes, Part II. Besides the above
books, you may have a photograph of our old house apiary,
and a photograph of our own apiary, both taken a great many
years ago. In the former is a picture of Novice, Blue Eyes,
and Caddy, and a glimpse of Ernest. We have also some pret
ty little colored pictures of birds, fruits, flowers, etc., suitable
for framing. You can have your choice of any one of the
above pictures or books for every letter that gives us some
valuable piece of information.

GRANDPA'S BEES.

My grandpa has 16 colonies of bees. He has one
hive on a large rock. He makes bee-hives. He
has a sawmill. He runs the mill by horsepower.
Will Harrington, age 11.

Setley, Pa., Nov. 28, 1889.

Papa has 45 swarms and 10 Simplicity hives. He
has some Italians, blacks, and hybrids. He doesn't
like the hybrids very well, but he likes the blacks
best. He did lose two swarms. We take Glean-
ings, and expect to for sometime.

Elijah B. Wilson, age 11.

Blaine. W. Va., Nov. 21, 1889.

AN OLD LADY 94 YEARS OLD.

I was over to Uncle Henry Bixby's. He takes
Gleanings. My papa lives on a rented farm, and
takes care of an old lady. She is the oldest person
in the town of Hornby. She is in her 9tth year.
She reads her Bible without glasses, and she can go
upstairs as spry as a cat. I am 11 years old, and
love L'to go to Sabbath-school. Uncle Henry Bixby,
as we children call him, is our pastor and superin-
tendent. We all love him. Mattie Fero.

Dyke, N. Y., Oct. 13, 1889.

HOW A BOY MADE HIS BEES PAY.

I am 14 years old; and having a desire to learn
the bee-business, last spring I bought a colony of
pure Italian bees, for which I paid $6.00. This
season they made 30 pounds of nice comb honey, be-
sides 'being in good shape for winter. I have sold
enough honey to pay for Gleanings, and think it
is a valuable paper for bee-keepers. I bought your
ABC book last spring, and have learned a great
deal about bees. Chas. V. Hoffman.

Sidney, N. J., Nov. 25, 1889.

EAKLY-POLLEN GATHERERS.

For five years past I have been writing to you
annually, when the bees commenced bringing in
pollen. In these Ave years they commenced about
the first of February each year. This year they
commenced bringing in pollen on the 16th of Janua-
ry, from the water or white elm. This is a large
tree growing on the river, and buds very early.
The pollen brought in was of a canary color, and
very soft. My pa closed the season with 102 colo-
nies; but after uniting several he went into winter

cjuarters with .s2. These he wintered on their sum-
mer stands in Simplicity hives, and protected them
from the cold northers by a high plank wall.

Lizzie L. Mullin, age 13.
Oakland, Tex., Jan. 22, 1889.

BEES AND FRDIT; VALUABLE TESTIMONY OF A
LITTLE GIRL.

We saw in your journal that some think the bees
eat the grapes; but my pa does not think they do,
unless the little ruby-crown kinglet bird makes a
tiny little hole in them. We have 75 hives of bees,
and have sold six tons of grapes. We have a large
peach and apple orchard, and the bees do not dis-
turb them. Marcia Hopkins, age 11.

Brownhelm, Ohio, Oct. 20, 1889.

LILLIE REPORTS A GOOD YIELD; WHITE FALL
HONEY.

We got from 35 colonies, spring count, about 6000
lbs. of honey this year, and increased to 70. The
clover season lasted about two months before linn
bloomed. After the linn and clover were gone we
had a good crop of fall honey. There were about
10 hives of comb honey that were partly filled be-
fore the fall flowers bloomed, and we did not take
the honey off from them until October, and it was
as white as the clover honey that we got in June.
Is it possible that they could have finished them
with anj* thing but smartweed, Spanish needle, and
the other fall flowers? We have the Syrian bees,
and have not been troubled with robbers this fall,
as usual, but we have had one or two stolen.

Lillie Graham, age 13.

Agency. Mo., Oct. 28, 1889.

Friend Lillie, it is hardly possible that
Spanish needle or other ordinary fall flowers
furnished light honey. Smartweed might
come a little nearer to it, but I am inclined
to think your light honey came from red
clover — that is, if there is any in your vi-
cinity.

A REPORT FROM A GERMAN APIARY; CAN WE
WINTER ON THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE?

To-day papa is hauling bees. They have done
very poorly this year, and in one of our out-apia-
ries we had some of the honey and bees stolen. It
seems we had'hard luck with bees this year. Some
of our swarms got lost. Of August swarms we had
plenty, but they all went to the woods. In another
out-apiary we lost about one-third by moths and
poor fields. Our last report from Germany says it
looks far better there. Hives are all full, both straw
and wooden hives. Buckwheat and heather have
had good weather, and our bees are in the middle of
both. This winter papa is going to put his bees on
the roof, as our home apiary is too small, on ac-
count of new buildings. I should like to know
about wintering on the roof in well-packed chaff
hives. We have tried a few last winter with success.
Papa doesn't like cellar wintering, as we live in the
city. Anna Blanken, age 12.

Jersey City, N. J., Oct. 24, 1889.

Friend Anna, bees could probably be win-
tered quite successfully on the roof in Jer-
sey City. Friend Muth, in Cincinnati, has
wintered his so, for years, quite successful-
ly. I should prefer to have them on the
roof of a wing of a house, so that the taller
portion, or the house proper, might extend
higher, and keep off the north or west winds.

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

999

0a^ pejiEg,

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city.— Pbov. 16:32.

a ECEMBER 7 was a beautiful sunshiny
day ; in fact, it seemed more like April
or May than December; but at the Home
of the Honey-bees we were exceedingly
anxious that it should be a fine day.
The foundation for our large reservoir was
already finished, upon the hill near the fac-
tory. The staves for the great tub were
piled up close by. The windmill, pump,
and other machinery, were all in readiness,
and the man was expected on the morning
train to " boss the job " of putting the ma-
chinery in place, and rearing the whole
structure. We telegraphed him to come the
day before ; but as it was rainy we did not
feel very bad when we found that he did not
come. When the sun, bright, clear, and
warm, shone out on the day in question,
however, we felt very anxious. Our people
are all interested in the matter, and the
workers in wood, metals, dirt, brick, stone,
etc., were almost as anxious as I to see this
individual who travels from place to place
bossing the erection of such structures.
Sure enough, he got off the train. After a
few brief questions he told the carpenters
what to do ; then the masons were set at
work ; then the ditchers commenced in the
trenches, to put in the great wooden pipes,
down out of the way of frost, and all work-
ed with a will.

I now wish to digress from my story a
little right here, to consider this matter of
bossing others, or, if you choose, of taking
charge of a number of men. It comes a
good deal in the same line as taking charge
of out-apiaries — having several apiaries in-
stead of one. How is it that some have a
gift in that line, and others have not V The
man who came to put up our waterworks
receives four dollars a day, and all expenses.
There is nothing about him at first sight to
indicate that he is much more than a com-
mon day laborer ; but the great firm of Fair-
banks, Morse & Co., who put up such works,
and guarantee them against leakage, etc.,
gave him an excellent recommendation.
They said, that whatever work he put up
never had to be done over afterward. This
is a great thing, I grant, and I watched our
new friend anxiously to see how he had
earned this high reputation. I soon discov-
ered that it was almost altogether in giving
his personal supervision to every little point.
I presume he has usually two or three men
to help him — possibly four. Here at the
Home of the Honey-bees we are in the habit
of setting a dozen, or perhaps thirty or
forty at work all at once. This man insisted
on doing every thing himself, pretty much.
His helpers are simply waiters. They hand-
ed him the tools, and held the pieces while
he drove the nails or turned the bolts He
was not satisfied unless he had the wrench
in hand and tried every nut and bolt before
he left it. With the years of experience he
has had in putting up similar structures,
and perhaps in repairing faulty ones, he

knew just where to expect something to give
way. He never broke a bolt or bursted a
joint by turning it too hard ; but every thing
was turned up just about as far as the
strength of metals or wood would allow.
He never said, " I guess that will do well
enough, " and let it go. If a bolt turned in
its place, or if a nut slipped a thread, it had
to be taken out, and a new one put in its
place. Undertaking such kind of work in
December was exceedingly risky, and I was
very anxious indeed to have the whole ar-
rangement moving at once, from the factory
clear to the top of the reservoir and wind-
mill tower. I am so much in the habit of
being " boss " of every thing on the prem-
ises, it tried me exceedingly to be obliged to
await the movements of a single individual.
I could have my choice, it is true ; but if he
did not have every thing just as he wanted
it, the company would not be responsible for
a failure of some part of the work. It was
quite a cross for me to bear ; but, dear
friends, it did me good. It was just the
discipline I needed, pretty nearly if not
quite in a line with the above thought in our
text. Now, in our work here, no one is ever
idle. Strangers who come here to work are
often a good deal surprised, and sometimes
feel hurt, because they are told that nobody
ever need wait for somebody else during
working hours. A few days ago a friend of
mine hired three men to come and help him
thrash. The machine did not get along, and
so they sat down and loafed the whole half-
day, waiting for the machine to come, and
he had to pay them full wages. I have nev-
er done such a thing in my life. I would
have told those men to pick up stones from
the field, gather up rubbish and cut it into
firewood, dig ditches, slick up the yard, pull
weeds, straighten water-courses, fix the
fences, straighten up the underpinning
under buildings before it gives out, or some-
thing of that sort. I do not believe that I
ever saw a homestead where I could not set
half a dozen men at work profitably for half
a day or several days — that is, more profit-
ably than to sit still and wait for somebody
else. Very likely I have a special gift in
this direction.

As this is a matter of exceedingly great
importance to most of our readers, I wish to
digress still a little further to tell you how
I learned it. It came about principally in
the effort to find employment for people
whom I wished to benefit. To* come right
to the point, I think I may say, because I
wished to bring them to Christ ? Jesus. I
have taxed my wits and my abilities day and
night, for perhaps twenty years, in this
direction. Sometimes, by an unexpected
occurrence, three, four, or half a dozen men
are stopped in their work, and they come to
me. Perhaps others are waiting for me be-
sides. My plan is this :

I first say, " Boys, just stand right still,
just a minute ; don't go away, any of you,
until I give you leave. Here, George, you
pick up stones over in that field/'

"All right, " says (ieorge; "'but where
shall I put them?"

"I'ut them in little heaps until I get
ready to tell you. Willie, go to the fruit-

1000

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

house and get a wheelbarrow full of potato-
boxes. Get the oldest ones you can find.
Fred, get a hoe and give the asparagus a
most thorough cleaning-out. Do it so I
can't hnd a weed nor a blade of grass Now
look sharp, and don't skip any. Mr. W.,
take your spade, and look out for the out-
let to all the underdrains. See that they
are exactly as they ought to be," etc.

Now, I know by experience that most of
thern— perhaps all of them— will misunder-
stand, and must be looked after. The one
who went to picking up stones, will, if he is
a small boy, perhaps spend time in picking
up stones so small that they do no harm.
He must be furnished a sample, and told
not to go under that size. The boy who is
to clean out the weeds may waste time in
looking for a tool, and perhaps he would
get the wrong patch. The one who went
after the boxes must be told what to do
next when he comes back. Very likely Mr.
W. was not with us when the underdrains
were all located, and therefore will not find
the outlets without showing. So I hurry
around from one to another, meanwhile re-
viewing the work to see if there is not
something of still more importance than
that which the boys were started at hastily.
At such times I almost always find some-
thing or other that was in very great need
of attention, so nothing is lost. Now, my
friend, you may think it a little strange, but
I have, by years of experience, learned to
set over a hundred people at work in just
this way, and not only manage it all profita-
bly, but I enjoy it; yes, it gives me a kind
of happiness that I can not find otherwise,
and that I enjoy almost as much as any
thing else in this world, furnishing my
friends and neighbors the wherewith to earn
their daily bread by honest, ennobling toil.
Of course, I commenced on a small scale.
At first I had one man to help me. When
we two could lay up money, a third was call-
ed in, and so on. You may say, we can not
all do this kind of work. True ; but there
is an unceasing demand — a constant and in-
creasing unfilled want for men who can boss
others. Now, then, you can never make
any progress at all in this line until you can
rule self. This new friend I have been
speaking of does his work a great deal bet-
ter than I do. It would hardly be safe to
trust me with an important work of engi-
neering where much money and may be hu-
man life depended on the result. In fact, I
learned long ago not to trust my judgment
and experience alone in such matters. Able
and experienced mechanics in wood, stone,
earth, and metals, are my companions ; and
it would be folly for me to rush stubbornly
against their better judgment. Sometimes
we hold counsel, or call in the aid of me-
chanics, machinists, etc., but I am always
troubled and worried to find that these care-
ful,, high-priced men, let those under them
waste time. Sometimes expensive men are
kept on hand, even though they work less
than half of tneir time. I am told that
there is no other way. In almost every de-
partment of knowledge, science, art, and
industry, I come every little while to the
point where I long for something more than

human. I want great accuracy, combined
with an ability to look after a great number
of people all at one time. Very likely these
two qualifications never existed in any sin-
gle individual ; but by putting a good many
heads together, however, we accomplish
what no one man ever could accomplish.
And may God be praised that it is so ! We
are dependent upon one another, and if we
do not work together with a cheerful and
friendly good will we shall never succeed in
doing great things. Now, then, friends,
with your permission we will go back to our
story of that bright sunshiny December
morning. It needed your old friend, A. I.
Root, at almost every turn, to tell the
builder just what his ideas were, and how
he would like to have things arranged. For
instance, some bolts were wanted that we
did not expect to need, and so a boy had to
go half a mile after them. The ditchers,
too, needed a little caution. They were dig-
ing the trenches wider than they needed to
be, thus throwing out dirt uselessly. Lum-
ber was wanted from the planing-mill ;
somebody could not find the tool he w7anted ;
several things at the factory needed looking
after, for John and Ernest wrere both attend-
ing the national convention at Brantford.
One or two new hauds had made their ap-
pearance, and wanted to be shown where
they were to work. Before noon the print-
ers wanted copy, or instructions in regard
to it, that must be seen to personally by
A. I. Root, in the absence of Ernest, the
assistant editor. I went through it all pret-
ty well, however, until symptoms of wan-
ing strength began to remind me that it
was time for my noonday nap. I looked at
my watch, and I found that, if I made a
bee-line for my accustomed lounge. 1 should
have just time to make it. The day was so
fine, and so many things needed my person-
al attention, that it seemed almost folly to
think of going off to sleep when everybody
wras so busy, and in so much danger of go-
ing wrong if I did not happen to be within
hailing distance. I remembered, however,
that I should not only suffer during the
half-hour that has so long been set aside for
my accustomed nap, but I knew I should be
unfit for clear and cool judgment all the aft-
ernoon. I have tried it repeatedly ; but un-
less I have my noonday nap I feel about as
most of you do who have been kept awake
all night long. The plain, wise thing to do
was to drop business and seek rest. Quite
a few got in my way. Some wanted employ-
ment; others "wanted to hinder me with
idle, unimportant questions ; and as 1 al-
most reached my home I became quite nerv-
ous and fidgety. Some little girls were
coming along the walk, but I felt too much
exhausted and used up to feel capable of
giving them even the smiling and pleasant
"■good-morning" that I knew I ought to
give. I was in a hurry, for the minutes
were precious. At such times when I am
pushing blindly ahead for my lounge, even
a. quarter of a minute seems a hindrance. I
long to be out of sight, and away from
everybody, where I need not even smile un-
less I feel like it. Now, do not imagine,
dear friends, that at such times I feel par-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1001

ticularly cross. I feel kindly and pleasant-
ly toward everybody; but, oh, how I do wish
to be just let alone ! A good old lady who
lives in the neighborhood has sometimes
tried me exceedingly by insisting on replies
in regard to the weather, the state of the
roads, etc. Why, I have actually left the
sidewalk and pushed off through the apiary,
simply to be excused from talking, or using
my brains when they were already used up.
Well, I pushed away over to the opposite
side of the walk, that I might let the little
girls pass, without slacking up my rapid
footsteps. One of them was accompanied
by a little yellow dog. At sight of me, with
my rapid movements, he seemed to think it
incumbent upon his dogship to bark and
growl ; and when I stepped clear off the
walk to evade him, he flew at me, snapping
and snarling, and, in spite of all I could do,
he grabbed me by the leg and bit me quite
severely, although he did not draw blood.
I tried to kick him, but he was too adroit,
and I was too tired to used much strength.
I made up my mind that any dog that thus
molests peaceable passers-by ought to be
killed, and so I looked for a stone or stick
to put my " project ,1 into execution. The
dog watched me as closely as I watched
him ; and, probably noticing that I could
not find any particular stone, he attempted
to bite me again. I have sometimes said
that I never wanted a pistol. Just then it
occurred to me that such an implement
would be exceedingly convenient. Ernest
has a shotgun, but he was away, and his
house was locked up. Uncle Hen, also, has
one to kill rats ; but I could not see him
anywhere in sight. It would have been a
real luxury just then to offer somebody a
five-dollar bill to make sure work of that
obnoxious " yaller dorg." Just then it oc-
curred to me, " Look here, old friend A. I.
Root, it strikes me you are considerably
stirred up. Hadn't you better cool off a
little?" I did not say any thing out loud,
but I said to myself, " The good of passers-
by and community at large demands that
that dog be killed."

" Very likely it does ; but the minutes
are passing. Which is of the most impor-
tance— that you have your nap, and the
clear mental vision that will come after it,
or that you set the little girls to weeping by
killing "their pet dog— that is, if you are
smart enough to get him killed by using up
your whole half -hour of rest?"

I looked— was it viciously or wistfully?—
toward the dog. I made some big resolu-
tions as I gave him a farewell glance while
he went off wagging his tail. I succeeded
in gaining my coveted place of rest and re-
tirement, but I was too much stirred up to
get to sleep. The little voice resumed :

" Look here, my friend ; do you expect to
get to sleep when you are vehemently plan-
ning ways and means of putting that dog
out of existence V Why trouble yourself by
rehearsing what you will say to the owner
when you meet him after dinner? and. my
friend, how does your present mood har-
monize with the little text you are in the
habit of thinking over and over, as you
loose consciousness?"

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for
thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Then came the thought, " It is a bigger
task than I am equal to." By and by an-
other text followed, something in that line :

I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.

The twinges in the calf of my leg where
the dog bit me still tended to rouse com-
bative feelings, and for a little time I feared
I was not going to make the desired haven.
Then I remembered the time when I " laid
me down in peace to sleep," when the fac-
tory warehouse was burning. " Shall a poor
mistaken yellow dog spoil my usefulness,
spoil my temper, and spoil my rest during
this bright day when so many responsibili-
ties are resting on my shoulders, and when
I am needed so much ? " Then came
thoughts in the line of that beautiful little
text, at the head of our talk to-day :

He that is slow to anger is better than the
mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that
taketh a city.

And I conquered the bad spirit. I slept,
and woke up just as the whistle was blow-
ing2 refreshed in mind and body, and with
praise and thanksgiving in my heart. If
fifteen minutes of sleep can work such a
miracle to others who are subject to nerv-
ous exhaustion, I shall do good service in
urging upon tired and exhausted humanity
this God-given remedy — this plan of invig-
orating without medicine. When I glanced
at the hill as I hurried toward the factory,
one of the staves of the great tub was raised
aloft, clearly and sharply defined against
the blue sky. Before I had passed the hun-
dred yards between my residence, and the
factory where the notes of the organ pro-
claimed the noon service begun, three more
staves were placed beside the first one, and
I felt happy, and for several reasons. I had
ruled the spirit that would do me harm. It
may not have been a very evil spirit, it is
true ; but it was one that would have un-
fitted me for my task had I listened to it ;
and I felt happy, too. to think that the bet-
ter spirit had triumphed— that A. I. Boot
had effectually, calmly, and coolly and de-
liberately ruled, and not a sudden impulse.
Do you wish, dear reader, to know the fate
of that yellow dog? Well, so far as I know
he still goes about on four legs ; but I hope
not, however, abusing people who are at-
tending to their own affairs on their own
premises, as he abused me. I still think,
however, that he and all of his race that
have that disposition should be abolished
from— sidewalks. May be they ought to be
extinguished completely from the face of
the earth. If a majority of the community
should so decide, all right : but in handling
all these questions we should remember
there a multitude of tastes to consult. Dogs
have seemed to me to be a rather useless ap-
pendage to society, therefore I am not a fit
one to judge. I have not yet spoken to the
owner of the dog, neither do I know the
laws of our land in regard to cases of this
sort. This I do know, however, that what-
ever needs to be done should be done in a
line of the littletext which says, " If it be

1002

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

possible, as much as lieth in you, live peace-
ably with all men.1'

The big reservior is now finished, and
over it the windmill spreads its wings, al-
most ready to commence its task of keeping
the great tank constantly full. It stands
against the sky " a thing of beauty," and I
hope it may prove to be ,ka joy forever " to the
community round about it. We have al-
ready been discussing placing upon it in
great letters, so that they may be read for
half a mile or more, the little text that has
been so much a favorite of mine for a few
months past: " Not to be ministered unto,
but to minister." One of the friends has
suggested another good one, if it were not
so long, to be written in great letters be-
tween the hoops : li Whoso drinketh of this
water shall thirst again ; but whoso drink-
eth of the water that I shall give him, shall
never thirst."

Cleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Semi- Monthly.

^. I. ROOT,
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER,

l*£EI3I3iT.fi-7 OHIO.

1ERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID.

For Glutting Bates, See First Page of Beading Matter.

IvCEIDIiT^., DEC. IS, 1SSQ.

See.st thou a man diligent in Ms business! lit' shall stand be-
fore kings; lit- shall not stand before mean men.— Prov. 22:29.

AN ERROR IN DISTANCE.

Our good friend M. H. Hunt, of Bell Branch,
Mich., calls my attention to the fact that I stated
that he lived four miles from the depot, whereas he
is only two and a half miles away. As some of his
customers might think he did not tell the exact
truth in his catalogue, I make the correction and
beg pardon.

tillinghast's floral album.
This is a beautiful collection of chromos of all of
the principal flowers in cultivation, including most
of the honey-plants, and all in their natural colors.
To those who wish to know what our honey-produc-
ing flowers look like, and to be able to identify
them at a glance, it should be worth a good deal.
See advertisement in this issue.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

We present, along with this number, to all our
readers, with compliments of the season and our
best wishes for the new year, a Christmas souvenir
in the form of a 16-page picture-gallery. We have
not yet reached the 10,000 mark, and we trust this
souvenir will be a reminder to our many friends to
make an extra effort to get their share of the
number of names necessary to make it 10,000 by Jan.
1, and thus return the compliment.

almost night and day for several weeks, and we
concluded that we should have to have something
that would do the work more rapidly, or else de-
crease our subscription list. The press is the latest
in design, and is the best book-press we could pur-
chase. It will cost $3600. We are aiming at the
highest perfection in the printer's art; and while
we are not at all ashamed of our past record as
printers, we hope to do even better.

THE NUMBER OF PAGES IN A VOLUME OF GLEAN-
INGS.

The present volume scores 1024 pages. We shall
probably do the same, or perhaps better, next year.
We call the attention of our readers to our large in-
dex of illustrations, and also to the topical index.
We have left out our usual index of correspon-
dents, as we thought it to be the least valuable of
the three. It takes an immense amount of labor
and painstaking care to get it out; and we believe
our readers will prefer the same energy expended
in other departments of the journal.

FIRST-CLASS POULTRY WANTED.

We are having quite a good many inquiries, es-
pecially of late, in regard to fine poultry. Letters
read something like this: "Mr. Root, could you
furnish me a nice pair of Plymouth Rocks? If not,
please give me the address of some good man."
Somebody else wants Light Brahmas, and so it is
with the other standard breeds. Now, if I should
undertake to sell poultry with all the other busi-
ness 1 have, I might go crazy; therefore I should
like to have some poultry-breeder among our bee-
folks keep a small standing advertisement in
Gleanings. It seems to me that the business
ought to pay, with the prices poultry ■ breeders
seem to be getting. I picked out a trio of Light
Brahmas at our county fair, that suited me very
well. But what do you suppose the owner wanted
for them? Only $6.00!

A NEW PRESS FOR GLEANINGS.

About the first of February, Gleanings will be
printed on a brand-new 16-page Campbell oscillator
book-press. Our old one has been obliged to run

deluging editors with facts about comb
honey.

Some time ago the Chicago Herald repeated the
old comb-honey slander; namely, that about comb
honey manufactured artificially, filled with glu-
cose, and capped over with appropriate machine-
ry. Brother Newman wrote them a very courte-
ous and gentlemanly letter, pointing out their mis-
take. We also wrote them, forwarding one of our
$1000 reward cards. It seems, also, that bee-keepers
from all points of the compass deluged the editor
with letters. The Herald for Saturday, Nov. 23, final-
ly comes out with a long article on bees and their
work, giving some facts in regard to the honey-
business, how foundation is made, etc., although it
clings to the idea that the liquid article is adulterat-
ed to a certain extent. It says, after the first state-
ment appeared in the Herald, in regard to adul-
terated or manufactured comb honey, it " was at
once inundated with a flood of letters from bee and
honey men. who declared that honey-comb can not
br made, filled with honey, and sealed with appro-
priate machinery so as to escape detection in the
market; and," it says, " this statement is doubtless
true." Right here is a very suggestive fact: There
is nothing in the world that will have such an ef-
fect upon editors who have misrepresented our
industry as to deluge them with letters, not from
editors of bee-papers alone, but from the subscrib-
ers themselves. A flood of letters from bee-keen-

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

iooa

ers far and wide will have vastly more effect than
letters from two or three editors of bee-papers
alone. We hope our subscribers will remember the
hint, and deluge the next offending paper.

The next annual meeting of the Ontario Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation will be held in the City Hall in , the city of Belleville.
Out., on the 8th and 9th of January, 1890.

Streetsville, (int. W. CousE.Sec. O. B. K. A.

CRAZY EDITORS.

It is the editor of Gleanings in Bee Culture I
have in mind, and not that of any other periodical.
This crazy editor, after publishing a pretty fair
journal for almost 17 years, toward the close of the
17th year it seems has got into a fashion of attach-
ing an answer intended for one correspondent to
an article written by another one. The first ap-
peared in our issue of Nov. 15, at the end of friend
Manum's article. The boss printer said he wanted
about so many inches of matter to fill up a given
space. I understood him— or at least I got it into
my head— that the space was alter friend Board-
man's article entitled " A Model Bee-yard," there-
fore I gave the printers the required amount of
copy for the matter in view. Turn to page 886,
and read the last half of my reply to friend Manum,
and you will understand it. In the same issue, on
page 893, is a short item, headed " Rat-tailed Mag-
gots." I dictated a reply to this, which, for some
reason or other, did not show up on the printed
page. It, however, does show up, greatly to our
consternation, at the end of Prof. Cook's excellent
article on cuckoo-bees, page 947. It is not such a
terrible matter, it is true, but it gives one who
turns the pages of Gleani ngs an impression that its
editor has his head filled with reservoirs, windmills,
or something else, besides the business in ques-
tion. We hope that at least 16 years more may
pass before we ever have occasion to make such a
lengthy apology again, at least in this line.

The foot-note to the article on cuckoo-bees should
have read as follows;

Friend Cook, you say these strange intruders are
only males and females. Now, a host of perplex-
ing questions come in here. Is every female a
queen? If so, who shall fix the limit of their in-
crease if they fill up hives with brood, and the bees
take care of them? Do the males and females
meet in the open air, as do honey-bees? and if thev
winter over in the hive, why do they not continual-
ly occupy all of the available cells with eggs?
Very likely, where every worker-bee is a queen
they are not all as prolific as a honey-bee queen — at
least we hope not. It seems to me, however, that it
must be that our honey-bees recognize them suffi-
ciently to be able to make, at least to a certain ex-
tent, some resistance against their encroachments;
for if they do not, what is to hinder the colony from
being ruined at once?
Friend Cook writes as follows:
Don't worry about the mistake in Gleanings.
We enjoy seeing that you occasionally make mis-
takes. It makes us feel more akin. A. J. Cook.
Agricultural College, Mich.

CONVENTION NOTICES.

The next annual meeting of the Vermont Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation will be held at Burlington, Vt., Jan. 21, 22, 1890. Excel
lent hall accommodations have been obtained at the Van Ness
House. The Vermont Central Railroad has granted round-
trip tickets from the following: places: Rutland, White River
Junction, Ca m bridge Junction, Richford via St. Albans. Ticon-
deroga.and intermediate points, to Burlington and return, for
fare one way. A good meeting is expected, and all are invit-
ed. For further iuiorination'and programmes, apply to

J. H. Larrabee, Sec'y.

Larrabee's Point, Addison Co., Vermont.

^©Bjricce c@itfi.MN-

CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO
STOP DSIN6 TOBACCO.

First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up
tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this
department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker
should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after
receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to
Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent
to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored
with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his
pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to-
bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The
one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub-
scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one,
because we think he would be strengthened by reading the
testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The
full name and address of every one who makes the promise
must be furnished for publication.

I am endeavoring, in a quiet way, to arouse the
parents of school children to the dangerous and
deadly effects of the tobacco habit, in order to have
them demand of the school boards that they enact
and enforce such rules and regulations as will
effectually prohibit the handling and use of tobacco
upon the school grounds, and the refusal to hire or
employ, as teachers, persons addicted to the use of
tobacco. "Children are ibeseed corn of the State,"
and every good citizen should feel called upon to
guard and protect them during the tender years of
indiscretion and thoughtlessness against tobacco
and strong drink. Your name has been furnished
me as an unselfish patriot, a lover of humanity,
and one pledged to the reformation ol evil and vi-
cious habits. I sincerely trust you will lay your ax
at the root of the crying sin of this country, and
enlist the educators and philanthropists of Ohio in
extirpating the tobacco habit from the public
schools of Ohio. J. B. Pkice.

Jefferson City, Mo., Nov. 3, 1889.

The Erie Co.. X. Y.. Bee-keepers' Association will hold its
next meeting in Concert Hall, Holland, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Dec.
18. 1889 An interesting programme is provided.

South Wales, N. Y. Mrs. Chas. Faville, Sec.

GOING SECURITY.

Please send one of your smokers to Mr. S. A.
Miller, Cantril, Iowa; and if he breaks the rules, 1
will agree to pay for the smoker.

Cantril. la., Aug. 6. 1889. Annie K. Miller.

The 21st annual meeting of the New York State Bee-keepers'
Association will be held at the Court-house, Rochester, N. Y.,

Feb 5,6,7,1890. Reduced rates al h Is, and on all principal

railroads. Eaeh countj association is requested to send two
or more delegates. Programme and lull particulars will ap-
pear in due tune. G. H. Knickerbocker. See.

The 24th annual meeting of the Michigan state Bee-keepers'
Association will be held at Lansing, in the capitol building,

I 26 and 27, 1889. Reduced hotel rates al the Hudson House.

Half fare on nearly all railroads. A lew charge one and a
third fare for the round trip. All arc cordially invited.

Clinton, Mich. H. D. Cutting, Sec.

One of my neighbors has quit using tobacco after
using it 35 years. If you send him a smoker, I will
pay for it if he.uses it again. John McCarthy.

Madelia, Minn., May 18, 1889.

I have stopped the use of tobacco in all ways and
I advise others to stop it. I don't want a smoker,
for I have one. Q. W. Jefferson.

Acme, Mich.

1 have been a great slave to tobacco for the last
ten years; but by the help of God and a sample
copy of Gleanings I quit the use of it nearly one
year ago; and if you will send me a smoker for my
pledge I will pay you for it if ever I use tobacco in
any way again. A. J- Huskev.

Ingleton, Ala., June 6, 1889.

1004

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec'

INDEX TO

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE,

FOII THE YEAR 1889.

A B C Scholar 62 Tears Old. 123
Absconding \Q. B.i 368

Absconding 505

African Mission 24

Africa, South 161

After-swarms 258,261

Ubinos 774

Alfalfa 708,844

Alfalfa of Arizona 953,986

Alfalfa of Kansas 963

Alfalfa in Michigan 945

Alfalfa in Nevada 887

Altilaria 254

Alighting-boards.. .(Q. BO 311

Alsike for Bees 24

Alsike a Hybrid 457

Alsike Not a Cross 515

A Isike Not a Hybrid 583

Alsike free to Farmers 632

Alsike Changing: to Red ....991

Amateur Expert r.'4

Amateur Expert's Letter.. . 299
Ants, White 493

vphidse 847

Apiarian Exhibits 43,47

Apiaries on the Nile 359

Ipiaries, Floating 83

Apiaries. Size of 20

\piaiv. Pratt's 739

\pinr\ . Caldwell's 913

Apiary. Sespe £06.207

Apiary . Manum's 984

Apple Honey 58

Arizona 589

Asters 860

Attire for the Apiary 253

Australia Letter 773

Australia, Encouraging . .. 958

Averages 738,806

Average Crop... (Q. B 1.996

Baird's Experience 9f9

Balling of Queens 23

Bark-lice , Apple-tree 43

Basswood. Discolored 94

Basswood. To Keep White.. 219

!;;,--» I in South Carol'a.459

Basswood in Vermont . ..441

Basswood in Wisconsin 442

Bean, Lima, Controversy... 183

Beans. Kumerle's 209, 509

Beans, Lima 82, 119, 297, 793

Bears and Honey 80

Bears 818

Bee, Dot Goming— Poem 47

Bee, The Coming, in Sight. . 69

Bees and Neighbors 54

Bees and Pollen 409

Bees under Clapboards 62

Bees on Raspberries 2 <

Bees Working in January . .139
Bees from Imported Stock. .135
Bees Losing Sting. . . (Q. B.).138

Bees and Berries 130

Bees vs. Pigeons 205

Bees in Cool Weather 220

Bees Carrying Wax 222

Bees Starling in Supers, 219

Bees in Town .266

Bees on Roof 998

Bees in House-apiaries 990

Bees Without Hive 307

Bees and Fruit 312, 587, 711

Bees vs. Snow 313

Bees and Sorghum 357

Bees on Same Stand 347

Bees in the Open Air 491

Bees on Sections iQ B.i. 498 j
Bees Biting Flowers ..515 858 I

Bees Short Distances 529

Bees Taxable 550 I

Bees in Sections 558 j

Bees for Beauty 576 i

Bees in a Pound til.'!

Bees Near Road 632

Bees in a Hock 635

Bees in Germany 678

Bees Tearing Starters, , 1 2

Bees for Honey (Q. B.i. 746

Bees by Mail 758

Bees in South Africa 771

Bees in a Pie-store 781

Bees Drowning 768

Bees Near a Road 814

Bees near Salt Water 897

Bees outdoors 859

Bees in Fruit-cellar 993

Bees, Types Of 771

Bees, Flight of 401

Bees, Setting Out 392

Bees, Malformed 707

Bees, Moving 491.492,541

Bees I losl ol Moving. . -666,848

Bees. Honest I31

B. cs.Whcn toRemove(Q.B.)l37

Bees. Carrying 164

Bees, Keeping out of Crates.212

Bees. Diseased 248

Bees. Purchasing 248

Bees. Handling 305

Bees, To Get in Sections 447

Bees, Getting out of Sect's. 860

Bees. Solitary 456

Bees. Lazy 484

Bees, Stingless 639

Bees, poisoning 707

Bees. Weight of 807

Bees. Why They Die 861

Bees. Speed ol 846

Bee ' ..mining 893

Bees, Moving. Peet's Plan. 956

Bees. Setting in Cellar 941

Bee tent. Miller's 838

Bee-trees, To Find 133

Bee escape. Miller's 92

Bee escape, The Reese.. .735, 857

Bee I I in Winter 206

Bee feed, Warm 898

Bee-hives, Doolittle on 7

Bee keeping for Women. ... 89

Bee-keeping Alone 296

Bee lawsuit 559

Beestings in Bees 413

Bee-sting Remedies 51

Bee-stands 336

Bee-stands, Double 495

Bee-suits 175

Bee dress, Coggshall's 448

Bee-caves 259

Bee catcher 636

Bee-cellar, Green's 393

Bee disease Hatch's 587

Bee-disease, New 583, 671

Bee-hats lor Women 670

Bee yard, Boa id man's 882

Bee-hunting 949,983

Bee Culture in Jaffa 579

Bee— Henderson's Parody. ..677

Bee Eldorado 884

Beetles, Tiger 49

Beetle. Rhinoceros 345

Bill-beetles 582

Binders of Safety-pins 306

Binders 782

Biography of Newman 14

Black Belt of Alabama 393

Black Grampus 777

Blackboards in Apiary 128

Blacks vs. Italians 263

Blacks Carrying Pollen 360

Blacks on Buckwheat 742

Blanton in Texas 623

Bloat in Cattle 488 773,783

Bluebirds and Bees 459

Blue-jays 589

Boardman's 1 lontraction. . .458
Boardman on the Season. ..703

Books, Quillin on 944

Brantford or Buffalo! 845

Brantford Programme 903

Brantford Report 980

Brood, Foul vs. Chilled 546

Brood, Removing 622

Brood-chambers, Size of.... 210,
262,345,359

Brood-frames (Q. B.).224

Brood-rearing (Q.B.).l37

Buck-wheat Letters 395.450

Buckwheat for Honey 95

Buckwheat, Japanese. . . 24, 58,
219, 223, 224, 351, 397

Bugs, Predaceous 85

Burr comb 632,708,709

But her Bird 448,542

Calf in Apiary 228

California, its Features 86

California, My Mistakes — 104

California Fires 779

California Flowers 633

Candying, To Prevent 221

Candj Manum's 628

i'ii lining-! act 0 1 us \ . Bees... 55

Cans. To Clean 139

1 '.his. Square 205

Carbolic Acid vs. Smoke 139

Cardinal Flower 351

Carniolans 507

Camiolatis, Cross 698

Carniolans, Temper of 740

( larniolans Good 782

Carniolans Swarmers 708

Carp and Bees 960

Carp Eggs 542

Castor Bean 778

Catalogues. Seed 88

Catalpa 298

Catclaw 617

Catnip 711

Catnip Honey Not Bitter... 591

Cauliflower, March's 9

Caution to Parents 422

Caves, Temperature of 116

Caves vs. Cellars 41

Cave, Doolittle's 170

Cave, Wet 458

Celery Seeding 298

Cellaring 21

Cellars vs. Caves for Bees.. 41

Cellar vs. Outdoor 710

Cellars in Sand 296

Cells in Upper Stories 585

Cells. Hearing 489

Cells, opening Side of 804

Cells, Double-decked 623

Cells, Square 635

Cells, Capping Top Row . . 63S

Cells. Top How 708

Cell-protector, Manum's 629

Cell-proteotoi . Doolittle's. .754

Centipedes 496

Centipede. Poison of 853

Chaff for Surplus Boxes. . . .219
Chaff around Brood-nest. . 261

Chat!' from Timothy 360

Chart'. Timothy 443

Chapman Honey-plant. 134,773
Chapman Seed from Gov't 220

China. Bees of 853,984

Christmas Hose 1(16

Church Hive 861

Climbing Large Trees 354

Clipping, Favoring 816

Clipping (Q. B.) .637, 638

Cloths, Enameled 743

Clover. Sweet, in Utah 8

Clover. Sweet 816

Clover, White 133

Clover, Alsike, in Drouth. .248

Clover, 80 Acres 360

Clover Bloat 488, 672. 744

Cockroaches 560

Coffee-cans for Honey 223

Colonies. 600 per Sip Mile.. . . 50

Colonies. Strengthening 136

Colonies, Size of (Q.B.) .181

Colonies, Weak 894

Colonies. 1000 on 4 Sq. Miles 996

Colony Too Large 860

Colony. The Starving 254

Columbus Exhibit 176, 256

Comb Honey, Working for.. 884

Comb Honey, Securing 979

Comb, Artificial, in l>ct roit.821

Comb, Building of 132

Comb, Wooden 353

Combs, Movable 409

Combs, Thickness of 20

Combs, Old, To Renew 307

Combs, Triple 306

Combs, Double-decked 741

Combs, Empty 337

Combs, Old 636

Combs Breaking Down 778

CombS Crosswise of Hive, .632

Commission Houses 663

Commission Men 52

Commission Men ... (Q. B.) .783

Cone-case Escape 811

Consumption in Winter 215

Contraction 178

Contraction. (Q. B.I. 225, 226
Convention in Chicago.. .865

Convention, Our Next 809

Conventions et Journals. 15
Conventions, Interesting. . .616

Copperheads 629

Corn, Canning 588

Corn Salad 121

Corrugated Covers 56

Cotton-tree -1

Coveringfor Frames. (Q.B.). 96

Crate, Combined 373

Cuba, Again 670

Cuba— King's Letter 702

Cuban Apiculture 539

Culian Apiaries 584

Cuban Hives 737

Cuckoo-bees 811 , 949

Cucumber, Wild 141

Currant Saw-fly 490

Currecanti's Needle 146

Cut-worms 93

Cyclone of Jan. 9 133

Cyclopedias 710

Cyclopedias Not Reliable. . 950

Dandelions under Glass H7

Deal and Dumb Apiarist 675

Death from Honey 410

Heath from Stings 305

Debt and Credit 341

Demons. Chinese 853

Denmark, Apiculture in 407

Devol, W. S 459

Diarrhea, Bee 90

Disease, Nameless Bee 165

Disease. Bee, New 708

Doolittle's Book 423

Doolittle's Report 839

Doorsteps for Hives 960

Dooryards for Bees 838

Doubling in 10 Days 402

Drone Comb 406

Drone Assemblies 806

Drone Foundation, (y. B.). 862

Drone, Parents of 634

Drones for Early Queens. . .359

Drones. Superseding 405

Drones, Use of (Q.B.) . 180

Drones Carried Out 459

Due ks. Wild 594

Dwindling. Cause of 410

Dysentery (Q. B.). 98

Eclipse in California 94

Edi tors. Visiting 829

Ensilage. Raspberry 367

Entrances (Q. B.).309

Entrances, Small 780

Entrance to Simplicity 357

Ei ncs t's Ramble 277, 295

Exhibits at Fairs 252

Exchange. Bee-keepers' 302

Exchange Department 126

Exhibits at Fairs 47

Extract. When to 710

Extracted Honey, Selling. 10
Extractor. Non-reversing. ..263

Extractor, Stanley 993

Extractors, France's 775

Extractors. Reversible 840

Extracting in California 359

Extracting, Cost of 785

Extractors. Four comb 956

False Statements . .81. 163, 443,
543, 575. 620

Fairs 849, 850

Fairs, etc 892

F'eeders 301

Feeders. Swiss 216

Feeding at Entrance 220

Feeding in Spring 497

Feeding in Cellar 132,418

Feeding Uncapped Honey . .815
Fertile Workers. To Tell. . . .134

Fertilization 491

Fertilization above Zinc 782

Fire at St. Joseph 959

Flagging at Entrances 960

Flies, Our Common 13

Flight of Bees 401

Flood in California 308

Flood in Pennsylvania 673

Florida Letter". 492

Florida Reptiles 777

Florida Plans for 987

Flying, How Done 853

Food Question 172

Foot Power 91

Forsvthia Viridissinia 220

Forsythia 358

Foul Brood, Legislation on.360
Foul Brood, Remedies for.. 829

Foul Brood in Michigan 357

Foul Brood, To Cure 738

Foul Brood in New Zealand. 22

Foul Brood in Ontario 95

Foul-brood inspector 131

Foundation. To Fasten 131

Foundation, Flat-bottom. ..534

Foundation vs. Combs 631

Foundation. Wired 946

Frames Filled with Brood.. 116
Frames Parallel with Ent'e.224

Frames, Number Needed 139

Fran us. Dimensions of 69

Frames, No. Used . ..(Q. B.).268
Frames, Hanging.. (Q. B.). 269
Frames, Bearings.. .(Q. B.).270
Frames, Closed-end 387, 388, 633,

Frames, Fixed 387

Frames, Reversible 514

1889

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1005

Frames, Wide 589

Frame-holder .813

Frame, Vandeusen 577

France's Extractor 776

Freeborn's Report 84

Freight Rates 179

( Ja liberty Honey 816

Gardening in February. in

Gardening for August 649

Gardening in September — 755

( lauge. The Parallel 264

Gaura Cocoinea 778

(Searing, Upright 775

Glass Sections, Round 42

Glass-blowers on strike .81(1

Gleanings, March 215

Golden Hive 408,497.588

Grampus. Illustrated .849, 8.%

Grampus, The Black 960

Greenhouses— All About 866

Gunpowder 899

Harrison, Mrs., at Home 53

Harrison's Talk 679

Harrison's Letter 698

Hatchery, Manum's 845

Heart's ease 260

Hellebore 166.490

Helmet. Canadian 613

Hetherington's History. 212, 255
802

Hill Device. New 113

Hilton's Letter 408

Hive for Comb Honey 262

I In e on Scales 401

Hive. L vs. American 88

Hive. Dovetailed . 188,234,321,
363

Hive, Golden 308

Hives for Hauling 483

Hives, Ornamental 406

Hives, Carrying 11

lli\e-. Win'g in Bottomless. 57
Hives. Direction to Face 139

Hives, Shading 133

Hives, Large or Small.. 179,987

Hives. Decoy 221

Hives, Painting. .... 51,217,353

Hives. Huber 349

Hives, Unpainted 301

Hives, Cost of At

Hives. Large or Small. 259,266

Hives. Disinfecting 546

Hives, Heddon on 536

Hives, Moisture in 545

Hives, Carrying to Cellar. 90?.

Hive-cart 62 410 586,674

Hive-eovers, Corrugated. 56

Hive-legs in Water 673

Hive-lifters 234

Hive-opener 414

Hiving Swarms (Q. B.).361

Holtermann's Biography.. .948
Homes. Our, Terry on 954

Honey by the Ton in 1857.. . .308

Honey from Apple 58

Honey Granulating 22

Honey in Paper Packages. 261

Honey in Maryland 699

Honey is Digested Nectar. .706

Honey Yield 248

Honey per Acre 458

Honey Statistics 453

Honey from Tobacco 630

Honey Candying Soon 894

Honey. Adulterated 634

Honey, Artificial 757. 779

Honey, Slanders About 617
Honey. Feeding Extracted 23
Honey, Selling in Peoria.. . . 10

Honey, Securing Comb 55

Honev. Separating 216

Honey, Peddling 87

Honey, To Pack 85

Honey, Crating . .804

Honey, California 131,358

Honey. 9 Tons 130

Honey, To Sell 114

Honey, Selling (Q. B.)817

Honey, To Sell 52

Honey, Selling on Streets. . .958

Honev. How Ripened 160

Honey. Extracted 294

Honev. Shipping (Q.B. 1.180

Honey, Comb, in Winter.. ..169

Honev Poison 410

Honey I'oi on in New Z'd..74S

Honev ( >ld in Tree 457

Honey Bush 709

Honey, Chunk 457

Honev. Caring for 576

Honey. Finest 580

Honey. Gallberry 591

Honev. Granulated 505

Honey. Guajjilla 560

Honey, Bitter 538

Honey. Comb. To Ship 540

Honey. To Ship 779

Honey. To Market 8H6

Honey. To Fumigate 857

Honey. Peculiar.. .. . 858

Hiving in 30 Seconds 503

II y-boards 858, 619, 781

Honey-book, Bogus 815

II...M n dew. .711,714.806, 961.993

Honey-dew (Q B. I 898

Honey-displays . iso

Honey .jumbles 139

Honey exhibits 47

Hopatcong Hat 642

Hornets. Tiger-head 496

Horn tail 16

Horses. Protection for 807

Hot-beds, To Make 120

House-apiaries 136 i

House-apiary, Golden's. .. . 990

House-flies 13,265

Houses of Sod 21

Hoven 773,783.846

iiui.ei . Francis 388

Huber, Igain 486

Humbugs and Swindles. 163, 963

Hunt's \piarv 625

Hutchinson, W. Z 161

Hybrids. Cross 306

1 1 \ brids (Q. B.).74B

lee -making 711

Idyll 860

Lgnotum Not Early 674

Increase. Artificial 738

Increase of Swarms HI

I uei'ease. Preventing. . . .224.485

Increase, To Control 357

Increase. Possible 618.707

Insane. Treatment of 951

Insects, Fighting 467

Introducing (Q.B.).71S

Introducing 705

Introducing at Once 854

Italians Ahead 221.590

Italians. Changing to 136

Italians and Pollen 360

Italy 622

Ivy 780

Jaffa. Letter front 50

Jamaica Letter 538

Japanese Buckwheat.79, 121, 861
995 '• "

.la panose Buck't. Size of. . . .897
Japanese v. Silverhull. .634.895
Japanese Buck wheat Ahead 959

Jenkins' Picture 890

Jumping Jacks 367

Kiln-dried Seed 846

Kerosene on Trees 368

Keystone Bee-farm 87

Knife, Propolis 903

Kuinerle's Bean 368

Labels for Honev . . . . iQ. B.).961

Langstroth, Visit to 959

Leisure Hours (Q.B.). 97

Lettuce. Grand Rapids 118

Lice on Apple-trees 43

Life. A Ruined 823

Light inCellar 93

Lima Bush Beans 82

Lime for Insects 366

Lindens vs. Maples 16

Lizards 207

Lot's Wife 19

Louisiana Apiary 813

Machinery of Universe 790

Machinery on Farm 554

Maggots, Rat-tailed 893

Manitou 315

Manum's Picture 300

Manum's Directions.339 391.484,
535, 573, 574. 628. 663. 808. 885

Manum in the Apiary 885

Manzanita 132

Martins and Bees 459

Mas, in's Picture 949

Mason's Statistics 399

Mating of Bees Witnessed. .774

Mating Of Queens 855.861

Matter for Gleanings 33

Melon-boxes 119

Mel Sapit Omnia 299

Mice in Hives 264

Miller's Hive-stand 409

Milkweed 785

Missouri River ..455

Mites 404

Minorcans 755

Montana 589

Mosaic, Apiarian 440

Moths, To Kill ,.414,828

Moths (Q. B.1.500

Mouse in a Hive ..504

Moving, Cost of (Q. B.) 549

Moving, Risky 498

Muck : 418

Mud wasps 629

Muth's History 986

Napoleon's Character 91

Newman, T. G 14

Newman on Wintering 458

News in a Hive. Spreading.. 673
New Zealand, Foul Brood in. 22

New Zealand 93

Niman's Exhibit 122

Nomenclature 891

Non -swarming Plans 23

Non swat tilers. ..494, 582.732,804
Notes of Travel.. 27, 64, 101,644,

719
Nuclei. Disturbing 630

I);, i Hulls 223

(ill-wells 821

Omaha .-947

Orange Does Yield Hon, v 550
blOSSOmS.. .355. 409, 492,

ill

i irange trees 442,673

Orange Honey 50,459

Order, How to 227

Oregon Bee-killer 582

( lur ( iwn A piarv. . . .364, 468, 507,

556,696,683,763

Out-Apiaries- First, article in
each number, from Feb. l to
Dec. I.

Overstocking 866

Owed to P, Benson 587

i iwnership of Swarms 497

Packages. I'n e cent 681

Package, Hone] .Cost of 779

Fails for Sap 103

Paper \ a. Chaff 224

Papier-mache 546

Parthenogenesis ...886
Pasturage, Artificial 24

Pea. The Deli, -l, Ml-, 992

Pecan-tree 822

Peddling on Steamer 18

Peddling. Successful 24

Perfora tine/machine 12

Pharmacy, Remington's 676,

• si

an

Pigeons V s. Bl I

Pig Story

Pimples. To Reniov , 806

Planet Tools tor Ladies 992
Plans for Fair-buildings.... 48

Pollen. \ni,aint 711

Pollen. Surplus 744

Poppleton. O. O 35o

Porcupine Hens 128

Potatoes iii ; llin, ,is 417

Dotal, ,s Rotting 32

Potatoes Sweet 120.367

Poultry. To Feed SCO

Premiums on Honev 171

Prolilicks. . 815

Propolis on Gloves 814

Propolis-knife 903

IV, s Strainer 130,178

Prices. Cutting 852

Propolis. To Remove 95

Pump. To Doctor 85;i

Pumpkin. Early 418

PllSSV Willow 504

Pyrethrum 440

Quantity vs. Quality 126

Queen-cell on Drone Comb. .774

Queen-cells 532

Queen-excluders 741

Queen-rearing, New

Queen Mating 92. 220

Queen 5 Years Old 822

Queen in Copulo 893. 897

Queen. Returning 94

Queen. Killing 672

Queens Hatched in 11 Days no

Queens Have Red Legs 574

Queens Injured in Transit. . 22

Queens in Shipment 133

Queens in Nuclei 635

Queen's A ge (Q. B. ) 677

Queens. ( 'airing Surplus .",s

Queens. Balling 23

Queens, When to Cage i .

Queens. Loss of 856

Queens. Two in a Hive 458

Queens. Several in a Hive.. .696

Queens, Clipped 710

Queens, Imported 508. 575

Queens. Fattening 785

Queens, Color of 859

Queens. Red clover 958

Queenlessness .696

Question No. 39 51

Question 102 127

Question 110 209

Question 111 Considered. 988

Question, A Good 20

Questions, answering 470

Quillin's Correction 895

Qui]] to Sample Honev . 995

Ramble No. 10 .' 18

Ramble No. to, Continued 128

Ramble No. 11 175

Ramble No 12 204

Ramble No. 13 251

Ramble No. 14 295

Ramble No. 15 336

Ramble No. 16 403

Kami, le No. 17 494

Ramble No. 18 531

Rattlesnakes and Bees 5x9

Red Clover (Q. B.) 592

Red Clover 781

Red-clover Honev . 995

Red-c)o\ er Strain 815

Red Elm 313

Remedy for Stings 94fi

Reversing Section-, etc 674
Rheumatism.. 488.586. 590, 810,

814
Roaring in Winter |S8

Robbers, Thwarting 262

Robbi rs 812

Robber-cloths 857

Robbing, To Prevent 768

Rockj Mountain Bee plant 959

Rose, i Ihrisl mas 166

Royal Jelly 959

Rubber v. Tin for Hoofs ,779

Ruts Old. 772

Rye t lour 179

Saliva. Function of 260

Salt Water VS. Faint 23

Sail :, a Fertilizer 220

San Diego to Dehesa 348

San DiegO Market 891

1 Sapolio for Fropolis 894

Saws. Sett i lie 136,369

Scale hit e 1,'ecord 741

Scorpion of Florida .822

Scorpion, Whip 849, 856

Season, I'red rting 259

Season, Commencing. . 352.

Sections of Glass 42

Sections Breaking 221

Sections Bulging 91

Seel ions ill BOX Hives .5X0

Section, Last in Super 624

Sections. Unfinished.... 91,214,
338, 449, 534. 624, 866

Sections. To Fold Dry 359

Scl ions, Small. TO Make.. 22

Sections, Size of 57

Sections, One-piece 121, ;?3

Sections, Size of 129

Sections, Jumping 485

Sections, I Ipen-sidc 534

Sections. Dampening 623

Sections, To Keep Down 636

Section- Built nut 740

Sensitive Plant 78-:

Senadella 221

Shade-boards (Q. B.i.548

Shelves for Exhibits 48

Shepherd's Perfora'd Zinc, n
Shoes, A pairof Old.. 142

Silk-moth 23, 170

siiverhuii for Honey ,11

Simpson Plant sx

Singapore Fruits tiki

Singapore Letter 211

Skunks and Bees 65

Skunks 697,780

Skunks. To Poison... 960

Slander Refuted 81B

Smoker. Clark, Improved. ,220

Smoker, Stovepipe 559

Smoker- lighters 264

Snake in a Bee-tree 508

Snake that Breaks in Two 777

Snakes, Glass 842, 843

Snakes of Florida 709

Snakes of the Sottt h 851

Sods 21

Soldier-bug 85

Soot. etc.. on Land 544

Sorghum for Bees 268

Sorghum 357

Sour-kraut. To Keep 828

Spacing Colonics 356

Spanish Needle 162

Spider-plants 709

Spider-plant at Home 816

Spring Dwindling 222

Square v. Round Packages 179

Squash-boxes ....368

Start. To Make a 263

Starter Machines 217

Stinging in Tin oat 635

Stings and Rheumatism... .409.

779 895

Stings are No Relief 711

Stings and Whisky 699

Stings. Remedy for 946

Storing at Top or Side 360

Stove for Greenhouses 992

Strawberries 596

Strawberries, Selling 554

Strawberries ,,n clay Soil. 721
Strawberry. Ever -hearing.. 709.

793. 829

Strawboard 545

Stung to Death 587

Sugar Stores 307

Sugar v. Natural Stores 456

Sugar Never Honey 546

Sulphur 638

Sulphur. To Burn 674

Sulphur for Foul Brood 619

Sunday Swarms 545

Supersedere. . 359

Superseding (Q. B. i 076

Swa-ree 337

Swarming-tools 556

Swarming (Q.B.V412

Swarming Impulse iQ. B.).411
Swarming Without Queen 265
Swarming. Second.. (Q. B. 1.461
Swarming. Prime (Q. B I 460
Swarming. Cause of. . . .528. 530

Swarming. Theory of 581

Swarming Prevention of .865
Swarming. To Prevent 630

Swarming. Miller on 621

Swarming. 3 Clusters 675

Swarming— Two Acts 414

Swarm. Why Do Bees' 444

Swarms on Same Place . 179
Swarms.. . (0

Swarms. Hiving ..(Q. B.'.lll
Swarms. Non-clustering . . . 459
Swarms Young. 633

Swarm. Shootinsr at 229

Sweet Clover ill Ftah 8

Sweet Potatoes 120

Sweet Potatoes. All About. 273

Syria. Letter from 50

Syria 579

Tarantulas 123,219, 504

Tarantula a Juniper 268

Tarred Paper lor Moths 391

Tarred Paper in

Temperature Lou (Q. B l 59

Temperature in cellar 93

Territory, Righl of 171

Territory. Exclusive
Tiering Up. (Q. B.).499
Tiger Beetles 49

1006

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE.

I) EC.

Tin-shop, Our 12

Tobacco for Robber? 822

Tobacco, Evils of II

book, Hum 1. 1

Tomato, Ignoturo .'.'nx 367

l Mm, 1 1,. Seed. Saving 756

i .ii. esouPol 181

Top-bars, Wire. G69

Top bars, Width of .. 866

ro]i bars. Thick 888

Transferring in Winter ....305
Trees for Timber and Ho'y. 133

Trees, ToSet 308

Tremex, or Horn-tail 16

Trout 441

Tubes, Transplanting 793

Turkej Buzzards 93

Turnips, Winter 418

Uncapping- cans 458

Utah 168

\ anDeusen Corners ... . -513, 852

\ anl ii i 's ll. \ 983

\ ■:! ot B ii keepers 93

Veils. Gla«s-front 697

Ventilation (Q.B.).3lO

Venti lal ion, Sub-earth 46

Ventilation, Top....(Q. B.;. 25

Ventilators (Q. B.). 25

Ventura Co. Crop 734

Ver in Bee ':• epers 626

Vermont Bee-men 667

Vermont Ap aries 704

\ ermont Letter 734

Vinegar < ' fler * Bonej 57

Vinega Honey 136

Virgin Queen- iQ.B.).712

Visit to Boardman 371

Visit to Manuin 572

Wahia 617

Wasps 357

Waste Kelt vs. Chaff 264

Water in a Cellar 22, 94, 116

Watermelons, When Ripe. .828

Watermelons, Testing 992

Wax-moths 248

Wax-press. Hatch's 462

Wax, Mineral 588, 639, 780

Weather in California 744

Weeds as Novelties 366

Weight of Dovetailed Hive. 778

Whisky for Stings 699

White Clover (Q. B.) .591

Whitewash for Hives 590

Whitewood for Hives 58

Williams' Success 24

Willow for Honey 266

Willow Herb....." 352

Willows 486

Wine from Honey 772

Wings of Insects 249

Wintering, Mode. ... (Q. B.). 60
Wintering, Daniels on 165

Wintering, Cellar 406

Wintering Outdoors 445

Wintering (Q. B). 26

Wintering 90

Wintering in the Cellar 115

Wisconsin, Trip to 644, 787

Wolves and Bears 744

Wolves 818

Wooden Comb 353

Workers from Large Cells.. 264

Workers, Fertile 673

World's Fair, 1892 743,893

Yellow Jessamine 410

Zaca Lake 506

Zinc Excluders 866

Zinc Honey-boards 805

Zinc, Perforated. . . .441, 619, 772
Zinc, Shepherd's 11, 221

♦^fr"

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.

Ant. Female, White 493

Ant. Soldier. White . . . 193

Apiary, Boardman's 883

Apiary. Caldwell's '.it:;

\piai y, France's.Out 787

Apiary, Floating 83

Apiary. Golden's House 990

\piary. Hunt's 625

Apiary, Manum's Home 573

\jiiary. Manum's in Winter 985

Apiary. Pratt's Queen-rearing.. r39

\piar\ . Sespe. flan of 207

Apiary, Sidehill, Manum's 665

Apiary. Snyder's 788

Apiaries. Out, Arranged 203

Rail for Carrying Hives 234

Balanced Rock 316

Bear Climbing Picket Fence 821

Bear Drinking Honey 820

Bees Don't Pay 251

Bees in the Open Air 859

Bee's Winer 249

Bee-capes for Horses, Manum's sn8

Bee-catcher 636

Bee escape, Reese's impro^ ed 857

Bee-hat 642

Bee-hat, Mrs. Holmes' 670

Bee-hunting Box. Watkins' 950

Bee-hunting, How to Climb Trees 355

Bee-keeping for Women Illustrated.89.90

Bee-suit. Ooggehall's., 448

Bee-suit, Rambler's 175

Bee-tent, Miller's 838

Bee-veil 6?o.f..i7

Bill Beetle 582

Boardman's Scuffle-hoe 882

Boardman's Winter Repository .319

Bottom-board. Dovetailed 507

Buckets forSap 103

Buckwheat. Japanese 80

BusirLima Bean Henderson's 82

Cage, Introducing 769

Calf and the Bees 228

(ape for Protecting Horses from

Stings, Manum's 808

Capt. Hetherington's Home 213

Carniolan Apiary 739

Carrying Hives 234,410

Cave of the Winds 233

Cells iii Queen-nurseries, Manum's 845

i [haddock's Bee-keeping -Illustrated 89,90

( 'hall' hive Apiary 625

Chaff hive, Ornamental Tenement 406

Chaff 1 1 1 \ <■. one-story. Sectional

Viewsof 363

( 'hair. Wintering in 413

Chair lor Carrying Hives 903

i hapman Honej plant. Field at l. an

sing 780

Climbing Large Trees

I 'oggsli - .418

i 'olon\ of Bees in Open Air 859

( '.unbilled Crate 166

Curreeanti's Needle 146

Device to Separate Simplicity Hives III

Devil's Slide. 27

i little, Follow i hi:, iii Tracks of 201

Dot GomingBee 17

Dovetailed Bottom hoard . . . ..607

Dovetailed Hive

Dovetailed Hive Crated 363

Dovetailed Hive for Shipping 551

Do\ etailed Hive, Sectional View of. ...764

Entrance. Wire cloth. Stopper for 527

Entrances, Device for Clearing Grass

a win' from 882

Exhibit, J. W. Niman's 122

Exhibit, Apicultural, at Columbus 256

Exhibits. Shelving for 48

Extractor. Reversible, Mclntyre's 841

Extractor, Francis 776

Feeder, Swiss 216

Kiddling a Swarm Down 403

Five cent Package for Honey ... 531.532

Floating Apiary 83

Frame-holder 313

Frame-lifter 140

Fruit-press Strainer 130

Garden of the Gods, Views of. .315, 316. 317

Ola s--f rout Veil 697

Glass Sections 42

Coining Bee 47

Grampus, Black 849.856

1 1 re. n houses. Low 870

Harrison, Mrs., at Convention 53

Harrison. Mrs.. Planning 54

Hauling Comb Honey, Manum's Rig.. .808

Haul in-' Supers 731

Henderson's Greenhouse 870

Hi theringt.on During War Times 304

Hethcrington Reversible Frame 514

Hetherington's First Load of Bees 212

11 et herington's Home 213

Hill's Device, Papa's 413

Hive Stand, Cheap 336

H ive-carrier 903

Hive-carriers 234

Hive cart 62, 410

Hive-cart, Fitz Hart's 674

Hive-cart, Wilson's 586

Hive, Dovetailed 189, 321

Hi ves, Shot-tower 787

Holtermann. R. F 948

He .Hermann's Shelving 252

Home Run 587

H oney Exhibit, Niman's 122

Honey-extractor, France's 776

Hopatcong , 642

Horn, Coming out of Little End 495

Horn-tail. 16

House-apiaries, Arrangement tor 136

Huber, Francis 389

Hutchinson, W. Z 161

Introducing-cage 769

Itch Mites 404

Japanese Buckwheat 80

Jenkins, J. M 890

Key note of a Swarm 403

Kincai.l's Poultry 129

Lima Bean, Henderson's Bush 82

Manitou, Glimpse of 232

Manitou Spring 230

Manuin, A. E 300

Ala nu m and his Helpers 664

Manuin in his Home Apiary 573

Manum's Queen cell Protector 629

Ma ii inn's Swarming Device 556

Ma eh Svrup. Bucket for 103

Mason. Dr. A. B 949

Miller's Hive-stand 336

Mutli.C. K 987

Newman, T. G 14

Night Vigil 408

Numbering Hives 659

()ut-apiary, France's 787

I hit apiaries. Plan 203

i iiit apiaries, Wagon-box 439

Packages. Five-cent 631. 532

Package. Henderson's 88

Peddling Honey 18

Perforated Zinc 11

Perforating Zinc Machine 12

Pipe Organ at Manitou 272

Poppleton. O. O 350

Poultry, Ki neaid's 129

Press for Wax 452

Prion id us Cristatns 85

Propolis Between Hives 414

Propolis-knife 903

Protector, Queen-eel 1 754

Quaker Friend and I 494

Queen-cell Protector, Doolittle's 754

Queen-cell Prote-tor, Manum's 629

Queen-nurseries, Manum's 845

Rack for Hauling Supers 731

Rambler's Bee-suit 175

Rambler's Blackboard 128

Rambler's Dream 204

Reading Fanatic 295

K.cse's Bee-escape 857

Removing Sections 466

Record Sap-spile 103

Repository, Winter 319

Reversible Extract. .r.'Mclntyre's 841

Reversible Metal Casting Frame 514

Rhinoceros Beetle 345

Robber-doth 767

Rose. Christmas, Vilmorin's 166

Royal Gorge 18J

Scorpion, Whip 849, 85b

Scraping-knife "03

Sections, Glass ..... .42

Sections, Removing from Combined

Crates 466

Section-holders for Dovetailed 189

Shelving for Exhibits 48,252

Shipping Bees iii Dovetailed Hives.... 651

Shot-tower Hives, France's 787

Soldier-bug •*»

Square Cans. Bi .xe.l 205

Strainer, Fruit-press 130

Strawberries, Trays for 554

Sunrise at Mr. Virgil's *1

Supers, Getting Bees out ot, Miller's. . .838

Swarming and Hiving 4J4

Swarming Device's, Manum's 556

Sword. Hetherington's *M

Syru] .-cans, Square f*>

Tarantula 'jjj

Tiger Beetle :**

Trays for Strawberries a»»

Trees. Setting out *»

Trees Setting Out-Diagram _80

Tropical Fruits, Munson's (01

dte Spring, Manitou f™

Veil. Class Front «»1

View of Prominent Bee-men 25b

Wagon-box for Carrying Hives 439

Watei for Bees • *«

Wax-press, Hatch's Improved 45.

Willow. Golden J°'

Willow, Pussy JJg

Wing of Honey-bee ;*»

Wolf, Photograph of '*"

Zinc, Perfi .rated "